When traders bring their goods between Aflao, Ghana and Lomé, Togo, they cross one of the busiest borders in West Africa. Delays at the border have a financial cost, but also an environmental cost.

Better waste management, energy efficiency, streamlined trade processes and upgraded infrastructure can go a long way toward addressing the environmental crisis at the border.

Those are among the findings of a new research publication released by students from The Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) and developed with the support of the International Trade Centre (ITC).

Climate Neutrality at Borders: Mitigating Environmental Externalities of Cross-Border Activities sheds light on the urgent environmental challenges at the Aflao-Lomé border.

This release is the culmination of a year-long collaboration between the ITC and IHEID masters students who joined forces in an intensive study including desk research, fact finding survey, stakeholder engagement and analysis.

Clear recommendations to improve the Aflao-Lomé border crossing

With an estimated 11.2 billion tonnes of solid waste collected annually, the research paper underscores issues such as inefficient waste management and biodiversity loss, resulting in air, water and soil contamination. Meeting the immediate need for sustainable infrastructure and practices would address many of these problems. The paper offers holistic policy recommendations to balance trade efficiency and environmental protection:

Streamlined clearance procedures and enhanced digital platforms to reduce paper use for cross-border trade documentation
Green building practices on border infrastructures to support environmental sustainability
Health Risk management practices to expedite controls and limit the environmental impact of potential leakages or waste of perishables goods
Protected biodiversity by enforcing regulations promoting sustainable development

The enhancements can mitigate environmental impacts of cross-border trade, protecting the border ecosystem and the community while enhancing trade efficiency and economic growth.

Supporting market access and agri-food trade in West Africa

The research supports ITC’s work to improve both trade and food supplies in the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS). That includes the ECOWAS Agriculture Trade (EAT) Programme and the Promoting private sector competitiveness in Togo (ProComp) Programme, implemented in partnership with GIZ, by offering concrete recommendations for enhancing sustainable cross-border trade, market access for small businesses and trade facilitation measures.

The research conducted at the Aflao-Lomé border will complement a series of diagnostics at border points in West Africa, including the Pada-Dakola crossing (between Burkina Faso and Ghana) and the Seme-Krake crossing (between Benin and Nigeria). ITC is rolling in order to assess how sustainable practices can support agricultural trade without compromising environmental integrity.

Scaling up ITC’s offer on green trade facilitation

This successful pilot for green borders draws a clear path reinforcing ITC’s leadership in transforming trade while minimizing its environmental impacts through green trade facilitation.

About the projects

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the GIZ ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) Programme is a special initiative “One World – No Hunger” dedicated to strengthening regional integration through intra-regional agricultural trade in the ECOWAS region. GIZ, the leading German development agency, is the main implementing agency, with ITC as partner, collaborating with the ECOWAS Commission with the directorates responsible for agriculture and rural development, trade, customs, free movement of people, and the Gender Development Center. The programme’s central objective is to enhance the capacity and services of regional and national organizations, with a particular emphasis on improving agri-food policies, sustainability, gender sensitivity, trade facilitation inclusivity, and active engagement with small businesses and professional associations in the sector.

The ProComp programme, part of GIZ’s broader Promoting the Competitiveness of the Private Sector in Togo (PROCOMP) addresses the economic impact of global crises on youth employment in Togo. Focusing on key sectors like agricultural processing, agri-food, and related industries, ProComp aims to enhance the competitiveness of Togolese SMEs and promote trade and exports. By tackling structural challenges such as supply chain issues and financing difficulties, the initiative seeks to unlock the full potential of Togo’s private sector and drive sustainable economic growth.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

Over 20 Libyan young men and women gathered in the UN compound in Tripoli to share their ideas in a workshop on fostering civic space to mark International Youth Day. 

The workshop, held yesterday, focused on the identifying the most effective ways youth could use civic space to influence policy changes, leverage mechanisms to ensure fair and transparent electoral processes and how youth-led initiatives to promote civic space could be better supported. 

“A vibrant civic space is essential for a healthy democracy,” said Suki Nagra, Director of Human Rights, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice in UNSMIL who joined the workshop. “It allows citizens, civil society organisations and other groups to freely express themselves, participate in decision-making processes, and hold their governments to account.” 

Through discussions in breakout groups, the young men and women in the workshop made the following recommendations: 

Civic space needs to be expanded and protected: restrictions on civic space need to be reduced; creating a secure environment for civil society to engage with communities should be seen as working alongside the state, not detracting from it.  

More needs to be done to raise awareness of what civil society is, so that misconceptions and misinformation do not take root in wider communities. 

Social media represents an opportunity for civil society to influence decision-makers and to rebut misinformation. 

Civic space must include all segments of society including women, cultural components, community leaders and those with disabilities, and they should be reached through targeted campaigns on social media, and approrpiate communication channels .  

Youth resilience needs to be built to ensure they can engage consistently in the discussion and continue to advocate throughout the lobbying process. 

More needs to be done to bring civil society together to collaborate and work on shared goals and commitments and encourage members of the public to join them; civil society organisations should be encouraged to with partner national and international organisations to share experiences and knowledge. 

More needs to be done to educate communities on peaceful dialogue and how to engage in healthy debates, as well as how to fact check information. Language used needs to be carefully considered. 

Youth need to be educated more about their rights and how they can engage in the electoral process as candidates and voters and in their role in promoting voter participation at the municipal level. 

Establish focal points across Libya to build a network of youth and civil society organisations who work with local communities to provide workshops and skills training on key topics. 

“Civil society is the engine behind any political process and youth can be the catalyst for change,” said one workshop participant. “Civil society groups should work together more and collaborate on the issues where they complement each other so that they have more influence,” said another. 

The workshop was part of UNSMIL’s new youth strategy – YouEngage, which aims to engage with 1,000 young men and women by May 2025 through workshops, trainings and advocacy sessions. Many more sessions are organized and are communicated using UNSMIL’s youth groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.   

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, met with Major General Khaled Mubarak, Governor of South Sinai, to review the implementation of investment plan projects and discuss key ongoing and upcoming projects in the governorate. They also explored investment opportunities for both local and international investors in South Sinai.

During the meeting, Al-Mashat highlighted the strategic importance of Sinai as a central element of the sustainable development strategy and a crucial component of the Egyptian economy, given its natural and human resources.

 H.E. Minister Al-Mashat noted the significant developments in Sinai in recent years, emphasizing the increase in total public investments directed towards projects in Sinai and the Canal Cities.

Al-Mashat also outlined key developmental programs planned for the fiscal year 2024/2025 aimed at enhancing South Sinai. These programs include numerous projects in agriculture and irrigation, drinking water, transportation and storage, education, and healthcare.

Moreover, the minister emphasized the importance of macroeconomic stability through efficient investment spending and maximizing economic and social returns from various investments. The Minister also explained that the ministry is implementing a governance framework for investment spending to facilitate local and foreign private sector participation in projects across Egypt’s governorates.

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

The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) have formalized their commitment to collaborate on animal welfare initiatives across the continent. A Joint Letter of Agreement between ANAW and AU-IBAR was signed by Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, and Mr. Josphat Ngonyo, Executive Director of ANAW. This partnership, effective as of 13th August 2024, marks a significant step forward in promoting animal welfare and sustainable development in Africa.

The agreement between AU-IBAR and ANAW aims to co-host the Africa Animal Welfare Conferences, fostering dialogue, policy development, and action on animal welfare issues, alongside the UN Environmental Program (UNEP). Additionally, it underscores the critical importance of implementing the Animal Welfare Strategy for Africa (AWSA), a comprehensive framework designed to improve animal welfare standards across the continent.

During the signing of the partnership, Dr. Huyam expressed her gratitude for this pivotal opportunity which is a big milestone to the Animal welfare sector in the African Continent. Additionally, Mr. Josphat uttered that this is a very special day to the two organizations for this great alliance. 

Key Terms of the Agreement

The agreement between AU-IBAR and ANAW outlines several key terms that define their collaboration. Firstly, both parties will co-host the Africa Animal Welfare Conferences alongside UNEP and the host country’s relevant ministries, operating under the African Platform on Animal Welfare (APAW). They will jointly handle conference planning and implementation, which includes developing the conference theme, reviewing submitted papers, coordinating with partners, and actively participating in keynote addresses, presentations, report writing, and joint statements. Additionally, AU-IBAR and ANAW will share and promote the conference resolutions with Member States and APAW’s non-state actor members, ensuring widespread dissemination and support for animal welfare initiatives.

The institutions will collaborate with UNEP to formulate the conference concept, theme, and agenda, and participate in the conference organizing and technical committee meetings. Stakeholder coordination is also a key term, with both parties responsible for inviting civil society, international NGOs, academia, communities, government representatives, and other key stakeholders. Resource mobilization is crucial, with an annual budget allocated and additional resources mobilized to ensure the successful hosting of the conference.

AU-IBAR and ANAW will coordinate the invitation of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Member States’ representatives, ensuring comprehensive regional representation. The conference will be co-branded with the logos of the respective organizations, in compliance with donor and partner requirements, particularly UNEP. The parties will also lead and organize the Friends of Resolution (UNEA 5/2) forum, mobilizing resources for its implementation through lobbying and advocacy efforts. Mutual recognition will be provided through press releases and social media, highlighting the partnership and its achievements.

To strengthen the capacity of the APAW Secretariat, an animal welfare expert will be seconded for an agreed period. Each party will designate a contact person for coordination and communication under this agreement. Furthermore, AU-IBAR retains the right to enter into separate or complementary agreements with other partners on APAW and AWSA implementation. Finally, the agreement may be reviewed or terminated by mutual consent, ensuring flexibility and adaptability in the partnership.

This joint agreement symbolizes a robust partnership aimed at fostering a better future for animal welfare across the African continent, demonstrating a shared vision and dedication to impactful collaboration. It highlights the importance of implementing the Animal Welfare Strategy for Africa, ensuring that animal welfare becomes an integral part of sustainable development in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).