Day: March 30, 2022

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to the African Union Continental Workshop, in Abuja today:

Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honour to address this vital workshop to discuss progress on both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063. I thank the African Union and its partners for organizing it.

We live in a fragile and turbulent world. COVID 19 has wrought havoc on our societies and economies. And now, the war in Ukraine is destabilizing a global economy still reeling from the pandemic triggering dramatic spikes in prices of food, energy and other essential goods.

Africa will be particularly hard hit given that as many as 25 African countries import more than one third of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine and 15 of them import over half. But we must not give up hope on achieving Africa’s development objectives. We can still prevail — by continuing to work to open opportunities and unlock investments for better health and education systems, decent work, climate action and clean energy.

Getting back on track will require policy choices aligned with the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 and a clear emphasis on leaving no one behind. Last year, the Secretary-General published Our Common Agenda, which outlines a vision for the future of global cooperation founded on a more inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism. Through Our Common Agenda we will intensify our efforts in the Decade of Action and push for the key transitions in energy, food and digitalization to achieve a greener, safer and more equitable world.

In this effort, voluntary national and local reviews are essential tools — providing a clear picture of the state of play, identifying priorities for action, and accelerating progress on SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) implementation. They can support more integrated and evidence-based policymaking, enhanced coordination at different government levels and serve as a tool for better data collection. In addition, the Local2030 Coalition is leveraging the voluntary national review process to track and report SDG progress at the local level and to advocate for and invest in voluntary local review.

Your efforts this week will benefit not just your own nations, but the whole continent, by identifying solutions in the run-up to the high-level political forum in July, and by building new partnerships to meet the SDGs by 2030. I wish you fruitful discussions over the next two days.

Thank you.

Source: United Nations

KINSHASA, Mar 30 (NNN-IRIN) – A helicopter of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), or MONUSCO, was shot down yesterday, by rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), with eight people on board, said the DRC armed forces (FARDC).

The tragedy took place as several FARDC military positions had been attacked since early Monday by M23 rebels, in the Rutshuru territory of the north-eastern North Kivu province, the same area where the MONUSCO helicopter crashed.

“The helicopter was shot down in the midst of a mission to assess the population movements, caused by the M23 attacks in the region for humanitarian actions,” read the statement issued by the military governor of North Kivu, while accusing the M23 of having shot down the plane, in an area where rebels are staging an offensive.

According to the statement, the downed helicopter had eight peacekeepers and UN observers on board. For the moment, the military authorities have indicated that they are working hard to find the wreckage of the downed aircraft and survivors.

According to a MONUSCO briefing, released earlier, the helicopter, which was on a reconnaissance mission, crashed around noon, local time. The MONUSCO has not yet confirmed the FARDC accusations and the casualty.

The M23 is a group of former rebels of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP). The name came from the March 23, 2009, agreement between the CNDP and the Congolese government, which M23 leaders claimed had not been respected by the government.

The cause of the air crash remains unknown, and a search-and-rescue mission is underway.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message on the launch of the Zambia Chapter of the African Women Leaders Network, in Lusaka, Zambia, today:

Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia; the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia; Zambia’s First Lady; the Honourable Chief Justice; the Speaker of the National Assembly; Cabinet ministers; Members of Parliament; United Nations colleagues; representatives of civil society organizations; ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to address the launch of the African Women Leadership Network in Zambia. Today marks the start of heightened efforts to turn the clock forward for women and girls in Zambia.

Women have taken a central role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and in taking action against climate change. They have led efforts to address violence against women and girls. Their contributions and leadership across all walks of life are changing Zambia for the better and are bringing the country closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

I am pleased to see continued momentum, from the high-level dialogue on increasing women’s participation in electoral processes that I attended, towards bold and transformative actions to enhance the leadership of women in the country.

I call upon all women in Zambia and Africa to advocate for taking their rightful place in communities and take on leadership roles in all sectors and I urge all men everywhere to become champions and support women’s leadership.

Excellencies,

The Secretary-General has presented five transformative recommendations to achieve gender equality in this generation: repealing all gender-discriminatory laws; promoting gender parity in all spheres and at all levels of decision-making; facilitating women’s economic inclusion by providing access to jobs and opportunities; ensuring greater inclusion of younger women; and implementing an emergency response plan to prevent and end gender-based violence.

I am confident that the Women Leaders Network can provide the necessary impetus and commitment to turn these into action and deliver a step change on SDG 5. I wish you a successful event. Thank you.

Source: United Nations