One of the much-awaited global events for this year is undoubtedly the Summit of the Future (SOTF) scheduled in September 2024. SOTF is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments including to the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Charter, and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people’s lives.

To ensure that diverse civil society perspectives are engaged in the preparatory process of SOTF 24 and the preceding 2023 SOTF Ministerial Forum to strengthen and revitalize multilateralism, the Global Futures Forum (GFF) led by the Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UN) in partnership with the African Union’s Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) took place in March 2023, in New York. As an Advisory Organ of the African Union, ECOSOCC undertook a number of civil society consultations to provide feedback and inputs on the ‘Pact of the Future’ including the virtual Town-Hall event (June 2023) culminating in the Continental Dialogue on the Summit of the Future which took place on 28th March 2024.

The Continental Dialogue drew the participation of a panel of experts, the ECOSOCC leadership and diverse African CSOs; it was organized with the aim of sharing information and raising awareness on the Summit of the Future to be held in New York in September and the Civil Society Conference that will be held in Nairobi in May, 2024.

The Summit of the Future is intended to advance ideas for governance arrangements in areas of international concern, and potentially others where arrangements are emerging or require updating.

UN member states will be asked to endorse a ‘Pact for the Future,’ a blueprint for international cooperation in the twenty-first century.

In his opening remarks, ECOSOCC’s Presiding Officer, Khalid Boudali emphasized the importance of CSOs in the consultative process on SOTF24.

 “ECOSOCC’s mandate promotes inclusive dialogue with a range of non-state actors in issues that push for good governance. Let us use the moment to bring Afrocentric insights in today’s dialogue. I extend gratitude for your unwavering commitment towards efforts that pursue peace and security on the continent and the world over,” he said.

Ms. Carole Agengo, Co-Chair of the United Nations’ Civil Society Conference in Support of the Summit of the Future, echoed Mr. Boudali’s sentiments on the role of CSOs in shaping the future.

“Since 1947, 68 UN-supported civil society conferences have resulted in successful outcomes. As a result of previous interactions with civil society organizations, we look forward to the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference to be held in Nairobi in May 2024, in support of the Summit of the Future,” she said.

Ms Agengo also expressed her delight at the Summit of the Future happening in the same year that ECOSOCC is celebrating its 20th Anniversary.

A panel of experts during the webinar disussed and gave insights from their technical expertise working in relevant sectors feeding into the Summit of the Future.

Ms. Juliet Okeke Chinemelu, a Member of ECOSOCC’s 4th Permanent General Assembly presented on the topic, ‘The Struggle for Women’s Rights; A Call for Stiffer Intervention.’

“Only 22.6% of women globally participate in the workforce, compared to 77.4% of men and women earn approximately 63% of what men earn for similar work. Women continue to face disparities in education, employment, political representation, and access to healthcare. 52% of women in Africa who experience intimate partner violence seek help or report it. There is a need to get stiffer interventions that accord women all the rights that statistics has shown that they are losing out on currently,” she stated.

Dr. Mariama Williams, Senior Adviser at the Global Afro Descendant Climate Justice Collaborative presented on the topic, ‘Reflection on Climate Justice for Africa on the Pact for the Future.’

“The use of natural resources must protect the people around it. Climate change is Africa’s biggest existential threat.  The way wars and conflicts keep creating emissions on the continent and the world, is concerning. We need to hold our governance structures accountable in this regard. It has also been observed that climate change has also compelled migration across the world,” she explained.

Dr. June Soomer, Chair Designate of the United Nations’ Permanent Forum on People of African Descent tackled the topic, ‘Towards a Global Financial System that Works for Africa.’

“The summit of the future must look to the past. Let’s create financial sustainability within the continent. We must also have more global financing to deal with climate changes. We should marry Agenda 2063 with the African Financial System but let us not forget the 6th region (diaspora) in this drive towards building financial resilience and climate justice,” she said.

Mr. Desire Assogbavi, Francophone Africa Director at ONE Campaign made a presentation on the Role of Africa in the Pact for the Future.

“Africa brings demography and human resource. The global community benefits a lot from collaborating with African innovators. Africa is rich with a lot of resources that with proper management will enrich the continent greatly. As a suggestion, we might need a robust accountability mechanism on what needs to be done and which particular entity would do it in this regard,” he emphasized.

In closing, ECOSOCC’s Head of Secretariat, William Carew said, “ECOSOCC has engaged in raising awareness about the Summit of the Future and is also carrying out consultations to consolidate African voices to ensure that African proposals and insights are reflected in the ongoing negotiations leading to the Summit and in the Pact for the Future.”

He promised that ECOSOCC would continue to share more information on the Summit of the Future, the UN Civil Society Conference and all the activities around ECOSOCC’s 20th Year Anniversary commemoration.

During the online event, participants had a chance to engage the panel of experts in a question and answer session. The Continental Dialogue also gave a chance to participants to ask questions on financing, climate justice and the Pact of the Future.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

The Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE) welcomed a high-level delegation of donors to the Africa Multi-hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) Situation Room on 5th March 2024 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The visit aimed to familiarise with the progress and achievements in disaster risk reduction and multi-hazard early warning systems under the leadership of the AUC, and in the context of its Programme of Action to implement the Sendai Framework in Africa. The delegation comprised thirty-three (33) representatives from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the European Union delegation to the African Union.

Speaking on behalf of the African Union Commission at the event, Harsen Nyambe Nyambe, SEBE Director, welcomed the high-level delegation and expressed the

African Union’s appreciation to partners for supporting the continent’s efforts to mitigate disasters which are on the increase in frequency and intensity mainly due to the changing climate.

Director Nyambe also highlighted the strides made by the AU Commission towards enhancing disaster resilience in Africa. These include the development of the AMHEWAS Programme and the inauguration of the AMHEWAS Situation Room at the AU headquarters in 2021, as well as the current synergies between the Programme and the Early Warning for All initiative by the United Nations Secretary-General. 

Furthermore, Director Nyambe emphasised the Commission’s plan to diversify multi-hazard early warning products to include droughts, food security, and earthquakes, among others. He underscored the strong collaboration between the Commission AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities through regular anticipatory meetings, with the current focus on riverine flooding, heavy rainfall, and strong winds, as well as the biennial review reports produced with the support of all the three parties. 

On his part, Mr Amjad Abbashar, Chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Africa (RoA), said, “The collaboration between UNDRR and the African Union Commission dates back to 2005. It has been a journey of milestones that also resulted in the establishment of the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit in 2017.” Mr Abbashar underscored that Africa was the first continent to have its Programme of Action aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. He also stated that the PoA has five additional targets tailor-made to the African context. 

Mr Abbashar pointed to the critical role played by the AU Commission – the convening of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (AWGDRR), Africa’s premier multi-stakeholder DRR coordination mechanism that meets twice a year. He noted the importance of this mechanism, especially in shaping Africa’s common positions at various global meetings.

A presentation was shared with the partners on the AMHEWAS programme, focusing on progress, key achievements, gaps, and challenges. Ms Nomsa Dube, the AMHEWAS Programme Manager, noted that along with establishing the Continental Situation Room for Disaster Risk Reduction, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have also established regional situation rooms. These include the Disaster Operations Centre at the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) in Nairobi, Kenya, the Disaster Operations Situation Room at the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), and a newly established Situation Room at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria. Ms Dube also highlighted the planned establishment of an AMHEWAS Situation Room at the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) in Nacala, Mozambique. She further noted that the plans for the AMHEWAS programme also include strengthening Member States and Regional Economic Communities’ capacity for preparedness. 

Mr Jully Ouma, a hydrologist at the Disaster Operations Centre at ICPAC, also presented the interoperability of the Continental AMHEWAS Situation Room and the Regional Situation Room. Mr Ouma noted that the AMHEWAS Situation Room and the ICPAC have collaborated to produce various multi-hazard early warning products.

Progress notwithstanding, funding, and human resource gaps persist and must be addressed to ensure the sustainability of the AMHEWAS Programme. The AU Commission appealed for support in rolling out the Programme to reach the vision of AMHEWAS by 2030 and, therefore, accelerate the achievement of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 targets. With increased international cooperation, Africa will likely realise more dividends on effective multi-hazard early warning systems and early action.

The high-level delegation toured the AMHEWAS Situation Room and took stock of the various operations, including generating multi-hazard early warning products to enhance disaster preparedness. During the physical tour of the AMHEWAS Situation Room, Mr. Lusajo Ambukege showcased the operations of the Situation Room and the AMHEWAS products. Mr. Lusajo Ambukege, Senior Early Warning and Disaster Operations Expert reported that the Situation Room produced the Continental Watch bulletin/ advisories and Disaster Situation Reports. The continental watch advisories aim to foster anticipatory action, and the Disaster Situation Reports seek to galvanise solidarity and support for AU Member States hit by major disasters. 

The visit also provided a platform for the delegation to watch a video clip on the impacts of tropical cyclone Freddy in Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique arising from the assessment that the AU Commission conducted with the SADC Secretariat and UNDP in August 2023. 

The African Union Commission and the UNDRR Regional Office for Africa (RoA) organised the event.

Collaborating Partners on the AUC’s Disaster Risk Reduction Portfolio

The European Union’s Intra-ACP Natural Disaster Risk Programme catalysed the African Union Commission’s disaster risk reduction activities. Through this solid foundation, The DRR Unit has expanded its scope and established programmes, including AMHEWAS, the Africa Urban Resilience Programme, and the Sahel Resilience Project. In addition to the EU, the DRR functions are also supported by the generous governments of Italy, Sweden, and Norway, as well as implementing partners, namely UNDRR, UNDP, the CIMA Research Foundation, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of Germany.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

The manual covers what the District Council expects from the presidents of the grassroots cells and their responsibilities within their field of action, contemplating both the responsibilities of the president of the grassroots cells and those of the members of this political structure.

It also indicates the role of each member of the grassroots cell, whose instructions will be allocated by their presidents.

During the meeting, a period of 60 days was set for grassroots cell meetings, and another point raised was the low participation of cell members in party events.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Cairo from Brussels on Friday night, 22 March.

On Saturday morning, he arrived in Al Arish in North Sinai on a plane provided by the Government of Egypt.  In Al Arish, he was welcomed by the Governor of North Sinai, Major-General Mohamed Abdel-Fadil Shousha.

In Al Arish, he visited the General Hospital and met with medical doctors and injured Palestinians who were getting treatment in the hospital — mainly women and children.  He also saw children who are staying in the hospital as their mothers are getting treatment after being injured as a result of the conflict.

The Secretary-General then went by car to the Rafah Border Crossing where he held a meeting with a number of humanitarian workers representing the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Médecins Sans Frontières and UK-Med. They crossed the border from Gaza to meet with him.

The Secretary-General then spoke to the press on the border.  He told reporters that “it is monstrous that after so much suffering over so many months, Palestinians in Gaza are marking Ramadan with Israeli bombs still falling, bullets still flying, artillery still pounding and humanitarian assistance still facing obstacle upon obstacle.”

Upon return to Al Arish, met with the press and answered their questions.

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General returned to Cairo by plane.  He immediately went to a Ramadan Iftar (breaking the fast) with a number of refugees from Sudan.

The next day, on Sunday, the Secretary-General had a meeting with the UN country team in Egypt.

After that, he headed to the Presidential Palace where he held a bilateral meeting with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.  From there, he headed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he held a bilateral meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry.  The two held a joint press encounter where Mr. Guterres reiterated that “nothing justifies the abhorrent 7 October Hamas attacks and hostage-taking in Israel.  But nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

The Secretary-General then went to see the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Tayeb.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations (UN).