Africa

The telecommunications giant was hit with a multi-billion dollar tax bill by Nigerian regulators.

Simegnew Bekele's death sparked a huge outcry in July as some suspected that he had been murdered.

The British resident and three-year-old remain in hospital following the incident in South Africa.

A trawler in Johnstone Strait, BC, Canada. Human activities such as pollution, overfishing, mining, geo-engineering and climate change have made an international agreement to protect the high seas more critical than ever. Credit: Winky/cc by 2.0

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 7 2018 (IPS)

After several years of preliminary discussions, the United Nations has begun its first round of inter-governmental negotiations to draft the world’s first legally binding treaty to protect and regulate the “high seas”—which, by definition, extend beyond 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) and are considered “international waters” shared globally.

“The high seas cover half our planet and are vital to the functioning of the whole ocean and all life on Earth. The current high seas governance system is weak, fragmented and unfit to address the threats we now face in the 21stt century from climate change, illegal and overfishing, plastics pollution and habitat loss”, says Peggy Kalas, Coordinator of the High Seas Alliance, a partnership of 40+ non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

“This is an historic opportunity to protect the biodiversity and functions of the high seas through legally binding commitments” she added.

The two-week Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), which concludes 17 September, is described as the first in a series of four negotiating sessions which are expected to continue through 2020.

Asked about the contentious issues facing negotiators, Dr Veronica Frank, Political Advisor at Greenpeace International, told IPS “although it is still early, we can expect that some of the potential issues that will require attention include the relationship between the new Global Ocean Treaty and existing legal instruments and bodies.”

These will include those who regulate activities such as fishing and mining, and what role
these other organizations will play in the management of activities that may impact on the marine environment in future ocean sanctuaries on the high seas.

“Also tricky is the issue of marine genetic resources, especially how to ensure the access and sharing of benefits from their use,” Dr Frank said.

Asked how different the proposed treaty would be from the historic 1994 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Essam Yassin Mohammed, Principal Researcher on Oceans and Environmental Economics at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), told IPS: “This new treaty is particularly significant because it is the first time the high seas will be governed.”

These negotiations are an opportunity, not just to protect the health of the oceans, but also to make sure all countries ― not just the wealthy few ― can benefit from the ocean’s resources in a sustainable way, he pointed out.

“As important as The Law of the Sea is, it only covers the band of water up to 200 miles from the coast. It does not cover the use and sustainable management of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction,” he added.

While this was acceptable in an era when the technological capacities that enabled people to venture beyond this area were limited, rapid innovation and technological advancement has changed this. Increasingly, economic activities are taking place in the high seas, he noted.

Most are unregulated and pose a major threat to marine biodiversity. It is more urgent than ever to fill this governance gap and monitor and regulate any activity in the high seas and make sure they benefit everyone ― particularly the poorest countries, he argued.

According to the High Seas Alliance, the ocean’s key role in mitigating climate change, which includes absorbing 90% of the extra heat and 26% of the excess carbon dioxide created by human sources, has had a devastating effect on the ocean itself.

Managing the multitude of other anthropogenic stressors exerted on it will increase its resilience to climate change and ocean acidification and protect unique marine ecosystems, many of which are still unexplored and undiscovered. Because these are international waters, the conservation measures needed can only be put into place via a global treaty, the Alliance said.

Dr Frank said the new treaty must create a global process for the designation and effective implementation of highly protected sanctuaries in areas beyond national borders.

Such global process must include the following elements: (a) a clear objective and a duty to cooperate to protect, maintain, and restore ocean health and resilience through a global network of marine protected areas, in particular highly protected marine reserves, and (b) the identification of potential areas that meet the conservation objective.

Asked about the existing law of the sea treaty, she said UNCLOS, which is the constitution of the ocean, sets the jurisdictional framework, ie general rights and obligations of Parties in different maritime zones, including some general obligations to cooperate and protect marine life and marine living resources that also apply to waters beyond national borders.

However, the Convention doesn’t spell out what these obligations entail in practice and puts much more emphasis on the traditional freedoms to use the high seas.

The Convention does not even mention the term biodiversity, she said, pointing out that
the treaty under negotiation will be the third so-called “Implementing Agreement” under UNCLOS – after the agreement for the implementation of Part XI on seabed minerals and one on fish stocks – and it will implement, specify and operationalise UNCLOS broad environmental provisions in relation to the protection of the global oceans.

Dr Frank said this is the first time in history that governments are negotiating rules that will bring UNCLOS in line with modern principles of environmental governance and provide effective protection to global oceans.

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@ips.org

The post UN Begins Talks on World’s First Treaty to Regulate High Seas appeared first on Inter Press Service.

South Africa's top engineer said women were "predisposed to caring" rather than working in business.

By IPS World Desk
DAKAR, Sep 7 2018 (IPS)

Migrants as Messengers is a peer-to-peer messaging campaign by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) where returning migrants share with their communities and families the dangers, trauma and abuse that many experienced while attempting irregular migration.

The stories are candid and emotional testimonials about the difficulties they faced.

Here is the discussion around irregular migration with Senegalese hip-hop singer Matar Khoudia Ndiaye–aka Big Makhou Djolof and Ramatoulaye Diene, a legal migration activist and radio personality.

The post Migrants as Messengers Explain the Dangers of Irregular Migration appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Huge installations of wind turbines and solar panels would boost rainfall and vegetation in desert areas.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa and of Africans elsewhere this week.

Nigerian teenager Chinedu Michael Okechukwu dreams of being a world-famous classical singer.

Mohamed Bangoura's passport was rejected by authorities as he boarded a flight home.

Italy accuses six Tunisians of smuggling migrants, but supporters say they helped a boat in distress.

The minibus driver was accused of sexual harassment, but he might have been the victim of a set-up.

Liu Jiaqi is to be deported after calling all Kenyans, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, monkeys.

Guinea international Abdoul 'Razza' Camara confirms his football career is over due to a heart condition.

Mohammed Zanna lives in Tarkwa Bay, Lagos State, but fears his home could soon be gone.

Wrexham striker Mike Fondop has gained a first class honours degree and is now hoping to secure promotion to the Football League.

Sierra Leone international Alhassan Kamara explains Euro 2004 winner Traianos Dellas motivated him to join Greek side Panetolikos.

Uganda's pop star MP speaks to BBC Africa from the US, where he has been receiving medical treatment.

The judgement was delivered in a military courtroom packed with diplomats, aid workers and officials.

By WAM
CAIRO, Sep 6 2018 (WAM)

The 102nd ministerial session of the Arab Economic and Social Council began today at the headquarters of the Arab League General Secretariat in the Egyptian capital,Cairo.

The UAE is participating in the session through a delegation headed by Mohammed Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Shehhi, Under-Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Economy.

Al Shehhi said that the UAE desires to participate in the council’s meetings, which will address several key issues, to strengthen the region’s cooperation and integration and serve its economic and development goals.

He added that the current session will look at several key topics and discuss the outcomes of the 30th session of the Arab League Summit, as well as the implementation of the Riyadh Declaration issued at the 4th Summit of South American-Arab Countries that was held in Riyadh in 2015.

It will also discuss many economic issues and other key topics, to advance the level of Arab regional and international cooperation and promote communication with emerging markets, which will serve their economic and development goals, he further added.

Al Shehhi stressed that strengthening joint Arab work will assist the development of Arab countries, encourage foreign investments, and fulfil the requirements of sustainable development.

The agenda of the session includes a discussion on the economic cooperation between the Arab League and the United Nations, investing in Arab countries, an Arab project to develop the small and medium-sized enterprise, SME, sector, upgrading the work of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, and an agreement with the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organisation.

WAM/Tariq alfaham

The post UAE participates in 102nd ministerial session of Arab Economic and Social Council appeared first on Inter Press Service.