Connect with us

World

On trip to three West African nations, UN chief Guterres urges investment

To start his three-nation tour of West Africa, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on rich countries to increase their investments in African nations as the continent recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and is impacted by the war in Ukraine.

“This war is aggravating a triple crisis: food, energy and financial, for the region and well beyond,” Guterres said.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

He added that Africa’s food security problems will not be solved without “reintegrating the agricultural production of Ukraine and the food and fertilizer production of Russia and Belarus into world markets.” He said he was “determined to do everything to facilitate a dialogue that can help achieve this objective.”

Guterres was speaking Sunday in Senegal before sharing an Iftar dinner — the meal breaking the Ramadan fast — with President Macky Sall, who became president of the African Union earlier this year.
The UN secretary-general is to travel to Niger Monday where he plans to join Muslims marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan and onward to Nigeria on Tuesday to highlight the violence of Islamic extremism.

Guterres said he is concerned about how the war in Ukraine is affecting the African continent. Guterres created a Global Food, Energy and Finance Crisis Response Group to mobilize UN agencies, development banks and other international organizations to deal with these issues, he said. Senegal’s president is co-chairing that group, Guterres said.

Sall, for his part, deplored the “dramatic impact of the war on the economies of developing countries.”

Guterres also called for reform in the global financial system, calling it “morally bankrupt,” and saying that every available mechanism needs to be used to benefit developing and middle-income countries, especially in Africa.

While in Senegal, Guterres visited Diamnadio, a planned city being built about 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of the capital where he viewed the construction of an office building that will be a part of a new UN complex there. He also went to a vaccine manufacturing facility that will soon produce COVID-19 shots where he called for vaccine equity to help Africa recover from the pandemic.

“It is unacceptable that today almost 80 percent of the African population is still not vaccinated,” he said, calling on rich countries and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate dose donations and invest in local vaccine production.

He also urged better action on climate change, saying that African nations suffer the most while contributing the least to the problem.

Ahead of his trip to Niger in the Sahel, the vase semi-arid area south of the Sahara Desert, he and Sall called on military juntas in power in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso to speed up their transitions to democracy.

“We agreed on the importance of continuing the dialogue with the de facto authorities of the three countries in order to establish the return to constitutional order as soon as possible,” Guterres said.

The Sahel region has been shaken by the recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. The three countries have been suspended by the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States, which has urged the juntas to return the countries to democratic rule as soon as possible.

On Saturday, the head of Guinea’s junta announced a 39-month transition that does not take into account the months that have already passed. The head of Mali’s junta, Assimi Goïta, has proposed a transition of 24 months while the military in Burkina Faso wants 36 months. These periods are considered too long by ECOWAS and others in the international community.

Guterres vowed to advocate for African peace and counter-terrorism operations.

Read more: West African countries postpone launch of common regional currency to 2027

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

Continue Reading

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

Continue Reading

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

Continue Reading

Trending