In a strong call to stakeholders at the opening of the tenth Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-10) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General said urgent action is needed to increase capital flows into developing countries, particularly in Africa to make the SDGs stimulus a reality. She also urged the international community to support Africa in its efforts to deliver its vision for development through the SDGs 2030 agenda and Agenda 2063.

Ms. Mohammed told the multi-stakeholder forum of member states representatives, youth, civil society and private sector actors that African countries are facing significant challenges, including debt servicing, rising interest rates and limited fiscal space.

“Debt servicing in Africa is at an all-time high due to external shocks, leaving very little fiscal space or nothing to invest in sustainable development.” Furthermore, debt servicing “accounted for a staggering 47.5% of government revenue in Sub Saharan Africa last year. This is the primary expenditure on essential services, as well as investments in the continent’s future in areas of education and health,” she said.

According to Ms. Mohammed, at least $500 billion a year is needed to scale up affordable long-term financing for development, alongside structural reforms within the very institutions and rules that make up the international financial architecture.

Echoing the Deputy Secretary-General, Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, stressed the need for reform of the global financial architecture to ensure favorable financing terms, stressing the need for long-term financing for developing countries to trigger sustainable economies. She said climate-smart agriculture, technology and innovation are the key drivers for sustainable development on the continent.

The 10th ARFSD is being held under the theme, “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions.”

Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) for his part stressed the need for “Innovative financing mechanisms, coupled with reforms in the global financial architecture”, to unlock new avenues for sustainable investment and inclusive growth in Africa.”

He underscored the need to leverage Africa’s vast natural resources, particularly critical minerals which are essential for the global transition to green economies. He also said renewable energy stands as a backbone for sustainable development, “with untapped opportunities to drive investments and promote energy security across the continent.”

Mr. Gatete touched on the six transition pathways that the UN system has identified as key investment pathways for SDGs delivery. These are: food systems; energy access and affordability; digital connectivity; education; jobs and social protection; and climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution-  he said, are key investment pathways for SDGs delivery.

The ECA Executive Secretary also noted that climate challenges in Africa are reducing budgets by up to 5% of GDP annually against the backdrop of high infrastructure and climate change needs that are estimated to cost between US$68 billion and US$108 billion annually.

“The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a unique opportunity to boost agribusiness and enhance food security, a cornerstone of resilience in the face of multifaceted challenges,” said Mr. Gatete.

Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission, Monique Nsanzabaganwa noted that African leaders adopted the second tier implementation of the Agenda 2063 which demonstrated their unwavering commitment to realizing the aspirations of Africans.

“Countries should innovate and create strong institutions, that are accountable and deliver to the citizens,” she added.

Ms. Msanzabaganwa also noted that domestic resource mobilization is the responsibility of governments and there is a need for a fair and inclusive global taxation regime.

Speaking on behalf of the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Sahle-work Zewde, Fitsum Assefa, Minister of Planning and Development urged countries to “encourage youth driven innovations as a powerful force in our match towards the SDGs to catalyze transformative change, accelerate progress and unlock new opportunities for inclusive development and poverty eradication.” She added that Ethiopia has made progress in mobilizing domestic and international resources for rapid and sustained economic growth and development. This experience could be benchmarked by other countries for accelerated implementation of the remaining goals of the strategic plan.

The Chair of the outgoing bureau of the ARFSD, Niger’s Hydraulics, Sanitation and Environment Minister, Maizama Abdoulaye stressed the importance of commitment by countries to implement inclusive sustainable development to turn the continent into one full of opportunities. Mr.Abdoulaye said that Africa should invest in blue and green bonds which require investment in infrastructure.

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

On April 23, Yin Chengwu, Chinese Ambassador to Liberia attended the handover ceremony of China-Aid Solar Power Project for the Ministry of Posts and Communications of Liberia. Mr. Sekou M. Kromah, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, representatives of the Liberian Cabinet and the management of the Ministry of Post and Communications attended the ceremony.

Kromah thanked the Chinese government for its long-standing support and assistance to the Liberian government, especially for the assistance in infrastructure construction and capacity building cooperation in the field of posts and telecommunications, and hoped that the two sides would further consolidate and strengthen their cooperation in more fields.

Ambassador Yin congratulated on the successful completion and handover of the project, noting that the solar power project is one of the important achievements of China-Liberia practical cooperation, which will provide stable, reliable, clean and green power supply for the headquarters of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and 8 county post offices, and improve the conditions of communication infrastructure. Yin said China will continue pursuing the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in China-Liberia relations, and help Liberian economic and social development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Liberia.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has charged heads and officials of state-owned enterprises to adhere strictly to the submission timelines instituted by the State Interests and Governance Authority on the preparation and further publication of State Ownership Reports.

“As a follow-up to this directive, I expect the Director General of SIGA to furnish me with the list of all specified entities who have not complied with this directive by 31st May 2024,” President Akufo-Addo has directed.   

Speaking at the launch of two policy documents, namely, the Code of Corporate Governance for Specified Entities and Public Service Organisations in Ghana and on the State Ownership Policy for Specified Entities, during the 2024 Annual Policy and Governance Forum, on Tuesday, 23rd April, 2024, the President said, this important duty is a key part of measures by government to enhance transparency and accountability in the governance and management of our public enterprises, thereby ensuring that they deliver on their mandates, and contribute to the national economy.

With SIGA mandated to prepare the State Ownership Report, which serves amongst others, as an accountability and transparency document, President Akufo-Addo said the reports, give government and the public access to information on public enterprises’ financial and non-financial performances.

Citing non-compliance to the submission of financial statements by public entities as a key constraint to preparation and publication of SORs, the President said with these financial statements becoming central to the preparation of the SOR, board chairs of all specified entities, in the Cabinet approved list of entities, are expected to submit their audited accounts and statements to SIGA by 15th May 2024.

He further urged specified entities who are yet to align themselves with the oversight mechanisms established by SIGA, to heed the call with urgency, adding that their “reluctance to comply, not only erodes the fabric of transparency and accountability, but also undermines the integrity of our nation’s financial framework.”

“It is imperative that we uphold collectively the principles of good cooperate governance, which leads to accountability and transparency, to safeguard the interest of the State, in the running of public enterprises,” he said.

Reminding participants of government’s resolve to ensure that the public enterprises sector, contribute about 30 percent of the country’s GDP, he said considerable strides towards this target has been made as latest reports from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department indicates that the number of specified entities, included in the national accounts, has increased from 19 in 2020 to 62 in 2022.

Additionally, “entities signing performance contracts with SIGA rose from 6 in 2016, to 73 in 2023, thus underscoring how transparent and accountable government has been so far as governance and management of our public enterprises are concerned.”

He singled out for special recognition and praise, the management of entities like, BOST, VRA, TDC Development Company Limited, and Ghana Re-insurance amongst others, for transforming successfully the entities from debt-ridden to profitable public enterprises. 

“TDC Development Company Limited and Ghana Re-insurance holds special significance for me, due to the steadfast commitment, to paying dividends consistently to the government and I take this opportunity to encourage the other SOEs to emulate their laudable feat,” President Akufo-Addo indicated.

He said the policy document as launched provides clearly defined objectives for ownership and articulates the establishment of proper systems for managing and accessing the performance of the state ownership interests in our public enterprises.

In the light of these, “my government has implemented reforms, aimed at enhancing transparency, streamlining operations, and mitigating risks within state-owned enterprises, however, we recognize that there is still more work to be done, hence the need to launch the two new policy documents on, The Code of Corporate Governance for Specified Entities and Public Service Organisations in Ghana, and secondly, The State Ownership Policy for Specified Entities, to enhance even further, transparency, accountability and good governance within our specified entities,” he pointed out. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

It is a dark day in the United Kingdom as the Safety of Rwanda Bill will soon become law after passing its final stages in parliament yesterday. This will have a devastating impact on human rights and the rule of law, risking the lives of people who came to the UK seeking safety and setting a dangerous global precedent.

The government’s new law tries to legislate away the facts and declare Rwanda safe to send asylum seekers despite the UK Supreme Court’s November 2023 ruling and abundant evidence to the contrary. The law compels UK courts and civil servants to “conclusively” treat Rwanda as safe, while severely limiting access to appeals and remedies. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that flights will take off in 10 to 12 weeks and reserved 2,200 detention spaces in the UK, amid reports that detaining asylum seekers could start within days.

The government’s blatant disregard for international obligations and the rule of law has already received international condemnation. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees and UN high commissioner for human rights warned of the law’s wide-ranging consequences for global responsibility sharing, human rights, and refugee protection. These sentiments were echoed by the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights who cautioned that the new law raises “major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law.”

This week several UN experts publicly warned airlines and aviation authorities that removing asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, even if the Safety of Rwanda Bill passed, could make them complicit in violating human rights and court orders. The Ministry of Defence has suggested that Royal Airforce planes may be used as commercial airlines face pressure not to participate.

The UK’s efforts to shirk its asylum responsibilities are undermining global responsibility sharing and have not gone unnoticed by other governments, who have told Human Rights Watch that the UK has lost credibility to call upon other states to uphold their obligations towards refugees.

The fight is not over. Legal challenges are expected against individual removals and the law itself. The UK should urgently adopt humane and fair asylum policies, including ensuring people can have their claims heard in the UK and expanding safe routes so people are not forced into deadly journeys.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).