Sierra Leone marked a significant step towards sustainable development with the launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2025-2030. The International Trade Centre (ITC) made noteable contributions to the framework. At the launch, ITC also highlighted how small businesses have benefitted  from its projects in the country funded by the European Union, South Korea and the Netherlands.

On 26 July 2024, the Freetown International Conference Center buzzed with activity as Sierra Leone celebrated the launch. This event, aligned with Sierra Leone’s Medium Term National Development Plan (2024-2030), marked a significant step towards fostering sustainable development and economic growth in the country.

The framework set strategic priorities for the partnership between the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. It was developed through a multi agency effort led by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Sierra Leone, with significant contributions from ITC as a member of the United Nations Country Team. The launch ceremony drew high-profile dignitaries, including Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh, Cabinet Ministers, diplomats, and representatives from government departments and non-government organizations. The event was interspersed with cultural performances and drama skits, vividly depicting the framework’s objectives.

A symbolic signing ceremony featured key figures such as the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Kenyeh Barlay, and UN Resident Coordinator, Seraphine Wakana, alongside representatives from nine UN agencies.

Alongside the launch, an exhibition showcased recent UN activities. ITC National Coordinator, Shiaka Kawa, presented work done by the West Africa Competitiveness Programme – WACOMP (which is still ongoing), SheTrades West Africa Programme (ended in December 2023), and the Netherlands Trust Fund IV cocoa value chain project (ended in June 2021). A standout was Lion Food Snacks&Beverage, a local cassava producer supported by ITC, whose booth showcased garri (processed cassava) and high-quality cassava flour, attracting numerous visitors.

With targeted ITC support through the WACOMP programme, the company has refined its business plan and upgraded its packaging, branding, and marketing. Additionally, it facilitated the company’s participation in international trade shows and business meetings such as in Nigeria and Senegal. These efforts resulted in sales in new markets in the region and the United States of America, valued at $30,000.

The successful launch of the UNSDCF 2025-2030 signifies a major milestone for Sierra Leone, highlighting a robust commitment to sustainable development. This framework sets the stage for a prosperous future, driving the nation closer to its development goals while improving the lives of its citizens.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

Over 71,000 people across Africa are registered as missing with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a 75 per cent rise from the number recorded in 2019.

Africa is the continent with the highest missing persons caseload, the highest number of unaccompanied children, and the highest number of family reunifications, based on ICRC-registered cases as from the end of June.

“The issue of missing persons, including those forcibly disappeared, remains one of the most damaging and long-lasting humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts and other situations of violence, for all loved ones, whether a waiting wife or a heartbroken son,” said Patrick Youssef, ICRC’s regional director for Africa. “Behind every missing person, there are countless more suffering from the anguish and uncertainty. It’s a humanitarian tragedy for families, one that has consequences across all of society.” 

Protracted armed conflicts in Africa have resulted in the disappearance of thousands of people. The continent is also prone to natural disasters, some of which are exacerbated by climate change, while perilous migratory journeys put vulnerable people at risk of separation and disappearance.

The International Day of the Disappeared, observed on 30 August, helps raise awareness of the plight of the missing, honors their memories and the emotional distress of families, and helps focus attention on the need to help prevent and respond to the issue of missing persons.

The ICRC is calling for a more determined international effort to prevent and respond to the issue of missing persons, whatever the circumstances. Political will is an essential step to obtain the necessary resources to respond to this issue, including the cooperation between authorities, both at the national level and across borders.

“In armed conflict, both civilians and combatants go missing,” said Mr. Youssef. “They can go missing when they are arrested or captured, detained, and are held incommunicado. They might be alive, but simply do not have the means to contact their relatives.”

Under international humanitarian law, state authorities have the primary responsibility to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons. However, these authorities may lack resources, knowledge, or political will to do so. The ICRC and the National Societies can play a crucial role.

In the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, volunteers from the DRC Red Cross have been working at telephone call centers set up by the ICRC to offer a fast, free service to the many displaced people who have lost contact with their families. In Sudan, the ICRC, in partnership with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, provides a hotline to help families and unaccompanied children separated by conflict to restore contact.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met with HE Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Cameroon Lejeune Mbella Mbella, on the sidelines of the 50th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Yaounde.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.

The State Minister for Northern Uganda, Hon. Kenneth Omona, has proposed that for the region to develop in the agricultural sector, they must have an agreed cash crop which people in the area can grow, to boost incomes.

He said the failure to focus on a singular high value crop to invest in, is among the reasons why the region’s household incomes have not grown.

“People are gambling from oilseeds to other grains to vegetables. Our discussion with relevant agencies especially Uganda Coffee Development Authority and the National Agricultural Advisory Services is on guiding the people of Northern Uganda on what kind of cash crop they can grow to earn income, and we are beginning to zero down on those cash crops,” said Omona.

Presenting during the first regional plenary sitting held in Gulu City on Wednesday, 28 August 2024, Omona also highlighted the need for extension services to reach the local communities, noting concerns that the services have not been received by most sub-counties in Northern Uganda.

“Extension workers are not telling anybody what to do, so people gamble. Northern Uganda was said to have been given 43 million coffee seedlings, and when you ask the agencies where the seedlings are, they cannot show you. When you ask the citizens, they do not even know how to grow coffee and yet they hear that there is money in coffee,” he said.

Hon. Lawrence Biyika (NRM, Ora County) alluded to a suitability and capability study on Uganda’s soils carried out between 1999 and 2002, which he said can guide the selection of crops to prioritise for growth in Northern Uganda.

“I was part of that team and we know exactly what can grow in the upper part of West Nile, we know exactly what can grow in Teso. When the minister says we should identify priority enterprises, we are not stopping those regions from growing all other food or cash crops. These regions must have a priority crop which they are known for,” said Biyika.

The state minister said mechanisation of agriculture will go a long way in improving crop yields, noting that farmers in the area continue using traditional tools like hand-hoes and ox-ploughs to till their land.

“With such primitive tools, we cannot meet the economic demand of crop production we are talking about. All the people I have interacted with including those living around Mount Elgon, want tractors to mechanise and produce massively. This is something we should begin discussing,” Omona said.

He also highlighted the need to utilise the over 20,000 square kilometres of land in Acholi sub-region to engage in livestock production, through supporting provision of livestock breeding at subsidised costs.

The minister’s submissions followed the presentation of a report by the committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, from a field visit to selected districts in Northern Uganda to assess water for agricultural production facilities.

The committee chairperson, Hon. Linda Auma, said there is need for government to support the creation of public and private water sources for production in the region and the country at large.

“Availability of water for production is key in enhancing agricultural production in the face of challenges associated with climate change. Rehabilitating the existing water sources and creating more is vital in promoting usage of water for agricultural production,” said Auma.

While chairing the plenary sitting, the Speaker, Anita Among, said the Committee report needed to address broader issues on the agricultural sector in Northern Uganda, and she tasked the Committee to carry extensive consultations on the matter.

“Agriculture is the backbone of this country and it is something that should be handled holistically. The irrigation is just an auxiliary function that facilitates production,” said Among.

She added that the committee should look at the primary and secondary aspects of agricultural production in different regions of Northern Uganda.

“Look at look at Karamoja, Acholi, Lango and West Nile in terms of mechanization. Find out how many tractors each region needs, what kind of crops grow better in these areas, how we can we improve post-harvest handling, and how we can do value addition to improve the agricultural sector,” Among added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.