Today, at the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh, the European Commission announced the launch of the second phase of the Regreening Africa programme, supported by a new €15 million investment. Building on the success of its first phase, this initiative aims to combat land degradation, improve community livelihoods and climate resilience, and restore ecosystems across the Sahel and Horn of Africa.Regreening Africa is a key programme in the EU’s support to the Great Green Wall, an AU-EU Global Gateway Investment Package Flagship at regional level.The…
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The United States has been a partner to Georgia and the Georgian people for more than 32 years. Our partnership has been rooted in our shared love of freedom and democracy and a desire to see Georgia in the Euro-Atlantic family. We have worked hand-in-hand with successive Georgian governments and the Georgian people to develop Georgia’s economy, improve its education system, enhance defense capabilities, and expand its health and agriculture sectors. The United States has been a strong supporter of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and our commitment to the brave people of Georgia and their Euro-Atlantic aspirations is ironclad.…
LAKE ZURICH, IL – For the eighth time since 2020, federal workplace safety inspectors have cited a Lake Zurich roofing contractor for exposing workers to falls from elevation, the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries among people employed in the construction industry.Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed employees of Fino Exterior Inc. working atop residential structures without legally required fall protection equipment on four occasions in 2024, in Palatine on Feb. 6, Orland Park on June 12, Palos Heights on Aug. 16 and Shorewood on Oct. 16. Fino Exterior’s troubling history of ignoring…
Catherine Russell, head of UN child rights agency, UNICEF, appealed for greater protection efforts by both the international community and the parties to the conflict, and a political solution to end the war. “Children are depending on this Council to provide solutions. We cannot and we must not let them down,” she said. Young lives shattered Ms. Russell outlined the awful toll on young lives. At least 2,406 boys and girls have been killed or injured since the war began in February 2022 – an average of two a day, according to UN verified numbers, though the true figure is…
PRIME MINISTER ABELA: So Secretary Blinken, first of all, thank you for being here. It is indeed a great pleasure to welcome you to Malta. Your visit here reflects the enduring and robust ties between our two nations, rooted in shared values and mutual respect, and the respect also that we have for fundamental human rights. Under the administration of President Biden, our cooperation has reached new heights, reaffirming our mutual commitment to promoting peace, security, and the principles of democracy, rule of law as well, and human rights, as I have already just mentioned. These values remain at the…
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $3 million award to Humanity & Inclusion to strengthen the capacity of organizations of persons with disabilities and their key stakeholders in Cambodia to address labor exploitation and barriers that impede access to decent work. Administered by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the award will aid Humanity & Inclusion, an independent humanitarian organization working alongside persons with disabilities in situations of poverty, exclusion, conflict and disaster to improve labor rights for persons with disabilities. Through the project, the organization will also support access to decent work, which is work that…
Today, the EU and Smart Africa Alliance have further enhanced their collaboration to bridge the digital divide in Africa by signing an Administrative Arrangement and a grant agreement under the Global Gateway strategy. The partnership was formalised during a high-level roundtable discussion with European and African government representatives, private sector leaders and civil society. Key objectives of the agreement are deploying secure, affordable digital networks, advancing e-governance services, and exploring the potential of artificial intelligence. The event was co-organised by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub. Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission: “This new agreement marks a joint ambition to create…
“The world is on fire…We are dealing with a polycrisis right now globally and it is the most vulnerable people in the world who are paying the price. We are dealing with the impact of conflicts – multiple conflicts – and crises of longer duration and of more intense ferocity” said Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and head of the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, in an appeal for $47.4 billion to provide life-saving aid in more than 30 countries and nine refugee-hosting regions. Impossible choices Dire as OCHA’s new humanitarian assessment is on behalf of more than 1,500 humanitarian…
But amendments proposed by the EPP and passed by the European Parliament have been abandoned, after they met with strong resistance from the Commission and EU member countries. These amendments include a proposal to create a new “no risk” category that would reduce due diligence requirements for commodities sourced from areas at zero or negligible risk of deforestation. The Council of the EU had raised concerns about the compatibility of such a measure with World Trade Organization rules, and which POLITICO reported the EPP had finally dropped late last week. That backtrack was not the first in the saga. Back…
On Tuesday, UN Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed her grave concern over humanitarian aid organizations reports that Zamzam camp came under fire and intense shelling during the evening of 1 December and again on 2 December. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law and should never be a target,” she underscored. According to humanitarian organizations, the shelling killed at least five people and injured 18, prompting the evacuation of a hospital and the suspension of healthcare operations in the camp, which is located near El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state. Conditions at breaking point Already grappling…