GENEVA, Switzerland, April 16, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is meeting in Geneva from 27 April to 15 May 2015 to review the following countries on these dates: France (28-29 Apr), Guatemala (29-30 Apr), Bosnia and Herzegovina (30 Apr-1 May); Sudan (4-5 May); Germany (5-6 May); Denmark (6-7 May)The above are among the 177 States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. They are required to submit regular reports to the Committee, which is composed of 18 international independent experts. CERD will also…
Author: apofeed
NEW YORK, April 16, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Secretary-General met on 14 April 2015 with the Minister of Interior of Burundi, H.E. Mr. Edouard Nduwimana. The Secretary-General noted that Burundi owes its progress to the spirit of Arusha and the determination of Burundians to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous nation. They discussed recent developments ahead of the general elections to be held between May and August this year. The Secretary-General expressed his concern about the rising political tensions in the country and encouraged Burundians to resolve their political differences through dialogue and without resorting to violence. He…
JUBA, South Sudan, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A year after the mass killings of civilians in the oil town of Bentiu in South Sudan, including people sheltering in the hospital where MSF was running an HIV/TB project, the violence and displacement have continued and access to basic healthcare and food remains a problem for people living in rural areas outside the town.Following the fighting, MSF treated over 230 people for gunshot wounds and thousands of the town’s residents fled for their lives to the nearby UN peacekeepers’ base, which swelled from 6,000 people to more than 22,000…
NEW YORK, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is pleased to announce the appointment of Ronald Kayanja of Uganda as the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, Nigeria. The Information Centre in Lagos covers Nigeria. Mr. Kayanja assumed his new duties on 1 April 2015.Since November 2011, Mr. Kayanja has held the position of UNESCO Adviser for Communication and Information in West Africa, covering Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo working on media, communication and the use of ICTs for development in those countries. In…
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — • While 87% of IT decision-makers feel their organization’s perimeter security is effective at keeping out security threats, 30% of IT decision-makers admit their company has fallen victim to a data breach• 33% think unauthorized users are still able to access their networks and 34% are not confident in the security of their organization’s data should a breach occur• 90% of organizations that experienced data breaches suffered negative commercial consequences Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) (http://www.gemalto.com), the world leader in digital security, has today released the latest findings of the 2015 Data…
NEW YORK, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks against the embassies of the Republic of Korea and Morocco in Tripoli, Libya, on 12 and 13 April.The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the two Libyans killed in the attacks.The members of the Security Council condemned all acts of violence against diplomatic premises, which endanger innocent lives and seriously impede the normal work of diplomatic representatives and officials.The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism, in all its…
NAIROBI, Kenya, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — U.S. Special Representative for Somalia James P. McAnulty condemns the reprehensible April 14 attack on the Ministry of Education in Mogadishu and reaffirms the United States’ solidarity with the Federal Government of Somalia and its people against terrorist organization al-Shabaab. We commend the timely response of the Somali and AMISOM security forces that saved many lives, and honor those who died fighting to protect the innocent.The cowardly attack by al-Shabaab against the Ministry of Education underscores the terrorists’ fierce and misguided opposition to advancing the professional, educational, and vocational aspirations of…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — By the end of 2014, thousands of people living in Kouango area, in southern Central African Republic (CAR), started to cross the Ubangi River looking for safety in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after months of armed clashes in the area between rival militias. More than 20,000 locals fled to DRC and thousands more went to the nearby towns of Bambari and Grimari, north of Kouango. They were all looking for protection after the incessant robberies, killings and burnt houses. While MSF teams in DRC took charge…
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations in Sierra Leone notes the decision taken by the Government of Sierra Leone to disqualify pregnant schoolgirls from attending school and from sitting school examinations. The United Nations wishes to remind the Government of Sierra Leone that education is a fundamental human right that Sierra Leone has committed itself to uphold. Article 4.1 of Sierra Leone’s Education Act (2004) includes the principle of non-discrimination in accessing education.As a state Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Sierra Leone has accepted its international obligation…
NEW YORK, April 14, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — One year ago, over 276 girls were abducted by Boko Haram from their school in Chibok, Borno State, in north-eastern Nigeria. While some of the girls were fortunate to have escaped, the fate of many still remains unknown. We must never forget the kidnapped Chibok girls, and I will not stop calling for their immediate release and their safe return to their families. Over the past 12 months, Boko Haram intensified its brutal attacks on boys and girls in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Hundreds of thousands of children have been displaced…
JUBA, South Sudan, April 14, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) for South Sudan (Political) Moustapha Soumaré visited Malakal today on his first trip to an UNMISS state office since he took up his duties with the Mission on 30 March. Mr. Soumaré met with the Upper Nile State governor Simon Kun Puoch and visited a number of locations in Malakal Town including the city’s main market, the teaching hospital and the Mission’s recently established forward operating bases. The DSRSG was briefed on the security and humanitarian situation in Upper Nile State…
CASABLANCA, Morocco, April 14, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Visa (NYSE: V) (http://www.corporate.visa.com), an international electronic payment company, sponsored the Prepaid Summit Middle East event for the sixth consecutive year in 2015. The event was held in Dubai. Uniting over 150 leading participants, this conference is a regional standard for the electronic payments industry.Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/visa.pngPhoto 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/150413v.jpgPhoto 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/150413v1.jpgOn this occasion, various awards were presented during a ceremony to regional financial institutions, including a significant number based in Africa and the Middle East. These were Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Banque Al Jazira, Banque Libano-Française, Commercial Bank of Qatar, SCC…
DUBLIN, Ireland, April 14, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, TD, and the Minister of State for Development, Trade Promotion, and North South Co-Operation, Seán Sherlock, TD, have called for urgent action to rescue the Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Harem one year ago and urged the Multinational Joint Taskforce to defeat the terrorist group. Speaking today, one year after Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, North Eastern Nigeria, Minister Flanagan said: “The abduction of these girls one year ago was an outrageous act and failure to make every…
PRETORIA, South-Africa, April 14, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is deeply concerned by the continued outbreaks of xenophobia that have been occurring around the country, especially those in Durban which have led to the displacement of many foreign families, including refugees and asylum seekers and welcomes the increased response from Government to address the issue.UNHCR staff and partners have been receiving reports from refugees all around the country that they are afraid to go about their daily lives for fear of being attacked. One foreign national employed as a doctor in Western…
GENEVA, Switzerland, April 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A group of United Nations and African human rights experts* deplored the continued captivity of girls abducted one year ago in Chibok, and called on the Boko Haram armed group to immediately release them as well as the numerous other children who have since been captured in Nigeria. “In the absence of progress in the past year, we urge the Nigerian Government to swiftly take all necessary measures to locate the children, ensure their safe return and recovery, and provide them with adequate assistance and protection,” the experts said speaking ahead…
ZURICH, Switzerland, April 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — What do an environmentally-friendly minicab, a water distillation system and a fire alert detector have in common? They all represent outstanding innovation talent across Africa, applied for the celebrated Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA)( http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org/) award this year, and are now being considered for the grand share prize of US$150 000! Since its inaugural launch in 2011, IPA has gathered great momentum, and is now recognized for leading the innovation frontier in Africa by rewarding innovators for their home-grown, market-led innovations that contribute to Africa’s growth, development and prosperity.This year, AIF…
ABUJA, Nigeria, April 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United States Embassy in Nigeria congratulates the people of Nigeria and the Independent National Electoral Commission for an electoral process on April 11, 2015 that generally went well across the country and built on the success of the March 28 polling process. We have seen the reports of violence and alleged irregularities, particularly in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, and call on those dissatisfied to peacefully pursue their grievances in the judicial arena. We regret any loss of life and destruction of property. We commend the leadership of Nigeria’s political…
KHARTOUM, Sudan, April 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following the receipt of an invitation from the Government of the Republic of Sudan, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, approved the deployment of an African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Sudan to observe the Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled for 13 to 15 April 2015. The AU launched its election observation mission in Sudan on 10 April 2015 with the deployment of 20 short-term observers (STOs) drawn from 14 African countries, representing institutions such as the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Election Management Bodies…
GENEVA, Switzerland, April 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Uganda’s record on protecting the rights of migrant workers is due to be reviewed by a UN Committee on 15 and 16 April in Geneva. Uganda is one of the 47 States Parties to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and so is required to submit regular reports to the Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers. The Committee, which is composed of 14 international independent human rights experts, will discuss the issues with a delegation from the Ugandan…
OTTAWA, Canada, April 10, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:“Canada is disappointed by the failure of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir to deliver on his promise to hold an inclusive national dialogue in the lead-up to the Sudanese general and presidential elections.“Over the last year, Sudanese authorities have repeatedly seized newspapers’ print runs, ordered political arrests—including those of opposition leaders—hindered pre-electoral activities and targeted civilians in the states of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.“These actions have obstructed the emergence of a free and open democratic…