iMozambique - Gente, Informação e Conexões

SECRETARY GENERAL URGES STUDENTS TO TAP EAC OPPORTUNITIES

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:26 +0200

ARUSHA, Tanzania, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- It starts with your mindset, Amb. Sezibera tells youth

The Secretary General of the East African Community Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera has challenged students in the region to take advantage of the opportunities created through EAC integration to better their communities and their lives.

“You will have to take charge. The opportunities are available [but] you can live in a knowledge society and be very ignorant because you have not put in place mechanisms to capture the opportunities,” the Secretary General stated when addressing students meeting at the EAC headquarters for the East African Community Students Union Conference.

The three-day youth conference, in its second day today, brought together 170 students from the Partner States to discuss, among others, the role of the youth in the growth and sustainability of the Community.

Amb. Sezibera, however, cautioned the students that while they possessed enormous potential to achieve, they would have to develop the right mindset if they were to succeed in transforming their region.

“What turns potential into wealth is the right mindset,” the Secretary General counseled, challenging the youth to become a “donor generation”.

“Why should you as a young person want to depend on other people,” the EAC chief wondered. “I want you to become a donor generation [and] for you to become a donor generation you must have a mindset which builds”.

The Secretary General apprised the students of the progress realized in achieving the different stages of the integration, including the Customs Union, the Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation which he particularly urged them to support.

The East African Community Students Union Conference closes tomorrow.

Niger: Emergency aid for 2,400 people fleeing violence in Nigeria

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:40 +0200

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Several hundred families fleeing violence in northern Nigeria and taking refuge in the Diffa area of south-eastern Niger are being provided with emergency supplies and food aid by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Red Cross Society of Niger.

Around 2,400 people in Bosso, Kablewa, Tchoukoujani and Diffa today began taking delivery of emergency aid consisting of 45 tonnes of rice, beans, cooking oil and salt, and of a stock of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, sleeping mats, blankets, buckets, cooking utensils and clothing, which will cover their most urgent needs for approximately one month.

"These people, most of whom are originally from Niger but settled in Nigeria some time back, in some cases decades ago, are completely destitute. They have been taken in by families that are sharing their meagre resources with them," said Jean-Nicolas Marti, head of the ICRC's regional delegation for Niger and Mali. "Their situation is very precarious, and they urgently need help."

The Diffa area, where the families have taken refuge, was the scene this year of severe flooding that resulted in a considerable shortfall in agricultural production. "If population displacement were to continue at the current pace, or to increase, there is a risk that the delicate economic and food balance in the area could be destroyed, with consequences for the resident population," said Mr Marti.

Since September of last year, the ICRC has been helping some 400 nomadic Fulani families who fled the violence and insecure environment of the Maiduguri area of Nigeria to settle at various sites in Diffa.

IOM Trains Sudanese Electoral Commission Staff

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:40 +0200

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- IOM has started training new facilitators among 22 selected commissioners and officials of the Sudan National Elections Commission (NEC) on Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) at the Judiciary Training Centre in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

The European-Union (EU)-funded two-week training, which will end on Thursday (23/5), is designed to support Sudan in consolidating its democratization process. Participants will train NEC colleagues, as more staff are recruited in the run up to the 2015 elections.

The training is part of a ten-module BRIDGE strategy implemented by IOM, in partnership with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), a Brussels-based non-profit NGO.

The BRIDGE trainings are part of a broader EU-funded project: "Support for Deepening and Consolidation of Sudan's Democratization Process."

In parallel with the trainings, the project also aims to achieve an inclusive and comprehensive voter registration process in 2014; the conduct of free and fair general elections in 2015; and the strengthening of the NEC in the 2010 post-electoral stage by supporting the creation of a professional electoral management body.

The project won EU backing following Sudan's 2010 election, which, despite representing a step towards Sudan's transition to full democracy, was characterized by political tensions, logistical problems and inaccurate voter registration.

The project will contribute to the creation of a professional body of civil servants with specific expertise in democratization and the electoral process, as well as good governance, thereby ensuring national ownership.

IOM Combats Sexual and Gender Based Violence in DR Congo

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:39 +0200

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- IOM is ramping up efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) that affects tens of thousands of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The problem of SGBV, which was highlighted during a recent visit to the DRC by the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, is exacerbated by the fact that victims are often displaced and have little to no access to protection and healthcare.

Calling for DRC national ownership of the SGBV issue, Ms Bangura noted: "It is time for real, meaningful action...to bring perpetrators to justice and to lift the stigma from survivors."

In 2010, IOM's SGBV work began to focus on training the Congolese National Police (PNC) to raise their awareness of SGBV issues. The initial programme was funded by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) and efforts continue today through funding provided by the DRC government Stabilization Plan and Reconstruction for War-Affected Zones (STAREC).

Together these efforts have trained some 386 officers and offered a sensitization programme to 500 more. The projects also constructed and equipped ten offices, established a PNC hospital for SGBV victims and started community sensitization programmes.

IOM has now launched an initiative that facilitates economic relationships between the wives of police officers and women in the local community in Province Orientale - the largest province of the country. The aim is to remove barriers between the police and the community to facilitate reporting of rape cases.

The IOM DRC SGBV programme is designed to build bridges between the police and the community to combat a problem that, according to many reports, has now reached epidemic proportions.

Statement by the Press Secretary on the President's Travel to Africa

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:39 +0200

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- President Obama and the First Lady look forward to traveling to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania from June 26 - July 3. The President will reinforce the importance that the United States places on our deep and growing ties with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including through expanding economic growth, investment, and trade; strengthening democratic institutions; and investing in the next generation of African leaders.

The President will meet with a wide array of leaders from government, business, and civil society, including youth, to discuss our strategic partnerships on bilateral and global issues. The trip will underscore the President's commitment to broadening and deepening cooperation between the United States and the people of sub-Saharan Africa to advance regional and global peace and prosperity.

IMF Executive Board Completes Second Review Under the Extended Credit Facility for Guinea and Approves US$27.4 Million Disbursement

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:28 +0200

CONAKRY, Guinea, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the second review of Guinea's economic performance under a program supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The completion of the review enables the disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 18.36 million (about US$27.4 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 55.08 million (about US$82.1 million). In completing the review, the Board approved the authorities' request for a waiver for nonobservance of the continuous performance criterion on new nonconcessional external debt.

The Executive Board approved a three-year ECF arrangement with an amount equivalent to SDR 128.52 (then about US$198.1 million) for Guinea on February 24, 2012 to support the government's economic program (Press Release No. 12/57).

Following the Board's discussion of Guinea, Mr. Naoyuki Shinohara, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:

“Guinea's macroeconomic performance under the ECF-supported program has been satisfactory. Growth has been strong, inflation is gradually declining, and international reserves are at a comfortable level. Guinea has also benefitted from a substantial reduction in its external debt stock after reaching the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries' Initiative (HIPC Iniaitiative) in September 2012. Continued strong commitment to program policies and structural reforms will be necessary to consolidate macroeconomic stability, maintain debt sustainability, and foster sustainable and inclusive growth.

“The authorities' fiscal and monetary policies for 2013 remain appropriately geared toward reducing inflation. Efforts to strengthen revenue collections and rationalize expenditure, together with additional external assistance, facilitated the maintenance of a high level of domestically-financed investment spending in the 2013 budget despite dwindling resources from the 2011 exceptional mining revenue. The government has taken steps to contain subsidies, including in the electricity sector. Going forward, it will be important to introduce a timely automatic adjustment mechanism while providing targeted assistance to the poor. It will also be important to maintain an adequate level of international reserves.

“The December 2012 agreement on increases in civil service wages is within the limits of the 2013 budget but it is important to assess the timing of the implementation of the last round of the increases against trends in inflation. The authorities should work with social partners to develop a medium-term approach to wage increases accompanied by a strengthened civil service reform program.

“Further progress in the implementation structural reforms will be necessary to achieve strong and sustainable growth and reduce poverty. Key reforms should continue to focus on improving the business climate and the electricity sector, as well as governance of the mining sector.

“Guinea's third Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for 2013–15 (PRSP-III) lays out a good program for tackling Guinea's development and macroeconomic challenges, emphasizing the strengthening of state institutions, including justice and security, and improving the business climate. Successful implementation will require prioritization of the many proposed policies and actions and effective monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes of programs,” he said.

COMMENCING FIVE-COUNTRY AFRICA TOUR, SECRETARY-GENERAL SALUTES MOZAMBIQUE'S TWENTY YEARS OF PEACE, PROGRESS, DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS ‘FUTURE OF HOPE'

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:26 +0200

NEW YORK, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remarks at the Round Table Event on the Millennium Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda, as prepared for delivery, in Maputo, on 20 May:

I am delighted to be with you. You have so much to be proud of. Twenty years of peace. Twenty years of progress. Twenty years of development. You are building the foundations for a future of hope.

Today, I would like to talk about that future. Last year, at the Rio+20 Conference, the Governments of the world reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development. The outcome document — a far-reaching road map — is called “the future we want”.

What is the future we want? A future of peace and stability where all people can enjoy their fundamental human rights. A future free from extreme poverty and hunger. A future of equal opportunities for all — for health, well-being and prosperity on a healthy planet. The future we want is a global vision.

All countries have a role to play. All people stand to benefit. But, those who stand to benefit most — those who are in most urgent need — are the people of the least developed countries — countries like Mozambique.

That is why I am happy to be here today, because your story has all the elements — the challenges and the solutions — to inspire a world that wants to know that sustainable development is possible.

Every story has to have a beginning. We could start with independence in 1975. Or in 1992, when 16 years of terrible conflict finally came to an end. But, I would like to start my story by looking back to the turn of this century. The year 2000. I am sure you remember it well. Mozambique suffered its heaviest floods in living memory.

Around the world, people were transfixed by television images of people scrambling to escape the rising waters — huddled on small patches of higher ground, on roofs, even in trees. Their desperate plight was a moving reminder of the fragility of development — how easily hard-won gains can be reversed. As the flood waters were subsiding, another story was unfolding half way around the world.

In the conference rooms of the United Nations, diplomats were preparing for the Millennium Summit. That Summit gave birth to the Millennium Development Goals — eight concise objectives with clear targets and benchmarks. The MDGs were a pledge — a global promise — to help countries like Mozambique to drastically cut poverty and hunger, to reduce vulnerability, to empower women and girls, to improve the health of people and the environment.

Some cynics expected the MDGs to be abandoned. Some said they were too ambitious. They were wrong. The MDGs have mobilized Governments as never before. They have catalysed dynamic new partnerships. And — most important — they have achieved results. Today, 600 million people have risen from extreme poverty. Conditions are better for 200 million people living in slums. A record number of children are in primary school — with an equal number of girls and boys for the first time. More women and babies are surviving childbirth. Investments in fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis have saved millions of lives.

Here in Mozambique, most children are getting early schooling. Women are becoming empowered as never before. Nearly 40 per cent of parliamentarians and 30 per cent of Mozambique's ministers and vice-ministers are female. You have doubled the number of children who live beyond the age of five. You are improving access to water and sanitation.

Around the world, wherever we look, the MDGs have brought success. But not complete success. Achievements vary among and within countries. Globally, we are lagging badly on some targets — especially sanitation, which poses a major threat to the health of people and the environment.

As we look forward to the post-2015 development agenda, our first task is to fulfil — as far as possible — the promise of the MDGs. There are less than 1,000 days to go before the end of 2015. Less than 1,000 days of action. We must focus on where we are falling short and accelerate momentum.

In Mozambique, despite your successes, more than half the population is below the national poverty line. More than 40 per cent of children are stunted or undernourished. Half of all women cannot read. HIV/AIDS is still a major challenge. And, too, many women still die needlessly in childbirth.

But, you know your challenges. You and the Government are acting on them and the UN is proud to work alongside you. Your economy is growing rapidly. You are immensely rich in natural resources. With careful stewardship of this wealth, with wise leadership, Mozambique can accelerate its forward progress for the benefit of all. By investing in essential infrastructure and its people — its small farmers, its children, its teachers — Mozambique can be an example for Africa and the world.

I will carry your inspiration with me in two day's time when I travel to the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There I will join the World Bank President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim. We will meet with President [Joseph] Kabila to talk about how our two organizations can help to foster peace and accelerate development in the Great Lakes region. From Kinshasa, we will travel to Goma in the east and then on to Rwanda and Uganda.

Mozambique, Rwanda and Uganda have all shown that it is possible to recover from conflict and progress towards the MDGs. It is now time for the DRC to follow their example — and the example of many other countries in this dynamic forward-looking continent.

Countries in conflict cannot prosper. But, countries at peace can plan for the future — the future we want. The MDGs have given focus and momentum to Africa's development. Our task now is to build on that momentum.

Next week I will receive the report of my High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, led by President [Susilo Bambang] Yudhoyono of Indonesia, President [Ellen] Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, and Prime Minister [David] Cameron of the United Kingdom.

Let me today personally thank Mrs. Graça Machel for her valuable contribution. I also thank the Foundation for Community Development for leading the post-2015 consultation process here in Mozambique and for organizing this round table.

I want this to be the most inclusive global development process the world has ever known. Development, after all, is about people. People must be in the driver's seat and their voices need to be heard. Their aspirations and ambitions must shape our policies and goals. That is why the Panel's consultations have been wide-ranging and inclusive, with the participation of all sectors of society from all regions. Its findings will feed into my own Post-2015 report, which I will present to the General Assembly in September.

My report, and the results of other national, regional and global consultations being conducted by the UN system, will be made available to Member States as they work to define a set of sustainable development goals.

It is still too early to speak of specific goals and targets, but broad consensus is emerging on some key issues. First is the need for a single universal development agenda that is truly global with shared responsibilities for all countries. We need a road map for eradicating poverty and building a sustainable future for all — a long-term vision for people and the planet.

Second, the road map must have policy coherence at all levels, but with ample space for local adaptation. One size does not fit all. The end product must have the three dimensions of sustainable development at its centre — social, economic and environmental. And it must address the special needs of conflict-affected and fragile States and communities.

Third, we need a limited number of clear, concise, easy-to-communicate and inspiring goals supported by precise targets and indicators. This has been the key to the success of the MDGs. By identifying key enablers — for example women's and children's health, quality education or sustainable energy for all — we can address a range of development needs.

Fourth, we need to continue to strengthen the global partnership for development. It is particularly important that we do not allow budgetary constraints to further erode official development assistance (ODA). I will continue to advocate for countries to pursue the 0.7 per cent ODA target. The renewed global partnership must also reflect the rising importance of emerging economies, and the increasing role of the private sector, philanthropic organizations and civil society.

Fifth, we must address the clear and present danger of climate change, which threatens to roll back development gains and is placing future objectives in jeopardy. Mozambique is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Just this year, you endured more devastating floods. Climate change needs to be brought to the top of leaders' agendas. That is why, next year, I am convening a high-level meeting in New York to secure political will towards a universal, legally binding global climate agreement.

The road to the future we want will be long and hard. As you sing in the national anthem: Pedra a pedra construindo um novo dia. [Rock by rock constructing the new day.]

It will demand the commitment of leaders everywhere — from the most powerful nations to the least developed countries. And it will need the engagement of all actors in society — from village chiefs to political leaders, from the youth to the heads of multinational corporations.

Civil society will have an important role to play — both in holding Governments to account and in generating support among communities for the transformations that will be necessary. Each country will have its own agenda, its own priorities that link to a holistic post-2015 vision.

Developed nations need to alter unsustainable patterns of consumption and production and cut greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet. Developing nations need to find a sustainable development path that reduces poverty and increases well-being for all without further overburdening the planet.

Mozambique is on the right track, and the United Nations is committed to walking with you, side by side, hand in hand. You are the first stop in a five-country journey through Africa. My last destination is the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. There, I will join the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the Organization of African Unity and the African Union. The theme is the rebirth of Africa.

Throughout Africa, we see growth. Economies are growing. Freedom and good governance are growing. Confidence is growing. This is what I see in Mozambique. A country reborn. A nation on the move. A people with confidence in the future — the future we want.

Thank you.

Intergenerational dialogue opens on the role of women in the African renaissance

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:40 +0200

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa has stressed the need for a candid intergenerational dialogue about what the pioneers of African feminism and the gender agenda are bequeathing to young women today so as to be able to take the vision forward in the next fifty years.

Mr. Carlos Lopes was speaking at the Inter-generational dialogue organized on the margins of the ongoing series of events around the 50th anniversary of the African Union. The meeting was organized by the ‘Gender is My Agenda Campaign' (GIMAC), which is a network of organizations coordinated by Femmes Africa Solidarite – FAS.

Mr. Lopes stressed that the celebration of fifty years of Pan Africanism would be incomplete without paying glowing tribute to the role played by our ‘foremothers' and ‘foresisters' in the liberation struggle. He informed the meeting that the Pan African Women's Organization (PAWO), established in 1962, one year before the OAU, was an important part of the unification process as it brought African women freedom fighters of together on the need for peace and unity. They also contributed to the debate that shaped the OAU.

“The pioneers of this organization, such as Ms. Jeanne Martin Cisse of Guinea, as well as great African women such as Mrs. Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania, Ms. Maria Ruth Neto of Angola and others, who contributed to the struggle not only for Africa's liberation, continue to advocate for the total empowerment of the African women,” These women will be honored in the ongoing celebrations,” he said.

He highlighted the achievements made in fostering women's participation in decision making, stating that Rwanda exceeded 50% of parliamentarians; Seychelles, Senegal and South Africa exceeded 40%, while Mozambique, Tanzania, Burundi and Algeria exceed 30%. “We see an increase in the number of women in ministerial portfolios, the latest case being the new government in Kenya,” he added.

On women's economic empowerment, many women remain in the informal sector and in most instances the lower margins of the informal sector, securing livelihoods and struggling for protection, said Mr. Lopes; and added that where women have gone into business, studies have shown that they do extremely well.

He cited Ethiopia's first women's commercial bank (ENAT) created in 2012 with the view to empower Ethiopian women in business. The bank is intended to provide to provide financial services to women - with the widest possible reach. He added that similar institutions are in place in Tanzania and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “These efforts aim to reduce the credit crunch and to foster women's entrepreneurship,” said the Executive Secretary.

PRESS BRIEFINGOF THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE AUC

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:39 +0200

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 21, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Within the framework of the 21stAU summit, falling within the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the OAU-AU, Ambassador Jean Baptiste Natama, Chief of Staff of the African Union (AU) Commission will on Tuesday,21stMay 2013 at 11h00 hold a press briefing on the following:

- Africa, a partner to count with, in 2063

The briefing will be held in Briefing Room 1, at the new AU Conference Center, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Journalists are invited to take part in the press briefing.

Office of the Prosecutor Trains Police Prosecutors in Kingtom

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:40 +0200

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, May 20, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) concluded a two-day training of fifty police prosecutors at Kingtom Police Barracks on Saturday, held as part of the OTP's ongoing effort to build capacity in Sierra Leone's judicial sector.

The training was led by Special Court trial lawyer Mohamed Bangura, who recently returned home to Freetown after participating in the prosecution of former Liberian President Charles Taylor in The Hague.

The OTP had previously conducted trainings of police prosecutors in the Northern, Eastern and Southern Provinces and in the Western Area of Sierra Leone as part of a legacy programme which first started in 2009.

Mr. Bangura noted that criminal prosecutions in the Magistrates Courts are normally conducted by police officers, not lawyers, and that a failure to follow the proper procedures might result in cases being dismissed from court.

“In our trainings we generally target police officers who are new to police prosecutions, since the longer-serving police prosecutors often have learnt the proper procedure through experience over the years,” he said.

Topics covered in the training included the conducting of summary trials, preliminary investigations and tips in conducting proper investigations, case management and witness management. The training also looked at the application of the Larceny Act, 1916; the Domestic Violence Act, 2007; the Offences Against Persons Act, 1861; and the Sexual Offences Act, 2012.