The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of the IATA Digitalization Leadership Charter at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Hong Kong. Cathay Cargo, CHAMP Cargosystems, Global Logistics System (HK) Company Limited, IAG Cargo, IBS Software, LATAM Cargo, and Lufthansa Cargo are the inaugural signatories of the charter.

The Digitalization Leadership Charter aims to accelerate the air cargo industry’s digitalization journey by committing to five key guiding principles. Developed in consultation with IATA’s Cargo Advisory Council Members, airlines and the wider air cargo community, the charter seeks to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and promote a sustainable and harmonized digital transformation. Central to the charter is the importance of data sharing using IATA ONE Record for smooth and efficient data exchange.

“Digitalization is imperative for the air cargo industry. It requires alignment to ensure a unified and effective approach. IATA has introduced the Digitalization Leadership Charter to spearhead this alignment. By adhering to the Charter’s principles—adopting industry-wide standards, championing sustainability, ensuring ethical technology use, and upholding digital leadership—the charter sets a benchmark for excellence,” said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

Over three thousand delegates drawn from both public and private institutions globally will, from 21st to 25th April 2024, meet in Nairobi to discuss Africa’s connectivity matters.

During the five-day event dubbed Connected Africa Summit 2024, African heads of state, first ladies, African ICT ministers, policymakers, global ICT firms, academia, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators will delve into conversations seeking to develop a roadmap to address the challenges facing the continent through ICT and innovation.

The main focus of the event, according to Kenya’s ICT Authority will be on addressing the Africa’s digital policy, infrastructure, and investment gaps that continue to widen the digital divide across the continent in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Stanley Kamanguya, CEO of the ICT Authority has noted that Africa has made significant strides in terms of connectivity, but the summit will drive conversations on how to integrate more developments in pursuit of a connected Africa.  

Florida International Hotel, one of the top-rated establishments in Gondar city, recently hosted a skill enhancement training program for its food production department employees. Situated conveniently close to the University of Gondar, the hotel organized a comprehensive training session focused on various aspects of Indian cuisine, including grooming, kitchen safety and hygiene, plate presentation, and preparation of a wide range of dishes such as breads, crispy snacks, main courses, and accompanying sauces.

The training program, conducted from March 6th to March 10th, 2024, aimed to refine the culinary skills of the hotel staff. Dr. Thamimul Ansari P, an Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at the University of Gondar, led the training as the main trainer and resource person. The sessions were enriched with audio-visual presentations and hands-on practical exercises, allowing participants to learn the art of plate presentation and garnishing firsthand.

Emphasis was also placed on kitchen hygiene, grooming standards, and safety protocols essential for the hospitality industry. The training included live demonstrations of bread-making, preparation of crispy snacks, main courses, and various accompanying sauces and curries, providing valuable insights into authentic Indian cuisine.

The 300 Water Leaders Group will host its first global meeting during the London Global Water Summit from April 15-17, 2024. Esteemed CEOs from utilities in the developing world will attend, including industry leaders from more than 30 countries together serving over 220 million people. These leaders, representing some of the world’s biggest megacities such as Manila, Dhaka, Bogota and Lagos, will convene to tackle the most pressing utility challenges through peer-to-peer networking. 

Launched during New York UN Water Week and officially inaugurated at the 2023 Global Water Summit in Berlin, the initiative aims to unite 300 utilities worldwide dedicated to raising ambition on SDG6. Members make a pledge to extend their services, with the goal to ensure 300 million more people have access to water and sanitation services by 2030. Utilities also submit a roadmap which outlines transformative strategies to achieve their pledge and the most impressive utility roadmap will be crowned ‘SDG6 Champion’ at the Global Water Awards on April 16. Since the group’s inception, the initiative has conducted regional workshops in Côte d’Ivoire, Vietnam, and Mexico.