The United States Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) has provided $75,000 (1,162,000 Ghana Cedis) to renovate the Upper East Regional Peace Council (UERPC) office. The UERPC works to promote peace and stability in the region by addressing conflicts through dialogue, mediation, and other non-violent conflict resolution methods.

Receiving the keys to the office on July 25, the Secretary of the UERPC Ali Anankpieng, noted that the new space would significantly support their work, “Now we have a conference room to facilitate meetings and sensitive discussions without disruptions. We also have privacy and a secure working area.”

The renovated space comprising three offices, a reception area, a storage room, a kitchen, and a conference room, will improve working conditions for the UERPC staff and support their peacebuilding efforts by providing a venue for meetings, dialogues, and mediations.

“The successful completion of this project underscores the United States’ commitment to promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development in Ghana and West Africa.” Said USAID/OTI Deputy Country Representative Dalia Haj-Omar, regarding the office renovation and hand-over.

“Since 2021, USAID/OTI has supported the UERPC to address pressing peace and security challenges in the region, including bringing together disputing groups for mediation and dialogue, and establishing multi-ethnic mediation committees to resolve conflicts and prevent violence”, she added.

The United States is Ghana’s largest bilateral development partner and supports efforts to promote regional security, broad-based inclusive economic development, and long-term development relationships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Ghana.

The fourth session of the Joint Committee between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Kenya was held in Abu Dhabi. The meeting was co-chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and His Excellency Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of Kenya.

The Joint Committee witnessed high-level participation by senior officials from the two countries. Both sides discussed cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, aviation, renewable energy, education, youth, agriculture, transport and ports, labor, and defense, and other areas of common interest.

During the session, the two sides underlined bilateral ties and affirmed their commitment to forging robust partnerships that achieve the mutual interests of both nations and peoples.

His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan, commended the role of the joint committee in advancing collaboration between the public and private sectors of the two countries, and called for continuous efforts to advance UAE-Kenya ties.

For his part, His Excellency Mudavadi reaffirmed his country’s steadfast determination to strengthen its distinguished relations with the UAE.

The meeting concluded with the signing of the minutes of the fourth session of the UAE-Kenya Joint Committee. 

On the sidelines of the joint committee, the two sides signed an MoU in the field of governance and expertise exchange in the government sector.

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

A new World Bank report released today shows that the Congolese economy is gradually recovering, with GDP growth estimated at 1.9% in 2023. Growth is projected to reach 3.5% in 2024, supported by oil and non-oil activities that are expected to increase by 4.2% and 3.5%, respectively. The recovery remains fragile, owing primarily to the volatility of oil production.

The Eleventh Economic Update for the Republic of Congo notes that inflation accelerated to an average of 4.3% in 2023. Severe food insecurity is also increasing, affecting 59% of the population. Widespread poverty persists, with nearly one in two Congolese living on less than US$2.15 a day.

The report underscores how important it is for the Republic of Congo to design effective fiscal instruments for sustainable forestry and economic growth.

Forests cover two-thirds of Congo’s territory, and the country has successfully kept its deforestation rate low and stable despite economic development and illegal logging. Over the past decade, Congo has implemented major forest policy reforms to strengthen sustainability, including enacting a new forest code in 2020. Congo is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 32% by 2030, which will require external financial support of about $7.1 billion for climate change mitigationand adaptation. Despite the critical role played by Congo’s forests and by forests in the Congo Basin in general, international funding remains inadequate.

“To support the sustainability of forests despite budget constraints and limited international funding, Congo can consider climate-smart fiscal revenue instruments that align tax rates with the sustainability of timber production methods, such as the “bonus-malus” system introduced in some countries in the region,” noted Louise Pierrette Mvono, World Bank Resident Representative for the Republic of Congo.

To tackle the multifaceted challenges facing Congo’s forestry sector, the report recommends the following:

Combining fiscal instruments with better forest governance through improved law enforcement, monitoring, and transparency to help the Republic of Congo safeguard its forests while strengthening the role of the forestry sector in the economy;
Strengthening regional cooperation through harmonized regulations, improved law enforcement, and more effective alignment of forest fiscal policies that will help Congo Basin countries respond more effectively to cross-border challenges, enhance institutional capacity, and attract more international funding;
Providing scaled-up international support and compensation for efforts by Congo Basin countries to preserve their forests, which provide an essential global public good in the form of climate regulation and biodiversity services.

“The Republic of Congo is a step ahead of other CEMAC countries, having implemented the log export ban in July 2023. This measure promotes economic diversification and access to markets, as earlier investments in infrastructure and capacity and the introduction of the new forest code have made the transition easier,” added Vincent De Paul Tsoungui Belinga, Senior Economist and lead author of the report.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

In response to an invitation by the National Election Commission of Mozambique, the European Union has decided to deploy an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the general elections in Mozambique on 9 October.

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has appointed Laura Ballarin Cereza, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer.

High Representative Josep Borrell stated: “Mozambique and the EU are linked by a deep and long-lasting partnership. The EU has deployed Election Observation Missions to Mozambique to every general election since the country’s return to multi-party elections in 1994. The general elections in October will be another opportunity to consolidate the country’s democratic transition and will have important ramifications for the region and the continent as a whole.“

The Chief Observer, Laura Ballarin Cereza, declared: “I am honoured to lead the EU EOM to Mozambique. I look forward to meeting and engaging with representatives of State institutions, political parties and candidates, as well as representatives of civil society organisations, in particular women and youth, to help support a credible and peaceful election.”

Background
 
The EU EOM will provide a comprehensive, independent, and impartial assessment of the electoral process based on international and regional standards for democratic elections.

The EU EOM will be composed by different groups of observers. The Core Team will consist of 10 election experts who are scheduled to arrive in Mozambique on 27 August 2024. By 9 September, 32 long-term observers will join the mission and will be deployed across the country to follow the election campaign. Thereafter, short-term observers will reinforce the mission on election day. The EU EOM will remain in the country until the completion of the electoral process.

In line with the EU methodology on election observation, the mission will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Maputo after the elections. A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented and shared with stakeholders after the finalisation of the entire electoral process.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Union External Action.