diplomacy&development

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk that people at the edges of society will be pushed into slavery, trafficking and/or sexual exploitation, and governments must do more to protect them, say UN human rights experts. They issued the following statement for the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, which marks the day in 1949 that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the first Convention to fight human trafficking: “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the direct connection between increased socio-economic vulnerability, discrimination and the risk of exploitation in forced labour, including the worst forms of child labour, or of being subjected to sale, trafficking in persons and sexual exploitation. Workers in low income and emerging economies have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic. With loss of employment, income or land, the most affected groups often subjected to discrimination should be at the centre of States’ and businesses’ policy respons

Following a mission to Bamako, the Fund for the benefit of victims to the International Criminal Court (ICC) (https://www.TrustFundforVictims.org/) announced new rehabilitation actions for victims in Mali.  These measures will have to respond to the prejudices of the victims in the center and the north of the country, in addition to those already initiated in Timbuktu and the process deployed by the Malian state. “Crimes under international law have increased in Mali in recent years, particularly in the center and north-east of the country. While waiting for justice to be done, we have decided to put in place measures to rehabilitate victims in these regions.  Many of them are now in an extremely precarious situation and some have lost all their belongings. With this decision, we want to allow survivors to move forward and thus contribute to the process of transitional justice, ”said Ms. Mama Koité Doumbia, President of the Trust Fund for Victims. The Trust Fund for Victims will implem

The extraordinary Troika summit of the SADC body accepted the United Nations proposal to realign the current strength of the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) to allow rapid reaction units to have the field necessary action and to form two rapid reaction units by troops from SADC troop-contributing countries.  This is an important statement written in the final communiqué of the Extraordinary Summit of the Organ Troika added to that the countries contributing troops to the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) of MONUSCO, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Mozambique which was held this Friday, November 27 in Gaborone, Republic of Botswana. The Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit expressed gratitude to the United Nations for the sustained partnership and continued support provided. “The Organ's Extraordinary Troika Summit ensured regional support for the development and implementation of MONUSCO's joint phased and phased withdrawal strategy from the Democratic Rep

DRC President, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo with Botswana President  Mokgweetsi Éric Keabetswe The President of the DR Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, who participates in the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Troika in Gaberone, met face-to-face with his Botswanan counterpart, Mokgweetsi Éric Keabetswe, Friday, November 27, 2020.  The two Chiefs of the State exchanged on the possibilities of developing bilateral issues of common interest between their countries. D uring the discussions, the President of Botswana reiterated his congratulations to his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi on his election as head of the African Union (AU) and promised to give him his full support.  DRC President, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo with Botswana President  Mokgweetsi Éric Keabetswe "As the Kinshasa-Gaberone axis is in great demand, on both sides there is a desire to establish diplomatic representation between the two countries," reports the presidential press.  Félix Tshisekedi pa

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo arrived this Thursday in the middle of the night to Gaberone, capital of Botswana to participate in the Extraordinary Summit of the Troika of the Economic Community of Southern African States (SADC) scheduled for Friday, November 27. At Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaberone, the Congolese Head of State was greeted by Botswana Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dr Lemogang Kwape.  This extraordinary summit of the SADC Troika will be particularly devoted to questions of terrorism affecting the community, particularly in the DRC and Mozambique. The DRC will be particularly at the center of the exchanges since the question of the intervention brigade of the MONUSCO force (FIB) will be raised in the presence of the countries contributing troops to this brigade, namely Malawi, South Africa. and Tanzania invited to this Summit. Called on to take over from MONUSCO troops, the FIB is

Dr.  Rasha Kelej, Merck Foundation CEO, appointed the First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo as Merck Ambassador More Than a Mother holding the official document of appointment together with H.E. Madame DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother The First Lady of DR Congo partners with Merck Foundation (http://www.Merck-Foundation.com) to build healthcare capacity, break the stigma of infertility and empower girls through education; Merck Foundation CEO underlined its long-term commitment to social and economic development in the Democratic Republic of Congo through its partnership with the First Lady and the Ministry of Health.  Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, underlined their long-term commitment by starting their partnership with the First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E. Madame DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI. During the high-level meeting held this week, Dr

Launching ceremony of the pilot project for the early and active detection of vulnerable people in the framework of the fight and reduction of morbidity and mortality from Covid-19 in Kinshasa As part of the pilot project for the early and active detection of vulnerable people in the framework of the fight and reduction of morbidity and mortality from Covid-19, implemented by "Médecins Du Monde" and funded by the French Embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an official launch ceremony was held in Kinshasa this Thursday 11/26/2020.  This project deployed in the city-province of Kinshasa, more precisely in the health zone of Selembao, the commune of Badiadingui (St Anne's health center) and the commune of Nkulu (Rapha Health Center) aims, on the one hand, to reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients with Covid-19 in Kinshasa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other part, improving the screening, care, and protection of patients aged over 50 years of a

The African Energy Chamber in a Power Breakfast in Malabo to mark the launch of its Africa Energy Outlook 2021 To support recovery and boost investment, the African Energy Chamber’s 2021 Outlook offers several pragmatic solutions. The African Energy Chamber (EnergyChamber.org) organized a Power Breakfast yesterday in Malabo to mark the launch of its Africa Energy Outlook 2021. The event gathered all of the Chamber’s partners and industry stakeholders in Equatorial Guinea as the market embarks on a path to recovery in 2021. Despite its remarkable resilience, Equatorial Guinea’s oil sector is facing the same dire situation as the rest of global energy markets: plunging oil prices, uncertain demand and dry of capital on the back of the energy transition. In such a context, the country has embarked early on an ambitious investment outreach programme with the Year of Energy 2020 and the Year of Investment 2021. Key priorities include boosting local content, expanding midstream and downstrea

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today published its guidance to combat racial profiling, emphasizing, among other issues, the serious risk of algorithmic bias when artificial intelligence (AI) is used in law enforcement. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), made up of 18 individual experts, has issued its general recommendation on preventing and combating racial profiling by law enforcement officials. General recommendations are legal guidance to assist the 182 State members to fulfil their obligations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. CERD notes that the increased use by law enforcement of big data, AI, facial recognition, and other new technology risks deepening racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and consequently the violation of many human rights. “Big data and AI tools may reproduce and reinforce already existing biases and lead to even more discriminatory practices. We are deepl

As the race to find a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is showing increasing promise, a new World Health Organization (WHO) analysis finds that Africa is far from ready for what will be the continent’s largest ever immunization drive. All 47 countries in the WHO African Region have received WHO’s Vaccine Readiness Assessment Tool which is intended to be used by Ministries of Health, with support from WHO and UNICEF. It provides a roadmap for countries to plan for COVID-19 vaccine introduction and covers 10 key areas: planning and coordination, resources and funding, vaccine regulations, service delivery, training and supervision, monitoring and evaluation, vaccine logistics, vaccine safety and surveillance and communications and community engagement. Forty countries have updated the tool and provided data to WHO. An analysis finds that based on the self-reports by the countries, the African region has an average score of 33% readiness for a COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, which is well b

DRC President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi received nine credential letters from Ambassadors appointed by their respective countries in DRC. Here are those moments illustrated by photos taken by the service of the DRC Presidency: The Head of State, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo received the credentials of Mr. Hazza Mohammed Falah, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates in the DRC Hazza Mohamed Falah Kharsan Alquahtani, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates with residence in Kigali in Rwanda. The Head of State, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo received the credentials of Mrs. Alemtsehay Meseret Gelaw, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia in the DRC Alemthesam Meseret Gelaw, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia with residence in Uganda. The Head of State, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo received the credentials of Doctor Christian F

Dr Rasha Kelej, PDG de la Fondation Merck et S.E. Mme NEO JANE MASISI, Première Dame du Botswana Merck Foundation et la Première Dame du Botswana célèbrent la Journée Internationale de « l’Élimination de la Violence à l’égard des Femmes » en lançant un concours d’affiches pour STOP à la Violence.   Merck Foundation, la branche philanthropique de Merck Allemagne, marque la Journée Internationale pour l' Élimination de la Violence à l’égard des Femmes avec l'annonce du concours d'affiches « Stop GBV » en partenariat avec S.E. Mme NEO JANE MASISI, La Première Dame du Botswana et Ambassadrice de ‘Merck More Than A Mother,’ dans le but de prévenir la violence sexiste et la maltraitance des enfants dans le pays. Merck Foundation CEO, Dr. Rasha Kelej, a rejoint la visite virtuelle à vélo de la Première Dame du Botswana, S.E. Mme NEO JANE MASISI à faire partie de cette initiative créative. « Je crois que c'est la première fois qu'une Première Dame Africaine traverse son pay

Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & H.E. Mrs NEO JANE MASISI, Botswana First Lady Merck Foundation and Botswana First Lady marks International Day of ‘Elimination of Violence against Women’ by starting Poster Contest to STOP GBV. Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck Germany, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with the announcement of “Stop GBV” Poster Contest in partnership with H.E Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Botswana and Ambassador of Merck More Than A Mother, with the aim to prevent gender-based violence and child abuse in the country. Merck Foundation CEO, Dr. Rasha Kelej, joined the virtual cycling tour of Botswana First Lady, H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI to become a part of this creative initiative. “I believe this is the first time that an African First Lady has cycled across her country for a cause. It was also great to see the amazing support the President of Botswana, H.E. MR. MOKGWEETSI MASISI gave to his

November 25, 2020 marks the start of the global 16 Days of Activism Campaign to End Violence Against Women.  On this occasion, the Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. David McLachlan-Karr, calls for the mobilization of all actors to continue this fight so that women and girls, wherever they are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), feel safe. In the first half of 2020, the number of reported cases of gender-based violence (GBV) increased significantly by 57%, with 26,908 cases against 17,105 in the same period in 2019.  These figures are undoubtedly well below the reality, because many cases are not reported. This violence, which takes many forms, ranges from sexual violence, to child marriage, to psychological violence. Among the most affected provinces, North Kivu, with 10,909 cases leads, followed by South Kivu, 3,365 cases and Ituri 2,478 cases. The deteriorating security situation and unequal power relations between men and women in society in the DRC, exacerbated by preventive

"We are deeply concerned at the decision by Trinidad and Tobago to deport 16 Venezuelan children and nine adults at the same time as an application was being lodged against their removal. On 22 November, the group, which had arrived in Trinidad on 17 November, were placed on two boats and escorted by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard out of the country’s territorial waters towards the Venezuelan coast. The Trinidad and Tobago High Court dismissed their application as they were considered outside the country’s jurisdiction. The whereabouts of the group, which included children as young as four months, were reportedly unknown for 24 hours.  We understand that the entire group returned by boat to Trinidad on 24 November. All refugees and migrants, regardless of status, are entitled to the respect and protection of their human rights. With regard to refugee and migrant children, States have a special duty of care - the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in a

Alexander Amosu, Founder of Lux Afrique Delivering to all 54 countries in Africa, within a standard delivery time of 3 to 5 days. The Lux Afrique Group (LuxAfrique.com), in keeping with its pioneering spirit, will open the virtual doors to Africa’s very first online luxury multi-brand e-commerce store, the Lux Afrique Boutique (LuxAfrique.boutique), on 25 November 2020.  This exclusive online shopping destination will offer clients from the African continent and around the world, the most luxurious brands in fashion, jewellery, watches, home, technology and food. Says Alexander Amosu, Founder of Lux Afrique “Pretty much every part of the world has a luxury e-commerce platform servicing the high net worth population across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, so why not Africa? I’m pleased to say that the Lux Afrique Boutique intend to change that!”. Upon entering the online boutique, clients are presented with a selection of women’s fashion from the world's most desirable luxury brand