Africa

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25 June 2018, Room XVI, United Nations Geneva Switzerland

By Geneva Centre
GENEVA, Jun 25 2018 (Geneva Centre)

The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue in collaboration with the International Catholic Migration Commission, the World Council of Churches, the World Council of Religious Leaders, Bridges to Common Ground and the European Centre for Peace and Development is organizing the first World Conference “Religions, Creeds and Value Systems: Joining Forces to Enhance Equal Citizenship Rights.”

The World Conference will be held on 25 June 2018 at the United Nations Office in Geneva Switzerland, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It will be addressed by more than 35 world-renowned religious, political and lay leaders from the major regions of the world.

The world is witnessing a steep rise in xenophobia, racism and intolerance resorting to the distortion and abuse of religions and faith for violence, exclusion and discrimination. This is undermining national unity in many countries, as well as global cooperation. A universally shared understanding and recognition of the concept of equal citizenship rights, its protection and implementation, is a requirement to overcome the manifold challenges which is the World Conference ambition, through consensual adoption of a global follow up action and strategic plan and its coordination across regions and within all nations.

Pursuant to the 2030 UN Agenda on Sustainable Development to promote peace, mutual respect and understanding across cultures and generations, the objective of this conference is three-fold:

Firstly, to harness the collective energy and convergence of religions, creeds and value-systems celebrating diversity and multiculturalism, the basis for the affirmation of equal citizenship rights
Secondly, to bring out and broaden the space of commonalities between the said religions, creeds and value systems as a basis to give recognition to all social components of society irrespective of their origin, faith, status, gender or disability
Thirdly, to recognize a set of shared core inalienable principles providing new foundations for joint action by people of all religions, beliefs and value systems to advance equal citizenship rights of all peoples, in full alignment with the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights signed by all states.

The outcome Declaration of the World Conference – with a Ten-point Global Strategic Plan and Follow Up Actions – will be offered as a milestone in the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue, an organization with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, is a think tank dedicated to the promotion of human rights through cross-cultural, religious and civilizational dialogue between the Global North and Global South, and through training of the upcoming generations of stakeholders in the Arab region. Its aim is to act as a platform for dialogue between a variety of stakeholders involved in the promotion and protection of human rights.Avec son statut consultatif special auprès du Conseil économique et social des Nations Unies,

CONTACTS MEDIA:

Dr. Astrid Stuckelberger Senior expert on inter-religious affairs
Email: astrid.stuckelberger@gmail.com
Phone number: +41 (0) 76 616 14 41
Blerim Mustafa
Junior project and communications officer Email: bmustafa@gchragd.org
Phone number: +41 (0) 22 748 27 95

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Excerpt:

25 June 2018, Room XVI, United Nations Geneva Switzerland

The post Conference on Religions and Human Rights at UNOG: World Declaration on the Advancement of Equal Citizenship Rights appeared first on Inter Press Service.

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By WAM
ABU DHABI, Jun 25 2018 (WAM)

The Department of Energy, DOE, Abu Dhabi has announced the list of qualified companies to compete over the selection of a developer or developer consortium of the Independent Water Project, IWP, who will own up to 40 percent of the project’s share.

The project includes the development, financing, establishment, operation, maintenance and ownership of the water desalination plant at a capacity of 200 MIGD, in addition to the related infrastructure. The plant will be constructed at the Taweelah power and water complex, approximately 45 kilometres north of Abu Dhabi city.

This will be established in accordance with Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s laws concerning the production of Reverse Osmosis desalinated water by independent producers at a capacity of 200 MIGD.

The project includes the development, financing, establishment, operation, maintenance and ownership of the water desalination plant at a capacity of 200 MIGD, in addition to the related infrastructure. The plant will be constructed at the Taweelah power and water complex, approximately 45 kilometres north of Abu Dhabi city.

Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of the DOE, stated, “This project will support Abu Dhabi’s steps towards sustainability and energy mix, in line with the vision of the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who urged excellence and leadership in the environment field through his values and wisdom. Thus, his principals are still present and shall continue to be through the leadership and vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council, as well as the efforts of Abu Dhabi’s government.

“We seek to develop and promote the emirate’s infrastructure via launching numerous projects, which can meet the increasing demand on the different energy sectors. By introducing the Taweelah Reverse Osmosis Project, we assure the readiness of the energy and infrastructure sector and its high efficiency, besides keeping pace with the latest technologies. In addition, we are creating competitive opportunities for developers and attracting international companies to benefit from their experiences in the field of services quality. Further, we affirm our efforts to utilise the natural resources and achieve its sustainability in line with the emirate’s Economic Vision and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050.”

Mohamed bin Jarsh Al Falasi, the Under-Secretary of the DOE, said that the plant will strengthen the UAE’s position in general and Abu Dhabi’s in particular as a leading site for IWPP projects in partnership with the private sector. The city is now one of the pioneers in implementing the Independent Producers’ Programme and has succeeded in attracting international investment.

More than 40 companies expressed their interest in the tender, which was awarded in the international and local media this month. Twenty-seven companies have submitted a Statement of Qualifications based on the request issued on 15th February, 2018. After comprehensive revision of all the submitted Statement of Qualifications, 25 companies were qualified (including local companies) based on the followed standards, where all companies will receive detailed “Request for Proposals.”

Moreover, 13 companies were qualified on an independent basis. Therefore, they can submit their own proposals without the need to form a joint venture with other eligible parties. The remaining 12 companies were qualified on a conditional basis, as they were informed in writing by the DOE that they can join the competition by forming a joint venture with other qualified companies. The due date to submit the proposals in the “Request for Proposal” is 29th October, 2018.

 

WAM/MOHD AAMIR

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By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 25 2018 (IPS)

A global campaign to end a longstanding health and environmental hazard– the use of mercury in dentistry—is steadily moving to a successful conclusion.

Providing an update, Charlie Brown, head of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, one of the key campaigners, told IPS that “nation by nation, the world is on the threshold of ending amalgam for children in 2018.”

Participants in the global workshop in Bangkok, co-sponsored by the UN Environment (UNE) and the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry. Credit: UNE

“Europe takes that exciting step on July 1. Asian nations like Bangladesh and Vietnam are taking the same bold step this year. Several African nations may follow the lead of Mauritius (which ended amalgam for children in 2014). And Latin American nations such as Uruguay are well-prepared to do the same,” said Brown, a former Governor of the US state of Ohio.

One of the highlights of the global campaign was an international workshop last month in the Thai capital of Bangkok.

Brown said “people arrived at the global workshop believing they would make history– and they left having made history.”

The theme of the Minamata Convention, a legally-binding landmark treaty, is “Make mercury … history.” And the theme of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, declared Brown, is “Make dental amalgam … history.”

Amalgam has been defined as an alloy that consists chiefly of silver mixed with mercury and variable amounts of other metals and used as a dental filling.

Asked to rate the success of the workshop, he said: “The best thing to come out of the workshop is empowerment. Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans know that, like Europeans, they can end amalgam for children now, and end amalgam for everyone on a timetable.”

Western corporate interests, he pointed out, still try to hoodwink governments by peddling separators, to which is there is defiant opposition.

“Money must be wisely spent on bringing in supplies of alternatives, changing dental school curriculum, providing information to parents and consumers, and focusing government programs and insurance on alternatives,” he noted.

The Bangkok workshop was co-sponsored by the Nairobi-based UN Environment (UNE) and the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry. And the focus was on amalgam reduction especially to protect “women, children, and through them, future generations” – language from the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

The Minamata Convention, described as the first new environmental agreement in over a decade – entered into force on August 16, 2017.

The primary aim of the Convention is “to protect human health and the environment” from mercury releases, according to the United Nations.

So far, the international treaty has been signed by 128 of the 193 UN member states and ratified by 92 countries, described as “state parties”, which are now legally obliged to comply with its provisions.

The Minamata Convention joins three other UN conventions seeking to reduce impacts from chemicals and waste – the Basel Convention (1992), Rotterdam Convention (2004) and Stockholm Convention (2004).

Dr. Shahriar Hossain of the Asian Center for Environmental Health told IPS that from every continent, there is intense interest in greatly reducing dental amalgam use.

“A complete phase-out of amalgam for children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers was deemed realistic or feasible by representatives from both developing and developed nations alike.”

Dr Hossain said civil society increasingly speaks with one voice in favor of mercury-free dentistry, especially for children.

The Abuja Declaration for Mercury-Free Dentistry for Africa (2014) was followed by similar declarations for other continents: the Dhaka Declaration for Asia (2015), the Berlin Declaration for Europe (2017) and the Chicago Declaration for America (2018).

Dominique Bally of the African Center for Environmental Health, told IPS “those who suggest Africa is not ready for mercury-free dentistry have a fake view of our continent. They do not know Africa, nor do they understand our people’s hopes for the same pollution-free environment to which they aspire for their communities.”

Africans, she said, will continue their intense and united opposition to “Western policies that keep Africa polluted and make our children poisoned by chemicals like mercury. I have been to fully half of the nations on the great continent to work for mercury-free dentistry.”

Assuredly, African governments, African dentists, and African parents want amalgam ended now for both for today’s children and for future children via toxic-free young women, she noted.

Bally said children of the African region deserve mercury-free dentistry in their mouths and mercury-free fish in their food equally so to the children of Europe and wherever mercury-free dentistry is implemented.

Dr. Graeme Munro-Hall, chief dental officer, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, told IPS: “There is no clinical reason to place an amalgam filling in a child – and every reason not to do it. After all, mercury-free fillings have surpassed amalgam in effectiveness and are now comparably priced. I practiced dentistry for 35 years without placing a single amalgam.”

Maria Carcamo, Latin American Center for Environmental Health said the Minamata Convention specifically calls attention to the populations most vulnerable to mercury: children and pregnant women, especially in developing countries. “When we act to end amalgam in these populations, we fulfill the Minamata mission.”

Asked about the next step forward, Brown said that in 2012-13, the African region led the Minamata Convention to a strong anti-amalgam plank. In 2018, Africans are ready to lead the Minamata Convention to the phase out of amalgam on a timetable.

“Africans famously leapfrog to new technologies. Amalgam is a primitive pollutant of the 19th century imported to Africa from the West. But 21st-century dentistry is mercury-free dentistry,” Brown noted.

He said the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry expresses its deep appreciation to the Honorable Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment, for encouraging this workshop and for providing the opening address, and to Nina Cromnier of the Minamata Convention Bureau for helping to guide it.

“We note that Mr. Solheim, as Environmental Minister of Norway a decade back, was the first minister in the world to ban amalgam for a nation,” he declared.

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@ips.org

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