The internationally acclaimed news photographer, Reza Deghati, is busy sharing his expertise, and his enthusiasm, with migrants returning to their African homeland after hard journeys abroad. Deghati who began his celebrated career 40 years ago, after he left his native Iran said, “photography is a universal language which can help express feelings and convey emotions without using words.” “Photography allows returnees to gain self-confidence and rediscover themselves”, he explained. “Learning how to take a good picture of their daily lives helps them value their life and show us their side of their own story.” During the dates December 6-8, Reza Deghati worked…
Author: Akpan Akata
The latest United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report to the United Nations General Assembly says the fiscal cost of occupation for the Palestinian people, over the 2000-2017 period, is estimated at $47.7 billion, or thrice the size of the Palestinian economy in 2017, and it continues to rise. The report entitled “Economic cost of the Israeli occupation for the Palestinian people: Fiscal aspects” says the figure comprises lost public revenues and interest payments. It includes $28.2 billion in estimated accrued interest and $6.6 billion of leaked Palestinian fiscal revenues to Israel. This estimated cumulative fiscal cost of…
Parliamentarians from 20 countries who participated in this year’s Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Global Gathering in Nepal, jointly signed a pledge where they commit to taking action on nutrition. The parliamentarians have committed to encouraging their respective governments to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to nutrition as well as ensuring adequate fund allocation to achieve national nutrition goals. Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Martin Chungong, recently appointed one of the 27 SUN global leaders, took the lead in signing the pledge. The pledge calls for strong and sustained political leadership, the right laws and policies, increased financial resources and coordinated action…
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says the 25th Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Spain highlights its increasing efforts in Bangladesh to promote green energy in Rohingya refugee camps and the Bangladeshi host community. Since the refugee crisis erupted in August 2017, the United Nations migration agency has launched ambitious environmentally sustainable actions in its humanitarian portfolio, actions that both improve services to beneficiaries and reduce its carbon footprint. These include: A comprehensive programme to limit heavy deforestation by distributing Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) to Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi host community. Launched in 2018, this has seen 111,542 canisters given to…
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organisation of Parliaments has taken a swipe at the Executive arm of government, accusing it of state-sponsored terrorism against opposition legislators. In the lead-up to Human Rights Day on December 10, IPU has announced its yearly figures of alleged human rights violations against members of parliament in 2019. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, a unique mechanism that defends the rights of lawmakers worldwide, investigated the cases of 533 parliamentarians from 40 countries in 2019, the second highest number on record. Most of the cases are from countries in political crisis…
The death toll from Wednesday’s tragic sinking of a fishing boat carrying migrants to the Canary Islands has risen to 62, with the recovery of four bodies as the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) efforts to help survivors gathered momentum. The captain of the vessel is thought to be among the death and based on witness testimonies there are concerns the toll will continue to mount. IOM is now focusing on helping migrants recover from shock, receiving appropriate medical treatment and that specific health vulnerabilities are identified. An IOM doctor is now working alongside Mauritanian authorities in Nouadhibou, the second…
Recurring violence between herdsmen and farmers, as well as related cattle theft and banditry in many northern states, including Zamafara and Kaduna, posed serious threats to peace and security, a global rights group, Human Rights Watch says in its World Report 2019. Although the violence is increasingly described in religious terms, competing claims to land and other resources are at its core. World Report 2019 is however, the rights group’s 29th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. It summarizes key human rights issues in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events from late 2017 through November 2018.…
Nigeria under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) administration appears to be facing a suppressed financial crisis. According to Menas Associates, oil companies have become the target of the government’s efforts to boost the country’s badly needed revenues. Menas has been helping multinational companies operate in the Middle East, Africa, and other emerging markets since the late 1970s. It is a strategic and political risk consultancy providing actionable intelligence for its clients, from country entry strategies to due diligence, stakeholder analysis, political risk reports, market assessments, problem-solving and exit strategies. The move by the Buhari administration is most…
Samsung Electronics is currently in league with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency to tackle the menace of modern slavery. They hosted a workshop for Samsung’s Hungarian business partners on Modern Slavery and Ethical Recruitment. Samsung is, however, the world’s largest manufacturer of consumer electronics and semiconductors by revenue. The workshop which took place in the last days of November was attended by 35 participants from Samsung Hungary, local suppliers and other business partners, and was designed to raise awareness of how to reduce the business risks associated with modern slavery. Globally, around 40 million people are…
Lila Milic is a transgender sex worker. Going by her testimony, she has endured more than her share of mistreatment. Yet, she does not feel safe seeking care and protection in the one place that should be a safe haven for all. The health facility. Ms Milic recently recounted to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia: “One time, when I was 24 years old, I was returning home when three clients intercepted me. They pushed me violently in their car and abused me, both mentally and sexually.” She was too afraid to report…
In support of French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2018 commitment to receive 100 families from the ethno-religious minority group, 100 members of Iraq’s Yazidi community have arrived safely in Paris, the capital city of France to settle in the European country. The final operation was carried out the previous Wednesday by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). IOM Iraq’s Head of Programmes and Head of the Erbil Office, Giovanni Cassani, said “these families have been through unimaginable trials and IOM Iraq has been proud to assist the French authorities with this important initiative. “Many more families across Iraq remain in displacement. We…
The United Nations agency, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has launched a new programme of humanitarian assistance and Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) in Guatemala that will benefit migrants who voluntarily request to return to their country but do not have the means to do so. The initiative is part of IOM’s response to humanitarian needs of migrants in the region. IOM Chief of Mission for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Jorge Peraza, said “we are opening this opportunity so that migrants can access a voluntary, safe and dignified return based on an informed decision. The programme will also provide humanitarian…
On November 12, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Dr, Mukhisa Kituyi, spoke at the Nairobi Summit marking the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) on how the UN agency can leverage the reach, ingenuity and financial power of the private sector to accelerate progress towards fulfilling the promise of ICPD and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. His words: At a time when the UN system reforms are bringing the three pillars of sustainable development more closely together, it is important to highlight the persisting need for a more inclusive and sustainable…
Donor countries have pledged around $1.00 billion in support to sexual and reproductive health and gender equality programmes, just as private sector firms agreed to mobilise a combined $8.00 billion. The Nairobi Summit on International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) wrapped up last week with more than 1,200 concrete commitments to help ensure sexual and reproductive health and rights for all by 2030. But, the pledges made were much more than financial. Organisations, governments and businesses also put forward bold, visionary plans to spark change and meet unmet needs. For instance, Kenya, the host country and co-convenor of the…
Investment promotion agencies and special economic zone authorities from China, South Africa and Sri Lanka have won awards for their excellence in promoting sustainable investment in special economic zones. They received the awards on November 11 during the eleventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission held at the UN’s offices in Geneva, Switzerland. The awards were presented at the second Ambassadors’ Roundtable on Investing in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event attended by 31 ambassadors from developed and developing countries as well as those with economies in transition featured a keynote…
With the world fiercely focused on a decarbonised future, the Baltic Exchange says fossil fuel movers and traders should be reconsidering their future seriously. But, it however, pointed out that there are still reasons to be cheerful about job prospects for the 2020s and beyond. Baltic Exchange is the world’s only independent source of maritime market information for the trading and settlement of physical and derivative shipping contracts. Its international community of over 600 member firms encompasses the majority of world shipping interests and commits to a code of business conduct encapsulated in the motto our word our bond. Members of…
The government of Denmark is currently supporting the project Enhancing Air Border Data Systems in Nigeria. Like many other countries, Nigeria now recognises the economic, social and political benefits of international mobility. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Tuesday officially opened its new Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. MIDAS in Nigeria is also being supported by other donors including the governments of Germany, Japan, Norway and Switzerland as well as the European Union. This nationwide system will enable real-time data synchronisation between the airports and the NIS Headquarters in Nigeria’s capital…
Director of the Globalisation and Development Strategies Division of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAN), Richard Kozul-Wright, has made a strong case for a coordinated global investment programme to tackle the twin challenge of delivering social and economic development while stabilising the climate. The international community, in its commitment to delivering the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, is making an ambitious attempt to ensure an inclusive and sustainable future for people and the planet. But little more than a decade is left to meet the goals and efforts so far have fallen considerably short. Delivery…
In Uganda, refugees in Kyaka and Kyangwali settlements and their nearby host communities are currently benefitting from a EUR 2.00 million (UGX 8.3 billion) humanitarian water aid package from the European Union (EU). The two piped water systems was recently completed by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency. This substantial EU funding was complemented by project funds from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). CERF is however, one of the fastest and most effective ways to ensure that urgently needed humanitarian assistance reaches people caught up in crises. Established by the United Nations General Assembly…
More than 600 refugees landed in the United States last week, marking the first arrivals of US fiscal year 2020. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) welcomed the refugees who come from a variety of countries. A group of 25 Congolese refugees were the first to arrive the previous Tuesday morning at Washington Dulles International Airport before continuing to their final destinations. Due to ongoing violence, the families fled to neighbouring Rwanda where they remained in limbo for years. Almost half of the refugees resettled in the US in fiscal year 2019 were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.…
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, has cried out concerning the plight of more than 113,000 vulnerable migrants who are stranded in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen. IOM says they are in need of immediate life-saving assistance. IOM’s Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa, Mohammed Abdiker, said “migrants undertaking these journeys do so in search of a better life for themselves and their families. They are often young – in many cases children – unaware of the dangers on the route to Yemen, including extreme heat, conflict and violence, and human trafficking.” Last month IOM and…
The Statistics Department of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has launched a new statistics portal that makes it easy to access data about a wide range of labour-related topics, by country or by subject, in English, French and Spanish. It is a one-stop shop to obtain labour data and learn about labour statistics. ILOSTAT provides bulk downloads for those who need large datasets and detailed cross-tabulations. It is also an invaluable tool for data producers, who can find data collection guidance and other resources. What is the unemployment rate in your country? What proportion of children are engaged in economic…
To address global food loss and waste which totals more than 1.3 billion tonnes a year, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Qu Dongyu, says international co-operation and innovative, climate friendly technologies are critical.During a discussion on Enhancing access to innovation in agriculture to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at FAO headquarters in Rome earlier, he said it was fundamental to support smallholder and family farmers by enhancing their access to innovation for sustainable food systems and to foster sustainable development. “Innovation in agriculture is a way to enhance effectiveness, competitiveness and resilience with limited land and other limited…
A seeming landmark resolution calling for parliaments to take all legal and policy measures to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 has been adopted by the world’s parliaments gathered in Serbia for the 141st IPU Assembly. The resolution urges parliaments to put in place effective UHC legislation to ensure that the right to public health and medical care is guaranteed for all in law and in practice, without discrimination. Over 1,800 parliamentarians and UN and civil society partners from around the world met in Belgrade from October 13-17. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) secretariat said the resolution was adopted at the…
The whereabouts of an abducted four-year-old child and a female volunteer in South Sudan is still largely unknown, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said. The United Nations migration agency is consequently calling for their unconditional release. They were abducted in South Sudan during a gun-battle the previous Sunday morning that claimed the lives of three IOM humanitarian workers. IOM South Sudan Chief of Mission, Jean-Philippe Chauzy, said “there are efforts being made at this time to try to locate the whereabouts of our missing colleague and the child”, adding, “all possible action is being taken with the goal…
While armed conflicts and crises around the world have left millions of civilians unable to access critical aid, an alarming trend of attacks on aid workers and other non-lethal obstacles to sustained humanitarian access has led to one development: humanitarian access gaps and challenges to principled engagement. The role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has become increasingly recognised in responding to mounting need while delivering effective humanitarian assistance and protection in access-constrained environments. Last week in Istanbul, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) together with the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) addressed these issues convening its first Regional IOM-NGO Humanitarian Consultation for the Middle East and North Africa Region. Consultation participants discussed good practices and complementarities for partnering in access…
A quarter century after the Beijing Conference on women, delegates gathered last week in the Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union (AU) to press for economic inclusion of forcibly displaced and migrant women in Africa and reflect on their situation since that 1994 conference. Participants from embassies, the AU Commission, civil society, humanitarian aid organisations and refugees all took part in Tuesday’s meeting, which was organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the AU Commission, as a side event during the Beijing+25 Africa Regional Review.…
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Regional Director for Africa, , says gainful employment is still the most reliable way of escaping poverty. But, access to both jobs Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwonand decent working conditions remains a challenge. According to her, ‘’66 per cent of employed people in developing economies and 22 per cent in emerging economies are in either extreme or moderate working poverty, and the problem becomes even more striking when the dependents of these working poor are considered.‘’Thus, it is not just unemployment or inactivity that traps people in poverty, they are also held back by a lack of decent work opportunities,…
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is currently locked in a tough battle with the informal sector of economies of nations. According to ILO data, the informality rate in Latin America and the Caribbean has reached 53 per cent, affecting nearly 140 million workers. While working conditions, according to ILO are mostly precarious, it also pointed out that labour rights are not respected and social protection is missing.In Peru, 73 per cent of employed work is in informal conditions, according to official figures released recently by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics of Peru (INEI). This situation affects more than…
Fifty-three migrant family groups comprising 64 children, 29 women and 33 men were last week air-lifted from the city of Matamoros (Tamaulipas, Mexico) to San Pedro Sula (Honduras). The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, organised a charter flight for the 126 migrants who expressed their decision to return voluntarily to their country of origin. IOM deployed all efforts and collaborated closely with the Honduran Embassy in Mexico and with the National Migration Institute of Mexico to arrange for this first charter flight in its Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programme. In the days preceding departure, with the…
