President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Climate Change Bill which sets out a national climate change response, including mitigation and adaptation actions, which also constitutes South Africa’s fair contribution to the global climate change response. 

The Climate Change Act, as endorsed by the President, enables the alignment of policies that influence South Africa’s climate change response, to ensure that South Africa’s transition to a low carbon and climate resilient economy and society is not constrained by policy contradictions.

The law also sets out to enhance South Africa’s ability and capacity over time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build climate resilience, while reducing the risk of job losses, and promoting opportunities for new job opportunities in the emerging green economy.

The Act has the aim of strengthening co-ordination between national sector departments and provide policy setting and decision-making to enable South Africa to meet the commitments in Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.

The National Determined Contribution is a set of commitments South Africa has made under the international Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse greenhouse emissions as part of climate change mitigation. 

South Africa is one of more than 190 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change who are parties to the eight-year-old Paris Agreement. 

South Africa’s mitigation measures are a response to climate change impacts that are increasingly experienced across a number of sectors including water resources; agriculture and food production; forestry and fisheries; human health; energy generation; industry; human settlements and migration; disaster management; biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems. 

These impacts will disproportionately affect poor communities and vulnerable groups and could affect South Africa’s ability to meet its development and economic growth goals, including job creation and poverty reduction.

The Climate Change Act sets out the functions of the Presidential Climate Commission, which includes providing advice on the Republic’s climate change response to ensure the realisation of the vision for effective climate change response and the long-term just transition to a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy and society.

The law also stipulates the role provinces and municipalities will play in mitigation efforts.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assented to the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill which streamlines the support services government provided to small and medium businesses as part of broadening participation in the economy by a greater number of South Africans.

The National Small Enterprise Amendment Act signed by the President amends the National Small Enterprise Act of 1996 to establish a new entity, the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency, which will incorporate the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEFA), the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and the Cooperative Banks Development Agency (SEDFA).

SEDA and SEFA are currently located within the Department of Small Business Development.

The new Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency will function as a one-stop-shop for aspiring entrepreneurs and promote the development of the Co-operative Banking Institutions (CBIs).

The Act also establishes the Office of the Small Enterprise Ombud Service which may, as part of dealing with complaints, recommend that the Minister of Small Business Development declare certain practices in relation to small enterprises to be prohibited unfair trading.

Under the new law, the Minister may make regulations setting the criteria to determine the classification of micro, small and medium enterprises as well as any legislation affecting small enterprises.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on the July 23 Revolution anniversary.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, also sent similar congratulatory messages to President El-Sisi and to Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs&International Cooperation.

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi has underlined that the Somali Diaspora Conference, currently in session in Doha, constitutes an important opportunity to discuss how to employ the expertise and capabilities of Somali communities abroad in building and developing Somalia and strengthening the economy through investors and entrepreneurs and capacity building through training and development programs, as well as reviewing potential challenges and opportunities for Somali expatriates to participate in the development of their country, and highlighting their success stories in this context.

In his speech during the opening of the three-day conference, His Excellency said that the conference, which is being held for the first time in an Arab country, is a forum that includes members of Somali communities abroad, who have faced many challenges in the diaspora countries, such as the difficulty of integrating into new societies, adapting to the different cultures of diaspora countries, the difficulty of maintaining cultural identity, unemployment, and difficult economic conditions.

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs added that despite these challenges, the members of the Somali community in the diaspora have been able to overcome these obstacles, which reflects the great ability of the Somali community to adapt and integrate with local communities, while preserving its cultural identity, in addition to overcoming difficult economic circumstances.

HE the Minister stressed the importance of concerted international efforts and the contribution of Somali expatriates in building their country, noting that the State of Qatar will remain supportive of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi pointed to the important role played by the State of Qatar in implementing many vital development, reconstruction, and rehabilitation projects in Somalia, including; Building roads such as the Mogadishu-Afgooye Road Project, and the Mogadishu-Johar Project, in addition to the State of Qatar’s contribution to the rehabilitation and construction of the headquarters of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the construction and rehabilitation of the Mogadishu Municipality Building, besides its support for security capabilities, economic empowerment programs, and creating jobs for youth in Somalia.

He added that the State of Qatar is also implementing many development and sustainable projects in Somalia to enhance stability, security and peace, emphasizing that the State of Qatar will spare no effort in supporting Somalia to achieve prosperity and stability.

For his part, HE Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to the State of Qatar for hosting this important conference, noting that this hosting reflects the strong fraternal relations between the two countries.

In his speech during the opening of the conference, HE the Somali Prime Minister appreciated the State of Qatar’s continuous and generous support for the Somali people in various fields, praising its giving during the ordeal of the conflict in Somalia, and its great efforts through which it sought to bridge the rift and bring the views of the Somali parties closer together.

He said that this conference reflects the aspirations and goals of the Somali people to achieve development and prosperity, through discussing ways of fruitful cooperation between Somalis abroad and their country of origin, in a way that contributes to achieving the comprehensive renaissance of their country. He pointed to the prominent role played by the Somali community in the diaspora in various fields.

HE the Somali Prime Minister said that economic partnerships are one of the most important means of achieving sustainable growth, calling in this regard for the establishment of strategic partnerships that contribute to the development of various aspects of life, especially in the fields of education, health, insurance, and finance.

He stated that enhancing production capabilities and opening new markets for national products are considered vital steps towards achieving economic stability, noting his country’s endeavor to enhance trade exchange with various countries of the world to improve the national economy.

He said that utilizing Somali natural resources sustainably is essential for achieving sustainable development, expressing his hope that Somali expatriates would contribute to establishing companies in the field of renewable energy. He also highlighted the need for their role in managing national resources, including fisheries, livestock, and agriculture, and in implementing best practices in these areas.

He highlighted the most prominent challenges facing his country, such as; Environmental challenges, poverty, and building productive societies, noting the Somali government’s efforts to improve security and stability in the country, as enhancing security is a basis for creating an attractive environment for investments, which contributes to achieving sustainable economic development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.