Category: APO-OPA

GABORONE, Botswana, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Internet Society (http://www.internetsociety.org) today announced that it has been selected by the African Union Commission (AUC) for the Regional Internet Exchange Points and Regional Internet Carrier Workshops of the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS) project (http://pages.au.int/axis). The AXIS project is focused on keeping Africa’s Internet traffic local to the continent by providing capacity building and technical assistance to facilitate the establishment of National Internet Exchange Points and Regional Internet Exchange Points in Africa.

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Under the new AXIS contract, the Internet Society will conduct Capacity Building workshops focused on best practices and benefits of setting up Regional Internet Exchange Points and Regional Internet Carriers. The Internet Society will partner with AFRINIC and other organizations in Africa and around the world to conduct workshops in each of the five AUC geographical regions over the next 18 months.

As part of this agreement, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in partnership with the AUC and the Internet Society are currently undertaking the first Regional workshop on best practices and benefits of setting up Regional Exchange Points and Regional Internet Carriers from 3-7 February 2014 in Gaborone, Botswana. Attendees at the workshop include more than one hundred experts from Ministries, regulatory agencies, IXPs, and the private sector from the following countries of the SADC region: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

In August 2012, the Internet Society announced that it had been selected by the AUC for the first contract under the AXIS project to conduct 60 Community Mobilization and Technical Aspects workshops in 30 African countries. To date, more than 30 workshops have been completed and a number of the countries where these workshops took place are expected to launch their IXPs in the first half of 2014, thus highlighting the sustainable efforts made by AXIS towards significantly changing the interconnection landscape of the entire African continent. As countries establish their own IXPs, Internet traffic will be routed locally, creating cost and performance benefits and stimulating growth in and distribution of local Internet content.

In spite of this progress, much of Africa’s regional Internet traffic is still routed through Internet Exchange Points external to the African continent, which is costly and an inefficient way to handle the inter-country exchange of Internet traffic. The regional exchange points that will be developed will help keep intra-African traffic within the continent.

“The award of this contract reflects the success of the Internet Society’s work to date on AXIS, and we are very thankful to the African Union for this recognition and trust,” said Dr. Dawit Bekele, Internet Society Regional Bureau Director for Africa. “The AXIS project is instrumental in developing a reliable and sustainable Internet infrastructure in Africa. The Internet Society has provided technical training in Africa for nearly 20 years, and we are very pleased to continue this important work.”

For more information on AXIS, visit http://pages.au.int/axis

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of the Internet Society.

Media Contact:

Wende Cover, cover@isoc.org, +1-703-439-2773

About the Internet Society

The Internet Society (http://www.internetsociety.org) is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org.

Follow us on Twitter: @internetsociety

WASHINGTON, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 6, 2014

Secretary Kerry called Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe today to commend his government on the maj…

LONDON, United-Kingdom, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — William Hague concerned by press restrictions in Egypt, and urges interim government to demonstrate commitment to free expression.

Speaking today about increasing restrictions placed upon journalists and the media in Egypt, Foreign Secretary William Hague said:

“I am very concerned by restrictions on freedom of the press in Egypt, including reports of the recent charging of Al Jazeera journalists, two of whom are British, Sue Turton and Dominic Kane.

“We have raised our concerns about these cases and freedom of expression at a senior level with the Egyptian government in recent days. I will discuss these concerns with other European Foreign Ministers at the European Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, and we will continue to monitor the situation of the journalists very closely, and raise them with the Egyptian authorities.

“The UK believes a free and robust press is the bedrock of democracy. I urge the Egyptian interim government to demonstrate its commitment to an inclusive political process which allows for full freedom of expression and for journalists to operate without the fear of persecution.”

STASBOURG, France, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — MEPs urged all the political actors and security forces in Egypt to show the utmost restraint and avoid provocation and further violence, in a vote on Thursday. The interim auth…

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of the Congo, February 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On February 6th 2014, BUILD Africa (http://www.buildafricaforum.com), Africa’s premier international business and investment infrastructure forum opened in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Held over two days, the first edition of the forum will seek to provide a comprehensive response to the continent’s infrastructure deficit. BUILD Africa was inaugurated by HE Denis Sassou N’Guesso, President of the Republic of Congo.

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Photo 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/1402064.png (BUILD Africa was inaugurated by HE Denis Sassou N’Guesso, President of the Republic of Congo)

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Photo 4: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/140206.png

The first edition of the forum was opened in the presence of:

– Over 700 international participants from 50 different countries

– 10 ministers from across Africa

– 80 international speakers

– 50 international media

How to boost a sustainable development in Africa with new infrastructure?

Infrastructure development is a fundamental requirement for Africa to achieve its growth and development ambitions. In order to implement the projects that Africa needs, the BUILD Africa forum will address the main obstacles to infrastructure development in Africa: job creation, inclusive growth, innovative financing, sustainable development, innovation, and s regional integration, among others.

Bringing the global players of infrastructure

By bringing together more than 700 policy makers, investors, NGOs, operators, developers and infrastructure contractors from around the globe, in particular those from countries have reached emergence thanks to ambitious infrastructure plans. The forum will also stimulate dialogue and action between the global actors of development.

Increase the number of bankable projects across the continent

Other experts have joined the initiative as BUILD Africa’s partners: AfDB’s Africa50 fund, along with the World Bank have combined their expertise to develop innovative financial, technical and structural solutions to the infrastructure deficit in Africa.

Quotes the opening of the forum BUILD Africa:

“Sustainable modernization in a country must be part of a comprehensive approach to infrastructure, taking into account its social, economic or environmental features. This is the most crucial requirement for infrastructure to become a powerful tool to untie Africa’s development potential ” Denis Sassou N’Guesso, President of the Republic of the Congo

“Failing to address the challenges of poor infrastructure in Africa is jeopardizing the social and economic development expected by more than 1 billion Africans ” Jean- Jacques Bouya, Minister to the President of the Republic for
Spatial Planning and Delegate General for Major Public Works

Key Infrastructure in Africa figures*:

– Africa is experiencing average growth rates of 5% per year

– The investment deficit for infrastructure in Africa exceeds $48 billion per year

– The lack of basic infrastructure costs every country in Africa two percentage points annually

– More than 800 infrastructure projects have been identified in Africa in 2012 (Ernst & Young)

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of BUILD Africa Forum.

More information about http://www.buildafricaforum.com

Julie Voiriot: julie.voiriot@buildafricaforum.com – + 33 6 61 87 29 76

Follow us on @buildafrica2014

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, February 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Events in Ukraine will again be in focus when EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels on 10 February. They will also discuss the situation in Egypt. Minister for Foreign Affairs Ca…

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is meeting in Geneva from 10 to 28 February to review women’s rights in the following countries:

Bahrain (11 Feb); Cameroon (12 Feb); Qatar (13 Feb); Kazakhstan (14 Feb); Iraq (18 Feb); Sierra Leone (19 Feb); Finland (20 Feb)

The above are among the 187 States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and are required to submit regular reports to the Committee of 23 international independent experts that monitors the implementation of the Convention.

The Committee will also be briefed by NGOs and national human rights institutions.

CEDAW’s dialogues with delegations from the States parties will take place from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 17:00 at Palais des Nations – Room XVII. Live webcasts of the session can be viewed on http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/.

CEDAW will hold a news conference on Friday 28 February at 13.15 at Palais des Nations in Geneva to discuss its concluding observations on the countries examined.

The concluding observations will be published on 28 February here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=813&Lang=en

NAIROBI, Kenya, February 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Royal Philips (http://www.philips.com) (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) and the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) (http://www.amref.org) announced that they will work closely together in an innovative shared-value partnership model designed to bring about a structural improvement in the healthcare infrastructure and healthcare provision on the African continent. This long-term strategic partnership aims to support AMREF in achieving its social goals and will help Philips in its ambition to improve the lives of people in Africa, while at the same time realizing growth across the fast-evolving African healthcare market.

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Logo AMREF: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/amref.jpg

This partnership comes at a time when most countries in Africa continue to contend with existing and emerging healthcare challenges: a high incidence of infant and maternal mortality (from largely preventable causes), a sharp increase in the number of people suffering from non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes and heart disease); inadequately equipped medical facilities; and inadequately trained clinical staff. For example, a woman in sub-Saharan Africa is a hundred times more likely to die of a preventable complication related to pregnancy or childbirth than a woman in Western countries (1).

In order to compliment local government efforts in tackling these and other problems, AMREF and Philips will connect their networks and bring to market new education and training programs designed specifically for healthcare professionals in Africa. In close cooperation with local stakeholders, both parties will strive to develop and implement large-scale projects to improve healthcare infrastructure and make healthcare more accessible to the local population.

One of several African organizations with strong educational programs, AMREF has been active in Africa for over 55 years and is deeply rooted in rural areas and hospitals. Philips has been active in Africa for over 100 years and, as a leading company in the field of healthcare innovations, has extensive expertise in healthcare system revitalization projects, medical technology, healthcare services and the training of healthcare professionals.

Dr. Teguest Guerma, AMREF’s Director General expressed her delight at this partnership: “This is a very unique partnership. Philips is part of AMREF’s heritage and we are happy to embark on the next step of working together in formulating programmes that will utilise innovation to combat the shortage of health professionals and adopting contemporary solutions that will enable Africans to get proper health services.”

“To provide innovative solutions that can deal with the complexity of healthcare in Africa, Philips is taking a long-term approach aimed at close collaboration with local and international parties that have strong engagement in the issues. By teaming up with AMREF, an internationally respected African healthcare organisation, we are convinced that we can work toward our goals of making a significant contribution to improving healthcare in Africa, expanding our activities for providing clinical and technical training to people, and growing Philips as an organisation on the African continent,” said Roelof Assies, General Manager, Philips East Africa.

Large-scale innovation projects

Many African countries have under-developed infrastructure (roads, telecommunications, electricity and water) and it is difficult to find well-trained and motivated personnel who are prepared to work in remote rural areas. Philips and AMREF will jointly seek ways of developing large-scale innovation projects in order to modernize the infrastructure, improve healthcare, and make it accessible in a region as a whole.

Philips has a long tradition of supporting ministries in large-scale national healthcare modernisation projects. As part of such projects, Philips seeks to promote education and training for healthcare professionals through the provision of e-learning courses in numerous healthcare-related disciplines. The company has also set up partnerships with several universities throughout Africa in order to strengthen students’ clinical and technical knowledge and expertise.

AMREF is also committed to the provision of training through online e-learning. The success of their initiatives is demonstrated by an increase in the number of nurses trained in Kenya from 100 to 7,000 per year, and higher scores by students in exams. AMREF is now providing a wide range of training courses for various professional groups, from members of staff in African ministries to the many volunteers (community health workers) who are deployed across Africa.

The strategic partnership between Philips and AMREF is a significant result of Philips’ Fabric of Africa initiative – a joint campaign for promoting public-private partnerships and improving access to health care throughout the continent.

For more information about the Philips Fabric of Africa campaign, go to http://www.philips.com/Fabric of Africa.

1. Trends in Maternal Mortality : 1990 to 2008 – WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and The World Bank http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241500265_eng.pdf

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Royal Philips.

For more information:

Radhika Choksey

Philips Corporate Communications – Africa

Tel: +31 62525 9000

E-mail: radhika.choksey@philips.com

Gaye Agesa

Media and PR Officer

African Medical and Research Foundation

Tel: +254 020 6993328

E-mail: gaye.agesa@amref.org

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (http://www.philips.com) (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 115,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

About AMREF

AMREF’s vision is for lasting health change in Africa: communities with the knowledge, skills and means to maintain their good health and break the cycle of poor health and poverty. AMREF believes in the inherent power within African communities – that power for lasting transformation of Africa’s health lies within its communities. AMREF shares knowledge gained from its grassroots programmes with others, and uses it as evidence to advocate appropriate change in health policy and practice. In all its programmes, AMREF partners with communities, civil society organisations, health practitioners and the private and public sectors to establish a participatory health care system. To learn more visit: http://www.amref.org

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, February 5, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following the convening of the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, the inaugural promoters’ meeting of the newly established “African Union Foundation” was held. The meeting was led by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini Zuma, who is also the founder as legal representative of the African Union.

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Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission presented, the objectives of the Foundation for voluntary contributions towards financing African priorities at the Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In attendance were the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, Mr. Erastus Mwencha, the AU Commissioners, the former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Mr. P.J. Patterson, and first members of the inaugural council and guests.

Established by the AU Assembly in May 2013, the African Union Foundation aims to finance African priorities through voluntary contributions. The mission of the Foundation is to “mobilize resources in support of the African Union’s vision of an integrated, people-centred and prosperous Africa, at peace with itself and taking its rightful place in the world.” To accomplish this mission, the Foundation will focus on five key programme areas in its first five years: 1) skills and human resource development, 2) women’s empowerment and gender equality, 3) regional integration, 4) youth development and entrepreneurship, and 5) advocacy and support for the African Union.

“It is time for Africa to mobilize our own resources in support of our development and take charge of our own destiny,” said Chairperson Zuma. The Foundation will strive to more deeply engage Africa’s private sector, African individuals and communities, and leading African philanthropists to generate resources and provide valuable insight on ways in which their success can accelerate Africa’s development. The issue of domestic and alternative sources of funding has been an intrinsic element of the continent’s commitments of the Pan African values of self-determination, solidarity and self-reliance. The AUC Chairperson called on the participants to act as good will ambassadors to the foundation.

Selection for membership of the Foundation’s Governing Council was based on clear commitment to African development and philanthropy, the highest caliber of integrity, and prominence in the sectors and geographies they represent. The Foundation’s governing Council is still formalizing its membership, but those selected who have been confirmed include Dr. Dlamini Zuma, Founder on behalf of the AU Commission; Ms. Luisa Diogo, former Prime Minister of Mozambique; President Alpha Konare, former President of Mali and former African Union Commission Chairperson; Ms. Zeinab Badawi, Journalist, BBC; Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, former CEO of the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange; Ms. Cheryl Carolus, CEO of Peotonia Holdings; Dr. AsmanyAsfour, President of Egypt Business Women’s Association; Mr. James Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica; Ms. Ntombifuthi Mtoba, Chairperson of Deloitte Southern Africa; Dr. Charles Okeahalam, CEO of AGH Capital Group; and Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings (http://www.heirsholdings.com).

Others who attended the inaugural meeting included Mrs. Wendy Ackerman from Pick and Pay Holdings; Dr. BhekiMoyo from the Southern African Trust and Mr. Enoch Iluenzy, representative of Mr. James Gatera, MD of the Bank of Kigali.

In response to his invitation to the Council, Mr. Elumelu said, “I am honoured to be a part of the Chairperson’s vision for an emergent Africa developed by Africans, and look forward to participating in this effort to change the paradigm of African development.” As a clear indication of that support, the Tony Elumelu Foundation made a $150,000 donation to the start up costs of the African Union Foundation, the first contribution made to the ambitious initiative.

At the same meeting, a pledge of $100,000 was made by the Government of Jamaica, represented by Ambassador Carlton Masters, who indicated, “This underscores the commitment of the Diaspora towards African development.”

A formal launch of the African Union Foundation and comprehensive awareness and fundraising campaign is planned for later this year.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Heirs Holdings.

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Conflict-affected people in Nigeria are struggling to meet basic needs. The ICRC, in cooperation with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, has brought aid to around 40,000 displaced and otherwise vulnerable people. It has also been granted greater access to places of detention.

“Violence, lack of security and growing anxiety over recent months have resulted in tens of thousands of people fleeing the conflict in the north-east of the country,” said Zoran Jovanovic, head of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria. “Thousands have been injured and hundreds have lost their lives.” Displaced people have sought safe havens elsewhere in the country or in Niger, Cameroon or Chad.

“The availability of shelter, food, water, clothes and health services has worsened in that region,” said Mr Jovanovic. As a direct consequence of the conflict, food prices have increased and shortages have arisen, especially along the borders with neighbouring countries. “The tenuous security situation, combined with communication disruptions, has made it difficult for family members to maintain contact with one another – and also for aid to be delivered,” he added.

Shelter materials and other essential supplies in the north-east

Since August 2013, more than 18,000 people affected by the conflict in Borno state, in the north-eastern part of the country, have received shelter materials, mosquito nets, blankets, hygiene items and household essentials distributed in cooperation with the Nigerian Red Cross. An estimated 45 per cent of the people receiving the aid were women, many of them widowed or elderly.

Nearly 250 women recently widowed by the conflict in Borno state are being given monthly food rations. “These women suddenly became the sole providers for their families. They will be provided with food for six months, during which they will be able to save some money so that they can start small business ventures,” said Ruth Muriungi, the ICRC delegate in charge of the programme. An estimated 1,500 people in the Maiduguri and Jere areas are now eating more and better food because of the programme put in place with the help of Borno widows’ associations. “Thanks to this, our family of six went from one meal a day to three,” said Hadiza, one of the widows in Jere. “God willing, I’ll soon be able to start selling food in the market.”

Emergency assistance after intercommunal violence

Meanwhile, Kaduna, Plateau, Nassarawa and Benue states, in central Nigeria, have been regularly hit by intercommunal violence over access to land and other resources. Thousands of people have been displaced and hundreds injured or killed. In 2013, around 20,000 people suffering the effects of violence in Plateau and Kaduna states received food, shelter materials and kitchen and hygiene items distributed in cooperation with the Nigerian Red Cross. ICRC engineers worked on water sources and pipes to improve access to safe drinking water in the villages of Riyom and Wase and in five health-care facilities in the states. “Our building had not had running water for over 10 years,” said Hajia Khadijat, who works in a clinic run by the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations of Nigeria. “We could not afford to pay the bills, and the plumbing deteriorated. With the new fittings and pipes, our taps are working again.”

In the restive Niger Delta, in the south of the country, crime is on the rise and intercommunal clashes occur periodically. Owing to the worsening of the security situation in recent years, people in remote riverine areas have suffered in particular from increasingly difficult access to health care.

Progress visiting detainees

Since February 2013, in agreement with the Nigerian authorities, the ICRC has been visiting detainees in 15 police stations and six prisons all over the country. Repeated visits, the aim of which is to monitor the treatment and living conditions of detainees, have taken place in accordance with the ICRC’s standard working procedures, which include discussions with the detaining authorities, access to all the premises and private talks with the detainees.

In January 2014, for the first time ever, ICRC staff visited detainees held under the responsibility of the Nigerian Army in the capital of Borno state. During the previous months, the ICRC had negotiated access to the detainees with the Nigerian authorities. “Findings of our visits to detention places are confidential and are shared exclusively with the authorities concerned,” said Monique Crettol of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria.