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Nairobi hosts the Kenya Innovation Week’s inaugural Commonwealth Edition, signifying a pivotal moment in advancing innovation across the Commonwealth. The event, taking place from 27th November to 1st December 2023 at the Edge […]
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On September 18th, the Global Region 2 of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG, Regional Director Seo-yeon Lee) held an online meeting with the cooperation country Colombia and its representative, Miguel Parra (FCC […]
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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace organization, hosted the HWPL World Interfaith Prayer Conference 2023 on November 18th. The conference, held online, brought together religious leaders and congregation […]
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Small-scale family farmers are the unsung heroes of the global food system. They produce over a third of the world’s food and are key to climate adaptation, yet new analysis reveals they only […]
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Small-scale family farmers are the unsung heroes of the global food system. They produce over a third of the world’s food and are key to climate adaptation, yet new analysis reveals they only receive around 0.3% of international climate finance. Just 0.3% of international climate finance goes to family farmers who produce a third of the world’s food.
Small-scale family farmers produce a third (32%) of the world’s food yet only 0.3% of international climate finance was spent helping them adapt in 2021, reveals new analysis released today.
The research, from a new alliance of farmer networks representing over 35 million
small-scale producers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific, is being released ahead of COP28 which is set to agree a Global Goal for Adaptation. The UAE Presidency is also urging governments to include food and agriculture in national climate plans for the first time and scale up finance for food system transformation.
Climate Focus conducted the analysis of international public finance for climate mitigation and adaptation. A snapshot of spending in 2021 reveals:
small-scale family farmers and rural communities – equivalent to around 0.3% of total international climate finance from both public and private sources. Smallholders’ finance needs are estimated at US$170 billion per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Hakim Baliriane, Chair of the Eastern and Southern Africa small-scale Farmers Forum said: “Climate change has helped push 122 million people into hunger since 2019.
Reversing this trend will not be possible if governments continue to tie the hands of millions of family farmers. Together we produce a third of the world’s food yet we receive a fraction of the climate finance we need to adapt.”
The report, Untapped Potential, also shows that 80% of international public climate finance spent on the agri-food sector is channelled through recipient governments and donor country NGOs. This makes it harder for family farmer organisations to access because of complex eligibility rules and application processes, and a lack of information on how and where to apply. Family farmers received just a quarter (24%) of finance spent on the agri-food sector in 2021.
Many family farmers lack the infrastructure, technology and resources to adapt to climate impacts with serious implications for global food security and rural economies. Family farms
of less than two hectares produce a third of the world’s food (32%) while farms of 5 hectares or less account for more than half of the global production of 9 staple crops – rice, peanut, cassava, millet, wheat, potato, maize, barley and rye – and grow almost three-quarters of the coffee and 90% of the cocoa. Over 2.5 billion people globally depend on family farms for their livelihoods.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the most effective way to safeguard food security is to shift to more nature friendly and diverse food systems. Family farmers are at the forefront of these efforts. For example, in the Pacific farmers are planting breadfruit trees alongside other crops as it is drought resistant, seldom uprooted by storms and cyclones and produces a nutritious staple food crop.
Alberto Broch, president of the Confederation of Family Producer Organizations of Expanded Mercosur, COPROFAM said: “Our message to governments is clear: More than 600 million family farms are already engaged in building more sustainable and resilient food systems. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience that must be tapped. By including their voices in decision-making and ensuring direct access to more climate finance, we can create a powerful alliance in the fight against climate change.”
Esther Penunia, Secretary General of the Asian Farmers Association said: “Generations of family farming experience and the latest scientific evidence tell us that working with nature and empowering local communities is key to safeguarding food production in a changing climate. There needs to be a major re-think of climate finance to support these tried and tested climate solutions with much more finance targeted at family farmers and sustainable practices such as agroecology.”
Climate change is hitting harvests and driving up food prices across the globe. It has helped push 122 million people into hunger since 2019. We need to create more sustainable and resilient food systems that can feed people in a changing climate, but we can’t do this without family farmers.
Small-scale family farms of less than two hectares produce one-third of the world’s food (32%), while farms of up to five hectares located in developing countries account for more than half of the global production of nine staple crops – rice, peanut, cassava, millet, wheat, potato, maize, barley and rye – and grow almost three-quarters of the coffee and 90% of the cocoa.
Family farms are also the backbone of rural economies. Over 2.5 billion people globally depend on family farms for their livelihoods. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where up to 80% of farming is done by smallholder farmers, agriculture contributes 23% to regional GDP.
Family farmers are also key to climate adaptation. They are at the forefront of the shift to more diverse, nature friendly food systems which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says is needed to safeguard food security in a changing climate. Many are already practising climate-resilient agriculture, including approaches such as agroecology: growing a wider variety of crops including traditional crops; mixing crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries, reducing chemical inputs; and building strong connections to local markets.
Yet, new analysis reveals that only a tiny proportion of international public climate finance is spent on family farmers and sustainable agriculture. The research by Climate Focus, on behalf of 10 farmers networks representing over 35 million family farmers from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific found:
small-scale family farmers and rural communities in 2021. This amounts to roughly 0.3% of total international climate finance from both public and private sources. In
Sub-Saharan Africa alone, smallholders’ finance needs are estimated at US$170 billion per year.
The analysis also shows that 80% of finance for agriculture, forestry and fishing is channelled through recipient governments and donor country NGOs. This often makes it harder for family farmers’ organisations to access funds because of a lack of information on how and where to apply for finance, and complex eligibility rules and application processes. Small-scale family farmers received just a quarter (24%) of spending on the sector in 2021.
Access to finance is symptomatic of a much larger problem which sees organisations representing family farmers sidelined in decision-making on food and climate. At a national level, family farmers’ concerns and proposals are rarely acted upon by governments, while eligibility and financial constraints make it difficult for them to engage in international fora such as the UN Climate Summits.
There is growing awareness of the urgent need to create more resilient and sustainable food systems. Ahead of the UN Climate Summit in Dubai, the UAE Presidency is urging governments to commit to formally integrate food and agriculture into national climate plans for the first time, and scale up and enhance access to international financing for adaptation and transformation of food systems. COP28 is also expected to agree a Global Adaptation Goal and a process for agreeing new 2030 funding goals that could unlock more support and finance for food and agriculture.
It is vital that governments and funders recognise small-scale family farmers as powerful partners in the transformation of the food system and the fight against climate change. This means ensuring more climate finance goes directly to small-scale family farmers’ organisations and genuinely sustainable climate resilient practices, and that small-scale family farmers have a real say in decision-making on food and climate.
The OECD database includes ODA, other official flows (OOF), private grants and private amounts mobilised and reported by DAC and non-DAC members. The database allows the analysis of climate finance between 2000 and 2021 based on finance flowing from funders (including bilateral flows and contributions to multilateral organisations) and finance flowing to recipients (including bilateral flows and the outflows from multilateral providers). It does not include information on disbursements of finance.
The following steps of analysis were conducted using current US$ as currency:
The analysis provides a conservative estimate of finance flows to the agri-food sector (agriculture, forestry and fishing) and smallholder producers. Previous estimates are significantly higher. For example, analysis by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that the ‘agriculture and land use sector’ received US$18 billion in 2018 – over twice the US$8.4 billion estimated for 2021 by Climate Focus. While a report by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) estimated that US$10 billion a year went to small-scale family farmers in 2017/2018 compared to the US$2 billion in 2021 estimated by Climate Focus.
The main reason for the difference is that the analysis by Climate Focus uses the OECD categorisation of ODA finance flow by sectors with a focus on ‘agriculture, forestry and fishing’ and projects that specifically mention small-scale family farmers and rural communities. This provides an estimate of the finance which is specifically targeted at supporting small-scale family farmers and food production. The FAO and the CPI analyses include finance flowing to a much broader range of sectors, including energy, that may benefit small-scale family farmers but which are not specifically targeted to them or to food production.
It is also likely that there are projects supporting sustainable practices and small-scale family farmers and rural communities that were not picked up in the analysis because the relevant keywords were not included in project titles and descriptions. This underlines the need for detailed information on finance flows to be made publicly available.
Overseas aid spending on climate action has increased significantly in the last decade, with US$96 billion committed to mitigation and adaptation in 2021 alone. Finance for the agri-food sector (agriculture, forestry and fishing) – has also increased but remains comparatively low:
The low level of climate finance for agriculture, forestry and fishing is of concern given the impact of climate change on food production and the extent to which food and agriculture is fuelling the climate and biodiversity crisis. Agricultural productivity has already declined by 21% compared to a world without climate change, while the food and agriculture sector as a whole is responsible for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions and 80% of global deforestation.
A snapshot of climate finance flows to agriculture, forestry and fishing in 2021 reveals that the World Bank, Germany, the Green Climate Fund and European Union institutions contributed around half (54%), amounting to US$4 billion collectively. Nigeria, India and Ethiopia were the top recipients, receiving a combined US$1.8 billion for agri-food projects. However, some of the world’s most food insecure countries, including Sudan, Sierra Leone and Zambia, each received less than US$20 million.
Public climate finance channelled to different sectors. Annual finance (US$ billion) between 2012 and 2021.
Main climate finance channels of delivery for the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector.
The IPCC’s 2022 report on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability concluded that the most effective ways to create more climate resilient and sustainable food systems are to: work with nature; diversification – producing a wider variety of local crops, including native varieties, or mixing crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries; and creating community-based solutions that build on local expertise and experience. Yet climate finance flows for small-scale family farmers and sustainable agriculture are low.
Just US$2 billion or 2% of international public climate finance was directed to small-scale family farmers and rural communities in 2021 – equivalent to a quarter (24%) of international public climate finance spending on the agri-food sector (agriculture, forestry and fishing).
Given that the vast majority (95%) of climate finance for small-scale family farmers comes from public sources, this equates to roughly 0.3% of the US$653 billion in international climate finance from both public and private sources.
In 2021, the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) were the main funders of smallholder agriculture and rural communities. The majority of this finance (90%) focused on adaptation, and almost half was committed to just six countries – the Philippines, Brazil, India, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Morocco – and to regional projects in Africa.
The majority of the finance (80%) was distributed via recipient governments, donor country NGOs, central donor governments, and IFAD. This approach – potentially based on the misconception that grassroots farmers’ organisations lack the organisational capacity to manage
large funds – often acts as a barrier to climate finance. For example, family farmer organisations often find the type of funding available fails to match their needs, that they are not eligible to apply for funds, or they lack information on where and how to apply for funds or the capacity to engage in lengthy and expensive application processes.
Finance flows to smallholders per region compared to total finance to the agri-food sector (agriculture, forestry and fishing) and to overall public climate finance in 2021 (US$ billion).
| Region | Total climate finance US$ billion | Finance for the agri-food sector US$ billion | Finance for smallholders & rural communities US$ | Smallholders & rural communities % of total climate finance | Smallholders & rural communities % of agri-food finance |
| Africa | 28.4 | 4.35 | 1.03 | 3.62 | 23.61 |
| America | 13.0 | 0.84 | 0.26 | 2.13 | 32.98 |
| Asia | 28.3 | 1.66 | 0.56 | 1.97 | 33.55 |
| Central America & Caribbean | 2.1 | 0.10 | 0.0 | 2.24 | 47.0 |
| Europe | 7.6 | 0.29 | 0.02 | 0.28 | 7.24 |
| Middle East | 1.3 | 0.06 | 0.002 | 0.16 | 3.33 |
| Oceania | 1.4 | 0.09 | 0.01 | 0.64 | 10.0 |
| South | 2.1 | 0.20 | 0.04 | 2.00 | 21.00 |
| America | |||||
| Unspecified | 12.5 | 0.79 | 0.07 | 0.53 | 8.35 |
| Total | 96.8 | 8.38 | 2.05 | 2.12 | 24.44 |
Only a fifth (19%) of the US$8.4 billion in international public climate finance spent on the agri-food sector in 2021 was used to support sustainable practices (US$1.6 billion). This is dwarfed by the estimated US$470 billion a year in government subsidies which support agricultural practices that are harmful to people and the environment.
Only US$183 million of international public climate finance was spent on projects that included agroecology in their description – 2.2% of spending on agriculture, forestry and fishing. The FAO says agroecology – which works with nature and empowers local communities – is one of the most promising approaches in the effort to create more resilient and sustainable food systems.
Africa received more than half the finance for sustainable practices while just 7% was spent in South America and 2% in Central America and the Caribbean. A total of US$1.4 billion was channelled to activities that largely focused on adaptation and US$900 million to activities which largely focused on mitigation. US$680 million went to projects supporting both mitigation and adaptation.
Germany, Norway, the EU, World Bank and the African Development Bank were the largest contributors to sustainable agriculture, spending US$813 million collectively in 2021. However, analysis shows even the EU – one of the biggest funders of sustainable agriculture – directed almost half its climate finance spend for the agri-food sector towards conventional and industrial agriculture from 2016 – 18, and only 2.7% (US$9.16 million) to projects supporting agroecology.
As the climate crisis pushes the global food system ever closer to collapse it is vital that governments recognise family farmers as powerful partners in the fight against climate change. They must ensure:
This report is published by family farmer organisations and networks representing over 35 million farmers around the globe and is supported by the Foundation for Farmers Organisations and Restorative Action. The analysis was conducted by Climate Focus.
[FFORA and Climate Focus logos]
The farmers networks include: Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), Confederation of Family Producers’ Organizations of Greater Mercosur (COPROFAM), Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), Eastern and Southern Africa small-scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF), Maghreb and North African Farmers Union (UMNAGRI), Network of West African Farmers’ and Producers’ Organisations (ROPPA), Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON), Regional Rural Dialogue Programme (PDRR), Regional Platform of Farmers‘ Organizations in Central Africa (PROPAC) and the World Rural Forum (WRF).
[farmer org logos]
This work was made possible through the support of the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
After a brief respite in 2019 in Ethiopia, the long-lasting conflict again escalated due to the bloodshed violation this year. To relieve the stress from the tragic afterimage, The ‘2023 Earth Run: Peace […]
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After a brief respite in 2019 in Ethiopia, the long-lasting conflict again escalated due to the bloodshed violation this year. To relieve the stress from the tragic afterimage, The ‘2023 Earth Run: Peace Heritage’ event, organized by the Shincheonji Volunteer Group We Are One, took place on 29th October in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This event brought together about 200 participants from three organizations, including HWPL, the event’s sponsor, Eshet Children and Youth Development Organization, and Model Africa Union-Ethiopia, all united in a relay for peace and harmony.
The event brought peace and cooperation alive, with participants competing and sporting together in five different sports games. The program included a peace marathon, peace support performances, and peace handprint creation.
The event’s highlights were performances encouraging a unified spirit for peace amid competition. Participants prepared flag-waving performances in awe-inspiring alignment. Imprinting the Ethiopian flag with children’s hands symbolized Ethiopia’s future and conveyed a message of peace.
Mr. BezawitTesfaye, an executive director of Eshet Children and Youth Development Organization, expressed, “Not many events took place in Ethiopia where people of all ages, religions, and ethnicity can come together; they found the event to be meaningful and joyful as we comforted wounded heart of the nation warmly through sportsmanship.”
The event enabled participants to share a sense of unity and the importance of peace. The organizers plan to continue hosting the ‘Earth Run: Peace Heritage’ in cooperation with local NGOs to support those who need the care and warmth of society.
by Ayele Addis Ambelu According to the @Internet Society 2023 report, In just the first half of 2023, we’ve witnessed an alarming 35 instances of government-enforced Internet shutdowns. These actions, often framed as […]
AFRICA Election & Democracy FEATURED General Human Rights Investigative Reports Latest Magazine News Special Editionby Ayele Addis Ambelu
According to the @Internet Society 2023 report, In just the first half of 2023, we’ve witnessed an alarming 35 instances of government-enforced Internet shutdowns. These actions, often framed as solutions to civil unrest, misinformation, or exam cheating, are rising globally.
The ramifications of Internet shutdowns are far-reaching—crippling economies, eroding societal trust, and infringing upon human rights, including the freedom of the press. Journalists are at the forefront of exposing these issues and advocating for change.
It is essential to ensure that journalists are equipped with both policy understanding and technical know-how on reporting Internet shutdowns.
Internet users in #Amhara, Ethiopia, have been the hardest hit by Internet disruptions, with popular social media and messaging services (TikTok, Facebook, Telegram, YouTube) being blocked nationally since 9 February amid religious tensions and calls for anti-government protests. At a regional level, many of the 40 million people living in Ethiopia’s Amhara region continue to live through the longest-running Internet disruption and shutdown, now well over 960 days long.
According to the Internet Society 2023 report, It is increasingly common for governments to shut down the Internet on a national or sub-national level to solve specific problems, including controlling civil unrest, stemming the flow of misinformation, or preventing cheating on national exams.
As of the end of June 2023, governments and other actors across 15 countries have intentionally disrupted Internet connectivity or blocked access to specific Internet services to their citizens. Of the 35 instances Pulse has tracked in the first six months of the year, including four that continued from last year, 19 have been nationwide disruptions lasting from a couple of hours to a week, culminating in nearly 1,000 days of disruptions.
An Internet shutdown is an intentional disruption of Internet-based communications, making them inaccessible or unavailable for a specific population, location, or type of access. It is often a state’s attempt to control the flow of information within a region by preventing people from accessing the global Internet. Internet shutdowns differ from application-level or content censorship/blocking, where Internet connectivity is available, but access to selected websites or applications is limited.
Shutdowns are a disproportional reaction that often only hides – instead of solving – a perceived problem and can result in significant collateral damage.
@compile from internet society 2023 report
President Paul Kagame announced that Africans intending to visit his country will no longer need visas.”We have removed visa restrictions for citizens of every African country, as well as many other countries.”
AFRICA General Human Rights Latest Magazine News Radio & TVPresident Paul Kagame announced that Africans intending to visit his country will no longer need visas.”We have removed visa restrictions for citizens of every African country, as well as many other countries.”
The 8th Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM-8) Theme: “Bolstering Free Movement and Trade Nexus in AFCFTA: Optimizing Benefits of Migration, Labour Migration for Development” Accentuated clearly in the vision of the African […]
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Accentuated clearly in the vision of the African Union and permeating all the Agenda 2063 aspirations, Africa’s integration, free movement, and trade have never been so pronounced in Africa’s development policy frameworks. Chief amongst these is the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) adopted alongside the Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA) and the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment (AU Free Movement Protocol – FMP) frameworks in 2018. Stimulating the positive trajectory, these developments have positioned the continenstrategicallyde for accelerated development to reap the economic gains, including migrationlaborur migration-trade nexus and concomitant developmental spinoffs. Harnessing free movement-migration-trade nexus dividend and leveraging intra-Africa mobility is potentially within grip; its potential to contribute to socioeconomic development is crystal clear in the documented policy and practice developmental discourse for Africa.
The year 2018 saw the adoption of two complementary legal instruments, namely the FMP and the AfCFTA. The rationale for the complementary aspect of these two treaties influencing migration is that economic development, trade, and labor migration are intrinsically intertwined. To the extent that without people, goods and services would not be able to cross borders and contribute to formal economic development. The free movement of persons and trade holds the potential for the continent to spur economic growth and sustain the implementation of the Accelerated Industrialization development in Africa (AIDA).
Signed in Kigali on 21 March 2018, the AfCFTA entered into force on January 202d, consequently commencing a continental free trade regime in Africa. It gives Africa a unique opportunity to unleash its economic potential for inclusive growth and sustainable development. It will create a single African market of over a billion consumers with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of U$2.5 trillion. The Agreement covers trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property rights, competition policy, and e-commerce, encapsulating the drive behind the African Union integration agenda. It envisions a single, liberalized continental market for goods and services and guarantees the free movement of traders across the continent, culminating in a dynamic and vibrant Trade Area. Therefore, the successful implementation of the AfCFTA will lead to more decent jobs, improved welfare, and a better quality of life for all citizenry; skills development, employability, and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship will help Africa realize its continental trade objectives.
The FMP is intended to contribute to implementing the AfCFTA by providing for the progressive implementation of the free movement of persons in Africa. Invariably, the quest for the free movement of persons will have a positive impact on the realization of meaningful intra-African trade, as envisaged under the AfCFTA. This reasoning is further amplified by well-documented evidence showing up to 80% intra-Africa migration, signaling that human mobility within the continent is already significantly extensive. This is compelling evidence for Africa to urgently push for the facilitation of free movement within Africa to invigorate robust economic development and create vibrant labor markets across the continent. Consequently, labor is required to boost productivity in various industries, such as manufacturing sectors across African countries. Therefore, labor mobility across specific sectors of interest to countries increases productivity and exports in these sectors under which trade is happening.
The vision of Africa to be an integrated economy gives rise to a revitalized thrust to remove restrictions stifling migration and human mobility intimately intertwined with trade. Without liberalizing the g movement of persons to a certain degree, it is impossible to achieve meaningful trade and continental integration. Consequently, the relationship between the free movement of goods and services across the continent through the AfCFTA and the free movement of persons is essential to harness the benefits of regional integration and trade.
The renewed political impetus for the free movement of persons in Africa is driven by a confluence of factors, both internal and external, to the continent. These include the growing realization that the fragmented and externally oriented nature of Africa’s economies continues to impose severe costs, evident, for example, in the low level of trade among African countries when compared with other global regions, Despite the impressive strides in recent African integration efforts, intra-African trade remains low relative to other regions (15% compared with 60% for the European Union, 41% in North Ameri, ca and 53% in East Asia).
The global geo-political prominence of migration has dramatically increased recently as the world sees more significant numbers of migrants than at any other time in history. Global inequality, the lack of employment, and decent work increased exponentially while Africa disproportionately bears the brunt.
This shift towards more restrictive migration policies in the developed world and the policies of some more economically advanced African countries has seen a proliferation of barriers to migration flows within and between Africa and the rest of the world. Regressive global migration developments have led to a natural and perceptible narrowing of opportunities for cross-border interchanges, economic development, culture exchange, tourism, and otherwise. To advance the free movement of persons at continental and REC levels, it will be essential to frame free movement as a managed and non-threatening process for Africa.
Several progressive continental legal instruments and policy frameworks have been put in place in line with Goal 1, Aspiration 2 of Agenda 2063, which strives to accelerate “progress towards continental unity and integration for sustained growth, trade, exchanges of goods, services, free movement of people and capital through establishing a United Africa and fast-tracking economic integration through the Continental Free Trade Area.”
Poorly governed labor migration can increase irregular migration and perpetuate exploitation and governance challenges for countries of origin, transit, and destination. Both the AfCFTA and FMP underscore the need for solid labor market institutions. In juxtaposition to this notion, the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP) for Africa was adopted by African Heads of State and Government in January 2015 as a comprehensive labor migration governance. With its strategy focused on intra-Africalaborur migration, the JLMP’s overall goal is to “‘Strengthen effective governance and regulation labor migration and mobility in Africa” to bolster trade, integration, and sustainable development.
Background:
The African Union adopted the AfCFTA as a flagship project of Agenda 2063 aimed at creating a single African market for goods and services facilitated by the free movement of persons, capital, and investment to deepen economic integration, promote and attain sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development, gender equality, industrialization, agricultural development, food security, and structural transformation. As the world’s largest free trade area bringing together 55 countries, the AfCFTA is an innovative instrument for igniting economic integration and prosperity. It directly contributes to the social development strata in Africa.
Ostensibly, the catalytic role of AfCFTA in accelerating African integration, its economic spillover effect, the solidarity, its envisaged positive impact on the well-being of African citizenry, the expected opening up of immense sources of jobs, and the encouraging development prospects it could offer to youths are all symbolic of the aspirations permeating the letter and spirit of the “Africa We Want.” In five (five) years, the AfCFTA framework was adopted, and the AU Summit decided that the Theme of the Year (2023) would be: “Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation.” It recognizes the importance of unlocking the levers of trade among the AU Member States to fast-track the implementation of the AfCFTA for the benefit of Africa’s population and a catalyst for the r continental integration landscape.
Tracking the implementation of AfCFTA
Notable progress has been recorded in creating one African market. Various operational tools to facilitate commercially meaningful trading under the AfCFTA have been launched. On the contrary, the same cannot be said about the algorithms with the social development operational parameters required to energize a functional rhythm of AfCFTA. Case in point, very little has been achieved to mainstream the 4th AfCFTA pillar focusing on the Free Movement of Persons, Migration, and Labour Migration. Evidence from other regions shows that a well-managed and Free Movement of Persons is a precondition for integrated economic development. The AfCFTA is thus positioned to stimulate economic development directly and, in doing so, will now foster socioeconomic growth trajectory, boost the creation of decent jobs, and amplify integration of Africa – home of fastest growing economies, the youngest population, and a robust labor force, Africa is primed to benefit from a demographic dividend boom.
African integration remains very prominent on the AU agenda, with significant progress toward implementing the AfCFTA, entailing a range of measures lowering sovereign boundaries to allow deeper engagements and cooperation with neighbors on the African continent. A vexing question arises: What are the requisite conditions and an necessities required to lathe the foundations for a vibrant continent integration in AfCFTA? Research shows that among these is the development complex comprising the Free Movement of Persons, Migrati, and Labour Migration Governance regimes.
Cross intersections of Labour Migration, Migration, Free Movement and Trade
The Free Movement Protocol clarifies that the free movement of persons, capital goods, and services will promote integration of Africanism, enhance science, technology, education, and research and foster tourism, facilitate inter-African trade and investment, increase remittances within Africa, promote mobility of labor, create employment, improve the standards of living of the people of Africa and facilitate the mobilization and utilization of the human and material resources of Africa to achieve self-reliance and development. The MPFA also recognizes the importance of the trade-labour-migration nexus and its interdependence on the free movement of persons. To the extent that free movement of persons is a crucial pillar of trade and economic integration, it facilitates trade in goods and services and industrialization, thereby contributing to socioeconomic development and poverty reductionThe accelerationon of implementation of AfCFTA is thus intrinsically interwoven with regular migration and free movement devoid of restrictions stifling trade in Africa. In the same ve,ilaborur migration is a current and historical reality in Afri,ca impacting directly on the economies of countries of origin and destination. In this regard, labor migration and migration feature prominently among the conditions required to stimulate acceleration of AfCFTA in myriad ways: These include investment into diverse economic sectors, labor market skill contributions to countries of origin and destination, usage of remittances as an investment to economic sectors, more so in the financial markets, tangible flows of knowledge and skills; tourism and trade of goods and services.
The Protocol on Free Movement of Person nexus with trade is acknowledged by literature, highlighting that creating a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of cross-border traders under the AfCF,TA is of critical importance folaborur migration and migratin, and its contribution to socioeconomic development.
Policies, strategies, and programmatic responses relating to trade facilitation have generally focused on a limited definition of trade facilitation in terms of the reduction and removal of barriers that slow down or increase the cost of the movement of goods across borders and along trade corridors. Less focus has been placed on human mobility, including those aspects that can broadly expedite the movement of goods and bring economic dynamism in neighboring economies by enhancing the movement of people – such as immigration controls, entry and stay requirements, and travel documentation (including visa and permit requirements) as well as other human mobility-related aspects, including public health considerations. People facilitate trade and investment, and as such, the free movement of persons and facilitation olaborur migration is an integral part of the African free trade area strategy. The cases of Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda are compelling evidence of the positive effects of the free movement of people on cross-border trade after these countries revised their administrative procedures for work permits and entry visas. The three countries recorded a 50% increase in cross-border trade with each other, epitomizing a pronounced substantial nexus between trade and free movement wita h positive impetus olaborur mobility and regional integration. Consequentlytoto accelerate the implementation of AfC,TA the free movement of persons, migrationlaborur migrate,on and trade nexus ought to be explored.
Optimizing Free Movement of Persons for Integration
The Free Movement Protocol is a significant landmarforto continental integrationBeforeto the adoption of this instrument, various Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other organizationwereen createto removeng barriers to trade and the free movement of goods, capital, and people. Regional Economic Communities including the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), The Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) have introduced rules for free movement of nationals between their member states. Congruently, the pathways for optimization olaborur migration through bolstering the nexus between trade anthe d free movement of persons derive viability frofavorablele pre-existinAfricanca intra-trade conditions inspired by thREC’sCs relevant frameworks.
Facilitating regular migration through the AU FMP can significantly increase the benefits for African migration for origin and destination societies as it has been established that restrictive immigration and visa practices have stimulated irregular migration and migrants smuggling, interrupted labor circulation as well as blocked access to (regular) migration opportunities to the poorest and more vulnerable members of societies. Thus, limiting the positive contributions of migration to poverty reduction and reducing inequality in countries of origin facing realities of economic fragility is an omission. Application of selective immigration and visa policies tends to privilege the already privileged by providing ample legal provisions for the highly skilled professionals to migrate freely and regularly, while the lower ansemi-skilleded people are often excluded from regular migration opportunities, thus condemning these poor to the periphery of continental economic activity.
The status of free movement in Africa
To date, few countries on the continent are easily accessible to citizens of other African states. So far, those few countries have not registered an influx of migrants by facilitating access to African migrants in their respective countries. According to the Africa Visa Openness Report (202,): 32 countries still require the nationals of at least half of the continent’s countries to obtain a visa before travelling. Regarding visa-free travel and visas on arriv,l: 48 countries (89%) out of 54 now offer visa-free travel to the nationals of at least one other African count,ry with 42 countries (78%) offering visa-free travel to the nationals of at leasfive 5 other African countries. 3 African countries (6%) provide visa-free travel to the citizens of all other African countries. Visas on arrival: 29 countries (54%) now provide a visa on arrival to the nationals of at least one other African country. A total of 24 countries (44%) offer a visa on arrival te nationals of 5 or more country,es while 14 countries (24%) offer a visl to 35 or more African countries.
The AU Agenda 2063 included, as one of its flagship programmes approved by the AU Summ,it the introduction of an “African Passport and free movement of people” within the first ten years. Implementation of Agenda 2063 provisions on migration would imply “transforming Africa’s laws, which remain generally restrictive on the movement of people despite political commitments to bring down borders with the view to promoting the issuance of visas by Member States to enhance free movement of all African citizens in all African countries by 2018”. This would mean that “there will be free movement of goods, services, and capital; and persons traveling to any Member State could get the visa at the point of entry.”
Legal Identity and Integrated Border Management
A plethora of studies have noted a strong linkage between the current posture of AU Member States, underscored by acutely low ratification of the Protocol on Free Movement and the lack oan f Integrateborder managementnt system and poor Legal Identity management. Several member states do not have the capacity and resources to establish adequate civil registries to confirm the identity of their nationals and implement integrated border management syste,ms thus equally posing a challenge to security. Consequently, concerns ovethe r lack of adequate and assured legal identity and poor border governance among African countrieareis evident in hoscountries’es authorities’ reluctance to ratifthe y Free Movement instrument, citing potential security breaches on aspectof s public policies relatdto , social development, heal,th and security. These issues have contributed to a lack of trust between member stat,es also seen at the REC level in the implementation of regional free movement protocol,ls and if noaddressed,ss it will hamper the implementation of AfCFTA.
In light of the foregoing, the African Union Commission, under the auspices of the continental migration Interstate, the Pan-African Forum on Migration (PAFoM), together with the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), is organizing a Conference to harness, harmonize, harvest knowledge and practice, and stimulate transformative dialogue on the free movement of persons and catapult actors into action to optimize a managed migration and labor migration in view to make intra-Africa trade a reality.
The 8th Pan African Forum on Bolstering Free Movement and Trade Nexus in AfCFTA:
The Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFOM) is an African Union continental interstates dialogue Framework on Migration that brings together African Union Member States and other relevant stakeholders within the migration space to discuss and deliberate on various topical issues regarding migration and human mobility in Africa. As a continental Migration Governance Conference, this Forum aims at providing an opportunity for AU Member States and RECs, together with other relevant stakeholde,rs to share information, best practices and also learn from each other on ways of improving migration governance in the continent.
PAFOM has existed for the last years and has recently evolved as a premier continental forum that contributeto s and shapes how migration governance in Africa can be improved for sustainable development as per the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The 7th Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM-7) was held from 18th -21st of October 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. The Foruallowedor AU Member States, RE, Cs, and other relevant stakeholders to deliberate on the impact of Climate Change on Migration and displacement governance in the continent. The Forum brought together relevant Ministers of Migration and anClimate-relateded issues together with their expert providing necessary policy and operational guidance on mitigating climate-induced migration and displacements at the national, regional,al and continental levels for socioeconomic development.
The 8th Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM-8) on Bolstering Free Movement and Trade Nexus in AfCFTA: Optimizing Benefits of Migration, Labour Migration, and Development will, amongst others, contribute to the AU theme of the year 2023 theme “Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation” by unpacking the linkages between the AfCFTA, Free Movement of Persons, Migration and Labour Migration across the continent. Particular emphasis will be placed on women and men migrant workers, as well as discuss the good examples and mechanisms through which different stakeholders (countries of origin and countries of destination, civil society organizations, and social partners) can highlight benefits derived from an integrated economic development for Africa.
Objectives and ExpecteOutcomeses of the Forum:
The Forum aims to:
By the end of this Forum, the following will be the key outcomes of the meeting:
Resource and Reference Materials:
The following will be bcriticaley documents for the meeting:
2. African Union Strategy for a Better Integrated Border Governance
3. Theme of the Year 2023: “Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation”
4. Migration Policy Framework for Africa and Plan of Action (2018 – 2030)
5. Study on Benefits and Challenges of Free Movement of Persons in Africa
6. Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area
7. Africa Visa Openness Report (2022)
8.https://archive.uneca.org/pages/ecowas-free-movement-persons
9.https://archive.uneca.org/pages/eac-free-movement-persons
10.https://archive.uneca.org/pages/comesa-free-movement-persons
The African Union (A.U.), in collaboration with the Republic of Botswana and with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), is organizing the 8th Pan African Forum on Migration Forum (PAFoM8) […]
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The African Union (A.U.), in collaboration with the Republic of Botswana and with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), is organizing the 8th Pan African Forum on Migration Forum (PAFoM8) from the 31st October to 2nd November 2023 at Royal Aria Conference Centre in Tlokweng, Gaborone. The theme for the conference is “Bolstering Free Movement and Trade Nexus in AfCFTA: Optimizing Benefits of Migration, Labour Migration for Development.”
The meeting was opened officially by Honourable Anna Maria Mokgethi, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Botswana. In her keynote speech, the Hon. Minister acknowledged all meeting delegates and thanked the African Union for the honor and privilege of delivering the keynote speech of PAFOM8. The Hon. Minister underscored the importance of striving for a united and strong Africa to achieve the A.U. Agenda 2063, the “Africa We Want’. She highlighted that the history of Africa tells a story that dates back to time immemorial of a people that move from one part of the Continent to another. This phenomenon speaks of free movement in the context of migration and trade. The Hon. Minister pointed out that the theme of PAFOM8 cannot be more relevant as it aligns with the AfCFTA in creating a single African market for goods and services for economic development and integration. She underscored that vast opportunities lie on the Continent that can drive the gains of the AfCFTA and also achieve regular, safe, and orderly migration through the advancement of free movement and trade, enhancement of legal identity on the Continent, and exploration of digital technology and statistic in the context of free movement and labor migration on the Continent.
The Hon. Minister concluded by highlighting the achievements of the Republic of Botswana in promoting free movement in the region – Botswana has established a one-stop border post with Zambia and South Africa by facilitating border passes for citizens in the region to enhance free movement and access to services and amenities (for instance, health) for citizens. Botswana and Namibia have also facilitated a 24-hour border watch at the borders as well as identity cards as passes. With these achievements, the Hon. Minister called on all Member States to learn and employ best practices as they shape the migration phenomena on the Continent.
We are representing H.E. Amb. Minata Samaté Cessouma, Commissioner for the Department of Health Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS) of the African Union Commission, Mr. Maemo Machethe, Director of the Khartoum Migration Centre, noted that the Pan African Forum on Migration is a testimony to the commitment of African Union Member States to foster unity, cooperation, and prosperity on our Continent. “The vision of the African Union, as articulated in Agenda 2063, revolves around the principles of integration, free movement, and trade. These principles are the cornerstones of our development policy frameworks and are more vital than ever before,” he said. The AUC representative further emphasized that “The African Union’s commitment to foster continental integration, economic growth, and human development has reached a pivotal moment with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that seeks to create the world’s largest single market. This presents unprecedented opportunities for trade, investment, and prosperity for the African Continent. However, the full potential of the AfCFTA can only be realized if we harness its nexus with migration and human mobility.”
The AUC representative, Mr. Machethe, reiterated the importance of deliberating on the migration/human mobility-trade nexus while keeping in mind that Africa’s journey towards sustainable development is inextricably linked to how effectively we leverage these interconnections. “By embracing the principles of the A.U. Migration Policy Framework for Africa, the A.U. Free Movement Protocol, and fully exploiting the potential of the AfCFTA, we can create a continent where people, ideas, and commerce flow freely,” said Machete.
The outgoing Chairperson of PAFOM 7, the Director General of the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Ms. Lynder Nkuranga, gave a summary of the 7th Session of the Pan-African Forum on Migration, which was held in Kigali, Rwanda from the 18th – 20th October 2022 under the theme “Addressing the Impact of Climate Change on Migration and Human Mobility in Africa: Building Adaptation Strategies and Resilient Communities.”
ACP Lynder Nkuranga highlighted the key outcomes of the 7th PAFOM which included: The need for the African Union to speak with one voice on the impact of climate change on human mobility, migration, and development; The need for A.U. Members states to establish sustainable climate change adaptation and resilient frameworks, such as the National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS), to support their Nationality Determined Contributions (NDCs); The need for Member States to work closely with their Cities and Local authorities to provide incentives that encourage citizens and all stakeholders to support transition of cities into green economies; The call for Member States to incorporate youth voices into decision making and implementation; The need for Member States to strengthen solidarity with countries and people most vulnerable to impacts of climate change; and the need to support climate change induced migration and displacement data and research for evidence-based policy development, implementation and enhanced migration governance in Africa.
Furthermore, the outgoing Chair presented updates on the status of critical recommendations from PAFOM7, which included follow-up with Member States and other key stakeholders in advocating for several initiatives toward mitigating climate-induced migration. In this respect, the Chair of PAFOM-7 participated in the Tenth Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretariats of Inter-State Consultation Mechanisms on Migration (GRCP 10) held in Geneva, Switzerland on 9th June 2023 and leveraged this platform to advocate for more initiatives to address the impact of climate change in Africa as one of the significant drivers of displacement and human mobility on the Continent. Additionally, the Republic of Rwanda developed a detailed Plan of Action, which Rwanda intends to use to continue to advocate for the implementation of Migration and Climate Change interventions to support A.U. Member States.
To conclude her remarks, the outgoing Chair emphasized that climate change poses a severe challenge to the Member States. Therefore, there is a need to continue to prioritize the issues of climate on the Continent and also ensure that migration is safe, dignified, and regular.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr. Lawrence Egulu, representing the Chair of the STC on Social Development, Labour and Employment, Hon. Amongi Betty Ongom, noted that there is a need to create more jobs and ensure more security at home so that migration becomes a choice and not out of desperation. Mr. Egulu underscored the need for Member States to implement mechanisms that provide a visa-free Continent where all citizens can freely access all borders.
Mr. Zia Choudhury, UN Resident Coordinator, Botswana, said that accelerating African integration and creating one African market will undoubtedly unlock economic and social benefits for the people of Africa. However, alongside the relatively free movement of goods, services, and capital, more unrestrained movement of labor and persons needs to be prioritized. “As has been observed, much more can be done to mainstream the 4th AfCFTA pillar focusing on Free Movement of Persons,” noted Mr. Zia Choudhury.
The German Ambassador to Botswana Ambassador, Margit Hellwig-Bötte, addressed the opening ceremony. She noted that this edition of PAFoM offers a beautiful opportunity to deepen the discussions around the interconnections between trade, free movement, and labor migration, but also to identify the complementary roles to be played by government structures, regional economic communities, trade unions, civil society organizations, and business organizations in achieving the vision of an integrated African Continent. Ambassador Margit Hellwig-Bötte reiterated Germany’s strong commitment to supporting the African Union in harnessing trade benefits, free movement, and labor migration, in line with the A.U. Agenda 2063 and the SDGs.
During the three-day Forum, the participants, including senior officials from Member States and experts from academia, will discuss, among others, the nexus between free movement, migration, and trade and the crucial role of national coordination mechanisms in facilitating the movement of people that, ultimately, contributes to the expansion of trade within the AfCFTA framework.
Ethiopia Spreads a Culture of Peace Through Blood Donation Campaign Ethiopia, October 23, 2023 – In the Meqaniya region, Addis Ababa, a blood donation event was held by the international peace NGO HWPL […]
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Ethiopia Spreads a Culture of Peace Through Blood Donation Campaign
Ethiopia, October 23, 2023 – In the Meqaniya region, Addis Ababa, a blood donation event was held by the international peace NGO HWPL under the theme ‘Spreading the Culture of Peace through Blood Donation Campaign in Ethiopia’.
Sixty individuals joined the event from four groups, including the Shincheonji Volunteer Group, O-YES Ethiopian Youth, and the Endurance Youth Association, to share the importance of peace and engage in blood donation.
Blood donation was also planned to heal Ethiopia’s wounds and erase the bloodshed remnants of past conflicts. Celebrating World Blood Donor Day 2023, World Health Organization(WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, left a message saying countries in the African Region continue to face severe shortages of blood and blood products, resulting in many avoidable deaths of people with injuries. In 2022, the Ethiopian Blood and Tissue Bank said its reserve was hit by a blood shortage and appealed for blood donors to step in.
Participants voluntarily shared their life force through blood donation and planned to make this campaign an ongoing cooperation platform. It highlighted the need for more blood reserves in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to prepare for emergencies.
Since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace on September 13, 1999, the importance of spreading a culture of peace has been recognized for sustainable peace. As defined by the United Nations” “Culture of Peace” is ” a “set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals groups and nation.”
HWPL, the organizer, expressed its hope that these efforts will continue to bring more hope and peace to the future of Ethiopia, pledging to sustain practical assistance locally.
Dakar, Senegal — Digital technologies are reshaping how we approach healthcare, making services more accessible, efficient, and patient-centric (World Health Organization, 2021). However, as the world stands at the cusp of an Artificial Intelligence […]
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Dakar, Senegal — Digital technologies are reshaping how we approach healthcare, making services more accessible, efficient, and patient-centric (World Health Organization, 2021). However, as the world stands at the cusp of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, it is imperative to ensure that the benefits of these innovations reach all corners of the globe, especially in Africa and for LMICs.
In response, today at the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting (GCAM) 2023, the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) announced $2.4 million in funding to catalyze the equitable use of AI to improve the health and lives of Africans. The call for applications is being reported with funding support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and the SFA Foundation’s Grand Challenges Africa (GC Africa) initiative. GC Africa awards bold projects through seed and scale-up grants that provide the continent’s most impressive solutions.
The investment will be awarded through a call for applications issued by Grand Challenges Africa as part of a partnership of five Grand Challenges national programs – Grand Challenges Ethiopia, Grand Challenges Senegal, Grand Challenges South Africa, Grand Challenges Brazil, and Grand Challenges India. These initiatives are rooted in the belief that AI-driven solutions must be locally driven, owned, and accountable to address the unique needs of the communities they serve. The funding will be awarded to researchers, implementers, governments, and technical partners in Africa.
“AI has the potential to revolutionize global and digital health in Africa. By investing in AI-led innovations, the SFA Foundation is empowering Africa’s researchers and innovators to address the healthcare challenges that have long affected our communities. This initiative marks a pivotal moment in African-led digital innovations, allowing us to harness AI’s transformative power for all Africans and beyond,” said Prof Tom Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer, Science for Africa Foundation.
The global digital health landscape
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), digital health technologies rapidly transform healthcare delivery worldwide. For example, electronic health records have streamlined the management of patient information, ensuring that healthcare providers have access to vital data at their fingertips; telemedicine and telehealth have bridged geographical barriers, enabling remote healthcare consultations; and Mobile Health (mHealth) apps have empowered individuals to monitor their health.
”The future of healthcare is digital – and AI will be an increasingly important tool to advance that future,” said Rebecca Distler, Strategist for AI, Data, and Digital Health at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. “To realize the potential of AI to improve health and well-being, particularly across the African continent, we need to equip and support local innovators – who understand how best to transform and uplift their communities – in leveraging new approaches like large language models. We’re thrilled to partner with SFA Foundation to architect that African-led vision.”
AI’s role in African-led innovation
Africa is a continent of immense potential, but it also faces unique healthcare challenges, including a high % global disease burden of 25 % (WHO). By focusing on AI-led innovations, this partnership aims to ensure responsible use of AI encompassing safe, equitable, transparent, reliable, and beneficial processes are adhered to with a high level of accountability. Emphasis is on the importance of locally driven and owned AI solutions, which are more sustainable and relevant to the needs of the people they intend to serve and are more likely to be accepted and used by local communities.
“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to supporting AI-led innovations in global health. We believe that investing in AI-driven solutions can accelerate progress towards achieving universal healthcare and improving the lives of women, children, and vulnerable communities. The focus on Africa is essential because it is a region where innovative approaches can have a profound and lasting impact,” said Kedest Tesfagiorgis, deputy director of global Partnerships and Grand Challenges at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The challenge ahead
In line with the Grand Challenges AI partnership, the partners are issuing a call for applications, inviting innovators and researchers to propose ground-breaking projects that leverage large language models to advance global and digital health. We encourage applicants to select the AI tools that best suit their specific use cases and contexts, ensuring maximum impact. By funding AI research and innovation in global and digital health, we aspire to:
The call for applications aims to advance global public health, focusing on use cases in clinical decision support, population health , policymaking, support for frontline health workers, health communications and patient journeys, and strengthening health systems.
Applicants from Ethiopia, South Africa, and Senegal must apply through their respective GC country initiatives. In contrast, those from other African countries can submit their applications to GC Africa.
The GC Africa-specific call for applications can be accessed here.
About the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation)
The SFA Foundation is a pan-African, non-profit, and public charity organization that supports, strengthens, and promotes science and innovation in Africa. The SFA Foundation serves the African research ecosystem by funding excellent ideas in research and innovation, enabling interdisciplinary collaborations, and building and reinforcing environments conducive for scientists to thrive and producing quality research that generates new, locally relevant knowledge.
About the Grand Challenges family
The Grand Challenges family of initiatives fosters innovation to solve critical health and development problems. See below for Grand Challenges grant opportunities with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a sole or contributing funder. This request for proposals is being launched by six Grand Challenges partners: Grand Challenges Africa, GC Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, India, and Brazil. The Science for Africa Foundation is taking part in the call through its Grand Challenges Africa initiative, which supports big, bold, impactful, innovative ideas that have a potential for impact, scale, and sustainability. GC Africa awards bold projects through seed and scale-up grants that provide the continent’s most impressive solutions.
Addis Ababa-25th October 2023Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Her Excellency Mrs. Rose Sakala, said it was imperative that Zambia honors her heroes wherever they lie and wherever they are as they fought for the […]
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Addis Ababa-25th October 2023Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Her Excellency Mrs. Rose Sakala, said it was imperative that Zambia honors her heroes wherever they lie and wherever they are as they fought for the good of the country. Speaking today in Addis Ababa, when she led Zambians living in Ethiopia and Members of staff at the Embassy to pay respect to Zambian fallen soldiers who lived in Ethiopia,
Mrs. Sakala says it is essential that during the commemoration of Independence, time is taken to celebrate the contributions of others who fought for freedom and peace worldwide.
The nine Zambian fallen heroes are part of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment that fought in World War II alongside many nationals. Mrs. Sakala laid wreaths at the tombs of the two soldiers in graves at Gulele Cemetery in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The other seven soldiers’ graves in Ethiopia are in Gonda District, where Gonda Barracks in Chipata is named after. The Northern Rhodesia Regiment was a multi-battalion regiment raised from the protectorate of Northern Rhodesia. The Regiment fought in World War II and was deployed in Ethiopia, Somaliland, Madagascar, the Middle East, and Burma(Myanmar). Issued by Mrs. Inutu Mupango MwanzaFirst Secretary (Press & Tourism)Zambia Embassy Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
By Ayele Addis Ambelu ; Ayeleradio@gmail.com +251918718307 #travel Memo The Nile Basin Media Network was established under the coordination of Media in cooperation and transition. The Nile Basin Initiative’s (NBI) partners and friends, […]
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The Nile Basin Media Network was established under the coordination of Media in cooperation and transition. The Nile Basin Initiative’s (NBI) partners and friends, the NBDF is a significant gathering of the community of practice on transboundary water cooperation, providing a unique opportunity to share information, knowledge, and best practices, expand networks, build a shared understanding of the development challenges and opportunities of the basin, and provide suggestions for a standard course of action for the sustainable management and development of the basin for the benefit of all the riparians of the Basin. In the event, transboundary journalism and cooperation were introduced for Nile basin country journalists.
#Transboundary_Journalism: Develop a news story with “one people, one vision, and one river.” Transboundary reporting means journalists who work and share the same stories from different countries’ perspectives. It sounds like integration of agenda, selection of similar issues, free story framing, idea collaboration, and source cooperation among different media houses in the making of public interest news. Thus, a Transboundary news story is an excellent approach to sharing and showing the public discourse of other nations independently with the local experts and the indigenous voice. The news story has no boundaries. All news issues cross international borders. I recently visited Kampala to participate in a significant Nile Basin country journalists conference. Journalists agreed to report, work, share, and show the transboundary issues like a transboundary river, ecosystem, and environmental protection practices over the Nile basin countries.
It’s a crucial issue, as these shared stories can be both a source of creating a new reality and a driver of cooperation, sustainable development, and peace. Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) makes the best example of a transboundary story. Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) facilitates and supports transboundary water cooperation in the Nile Basin. MiCT has been implementing this transboundary journalism capacity-building and publishing program with Correspondents from the ten member states of the Niles Basin Initiative.
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is an intergovernmental partnership led by ten member states: Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda (with Eritrea participating as an observer). Journalists from the Niles-Network team up to an online magazine and bi-annual print magazine called “THE NILES” that look at transboundary water, environment, and development issues. Facilitates this collaboration worldwide as a third-party advocate for nature. We produce an impactful story interviewing government leaders, scientific expertise, and plans for policy action moving forward for the public interest. It’s the best model. It shows transboundary general issues from the mouths of the people.
Until December 2016, The Niles was a bi-lingual publication offering independent, balanced coverage of Sudanese and South Sudanese current and cultural affairs and a platform for the coaching and professional development of journalists in Sudan and South Sudan. Working with around 100 journalists from throughout Sudan and South Sudan, Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) helped advance reporters’ skills in relaying the stories that shape people’s lives.
In 2009, MiCT started training local journalists before the 2010 elections and the 2011 referendum on Southern Sudanese self-determination. Young journalists from both parts of Sudan come together in MiCT-organised workshops: Many northerners had never been to the south before, and vice versa.
These bonds of friendship counter the stereotypes which dominate local media, and the resulting work produced by the journalists was published on a bi-lingual website. Work was translated into Arabic and English to cross language barriers. Stories were also syndicated to local newspapers. After South Sudan’s independence in 2011, Sudan Votes was renamed The Niles to reflect the waterway that is an integral link between both countries.
Media produces the publication in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) in collaboration with the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA).
Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) is a nonprofit organization delivering expert media services in complex and challenging contexts with passion, precision, and agility. Through collaborative work with partners, they foster transparent, inclusive, and fair dialogue, supporting resilient societies that thrive.
Across three continents and 15 countries, MiCT facilitates the training of journalists and media producers, program and content development, radio and film production, magazine and book publishing, media research, and monitoring, in addition to supporting the financial viability of our partners.
The major success of the event that the Nile Basin Media Network established under the coordination of Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT), Sarah Bebb said.
In the meantime, The 7th Nile Basin Development Forum Successfully Concludes with a Call to Action in Transboundary Water Cooperation.
The seventh in its series, this year’s NBDF was held both physically and virtually (live-streamed on Zoom) and this was due to the success achieved at the 6th NBDF in holding the event in hybrid format.
Before the onsite event in Kampala, the 7th NBDF was preceded by 25 webinars which drew 1,061 people from 58 different countries. The webinars provided an opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics on the Nile under the overall theme of “Deepening Nile Cooperation: Accelerating the Achievement of SDGs in a Changing Climate.”
During this same period and acting as a promotional tool for the 7th NBDF, a group of determined walkers set out on a journey now known as the “700 Km Nile Walk” starting in Elegu (border between Uganda and South Sudan) and ending at Speke Resort in Kampala, with a brief detour in Jinja City, the Source of the Nile. This iconic event was an opportunity to highlight key issues regarding the threats the Nile River is facing from anthropogenic activity and provided a chance to hear from voices within the communities on the challenges they are facing and possible solutions.
The onsite event at Speke Resort Munyonyo was an opportunity to further delve into the 7th NBDF theme through keynote addresses, breakout parallel sessions, as well as stimulating panel discussions.
The Guest of Honor at the Opening Session on October 16th, 2023 was the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Jessica Alupo, who on top of her remarks, delivered a message from the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. In his remarks, H.E. Museveni highlighted the need for cooperation amongst all Nile Basin countries for not only the benefit of each country’s industrialization goals but also as a tool for job creation for the youth of the Nile Basin region.
Professor Patrick Otieno Lumumba, who delivered the keynote address, warned that failure to cooperate on the use of transboundary water resources would likely result in not only conflict but also increased reliance on food importation ad dependence on international cooperation partners.
The fourth Nile Media Awards were held during the evening of the first day of the NBDF, to celebrate and reward outstanding journalistic work related to the Nile Basin, emphasizing the importance of responsible and constructive media coverage that nurtures understanding and cooperation within the region.
Over 160 entries were received, highlighting the increasing interest and commitment from journalists across the basin. The awards serve as a platform to amplify Nile Basin-related stories, focusing on the basin’s challenges, opportunities, and the shared experiences of its people.
The overall event was supported by GIZ, on behalf of the German Federal Government, with individual categories sponsored by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT), East African Radio Service (EARS), FOTEA Foundation, Nile Basin Discourse (NBD), InfoNile, and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).
The 7th NBDF was closed by the Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs of the Republic of Uganda on October 17th 2023, who in her message, also reiterated H.E. Yoweri K. Museveni’s call for cooperation.
The 7th NBDF ended with a call to action in transboundary water resources management and development encapsulated in the following recommendations:
Water Resources Management and Development
Transboundary Water Governance
