Deputy Secretary Kurt M. Campbell will travel to Abuja, Nigeria; London, United Kingdom; and Paris, France April 29-May 3. In Abuja, the Deputy Secretary will co-chair the sixth U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission (BNC) with Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar to discuss partnerships; security cooperation; shared prosperity; democracy, governance and accountability; and the movement of people.  He will also meet with senior Nigerian government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives. 

In London, the Deputy Secretary will participate in bilateral meetings on the Indo-Pacific and the AUKUS trilateral security partnership. He will also meet with UK counterparts to discuss continued support for Ukraine, as well as efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza in conjunction with the release of hostages, and address the dire humanitarian situation. 

In Paris, the Deputy Secretary will attend the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM), chaired by Japan, under the theme of “Co-creating the Flow of Change: Leading Global Discussions with Objective and Reliable Approaches Toward Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.” In addition to his meetings at the OECD, the Deputy Secretary will meet with French counterparts on support for Ukraine, the PRC’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, and an Indo-Pacific dialogue.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria.

From July 2013 down to April 2024, Mr Ousseini Salifou, in his capacity of Executive Director, had the heavy responsibility of leading the Regional Agriculture and Food Agency (RAAF) and its team in the implementation of the projects and programmes of the ECOWAS Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP). Today 30 April 2024, marking the beginning of his professional retirement, ECOWAS expresses its gratitude to him for his significant contribution to the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and wishes him a well-deserved retirement.

Prior to joining RAAF, he served as ECOWSAS Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources from February 2007 down to February 2012. As Commissioner, he led the development and part of the implementation of the first generation of the Regional Agricultural Investment Programme for Food and Nutrition Security and the National Agricultural Investment Programmes for Food and Nutrition Security as well.

He played a pivotal role in the creation and development of RAAF as an ECOWAS specialised Agency based in Lomé (Togo) with the mandate to ensure technical implementation of regional programmes and investment plans contributing to the operationalisation of the Regional Agricultural Policy.

As a Water Engineer by training with specialty in “Water Resources Mobilisation”, Ousseini’s ambition, at the head of RAAF, has always been to position the Agency as the Benchmark and Reference Institution for Agriculture and Food in Africa.

Throughout his 10 years and 9 months tenure of RAAF, Ousseini has unquestionably been a unifier, a director of cohesion and a leader, a family father who rather cares for the development of his team than for that of himself. His humility and modesty are outstanding.
He stands for the importance to remain fair, equitable and transparent in the management of resources made available to the Agency on the one hand, but also polite and sincere in the interaction with development partners and all stakeholders in the implementation of the Regional Agricultural Policy on the other hand.

This state of mind, trust and credibility has undoubtedly contributed to the rapid growth of the ECOWAP projects and programmes portfolio under the coordination of RAAF over the ten (10) years and 9 months period of his management and leadership. Acting here and now to promote.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The visit of Minister Ahmed Samir, Ambassador Yvonne Baumann and Ms. Monica Rubiolo, representative of the Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) to the Suez Canal Economic Zone marks a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts of the United Nations’ Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Switzerland and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) in Egypt to highlight the role of Eco-industrial parks (EIPs) in promoting sustainability and resource efficiency. Taking place today 29 April 2024, this visit underscores the tangible outcomes of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) in Egypt, emphasising the commitment to fostering inclusive and environmentally responsible economic growth within the country.

Accompanied by esteemed dignitaries, including a delegation from the Ministry of International Cooperation, the United Nation’s Resident Coordinator, Ms. Elena Panova, the UNIDO Regional Office Hub Representative Mr. Patrick Jean Gilabert, the Division Chief of Circular Economy and Chemicals Management, UNIDO Headquarters, Mr. Smail Alhilali, the Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone Mr. Walid Gmaleldeen and the Chairman of Orascom Industrial Park Mr. Amr Elbatrik, Ambassador Baumann and Ms. Rubiolo’s visit emphasizes the transformative potential of Eco-industrial parks across economic, environmental, and social domains. 

With the participation of key stakeholders from the government and private sector, the visit aims to showcase successful initiatives implemented under the GEIPP Egypt project and foster stakeholders’ engagement towards replicating the EIP approach across the country.

“Supporting partner countries to increase competitiveness and productive capacity of their industry is a major pillar of the Swiss economic cooperation”, said Ms. Monica Rubiolo. “We are proud to support the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme, which in principle is implemented in seven countries, including Egypt.” 

“The visit of Ambassador Baumann and Ms. Monica Rubiolo to the Suez Canal Economic Zone represents a significant opportunity to highlight the positive impact of our collaborative efforts,” remarked Patrick Jean Gilabert, Regional Office Hub Representative at UNIDO. “Through showcasing successful initiatives and engaging with local stakeholders, we aim to reinforce our commitment to sustainable industrial development in Egypt.”

Key highlights of the visit include keynote addresses, presentations by the GEIPP Egypt project team, the Suez Canal Economic Zone and Orascom Industrial Park and site visits to observe firsthand the positive outcomes of the measures implemented under the project. 

Funded by SECO and implemented by UNIDO in cooperation with MoTI, GEIPP Egypt aims to demonstrate the viability and benefits of Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs) in scaling up resource productivity and enhancing economic, environmental, and social performances of businesses. With a total budget of approximately EUR 1.6 M and a duration of three years (2022-2024), the project was poised to catalyse sustainable growth across Egypt’s industrial landscape. It is carried out at 3 industrial parks, Orascom Industrial Park, Robbiki Leather Cluster and Polaris Parks. Other main stakeholders include SCZONE, Industrial Authority (IDA), General Authority for Investments and Free Zones (GAFI). 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations In Egypt.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will join global leaders to call for renewed commitment towards progress on eradicating preventable maternal and newborn deaths at a 29 April event during the 57th Session of the Commission on Population and Development.

At this ministerial event, UNFPA and the Governments of Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sweden, Tanzania and the United Kingdom will celebrate national successes in improving maternal health outcomes; and call on governments to adopt midwifery models of care as the most cost-effective way to scale up maternal and newborn health services; and call for increased investment to speed up progress on maternal and newborn health. 

UNFPA is calling for US$ 210 million by 2028 for its Maternal and Newborn Health Thematic Fund to catalyze national and global investments for high impact practices, expanded partnerships and empowered communities to dramatically reduce global maternal mortality and ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services. UNFPA estimates US $115.5 billion is needed to end preventable maternal deaths in 120 priority countries by 2030. This investment  would also have the added effect of reducing newborn deaths by 33 per cent and still births by 57 per cent.

Over the past two decades, significant strides have been made in improving maternal and newborn health worldwide, evidenced by a 34% decline in maternal mortality. However, midway on the journey to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress on reducing maternal mortality – and investment in sexual and reproductive health rights – have stagnated. Today, one woman and nearly five newborns still die every two minutes from preventable pregnancy and childbirth complications. 

This demonstration of unity and global cooperation serves as a catalyst for new gains and as a vital precursor to the upcoming Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly – where clear targets and commitments to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths must be included.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNFPA – East and Southern Africa.