President Wavel Ramkalawan of the Republic of Seychelles touched down in Havana, Cuba, today for an official visit.

Upon his arrival at José Martí International Airport, President Ramkalawan was received by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo.

During his stay, the President is set to engage in bilateral talks with his Cuban counterpart, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. In addition, he will also meet with the President of the National Assembly, Esteban Lazo Hernández and other senior government officials.  He will also partake in various official engagements.

Whilst in Cuba, as part of his programme, the President will meet Seychellois students currently studying in Cuba.

Accompanying President Ramkalawan on this visit are First Lady Linda Ramkalawan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde and Seychelles’ Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ian Madeleine.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Seychelles.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) wishes to inform all stakeholders and the public that, following an invitation from the Government of the Republic of Cabo Verde, it is currently undertaking a promotion mission in this State Party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter) from 16 to 20 September 2024.

This mission, which is part of the Commission’s mandate to promote human rights, is being conducted in accordance with Article 45(1) of the African Charter and Rule 76(1) of the Commission’s Rules of Procedure (2020). The mission aims, among other objectives, to engage in dialogue with key stakeholders to exchange views on improving the enjoyment of human rights in the country.

The Commission’s Delegation is composed of:
•    Honorable Commissioner Maria Teresa Manuela, Country Rapporteur and Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing in Africa (Head of the Delegation); and
•    Honorable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, Chairperson of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa.

African Union officials from the Commission’s Secretariat will provide technical support to the Delegation during the mission.

In line with its terms of reference, the Delegation will meet with human rights actors in the country. These will include the highest available authorities, including ministers and senior government officials concerned with human rights, members of Parliament and the judiciary, country representatives of UN agencies, representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs), and other individuals or institutions able to provide insights into the human rights situation in Cabo Verde. The Delegation will visit a detention facility and infrastructure of particular interest to human rights. It is also expected to hold a sensitization workshop with CSOs on the Commission’s mandate.

The mission will culminate in a press conference, where the Delegation will present its preliminary findings on the human rights situation in Cabo Verde.

The Commission expresses its gratitude to the Government of Cabo Verde and all stakeholders working towards ensuring that this promotion mission takes place under the best conditions.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR).

His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has departed for the United Kingdom to deliver the Keynote Address at the fourth edition of the OpenAg Symposium, which will focus on the future of food and agriculture in a changing climate.

This year’s symposium will highlight the vital role of agricultural practices in enhancing both national and international food security, as well as ensuring the financial stability of farmers and the broader economic security of nations.

Moreover, the event will emphasize the significance of sustainable agricultural practices in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change. “By adopting practices that enhance resilience and sustainability, the agricultural sector can play a pivotal role in securing food, water, and energy resources for the future,” organizers noted.

The OpenAg Symposium 2024 is organized by the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD), a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Government of India. The event is co-organized by UPL, a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, with annual revenues exceeding $5 billion.

Accompanying the President are his wife, First Lady Fatima Bio, Chief Minister, Dr. David M. Sengeh, and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry M. Kpaka.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.

After Morocco (2022) and Mauritania (2023), the UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews (EPR) continue to reach beyond the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Mongolia has requested UNECE to undertake its second review, following the first in 2017.

Today, a multidisciplinary team of 17 international experts, met with 30 officials representing various environmental and sectoral authorities of Mongolia. Ms. Ariuntuya Dorjsuren, Director General of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, who facilitated the meeting, highlighted the importance of the EPR process in shaping and enhancing environmental governance in the country and for monitoring and attaining SDG implementation.

The team also met with representatives of international organizations active in the country and national NGOs. The experts will continue working in Ulaanbaatar until 25 September 2024, assessing the environmental performance of the country and examining developments during the past seven years.

This is the fifth EPR conducted outside of the UNECE region – which stretches across North America, Europe and Central Asia – since the establishment of the EPR Programme. UNECE EPRs provide a comprehensive tool to help countries identify key environmental challenges and establish concrete recommendations to improve environmental sustainability across all sectors.

The second review of Mongolia will measure progress made and considers challenges encountered in the areas of air quality, water management, biodiversity and protected areas, soil protection, waste and chemicals management and greening the economy. It will also examine the country’s environmental data, information and observation systems, the extent to which international environmental agreements and commitments are implemented, and activities regarding climate change.

The country’s legal, policy and institutional framework and regulatory and compliance assurance mechanisms relating to the environment will be reviewed, as well as the integration of environmental considerations into economic sectors. The review will also address the issues related to education for sustainable development, land management and health protection.

In addition, this review will assess the country’s progress towards relevant targets and indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals. The review team will examine how the Goals are being adapted to the national context and how the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is put into practice, whether the necessary resources have been allocated and responsibilities are clear, what obstacles have been encountered when targeting the Goals and what concrete results have already been achieved.

Building on the analysis of progress made since 2017, the review will result in a set of recommendations on how to improve the country’s environmental performance. The review process will culminate with the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy considering the recommendations in 2025, with a view to their adoption, and the country committing to implement them within the next 5 to 10 years.

The country review mission, which includes engagement with different stakeholders including businesses and civil society, will be organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, other key ministries and governmental institutions. The second review of Mongolia is made possible by financial and in-kind support from Finland, France, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the United Nations Environment Programme. Special thanks to the Mongolia United Nations Country Team for sharing their expertise on the country.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).