Africa

General view of the plenary session of the World Conference on “Religions, Creeds and Value Systems: Joining Forces to Enhance Equal Citizenship Rights”, held June 25 in Geneva, with the participation of the director general of the IOM, William Swing, as a special guest. Courtesy of the GCHRAGD

By Gustavo Capdevila
GENEVA, Jun 25 2018 (IPS)

The world is “basically at odds with itself,” International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Director General William Swing said Monday, June 25, describing the critical state of human migration between countries and continents.

“I have to say that we are not only living in turbulent and troubled times; I have never known a world such as the one we have today,” said the veteran U.S. diplomat who this year ends his second four-year term at the helm of the IOM.

Swing was addressing the first World Conference on “Religions, Creeds and Value Systems: Joining Forces to Enhance Equal Citizenship Rights”, organised by the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue (GCHRAGD), which brought together academics and religious and political leaders on June 25 in Geneva."We have, in addition to that, more people on the move than at any other time in recorded history, owing to the demographic oddity that the world’s population quadrupled in the last century." -- William Swing

Swing’s warnings come at a time when the European Union is trying, so far in vain, to come up with a common policy with regard to the arrival of thousands of immigrants each week, and when U.S. President Donald Trump is not abandoning his government’s policy of separating immigrant children – more than 2,000 so far – from their undocumented parents – a procedure widely described not only as “cruel” but as “torture”.

“I’m not aware of any significant negotiations or political processes underway right now, and with all of this, we have a countercyclical reaction by the world community — basically, fear of the other, anti-migrant and anti-refugee sentiment, that not only is putting human life at stake but denying us the contributions these migrants make,” Swing said.

“So my first point is: I believe that we are in the middle of a perfect storm. We have a dozen conflicts from the western bulge of Africa to the Himalayas, with absolutely no hope in the short and medium term of resolving any of these,” he added.

The IOM head also said: “We have, in addition to that, more people on the move than at any other time in recorded history, owing to the demographic oddity that the world’s population quadrupled in the last century.”

“Unfortunately, while most of this is occurring regularly, orderly and safely, we have at least 65 million people who have been forced to move,” Swing stressed.

Furthermore, he said, “We have the impact of violations of international humanitarian law on all sides, a serious decline of international law of tort…and an absence of any leadership on the major issues.”

The GCHRAGD, where Swing was speaking, is an institution under the patronage of Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

Bin Talal gave the opening speech at the global conference, in which some 50 religious leaders from the world’s different religions and faiths, as well as international experts on migration, participated.

The prince said that “Together we can share the responsibility of challenging conventional thinking about the underlying causes of loss of human dignity, marginalisation and oppression.”

The conference, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, was a contribution to the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and approved a global 10-point strategic plan to achieve its aim of promoting equal citizenship rights.

One of the strategic points in the plan, which will be presented to different U.N. bodies, is “To preserve the diverse ethnic, cultural and religious heritages of transit and host countries, while, at the same time, offering opportunities for integration to arriving refugees and migrants.

“The aim is to promote mutual contributions and respective resilience, thus avoiding forced assimilation of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons, in line with the proviso set forth in Sustainable Development Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the declaration states.

The IOM director general approved the incorporation of this proposal in the conference’s strategic plan.

“It seems that (the document) underlines the importance of respecting diversity and promoting the contributions that migrants and refugees have generally made,” Swing told IPS.

“And I’m very pleased to see that it deals with the question of integration, which is at the heart of the issue. And very often people get there and they’re not properly integrated. So I think that’s important,” he emphasised.

During the conference, Swing criticised those who ignore the contributions to society made by immigrants.

He noted, for example, that a study by the IOM and the McKinsey Global Institute “determined that although only 3.5 percent of the world’s population are migrants, they are producing nine percent of global wealth measured in GDP terms, which is four percent more than if they had stayed at home.”

“So, if we’re in a storm, we need to find the high ground. We do this by following the teaching of all faiths, that men, women and children are all children of God and members of the universal family,” Swing told the religious leaders drawn together by the GCHRAGD.

“If we are to prevent future storms, we obviously have to make some changes. We have three challenges, in my view. Number one, is the challenge of changing the public narrative, which, right now, is toxic. We’ve become used to building walls rather than bridges….Until we can change that narrative, people will continue to be abused and have their rights disrespected,” he said.

The second challenge, he added, is the challenge of demography. With a rapidly declining population, the global north “is in need of skills and persons to do the jobs. At the same time, we have a rapidly expanding largely unemployed youthful population in the global south — the median age in Africa is 25, while in Europe it is 50.”

“That has to be addressed through programmes of public education and public information,” Swing recommended.

Lastly, “we have to learn to address the challenge of inexorably growing ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity,” he said.

“…I would simply leave you with the message that movement of people, human mobility, is not an issue to be resolved, it is a human reality, as old as humankind, that has to be managed,” he concluded.

The post Unprecedented Human Migration Cries Out for a Global Response appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Solar panels in Dakar, Senegal. Credit: Fratelli dell'Uomo Onlus/cc by 3.0

By Nalisha Adams
JOHANNESBURG, Jun 25 2018 (IPS)

When Senegalese president Macky Sall opened the 30MW Santhiou Mékhé solar plant last June, the country gained the title of having West Africa’s largest such plant. But the distinction was short lived.

Less than six months later, that November, the mantle was passed over to Burkina Faso as a 33MW solar power plant on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Ouagadougou, went online. But as in the case of Senegal, it is a title that Burkina Faso won’t hold for long as another West African nation, Mali, plans to open a 50MW solar plant by the end of this year.What may seem like increasing rising investment in renewables in West Africa is a combination of public-private partnerships and strong political will by countries to keep the commitments made in the Paris Agreement.

“It’s like a healthy competition…In Senegal in 2017 there have a been a number of solar plants that have quite a sizeable volume of production feeding into the electricity network. And this is turning out to be a common trend I think. Because it is one of the ways to actually fill the gap in terms of electricity, affordability and access,” says Mahamadou Tounkara, the country representative for the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Senegal and Burkina Faso. The institute has a mandate to support emerging and developing countries develop rigorous green growth economic development strategies and works with both the public and private sector.

What may seem like increasing rising investment in renewables in West Africa is a combination of public-private partnerships and strong political will by countries to keep the commitments made in the Paris Agreement, a global agreement to tackle climate change. In the agreement countries declared their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which are outlines of the actions they propose to undertake in order to limit the rise in average global temperatures to well below 2°C. According to an 2017 International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report, 45 African countries have quantifiable renewable energy targets in their NDCs.

However, many African countries still rely heavily on fossil fuels as a main energy source.

And while the countries are showing good progress with the implementation of renewables, Dereje Senshaw, the principal energy specialist at GGGI, tells IPS that it is still not enough. He acknowledges though that the limitation for many countries “is the difficulty in how to attract international climate finance.”

In a 2017 interview with IPS, IRENA Policy and Finance expert, Henning Wuester, said that there was less than USD10 billion investment in renewables in Africa and that it needed to triple to fully exploit the continent’s potential.

Representatives from Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea and Senegal will meet in Ouagadougou from Jun. 26 to 28 at a first ever regional capacity development workshop on financing NDC implementation in the energy sector. One of the expected outcomes of the workshop, organised by GGGI, IRENA and the Green Climate Fund, is that these countries will increase their renewable energy target pledges and develop concrete action plans for prioritising their energy sectors in order to access climate funding.

Senshaw points out that these West African countries, and even those in sub-Saharan Africa where most of the energy source comes from hydropower and biomass, “can easily achieve 100% renewable energy.”

“Increasing their energy target means they are opening for climate finance. International climate finance is really willing to [provide] support when you have more ambitious targets,” he says.

IRENA estimates that Africa’s potential for renewables on the continent is around 310 GW by 2030, however, only 70 GW will be reached based on current NDCs.

While the opportunities for investment in renewables “is quite substantial,” African countries have lacked the capacity to access this, according to Tounkara.

“One reason is the quality of their portfolio of programs and projects. It is very difficult to attract investment if the bankability of the programmes and projects are not demonstrated,” Tounkara says.

Christophe Assicot, green investment specialist at GGGI, points out that existing barriers to investment in renewables in Africa include political, regulatory, technology, credit and capital market risks. “Other critical factors are insufficient or contradictory enabling policies, limited institutional capacity and experience, as well as immature financial systems.”

“Governments need to create an enabling environment for investments, which means abiding by strategies and objectives defined in NDCs, designing policy incentives, strengthening the country’s capacity and knowledge about clean technologies, engaging stakeholders, mobilizing the private sector, and facilitating access to international finance,” Assicot says.

Senshaw adds that private sector involvement will provide sustainability for the implementation of NDCs. “Private sector involvement is engineered to reach the forgotten grassroots people. Mostly access to energy is in the urban areas. Whereas in the rural areas  people are far away from the grid system. So how you reach this grid system is through collaborative works with the private sector.”

Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso have built their solar plants with public-private sector funding, with agreements in place that the energy created will be sent back to their country’s power grid. But, despite having the largest solar plant in West Africa, only about 20 percent of Burkina Faso’s 17 million people have access to electricity.

Toshiaki Nagata, senior programme officer for NDC implementation at IRENA, adds that public finance needs to be utilised in a way that leverages private finance.

“To this end, public finance would need to be used beyond direct financing, i.e., grants and loans, to focus on risk mitigation instruments and structured finance mechanisms, which can help address some of the risks and barriers faced by private investors.”

Mitigation instruments are staring to be used in Africa, with GGGI recently designing instruments for Rwanda and Ethiopia. In addition, Senegal’s Ministry of Finance requested GGGI and the African Development Bank design a financing mechanism for the country. It is called the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (REEF).

“The REEF is a derisking mechanism that [Senegal] had to have in place so that the local banks are interested in financing renewable energy projects and energy-efficiency projects,” says Tounkara.

Senegal’s REEF will become operational in October, starting with 50 million dollars and reaching its optimum size of 200 million dollars in 24 months. Senegal will become the first country in the region to have an innovative financing mechanism.

“That is the kind of mechanism that we think is going to be needed in countries to make sure that we accelerate the access to climate finance,” Tounkara says, adding that GGGI will provide the technical assistance for capacity building needs of the banks as well as the projects developers and project promoters.

Senshaw adds that GGGI has also been supporting countries with financial modelling and  leveraging and submitting proposals for funding. “So we support in terms of business model analysis, in terms of supporting them in business model development, in terms of how they can leverage finance. If you see the experience of GGGI, last year we leveraged for member countries USD0.5 billion.”

Capacity building has been considered vital for African countries attempting to access investment for renewables, as a major area of concern for financing has been the quality of the projects and the capacity of banks to assess the quality of those projects.

“By filling that gap we actually increase the interest of the investors, particularly of the local banks and the local financing institutions, to get on board and then invest in renewable energy as well as supporting the private sector to have the necessary capacity,” Tounkara says.

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The post Building West Africa’s Capacity to Access Climate Funding appeared first on Inter Press Service.

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

On 25 June 2018, the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue organized a World Conference on the theme of “Religions, Creeds and Value Systems: Joining Forces to Enhance Equal Citizenship Rights” at the United Nations Office at Geneva in collaboration with the International Catholic Migration Commission, the World Council of Churches, the Arab Thought Forum, the World Council of Religious Leaders, Bridges to Common Ground and the European Centre for Peace and Development.

The World Conference – held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan – was addressed by more than 35 world-renowned religious, political and lay leaders from the major regions of the world.

In his inaugural address, HRH Prince bin Talal spoke of the urgent need to address the growing global hunger for human dignity, because “without it, all the protections of the various legal human rights mechanisms become meaningless.” He reiterated that human culture had to be taken into account when economic and political decisions were made, so as to improve people’s livelihoods.

The Patron of the World Conference furthermore underlined the need to work together to explore appropriate responses to current global challenges, particularly as regards poverty, degradation of human dignity, poor quality of life and problems of governance, and to prioritize the realization and the enhancement of equal citizenship rights. HRH Prince bin Talal remarked that identity is not confined to just one set of value orientations, but is plural and encyclopaedic. “In both East and West, the debate is no longer restricted to citizenship (…) but includes recognition of people’s distinct identities as members of religious, ethnic and cultural communities,” he said.

To conclude, HRH Prince bin Talal emphasized the importance of tackling global issues in a concerted manner. He noted that in the current context, the challenge of promoting a culture of peace has become a priority for the entire UN system, and that governments, individuals and communities also carried significant responsibility in this regard.

About the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue
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.

CONTACTS MEDIA:

Blerim Mustafa
Junior project and communications officer
Email: bmustafa@gchragd.org
Phone number: +41 (0) 22 748 27 95

Teodora Popa
Project officer
Email: tpopa@gchragd.org
Phone number: +41 (0) 22 748 27 86

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A look at the work of acclaimed South African photographer David Goldblatt, who has died aged 87.

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By WAM
DUBAI, Jun 25 2018 (WAM)

The International Institute for Tolerance part of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has announced the launch of the ‘World Tolerance Summit’, a two-day conference to be held at the Armani Hotel, Dubai, from November 15th-16th, 2018, to coincide with the International Day of Tolerance on November 16th.

With its theme, “Prospering From Pluralism: Embracing Diversity through Innovation and Collaboration”, the summit will host the biggest gathering of 1,000 government leaders, key personalities from the private and public sectors, youth representatives, social leaders, social influencers, and the international diplomatic community in a platform that seeks innovative solutions and to forge fruitful partnerships that will help promote respect for diversity and productive pluralism.

With its theme, "Prospering From Pluralism: Embracing Diversity through Innovation and Collaboration", the summit will host the biggest gathering of 1,000 government leaders, key personalities from the private and public sectors, youth representatives, social leaders, social influencers, and the international diplomatic community in a platform that seeks innovative solutions and to forge fruitful partnerships that will help promote respect for diversity and productive pluralism.
Day one of the summit will be attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Tolerance. In conveying UAE’s message of love and tolerance to the world, he said, “Tolerance is not simply enduring the existence of opinions, ideas, behaviours or practices that do not concur with your own. It is about recognising, respecting and embracing diversity. It is about being secure in your own culture and beliefs, so that you respond to what is different with curiosity and compassion rather than with fear and intolerance. To be tolerant one needs to be concerned genuinely for the welfare of one’s fellow human beings, and to take action based on those concerns.”

The first day of the summit will also have several forums to promote the global culture of tolerance through its high-profile speakers and through the perspectives of world leaders on better governance, and cooperative engagement of stakeholders such as global tolerance advocates, international and local associations, organisations and private corporations.

The summit will also explore the use of social media and digital networking in advocating the significance of tolerance with respect to its societal and economic benefits.

There will also be a strong effort focusing on the youth through the involvement of educational institutions in inculcating the values of tolerance as well as efforts to include women empowerment and their capacity to promote and advocate the value of tolerance.

Day one of the event concludes with the Tolerance Awards that will give recognition to political and business leaders, change-makers, cultural figures, artists, and influencers for their contribution in the advancement of the culture of tolerance, harmony, and peaceful co-existence through their works.

World Tolerance Summit will have on its second day a series of workshops inculcating the values of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Topics covered include Zayed Values; The Youth of Today, The Leaders of Tomorrow; Women Empowerment in the Development of Country; A Tolerant Country, Happy Society; Understanding and Learning the Science Behind Tolerance; and Using Arts and Sports in Promoting Tolerance.

The Tolerance Library will give access to a wide range of books from all over the world to give readers a deeper perspective on tolerance. WTS will also utilise the digital media via Tolerance Tube to enhance offsite participants with different opinions on and the value of tolerance through interviews which will be broadcasted on YouTube. The event will also have its own official page on YouTube where people can participate by sending questions addressed to speakers and participants.

WTS Art and Photography Exhibition will be held exclusively during the event. Artists and photographers are welcome to join and showcase their work with Tolerance as their theme. A winner will be selected each for best art and best photograph category and will be given recognition on social media and coverage on traditional media.

World Tolerance Summit is the world’s first-of-its-kind event that tackles tolerance, peace and cultural understanding among mankind. It will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Inspired by the values of the founder of UAE, the late H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, WTS seeks to create a world where every person of any colour or race is treated equally and without prejudice.

H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, stated that, “UAE is based on firm and strong values that seek to strengthen its relations on the basis of mutual respect, dialogue, and cooperation, and the abandonment of all forms of terrorism, violence, and intolerance.”

In 2016, the appointments of the Ministers for Happiness, Tolerance, and the Future was made to focus on the capability of the government in ensuring the quality of life in UAE as reflected in all its sectors and tiers in society. This initiative inspired the creation of the International Institute for Tolerance through the patronage of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. IIT acts as a think tank providing solutions to the challenges of extremism and sectarianism through promotion of the culture of tolerance. Since its inception, efforts have been initiated by the Dubai government to ensure UAE will be at the forefront in the advocacy on peace, harmony and tolerance globally as well as locally, and be the finest example to its neighbouring countries.

Dr. Hamad Al Shaikh Ahmad Al Shaibani, Managing Director of the International Institute for Tolerance and Chairman of the Higher Committee of the World Tolerance Summit, said, “This is the idea we want to share with today’s youth. The past had deprived the younger generation of better opportunities and a happier world. Looking forward to the future, we are focusing on achieving happiness by embracing and practicing tolerance now.”

“The world has seen atrocities. Even in the eyes of the young could be seen the effects of intolerant behaviours. In the spirit of tolerance, we teach not only the world but ourselves, not to discriminate and disrespect. We teach ourselves to see other human beings with respect, so they would do the same to others. ”

Khalifa Mohammed Al Suwaidi, General Coordinator of the World Tolerance Summit, said, “We trust that this government initiative under the International Institute for Tolerance and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives will completely break the barrier of cultural, political, and religious differences and in its place a bridge for better understanding, cooperation, and mutual respect.”

WAM/Rasha Abubaker

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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

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Father "Sweet Paul" Ogallo is banned from giving public mass and told to pick between his two passions.

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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The Afropop star was in Los Angeles attending the BET awards ceremony when his son died in a pool.

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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

The post Global Campaign Against Mercury Moves to an End Zone appeared first on Inter Press Service.

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