Latest news with #38thAfricanUnionSummit
The Star
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
South African official calls for return of African artifacts from former colonial powers
JOHANNESBURG, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A South African government official on Monday called for the return of the artifacts that were "stolen" from Africa during the colonial era. South African Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie made the remarks at the second G20 Culture Working Group session held in Johannesburg, the largest city and economic hub of South Africa. "We want them to be returned to Africa. If there is proof that they were stolen from Africa, there should be no negotiations, they have to be repatriated. We can't speak about the same thing for 30 years, theft is theft," said McKenzie. Some former colonial masters took body parts like teeth, skulls, and other artifacts from Africa during colonialism. Britain has returned some artifacts taken during colonial days to Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria. In 2022, Belgium returned a tooth of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the independent state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. African heads of state and government met in February during the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and resolved to seek reparations for the lasting impacts of slavery by former colonial powers.
Zawya
19-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
African ministers hold strategic dialogue on visa-free movement to propel regional integration agenda for Africa's Transformation
On the sidelines of the 38th African Union Summit, African leaders discussed obstacles to the continent's economic integration, underscoring visa-free movement to reduce illegal migration and strengthen official travel channels. The high-level dialogue, convened by the African Development Bank Group and the African Union Commission alongside the AU Summit, brought together trade ministers and business leaders who pointed to Rwanda's experience as evidence that open borders enhance, rather than compromise, security. African Development Bank Group Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Nnenna Nwabufo expressed the Bank's continued commitment to supporting the acceleration of visa-free movement across the continent. "We do it for its promise to transform Africa and to create prosperity," she noted. "In fact, the goals of our new Ten‑Year Strategy (2024–2033) are designed around seizing Africa's opportunities for a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and integrated continent.' In his keynote address, Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals at the African Union Commission, outlined four priority areas to open up the continent. They include liberalizing the movement of categories of people critical for trade in goods and services, implementing the Strategic Framework on Key Actions to Achieve Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa, advancing to the next stage of African economic integration, particularly the African Common market, as envisaged under the 1991 Abuja Treaty, and establishing the appropriate facilitation measures, whether soft or hard infrastructure, to facilitate free movement of persons. Commissioner Muchanga stressed the need to make more progress on some continental projects, such as the trans-African highways (Cairo to Cape and Dakar to Mombasa), to facilitate free movement of persons. Presenting the 'State of play in visa-free movement in Africa,' which featured findings from the latest edition of the AfricaVisa Openness Index, AVOI, Principal Regional Integration Coordinator at the African Development Bank's Regional Integration Coordination Office, Ometere Omoluabi-Davies, highlighted the progress made by some countries regarding opening up their borders for Africans. The presentation reported that 39 African countries have improved their scores since 2016, indicating that visa openness across Africa is at its highest level since the inception of the index. Despite this inspiring trajectory, it was observed that there is still much room for progress to facilitate the unrestricted mobility of Africans within the continent. Rwanda Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi shared his country's experience and economic gains from implementing a visa-free regime. 'Rwanda does not agree with the usual excuse of security threats that accompany visa-free discussions because what is important is to invest in the systems, security, governance, monitoring,' he declared. 'In the end, people who travel for tourism and business will always use the official channels such as the borders and airports. This means the policy itself cannot contribute to security concerns but rather solve the issue of smuggling and illegal migration.' The event featured roundtable discussions in which Africa's policymakers and business leaders shared insights on implementing visa-free movement across the continent. With a resounding call to action, African Union's Youth Envoy, Chido Mpemba, emphasized that the interconnectedness of young people through social media and the internet enables experience sharing and cross-border collaboration. She noted that this was critical for building the social and cultural integration needed to create a shared African identity. The session concluded with a joint announcement of the 2025 Visa-Free Roadshow by Dr. Joy Kategekwa, Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office of the African Development Bank Group, and Dr. Sabelo Mbokazi, Head of Employment, Labor and Migration Division of the African Union Commission. This roadshow aims to sustain advocacy and mobilize action for visa openness and free movement within Africa's broader regional integration agenda to deliver better results for all Africans. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Contact: Betty Baisiwa Dowuona-Hammond Communication and External Relations Department media@ About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:
Al-Ahram Weekly
17-02-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
UNDP, Sylvera launch Carbon Data Access Partnership during 38th AU Summit - Economy
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and leading carbon data platform Sylvera have officially launched the Carbon Data Access Partnership (CaDAP) during the 38th African Union Summit. This collaboration aims to enhance African governments' access to essential carbon market insights, empowering them to make informed policy and investment decisions. Under this partnership, Sylvera will provide African governments with insights into over 21,000 carbon projects. These comprehensive data will enable officials to better understand existing and planned carbon initiatives within their territories. By facilitating access to data, CaDAP aims to empower countries to engage more effectively with carbon markets, particularly in the context of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This would unlock crucial carbon finance. 'Africa has a critical role in the journey to net zero. Partnering with UNDP amplifies our mission by harnessing their extensive reach and expertise to deliver transformative carbon insights that drive climate action and economic growth,' said Sylvera CEO Allister Furey. "UNDP is committed to utilizing credible and comprehensive data for informed policy and investment decisions," said Ahunna Eziakonwa, assistant UN secretary-general and director of the UNDP Africa Bureau. "Through this partnership, we hope that African governments can effectively engage with carbon markets," Eziakonwa added. Moreover, the CaDAP ensures that African carbon credits are valued fairly in global markets. Despite the continent's vast potential for high-integrity carbon projects, its credits have often been undervalued due to a lack of transparent data and standardized rating mechanisms. By providing governments with insights on project performance and environmental impact, the CaDAP will enhance the credibility of African carbon credits, attract higher-value investments, and advocate for pricing that reflects their actual climate and development benefits. Short link:
Saba Yemen
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
38th African Summit kicks off in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa-Saba: The 38th African Union Summit kicked off today, Saturday, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The summit is expected to study and make far-reaching decisions on various political, social and economic fields to enhance and develop the well-being and quality of life for African citizens. Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed said in his speech at the opening of the 38th summit that the title of this summit calls on us to work to heal the wounds of historical injustice, overcome the suffering and scars that have affected our development, eliminate poverty, discrimination, and inequality, put an end to the exploitation of our natural resources, and establish the foundations of a path of transformation and change that allows us to overcome the imbalances of the past, and correct all the injustices that our societies have suffered from on this continent. He stressed the need to rise above the historical differences imposed by the borders drawn by colonialism, by developing solidarity among all nations on this continent, and working to build and construct our common destiny in order to benefit and employ enormous energies. For his part, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, said, "The brotherly Palestinian people have suffered and continue to suffer from the most heinous types of injustice. The terrible and unjust war has destroyed everything in Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip. The continued deprivation of the people of their basic rights to independence, peace, existence and life in all simplicity constitutes a grave disgrace to all humanity." He added, "We see the complete silence of the world despite this terrifying scene that the people of Gaza are living after more than a year, and some of them are even calling for the deportation of the Palestinians, which exacerbates the situation." Faki stressed that the heroic Palestinian people remain steadfast, as the African Union has remained and will remain by their side with all strength and determination. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Bahrain News Gazette
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Bahrain News Gazette
Bahrain Participates in High-Level Humanitarian Conference for Sudan
Addis Ababa: Bahrain, represented by Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Al Turaifi, Chief of Arab and African Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hassan Abdulaziz Murad from the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF), participated in the high-level humanitarian conference for Sudan in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The conference took place on the sidelines of the 38th African Union Summit, facilitated by the African Union, IGAD, Ethiopia, and the UAE, drawing broad participation from countries and international organizations. According to Bahrain News Agency, Al Turaifi emphasized the importance of mobilizing regional and international support for Sudan's humanitarian response and coordinating efforts to ensure the unhindered delivery of urgent aid and the protection of relief workers. He highlighted Bahrain's call for a ceasefire during Ramadan to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need and create conditions for a serious dialogue leading to a lasting political solution. He also noted the need for continued cooperation with neighboring countries hosting large numbers of Sudanese refugees to ensure comprehensive support for affected families. Al Turaifi further stressed Bahrain's commitment to diplomatic efforts to encourage Sudanese parties toward an inclusive political settlement that preserves Sudan's unity and prevents escalation. He underscored the necessity for economic initiatives and infrastructure projects to support Sudan's recovery and stability, aligning with the outcomes of the Bahrain Summit, which highlighted Sudan's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. The summit urged Sudanese parties to engage with regional and international initiatives to resolve the crisis.
