Bel Air has recently become a beneficiary of the “Adopt a District” Programme, which was officially launched in October 2022 during the Honorary Consuls Conference. The main objective of this initiative is to promote unity, compassion, and partnership, fostering closer ties between Seychelles Honorary Consuls and the local community at the district level.

During a Handing Over Ceremony on Thursday, 28th March 2024, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy, Mr. Shane Hensinger, the Seychelles Honorary Consul in San Francisco, donated laptops, board games, musical equipment, and a sewing machine for the district’s Educational and Entertainment Centre. Additionally, Mrs. Elizabeth Willis, the Honorary Consul for Seychelles in Texas, contributed board games and puzzles for the same district.

In his remarks, Mr. Sylvestre Radegonde, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism expressed that he was “pleased with the commitments made thus far towards this initiative” and he commended the two Honorary Consuls for “their kind gestures and ongoing support of the ‘Adopt a District’ Programme.”

Mrs. Rosemary Hoareau, the Minister for Local Government and Community Affairs, who was also present, emphasized that the generous contributions made will undoubtedly cultivate innovation, learning, and recreational opportunities for the residents of Bel Air, thereby enriching their overall well-being.

Among the guests present at the ceremony was the Honourable Mr. Norbert Loizeau, Member of the National Assembly for Bel Air.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism – Foreign Affairs Department, Republic of Seychelles.

African countries are predicted to dominate the world’s top 10 highest growing economies in 2024, according to a report on Recent Economic and Social Developments in Africa by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

The most notable growth drivers in Africa in 2024 will be Niger, Senegal, Ivory Coast, DRC and Rwanda.

Adam Elhiraika, Director, Macroeconomics and Governance Division at ECA said Africa was the fastest growing region after East and South Asia in the developing world in 2023, and Africa will continue this trend in 2024 and 2025.

The report says that Niger and Senegal are expected to experience significant economic growth due to the increase in hydrocarbon production and exports.

Growth in Niger will be fuelled by the revival of agricultural production – although it is vulnerable to unfavourable weather conditions – and a rise in crude oil production, which will have a beneficial impact on the transportation sector. However, recent military coups in, together with sanctions from regional blocs, have disrupted economic activity and incurred significant social costs.

The growth in Senegal will be driven by rising private and infrastructure projects, however, residents in up to 15 African nations are participating in elections this year, including the recently concluded presidential elections in Senegal, which could impact the short-term growth and development.

“Ivory Coast, DRC and Rwanda – The robust expansion in these nations is attributed to an increase in infrastructure investment, continuous development in tourism, good performance of the mining industry, and advantages of economic diversification,” said Mr. Elhiraika.

Growth in the DRC will be fuelled by the extractive sector due to the opening of new oilfields, as well as by agriculture, services, and mining, in accordance with the national strategy to boost social and investment expenditures.

Rwanda’s growth will be fuelled by private consumption and investment, while Ivory Coast’s growth is driven by increased investment stemming from pro-competitive market reforms and business environment improvements in the National Development Plan, alongside private consumption influenced by decreasing inflation.

The report shows that the continent is expected to grow from 2.8% in 2023 to 3.5% in 2024 and reaching 4.1% in 2025, mainly underpinned by net exports, private consumption and gross fixed investment.

Africa’s economic growth remains unstable and lower than potential, and the rate required for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 target, necessitating major fiscal and monetary policy shifts as well as increased efforts to address internal and external balances, inflation and debt issues.

In 2023, the report says, the global economy showed resilience with declining energy and food prices, increased consumption in China, and improved US economic growth. Still, the outlook remains uncertain, with high debt, rising borrowing costs, weak global trade, and mounting geopolitical risks, constraining progress towards the SDGs and Agenda 2063 targets.

“The region faces threats of tighter monetary and fiscal conditions, and notable debt sustainability risks,” noted Mr. Elhiraika adding that the ongoing climate catastrophes and extreme weather occurrences will continue to negatively impact agriculture and tourism, while geopolitical instability will continue to affect certain subregions in Africa.

Trade in Africa continues to face headwinds reflected in net capital outflows and subdued export revenues, with intra-African trade remaining relatively low. Africa’s total exports are largely concentrated in extractive commodities, which has kept Africa trapped at low points along critical value chains.

Social development trends in Africa are concerning, with rising poverty, inequality, and unemployment exacerbating the continent’s challenges to achieve the SDGs.

The ECA report notes that the capacity of African countries to effectively tackle poverty and inequality is severely constrained by the low poverty-reducing effect of economic growth.

The key recommendations in the report include:

To revitalize trade in Africa, it is necessary to reduce trade costs in Africa. The implementation of the AfCFTA is vital to boost trade, eliminate barriers, and promote other trade liberating strategies.

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is necessary to mobilize more domestic resources and introduce innovative finance mechanisms through capacity building, institutional strengthening, and promotion of (tax) reforms; use digital technology; introduce environmental taxation; implement innovative finance mechanisms, such as debt swaps.

With the increasing number of countries in or at risk of debt distress, sustainable debt relief and restructuring measures are required.

Countries should implement structural reforms to help to revive growth and bolster resilience and to enhance the effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policies to contain inflation.

African countries should also capitalize on the current global shifts, including the transition towards renewable energy and the revitalized significance of critical minerals.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

Extreme heat is a silent, yet formidable adversary that – without action – will kill thousands in coming years. But, as participants at the first-ever Global Summit on Extreme Heat heard, there is plenty that can be done. Countering the worst of extreme heat’s impact will take action from the local to global level.  

The Global Summit on Extreme Heat, held on Thursday, was co-hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It brought together political and civil society leaders, representatives of the private sector and those from the world’s most affected communities to discuss best practice and ideas. 

Besides the co-hosts Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General and Samantha Power, USAID Administrator, speakers included John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the [US] President for International Climate Policy, His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti and Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, among others. 

The keynote address was delivered by IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain.  

He said: “While hurricanes and floods often capture the headlines, extreme heat quietly exacts a toll on lives and livelihoods . . . In 2024 we declare extreme heat a priority . . . Let us be the architects of resilience, the enablers of hope.” 

Chapagain laid out four key actions that need to take place. The first is protecting the vulnerable, particularly those in urban areas and in marginalised communities. The second is investing in early warning systems and anticipatory actions. The third is forging partnerships across borders, and the fourth is putting local communities in the driving seat of change. 

Samantha Power, Administrator of USAID, said: “At a time when some have grown numb with increasingly familiar headlines about ‘hottest days on record’, we absolutely need to resolve never to get used to the scale of this problem, never to get used to the threat it poses to human life.”  

Following the summit, an online ‘Heat Action Hub’ has been established where people can share experiences and best practice when it comes to tackling extreme heat. The IFRC and USAID have jointly announced a ‘sprint of action’ on extreme heat which will run up to a ‘Global Day of Action on Extreme Heat’ on June 2, 2024. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The UK reiterates the importance of the International Decade for People of African Descent which reaffirms the international community’s collective commitment to advancing racial equality for everyone and to build a more equitable world for future generations. 

We are proud of our diversity and the UK’s achievements as a multi-national, multi-ethnic, and multi-faith nation. Our Inclusive Britain action plan, announced in 2022, includes:

developing a new, national framework for how the use of police powers can be scrutinised more effectively by local communities;
publishing new guidance for employers on how to use positive action in the workplace and how to measure and address ethnicity pay gaps;
and taking steps to address health disparities.

We remain dedicated to eradicating all forms of racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia, and we look forward to working collaboratively with international partners in the Second International Decade to share best practice, exchange ideas and collectively address the global challenges related to racism and discrimination.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of UK.