Focusing on the exchange of ideas on areas of greater collaboration between the two blocs, our country was represented by Anatolio Ndong Mba – Ambassador Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea before the United Nations in New York.

Words of welcome from Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union, followed by remarks from Stavros Lambrinidis, EU Ambassador to the United Nations and opening remarks by Zéphyrin Maniratanga, Permanent Representative of Burundi and Chairman of the African Group during May, officially opened the Dialogue between Permanent Representatives of the African Group and the European Union before the United Nations.

Under the banner “Joining forces for an ambitious outcome of the Summit for the Future”, the two blocs exchanged points of interest focused on setting out a new agenda for peace.

Through this new programme, Africa appears to have a unique opportunity to contribute significantly to global peace and security, highlighting a restructuring of the global peace and security architecture as imperative for renewed multilateralism and global stability. A comprehensive, robust counter-terrorism perspective based on peace enforcement and a whole-of-society approach, complementary to peacekeeping. In addition to adequate, flexible and predictable sustainable funding of continental and regional peace operations through access to UN-designated contributions.

Reference was also made to politics, promoting effective conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy, mediation and dialogue. Durable cybersecurity solutions and a global regulatory system to address new perspectives on international security threats. The integration of women, the inclusion of young people and the protection of children, as well as the protection of civilians. The pre-eminence of post-conflict reconstruction and development in peacebuilding and peacekeeping. A new vision for disarmament based primarily on inclusive, multi-stakeholder defence and security governance of SSR/DDR. The implementation of the peace, security and sustainable development nexus to ensure human safety and resilience.

”The New Agenda for Peace must prioritise the empowerment of women and youth in peacebuilding efforts. This includes ensuring that they are included in decision-making processes. The NAP should include provisions to support women- and youth-led organisations in conflict-affected settings, while promoting and prioritising a participatory approach. It is important to ensure the role of women at all levels of the ecosystem, including the political, social and economic levels, while ensuring gender parity and the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls.

The NAP must ensure the protection of women and girls from violence in conflict situations and allow for preventive measures to protect them,” the PRs said.

Transforming global governance: Reforming the International Financial Architecture and Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and financing for development were other points extensively discussed at the dialogue meeting between the African Union bloc and the European Union bloc at the United Nations in New York City.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development has announced the Citizen Investment Plan for Beni Suef Governorate for the current fiscal year 2023/2024, as part of its ongoing efforts to disclose the citizen plan in all governorates of the Republic for the fifth consecutive year. The aim is to raise awareness among citizens about the directions and priorities of the sustainable development plan for the fiscal year 2023/2024 and its role in achieving “Egypt Vision 2030.”

Dr. Hala El Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, emphasized that the development plan pays special attention to Upper Egypt regions by applying a financing equation in directing investments based on developmental gap indicators. At the same time, there is a focus on making a breakthrough in specific provinces that have not received adequate attention before to maximize the utilization of their resources, wealth, and developmental potential. She explained that launching the “Citizen Plan” reflects the state’s keenness to involve citizens in the efforts to develop the planning and monitoring systems, aiming to achieve sustainable and comprehensive development, addressing developmental gaps between different governorates, localizing sustainable development goals, and achieving Goal 17 of the global Sustainable Development Goals, “Partnerships for the Goals.” She stressed that the citizen is the real focus of development, hence the necessity to empower them and provide them with information about the programs and developmental projects implemented by the state, adding that all developmental plans adopted by the state aim to improve the quality of life for citizens, which cannot be achieved without active community participation, in line with “Egypt Vision 2030.”

El Said pointed out that the number of developmental projects in Beni Suef Governorate amounts to 274 projects, with the value of public investments directed to the governorate under the 2023/2024 plan reaching 3.9 billion Egyptian pounds.

Regarding the sectoral distribution of public investments targeted in Beni Suef Governorate under the 2023/2024 plan, the report of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development indicated directing investments worth 1 billion pounds to the transport sector, accounting for 25.5%, followed by the local development sector with 801 million pounds, representing 20.5%. Investments in the higher education sector amount to 742 million pounds, representing 19%, while the housing sector receives 376 million pounds, accounting for 10%, and pre-university education sector 270 million pounds, representing 7%. Other sectors are allocated investments worth 710.5 million pounds, accounting for 18%, in addition to projects directed through the Egyptian Rural Development Project “Decent Life.”

The report explained that the number of villages targeted in the first phase of the “Decent Life” initiative in Beni Suef Governorate is 66 villages, with a beneficiary population of 956 thousand people, of which 48% are females. The initiative projects, which achieve all sustainable development goals, include establishing 6 social units, 12 agricultural service complexes, 14 ambulance points, 42 health units, in addition to establishing 780 classrooms, 123 schools, 4 family development centers, a rehabilitation center, 6 drinking water stations, 66 sewage projects, 8 treatment stations, 63 mobile network towers for fiber optic network connection, 29 youth centers, 12 government service complexes, in addition to establishing 26 post offices, 12 police points, and rehabilitating and lining canals over a length of 160 km, paving main and internal roads over a length of 400 km, constructing 36 irrigation bridges, and implementing 66 electricity projects for natural gas network connection.

The report further clarified that the plan aims to implement 127 developmental projects in the field of local development services in Beni Suef Governorate, 51 projects in the housing sector, with the most important developmental targets in this sector directing around 311.3 million pounds for drinking water and sanitation services.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning and Economic Development – Egypt.

Heavy rains and floods have submerged or destroyed at least 62 primary schools in Kenya, leaving more than 15,000 children with nowhere to learn when schools re-open next week and raising the risk of waterborne diseases, Save the Children said.

A report released by the Ministry of Education this week has shown the extent of damage caused to schools – as well as health facilities and homes – by raging floods that have killed more than 250 people and displaced over 250,000 people since mid March. School reopening had been postponed twice already to ensure children’s safety.

Nairobi’s informal settlements have been particularly badly hit, with families losing their homes and livelihoods. More than 7,000 people have been displaced in Mathare slums alone by the heavy rains and flooding.

So far about 34 cases of cholera have been reported along the Tana River and there are fears this number could rise as children resume school. The assessment also indicated that over 20,000 toilet blocks are either sunken or severely damaged by raging floodwaters, posing serious health risks to over 1.5 million school children across the country.

Children’s psychosocial wellbeing has also been acutely affected by the loss of family, friends, play areas and familiar environments and increased the risk of child labour, teenage pregnancies, and early marriages.

The rains have been amplified by the El Nino weather pattern — a naturally occurring climate phenomenon typically associated with increased heat worldwide, leading to drought in some parts of the world and heavy downpours elsewhere. This climate disaster has also affected children and families who are yet to recover from the impacts of drought.

Save the Children’s Acting Country Director for Kenya and Madagascar, Mohamed Abdiladif, said:

“The impact of the floods on children is disastrous and threatens their rights. As a child rights organisation, we recognise the importance of coordination of efforts to ensure that children’s lives and those of their families are restored to normalcy. We are working round the clock to deliver lifesaving interventions such as cash transfers to affected households in Nairobi and Garissa Counties and are calling for support from private sector, development partners and well-wishers to scale up our response. We also advise parents and caregivers to exercise caution as schools re-open.”

Save the Children is calling for coordinated action to swiftly help children and families affected by the crisis.

Recent analysis by Save the Children found that around one-in-two out of school children and adolescents live at the forefront of the climate crisis. The calculations from last month found 62 million children and adolescents in 27 countries have had their education disrupted by climate shocks since 2020, resulting in significant long-term impact on learning, both from school closures and from increased heatwaves.

Save the Children is calling for the response to the climate crisis, including climate finance, to be child responsive, so that children’s rights – such as the right to learning – are factored into decision making about their futures. 

The aid agency is providing cash transfers, distributing hygiene kits, household kits and water treatment kits to affected families. We are also providing education kits to support the back-to-school efforts. Jointly with the Directorate of Children Services and other partners we will keep monitoring the situation while providing protection services for children including a Save the Children short message alert number, child help line toll free number and gender-based violence free hotline.

At COP28, Save the Children, the Green Climate Fund and the Global Partnership for Education launched the world’s largest investment for green schools in order to address the growing threat of climate events on education. 

Save the Children has worked in Kenya since 1950 and in 2023 reached 784,617 people including 459033 children.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.

‘Meaningful participation’ and ‘inclusion’ were the buzzwords at the opening on Thursday of a major UN conference in Nairobi, Kenya, where governments were urged to heed the diverse voices of civil society, which were well-placed to work alongside them in building a fairer and more just future.

Bringing together civil society actors, government representatives, senior UN officials, young changemakers, academic and other stakeholders, the UN Civil Society Conference is the premier event on the civil society calendar at the United Nations, ahead of the Summit of the Future, set for this coming September. 

Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, in a video message to the event, began by expressing deep condolences to the victims of the devasting floods in Kenya and reiterating the United Nation’s continued commitment to supporting the Kenyan Government during this challenging time. 

Civil society’s ‘strong voice’

She underscored how every day, civil society groups around the world work tirelessly to advance the goals of the United Nations. 

“You fight for global justice, for social justice and for climate justice.  For peace, for gender equality, for human rights and for the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals],” said Ms. Mohammed, said, adding: “You stand in solidarity with the vulnerable and the marginalized.” 

“This Conference is a testament to the strong voice of civil society, despite rising threats and shrinking space.”

Ms. Mohammed went on to explain the Conference reaffirmed that the upcoming Summit of the Future must resonate with civil societies priorities, concerns and expectations. September’s Summit was a generational opportunity to update international institutions and build a more inclusive multilateralism that served the interests of all peoples.

Organized by the UN Department of Global Communications, the Civil Society Conference will run for two days over May 9 and 10 at the UN Office at Nairobi (UNON). 

‘We need you, civil society’ 

Opening the event, Maher Nasser, Director of the UN communication department’s Outreach Division, said that more than 3,600 civil society representatives from 2,750 entities had registered for the Conference, along with around 400 representatives of 64 governments, seven inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), 37 UN entities and over 100 media reporters.  

In addition, 70 per cent of those registered were from Africa and 40 per cent of all registrations were youth, in the age group 18 to 34. Climate was the top issue for youth registrants. Before handing over to the Co-Chairs, Mr. Nasser implored the audience to remember that “today is yesterday’s tomorrow and last year’s future.”

Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, speaking via video message, said: “For the Summit to serve as a catalyst for impactful global action, we need robust collaboration and buy-in from those directly affected to drive its action-oriented outcomes.”

Referring to the documents that are expected to emerge from the Summit – the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations – the Assembly President said, “we need you, civil society, to play a critical role in this process.” 

Guy Ryder, UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy, said the next two days were a vital step in the journey towards the Summit of the Future. The insights, commitment, and call for action were indispensable to the processes that lay ahead. 

“We are all acutely aware that we need to work together, if we were to have any chance of meeting today’s global challenges; ongoing conflicts, escalating geopolitical tensions; multiplying humanitarian crisis; rising inequalities…the climate emergency and so much more,” he stated.

Moreover, cooperation and solidarity were needed at all levels. 

“And for that, we need systems, institutions, mindsets that are up to the task and reflect contemporary realities,” Mr. Ryder said, urging everyone, especially young people, to get involved and encouraged everyone to ramp up engagement with their governments in the lead up to September.  

‘We want real change’

A highlight of the opening session was a keynote address from Karimot Odebode, SDG Young Leader, one of the 17 young leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals, who leads a civil society organization in Nigeria. 

She read a poem entitled The Journey Ahead. 

“My generation is tired,” she said, stressing, “we want real change. Are you ready to commit to peace? Are you ready? Because I commit. Do you?”

Ms. Odebode said that civil society had gathered today as a matter of urgency, to develop a roadmap towards a sustainable future. Civil society leaders had a unique responsibility in shaping the future of global and sustainable progress, she stressed. 

Florence Syevuo, another SDG Young Leader, said the Conference was a call from civil society to address global inequality once and for all, particularly those between the Global North and South. Some 70 per cent of the participants hailed from Africa, which was important; those left out of the ‘New York bubble’ could not meaningfully engage in conversations on sustainable development.

“No future UN civil society conference should be held where the UN only sits for administrative purposes…we are hoping we can go to many Global South countries,” Ms. Syevuo said.

‘Raise the bar on multilateralism’ 

Carole Agengo, co-chair of the Planning Committee of the 2024 Civil Society Conference and Africa Regional Representative at HelpAge International, said civil society in the Global South faced challenges in accessing previous conferences for various reasons, mostly due to visas.  

Reflecting on this, the current Conference had set a premium on inclusion and participation. Ms. Agengo said it was vital for organizations in the Global South to unleash the power in their numbers and collaborate, as they moved forward towards the Summit of the Future. 

For her part, Nudhara Yusuf, Co-Chair of the Planning Committee of the 2024 Civil Society Conference, Global Governance Innovation Network and Youth Coordinator, Coalition for the UN We Need, said the Conference aimed to meaningfully support the Summit of the Future, which would be held at a critical moment.

During that Summit, civil society would ask UN Member States to raise the bar on multilateralism. In turn, civil society needed to be willing to push the envelope on how they engaged with multilateral and intergovernmental processes, he said. 

The work of the Conference

The Conference on Thursday also featured 37 on-site workshops, co-organized by stakeholders, including civil society and United Nations entities and attended by various participants including UN Member States. 

This was followed with the discussion on civil society recommendations on the Pact for the Future, Declaration on Future Generations, and Global Digital Compact and an interactive dialogue on those proposed outcomes and related issues.

Friday is expected to kick off with an interactive dialogue, Looking ahead to the Summit and Beyond and a panel discussion, with responses from UN agencies, philanthropic groups and UN Member States. 

The closing session will take place in the afternoon and will be attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of Kenya, William Ruto.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.