Category: APO-OPA

ASMARA, Eritrea, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On January, 9, 2013, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was briefed on economic developments in Eritrea, whose Article IV consultation is delayed by 24 m…

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The EU is one of the leading donors in the road sector in sub- Saharan Africa. Road transport is a focal sector for EDF (European Development Fund) cooperation strategy with most sub-Saharan African countries. Financially, it is by far the most important sector, with about € 7.4 billion in EDF commitments made in this region over the period from 1995 to 2011.

European Court of Auditors (ECA) special reports are published throughout the year, presenting the results of selected audits of specific EU budgetary areas or management topics. This special report (SR 17/2012) entitled “The European Development Fund (EDF) contribution to a sustainable road network in sub-Saharan Africa” assessed whether the EDF has contributed to sustainability of the road network in sub-Saharan Africa effectively: whether the road infrastructure supported by the EDF is sustainable and whether the Commission effectively promotes the sustainability of road infrastructure. The audit focused on the technical, financial and institutional sustainability of road transport infrastructure and looked at 48 programmes financed since 1995 under the 8th, 9th and 10th EDFs in six partner countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Tanzania and Zambia.

The main conclusions and recommendations of the report will be presented to the press by Mr Szabolcs Fazakas, Member of the Court.

DATE AND TIME Tuesday, 15 January 2013 at 10:30

VENUE The RESIDENCE PALACE – International Press Centre

MAALBEEK ROOM

155, rue de la Loi, 1040 Brussels – Belgium

A PRESS KIT, consisting of the Special Report and a press release, will be made available for the press conference. The Special Report will be published on the Court’s website, www.eca.europa.eu, in 22 official languages.

INTERPRETATION will be available in French and English.

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A new project which will boost security and the safety of maritime routes across seven African countries in the Gulf of Guinea was announced today by the European Union.

The Critical Maritime Routes in the Gulf of Guinea Programme (CRIMGO) will help governments across West and Central Africa to improve safety of the main shipping routes by providing training for coastguards and establishing a network to share information between countries and agencies across the region. Announcing the project today, Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, said: “Without security, development can never properly reach the people it needs to. That’s why our new project, which will help to boost transport security in Western Africa, is so crucial. By making the waters safe, we are helping to boost trade and growth and provide more opportunities to make a living, which these countries so desperately need.” The project will be rolled out from January 2013 in 7 African coastal states: Benin, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Sâo Tomé and Principe and Togo. The Gulf of Guinea currently accounts for 13% of oil and 6% of gas imports to the EU. However, piracy and armed robbery, as well as drug, arms and human trafficking, pose a real threat to the security of the region. In Nigeria alone, some 98 cases of piracy, armed robbery at sea and marine pollution were recorded between 2008 and 2012.

Link to the English version:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-14_en.htm

NAIROBI, Kenya, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations would like to convey its condolences to the Government of Kenya, families and relatives of the communities affected by the current insecurity resulting from viole…

ROME, Italy, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The three Italian seamen kidnapped in Nigeria on 23 December 2012 and freed during the night of Tuesday 8 January are back home safe and sound. The kidnapping followed an attack on the Asso21 cargo-boat owned by Augusta Offshore.Emiliano Astarita, and the two officers, Salvatore Mastellone and Giuseppe D’Alessio, who arrived in Rome on Wednesday evening, are in good health.

“We’ve lost weight but everything’s fine”, Astarita told his father, Franco, on the phone immediately after his release. “Towards the end we were afraid we wouldn’t make it. It was a bad experience”, said Giuseppe D’Alessio on his return to Italy. “The worst part was just before we were released, because we didn’t know what was happening. They were preparing with their own rituals”. Emiliano Astarita, the captain, echoed his words: “It was hard, but now we’re back and we can’t wait to see our families again. The kidnappers would play around with their guns, shooting into the sea. Towards the end they seemed agitated. Yes, we were frightened”, he added.

Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, who announced the release of the seamen, explained that “the situation was extremely worrying but thanks to the techniques we have honed over time, this long operation ended successfully with the return of our fellow nationals”. The Minister clarified that “No ransom was paid: the government’s policy is to negotiate”. He also thanked the Nigerian authorities for their partin obtaining a positive outcome to the case.

The three seamen will now be interviewed at police headquarters in Rome, where a dossier on the kidnapping has been opened, after which they will return home.

The kidnapping

A group of 7 armed men attacked the cargo boat on 23 December as it headed for Port Harcourt. In nearly all other attacks on shipping in that region, the vessels are released only on payment of a large ransom. In this case, however, the attackers did not seize the ship itself but kidnapped four crew members (the three Italians and a Ukrainian).

The Farnesina took action immediately, explained Terzi. “The Ministry followed techniques and procedures that we’ve honed over the years, most notably in the last few months”. A claim that is borne out by the facts: in just over a year, 30 Italian nationals kidnapped abroad have been brought home to their families.

Two Italians still held by kidnappers

Two Italian nationalsare still in the hands of their kidnappers. Mario Belluomo, a 63-year-old engineer from Catania, was kidnapped in Syria on 17 December, somewhere between Homs and Tartus. And aid worker Giovanni Lo Porto (38, from Palermo) has been in the hands of a Pakistani Taliban group for nearly a year. “We’re following both cases closely”, said Terzi. He announced that “the next few days could bring positive developments on Belluomo”.

Prime Minister Mario Monti welcomed the release of the three seamen and gave an assurance that the government will “make every effort” to obtain the release of Belluomo and Lo Porto.

GENEVA, Switzerland, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Communities in developing countries are facing increasing health and environmental risks linked to exposure to mercury, according to new studies by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Parts of Africa, Asia and South America could see increasing emissions of mercury into the environment, due mainly to the use of the toxic element in small-scale gold mining, and through the burning of coal for electricity generation.

The Global Mercury Assessment 2013 reports that emissions of the toxic metal from artisanal gold mining have doubled since 2005, in part due to new and better information, but also due to rising gold prices that are expected to lead to further increases.

Due to rapid industrialization, Asia is the largest regional emitter of mercury, and accounts for just under half of all global releases.

The UNEP study assesses for the first time at a global level releases of mercury into rivers and lakes. Much human exposure to mercury is through the consumption of contaminated fish, making aquatic environments the critical link to human health.

In the past 100 years, man-made emissions have caused the amount of mercury in the top 100 metres of the world’s oceans to double. Concentrations in deeper waters have increased by up to 25 per cent.

The study, which provides a comprehensive breakdown of mercury emissions by region and economic sector, also highlights significant releases into the environment linked to contaminated sites and deforestation.

The report says an estimated 260 tonnes of mercury – previously held in soils – are being released into rivers and lakes.

Along with a parallel UNEP publication Mercury: Time to Act, the new assessment will be formally presented at the International Negotiating Committee on Mercury (INC5), to be held in Geneva on 13-18 January 2013. Governments attending the major conference are aiming to conclude discussions on a global legally binding treaty to minimize risks to people and the environment from exposure to mercury.

This would reduce cases of neurological and behavioral disorders, and other health problems linked to mercury, as well as the contamination of soils and rivers caused by man-made emissions of the metal.

Governments gave the green light to negotiations towards a global treaty back in 2009 at the UNEP Governing Council held in Nairobi, Kenya.

“Mercury, which exists in various forms, remains a major global, regional and national challenge in terms of threats to human health and the environment,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

“In 2009 at the UNEP Governing Council, nations agreed to launch negotiations for a legally binding treaty aimed at bringing down releases from sources such as industry and mining, address mercury-containing products, and tackle historical pollution sites—the final negotiations begin in just a few days’ time,” he added.

“Mercury has been known as a toxin and a hazard for centuries—but today we have many of the alternative technologies and processes needed to reduce the risks for tens of millions of people, including pregnant mothers and their babies. A good outcome can also assist in a more sustainable future for generations to come,” said Mr. Steiner.

Mercury released from industry and other man-made sources can circulate in the environment for up to centuries at a time. This means that it is likely to be several years or decades before reductions in mercury emissions have a demonstrable effect on mercury levels in nature and the food chain.

The UNEP studies say this reinforces the need for swift action by governments, industry and civil society to strengthen efforts to reduce mercury emissions and releases. Delays in action, say the reports, will lead to slower recovery of ecosystems and a greater legacy of pollution.

Rising levels of mercury present in the Arctic are also highlighted.

An estimated 200 tonnes of mercury are deposited in the Arctic each year, generally far from where it originated. Studies have shown a ten-fold increase in levels of mercury in certain Arctic wildlife species in the past 150 years, due mainly, it is thought, to human activity.

Global Trends in Mercury Emissions and their Impacts

The UNEP reports state that global emissions of mercury have remained relatively stable in the last twenty years, with 2010 emissions from human activities thought to be just under 2,000 tonnes.

Despite improved availability of data on mercury, the emissions estimate is still subject to uncertainty, and covers a range of 1010 to 4070 tonnes.

Along with coal burning, the use of mercury to separate metal from ore in small-scale gold mining remains the chief source of emissions worldwide.

Annual emissions from small-scale gold mining are estimated at 727 tonnes, or 35 per cent of the global total.

Greater exposure to mercury poses a direct threat to the health of some 10-15 million people who are directly involved in small-scale gold mining, mainly in Africa, Asia and South America. An estimated 3 million women and children work in the industry.

Mercury-free methods and other low-cost solutions for reducing emissions during gold extraction are available, but socio-economic conditions, and low awareness of the risks of mercury, are barriers to adopting safer techniques.

“Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is recognized as a major challenge in efforts to reduce emissions from mercury,” said Fernando Lugris (Uruguay), Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee.

“While taking into account the impacts on national development, we must move to set national goals and reduction targets. Other efforts should work towards the formalization of the sector, which is largely unregulated. As well as reducing health risks from mercury, this could give workers greater rights under labour laws,” added Mr. Lugris.

Coal burning is responsible for some 475 tonnes of mercury emissions annually, or around 24 per cent of the global total.

Despite increased coal combustion in certain regions, more stringent regulations on pollution in several countries have contributed to reducing overall mercury emissions from coal burning and off-setting part of the emissions arising from increased industrial activity.

Other sources of mercury highlighted in the UNEP publications include:

•    Metal and cement production, through fuel extraction and combustion of fossil fuels

•    Consumer products such as electronic devices, switches, batteries, energy-efficient light bulbs and cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams and mascara. Mercury contained in such goods can also enter the waste stream.

•    Dentistry: Around 340 tonnes of mercury are used annually to make fillings and other dental products, of which up to 100 tonnes are likely to enter the waste stream

•    Plastic production – particularly the manufacture of poly vinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is in high demand in many countries where there are extensive building projects

•    Chlor-alkali industry (production of chlorine and caustic soda from salt)

•    Primary mining – although the practice is now limited to a handful of countries with only one (Kyrgyzstan) still exporting

Action on Mercury

Efforts to tackle the environmental and health threat posed by mercury have grown over recent decades, according to the reports.

Notable actions include:

•    The UNEP Mercury Products Partnership has set the goal of reducing demand for mercury-containing thermometers and blood pressure devices by 70 per cent by 2017

•    USA has finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard which predicts to reduce mercury emissions by 20 tonnes by 2016

•    European Union banned mercury exports in 2011 and the USA has just started an export ban from 1 January 2013

•   UNEP has supported National Action Plans by Argentina, Uruguay and other countries to find environmentally-sound solutions for the storage and disposal of excess mercury and waste products

Yet despite such steps, coordinated action on a global level to reduce environmental and health risks posed by exposure to mercury has been comparatively slow.

The UNEP studies state that accelerated action, such as finalizing a global, legally binding treaty, promoting the availability of low-mercury technologies, and other measures, can support a sharp decline in demand for mercury.

To achieve this, primary mining of mercury should be ceased as soon as possible, and demand met by investing in improved recycling measures.

Governments should ensure regulatory frameworks and incentives to promote the transition to viable, safe and commercial alternatives, resulting in reduced releases of mercury and other pollutants.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) will over the next couple of weeks conduct a series of training workshops for Somalia civil servants as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the capacity of the country’s public service.

The training sessions involving 120 public servants including secretaries, protocol officers and administrators have been organized with the funding support of the Government of Italy and will be facilitated by the University of South Africa (UNISA) Graduate School of Business Leadership. The workshops, will be conducted in two sessions from 14th – 20th January and from 21st – 25th January 2013 in Bujumbura, Burundi.

In line with a Plan of Action agreed upon during a Needs Assessment Workshop held in Kampala, Uganda in March 2010, AMISOM has conducted a series of capacity building activities for the Somalia Civil Service including facilitating 2 weeks of on-the-job training and mentorship in Uganda, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia and the provision of requisite working tools/equipment and renovation of office space.

The ongoing capacity building training of civil servants is in line with the new priorities defined in the six pillars- programme of His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

NEW YORK, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should bring to account soldiers involved in a raid on a radio station in the eastern town of Kabambare, and the arbitrary detention and be…

NEW YORK, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A journalist was found murdered in northwestern Tanzania on Tuesday, three days after he went missing from his home, according to local journalists and local reports.
The body of Issa Ngu…

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania, January 10, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), made the following statement today in Nouakchott:

“It is a great pleasure to visit Mauritania for the first time as Managing Director of the IMF.

“I had the privilege of meeting President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Finance Minister Thiam Diombar, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Mr. Sidi Ould Tah, and Central Bank Governor, Mr. Sid’Ahmed Ould Raiss, as well as representatives of the Mauritanian private sector. I congratulated the authorities for their apt macroeconomic management, which helped economic activity to rebound in 2012, inflation to be well contained, and fiscal and external buffers to increase substantively. However, Mauritania continues to face high unemployment and poverty rates. In that context, ongoing efforts to reform the subsidy system and replace it with a more targeted social welfare system are commendable.

“This visit has given me the opportunity to participate in the 5th regional conference of finance ministers and central bank governors of the Maghreb, co-hosted by the Central Bank of Mauritania and the IMF, which focused on economic integration and the role of foreign investment. I was, therefore, able to gauge the efforts under way to promote regional integration. I was pleased to hold discussions on this topic with government officials and private-sector representatives from all five Maghreb countries: Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.

“I am encouraged by the commitment of the authorities of the Maghreb countries to vigorously pursue a transparent and equitable model of growth and private-sector development against the backdrop of the social and political transformation taking place across the region. This change is needed to bolster job creation and ensure that the benefits of growth are better shared by all, despite the fragile global economic environment. A key priority in this area is to improve the region’s business and investment climate to create an environment that supports innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation. This will allow the private sector—small- and medium-sized enterprises, in particular—to be at the center of economic development to help spur the productive potential of the people of the Maghreb. In that regard, I am heartened by the imminent start-up of the Maghreb Bank for Investment and Foreign Trade (MBICE), which will facilitate Maghrebian private sector investment.

“Further, fostering investment from abroad is an important part of this economic model. To attract more foreign investment, countries in the region should accelerate their efforts to integrate, including by opening up foreign direct investment regimes. The region should also continue to diversify its sources and sectors for foreign direct investment.

“I would like to thank the government and the Mauritanian people for their gracious hospitality.”