Ms Sylvia Lucas, the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces and leader of the South African parliamentary delegation, addressed the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, focusing on the theme: Building Bridges for Peace and Understanding.

In her speech, Ms Lucas stressed the necessity of confronting underlying injustices to achieve sustainable peace. She called on parliamentary leaders worldwide to help build bridges for peace and understanding.

“To achieve sustainable peace, we must bravely confront underlying injustices, which perpetuate inequality and hinder human development,” she said. She highlighted the responsibility of leaders to forge a new social and political order through active engagement in parliamentary diplomacy.

Ms Lucas underscored the current challenges of global peace threatened by polarisation. She also stressed the vital role of dialogue, consensus-building, and negotiation in fostering peace and cohesion among nations. “This we cannot accomplish by picking sides,” she said, “instead we must create a platform for everyone to be heard, without judgment, to ensure that we broker new constructs of understanding and empathy, even where deeply divergent views have been held.”

Addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Ms Lucas referred to South Africa’s legal intervention under the Genocide Convention to prevent the humanitarian crisis from escalating. She quoted the Irish lawyer, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh’s poignant words describing the Gaza conflict as the “first genocide in history being broadcast in real-time by its victims”. Ms Lucas advocated for support towards initiatives delivering enduring peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and emphasised the importance of a two-state solution.

Highlighting the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures on Israel, Lucas called upon parliaments to exercise their constitutional duty in ensuring compliance with the Genocide Convention. She urged the IPU to oversee the implementation of these measures and establish mechanisms to address related issues, including detainees and hostages.

Regarding South Africa’s participation in the IPU’s Task Force on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Ms Lucas stressed the importance of diplomatic solutions through dialogue. She proposed establishing a similar task force to address conflicts affecting IPU member states, particularly considering the ICJ’s pronouncements on Israel and Palestine.

Ms Lucas also appealed to parliaments to await the results of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s investigation before making decisions regarding funding. She stressed the necessity of basing actions on factual outcomes to ensure continuous humanitarian support.

She highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting inclusivity, equal rights, and non-discrimination. She called upon the leaders of member parliaments to collaborate in finding peaceful solutions to global conflicts, particularly the Israel-Palestine issue.

Ms Lucas also stressed South Africa’s efforts in strengthening international ties, citing the successful hosting of the 9th BRICS Parliamentary Forum. She highlighted the role of parliamentarians in championing human rights, democracy, and the rule of law through collaborative efforts with civil society organisations.

“As parliamentarians, by embracing and implementing these good practices, we contribute to fostering peaceful and collaborative international relations. Through our dedicated efforts in parliamentary diplomacy, we facilitate understanding, collaboration, and constructive engagement on the global stage,” she said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) approved a $50 million loan for the Yobe State Environmental and Climate Change Action Project (ECCAP) to enhance climate change resilience, boost food security, and improve livelihoods for over 3.5 million people in northeast Nigeria.

The project cost is estimated at $101.34 million with the African Development Bank providing a $50 million loan while the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) is expected to provide $30 million in co-financing. Yobe State Government will contribute $4.52 million in counterpart funding, and project beneficiaries are contributing $16.82m

In decades past, protracted inter-communal conflicts, especially between herder and farming communities, and armed insurgencies have aggravated the already fragile environmental situation in Yobe, plunging it into rapid economic decline. With 72% of its population living below the poverty line, Yobe is ranked as the state in Nigeria that is most vulnerable to climate change.

ECCAP will support the federal and state governments in their efforts to respond to the challenges of droughts and desertification, empower women by supplying small ruminants and providing cooking stoves to develop micro, small and medium-size enterprises, among other interventions. The project will also support the preparation of Yobe State’s Gender Policy.

The implementation of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme will incentivize the population to maintain 2 million regenerated trees on farms and support payments for labour and related services to plant and maintain 20 million drought-resistant trees. This project complements the Bank’s and other Development Partners’ on-going and planned projects to address climate change and promote livelihood improvements in Yobe State.

Speaking during the Board of Directors’ approval of the project, African Development Bank Group President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said the project will help tackle general insecurity, climate vulnerability, food insecurity and build resilient livelihoods. “This is a very practical and granular project that tackles the issues of insecurity, more generally vulnerability, but also food security, and restoration of the degraded environment. It is all about how we build resilient livelihoods. This is a project that shows how we can do that in an integrated way.”

Director General of the Bank’s Nigeria Country Department, Lamin Barrow, said, “With the key interventions in afforestation and reforestation contributing to carbon sequestration, this green project will help reduce vulnerability to climate shocks, build the resilience of the target population and boost Nigeria’s efforts to meet its African Forestry Landscape Restoration Initiative goal to restore 4 million hectares of land degraded by climate change, a regional and global public good, and Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 15 targets.”

Martin Fregene, Director of the Bank’s Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, said, “The ECCAP project is not a typical livelihood support project; it seeks to fill a gap to ensure sustainability in livelihood-enhancing projects. The project will lead to the improvement of the vegetative cover of the state with more than 20 million established trees over 120,000 hectares and will train selected youth and women to set up 3,560 new MSMEs that will process and market new products using raw materials from trees, such as neem oil, and introduce improved clean cooking stoves and clean cooking technologies targeting 10 % of the population.”

The Bank’s current portfolio in Nigeria comprises 50 operations amounting to $4.6 billion. The portfolio is fairly well distributed across the Bank’s High 5s priority areas.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media contact:
Chukwuemeka Francis Ezekiel
African Development Bank Nigeria Country Department (RDNG) 
media@afdb.org

Alexis Adélé
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org

Technical contact:
Tabi Karikari
Chief Agro-Industry officer
African Development Bank RDNG
t.karikari@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is the premier multilateral financing institution dedicated to Africa’s development. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NSF). The AfDB has a field presence in 41 African countries, with an external office in Japan, and contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes Congolese musician Innoss’B as a High-Level Supporter promoting healthy meals and improved nutrition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The collaboration comes at a crucial time when the country is grappling with high food insecurity and malnutrition.

Innoss’B, born Innocent Balume, is a dynamic and innovative artist from Goma, who has made a significant impact on African music. Recognized for his unique blend of Afrobeat, R&B and traditional Congolese rhythms, Innoss’B has earned international acclaim as a trailblazer in the music industry.

“I believe in the power of music and culture to bring positive change. Partnering with WFP allows me to contribute to addressing the critical issues of nutrition and education in my homeland. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of young people,” said Innoss’B.

Through this partnership, WFP aims to leverage Innoss’B’s influence amongst the youth to raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating, school meals and strategies to combat malnutrition in the country.

Innoss’B also shares a personal connection with WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain, having met at the age of 13, her during her humanitarian tour in Goma in 2011 and 2012. They have also collaborated on various charity and fundraising initiatives in the United States to support the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC.

“Innoss’B’s dedication to building a better future for people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is truly inspiring,” said Executive Director McCain. “Ever since our first meeting 14 years ago in Goma, I have been so proud to see everything he has achieved as an artist and a humanitarian. I am excited to welcome him to our WFP team. With Innoss on board, we can make a real impact in the fight against hunger and malnutrition in DRC.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Innoss’B and harness the power of music to promote the remarkable potential of the DRC and its people. By joining forces, we can inspire positive action and address the urgent challenges of malnutrition and food insecurity,” said Peter Musoko, WFP’s Country Director in the DRC. “

As WFP continues its efforts to improve food security, the collaboration with Innoss’B adds a vibrant and influential voice to the campaign. However, the organization emphasizes the ongoing need for funding, facing a budget shortfall of US$548.5 million over the next six months to meet the increasing humanitarian demands across the country.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).

President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., on Monday, March 25, expressed great pride in the performance of Liberia’s nation soccer Team, which recently defeated the Djibouti Team in the Moroccan City of Marrakech. He praised the Team for its courage and hard work to clinch an away win despite the many challenges facing sports administration in the country.

The President’s comments were made when he received the Lone Star Team in audience along with its technical staff and leaders of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the Parlours of the Executive Mansion.

During the meeting, the President commended the players and technical staff for their unwavering commitment in their representation of Liberia in football during this period of scarcity of much needed resources. 

President Boakai stressed the importance of putting into place proper planning and ensuring that the Team is adequately supported in its encounters. He further expressed his frustration over the constant shortage of resources compounded by poor planning. He vowed to work towards changing the narrative in favor of proper planning to ensure sustained support so as to empower those who represent the country and raise the flag in competitions.

An ardent sports lover himself, the Chief Patron of Sports of Liberia paid tribute to legendary soccer players of Liberia who he said contributed so much to building our country’s image. He led the audience into a moment of silence in honor of former Invincible Eleven goalkeeper Raymond Moulton who recently passed. In his heydays on the soccer pitch, Mr. Moulton also manned the goalpost for the Liberian National Team. 

Reaffirming his Government’s full support to the Team, the President expressed his concern for the welfare of the players, who he noted put their lives on the line for the country. He reassured Liberian athletes that his Government will pay special attention to the promotion of sports by finding resources and opportunities for the players to prepare for a better future after their football career. 

The Liberian Chief Executive lamented that, despite the country’s long years of existence as an independent nation, it is still unable to host the African Games. He promised to turn greater attention to the improvement of sports by finding the resources to build mini stadiums in the county capitals. 

The Chief Patron of Sports then announced his plan to be present at the Stadium to personally witness the Djibouti-Lone Star return match set for Tuesday, March 26, at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Liberia: Executive Mansion.