A law enacted more than a decade ago to govern civil society organisations has now been operationalised, President William Ruto has announced.

The execution of the legal instrument to make the Public Benefits Organisations Act operational, the President said, demonstrates the government’s commitment to forging a strong partnership with civil society.

He explained that this is aimed at advancing the country’s pursuit of sustainable and inclusive development.

“Civil society has a role to play in the development of our country. We may not necessarily always agree, but that is the beauty of having diverse opinions,” he added.

President Ruto pointed out that the Act has consolidated all legislations governing civil society organisations into one predictable legal regime.

“We have made it possible for Public Benefit Organisations from outside Kenya not to be taken through unnecessary vigorous processes before they begin their operations in Kenya,” he said.

The President was speaking at the closing session of the United Nations Civil Society Conference at the United Nations Office in Nairobi.

He said strengthening civil society is part of the government’s effort to build an all-of-society coalition that brings together government, the opposition, NGOs religious institutions and other groups.

He said this was the surest way of addressing exclusion and marginalisation that promote poverty and inequality.

President Ruto explained that the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda identifies development as an inclusive and collective endeavour.

“It is not a special and exclusive project of the Executive or the public sector defined by narrow objectives or interests,” he said.

Saying that civil society plays a critical role in shaping policies, driving change and keeping governments in check, the President called for the empowerment of the youth to enable them to make their contribution to the nation’s development.

“It is our responsibility to meaningfully involve them in shaping the future by consistently taking deliberate steps to dismantle barriers hindering their participation in political and public life,” he said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said civil society has played a critical role in enhancing democracy and governance and acted as a bridge between people and their representatives.

He called on the civil society to play an even greater role in international politics and the governance of international institutions.

“This is the key to rebuilding trust, restoring legitimacy and ensuring international decisions are shaped by the concerns, values and the experiences of the people across the globe,” he said.

The conference that started on Wednesday ended today.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of President of the Republic of Kenya.

The UNECA in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, has successfully conducted a training session for 43 staff members from the Kaduna State Residents Identity Management Agency (KADRIMA) and the Kaduna State Pension Bureau. This training aims to equip the staff with the skills necessary to effectively use the newly developed Pensioner Verification App, designed to streamline the identification and verification process for pensioners.

The training session, held at the KADRIMA head office, included 39 KADRIMA staff members (23 field officers and 19 HQ staff), and 4 key staff members from the Pension Bureau. This initiative is part of the state government’s broader strategy to digitalize and enhance the efficiency of government services, ensuring that pensioners receive timely and hassle-free verification.

Key Highlights of the Training:

Hands-On App Training: Participants received detailed instructions on using the app, including registration, biometric verification, and troubleshooting.

Field Application: Practical sessions were conducted to prepare field officers to assist pensioners in remote and rural areas who may require help with the verification process or do not have access to Android devices.

Data Management: The training covered the integration of the app with the state’s Master Data Management system, ensuring secure and efficient data handling.

Feedback and Improvement: Participants were encouraged to provide feedback to enhance the app’s functionality and user experience.

Statements from Key Stakeholders:

Mr. Muhammed Jibrin Bamalli, Acting ES KADRIMA, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “This training is a crucial step towards our mission of improving service delivery through technology. The Pensioner Verification App will significantly reduce the burden on our pensioners and ensure a more efficient verification process.”

Ms. Salamatu Isah, Head of the Pension Bureau, added, “The introduction of this app is a game-changer for our pension verification process. We are grateful for the support from the ECA and are confident that this will bring about positive changes for our pensioners.”

Ms. Dobrina Poirier, Economic Affairs Officer from UNECA, stated, “The UNECA is proud to see this project come to fruition. The dedication and commitment of KADRIMA and the Pension Bureau has been instrumental in advancing and showcasing how digital IDs can transform public service delivery.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

With the increasing infusion of digitalization into the provision of Government services and everyday life, with plans to adopt the highest levels of data security in the provision of such services, Ghana is well on its way to becoming the first blockchain-powered government in Africa and one of the very few in the world, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has announced.

“We are going to adopt blockchain technology for government to ensure that all data and transactions in the Government space are transparent and tamper-proof, no one can change them, and so ours could well become the first blockchain-powered government in Africa” the Vice President stated in Accra on Thursday, 9th May, 2024.

Dr Bawumia gave the indication of a brighter, safer digital future for Ghana when he gave keynote remarks at the 14ths Commonwealth Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa being held in Accra. Representatives of 20 African countries, as well as global anti-corruption bodies are attending the conference, according to the organizers.

“About 99% of all government agencies (1507 out of 1517) have been onboarded onto the Government digital platform Ghana.gov, with the remaining 1% set to be completed by the end of the year” Dr Bawumia said adding, “Access to almost all Government services can be accessed electronically, with payment also made electronically, no cash. Ghana.Gov has collected GHC 201 billion for government so far. In the past, a portion of this revenue would have ended up in individual pockets, but computers do not demand or accept bribes. Digitalization has thus plugged leakages in Government revenue by eliminating the corruption involved in cash transactions.

“For Ghana, our next stage of the digitalization journey is to complete the integration of our databases through the X-Road Integration infrastructure as done in other countries such as Estonia. We will then apply blockchain technology to all of government, for the rapid and immutable identification of modifications in digital data and intelligent devices.

“We are moving towards blockchain because technology because blockchain technology makes it possible to discover any and all changes made to digital data, no matter how small, no matter by whom, we will find it immediately.

“So the blockchain practically blocks corruption, and this is where we are headed to, so that you can track and trace all transactions across the Government space and this is a very very effective tool.

“Our goal is to make Ghana the first blockchain-powered Government in Africa and one of the few in the world. We believe we can be the first in Africa to do so” he declared.

Vice President Bawumia bemoaned the devastating effect of corruption on Africa, with experts estimating that the continent has lost at least one trillion US Dollars ($1trn) over the past five years through corruption and illicit financial flows, while a significant percentage of persons of people who have contact with a public official will pay a bribe or will be asked to.

“Corruption is costing us a huge amount of money and depriving us of the lives we deserve”, he noted, and called for more investment into the acquisition of digital tools to fight the corruption eco-system as a whole.

While noting the huge strides made in Ghana’s fight against corruption, including the issuance of a unique identity card and address for all Ghanaians and resident foreigners in Ghana, Vice President Bawumia called on African governments to make a deliberate effort to holistically invest in acquiring the necessary tools to fight crime and cross-border corruption.

“The next stage in fighting corruption in an age of sophisticated Artificial Intelligence-enabled cybercrime is for anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to invest in digital forensics and tools that will enable our various countries to track, trace and disrupt the entire corruption value-chain. It is time that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies acquire customised security operation centres purposed towards fighting corruption networks.

“in Ghana, by digitalizing the processes for accessing public services and reducing to the barest minimum the human interface along the chain, we can and we are reducing the opportunities to demand for and collect bribes in the public sector. Again by digitalizing payments for public services, we can and we are reducing the incidence of revenue leakages. And finally by rolling out appropriate digital platforms and systems we can and we are beginning to disrupt the networks working in concert to facilitate acts of and distribute the proceeds of corruption.

“My charge to us all, is to leverage all these to track, and trace and disrupt the entire corruption value chain and to give our continent a fighting chance against poverty and under-development. It is my hope that together, we will continue to defeat corruption in Africa in all its forms.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

The Philippine Embassy in Morocco, in partnership with the Kapatiran at Ugnayan ng Natatanging Sining at Talento (KUNST), hosted the vernissage of Viaje 3 Filipinism What Makes Art Filipino on 06 May 2024 at the Abla Ababou Gallery in Rabat, Morocco

In his welcome remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Morocco Leslie J. Baja underscored that the exhibition was a way of introducing Filipino contemporary visual arts to Morocco. He added that culture was a major bridge linking the Philippines to Morocco and that the exhibition was the first major event to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Morocco and the fifth anniversary of the reopening of the Embassy in 2025. 

After the Ambassador’s remarks, the exhibition curator Mr. Virgilio Cuizon introduced the concept of Filipinism to the guests, describing it as a unique expression of an artist’s personality and character, inspired by their childhood environment, their places of origin, and their language or dialect. 

The exhibition showcases paintings of six Filipino visual artists: Batilyo, Yelcast, Doy Kastilyo, Lerma Julian, Eric Punzalan, and Frederick Epistola. Each artist presented their own expression of what makes their art Filipino – childhood memories for Batilyo; law of life for Yelcast; familial and romantic relationships for Doy Kastilyo; the enduring strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity for Lerma Julian; sceneries and landscapes for Eric Punzalan; and an amalgam of Western and Filipino historic and artistic influences for Frederick Epistola.  

Gracing the occasion were guests from the diplomatic corps, the private sector, the Filipino community, and the art community in Rabat. They were impressed by the artistic prowess of the Filipino artists, the diversity of their techniques, and the inspiration behind each artwork. The vernissage also received good coverage from the local press.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of the artworks will be donated to the Education for All (efamorocco.org), an organization that provides the opportunity of a secondary education for girls from the High Atlas mountain region, an area that was severely affected by the September 2023 earthquake. 

Through this exhibition, which will run from 6 to 15 May 2024, the Philippine Embassy hopes to showcase the creativity and diversity of Filipino artists, and to present the richness of Philippine visual arts in Morocco. Viaje 3 Filipinism What Makes Art Filipino is the first exhibition organized by KUNST in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.