Category: General

From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP

 

Published 24 January 2023

 

Minister for Development and Africa will hold discussions with African leaders this week on rising food insecurity

Andrew Mitchell will explore opportunities to expand British Investment into African countries to tackle this challenge

he will meet Senegalese President and current African Union Chair Macky Sall during his visit, which will celebrate the UK’s growing partnership with a fast-growing, democratic, and stable regional power

The UK Minister for Development and Africa will emphasise the importance of the UK working with African countries to grow economies and boost food security, on a 2-day visit to Senegal, starting today (Tuesday 24 January).

 

Arriving in Dakar, Andrew Mitchell will hail the important relationship between the UK and Senegal, a country, with huge economic potential.

 

He will meet key Senegalese government figures on his visit, including current African Union Chair and Senegal President Macky Sall. He will also set out the UK’s vision of a stronger partnership between the UK and Senegal that delivers mutual prosperity and security, and tackles global issues such as health and climate change. He will sign the first ever Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Senegal, a symbol of our growing partnership.

 

Mr Mitchell will see first-hand the impact of British investment in Senegal, including how UK-funded projects are supporting women and girls, and helping to build Senegal’s vaccine production facilities to tackle the next pandemic.

 

Representing the UK at the Dakar 2 Feed Africa Summit, an African-led initiative, the Minister will listen to African leaders talk about the causes of rising food insecurity and hear their vision for accelerating agricultural transformation, with the aim of maximising the UK’s impact in alleviating food shortages across the continent. The UK is working with regional organisations like AGRA, Regional Economic Communities and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to help strengthen food trade in Africa.

 

Minister for Africa Andrew Mitchell said:

 

“Many Brits know Senegal for its world-class football team. They may not know that our partnership with Senegal reaps benefits for people in both our countries, delivering economic growth and tackling common security and health threats. We hope to deepen this partnership over the long-term.

 

“As a leading supporter of the African Development Bank I am delighted to participate in the Dakar 2: Feed Africa Summit on an issue that we all need to work together on.

 

“With Russia’s war in Ukraine exacerbating the already drastic impacts of regional conflict in Africa and climate change on food security, I also want to hear directly from Macky Sall and other African leaders about the issues the continent is facing and understand how the UK can further support African countries as we face those challenges, together.”

 

Senegal is a leading stable and democratic country in the region, growing in significance and influence, and the UK hopes to build a closer partnership and greater trade and investment ties over the long-term.

 

Economic development is crucial to tackling challenges like food insecurity and climate change and on his visit Mr Mitchell will explore opportunities to expand UK investment into the country to make a real and lasting positive impact. The UK-Africa Investment Summit in 2020 announced 27 deals worth over £6.5 billion from across Africa. It also announced £9 billion worth of investment decisions.

 

During his visit, he will see the impact of such investment to date, including a $1.7 billion partnership between British International Investment and DP World which features a new container port at Ndayane, Senegal’s largest onshore investment. The port will enable the creation of over 20,000 new jobs and help unblock barriers to greater economic growth.

 

He will see the British Council’s landmark English Connects programme and visit the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health Programme (WISH) clinic where our delivery partner Marie Stopes International is increasing access to voluntary family planning, reaching those most in need.

 

Andrew Mitchell will also visit Institut Pasteur de Dakar to hear about their plans to develop vaccines for COVID and other deadly diseases.

 

Background

 

over 130 million people across Africa are in crisis levels of food insecurity, with many under category IPC3+

immediate concerns are the prospect of widespread famine in the Horn of Africa, as well as areas experiencing conflict such as the Sahel and countries exposed to the impact of climate shocks such as Madagascar

if farmers are not able to access or afford fertiliser, there is a risk that the food access crisis of 2022 will deepen and continue this year and beyond. The African Development Bank estimate that Africa could lose 20% of food production over the next 2 harvesting seasons

the UK has supported $30 billion of financing from the World Bank and $1.5 billion from African Development Bank set up to address the increased food security risks across the continent

the UK will also provide £200 million for the Africa Development Bank’s Climate Action Window and was the first non-African member to sign an MoU with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, both of which will help to strengthen the resilience of Africa’s food systems

 

Source: Government of the United Kingdom

In order to gain a better understanding of mobility flows and trends throughout West and Central Africa, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) implements the Displacement Tracking Matrix’s Flow Monitoring (FM) tool at key transit points across the region.

 

Flow Monitoring activities are conducted in close cooperation with national and local authorities as well as with local partners. The Flow Monitoring tool consists of two main components: the Flow Monitoring Registry (FMR), which captures key data on the magnitude, provenance, destination and mode of travel of mobility flows, and the Flow Monitoring Survey (FMS), individual surveys conducted with travellers to gather detailed information about the profiles, migration experience, and intentions of migrants. Through these activities, the Flow Monitoring tool collects data on migration flows and trends, traveller profiles, migration journeys, and intentions of migrants, so as to obtain a sharpened view of mobility in West and Central Africa.

 

In Nigeria, DTM conducts Flow Monitoring activities in several important transit locations in Sokoto and Kano to monitor the movements of passenger buses to and from Niger. The Sokoto FMP covers three migratory routes in Illela, Gada and Sabon-Birnin. And the Kano FMP (Kofar Ruwa Park and Yankaba Park) covers two migratory routes in Dala and Nasarawa Local Government Areas in Kano state.

 

This report is subdivided into two sections: one section presents data obtained during the FMR and another section presents the key results from the FMS conducted with travellers between July and September 2022. The report presents data collected on flows, routes, provenance, destination and demographic profiles of travellers observed at the FMPs.

 

Source: International Organization for Migration

Berlin – Urbanization, together with climate change and technological progress, is contributing to a sea change in the way we produce and consume our food, which means that cities and local governments need greater support to help create a sustainable transformation of agri-food systems. This was the message conveyed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in an expert debate held today at the world conference in Berlin.

 

The 2023 edition of the World Forum on Food and Agriculture, an annual event organized by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, focuses on the transformation of our agri-food systems as a way of responding to the multiple crises that are unfolding. address global food security. These include climate change, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.

 

One of these spaces was an expert debate organized by FAO and entitled “Leveraging urban and local food systems for sustainable food systems transformation”.

 

Mr. Máximo Torero, FAO Chief Economist, introduced the discussion, which was moderated by Mr. Raimund Jehle, FAO Regional Program Manager. It was also attended by, among others, Mr. Gabriel Ferrero de Loma-Osorio, President of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security, Ms. Souad Abderrahim, Mayor of Tunis, and Ms. Jane Battersby, Professor of the University of Cape Town.

 

With 70 percent of the world’s food currently consumed in urban areas and the global urban population expected to nearly double by 2050, the expert group was invited to identify innovative ways to strengthen the role and function of food systems. urban, local and territorial food trends examining recent trends and new data sources. The group also discussed how city and local stakeholders can play an even greater role in achieving sustainable transformation of food systems.

 

“FAO has been working on urban food systems which have also been incorporated into the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, ensuring that we not only take into account rural food production, but also urban food systems “, affirmed Mr. Torero when presenting the debate of experts.

 

Despite increasing urbanization (at an annual rate of 3%, the urban population in low- and middle-income countries is growing three times faster than the rural population, while it is projected that in middle-income countries As the percentage of the urban population increases from 42% in 2000 to 59% in 2030), cities and local governments do not receive adequate recognition and support at the national and global levels. Africa and Asia are undergoing the fastest urbanization process, Mr. Torero noted.

 

The Chief Economist also announced that the 2023 edition of FAO’s flagship report The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World will focus on urbanization as a key issue to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically the SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

 

During the expert discussion, Ms Souad Abderrahim advocated for further cooperation, citing a joint project with FAO on reducing food loss and waste through early education as an example. Another practical example was provided by Mr. Armen Harutyunyan, representative of the Eurasian Economic Commission, which has a platform that aims to inform countries and private sector actors on initiatives and innovative solutions to improve food security in communities. urban.

 

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Geneva, WHO is launching its 2023 health emergency appeal today for US$ 2.54 billion to provide assistance to millions of people around the world facing health emergencies. The number of people in need of humanitarian relief has increased by almost a quarter compared to 2022, to a record 339 million.

 

Currently, WHO is responding to an unprecedented number of intersecting health emergencies: climate change-related disasters such as flooding in Pakistan and food insecurity across the Sahel and in the greater Horn of Africa; the war in Ukraine; and the health impact of conflict in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and northern Ethiopia — all of these emergencies overlapping with the health system disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of measles, cholera, and other killers.

 

“This unprecedented convergence of crises demands an unprecedented response,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “More people than ever before face the imminent risk of disease and starvation and need help now. The world cannot look away and hope these crises resolve themselves. I urge donors to be generous and help WHO to save lives, prevent the spread of disease within and across borders, and support communities as they rebuild.”

 

WHO is currently responding to 54 health crises around the world, 11 of which are classified as Grade 3, WHO’s highest level of emergency, requiring a response at all three levels of the organization. As it is often the case, the most vulnerable are the worst hit.

 

In 2022, WHO provided medicines, other supplies, training for doctors and other health workers, vaccines, enhanced disease surveillance, mobile clinics, mental health support, maternal health consultations and much more. WHO delivers cost-effective, high-impact responses that protect health, lives and livelihoods. Every US$ 1 invested in WHO generates at least US$ 35 in return on investment*.

 

WHO responds to health emergencies in close collaboration with Member States, other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and other partners in the communities and across countries and regions.

 

Source: World Health Organization

JUBA – A contribution of CAD5.5 million (US$4.1 million) from the Government of Canada will provide more than 23,000 children in South Sudan with access to daily nutritious meals at school, or take-home rations, over the next three years, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today at a signing ceremony.

 

There are 2.8 million children out of school across South Sudan and WFP’s school meals are a vital social safety net that help increase enrolment and attendance at schools, particularly in highly food insecure areas. The contribution from Canada will be channelled into areas impacted by conflict and climate shocks, both of which cause significant disruptions to education and access to food.

 

“When conflict or climate shocks strike a community, impacting livelihoods and food availability, schooling is often one of the first things to be deprioritised by families,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Country Director for WFP in South Sudan. “Children, and especially girls, are at risk of being withdrawn from the classroom to help their family at home or to work. Others may be forced to flee their community, leaving everything behind. Providing regular nutritious meals takes some of the pressure off parents and supports childhood development, while also providing continuity in the classroom that will lead to better futures for the students.”

 

Prolonged school closures through COVID-19 caused enrolment rates to plummet across the country and a slow uptake in enrolment when they reopened in early 2021. A successful Back to School campaign run by WFP and UNICEF saw more children in the classroom, however, this was soon followed by the suspension of the School Feeding programme in April 2022 for 178,000 children due to significant funding shortfalls, jeopardizing the gains made through the campaign.

 

The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister for General Education and Instruction, Awut Deng Acuil, Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian Embassy in Juba, Julius Egbeyemi, and WFP’s Country Director, Mary-Ellen McGroarty. WFP is working closely with the Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MGEI) to implement the School Feeding programme across South Sudan and ensure the most vulnerable children are included in the initiative.

 

WFP in South Sudan requires US$531 million to provide lifesaving and life changing assistance over the next six months. The School Feeding programme has one of the largest funding shortfalls and is less than 30% resourced. Additional funding would allow WFP to expand homegrown school feeding and increase the use of local produce which, in turn, empowers local communities and strengthens local food systems.

 

Source: World Food Programme

It is difficult to overstate the fraught complexity of the relationship between terrorism and the media.

 

Perhaps no other issue has been characterised by such prolific wall-towall coverage in recent years, and perhaps no other has so challenged media professionals to maintain journalistic ethics and balance in their reporting.

 

Many of the violent attacks we see playing out today are at least partly conceived with media coverage in mind, targeting not just the actual victims but millions of shocked and shaken spectators across the globe.

 

Meanwhile, the tremendous pressures being exerted on media to attract audiences – in the face of ongoing waves of technological and financial transformations – can create a powerful temptation to focus on the violent and the sensational, and to be the first to report breaking information and rumours, even before accuracy can be assured.

This is the context for UNESCO commissioning this handbook: to explore some of the ethical dilemmas present in terrorism coverage, and start a conversation with media professionals as to how to respond appropriately and proportionately.

 

Of course, this is by no means a call for less information. Journalism has an obligation to provide verifiable information in the public interest, and audiences have a fundamental right to access accurate and balanced information, especially when it may affect their own safety or freedom.

 

Yet is this achieved by unrelenting coverage, constant breaking alerts and the same news repeated again and again, for events inherently designed to incite fear?

 

In a major 2017 survey of 20,000 young people across the globe, 83% said that terrorism made them fearful for the future – more than any other factor, including climate change, war, and income inequality.1 1 “Generation Z: Global Citizenship Survey”, Varkey Foundation, 2017 To what extent is coverage playing into the interests of fearmongers?

And to what extent does coverage skew towards an existing narrative or prevalent idea of “who is a terrorist”? Surely the words used, examples cited and images displayed should inform and not sensationalise.

 

Some research suggests that, controlling for other factors, an attack perpetrated by Muslims is covered significantly more than other terrorist attacks.2 And much attention has been paid to attacks in Western countries, despite 96% of the victims of terrorism in 2016 being in Africa, the Middle East or South Asia.3 These kinds of representations can fan stereotypes and division, and fuel backlash and counter-violence. The risks are real – hate attacks against wider groups perceived as being linked to a violent attack have been shown to jump dramatically in many cases – sometimes for years afterwards.4 As the United Nations agency responsible for “building peace in the minds of men and women”, this issue strikes particularly close to our hearts at UNESCO. We are actively engaged in preventing all forms of violent extremism, through the education and empowerment of young people, and safeguarding and celebrating cultural diversity.

 

Through our mandate to promote freedom of expression and access to information in the media and on the Internet, we are working closely with media organizations to provide training and capacity-building – based upon the advice contained in this handbook – to raise awareness of these challenges and better support journalists reporting in this area.

 

We are contributing our expertise and experience to the UN Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and working closely with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), national governments, and other key entities to ensure the global response to violent extremism is coordinated, coherent and effective.

The scourge of terrorism, whoever commits or sponsors it, must be thwarted wherever it strikes, its victims supported and honoured, and 2 Kearns, E.M., Betus, A. & Lemieux, A. “Why Do Some Terrorist Attacks Receive More Media Attention Than Others?”, Justice Quarterly, 2018. 9, 2018. 3 Global Terrorism Database, University of Maryland, 2016 4 Comité contre l’islamophobie en France (CCIF), 2015 ; E Hanes, “Hate Crime in the Wake of Terror Attacks: Evidence from 7/7 and 9/11”, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, Vol 30, Issue 3, 2014.; Brian H Levin, “Responses to the Increase in Religious Hate Crimes”, United States Senate: Committee on the Judiciary, May 2 2017. its perpetrators brought to justice. Media can cover these dimensions, and at the same time highlight genuine dialogue and discussion as alternatives to violence and bloodshed.

 

We may not be able to prevent terrorism every time, but what we do have control over is our reactions. To not allow it to provoke us into living our lives in fear, nurturing our own prejudices and hatred or shutting down legitimate voices. In other words, to avoid letting terror dismantle all of the progress we have made in the advancement of democracy, freedom of expression and human rights around the world.

 

Otherwise, we risk playing right into the hands of those engaged in terror, as well as others who instrumentalise attacks to justify suspicion, polarisation and violations of rights.

 

Source: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization