The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Omar Zniber (Morocco), has appointed Reed Bródy of Hungary as member of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua.

Mr. Bródy’s appointment follows the resignation of Ángela María Buitrago as member of the Group of Human Rights Experts, which was created by the Human Rights Council in 2022 to “investigate all alleged human rights violations and abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018.”

Mr. Bródy has worked for 40 years on the forefront of the human rights movement, playing a facilitating role in democratic transitions, building, and helping others build strong NGOs, creating UN mechanisms to fight abuse, and uncovering atrocities and bringing their perpetrators to justice. He currently serves as a Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists and works as an attorney in private practice.

Mr. Bródy has extensive experience with Nicaragua. His 1984 investigation uncovered atrocities by the U.S.-backed “contras” against Nicaraguan civilians, which was used as evidence in the International Court of Justice case on military and paramilitary activities.

He has taught courses on accountability for international crimes at Columbia Law School and the American University Washington College of Law. He is currently on the Advisory Board of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, the Board of Democracy for the Arab World Now and is the President of the Rose Lokissim Association that works in Africa.

Mr. Bródy joins Jan-Michael Simon (Germany), Chair of the Group of Human Rights Experts, and Ariela Peralta Distefano (Uruguay) on the three-member body.

In its most recent update to the Human Rights Council at its 57th session, the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua warned on 10 September 2024 that the human rights situation in Nicaragua had dramatically worsened since last year, with the Government continuing to facilitate, coordinate and execute serious human rights violations and abuses. The Human Rights Council has requested the Group to present a written report at its 58th session in February/March 2025. 

The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua was established on 31 March 2022 by resolution 49/3 of the Human Rights Council in which it decided to establish a body to thoroughly examine human rights violations in Nicaragua since April 2018, establish facts, identify those responsible, preserve evidence, make recommendations for improving human rights and access to justice, and engage with various stakeholders to support accountability efforts.

On 3 April 2023, the Council extended the mandate of the Group of Experts until 31 March 2025. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa has urged Parliament to support more investment in last mile electricity connections to support Uganda’s value addition agenda.

“Electricity is very critical and the limitations on distribution is a common phenomenon in the entire country, where we have the national grid passing through our constituencies but with short-stretch distribution lines,” Nankabirwa said.

Nankabirwa said this in response to concerns raised by Arua City Woman Representative, Hon. Mourine Osoru about distribution of power lines to trading centres, markets and churches in the West Nile sub-region.

“The West Nile Rural Electrification Company (WENRECO) has done a lot but not enough. We request that as the Ministry of Energy carries out mapping, the places that were not captured for electricity access, should be captured,” Osoru said.

She also asked the minister to clarify on the affordability of electricity access in the region.

“West Nile has been finally connected to the national grid but how affordable will power be? Our people are saying that, if we are connected to the national grid and the power is expensive, that means the national grid will remain at the substations,” Osoru noted.

The minister said the electricity tariffs have been reducing overtime as announced every January, which she added will benefit the end-users in the long run.

“I beg for the indulgence of the Members of Parliament and the entire country to bear with us, because tariff is determined by how expensive or how cheaply you have invested in the generation, transmission and distribution. For the last four consecutive years, we have been announcing reduced tariffs,” said Nankabirwa.

She added that the power generated and distributed from the national grid will provide a cheaper alternative for Ugandans compared to that generated from heavy fuel oil (HFO), which she said is dirty and expensive.

On Saturday, 03 August 2024, President Yoweri Museveni officially commissioned the 132KV Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua transmission line which connected West Nile to the national grid.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr. Ronald Lamola, successfully concluded a productive Working Visit to Washington, D. C. During his visit, he engaged with key stakeholders, including the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, the Congressional Black Caucus, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and various bipartisan think tanks.

Minister Lamola emphasised the importance of the dynamic and evolving relationship between South Africa and the United States. He expressed optimism about the potential for continued frank engagements on geopolitical matters based on mutual respect and identified areas for cooperation.  Moving forward, efforts to sustain important engagements regularly in a structured system will be explored at a high political level.

Additionally, Minister Lamola highlighted the mutual beneficial nature of our bilateral trade relations, with emphasis on how moving forward these relations can support South Africa’s goals of achieving rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, job creation, poverty alleviation and, ultimately, a just society.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Serving as the premier African energy project showcase outside of the continent, the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris serves as a crucial platform for global investors. Last year’s forum provided opportunities for in-depth engagement through two days of discussions with industry leaders and policymakers, with attendees accessing technical presentations, business-to-business matchmaking services, networking receptions and dedicated country and regional spotlights. Ahead of the event’s 2025 edition taking place next May, investors and companies are invited to engage with the benefits of attendance.

Understanding Africa’s Energy Priorities

IAE 2024 attendees gained exclusive access to insights from African policymakers and government officials, who outlined their strategic initiatives for energy sector growth, as well as latest regulatory reforms, investment opportunities and policy shifts. By hearing directly from the continent’s leading decision-makers, attendees were better positioned to align their business strategies with national and regional energy goals and identify available investment opportunities. Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua announced the Republic of Congo’s upcoming formation of a new gas code and national gas company, while Gabon’s Minister of Petroleum Marcel Abéké addressed the country’s progress in expanding its low-carbon energy supply and establishing an incentive tax framework for the development of gas projects.

Accessing OPEC Market Insights

Through a high-level OPEC presentation and a keynote address by OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al-Ghais, last year’s attendees accessed exclusive information on key growth drivers of oil supply and demand through 2045, forecasting Africa’s oil demand to double to 8.2 million barrels per day (bpd) and refining capacity to expand by 3.2 million bpd. With positive economic growth anticipated into 2025, the presentation shed insight into the role of inflation and various economic, social and geopolitical factors on crude oil markets. Secretary General Al-Ghais affirmed OPEC’s commitment to driving Africa’s oil industry forward and the role of African markets and South-South cooperation in driving global economic activity.

Exploring Regional Energy Powerhouses

At last year’s IAE Forum, attendees benefited from dedicated regional spotlights that provided a deep dive into the unique energy landscapes, investment climates and project opportunities shaping Africa’s energy hotspots. This regional focus allowed investors to identify targeted opportunities and forge strategic partnerships, aligning their investments with regional energy development goals. A West African spotlight previewed first oil production from Senegal’s Sangomar Field Development, upcoming drilling campaigns in Equatorial Guinea and a 27-block bid round in Guinea-Conakry. North Africa’s spotlight explored the region’s approach to the energy transition, with Egypt announcing plans to merge its petroleum and renewable energy ministries, Libya rolling out 45 greenfield and brownfield projects in the pipeline, and Morocco driving transitional gas, power and green hydrogen projects. A southern Africa spotlight highlighted deepwater discoveries in Namibia’s Orange Basin, unpacked South Africa’s plans to boost nuclear and natural gas capacity, and provided updates on Mozambique’s two LNG megaprojects underway.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

IAE 2025 (https://apo-opa.co/3Bbl8yA) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.