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Trust & Will Proudly Achieves B Corporation Certification

Trust & Will

Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform, is proud to announce its official certification as a B Corporation. With a mission to help every family leave a legacy, this recognition highlights Trust & Will's commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical business practices. Trust & Will joins the global movement that business can be a force for good led by B Lab, a nonprofit network aimed to reshape the incentives around doing business—prioritizing people, communities, and the planet in addition to profit. “Six years ago, we set out on a mission to make estate planning affordable and accessible to every family in order to create legacies that span multiple generations,” said Cody Barbo, CEO and Founder of Trust & Will. “Becoming a B Corp was a conscious decision and massive undertaking to ensure that we also leave this world a better place than we found it and hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of ethics, governance, and responsibility.” Based on the B Impact Assessment, Trust & Will earned an overall score of 97.7, outperforming the required score of 80. The company was also recently named to Inc.’s list of “The 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America,” and routinely is recognized as an Inc. Best Workplace. Trust & Will joins the ranks of businesses, such as Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and Athleta, that are using their influence to create a positive impact beyond financial gains. B Corps are a global community of companies that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. ABOUT TRUST & WILL Trust & Will is simplifying estate planning and settlement with attorney-approved, legally valid documents and processes designed to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of Trust & Will members leave their legacy with an affordable way to create an estate plan or settle the estate of a loved one. Our platform uses bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA. Trust & Will is a certified B Corporation and is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members, along with several leading financial institutions, who all believe in our mission of helping every family leave their legacy. Contact Details Trust & Will Danielle Nuzzo +1 631-807-7772 danielle@trustandwill.com Company Website https://trustandwill.com

September 19, 2023 07:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SMX® Commits to Advancing Contract Management Excellence with Adoption of NCMA Contract Management Standard

National Contract Management Association

SMX®, a trusted contractor in advanced technology solutions, proudly announces its adoption of the National Contract Management Association's (NCMA) Contract Management Standard (CMS™). This strategic move underscores SMX's unwavering dedication to fostering profession-wide best practices, contracting principles, terminology, processes, and cultivating professional career development within the field. The NCMA Contract Management Standard serves as a global language for contract management professionals across various industries and organizations. It provides thought-leading organizations, like SMX, a unified framework to articulate and discuss contract management phases, domains, competencies, and skills. As SMX incorporates the CMS as a cornerstone of its corporate Quality Management System, customers can expect enhanced contract management services, increased operational efficiency, and a more transparent and streamlined experience throughout their contract lifecycle. "SMX takes immense pride in being an early adopter of CMS, a testament to our commitment to delivering unparalleled service to both our internal stakeholders and valued clients," remarked Rick Schutz, Vice President, Corporate Counsel at SMX. "This adoption reflects our pursuit of excellence in every facet of contract management." Kraig Conrad, Chief Executive Officer of NCMA, emphasized, “the SMX adoption of the CMS™ embodies our unwavering pursuit of a common language for contract management across organizations and around the world.” With the integration of the CMS into the frameworks of Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) and the Department of Defense framework (DAWIA), SMX's embrace of the NCMA CMS aligns seamlessly with the evolving landscape of contract management. As SMX embarks on this transformative journey, they look forward to not only exceeding their customers' expectations but also contributing to the evolution and standardization of contract management practices worldwide. For more information on NCMA's Common Language Adoption, please visit: www.ncmahq.org/adopters The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) – www.ncmahq.org – stands as the premier contract management organization whose mission is to collaborate towards a globally recognized contract management profession that strengthens its nexus with related acquisition communities. Serving approximately 20,000 members in both the public and private sectors, NCMA propels the growth, advancement, and impact of practitioners through a steadfast commitment to serve through the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. About SMX SMX is a leader in next-generation mission support, digital transformation and IT solutions operating in close proximity to clients across the U.S. and around the globe. SMX delivers scalable and secure solutions combined with the mission expertise needed to accelerate outcomes for the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Public Sector, Fortune 1000, and other public and private sector clients. For more information on our solutions, please visit https://www.smxtech.com/. Contact Details NCMA Holly DeHesa +1 281-865-3296 holly.dehesa@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org/

September 19, 2023 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Vietnam’s NA Chairman delivers opening remarks at 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Conference

Viet Nam News

HA NOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach - 15 September 2023 – On behalf of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people, I am pleased to warmly welcome the President, the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the President of the IPU Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, member and observer parliamentary delegations, and invited guests to the the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians held in Hanoi - the city for peace, the capital of thousands of years of Vietnamese culture. Vietnam proposed the initiative and was very honoured and proud to be chosen by the IPU as the host country of the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. Inheriting the success of the 132nd IPU Assembly in 2015, the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in 2016, and the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020, the Vietnamese National Assembly's hosting of this event continues to affirm Vietnam's active and responsible participation in the IPU. At the same time, it shows Vietnam's priority and concern for young people and global current issues of the youth. After 37 years of implementing Doi Moi (Renewal) process, since 1986, Vietnam has gained important, comprehensive and historically significant achievements. Vietnam has obtained miracles in building new-style rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction, being a bright spot in implementing the Millennium Goals and the UN Sustainable Development Agenda (SDGs) towards 2030, and has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The country's annual economic growth reaches a high level of about 6 per year. The scale of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022 at current prices ranked 38th in the world. Based on purchasing power parity (PPP), according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Vietnam ranks 10th in Asia and 24th in the world. Total import-export turnover in 2022 topped nearly US$735 billion, making Vietnam among top 20 countries with the largest foreign trade turnover in the world. Vietnam has also been successful in attracting Foreign Direct Investment with so far more than 37,000 investment projects from 143 countries and territories worth a registered capital of nearly $450 billion. Vietnam has made efforts to realise two 100-year goals: By 2030 which falls on the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnam looks to become a developing country with a modern industrial base and middle-income population; and by 2045, which falls on the 100th anniversary of the country's establishment, Vietnam will be a developed and high-income country. We are entering the third decade of the 21st century with countless unpredictable events. For the first time, the whole world experienced the COVID-19 pandemic with unprecedented scale and incurring losses far exceeding all predictions. It can be said that never before has the political, economic and international security environment faced so many difficulties and challenges at the same time as today. The persistent and complex impact of the pandemic, combined with geopolitical tensions and conflicts, competition, strategic separation, fluctuations and instability in the food, energy, financial and monetary markets, decline in investment, disruption of supply chains have erased many achievements of poverty reduction and development over the past decades. These all have posed enormous, multi-dimensional difficulties, both in the immediate and long term for many countries around the world. The implementation of the UN's SDGs is slowing down, making it difficult to complete the goals. In addition, non-traditional security issues, especially the negative impacts of climate change, are directly affecting the people, security and development of every country. But we still have the right to be optimistic and hopeful about the future. Peace, cooperation and development are still the main flow and big trend. The world has overcome the pandemic. The pandemic does not make us collapse, but makes us more united and stronger. The trends of digital transformation, green transformation and innovation are being widely promoted. While globalisation faces difficulties, a series of new economic linkage and cooperation initiatives at both regional and global levels continue to be accelerated. A world without war and a society without hunger and poverty are a wish and a common goal of global cooperation efforts. With the theme "The Role of Young People in Promoting the Realisation of Sustainable Development Goals via Digital Transformation and Innovations " and thematic discussion sessions on digital transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship and promoting respect for cultural diversity for sustainable development, I recommend delegates discuss the content as follows: First, what needs to be done and how to comply with and ensure international law and the UN Charter, which serves as a key condition to preserve and cultivate peace, cooperation and sustainable development? Second, the role of developed countries, international organisations, the business community and young people in addressing global issues, for example, sustainable and safe digital transformation; equitable energy transition, adaptation to climate change and strong diffusion of entrepreneurship and innovation. Third, in order to make people and businesses to truly be the centre of all decisions in the development process, both the goal, the driving force and the basic resource in all resources, what and how do we need to continue to do in planning, implementing laws and organising actions towards the happiness of the people? Fourth, promoting cultural and human values in sustainable development, promoting respect for cultural diversity in the context of the 4th industrial revolution; tightening cooperation in innovating ways to operate the economy, sharply increasing labour productivity, creating new driving forces for economic growth, and at the same time, helping State agencies operate more transparently, effectively on the digitalisation roadmap, to narrow the development gap and ensure national sovereignty as well as personal privacy in cyberspace. Fifth, I suggest that IPU research and establish a network of global young parliamentarians on innovation to exchange and learn from each other's experience. Late President Ho Chi Minh - the genius leader of the Vietnamese people and the world cultural celebrity - used the image of spring - the most beautiful season of the year to describe the youth: "A year begins in the spring. A life begins in youth. Youth is the spring of society". He also said: "Youth are the future owners of the country. In-deed, prosperity or decline, strength or weak-ness of the country all come from youth." Youth and young people are the force taking on the mission and historical responsibility in the integration and development of each country and the common prosperity of the world. I believe that every young parliamentarian from member parliaments will promote their intelligence, youth, creativity, responsibility and enthusiasm to actively contribute to the success of the conference. With that strong belief, I would like to declare the opening of the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. Wishing you good health and happiness. Wishing the young parliamentarians have productive working days as well as interesting and memorable experience in our beautiful and hospitable country! Contact Details Media Contact khanhchivns@gmail.com

September 15, 2023 10:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians opens in Ha Noi

Viet Nam News

HA NOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach - 15 September 2023 – The 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, hosted by the National Assembly of Vietnam and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), has opened in the capital city of Ha Noi, Vietnam, on Friday (September 15, 2023). The event, held between September 14-18, gathers nearly 500 delegates, including 300 international delegates from 70 IPU member parliaments and international organisations, making it the biggest one since the conception of the Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Vo Van Thuong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh have sent congratulatory bouquets to the conference. The co-chairs of the opening ceremony included Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, IPU President Duarte Pacheco, Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, Member of the UK Parliament and President of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians Dan Carden, Chairman of the Vietnamese Young Parliamentarians Group Nguyen Anh Tuan, Member of Parliament from Namibia and member of the Leadership Team of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians Emma Tangi Muteka, and representatives from the IPU Secretariat. The delegates will be discussing experiences and ideas under the theme "The role of youth in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation," with three main sessions: "Digital Transformation," "Innovation and Startups," "Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity in Support of Sustainable Development." The conference takes place as political, economic and societal upheavals have set back the progress of fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments and climate change response in many countries. The trends of digital transformation, green transition, and innovation are increasingly given priority and promoted around the world. Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, in the opening address, said the organisation of this conference affirms Vietnam's "active, proactive, and responsible participation in the IPU" and highlights "Vietnam's priority and concern for youth and global youth-related issues of today." The Vietnamese top legislator also quoted President Ho Chi Minh, the late founding father of Vietnam, in saying that "Youth is the future master of the nation. The prosperity or decline of the nation largely depends on youth." "Young people are the driving force and the bearers of "historical responsibilities" in the international integration and national development efforts of each country as well as global prosperity," Chairman Hue said, asking the young parliamentarians to utilise their intelligence, youth, creativity, and enthusiasm to contribute positively to the success of the conference. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue asked the delegates to pay attention to five key points: First, what needs to be done and how to comply with and uphold international law and the United Nations Charter, as a crucial condition for the maintenance and nurturing of peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. Secondly, the role of developed countries, international organisations, business communities, and youth in addressing global issues such as sustainable and secure digital transformation, just energy transition, adaptation to climate change, and robust promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation. Thirdly, making people and businesses truly the centre of all policies in the development process, both as the objective and as the motivation and fundamental resources. Fourthly, leveraging the values of culture and human beings in sustainable development, promoting the respect for cultural diversity in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and enhance cooperation in innovating the operation of the economy, increasing labour productivity, and creating new momentum for economic growth. At the same time, this will help government agencies become more transparent and efficient on the digitalisation path, narrowing the development gap, and ensuring national sovereignty and individual privacy in cyberspace. Fifth and lastly, Chairman Hue also proposed that the IPU explore the establishment of a global network of young parliamentarians dedicated to innovation, allowing them to exchange experiences and learn from one another. IPU Duarte Pacheco in his remarks thanked the Vietnam National Assembly for "providing an exceptional setting for the IPU meeting," and expressed his appreciation towards Vietnam's "commitment to leading by example on youth empowerment." "While we are behind with the SDGs, we are supercharging progress in technology. We need to link this progress in technology with the work being done to achieve the SDGs. Digitalisation and innovation are important opportunities." He also urged the responsible use of technology and innovation. "Technology should not force us into a one-size-fits-all model. Our global community has many traditions, languages, and perspectives. This diversity makes our lives richer and can also take us to greater innovation When we combine the power of technology with cultural diversity and ethics, we open up creativity and problem-solving." "As members of parliaments, we must promote inclusivity, intercultural dialogues, and respect for diversity as drivers of sustainable development and peace." Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU, underscored the the significant roles of young parliamentarians, and the young people that they represent, can play. "You can be a driving force for progress, injecting fresh perspectives, energy, and innovative solutions into parliamentary processes. Sharing practices, amplifying your voices on the issues that concern you most, and better connecting you to youth, is what this Conference is all about." He remarked that the young's "passion, enthusiasm, and dedication to accelerating the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation are a guiding light for us all." Contact Details Media Contact khanhchivns@gmail.com

September 15, 2023 10:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Jeffrey P. Halperin Joins AmeriLife as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

AmeriLife

AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities, and retirement planning solutions, announced today that Jeffrey P. Halperin has joined the company as its new Chief Risk and Compliance Officer (CRCO). Reporting to AmeriLife’s Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, Nathan Hightower, Halperin will oversee the company’s Compliance Department and lead an enterprise-wide approach to identifying, assessing and mitigating risks that the company may face to ensure that AmeriLife has the proper controls in place to achieve its business objectives. “We’re thrilled to welcome Jeff to AmeriLife and excited to add someone of his caliber to our organization,” said Hightower. “The need for a modern, best-in-class approach to corporate compliance and risk management has never been higher. Under Jeff’s leadership, I’m confident that he’ll continue to build and enhance our services to support the evolving needs of our company and partners.” Halperin comes to AmeriLife from Brighthouse Financial, the spinoff of MetLife’s former Retail Division, where he served as Chief Compliance Officer and Associate General Counsel, since 2017. In this role, he was responsible for managing Brighthouse Financial’s Compliance Department, which was charged with mitigating regulatory risk for the company. He also led the company’s Distribution and Vendor Contracts legal functions, Procurement, and Third-Party Risk Management. Prior to Brighthouse Financial, Halperin worked for nearly 20 years within MetLife’s Corporate Ethics & Compliance Department in a variety of roles, including as MetLife’s Global Money Laundering Prevention Officer; CCO of the MetLife Funds, MetLife Advisers, and MetLife Securities; and Senior Vice President of Compliance for MetLife’s U.S. Businesses. For more than 30 years, Halperin has been an active participant in the industry, serving on various industry committees and speaking at numerous industry conferences on topics related to securities and insurance regulation. Halperin, who will be based at AmeriLife’s Clearwater, Fla., headquarters, is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Connecticut School of Law. “I am very excited to be joining AmeriLife at a time of impressive sales growth,” said Halperin. “I look forward to bringing my metrics-driven, process-oriented approach to the Risk and Compliance functions, so my team can help ensure that AmeriLife achieves its goals in a risk-aware and legally-compliant manner.” ### About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as an industry leader in developing, marketing and distributing life and health insurance, annuities, and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a national distribution network of over 300,000 agents and financial professionals and more than 120 marketing organizations and insurance agencies. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details Media Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com Partnership Inquiries Patrick Nichols +1 727-726-0726 pnichols@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

September 14, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Vieu unlocks routes to enterprise sales as it unveils its platform

Vieu

Enterprise sales are coveted deals for any business but they need complex navigation across many stakeholders and can take months if not years to close. To create strategic customer wins, beyond early unpaid pilots, B2B sales require deep understanding of the customer problems, building relationships with the buying committee, and creating strategic alignment to accelerate the deal. To help companies navigate these pursuits, Generative AI startup Vieu is today announcing a $2m funding round as it announces the global launch of its sales platform. The funding round saw participation from over 20 marquee angel investors, founders/CEOs, and seasoned GTM executives. Vieu was founded in 2022 by serial tech entrepreneurs and former Microsoft executives, Samir Manjure and Simon Skaria with the mission to help businesses chart their path to enterprise sales success. Samir Manjure, CEO and Founder of Vieu, commented: “When GPS got integrated into smartphones, it became possible to automatically provide turn by turn directions to get to a given destination. Today, with the ability to leverage Generative AI and the power of semantic knowledge graphs presents a watershed moment for B2B Sales. Riding on these advances, Vieu is tackling the holy grail of Enterprise Sales - an auto generated account plan and on-the-rail execution for Enterprise Sales pursuits” The Enterprise B2B Sales industry is worth $81B today and it is projected to grow double digit CAGR through 2030. 93% of the CEOs consider Sales Transformation one of their top 5 strategic priorities, and believe AI would completely upend traditional spray and pray sales methodologies. Vieu is projected to capitalise on this disruption using AI to identify the strategic accounts with highest propensity, equip the sales team with auto-generated Account Plan, and deliver on-the-rail execution plan for each account with company-level observability. “Enterprise sellers are drowning in data and insights from various Sales Intelligence software. Sellers do not need more data or more insights, but they need prescriptive contextual actions for a given enterprise pursuit.” says Samir Manjure. “Given a target enterprise account Vieu provides an entire AI generated execution plan for each Enterprise pursuit from prospecting to proposal to procurement.” Lila Tretikov, ex-CEO of Wikimedia Foundation and dCTO at Microsoft said: “CRM has long failed to create a self-updating data system for actionable, real-time customer intelligence. Vieu Connections Graph uses AI to fuse internet, enterprise, and end-user data to create a data moat, making sales teams more effective with autogenerated plans and turn-by-turn assistance." Multiple enterprise sales teams worldwide are already using Vieu and now the power of Vieu is available to all companies globally with this launch. Seclore Inc has been an early adopter of Vieu. Seclore Inc. pioneered the concept of Data-Centric Security for the Enterprise and is relied on by Fortune 100 companies like Amex, Applied materials, GM, Ford etc. Vishal Gupta, Seclore’s CEO, said, “The Enterprise Sales landscape is changing rapidly. Cold outreach and traditional ABM just doesn’t work while selling to large enterprises. We need to protect our brand while reaching out to target customers, demonstrate our insights in solving their business problems, and strive to deliver value in our very first interaction. Vieu helps us make warm introductions to the target accounts and deliver strategic briefing founded in awareness of their problems and matches with our offering” Like its technology and product, Vieu has an innovative pricing model that is focused on true business outcomes. With the global launch today, Vieu is now offering a 100% money-backed guarantee which makes the decision of onboarding them easy especially in today’s tough macro environment where cost optimization is happening everywhere. “Sales gets paid on performance, so why should sales software be any different” adds Samir Manjure. About Vieu Cofounded by Samir Manjure and Simon Skaria, Vieu uplevels every sales pursuit into faster, bigger strategic wins. Samir previously was founder and CEO of KenSci (acquired by Providence Group) and has held various positions at Microsoft for over 17 years. Simon has founded and sold 2 startups previously – Albits (acquired by ICICI), and Office365Mon (acquired by ZScaler) and has also held various positions at Microsoft for 16 years. For more information, please visit www.vieu.com or follow Vieu on LinkedIn. Contact Details Vieu Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://try.vieu.com/

September 13, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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How Clean Energy Jobs are Driving the Economy

YourUpdateTV

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest investment in climate and clean energy in U.S. history, and within the last year, companies have created more than 170,600 new clean energy jobs nationwide. Recently, Lori Lodes, the Executive Director of Climate Power, and Gina McCarthy, Former White House Climate Advisor, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss how families are benefitting from the law and how clean energy jobs are reshaping the economy. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/rrfT-Kddz7I?si=1S6U7FzbYqvQhh-a Clean energy projects created 170,606 new jobs in 44 states between August 16, 2022 and July 20, 2023. There are 272 new clean energy projects in small towns and big cities nationwide, totaling $278 billion in new investments. Plans include 91 new battery manufacturing sites in places like Tucson, Arizona; Rochester, New York; and Florence County, South Carolina. So far, companies have announced plans for 65 new or expanded electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in Savannah, Georgia; Montgomery, Alabama; Auburn Hills, Michigan — and more. A further 84 plans were announced to develop wind and solar manufacturing in cities including Cochranton, Pennsylvania; Pensacola, Florida; and Georgetown, Texas. The majority of projects are in five states — Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina, California, and Texas. The jobs being created across the country are good-paying opportunities for electricians, mechanics, construction workers, technicians, support staff, and thousands of others. Many of these clean energy jobs come with higher wages and good benefits without requiring a four-year degree — meaning they’re accessible to most Americans. For more information, visit climatepower.us About Lori Lodes Lori Lodes is the executive director of Climate Power, a strategic communications operation focused on building political will and public support for bold climate action. It was founded going into the 2020 US presidential election and played a key role in establishing climate as a core message for the Biden campaign and Build Back Better agenda. Before stewarding Climate Power, Lori spent a handful of years in corporate communications at Apple. She was deputy director of communications for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016, and she spent many years working on communication initiatives for the Affordable Care Act and healthcare.gov. About Gina McCarthy The first White House National Climate Advisor and former U.S. EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, is one of the nation’s most respected voices on climate change, the environment, and public health. As head of the Climate Policy Office, McCarthy’s leadership led to the most aggressive action on climate in U.S. history, creating new jobs and unprecedented clean energy innovation and investments across the country. Her commitment to bold action, supported by the climate and clean energy provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, restored U.S. climate leadership on a global stage and put a new U.S. national target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 within reach. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

September 12, 2023 01:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

Vietnam and the United States: Promoting trusted trade partnership and green growth in agriculture

VBAF

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 9 September 2023 - President of the United States Joe Biden's official visit to Vietnam (Sep 10-11) will mark a new milestone in bilateral relations and positive progress between two countries. In particular, that will facilitate development and continues to show notable growth in agricultural trade. The Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has welcomed the delegations of the US Secretary of Agriculture, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), two US Deputy Secritaries of State, two US Deputy Secretaries of Agriculture, and Governors of Nebraska and California over the past year. This demonstrates the importance of Vietnam in cooperation with the United States. Concurrent with the bilateral contacts is a series of exchanges, negotiations, shared understanding and coordination activities between the 2 sides, building partner trust and a very important foundation for promoting stronger agricultural cooperation. With President Biden's upcoming visit to Vietnam, relations between the two countries will be raised to a new level, creating favorable conditions for promoting bilateral cooperation between the 2 countries in general and the agriculture and rural development sector in particular. To foster trusted partnership and development of agricultural trade The United States has been on the top list of export markets of Vietnam in general and for agricultural products in particular. Vietnam's agricultural, forestry and fishery exports to the United States reached 13 billion USD in 2022, accounting for 24.4% of the total country Agro-forestry-fishery (AFF) exports to the world. However, it only represents 6.7% of the US's AFF imports, showing a potential for Vietnam exports in the US market. The United States applies strict requirements and a wide range of technical and SPS standards on agricultural and food products. In that context, Vietnam is making efforts to better meet those requirements. Organization of production associated with the needs, tastes and technical standards of the United States. In detail, priority is given to R&D investment on plant and animal breeds, etc., that meet technical, food safety and animal and plant health conditions and standards; promoting imported seed suitable to local conditions, increasing the diversity of agricultural products, targeting the US market; building value chain integration between US import enterprises and Vietnamese enterprises to transfer technology and varieties besides ensuring quality control to meet the requirements of technical and quality standards of the US market. Improvement of product quality and value to satisfy the requirements of the US market. It is essential to review and finalize the current system of technical standards and national technical regulations for agricultural products with reference to US standards. It is also necessary to complete the food safety and disease safety control system crop, livestock, seafood, animal feed, etc., for consideration, evaluation, recognition of equivalence, and opening export markets by the United States. Moreover, many agricultural products of the two countries have been opened market access in recent years. With active negotiation between two countries, the United States is becoming the largest poultry meat exporter to Vietnam (accounting for about 34% of total poultry meat imports), the second largest beef exporter (after Australia, accounting for about 16%) and the sixth largest pork exporter (accounting for about 5%) to Vietnam. At the same time, the United States also opened the market for many Vietnamese products. Most recently, on August 7, 2023, APHIS completed updating the online database of Agricultural Commodity Import Requests (ACIR) to approve imports of Vietnamese fresh coconuts. In the coming time, Vietnam will prioritize boosting the export of wood and wood products, seafood, and cashew nuts, pepper, and coffee, fruits into the US market. To promote green growth and sustainable development The cooperation agricultural green growth between Vietnam and the United States has brought many benefits, including environmental protection and improved product quality and the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. Two countries continue to cope with environmental challenges and climate change together. Vietnam Government pays close attention to sustainable development, climate change and international commitments. At the COP26 (The UN Climate Change Conference), Vietnam made a commitment to bring net emissions to zero by 2050, joined the “Methane Pledge” and the “Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use”. To implement the commitments at COP26, COP27, Vietnam has participated in many initiatives with the United States and other countries and international organizations such as: i) Initiative "Agricultural Innovation Mission for Climate Change" (AIM4C); ii) the Action Alliance "Promoting Sustainable Productivity Growth for Food Security and Resource Conservation" (SPG); iii) the World Economic Forum's "Food Innovation Hub" (FIH) and iv) the World Economic Forum's (WEF) "100 Million Farmers: Transitioning to Zero-Emission and Environmentally Friendly Food Systems"; v) Coalition on "Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance " (LEAF). As agreed between the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the US Secretary of Agriculture, from April 2022, the US-Vietnam Climate Change Working Group was launched with the participation of relevant agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and representatives of USDA, USAID, and USFS to reduce emissions in agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. In the immediate future, the two sides focus on the implementation of projects including the project “Adaptation to Climate Change in the Mekong Delta”, “Fertilizer Right”, “Transformational Strategies for Farm Output Risk Mitigation in Livestock Sector” (TRANSFORM). In particular, The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam is coordinating with the US WF to complete the signing of the Letter of Intent and develop the program " Viet Nam for Life: Nature-based Solutions for the Central " with a long-term cooperation framework lasting up to 20 years, with a budget of up to 300 million USD, focusing on addressing climate change issues, protect and restore biodiversity, while benefiting local communities in the Central Annamite Mountains, one of Asia's largest adjacent primary forests. Vietnam will join hands to cooperate with the US Government, organizations, and investors as trusted partners to develop a green and sustainable agriculture and develop better agricultural supply chains and contribute to the global food security. Contact Details VBAF vbaf@gmail.com

September 09, 2023 10:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Open Letter to Leaders of the European Union: Hold Amit Shah Accountable

Human Rights Transparency Trust

Human Rights Index, a platform dedicated to raising awareness about human rights issues worldwide, has published the following open letter urging a call to action for global democratic leaders with regard to the policies and actions of India’s Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah: “As leaders from around the globe gear up for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Dehli, attention is drawn to India, a significant force in international politics and the global economy. Central to India's contemporary political scene is Amit Shah, a man whose political ambitions, beliefs, and far-reaching influence demand careful examination and consideration. Amit Shah's rise to power, his control over India's law enforcement agencies, his handling of protests, and his stance on issues such as national security, surveillance, and minority rights paint a picture of a leader with a complex and often controversial legacy. Shah's support for policies that may undermine minority rights, his alleged involvement in personal scandals and abuses, and his influence over law enforcement have led to questions about transparency, accountability, and potential abuse of power. His remarks that Western standards of human rights do not apply to India have alarmed human rights advocates globally. The upcoming G20 summit presents an opportunity for the international community to engage with India on these critical issues. It is a moment to call for reforms, to scrutinize Shah's track record, and to consider the broader implications of his leadership for regional and global security. Consider those who will look to us to defend human rights, in any language, society or culture across the globe. Let this be a call to action for world leaders, human rights organizations, and concerned citizens to take a hard look at India's human rights track record with Shah as a key advisor to Prime Minister Modi. The world must not turn a blind eye to the warning signs. The stakes are high, and the time to act is now. The G20 summit must serve as a platform for constructive dialogue and accountability, ensuring that the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are upheld. International leaders must call Amit Shah to account for his actions and not let the G20 Summit pass without remaining true to the values that bind us as a global community.” A comprehensive report detailing the influence, impact, and concerns raised by stakeholders around the world regarding the actions and politics of Amit Shah is available for download here. The Human Rights Index is a platform dedicated to raising awareness about the complex crisis faced by refugees in India. Its mission is to bring attention to the history of discrimination and violence faced by religious and ethnic minorities in India. Through research and advocacy, it aims to promote human rights and support those affected by persecution. Contact Details Human Rights Index Press Team +44 7584 421001 comms@hrindex.fund

September 08, 2023 10:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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