Economic slowdown in Africa, says World Bank
Low commodity prices, tightening global financial conditions and drought in parts of the region are holding back economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa this year. The slowdown is particularly pronounced among oil exporters (Nigeria, Angola), but has also weighed on non-energy mineral exporters (South Africa, Zambia). Electricity shortages, the Ebola epidemic, conflict and political and security […]
How laws are made in Sweden
Each year, the Swedish Government lays some 200 legislative proposals, normally in the form of a government bill, before the Riksdag (Swedish parliament). Some bills contain proposals for new legislation, requiring extensive deliberation and debate before a vote can be taken, while others consist of proposals for policy guidelines or major or minor amendments to […]
Ambassador Conteh praises ECOWAS
Liberia’s ambassador to Nigeria Prof. Al-Hassan Conteh says despite the current security and financial challenges facing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), there is much that the sub-region of over 300 million people can be thankful for. Ambassador Conteh made the assertions on Friday, June 10, in Abuja, the Nigerian capital during the official celebration of the 41st anniversary of […]
Sweden begins campaign to support UN global goals
Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has launched #FirstGeneration, an international campaign, in collaboration with international and local actors, intended to strengthen international efforts on the 2030 Agenda and help ensure that new and younger target groups take on the challenges linked to the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Almost half of the world’s population is under […]
Cash transfer programs help Zambia’s poor
Programs designed to alleviate hunger and increase food supply through cash transfers to some of Zambia’s poorest families achieved those goals and more, final evaluations conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) revealed. Overall, researchers found that a cash-transfer program geared toward families with at least one young child had effects that amounted to a […]
Sexual abuse of children: UN whistleblower resigns
UN whistleblower Anders Kompass, who exposed the sexual abuse of children by French and African peacekeepers in Central African Republic, is to resign in protest over what he sees as the organisation’s failure to hold its senior officials to account. “The complete impunity for those who have been found to have, in various degrees, abused […]
Study: Sweden is best country in the world
Sweden has been ranked the world’s top nation in the latest edition of the Good Country Index. The study used official figures from the United Nations and other international organisations to quantify what each country contributes to the rest of the world and what it takes away, relative to its size. Simon Anholt, creator of the […]
The EU-Turkey migration deal is dying
It’s been less than 11 weeks since the EU struck its controversial deal with Turkey to stem the flow of asylum seekers into Europe. The agreement was immediately under pressure on several fronts and now looks set to unravel completely, even before any mass returns come to pass. Two weeks ago, a committee on the […]
Tanzania to host major investment forum
The Tanzania International Forum For Investments is scheduled to take place at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian capital from 12-14 July. With confirmed funding commitments amounting to US$1 billion and confirmed participation from global investors and funding institutions in control of more than US$200 billion, the forum is set […]
Eritrea: promoting development, food security
In 1994, Eritrea released the Macro Policy Paper (MPP), articulating a broad national development policy with a special focus on agriculture. Specific points raised in the document include: the need to create of a modern, technologically advanced and competitive agricultural sector; the importance of producing high value agricultural commodities through the development of irrigation and […]
