1. Following the announcement of the final results of the presidential election on 22 July 2024(local time), Japan congratulates incumbent President Paul Kagame on his re-election in the presidential election, which was held for the first time since August 2017.

2. Japan expresses its respect for the Republic of Rwanda’s efforts for national reconciliation, reconstruction and development since the 1994 genocide. The stability and prosperity of the Republic of Rwanda is important for peace and stability in the Great Lake region where Rwanda is located and Africa as a whole. Japan hopes that efforts toward peace and stability in the region and in Africa as a whole will be further promoted under the strong leadership of President Kagame.

3. Looking ahead to the TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development ) Ministerial Meeting in August this year and TICAD 9 in August next year, Japan will further strengthen the amicable bilateral relations built through cooperation in a wide range of areas such as water, sanitation and hygiene services, infrastructure development, and agriculture.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

In response to a flood alert for the Upper Nile region, including the five counties of Jonglei State, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Jonglei Government met with the Duk County community to raise public awareness and to discuss how to minimize the risk of flash floods this year.

“We urge the government and humanitarian partners to provide aid in addressing the social challenges arising from the consequences of climate changes,” explained Paramount Chief Deng Mabur.

Community members, along with local authorities, youths, and women’s representatives, passionately voiced their concerns to a delegation headed by Geetha Pious, Head of the peacekeeping mission’s Field Office in Bor.

With large parts of Duk County facing the imminent threat of inundation, priorities include safeguarding the airstrip, constructing dykes, and prepositioning vital supplies such as light shelter construction materials. Providing medication for malaria and snake bites, they have decided, will also be important.

“The huge task of constructing dykes falls primarily under the jurisdiction of the government and humanitarian agencies in Jonglei. However, as UNMISS, we are committed to providing support where and when feasible. Our main objective is to establish conflict prevention measures at relocation points [in areas deemed less vulnerable to floods) through awareness campaigns,” said Ms. Pious.

The state authorities were thankful for the logistical support and assistance provided by UNMISS in Duk County.

“We have now completed the first mission, to visit the counties, of the Jonglei High Committee on flood management. We have carefully noted the people’s concerns, a comprehensive action plan is currently being drafted and resources have been set aside for flood mitigation measures,” declared James Mawich Makuach, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The Eritrean community festival was held with patriotic zeal on 20 and 21 July in London under the theme “Peace Anchored on Resilience.” The festival was officially opened by Mr. Saleh Abdella, Charge d’Affaires at the Eritrean Embassy in the UK and Northern Ireland. The event was attended by numerous nationals from UK cities including London, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Birmingham, Wakefield, and Huddersfield.

Highlighting the significance of the festival in consolidating the unity of nationals and nurturing youth that adhere to noble national values, Mr. Saleh noted that the festival was particularly special as it coincided with the joyful event of Biniam Girmay winning the Green Jersey at the Tour de France 2024. He also conveyed congratulants Biniam Girmay and the Eritrean people.

Mr. Tewolde Yohannes, head of Public and Community Affairs, conducted a seminar for festival participants, focusing on the homeland’s current situation in terms of regional and global developments. Mr. Tewolde emphasized that the development of friendly relations and cooperation in international relations was the result of the steadfastness and resilience of the Eritrean people and Government, and he called for strengthened participation for better results.

At the event, certificates of recognition were handed out to over 60 outstanding youth students in their educational careers and to those who attended history and political training.

The festival also featured cultural and artistic programs by Eritrean artists residing in the UK.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in drought-stricken Southern Africa, has joined the UN Water Convention in a clear demonstration of political will for water cooperation across borders. Home to some 17 million people, Zimbabwe faces pressing water challenges linked to climate change and competing socio-economic, environmental and political demands and interdependencies for the water its shares with its neighbours. 

It is the 54th Party to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UN Water Convention) and 11th African country to join this treaty, following closely the accession of Cote d’Ivoire announced just last week. The Convention constitutes a unique global legal and intergovernmental framework for the sustainable management of transboundary water resources, serviced by UNECE.  

In Southern Africa, a region facing extreme water stress worsened by the El Niño phenomenon where several countries  have declared national drought emergencies in the past year, Zimbabwe’s accession is part of a growing wave of countries on their way to join the Convention. Along with Namibia which in 2023 became the first Party in the region; Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania are currently in the accession processes, and Malawi has indicated its readiness to join. Having Parties in the region creates the enablin0g conditions for other countries to join and maximize the usefulness of the UN Water Convention to tackle shared water challenges. Hon. Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, highlighted that Zimbabwe’s accession “is sending a tone to other countries in the region which may help them decide on acceding”.  

Zimbabwe’s accession further reinforces the strong momentum for water cooperation in Africa, where over 90% of water resources are in 63 basins shared by two or more countries.    

During its recent national workshop in Harare on 17-18 June 2024, Zimbabwe made clear its intention to fast-track the accession process to both the 1992 UN Water Convention, and the 1997 Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UN Watercourses Convention), two complementary treaties collectively referred to as the ‘UN global water conventions’. Zimbabwe’s accession to the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention makes it the 39th Party to this treaty, joining Namibia and South Africa from the Southern African region. Minister Masuka stated that “Zimbabwe’s accession to the UN global water conventions will enable Zimbabwe to accrue multiple benefits in transboundary water resources management”. 

Zimbabwe is already a party to several basin agreements and a member State of the associated river basin organisations, including the Buzi, Pungwe, and Save Watercourses Commission (BUPUSACOM), Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM), Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM), representatives of which also took part in the discussions during the National workshop. Zimbabwe is also a party to the 2000 Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses. Its Water Convention accession will further strengthen this existing cooperation at different scales. 

The latest data on progress towards Sustainable Development Goals indicator 6.5.2 on transboundary water cooperation further demonstrates Zimbabwe’s commitment to strengthen transboundary cooperation over increasingly scarce shared water resources, improving from having 69.90% of all its shared basins covered by operational agreements for cooperation in 2020, to 90.4% in 2023. Despite such strong progress, challenges remain, especially with regards to data collection and management and groundwater management. The UN global water conventions can help in these areas, specifically via the UN Water Convention’s Programme of Work and associated tools and guidance materials. 

The UN Water Convention provides an effective global legal and intergovernmental framework and unique platform with the UN system aimed to support cooperation and sustainable management of shared waters, including groundwater. Accession can enable support by the community of Parties and experience-sharing with basins and countries worldwide, strengthen joint climate change adaptation and disaster resilience efforts, facilitate access to financing and foster broader cooperation with neighbouring countries and beyond. 

Secretary to the Water Convention, Ms Sonja Koeppel, recognized that “Zimbabwe’s rapid accession to the UN Water Convention is a testament to the country’s drive to strengthen its transboundary water cooperation on top of its already significant progress in this field.” Zimbabwe’s accession will be celebrated during the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Water Convention, to be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia (23-25 October), which is expected to further catalyse the momentum for water cooperation worldwide.    

The MOP to the UN Water Convention, organised every three years, is the largest and only international meeting driving the transboundary water cooperation agenda at the global level. Some 500 representatives are expected to participate, bringing together Ministries from about 80 countries responsible for water, environment, foreign affairs and development cooperation – from both Parties and non-Parties to the Water Convention – together with representatives of joint bodies, international and non-governmental organizations, international financial Institutions and academia from all world regions. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).