Africa - INTER PRESS SERVICE

Credit: Sarah Farhat / World Bank

By Lauren Braniff and Michel Hanouch
WASHINGTON DC, Jul 26 2018 (IPS)

Households in developing countries spent $148 billion out-of-pocket for healthcare expenses in 2015, and each year 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty because of the high cost of healthcare.

Particularly for major inpatient expenses, health insurance is the most effective way for people to reduce their out-of-pocket costs and avoid having a major medical emergency plunge them deeper into poverty.

However, insurance providers often have difficulty convincing low-income customers to pay insurance premiums now for needs that may or may not arise later.

Fortunately, digital financial services (DFS) has made it easier to bundle insurance with other financial products in ways that address a range of inpatient and outpatient health services and that introduce people to the benefits of insurance.

As discussed in a previous CGAP blog post, “A Digital Finance Prescription for Universal Health Coverage,” various DFS are helping patients pay for medical treatment in many developing countries. Digital credit is enabling patients to obtain instant loans for healthcare, even in remote areas.

In fact, CGAP research in Kenya found that paying medical bills was one of the most common reasons people cited for borrowing from digital lending platform m-Shwari. Digital savings is another example. Savings products allow people to save and easily withdraw funds from dedicated health savings accounts.

Still, obtaining insurance is the best way to prepare for major health expenses, yet too few low-income people are insured. About 75 percent of the world’s population is not adequately protected by insurance, and 40 percent have no coverage at all.

While there are many reasons for this, paying monthly premiums is a significant challenge to consumers with irregular sources of income. Another key issue is that low-income consumer value liquidity, so they hesitate to commit funds to any one destination ahead of immediate need.

This makes insurance a difficult sell on its own. But digital channels enable providers to more effectively bundle insurance with other services that meet a wider range of short- and long-term healthcare needs.

MicroEnsure’s Fearless Health product in Kenya is a good example of bundling’s potential. MicroEnsure has more than 50 million registered users in 15 countries. The company provides free basic life, accident and hospital insurance via mobile phone to many of its customers, through partnerships with mobile network operators.

However, these models are only able to cover catastrophic needs, rather than the day-to-day risk events that are more tangible for consumers. To provide a solution that addresses a broader range of potential health events, MicroEnsure designed Fearless Health, which integrates insurance with other products designed to help customers get the inpatient and outpatient care they need without delaying treatment because of the costs.

The Fearless Health pilot launched in 2016 with three key features: on-demand loans for primary healthcare at outpatient clinics, medical advice by phone (whereby customers text their health questions by SMS and receive a call from a doctor) and insurance for inpatient care that provides a cash payout if a customer or family member suffers a health emergency requiring three or more nights at a hospital.

Limiting the insurance component to inpatient care only, while offering loans for outpatient needs, allowed MicroEnsure to keep premiums low because administrative costs related to outpatient claims tend to drive up premiums.

By bundling financial products in this way, MicroEnsure hoped customers could experience the benefits of insurance without having to make costly, separate insurance premium payments.

MicroEnsure viewed the loans as the key way to introduce customers to Fearless Health’s other features. It marketed the loans at participating clinics to help patients cover the cost of their treatments.

During borrowers’ loan repayment periods, they were insured and had access to the telephone health information service. Mobile money was essential to Fearless Health, and all payments to and from customers were digital.

From MicroEnsure’s perspective, cash was not viable given the potential for multiple payouts per client in addition to receiving loan repayments on a regular basis. For customers, receiving loans and hospital cash payouts quickly via digital channels was critical so they could pay for immediate expenses.

Banner reads: “Receive treatment today, pay later.” MicroEnsure promoted Fearless Health at clinics around the country. Credit: Michel Hanouch

The Fearless Health pilot confirmed that there is a high demand for the product among customers who do not have enough funds for outpatient care. Further, Fearless Health customers spent more at the clinics than noncustomers, providing a business case for clinics to welcome the product and reducing the potential negative impacts of undertreatment due to patient liquidity constraints.

However, it also showed that MicroEnsure’s plan to offer the credit to patients when they were at the clinics and needed it most should be reconsidered. Most patients at clinics had already brought enough cash to cover minor outpatient expenses.

The target market for Fearless Health did not bother coming to clinics because they lacked funds. The pilot suggested that MicroEnsure would need to find ways to market the product outside of clinics.

To understand the features of Fearless Health that were most valued by customers, researchers from CGAP and Busara Center for Behavioral Economics asked them what mattered most to them: amount of coverage, duration of coverage or the number of family members covered.

Customers indicated that duration of insurance coverage was the most important. The other factors were also considered important, however, and a desirable combination of all three increased people’s willingness to pay for the Fearless product.

This suggests that the preferred solution should cover family members and offer a reasonable coverage amount, but that extending the duration of coverage should be emphasized.

MicroEnsure’s Fearless Health is an example of how providers can approach health insurance for poor people. Although our research uncovered areas where the product could be improved, it is clear that digital channels have an important role to play for insurance providers looking to create microinsurance products that are scalable and sustainable but also add real value to customers’ lives.

The link to the original article follows:
http://www.cgap.org/blog/bringing-health-microinsurance-kenyans-mobile-phone?utm_source=CGAP+Reader+%2807.23.18%29&utm_campaign=CGAP+Reader+%2807.23.18%29&utm_medium=email

The post Bringing Health Microinsurance to Kenyans via Mobile Phone appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

Lauren Braniff & Michel Hanouch, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor. The CGAP, which is housed at the World Bank, is a global partnership of more than 30 leading organizations that seek to advance financial inclusion.

The post Bringing Health Microinsurance to Kenyans via Mobile Phone appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Indonesia has one of the highest rates of income inequality in Southeast Asia, according to the World Bank. Credit: Sandra Siagian/IPS

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jul 26 2018 (IPS)

Economic divergence among countries and regions was never pre-ordained. According to the late cliometrician Angus Madison and other economic historians, the great divergence between the global North and South, between developed and developing countries, began around five centuries ago, from the beginning of the European, particularly Iberian colonial conquests.

From about two centuries ago, around the time of the Industrial Revolution, divergence accelerated with uneven productivity advances. During the 20th century, national level inequalities went down in many developed countries in the period after the First World War until around the 1970s with the rise of labour, peasant and other popular mobilizations.

Inequality, not only at the national level, but also at the international level, seems to affect the pattern of aggregate demand, particularly in developing countries, which in turn influences future investment and growth prospects and patterns.

Thus, the immediate post-Second World War period saw relatively high growth during what some Anglophone economists call the ‘Golden Age’, due to a combination of Keynesian policies at the national level in developed economies, and partially successful development policies in many newly-independent countries of Asia and Africa. However, this eventually came to an end in the 1970s for a variety of reasons.

Recent trends
Since then, inequalities have begun to grow again at the national level in many countries, but international divergence has declined in more recent decades. This recent convergence is due to significantly accelerated growth in some developing countries as expansion in some developed countries slowed. Among developing countries, growth was initially largely confined to East Asia and, to a lesser extent, South Asia, bypassing much of the rest of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Africa suffered a quarter-century of stagnation from the late 1970s until the beginning of this century when commodity prices rose once again and China began investing in the continent. There was at least one lost decade in Latin America in the 1980s, and arguably, a second one for many on the continent in the following decade.

Such variation needs to be recognized. The recent convergence overall obscures very mixed phenomena of greater national-level inequalities in many economies, but also some international convergence due to more rapid growth in some major developing economies.

However, this convergence has begun to slow again, following the collapse of commodity prices since late 2014. This initially began with petroleum, but eventually affected almost all other commodities, especially mineral prices, slowing the decade of growth in Africa.

Divergence
The recent phenomena which many term globalization are often linked to international economic liberalization, but the strengthening of property rights has also been important. This has not only consolidated traditional property rights, but also extended property rights in novel ways, e.g., ostensibly to clarify supposedly ambiguous entitlements.

These have involved not only national legislation, but also free trade agreements and investment treaties at the international level, e.g., to consolidate ostensible asset-related entitlements, including so called intellectual property rights.

While few economic commentators may openly advocate increasing inequality, or blatantly espouse divergence, the consequences of many policies and positions associated with the conventional wisdom tend to increase divergence. For example, agricultural trade liberalization has undermined productive potential as only rich countries can afford subsidies, which most developing countries cannot afford.

For a long time, Africa used to be a net food exporter until the 1980s. Since then, it has become a net food importer. With trade liberalization, Africa was supposed to realize its true potential. Instead, Africa has lost much of its existing productive potential, not only in manufacturing, but also in agriculture.

To make matters worse, African farmers cannot compete with subsidized food imports from the EU and the USA. For example, as US consumers have a strong preference for chicken breasts, wings and legs from the US are not only flooding the Americas, but increasingly, Africa and Asia.

Convergence prospects
It is also important to consider the prospects for possible convergence in the long term due to the increased availability and affordability of capital. Besides recent Chinese international financing initiatives, quantitative easing, other unconventional monetary policies, recycling of petrodollars and private East Asian capital, as well as novel, and often illicit international financial flows may transform the horizon of possibilities.

Not unlike the Cold War and the aftermath of 9/11, the resurgence of European ethno-populism in reaction to growing economically and politically driven immigration into developed Western economies has reminded the world of the squalid conditions still prevailing in much of the global South, especially in Africa.

Perhaps more importantly, geography, rather than class, is increasingly viewed by many as the major determinant of income and welfare levels, with vastly different living standards associated with location rather than educational qualifications, occupation or productivity.

Thus, without the prospect of rapid convergence, not only nationally between wealth classes, but also internationally between rich and poor nations, the failure of economic globalization to deliver on its implicit promise of liberalizing cross-border human migration will haunt international relations, human rights and political liberalism for some time to come.

The post Globalization, Inequality, Convergence, Divergence appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Immigrant rights advocates and others participate in rally and demonstration at the Federal Building in lower Manhattan against the Trump administration's policy that enables federal agents to take migrant children away from their parents at the border. Photo: AFP

By Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)
Jul 26 2018 (The Daily Star, Bangladesh)

If there was any doubt about President Trump’s racist inclinations, it was fully removed by his pontification to the European leaders about, what he thinks, the negative consequences of immigration on Europe. Every time the US president opens his mouth on any subject, with the exception, perhaps, of real estate business, he betrays an abject ignorance on practically everything under the sun. And every time he does that I am reminded of what an illustrious predecessor of his, and he belonged to the Republican Party also, had said about the dangers of speaking out of turn, which was that, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”

It may be worth quoting President Trump’s comment about immigration and Europe, whose leadership he managed to rub the wrong way with his characteristic injudiciousness. In an interview with The Sun in June, the US president blamed immigration for the changing culture of Europe: “I think allowing millions and millions of people to come into Europe is very, very sad. I think you are losing your culture.” And he said the same thing later at a news conference with the British PM, face to face, warning Europeans to be careful of the “changing culture” as a consequence of immigration. The reality is that, and that is acknowledged by all except the ultranationalists and rightists, the UK would not be what it is today without immigrants.

Trump’s utterances on culture is surprising on many counts, particularly the fact that such a thought was expressed by one who has both German and Scottish pedigree—being the grandson of a German, and the son of a Scottish immigrant to the US. And he has fathered a male progeny whose mother happens to be a first generation immigrant from Slovenia and has been a US citizen since only 2012. The American author James Jones had once advised the Americans to read their text books, and nobody more than the US president should take that to heart, particularly on history.

The issue of migration has been the topmost in the mind of President Trump. He has doubled down on immigrants from the very first day he took office, banning immigration from a selected list of Muslim countries. His cabinet ministers have used the scriptures, very selectively, to justify the policy of separating children from parents seeking asylum in the US from across its southern borders. That being the case, it may be worth looking at the scriptures to put the matter in a historical and scriptural context.

If migration is a crime, which Trump thinks it is, then the blame of the original sin must fall on the two who transgressed the Lord’s Command and thus endured forced migration. Ever since Adam and Eve were forced to migrate to the earth, human history has been the history of migration, of seeking newer lands for greener pastures and for following the command of the Lord, as did Abraham when he obeyed the order of his Lord to leave his home which was in present day Iraq. Immigration to a Christian kingdom, whose king Najashi knew his scriptures well, contributed to the survival of Islam at the very seminal stages of its existence. And the Islamic calendar commences with the immigration to Medina. Interestingly, all the revealed scriptures talk about protection of the immigrants.

Contrary to what Donald Trump thinks, migration has enriched and embellished languages and enhanced the capacity to adapt. But coming from one who is regrettably oblivious of how the American colonialists and their successors have decimated the American Red Indians, to the point where they are now penned in so called reservations, the fear expressed is not surprising. Neither is it new. Two hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin was worried about too many German immigrants “swamping America’s predominantly British culture.” Migration from Ireland was discouraged because they were looked down upon as “lazy and drunkards”— Poles, Italians, Russian Jews were the “new immigrants believed to be too different ever to assimilate into American life” at the beginning of 20th Century. Their contribution to America belies the misgivings.

Unfortunately, people like Mr Trump forget that the US is about migration and migrants. According to a US author, writing in 2002, “An authoritative 1997 study by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded that immigration delivered a ‘significant positive gain’ to the U.S. economy. In testimony before Congress last year, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan said, ‘I’ve always argued that this country has benefited immensely from the fact that we draw people from all over the world.’”

As for Europe, the notion that there are “original people” from whom the present day generation is originated has been proven wrong by a research report published in The Independent (UK) in February this year which says that immigrants have been “moving and mixing” across Europe since ancient times. The liberalists believe, in view of the spurt of refugees in Europe that Europe’s cultural, ethnic and religious diversity will increase in a transformative way in the years and decades to come. As for the Sub Continent, its cultural richness is the result of intermixing of people of various races creeds and ethnicities.

Modern day migration is a fact of life and the natural order of things. And the pull factors are just as relevant now as it was 1,50,000 years ago. Mr Trump, immigrants don’t change culture but they surely can win a country the World Cup. The French would swear to that.

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd) is, Associate Editor, The Daily Star.

This story was originally published by The Daily Star, Bangladesh

The post Immigrants don’t change culture but they surely can win you the World Cup appeared first on Inter Press Service.

By WAM
PARIS, Jul 25 2018 (WAM)

Wadi Wurayah in Fujairah has been designated a ‘Biosphere Reserve’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

On its official Twitter account, the UNESCO today announced that the Fujairah nature spot won the prestigious accolade.

The designation is awarded for protected areas that demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature and promote sustainable development. The site is one of 24 natural spots that won the coveted status.

Located in the Emirate of Fujairah, the site consists of a water catchment area in an arid climate that is part of the Haiar mountain range. It hosts a rich fauna and flora endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and is one of the last Emirati places where traditional farming practices are still maintained.

The Wadi is home to 81 bird species, 20 mammal species, at least nine reptile and amphibian species and 467 invertebrates.

A National Ecotourism Project was announced by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on 5th July. It listed Wadi Wurayah as a destination to be promoted to tourists.

Biosphere Reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each reserve promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.

The reserves are considered ‘Science for Sustainability support sites’ – special places for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.

Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Their status is internationally recognised.

WAM/Hazem Hussein/Hatem Mohamed

The post Fujairah’s Wadi Wurayah designated ‘Biosphere Reserve’ by UNESCO appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Peatland degradation in Indonesia has also caused a decrease in fish populations. Courtesy: Global Green Growth Institute

By Kanis Dursin
JAKARTA, Jul 25 2018 (IPS)

The South Asian nation of Indonesia is the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouses gases (GHG) and is ranked as the world’s second-largest plastic polluter of oceans, just behind China. So when the country committed in the Paris Agreement to limit the rise in average global temperatures to below 2°C by unconditionally reducing its emissions by 29 percent with using its own finances and by 41 percent with international funding, many felt the goals too ambitious.

Climate Action Tracker, which produces scientific analysis measuring the actions governments propose to undertake in order to limit climate change impact, noted that Indonesia’s 2016 commitment actions to reduce GHG, are “highly insufficient.”

The World Resources Institute (WRI), in a study on what is required for the country to reduce its emissions as promised in the Paris Agreement, noted that more ambitious actions would be necessary in order to meet the targets – referred to as nationally determined contributions or NDCs.

“For Indonesia to achieve both its unconditional and conditional NDC targets, more-ambitious mitigation actions will be necessary. Our analysis suggests that the key areas of increased ambition should be strengthening and extending the forest moratorium policy, restoring degraded forest and peatland, and increasing energy conservation efforts,” WRI said.

The Global Green Growth Institute, which has a mandate to support emerging and developing countries develop rigorous green growth economic development strategies, has been assisting this Asian nation draw up its national green growth roadmap. GGGI focuses on assisting countries in achieving quality economic growth through less stress on the environment and natural capital.

“As the country aims to become a high-income country in the 2030s, continued rapid economic growth is required. Without adopting green growth approaches, Indonesia, already the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and the largest contributor of forest-based emissions would only pollute the world more,” Indonesia deputy country representative Dagma Zwebe told IPS.

However, private sector involvement, strengthening of national policies and regulation on land use are required to bring the country closer to its targets.

Excerpts of the interview follow:

Q: GGGI helped Indonesia draw up its national Green Growth Programme. Tell us more about the roadmap and how you chose the priority sectors?

The roadmap helps Indonesia chart a course toward a sustainable economy and focuses on energy, sustainable landscape, and infrastructure. These priority sectors were selected based on multi-stakeholder consultations, involving many government agencies and ministries, including advice provided by the Green Growth Programme Steering Committee.

Q: Briefly, what green initiatives has GGGI introduced in each of the priority sectors?

At the policy level, the national government and two provincial governments are now working to mainstream green growth in planning processes. For projects, GGGI designed a hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) project combining an existing diesel-based power grid with solar PV in eight locations in East Nusa Tenggara. The facilities would reduce diesel consumption by 236 million litres or the equivalent to a total reduction of 549,300 tonnes of CO2 emissions and potential savings for state-owned electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara of around USD125 million over 20 years.

In the forest and land-use sector, Central Kalimantan has now formed public-private partnerships for rewetting, replanting and revitalisation of peat landscapes, while in the infrastructure sector, GGGI helps develop bankable green infrastructure projects, especially in special economic zones.

Q: Has there been any difficulty faced in implementing the programme?

One of the difficulties faced is that often the general public, in all sectors, associate green developments with more work or more barriers, decreased returns, and slower developments.

Q: What is needed to drive private investment in green initiatives?

Just for example, the current administration has put infrastructure development as one of the country’s priorities. Based on the current plans, a total investment of USD400 billion is required in the transportation, energy, water and waste sectors over a five years period. While the government has allocated significant funding toward this goal, there is still a gap of USD150 billion to overcome.

This is where the private sector can come in and play an important role. That has not happened yet for various reasons, including the national political and regulatory environment, lack of healthy pipeline of high quality, green and inclusive bankable projects, and capacity limitations in the public, private, and financial sector.

Q: Under the Green Growth Programme, GGGI, in cooperation with government agencies, will train 30,000 civil servants on green growth.

An important aspect of the Green Growth Programme is to build systems and capacity in ways that can be replicated. This is done through the establishment and operations of a web-based green growth knowledge platform hosted by the Indonesian ministry of national development planning, which will extend support to initiatives in other provinces beyond the two current pilot provinces of Central and East Kalimantan. The knowledge platform was launched in July, and will be further built upon over the next few years.

GGGI is also working to strengthen capacity of stakeholders in the application of the extended cost benefit analysis tool, specifically in mainstreaming the tool into strategic environmental assessment methodologies, as part of the government of Indonesia’s development and spatial planning process.

Q: In the first phase, GGGI worked with the Central and East Kalimantan provinces on several green programmes. How have the programmes developed? 

Districts Murung Raya and Pulang Pisau in Central Kalimantan allocated USD8.8 million in 2015 to implement their green growth strategies, covering six key sectors: forestry, mining, plantation, aquaculture, energy and cross-sectorial developments.

GGGI has provided strong support for the development of the provincial general energy planning for East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. The plan followed the issuance of the General Plan for National Energy.

Q: Do you think Indonesia can achieve its targeted reduction of GHG emissions?

Indonesia has pledged to reduce emissions by 29 percent financed by its own resources and by 41 percent subject to international assistance by 2030. This is an ambitious target, but Indonesia is taking many steps to reach this. Even with all these efforts though, Indonesia is not yet on track to reach its targets.

However, further strengthening of the earlier mentioned national policies and regulations in the land-use and energy sectors, including the moratorium on new forest and peatland concessions, peatland restoration, renewable energy mix targets, social forestry and degraded forest land rehabilitation, could bring Indonesia much closer to their target.

– Additional reporting by Nalisha Adams

• Q&A: Air Pollution Remains Cause for Alarm in Asia
• Public-Private Pacts Open Doors to Climate Finance in Rwanda and Ethiopia
• “Green Development Has to Be Equal for All”

The post Q&A: Indonesia Takes Steps to Reduce Emissions – But It’s Not Enough appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

Since 2013, the Global Green Growth Institute has been working with the government of Indonesia promoting green growth. IPS correspondent Kanis Dursin interviewed Indonesia Deputy Country Representative Dagma Zwebe about the country's steps in mitigating climate change.

The post Q&A: Indonesia Takes Steps to Reduce Emissions – But It’s Not Enough appeared first on Inter Press Service.

A young couple walk down a steep stairway in La Carpio, a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of San José, Costa Rica. About half of the young people living in communities like this one in Central America say they would migrate if they could. Credit: Josué Sequeira/IPS

By Daniel Salazar
San Jose, Jul 25 2018 (IPS)

La Carpio is an island of poverty on the outskirts of Costa Rica’s capital, surrounded by the country’s most polluted waters – the Torres River – on one side and a massive garbage dump on the other.

A sewage treatment plant that processes wastewater from 11 cities is also next to the slum, where nearly 25,000 people live in unpainted houses and shacks, interspersed with street markets, more than seventy bars and a hundred or so churches of different faiths, about 10 km from downtown San José.

This impoverished community holds the stories of thousands of Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans; it is the largest community of migrants from that neighbouring country in Central America. Most of them are young people who had to migrate because of inequality and fear of violence of different kinds."On average, the difference between countries of origin and destination worldwide in terms of income is one to 70, and it is estimated that in about 25 years we will be talking about a difference of 100 to one. In this world, it will not be easy to convince migrants not to migrate to where the income and quality of life can be found.” -- Salvador Gutiérrez

On average, almost half of the residents between the ages of 14 and 24 of poor Central American neighbourhoods similar to La Carpio, such as Jorge Dimitrov (Managua), El Limón (Guatemala City), Nueva Capital (Tegucigalpa) or Popotlán (San Salvador), say they would leave their countries… if they could.

This was reported by a study by the Institute of Social Research of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), which interviewed 1,501 young people from these five poor neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Central America’s capital cities, partly released in June under the title “Central America torn apart. Demands and expectations of young people living in impoverished communities.”

The study was based on 300 interviews with young people from each community conducted at their homes during the last quarter of 2017, with the help of nearly 100 pollsters recruited in those communities.

In these neighbourhoods, on average almost two-thirds of young people see the distribution of wealth as “very unjust” or “unjust”, about half say they have recently been afraid of the violence around them and the same percentage believe “their fate does not depend on them.”

In Popotlán, in the municipality of Apopa, outside of San Salvador, 76 per cent of young people under 24 said they wanted to migrate, while in the neighbourhood in Tegucigalpa the proportion was 60 per cent, in La Carpio 50 per cent, in Guatemala City 49 per cent and in Managua 47 per cent.

The Salvadoran case

The young people of Popotlán are surrounded by violence, and face the stigma of living in an area ruled by different gangs, while suffering a lack of access to an adequate diet and to healthcare.

“Maria” (not her real name) is well aware of these problems. She lives in this neighbourhood and heads a community organisation that supports young people with food and education. A few days after the interview she asked that neither her name nor the name of her organisation be mentioned, after several murders in the area.

“Being young here would appear to be a crime. Usually, young people say happily, ‘I’m going to be of legal age soon’, but that doesn’t happen here. Here they’re afraid the police will catch them because they’re young, not so much because they’re in a gang, but just because they live in this neighbourhood. When looking for work it’s very hard to say you’re from Popotlán,” she told IPS in a telephone conversation.

Youth, the dominant feature of migration

Salvador Gutiérrez, regional liaison and policy officer at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for Central America, North America and the Caribbean, said the central feature of migration in this region is youth.

Corrugated iron roofs predominate in the populous neighbourhood of La Carpio, on the outskirts of San José, Costa Rica, where an estimated half of the houses are built with inadequate materials. Credit: Daniel Salazar/IPS

“In general, the age group that migrates the most are people between 14 and 24, in the case of Central America. What is clearly seen as a differentiating element in the case of youth migration is the fact that these people are looking to build an entirely new future,” he told IPS at the regional office in San José.

Young Central Americans are also different from other migrants because they are fleeing violence and crime, often suffered personally, or they want to be reunited with their families who already live in other countries.

The stigma of being young in Popotlán leads many to migrate, but others like the community activist Maria decide to stay and fight for the youth of the neighbourhood, “in an area where the state is barely present.” Five of the young people she helps are about to enter university.

“Living is a miracle, and we try to encourage them to discover the values they can offer to others…One young man told me that he wanted to go to college, and that he wanted his parents to be proud of him. Sometimes it hurts a lot when your own family doesn’t believe in you,” Maria said.

Communities torn apart 

Carlos Sandoval, coordinator of the UCR study, told IPS that 31 years after the Esquipulas II Agreement, which in its preamble stated that it was aimed at young people and that it established measures to bring about “lasting peace” in the region, “Central America is still torn apart.”

“Even the main achievement of electoral democracy as a mechanism of political legitimation is falling apart. Perhaps what this study contributes is that there is a lack of ideas on how to think about Central America,” he said.

“Let us not be surprised if what is happening in Nicaragua opens a new cycle of social unrest,” he said, referring to the demonstrations and uprising that broke out in that country in April, and which is not waning despite the fact that a brutal crackdown has already caused more than 370 deaths, mostly young people, and has triggered a wave of emigration.

In the five neighbourhoods covered by the study, life is even more complex for young women. Almost 32 per cent of the young women surveyed said they were mothers, while only 13 per cent of the young men said they were fathers.

This situation was experienced by Mario de León, who was born in Nicaragua and grew up in La Carpio, with a mother who raised her four children on her own.

“My mom worked from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday in a supermarket. We were able to eat, study and have clothes to wear thanks for her,” he said. Now, De León, at the age of 30, is a math professor at the UCR.

He came to La Carpio when he was six years old, he said as he accompanied IPS around the neighbourhood. His family had lost everything in Nicaragua during the war, had moved to Guatemala for some time and arrived in Costa Rica in the mid-1990s.

“It was horrible in school. The school was made of four corrugated iron sheets, a roof and a dirt floor. It leaked when it rained, we would have blackouts, and we would have to go home. But I would stay there studying as the water ran down the walls. I tried to motivate myself,” he said.

Not until this year did a modern primary school open in La Carpio, serving some 2,100 students. Although access to education already existed, ensuring quality services for communities like this is often a task where the state shows up late, if at all.

In the neighbourhoods surveyed, the vast majority of young people (between 64 per cent in Costa Rica and 79 per cent in El Salvador) said they did not care whether the government was “democratic or not,” but simply wanted it to “solve problems.”

For the IOM’s Gutiérrez, the study highlights that cooperation and aid for these countries to develop are crucial if the issue of migration is to be addressed.

“We must work on the structural causes of migration: poverty, inequality, security and development opportunities in a broad sense,” he said.

For him, that means creating opportunities for the regularisation of migrants, cooperating to address public security, and reducing inequality within and, above all, between countries.

“On average, the difference between countries of origin and destination worldwide in terms of income is one to 70, and it is estimated that in about 25 years we will be talking about a difference of 100 to one. In this world, it will not be easy to convince migrants not to migrate to where the income and quality of life can be found,” he said.

That is why, the UCR study states, half of the young people in the poor communities of Central America think that having a future depends on emigrating.

• Separated Central American Families Suffer Abuse in the United States
• Trying to Make Immigration an Option Rather than a Need in Latin America
• Deported Salvadorans in Times of Trump

The post Half of the Young People from Poor Central American Neighbourhoods Want to Migrate appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Credit: Jader Flores/IPS

By Edwin Huizing
Jul 24 2018 (IPS)

Just 40 years after Daniel Ortega led the Sandinistas to overthrow the Somoza dictatorship, a severe crisis grips Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans want nothing more than to see Ortega, who has been in office for eleven years, disappear from the political scene. Hivos, headquartered in The Hague, believes the Netherlands should use its membership in the UN Security Council to prevent a civil war and bring about a peaceful transition.

Since the protests against President Ortega started in April this year, at least 273 people have died and 2,000 have been injured, according to the human rights arm of the Organization of American States (OAS). And the number of victims grows every day.

Edwin Huizing, Executive Director at Hivos

The opposition to Ortega comes from many corners: students, workers, pensioners, the Catholic Church and not least, women’s groups fighting for a more just society. The government’s heavy-handed repression of the protesters also affects journalists and human rights defenders supported by the Netherlands and Hivos. For example, employees of the human rights organization CENIDH were arrested. Journalists from the online magazine Confidencial have been mistreated, threatened and robbed of their cameras and telephones.

In the weekend of July 13, Ortega’s supporters – a mix of government officials and militias – besieged a Catholic church where some 200 students had sought refuge after the protests at their university turned violent. Thanks to fifteen hours of mediation by high-ranking clergy, the students were given safe conduct to leave. But by then, there were already two dead and ten wounded.

According to the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (CIDH), abuse, torture, kidnapping and murder are the order of the day. In its unusually harsh report, the Commission clearly points to the state as partly responsible. If the protests against Ortega continue to spiral out of control, a civil war could break out.

A global trend of government oppression

Nicaragua exemplifies the current trend of governments that are increasingly suppressing activist citizens, critical journalists, human rights defenders and NGOs.

Dutch foreign policy, with its emphasis on “the ring of instability around Europe,” migration and economic commitment is far too limited in this light. Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok’s recent letter about strengthening the Netherlands’ diplomatic network does not even mention the words “human rights”. Its emphasis on economic diplomacy and cuts in spending on diplomatic posts comes at the expense of promoting human rights.

But foreign policy must be about more than migration from Africa and growth opportunities for the Netherlands. The Dutch government’s Coalition Agreement has allocated 40 million euros for strengthening our diplomatic network. Part of this should be directly destined for Nicaragua, and for Central America, which is threatening to become a forgotten region.

Credit: Jorge Mejía Peralta

There must be an end to the violence and impunity

Together with Sweden, currently chairman of the UN Security Council, the Netherlands can bring these human rights violations in Central America to the attention of the UN Security Council, starting with the crisis in Nicaragua. There must be an end to the violence and impunity, for which disarmament of paramilitary forces is crucial. There needs to be an independent international investigation into the killings and other crimes that will bring those responsible to justice. International delegations (e.g. EU parliamentarians) should visit Nicaragua to act as the eyes and ears of the international community and thus increase the pressure on the government to cease its repression and start a transition to free elections, under international supervision.

Riding a wave of hope back in the 1980s, many Dutch people – including NGOs – supported the Sandinista movement. Let them now declare in no uncertain terms that Ortega has not proven to be any better than his illustrious right-wing predecessors.

International political action is urgently needed as the crisis in Nicaragua rapidly escalates, possibly into civil war.

This opinion was originally published here

The post We Cannot Look Away From the Crisis in Nicaragua appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

The conflict in Nicaragua is spiraling out of control. International political action is urgently needed to prevent further escalation, argues Hivos Director Edwin Huizing. And the Netherlands must take the lead.

The post We Cannot Look Away From the Crisis in Nicaragua appeared first on Inter Press Service.

IOM constructs safe sanitation facilities for displaced communities in Gedeo zone.
Photo: Olivia Headon/IOM 2018

By International Organization for Migration
DILLA, Ethiopia, Jul 24 2018 (IOM)

Today (24/07), IOM the UN Migration Agency launched an appeal for USD 22,200,000 to respond to the internal displacement crisis in Ethiopia’s Gedeo (SNNPR region) and West Guji (Oromia region) zones. Since April 2018, some 970,000 people have fled their homes due to fighting between communities along the border of the two regions; the vast majority were displaced in June alone.

“Leaving with what little they could carry and typically losing these possessions on their journey to safety, the displaced communities in Gedeo and West Guji are in great need of humanitarian support to help them get through Ethiopia’s cold and rainy season,” said William Lacy Swing, IOM Director General.

“The international community must rally for the people and Government of Ethiopia. Some partners have already begun to do so, and we thank them, but the current funding levels for a sudden onset crisis of this scale – nearly one million people displaced such a short period of time – are nowhere near acceptable,” added Director General Swing.

Since June, IOM has been scaling up its response in Gedeo and West Guji. However, urgent funding is required to continue to provide life-saving assistance. The IOM appeal outlines funding requirements for the next six months in line with the Government’s West Guji-Gedeo response plan.

Many of the displaced population are staying with local communities, while others are sheltering at collective sites like schools, Government properties and disused or unfinished buildings. Those staying in the local community still come to the collective sites during the day to access humanitarian assistance. The collective sites are overcrowded with thousands of people sheltering in buildings not fit for habitation and thousands more are sleeping outside on the muddy ground with only a sheet of tarpaulin to protect them from the cold and wet weather. Both situations raise major concerns from protection and health perspectives.

IOM operations focus on providing humanitarian assistance to displaced populations in collective sites and within host communities through an integrated approach, including core relief distributions, primary health care, shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Through site management support, IOM is facilitating the improvement of humanitarian service delivery, as well as the local authorities’ capacity to address protection concerns in displacement sites. In addition, IOM is supporting the overall humanitarian community’s response by monitoring population movements and needs through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

In the past two weeks, IOM has distributed over 2,000 blankets and is currently transporting more items to the collective sites like blankets and emergency shelter kits, which include tarpaulin and rope, through a UK Department for International Development (DFID) in-kind donation. For those who are sheltering outside buildings, IOM has begun the construction of 40 communal shelters, of which four have been completed. IOM is also building communal kitchens for the displaced communities at collective sites: five of these have so far been completed.

With so many people sheltering in sites not prepared to host them, access to safe sanitation is another major worry. In just over two weeks, IOM has constructed more than 200 latrines of a planned total of 450. IOM is also promoting safe hygiene practices among the displaced population through the formation of committees, household visits, group sessions and information campaigns.

Health needs are also high but the capacity of local hospitals and clinics to address these needs is outweighed by the sheer number of people displaced in such a small area and short span of time. IOM plans to support local health infrastructure through staff and mobile health clinics.

Access the detailed appeal here.

For more information, please contact Olivia Headon in Ethiopia, Tel: +251902484062, Email: oheadon@iom.int

The post IOM Launches USD 22.2M Appeal for Gedeo, West Guji Displacement Crisis in Ethiopia appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Rohingya refugees walk past new emergency shelters built by IOM shelter teams in the Camp 20 Extension, Cox’s Bazar. Photo: IOM July 2018.

By International Organization for Migration
COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh, Jul 24 2018 (IOM)

Shelter teams from IOM, the UN Migration Agency, working with over 19,000 Rohingya refugee and local labourers, this week completed the construction of over 1,000 new shelters as part of a rapid response project to help move refugee families most at risk from landslides during the monsoon.

In just over a month, 1,150 of the “Robust Emergency Shelters” have been built with the support of refugee and host communities, who have helped with the construction and transported materials to the new site known as Camp 20 Extension.

Almost a million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar are currently living in tarpaulin and bamboo shelters on hilly land in the Cox’s Bazar region of southern Bangladesh – an area prone to some of the world’s worst monsoon conditions.

IOM and partner organisations are working to move thousands of families whose shelters are most at risk from soil erosion and landslides during the monsoon. Hillsides stripped of vegetation during the initial influx of refugees in late August 2017 have become increasingly unstable.

The new shelters, which have been directly constructed by the IOM shelter programme, use techniques designed to make them more durable during the heavy rains. They are built on land prepared and made safe under the Site Maintenance Engineering Project – a joint initiative between IOM, WFP and UNHCR.

“This is an important achievement and a testament to the incredibly hard work of IOM’s shelter teams, the joint efforts of the SMEP initiative, and of course the refugees and host community themselves,” said Manuel Pereira, IOM’s Emergency Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar.

“Everyone involved has put an immense effort into making this land safer and creating robust shelters where families facing the very real danger of landslides can now live more securely. But we desperately need more funding for this work to continue,” he said.

Ambi Khatu, a 60-year-old woman originally from Buthidaung in Myanmar’s North Rakhine State, is among those who have moved into the new shelters.

“My (previous) shelter was damaged in a landslide. The mud overflowed into my house. I feel here is a good place. I feel better,” she said, showing off the small plot of pumpkin seedlings she recently planted outside her new shelter.

IOM has played a lead role in meeting the shelter needs of those affected by the Rohingya refugee crisis. Since February this year, almost 43,200 households have received shelter upgrade kits, while 41,500 households have been given shelter upgrades and disaster risk reduction orientation. Since May, over 37,300 households have also received tie-down kits to further secure their shelters.

For more information please contact Fiona MacGregor at IOM Cox’s Bazar, Email: fmacgregor@iom.int, Tel: +88 0 1733 335221

The post Over 1,000 New Shelters Built for Rohingya Refugees Threatened by Landslides appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Credit: Bigstock

By Martin Khor
PENANG, Malaysia, Jul 24 2018 (IPS)

The escalating trade war initiated by United States President Donald Trump is a major threat to world trade and the global economy.  The developing countries will be among those most affected. It is time for them to respond and speak out.

The trade war is a very dangerous game that will engulf the whole world if it is prolonged.  The country most directly affected by the US trade attack is China. But it is not just a tit-for-tat fight between two giants, the US and China.

Many developing countries are among the most vulnerable to a trade war. Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Hungary, Malaysia Thailand, Vietnam, Chile, and the Philippines are among the most dependent on global supply chains and would thus be susceptible to a breakdown in trade
The US has also increased tariffs against European countries, Mexico, Canada and others with regards to steel and aluminium.  Additional US tariffs on automobiles and their components are now imminent, and if implemented this will take the conflict to a much higher level, with US versus Europe as the centre.

But many countries that are integrated in the regional and global supply chains will also be affected.  Some could even suffer more damage than the direct protagonists.

For example, many Asian countries like South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia export components to China, such as electronics.  The components are used to make products such as mobile phones and computers, some of which are exported to the US. If the extra US tariffs reduce Chinese production, there will be less demand for components exported by these countries to China.

Moreover, a decline in economic growth in China and the US will depress their demand for commodities and other products, thus affecting many developing countries including in Africa and Latin America.

A study done by Pictet Asset Management of 45 countries shows that many developing countries are among the most vulnerable to a trade war.  Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Hungary, Malaysia Thailand, Vietnam, Chile, and the Philippines are among the most dependent on global supply chains and would thus be susceptible to a breakdown in trade.  For example, Malaysian exports are about 60% dependent on global supply chains, while the rates are about 48% for China and 40% for the US.

A Reuters report using OECD data to calculate value-added embodied in Chinese exports by its source countries shows that the most exposed Asian countries to a reduction of Chinese exports would be Taiwan (8% of its GDP value is embodied in Chinese exports), Malaysia (6%), South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore (4-5%).

Another study by the Development Bank of Singapore found that in Asia,  South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore are most at risk from a trade war, based on trade openness and exposure to supply chains.  A trade war would reduce economic growth in 2018 by 0.4 percentage point for Korea, 0.6% for Malaysia and Taiwan, and 0.8% for Singapore, and double these rates in 2019.

These are significant losses indeed.  Thus, developing countries cannot afford to be mere spectators of a US-China trade war.  They should assess how their countries will be affected, and prepare for the effects. More importantly, they should examine who is at fault, speak out and act.

It is clear that the US is the initiator and provocateur of the trade conflict.  Its tariff hikes are unilateral actions, against the rules of the World Trade Organisation and the global trading system.  Complaints have been filed against the US at the WTO, including by China, the EU, Russia and India. Other countries should join in as complainants.

The US actions threaten the very survival of the trade system.  If moves and counter-moves keep taking place, there will no longer be any predictability for any country’s exports.  The EU remarked at the WTO recently that the trading system is facing now acute “stress and uncertainty.” The uncertainty and the reduction of trade will hit the whole world, but most affected will be export-dependent countries.

This is also the worst time for a trade war.  It comes on top of the increasing shakiness of the world financial system, now on the verge of a new crisis.  Already foreign funds are moving out of developing economies, and their currencies are weakening, thus increasing inflationary pressures and making it more expensive to service external loans.

Trump and his advisors have been planning a trade war for some time and now they are putting it into action.  It started in January with an extra 30% tariff on solar panels and components, and 20% tariff on washing machines.

Then came US tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium on all countries, except some that are exempted.  The US used Section 232 of its Trade Expansion Act 1962, which allows the President to impose extra tariffs to counter threats to national security threat.  This section has been rarely used and until now never invoked since the World Trade Organisation was established in 1995.

Using “national security” as a reason is clearly a disguise for what is a commercially-motivated move, as the imported metals are hardly a security threat, and most countries affected are close US allies.

There are well-founded concerns that the use of the “national security” factor by the US will undermine the world trading order, since it will also open the door for other countries to cite the same reason to take similar unilateral actions.   Although there is a clause in the WTO rules allowing trade measures to ensure national security, it has been hardly used as there is a fear it can be abused.

China in April and the EU in June initiated complaints at the WTO against the US action.  Retaliatory actions in the form of tariffs on imported goods from the US with equivalent value have been taken by China on 128 US products worth $3 billion;  by Canada on 299 products valued at $13 billion; by the EU on 180 products valued at over $3 billion; and by Mexico on $3 billion of US goods.

On 6 July the US imposed an extra 25% tariff on US$34 bil worth of Chinese goods, with similar action coming soon on another UD$16 bil of imports.  This time the US invoked Section 301 of its Trade Act 1974, accusing China of violating intellectual property rights of US companies, and of pressuring American firms in China to transfer their technology.  Section 301 is deemed by almost all countries and experts to violate WTO rules.

China immediately retaliated with tariffs on US$34 bil of imports from the US. It accused the US of launching the “largest trade war in economic history.”

US tariffs will hit China’s exports of electrical, telecom and transport equipment, engines and motors, farm machines.  Chinese actions will affect US agriculture goods, especially soybeans, autos and aquatic products.

Responding to China’s retaliation, the US on 10 July announced it would slap a 10% tariff on another US$200 billion of Chinese imports, again invoking Section 301.  China said it is shocked by the US’ behaviour and vowed to retaliate.

Trump has calculated the US will win a trade war because in 2017 the US imported US$506 bil from China, while China imported US$130 billion of US goods.  He thinks China would soon run out of retaliation capacity as it does not have much more US imports to slap tariffs on.

The Chinese however could still retaliate by taking other measures, such as setting more conditions for US firms based in China, not giving access for US companies in various sectors, or not implementing WTO obligations on intellectual property.

Trump will probably go into a rage and raise more tariffs against China, thus escalating the war further.   This will provoke even more actions from China, which has vowed to stick to its rights and not to retreat.

The US is also examining imposing tariffs on automobiles and parts. Trump has threatened to place a 20% tariff on all European cars.  This would have dire consequences, warned German leader Angela Merkel.

In short, the world is on the brink of a Trump-induced global trade crisis.  It will have spill-over effects on exports and GNP growth in developing countries, and secondary effects on policies of banks (which may increase the price and volume of credit) and on the financial markets (with effects on stock prices and the outward flow of funds).

The developing countries should now strongly speak up against the unilateral measures of the US at many venues, and to take or join other initiatives to stop the trade war from escalating into a very big crisis that the world cannot afford to have.

The post Trade War – Developing Countries Should Respond appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

Martin Khor is Advisor to the Third World Network, and a former Executive Director of the South Centre

The post Trade War – Developing Countries Should Respond appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Michelle, a transgender peer educator, walks through her village in Joyce Bay, Port Moresby. Credit: Tom Maguire

By Tom Maguire
LONDON, Jul 24 2018 (IPS)

A group of teenage boys huddle around Michelle in the mangroves behind Joyce Bay, a spot frequented by men who have sex with men (MSM) in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG).

She asks them how regularly they have sex and whether they have been tested for HIV or tuberculosis (TB). Her questions are met with giggles, intrigue and confusion. It turned out that none of the eight present have been tested for either disease. Michelle is a peer educator working to test key populations in her community for HIV, and more recently TB as well.

Five key populations— sex workers, MSMs, transgender people, people who inject drugs, and people in prison and confined settings are disproportionally affected by HIV, but are also the least likely to have access to preventative care, diagnostics, and treatment. One in two new HIV infections worldwide are in these populations.

They face a number of barriers that limit their access to essential health services or exclude them all together. Many are subjected to significant levels of stigma, discrimination, abuse and violence. In many settings, laws that criminalise behaviours such as drug use, sex work, and same-sex relationships further marginalise young people and perpetuate their exclusion.

Fearing discrimination and possible legal consequences, they are hesitant to accessing testing and treatment services. They are also often reluctant to disclose their HIV status to their family and community in fear of revealing their identity or sexual orientation. The outcome is that they remain hidden from the services and support networks they need.

Same-sex relationships are illegal and punishable by up to 14 years in prison in Papua New Guinea. While some coastal communities in the National Capital District are increasingly accepting of same-sex relationships, tolerance across this predominately Catholic country remains low and impacts the number of MSM who get tested.

Balou Chabart Rasoananaivo speaks with local MSM in a safe space in Tamatave, Madagascar. Credit: Tom Maguire

A new report on key populations, commissioned by PNG’s National Department of Health, says more than half of gay men, other men who have sex with men, and transgender people have never been tested for HIV.

To overcome the myriad and interconnected barriers, civil society organizations are introducing programs to increase awareness about HIV among those groups who are often missed by national programs.

In Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby, a cadre of volunteer peer educators, like Michelle, have been trained to go out to clubs, pick-up spots for sex workers, and safe spaces where LGBTQ+ people meet and socialize, to distribute condoms and encourage people to get tested.

In Madagascar, Solidarité des MSM Madagascar, set up by transgender activist Balou Chabart Rasoananaivo, targets men who have sex with men with HIV sensitisation programmes at local social events. This approach aims to support young MSM to think of themselves as part of a community, and to strengthen community norms for sexual health. Dispelling myths around using condoms is another important part of the organisations work.

For example, many Malagasy’s believe that the gel on the tip of a condom is tap water. Madagascar’s water supply is so polluted that this seemingly unimportant detail can make the difference between people choosing to use condoms or not.

While good progress has been made, many so-called ‘key populations’ are still unable to access treatment. In some countries drug-stocks outs are regular occurrences. Drug stock-outs can have a devastating and life-threatening impact for everyone completing treatment for HIV, but key populations are often worse affected as they typically access treatment outside of the national healthcare system.

Just recently, the amount of antiretroviral medicine available in Papua New Guinea has fallen to such low levels that the country has started to eat into its buffer stock. Health Secretary Pascoe Kase admitted in a statement to local media that stocks were low, but that the Department of Health was working with donors to figure out a solution. Madagascar found itself in a similar predicament in 2015.

Interruption of treatment can weaken the immune system of people living with HIV and increase their susceptibility to other infectious diseases such as TB, which is the biggest killer of people living with HIV, causing approximately one in four deaths.

According to the 2017 Global TB Report, more than one million people infected with HIV contract TB annually, and 374,000 people die from it.

Globally, progress is being made to integrate TB-HIV services. Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, has the highest rate of TB in the world; all patients are now being tested for both HIV and TB whenever they visit a health facility and display symptoms of either disease.

The recent integration of the two programs is already helping to identify more cases of both disease and ensure those that are living with TB/HIV co-infection are put on an appropriate course of treatment.

According to David Bridger, the UNAIDS Country Director for Papua New Guinea: “Only when we ensure that Papua New Guinea’s HIV programming reaches the right people in the right way and place, and at the right time, will the increasing HIV infection rates amongst key populations be slowed”.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and peer educators like Michelle and Balou play a leading role in the fight to end the world’s two deadliest infectious disease and ensuring no group or individual gets left behind. But their efforts are futile unless governments and donors ensure those that need treatment can access it.

This is the message that CSOs conveyed to the AIDS 2018 Conference in Amsterdam, July 23 -27.

On the road to the first-ever United Nations High Level Meeting on TB, advocates are using the AIDS conference to highlight the deadly link between HIV and TB that is so obvious in places like PNG, and to make it clear that attaining the Sustainable Development Goals rests heavily on how well societies understand and treat these diseases.

The post HIV-TB Connection: Key to Ending Infections appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

Tom Maguire is the Communications Manager at RESULTS UK

The post HIV-TB Connection: Key to Ending Infections appeared first on Inter Press Service.

The weakness of poor farmers and the growth of low-nutrition crops have been, until now, some of the deterrents of efficient agriculture. Esmilda Sánchez picks string beans on the Finca de Semillas farm. Credit: Jorge Luis Baños/IPS

By Carmen Arroyo
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 24 2018 (IPS)

Significantly more investment is needed to lift hundreds of millions rural poor out of poverty and make agriculture environmentally sustainable, according to Rob Vos, director of the markets, trade and institutions division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

With a growing world population, hunger and undernutrition are on the rise, and governments are looking for private alliances to alleviate these issues.“The world has over-invested in low-nutrition staple crops, driving up the relative price of nutrition rich-foods. Empty calories is the food system of the poor." -- John Coonrod, executive vice-president, the Hunger Project.

During the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, this July, IFPRI organised a side event called “Investing for Reshaping Food Systems”.

Speakers included Claudia Sadoff, director general for the International Water Management Institute; Nichola Dyer, from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme at the World Bank; Gerda Verburg, coordinator at the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN); and Chantal-Line Carpentier, chief at the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development.

They all emphasised the urgency of investing in sustainable agriculture, defined by the Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition as “the efficient production of safe, healthy, and high-quality agricultural products, in a way that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.”

While the world population will reach over eight billion people in 2025, the amount of cultivable land will remain the same. Decimated by pesticides, non-sustainable agricultural techniques, and water waste, healthy nutrients will become harder to access for the growing population. This issue, along with food waste (20 percent of every food purchase is wasted), is a major concern for Verburg, who highlighted the need to rethink food systems and stop blaming agriculture.

The relationship between the private sector and agriculture isn’t new. On the contrary, many farmers-especially the poorest ones-are members of the private sector.

“The majority of poor and hungry people are small-scale farmers. They are in fact members of the private sector, albeit the weakest. And some corporate investments in agriculture can hurt them,” John Coonrod, executive vice-president at the Hunger Project, told IPS.

The weakness of poor farmers and the growth of low-nutrition crops have been, until now, some of the deterrents of efficient agriculture.

“The world has over-invested in low-nutrition staple crops, driving up the relative price of nutrition rich-foods. Empty calories is the food system of the poor. To overcome malnutrition, we need to increase the dietary diversity of the poor to include many more fruits and vegetables, which means increasing their local production and reducing their price to local consumers,” Coonrod explained.

How can private investment develop sustainable agriculture? Vos from IFPRI said that a first priority should be to provide incentives for investments beyond farms “in infrastructure like roads, electricity and cold transportation and agri-food processing.”

“This will help provide better and more stable market conditions for farmers, create lots of new jobs, and limit the risks of investing in agriculture itself,” he said.

He also added that “the second priority is to provide incentives for investing in sustainable practices and crop diversification, including towards fruits and vegetables.”

Brian Bogart, senior regional programme advisor for South Africa to the U.N. World Food Programme, agreed with Vos.

“Key areas for investment to equity in food systems include rural infrastructure, access to markets, knowledge and technology, and improved storage and transport capacity to reduce post-harvest losses,” Bogart said.

What about governments?

During the event, Verburg, from SUN, pointed out the importance of political commitment and leadership within countries to reduce hunger and reshape food systems.

When asked about the role of national governments, Bogart said: “Member states have a responsibility to lead such efforts by developing effective partnerships with the private sector and fostering an enabling environment for investment.”

“With shrinking public investment in agriculture (according to the Secretary General’s progress report on the SDGs, government expenditure as a percentage of GDP declined from .38 to .23 between 2001 and 2016 and international aid allocations for agriculture declined by 20 percent between the mid-1980s and 2016), the question is how public-private partnerships can unlock opportunities for private investment to complement public resources and capacity to generate improved food security, particularly for the most vulnerable populations,” he added.

Some countries are already doing this. The Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition’s Food Index on sustainable agriculture, which ranks 25 countries according to 58 indicators, reveals that Germany and Canada are among the states that rank highest with regards to sustainable agriculture.

However, responsibility does not lie solely with the state, but with civil society also. Coonrod, from the Hunger Project, explained what his organisation does in this regard: “We promote good nutrition through education, promoting better local farming methods, increasing local food processing and, in indigenous communities of Latin America, we’ve opposed junk food and helped communities reclaim their nutritious traditional foods.”

Finally, Vos highlighted the importance of research in reducing hunger.

“We undertake research to better understand the causes underlying the deficiencies in the present food systems and test out the effectiveness of interventions that aim to overcome these shortcomings. We know far too little on what is driving food system change, not just in agriculture, but in all stages of the food chain, from farm to fork.”

• Brazil’s Agricultural Heavyweight Status Undermines Food Supply
• Experts Urge Lawmakers to Focus on Food-Migration Nexus

The post Sustainable Agriculture To End World Hunger appeared first on Inter Press Service.

By WAM
JAKARTA, Jul 24 2018 (WAM)

Arcandra Tahar, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, and Mohamed Abdullah bin Mutlaq Al Ghafli, UAE Ambassador to Indonesia, have reviewed the progress in implementing the floating solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) on the Cirata Reservoir in the West Java province of Indonesia.

The 200MW project will be the largest project of its kind in Indonesia.

The two parties also explored prospects for joint cooperation in areas of conventional and renewable energy.

The Indonesian minister said Jakarta is keen to expand its cooperation ties with the UAE for the best interests of the two friendly countries.

WAM/Tariq alfaham/Hatem Mohamed

The post UAE, Indonesia review work progress at solar power plant appeared first on Inter Press Service.

The post Building Peace in Societies Affected by Small Arms appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

Izumi Nakamitsu is UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs & Jean-Pierre Lacroix is UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations

The post Building Peace in Societies Affected by Small Arms appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Credit: Institute for Palestine Studies

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 24 2018 (IPS)

The Group of 77 (G77) — the largest single coalition of developing countries at the United Nations– is to be chaired by Palestine, come January.

“It’s a historical first, both for Palestine and the G77,” an Asian diplomat told IPS, pointing out that Palestine will be politically empowered to collectively represent 134 UN member states, including China.

Created in June 1964, the 54-year-old Group comprises over 80 per cent of the world’s population and approximately two-thirds of the United Nations membership

Traditionally, the G77 speaks with a single voice before the 193-member General Assembly, the highest policy making body at the UN, and also at all UN committee meetings and at international conferences.

Under a system of geographical rotation, it was Asia’s turn to name a chairman for 2019. The Asian Group has unanimously endorsed Palestine, which will be formally elected chair at the annual G77 ministerial meeting, scheduled to take place in mid-September.

Palestine will take over from the current chair, Egypt, which is representing the African Group of countries.

The chairmanship is a tremendous political boost for Palestine at a time when it is being increasingly blacklisted by the Trump administration which is kowtowing to the Israelis.

Although it is not a full-fledged UN member state, Palestine is recognized by 136 UN members, and since 2012, has the status of a “non-member observer state” –as is the Holy See (the Vatican).

Nadia Hijab, President, Al-Shabaka Board of Directors, told IPS: “At a time when Israel is moving on all fronts to wipe Palestine definitively off the map through relentless colonization – and to muscle in on UN committees despite its flagrant violations of international law — it is a source of solace to see Palestine slated for a very visible role at the UN.”

However, comforting as this may be, she pointed out, it will take a lot more than this to make “Palestine” a reality on the ground.

Sadly, the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership has been unwilling or unable to end security coordination with Israel and to heal internal divisions. Instead, she said, it is cracking down on peaceful Palestinian protests.

”It is also reshaping the Palestine Liberation Organization, which has always been recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, in a way that excludes alternative and opposing views,” Hijab declared.

Martin Khor, Advisor to the Malaysia-based Third World Network, told IPS: “I think it will be a historic and a significant development-first for the G77 countries to elect Palestine as its chair, and thereby affirm their confidence in its leadership.”

The election will also prove that the State of Palestine itself has decided it can mobilise its human and material resources to take on the complex task of coordinating the largest grouping in the UN system– even though it has to fight its own very challenging battles of survival and independence, said Khor, the former executive director of the Geneva-based South Centre.

“Both Palestine and the G77 deserve the support of people around the world to wish them success in voicing and defending the interests of developing countries in these very difficult times when international cooperation and multilateralism are coming under attack,” he said.

Last week, the Trump administration refused to grant visas to a six-member Palestinian delegation that was expected to participate at the UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development which took place July 16-18.

This was clearly in violation of the 1947 US-UN Headquarters Agreement which calls on the US, among other obligations, to facilitate delegates participating at UN meetings.

Asked about the visa refusal, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters last week: “Well, certainly, we’re aware of this latest incident, but as far as I’m aware, there is a Host Country Committee that deals with disputes involving access to the United Nations and any problems dealing with the host country on that.”

”As of now, the Host Country Committee has not been approached or formally informed of this, so they haven’t acted on this. But it’s normally their role to deal with this situation. Of course, we would hope that all of those who are here to attend UN meetings would have the ability to do so,” he added.

Samir Sanbar, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General who headed the Department of Public Information (DPI), told IPS chairing the G-77 will be an unprecedented role for Palestine. He said leading that large, varied yet collaborative group will require tactful handling by all sides at a time when the rightful Palestinian cause needs every support as the region—and a fragmented conflicted, almost leaderless world— is facing serious challenges.

“It is hoped that Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine and an experienced diplomat with proven U.N. record, will be given the opportunity and required leeway to operate in an inclusive, patient and fruitful manner to enhance the role of the G 77 while advancing the status of the Palestine, said Sanbar, who served under five different UN secretaries-general.

At the UN, the Trump administration has been increasingly undermining the Palestinian cause – a cause long supported by an overwhelming majority of member states in the world body.

In May, the US relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem even though the UN has deemed it “occupied” declaring that the status of East Jerusalem should be subject to negotiations and that East Jerusalem will be the future capital of the State of Palestine.

Last month, the Trump administration also reduced its funding—from an estimated $360 million in 2017 to $60 million this year — to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), created in 1949 to provide assistance to over 5.5 million refugees resulting from the creation of Israel in 1948.

Last year when Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed the appointment of former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as UN’s Special Representative in Libya, the proposal was shot down by US Ambassador Nikki Haley, purely because he was a Palestinian.

And speaking before the US House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Haley went even further down the road when she indicated she would block any appointment of a Palestinian official to a senior role at the UN because Washington “does not recognize Palestine” as an independent state.

Suddenly, the Palestinians, for the first time, seem blacklisted– and declared political outcasts– in a world body where some of them held key posts in a bygone era.

Guterres, who apparently relented to US pressure by stepping back on Fayyad’s appointment plucked up courage to tell reporters: “I think it was a serious mistake. I think that Mr. Fayyad was the right person in the right place at the right time, and I think that those who will lose will be the Libyan people and the Libyan peace process.”

And, he rightly added: “”I believe that it is essential for everybody to understand that people serving the UN are serving in their personal capacities. They don’t represent a country or a government – they are citizens of the world representing the UN Charter and abiding by the UN Charter,” he said, pointedly directing his answer at Haley

A former chair of the G77 chapter in Vienna told IPS although the Palestinian issue is fundamentally a political one, centred as well on the legitimacy and legality of Israeli occupation, it no longer remains in the political-legal realms exclusively.

He said there are a large number of issues of economic, social and cultural and environmental nature, including health, education, food, water, etc, which arises both directly from conditions of occupation, as well as laterally from other conditions such as denial of humanitarian access, and, very recently, the declaration of “Israel as a Jewish state”.

It is logical that advancing a struggle on these issues call for a broad forum of solidarity, and the G 77 fits the bill, he noted.

In an oped piece marking the 50th anniversary of the G77, Mourad Ahmia, the G77 Executive Secretary said: “When it was established on Jun. 15, 1964, the signing nations of the well-known “Joint Declaration of Seventy-Seven Countries” formed the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the United Nations to articulate and promote their collective interests and common development agenda.

Since the First Ministerial meeting of the G-77 held in Algeria in October 1967, and the adoption of the “Charter of Algiers”, the Group of 77 laid down the institutional mechanisms and structures that have contributed to shaping the international development agenda and changing the landscape of the global South for the past five decades, he pointed out.

“Over the years, the Group has gained an increasing role in the determination and conduct of international relations through global negotiations on major North-South and development issues.”

The Group has a presence worldwide at U.N. centres in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Washington D.C., and is actively involved in ongoing negotiations on a wide range of global issues including climate change, poverty eradication, migration, trade, and the law of the sea.

“Today, the G-77 remains the only viable and operational mechanism in multilateral economic diplomacy within the U.N system. The growing membership is proof of its enduring strength,” he declared.

The post Palestine to Lead UN’s Largest Group of Developing Nations appeared first on Inter Press Service.

By WAM
ADEN, Jul 23 2018 (WAM)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has commended the humanitarian role played by the Emirates Red Crescent in Yemen (ERC), including the significant relief, social, service and developmental projects carried out by the UAE’s premier humanitarian aid provider in the war-ravaged country.

This came at a meeting this morning between Engineer Saeed Al Ali, Head of the ERC Mission in Aden, and Carlos Batallas, the Head of ICRC Mission to Aden, and his aide.

The two sides explored paths of promoting cooperation, with special emphasis on finding efficient solutions to the Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Yemen and providing them with sufficient assistance.

Al Ali reviewed the ERC’s milestones in Yemen as part of the ‘Year of Zayed Initiative’, which included water, medical and educational projects established across different Yemeni governorates. He hailed the current level of collaboration between ERC and ICRC.

The international official expressed ICRC’s keenness to intensify cooperation with ERC to continue to launch joint projects in Yemen.

WAM/Hatem Mohamed

The post International Red Cross commends ERC’s role in Yemen appeared first on Inter Press Service.

By WAM
ABU DHABI, Jul 23 2018 (WAM)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) welcomes the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 23rd July 2018 in regards to Qatar’s request for Provisional Measures under the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The ICJ refused to grant any of the Provisional Measures specifically requested by Qatar. By a very narrow margin, the Court indicated certain measures with which the UAE is already in compliance.

The ICJ’s decision reflects that Provisional Measures sought by Qatar are without a valid basis and were unsupported by the evidence. Instead of these unproductive maneuvers, Qatar should be engaging with the legitimate concerns of the UAE and the other three States that have ended relations with Qatar regarding its continuing support for terrorism and its efforts to destabilize the region.

In a statement today, the UAE reiterated its position that its actions are directed at the Qatari government and not towards the Qatari people. Contrary to Qatar’s false allegations, thousands of Qataris continue to reside in and visit the UAE. Qatari visitors may enter the UAE with prior entry permission issued through the telephone hotline announced on June 11, 2017.

“We urge Qatar to constructively engage on the requests made by the UAE and other countries for Qatar to comply with its international obligations. The UAE reiterates that it will continue to welcome Qatari citizens into its territory, as affirmed in the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on July 5th, 2018,” the statement added.

WAM/Hatem Mohamed

The post International Court of Justice refuses to grant provisional measures sought by Qatar appeared first on Inter Press Service.

By WAM
ABU DHABI, Jul 23 2018 (WAM)

Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of the Department of Energy, DoE, has emphasised the strength of the economic partnership between the UAE and China.

Today, several Chinese companies are playing a major role in strengthening the economic relationship between both parties and taking part in developing numerous vital and strategic projects at the country level.

Today, several Chinese companies are playing a major role in strengthening the economic relationship between both parties and taking part in developing numerous vital and strategic projects at the country level.

This came in light of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the UAE to demonstrate ways of mutual development in all fields. It is worth mentioning that the DoE has a strategic partnership with China’s JincoSolar Holding, which signed a contract to implement the Noor Abu Dhabi solar photovoltaic, PV, project in Suwaihan, in a joint venture with Japanese Marubeni Corp. The project includes the development, financing, establishment, operation and maintenance of the independent plant at a capacity of 1,177 MW, which is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2019.

Al Marar commended Abu Dhabi’s experience in attracting major companies and international coalitions who are seeking to invest in the Middle East especially projects implemented by the DoE in partnership with the private sector.

An example of this is Noor Abu Dhabi project an independent solar power plant using PV technology located in Suwaihan, 120 km south-east of Abu Dhabi, at a total cost of AED3.2 billion. He also stated that the project will reduce the need for gas imports, achieve savings in water and electricity sector, fulfil the government’s attempts for diversifying energy resources and using clean energy, promote sustainable economy in Abu Dhabi, and create job opportunities for UAE nationals, especially in the eastern region. Further, the plant is expected to supply Abu Dhabi grid with electricity within the second quarter of 2019.

In addition, Al Marar indicated that this project serves Abu Dhabi’s vision in achieving sustainability of the sector. Besides, it goes under one of the most significant government programmes aimed at building an integrated system of water and electricity being produced and generated from renewable and conventional resources, which depend on innovative and sustainable solutions.

He also appreciated the 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 Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and the supervision of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, to provide the requirements of a decent life and well-being as the core priority of the country.

The Chairman of the DoE has also lauded Abu Dhabi’s experience as one of the best countries in terms of energy production and foreign investments compared to the local economy as well as the major financial deals with global, regional and local entities.

WAM/Nour Salman

The post China, a strategic partner: UAE’s Department of Energy appeared first on Inter Press Service.

By WAM
ABU DHABI, Jul 23 2018 (WAM)

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is a significant landmark and tourist destination that translates the far-sighted vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to enrich the country’s civilisational legacy, H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has stated.

“Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi inculcates the culture of happiness embraced by the country and adds to the impressive cultural potential boasted by Abu Dhabi as a preferred global destination and a significant bridge for intercultural dialogue and communication,” Sheikh Hazza said in his comment on today’s opening of the landmark destination in the UAE capital.

WAM/Hatem Mohamed

The post Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi enriches UAE’s civilisational legacy: Hazza bin Zayed appeared first on Inter Press Service.

By WAM
ABU DHABI, Jul 23 2018 (WAM)

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first-ever Warner Bros. branded indoor theme park developed by Miral, Abu Dhabi’s creator of destinations. The world-class destination officially opens to the public on 25th July.

Their Highnesses also attended the inauguration ceremony for the theme park, which took place at the Warner Bros. Plaza at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. The ceremony included a series of festive celebrations where guests were also treated to the first screening of the Warner Bros. Cinema Spectacular, a captivating show that brings Warner Bros.’ unparalleled film library to life, as well as a specially produced video by YouTube celebrity sensation Devin Super Tramp.

Sheikh Zayed bin Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saif and Ahmed bin Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan took the stage, along with a number of famous cartoon characters of Warner Bros. and pressed a button to mark the official start of the new theme park’s operations.

Their Highnesses toured the new 1.65 million square feet theme park, located at Saadiyat Island, which offers a new entertainment destination for families and visitors of different age groups. They were briefed about the various development phases of the project, and the high standards of safety and security that the project has maintained to ensure visitors have a high-quality experience.

"It is with great pride that we celebrate the opening of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island today. This is a milestone moment for us as we continue to cement Abu Dhabi’s positioning as one of the world’s leading family and tourism destinations. I am confident that the addition of this theme park to our already rich portfolio will further enhance Yas Island’s offering,"
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Miral
“It is with great pride that we celebrate the opening of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island today. This is a milestone moment for us as we continue to cement Abu Dhabi’s positioning as one of the world’s leading family and tourism destinations. I am confident that the addition of this theme park to our already rich portfolio will further enhance Yas Island’s offering,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Miral.

“We’re delighted that our partnership with Warner Bros. Entertainment has resulted in us delivering our promise of creating an attraction that will amaze and entertain both the young, and the young at heart,” added Al Mubarak.

The park transports guests to six expertly designed lands, including DC’s Metropolis and Gotham City, as well as Cartoon Junction, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros. Plaza. From the meticulously curated musical arrangements to the faithfully created landscapes, Warner Bros. World is uniquely designed to truly immerse guests in the places they’ve seen in movies, comic books and on TV. Home to a total of 29 exhilarating rides, interactive family-friendly attractions and unique live entertainment shows, the park will offer an incredible range of themed experiences. Guests will also enjoy authentically themed dining experiences, from grab-and-go eateries to full-service sit-down restaurants and cafes, as well as custom designed shops featuring bespoke Warner Bros. merchandise inspired by fan-favorite characters, some of which has been developed exclusively for the park.

“Warner Bros. has an almost-100-year legacy of producing and distributing high-quality entertainment to global audiences, and this world-class attraction continues that tradition in grand style,” said Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. “Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi literally brings our characters to life and provides fans a truly unique immersive entertainment experience. We couldn’t have better partners than our colleagues at Miral, and we look forward to continuing our longstanding relationship,” he continued.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is the latest addition to Yas Island’s immersive theme parks, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi and the upcoming attraction, CLYMB. These are complemented by: Yas Marina Circuit – one of the most technologically-advanced Formula 1 circuits in the world; Yas Marina – a vibrant venue offering dining, fitness and leisure facilities; Yas Mall– the largest shopping mall in Abu Dhabi with 400 retail stores; Yas Beach; Yas Links Abu Dhabi – the 46th golf course in the world; as well as seven sophisticated hotels ranging from 3 to 5 stars.

The event was also attended by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council; H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman; H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council; H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy National Security Adviser; Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Transport H.H. Sheikh Diab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sultan bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan; and Director of The Martyrs’ Families’ Affairs Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, in addition to a number of senior officials.

WAM/Hatem Mohamed

The post Mohammed bin Rashid, Mohamed bin Zayed open Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi – Update appeared first on Inter Press Service.