In the interest of further developing the private sector in member countries, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group hosted the IDB Group Private Sector Forum in collaboration with Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) and Indonesia Chamber of Commerce (KADIN) at the Jakarta Convention Center. The event was held in conjunction with IDB Group 41st Annual General Meeting and was officiated by the CEOs of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (www.ICD-ps.com), the Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), and the CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)-- Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi, Mr. Oussama A.Kaissi and Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, respectively.

The brainchild of IDB Group private sector entities which include ICD, ICIEC, ITFC along with the IDB Group Business Forum (THIQAH) and Investment Promotion Technical Assistance Program (ITAP), the forum involved engaging panel discussions which deliberated on the activities, roles and support that have been carried out in member countries, with focus on Indonesia. The panel also touched on issues related to Islamic trade financing, investment challenges and export credit insurance. With the aim to further encourage economic and social development in Indonesia and in member countries, the forum convened the most relevant and knowledgeable thought leaders from business, academia and government to discuss present-day business environment and challenges, develop new insights and design innovative solutions to tackle pressing issues in the private sector.

The CEO of ICD, Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi stated, "During this forum, we presented the second issue of ICD’s Annual Development Effectiveness Report (ADER) which highlights our roles in supporting the development goals of our member countries. We hope this forum will successfully serve as a platform that strategically connects us with potential partners, business leaders, and investors to collaborate and take concrete steps in order to improve the economy and prosperity of Indonesia and our member countries."

The CEO of ICIEC, Mr. Oussama A. Kaissi added, “Addressing huge infrastructure needs is one of the main focus of the IDB Group in Indonesia, aligned with the Indonesian government’s target of supporting and improving infrastructure development. ICIEC is ready to facilitate and mitigate the risks of investors who are interested in bankable investment projects, particularly in infrastructure, in our member countries. ICIEC is open to coordinate with investors who are willing to invest in Indonesia as well as our member countries, and will offer protection by way of insurance of the export credit.”

From his side, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, Acting CEO ITFC commented "We believe that this forum will boost trade and investment among member countries and heighten public awareness on Islamic trade finance in Indonesia and globally. The changes in trade financing regulations in Indonesia encourages us to take real action in order to make adjustment to these changes, and provide Islamic Trade Finance solutions that contribute to the socio-economic development and growth in the country”

While development assistance has its limitations, the resources of the private sector can contribute significantly to development funding and sharing of experiences to help meet development objectives. The forum provides the setting to feature Indonesia’s investment opportunities while renewing confidence and constructive cooperation between industry players and potential investors. BKPM and KADIN remains committed to facilitate investment opportunities and the dissemination of information among attendees during and after the forum.

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About Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group

The Islamic Development Bank “IDB”

IDB is an international financial institution established to foster the economic development and social progress of member countries in accordance with the principles of Shari’ah. The functions of the Bank are to participate in equity capital and grant loans for productive projects and enterprises besides providing financial assistance. (www.isdb.org)

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector “ICD”

ICD provides equity, debt financing and financial advisory services in accordance with the Islamic banking and finance principles. Projects financed by ICD are selected on the basis of their contribution to economic development (www.icd-ps.com)

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation “ITFC”

ITFC was formed to consolidate the trade finance business that was formerly undertaken by various entities within the IDB Group. ITFC promotes IDB developmental objectives through its two main pillars, Trade Finance and Trade Promotion, to fulfil its vision of ‘Advancing Trade & Improving Lives’ (www.itfc-idb.org)

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit "ICIEC"

ICIEC was established with the objective to increase the scope of trade transactions of member countries to facilitate foreign direct investments and to provide reinsurance facilities to their national export credit agencies. ICIEC provides appropriate Islamic Shariah compatible credit and country risk insurance and reinsurance instruments. (www.iciec.com)

IDB Group Business Forum (THIQAH)

The IDB Group Business Forum - THIQAH is the main window which acts as enabler and play facilitation and catalyst roles to connect the private sector institutions in IDBG member countries. The main objective of THIQAH is to establish a unique and innovative platform for dialogue, cooperation and inclusive partnership for business leaders committed to partnering in promising investment opportunities. THIQAH’s vision is to position itself as the leading business platform of the IDB Group serving the private sector in member countries and maximizing the achievements of successful investment projects. The primary focus is on maximizing cross-border investments among IDB Group member countries, with the support of IDB Group’s financial products and services (www.idbgbf.org).

Investment Promotion Technical Assistance Program (ITAP)

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group’s Investment Promotion Technical Assistance Program (ITAP) is an initiative by IDB Group, established in 2005, and managed by the ICIEC. ITAP’s objective is to help unlock the developmental potential of IDB Member Countries through comprehensive and integrated technical assistance programs of investment promotion. The program’s focus areas include institutional development, sharing best practices and information dissemination on investment opportunities in member countries. Moreover, the program conducts needs assessment studies to identify potential sectors for intervention, capacity building for investment promotion agencies and relevant government institutions of IDB member countries, country promotion events and policy advice to improve investment climate (www.iciec.com/node/124)

The African Union Commission launches Phase 2 of the African Union Research Grants programme with an open call for proposals for Research and Innovation in Africa supported by the European Union.

This call for proposal supports the Africa’s Science Technology and Innovation Strategy-2024 which addresses the aspirations identified under Agenda 2063 and Priority 3 on Human development of the EU-Africa partnership. The call supports research on: Food & Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) with particular attention on Sustainable Intensification.

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The African Union Research Grant (AURG) is one of the programmes initiated within the Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology (DHRST) to support a Pan African research and development through grants and direct funding. The programme provides the needed opportunity to use Science and Technology (S&T) as a tool for sustainable development, building and strengthening Africa’s S&T capacities.

The Commission through the support of the European Union secured a sum of 17.5 million euro under the EU Pan-African Programme to launch 2 calls for research proposals in Africa in 2016 and 2017.

The full Guidelines for Applicants, Application form and other supporting documents are available for downloading from the AUC web site: http://au.int/en/AURG. The deadline for submission of proposals is August 17th, 2016.

For further information:

Dr. Monica Ebele Idinoba , Principal Scientific Officer/ African union Commission/ Human Resources, Science and Technology E-mail: IdinobaM@africa-union.org

You are cordially invited to the press briefings with UN USG/ERC O'Brien, to take place in Maiduguri and Abuja, as follows:

Maiduguri: Wednesday 18 May,15:45-16:00, VIP room, Maiduguri International Airport USG/ERC O'Brien will discuss his trip to Konduga, and related humanitarian issues, followed by a question and answer session. Opportunities for photographs will follow. Abuja: Thursday 19 May, 17:30-18:00, Kano Room, Hilton Hotel (above Congress Hall; follow the signs for UNOCHA Press Briefing) USG/ERC O'Brien will discuss the humanitarian situation in North-East Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin, followed by a question and answer session. Opportunities for photographs throughout, and to follow.

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 17, 2016 Macon Phillips, Coordinator of the Bureau of International Information Programs, will travel to Senegal, Ghana, and Uganda May 18-26 to engage with the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Network and meet with stakeholders to discuss entrepreneurship and public outreach on digital platforms.

Coordinator Phillips will visit Senegal May 18-20 where he will meet with young Senegalese to discuss a range of issues including entrepreneurship, women in technology, and leadership. He will also meet with prominent bloggers, journalists and with members of the YALI Dakar Regional Leadership Center team.

The Coordinator will travel to Ghana May 20-23 where he will participate in the YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship West Africa Regional Conference in Accra and join a capacity-building YALI TechCamp for grassroots organizers at Ashesi University.

The Coordinator will visit Uganda May 24-26 where he will meet with members of the YALI Network and host roundtable discussions with civil society in Kampala.

For more updates on Coordinator Phillips’ trip, follow him on Twitter @Macon44.

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 17, 2016

Special Advisor for Children’s Issues, Ambassador Susan Jacobs will travel to the DRC from May 17-20.

Special Advisor Jacobs will meet with government officials and parliamentarians to discuss the intercountry adoption process and resolution of the remaining U.S. adoption cases affected by the exit permit suspension. She will also discuss ways to strengthen child protection systems.

For more information about children’s issues, please visit: ChildrensIssues.state.gov

For updates on Special Advisor Jacobs’ trip, follow her on Twitter: @ChildrensIssues

Mobile phones serving as digital “wallets” for payments to response workers proved an invaluable tool in Sierra Leone’s response to the Ebola crisis, according to a new study from the United Nations-based Better Than Cash Alliance (www.BetterThanCash.org).

With economic instability, natural disasters and political conflict now taking place at unprecedented rates, the new research offers valuable lessons on how to harness the power of technology to help emergency workers reach more people by paying them digitally during crises. The country has been Ebola free since January.

The report comes just ahead of the first ever United Nations World Humanitarian summit set to begin next week.

The study shows digital payments delivered compelling results in Sierra Leone, including:

Crucially, Sierra Leone’s experience shows the critical importance of governments, companies, and international organizations working together to develop policy frameworks, infrastructure and operating guidelines for digital payments before crises strike.

"Sierra Leone's firsthand experience with digital payments and its impact on Ebola response and control taught us that, Governments like ours must take this growing payment system seriously as it can significantly contribute to inclusive growth and transparency,” said H.E. Momodu L. Kargbo, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development. “In developing the partnership with private sector, development organizations, the Central Bank, financial institutions, network providers; and building the foundation for an inclusive digital payment system, Government must take the lead."

Sierra Leone was one of the hardest-hit countries during the Ebola outbreak, with more than 14,000 reported cases of the 28,000 total cases in West Africa (http://www.apo.af/H05ZGr). Ebola response workers were spread across Sierra Leone’s 14 districts, including many health units in rural areas. The speed with which Ebola spread meant the government needed a more efficient, reliable and secure tool than cash to manage payments to response workers in a country where there were fewer than 50 ATMs when the outbreak struck.

Digital payments offered a powerful solution, particularly given Sierra Leone already had mobile network coverage across nearly 95 percent of the country, and more than 90 percent of response workers with access to a mobile phone.

One of the major challenges of cash is that it is expensive, slow, difficult to transport and vulnerable to theft, graft and payment errors. Late or incorrect payments to response workers often led to strikes during past emergencies and at the start of the Ebola crisis before digital payments were implemented.

In Sierra Leone, digital payments reduced these strikes from an average of eight per month - causing the loss of about 800 working days per month — to virtually zero.

“Ebola response workers put their lives at risk every day. It was vitally important they received all the money they earned, with no skimming or theft. They got it immediately, as their families had no other income; and only legitimate workers got paid - no one else. Paying Ebola response workers directly into a digital wallet instead of cash met these goals, saved lives and over $10 million,” said Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen, Managing Director of The Better Than Cash Alliance. “Sierra Leone’s experience shows the critical importance of developing and implementing national policy frameworks and supporting infrastructure to drive effective and flexible digital payments ecosystems in advance of humanitarian crises.”

The vast majority of the cost savings were due to eliminating payments to people who were not legitimate Ebola response workers, known as “ghost workers”. The money saved was given to those who really needed it.

The full report is available here: http://www.apo.af/Deh1qI.The Better Than Cash Alliance has experts available to comment on the study.

Media contacts

Angela Corbalan, angela.corbalan@uncdf.org / (+1) 917 224 9109

The Better Than Cash Alliance (www.BetterThanCash.org) is a global partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerate the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth. The United Nations Capital Development Fund serves as the secretariat. To learn more, visit www.BetterThanCash.org, follow @BetterThan_Cash and subscribe for news: http://betterthancash.org/sign-up/.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International grants Eth. Birr 88.8 million for operational support to ENDPOLIONOW in Ethiopia through WHO- Ethiopia. As long standing supporter of polio eradication initiative for the last 25 years, Rotary’s grant globally is bout USD 2.3 Billion.

This new pledge of 88.8 million is made in honor of current Ethiopia’s polio free status and it will be used to sustain this position. Examining Rotary’s 25 years of engagement in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative endeavor, which is in a state of the completion and closure of Polio Eradication Initiative was the basis for continuing the strengthened effort and success that Africa is celebrating now. “Thanks to the generous Rotary’s donation. We will dramatically increase our capacity and this fund will ensure that World Health Organization Ethiopia will always be able to sustain the gain. This grant will secure our leadership position to continue providing our technical support in polio eradication initiative, explained Dr. Olusegun Ayorinde Babaniyi, Acting WHO Representative for Ethiopia.“With the increasing Rotary’s commitment to support the country and the global initiative, we wanted to ensure that the World Health Organization would maintain its pre-eminence to build on the polio legacy to accelerate the improvement in routine immunization for closing the immunization gap. We are so pleased to be able to take this step,” he added. As the initiative enters its final stages by 2018, investments made in the cause of polio eradication are built on to benefit other development goals. Therefore the completion and closure of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is as serious as the beginning of polio Eradication Initiative. PDG Tadesse Alemu NPPC Chairman in Rotary Grant handing over ceremony said, “ As we needed fund to launch Polio Eradication Initiative program and we have to see to it that funding is crucial for Endgame activities and polio legacy to ensuring investments made are built on to benefit other development goals. Therefore, this grant is for one-year, which must be fully expended by 31 March 2017. The Rotary Foundation is very pleased to support polio eradication efforts in Ethiopia through this grant.”

Following the declaration of a drought situation in the region of the Greater South of Madagascar, the vulnerability of the rural population has reached an alarming level.

A project for emergency agricultural rehabilitation of farming households and vulnerable producers has been implemented to allow them to recover quickly from the loss of their crops as a result of the drought that hit the area.

“As part of this project on Integrated Actions for Nutrition and Food (AINA), currently being implemented in five regions in Madagascar and funded by the European Union, farmers were encouraged to use improved, adapted and drought-tolerant seeds.Through the implementation of the approach of Climate-Smart Agriculture, over 35,000 households have benefited from these seeds,” noted Patrice TallaTatoukam, FAO Representative in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles , while visiting Ambovombein the region a week ago.

"In the interest of a sustainable and inclusive development, it is important to become acquainted with the daily realities and increase contacts with beneficiaries, in order to better target needed responses,”said Mr. Talla. His visit also served to recognize the efforts made by the technical team of the SouthernFAO Office in implementing projects aimed at improving the food and nutrition security of the most vulnerable populations in this region particularly affected by the effects of El Niño.

Challenge of adaptation to climate change

Climate change impacts on agriculture and food security through increased frequency of extreme meteorological events (cyclones, floods, and drought, as in the case of Southern Madagascar) and increased unpredictability of weather patterns.

As a result, this has caused decreases in production and income in vulnerable areas. Many smallholder producers are already facing the degradation of natural resources. They often lack knowledge on how to adapt their production systems and have limited resources and risk-taking capacity to access technology and financial services.

Improving food security while contribute to mitigating the impact of climate change and to the protection of natural resources requires a transition to more productive agricultural production systems witha more efficient use of inputs and a less variable and more stable production that is more resilient to risks, shocks and long-term climate variability.

A more productive and resilient agriculture requires a major change in land, water, soil nutrients and genetic resourcesmanagement practices, to ensure that these resources are managed more effectively. The Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), as defined and presented by FAO at the Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change in 2010, contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Nutrition — At the heart ofaactions

After the presentation of the Report on the Cost of Hunger by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, during his visit to Madagascar on 10 and 11 May, a particular attention is now being given by the Government to nutrition. FAO has participated in the preparation of this document, and has already issued the recommendation to update the nutrition policy of the country by taking into account the multidisciplinary aspect of nutrition during the evaluation of the results of implementation of the National Action Plan on Nutrition — Phase II in February 2016. For its part, FAO Madagascar is intensifying crop diversification and nutrition education activities among farming and rural populations.

This week, US Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome (FAO, IFAD and WFP), David Lane, is visiting Madagascar with a team of international and Malagasy journalists.

Useful links:

U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome

US Ambassador Lane's visit is on theFacebookandTwitteraccounts of the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies. Also follow theFacebookandTwitteraccounts of the U.S. Embassy of Madagascar for Their reports on the turn.

El Niño Website (FAO)

An early-stage HIV vaccine clinical trial in South Africa has determined that an investigational vaccine regimen is safe and generates comparable immune responses to those reported in a landmark 2009 study showing that a vaccine can protect people from HIV infection. Consequently, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and its partners have decided to advance the experimental HIV vaccine regimen into a large clinical trial. This new study, called HVTN 702, is designed to determine whether the regimen is safe, tolerable and effective at preventing HIV infection among South African adults. The trial is slated to begin in November 2016, pending regulatory approval.

“For the first time in seven years, the scientific community is embarking on a large-scale clinical trial of an HIV vaccine, the product of years of study and experimentation,” said Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health and a co-funder of the trial. “A safe and effective HIV vaccine could help bring about a durable end to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and is particularly needed in southern Africa, where HIV is more pervasive than anywhere else in the world.”

The experimental vaccine regimen that will be studied in HVTN 702 is now being tested in the smaller initial trial, named HVTN 100, and is based on the regimen investigated in the U.S. Military HIV Research Program-led RV144 clinical trial in Thailand that delivered landmark results in 2009. The current regimen is designed to provide greater protection than the RV144 regimen and has been adapted to the HIV subtype that predominates in southern Africa.The experimental vaccine regimen tested in the RV144 trial was found to be 31.2 percent effective at preventing HIV infection during the 3.5 years after vaccination, although the regimen appears to have been 60 percent effective one year after vaccination. In the HVTN 702 study, the design and schedule of the RV144 vaccine regimen have been adjusted to try to increase the magnitude and duration of vaccine-elicited immune responses.

NIAID is responsible for all operational aspects of the pivotal Phase 2b/3 trial, which will enroll 5,400 HIV-uninfected men and women ages 18 to 35 years who are at risk for HIV infection. The NIAID-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) will conduct the study. Results are expected in late 2020. The HVTN 702 study will be led by Protocol Chair Glenda Gray, MBBCH, FCPaed (SA). Dr. Gray is president and chief executive officer of the South African Medical Research Council, research professor of pediatrics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and a director of the Perinatal HIV Research Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa.

“HVTN 702 will tell us whether the initial success observed in HVTN 100 will bear fruit in the form of a safe and effective HIV vaccine designed for the people of southern Africa,” said Dr. Gray.

HVTN 100 and HVTN 702 are part of a larger HIV vaccine research endeavor led by a group called the Pox-Protein Public-Private Partnership, or P5–a diverse set of public and private organizations committed to building on the success of the RV144 trial. The P5 aims to produce an HIV vaccine that could have a significant public health benefit in southern Africa and to deepen scientists’ understanding of the immune responses associated with preventing HIV infection. P5 members are NIAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the South African Medical Research Council, HVTN, Sanofi Pasteur, GSK and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program. The HVTN 702 vaccine regimen consists of two experimental vaccines: a canarypox-based vaccine called ALVAC-HIV and a bivalent gp120 protein subunit vaccine with an adjuvant that enhances the body’s immune response to the vaccine. Both ALVAC-HIV (supplied by Sanofi Pasteur) and the protein vaccine (supplied by GSK) have been modified from RV144 to be specific to HIV subtype C, the predominant HIV subtype in southern Africa. In addition, the protein subunit vaccine in HVTN 702 is combined with MF59 (also supplied by GSK), a different adjuvant than the one used in RV144, in the hope of generating a more robust immune response. Finally, the HVTN 702 vaccine regimen will include booster shots at the one-year mark in an effort to prolong the early protective effect observed in RV144. All study participants will receive a total of five injections over one year. The volunteers will be randomly assigned to receive either the investigational vaccine regimen or a placebo. The safety of HVTN 702 study participants will be closely monitored throughout the trial, and participants will receive the standard of care for preventing HIV infection. Study participants who become infected with HIV during the trial will be referred to local medical providers for care and treatment and will be counseled on how to reduce their risk of transmitting the virus. For more information about HVTN 702, please see Questions and Answers: The HVTN 702 HIV Vaccine Study.

Read today’s statement by Dr. Fauci marking HIV Vaccine Awareness Day.

NIAID conducts and supports research–at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide–to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

The United Nation Headquarters will observe the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Thursday, 19 May 2016. It will mark the eighth successive year in which the Organization will honour more than 100 “blue helmets” who lost their lives the previous year while serving the cause of peace.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will lay a wreath to honour all fallen peacekeepers and will preside over a ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 128 military, police and civilian personnel who lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping operations during 2015.

Three fallen peacekeepers from Nigeria are among the 128 who will posthumously receive the Dag Hammarskjold medal -- Police Chief Superintendent Michael Onuoh, who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan; Mr. Oladipo ONI who served as an international staff member of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSC); and Mr. Salisu O. ADEYEMI who was a United Nations Volunteer deployed with the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). In a message to mark the Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “On this Day we honour our heroes — the more than one million men and women who have served under the United Nations flag with pride, distinction and courage since the first deployment in 1948. And we pay our highest tribute to the more than 3,400 peacekeepers who have lost their lives while in service during that period.”

Today, more than 105,000 uniformed personnel from 124 troop- and police-contributing countries serve under the blue flag, along with 18,000 international and national civilian staff and United Nations Volunteers. Nigeria is the twelfth largest contributor of military and police personnel to the United Nations with 2,810 currently serving in 10 peacekeeping operations. In addition to maintaining peace and security, peacekeepers are increasingly charged with assisting in political processes; reforming judicial systems; training law enforcement and police forces; disarming and reintegrating former combatants; supporting the return of internally displaced persons and refugees. In the words of the Secretary-General, “They manifest the best attributes of global solidarity, courageously serving in dangerous environments to provide security to some of the world’s most vulnerable.” Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said: "Over 120,000 men and women — military, police and civilians -- today serve in 16 missions world-wide. Our peacekeepers are deployed in some of the world's most dangerous and austere environments. Too many of them have paid the ultimate price while serving under the blue flag in the name of peace. Today, we pay tribute to their memory by rededicating ourselves to the ideals for which they have sacrificed so much."

According to Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support“The sacrifices of the brave men and women of peacekeeping inspire us to serve with courage and dignity and to pursue continuous improvement and innovation in our work. We owe this not just to our departed colleagues, but also to the millions of civilians that we have been entrusted to protect. We must continue to work together to enable complex operations to succeed with rapid, effective, efficient and responsible support.” The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers was established by the General Assembly in 2002, in tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. The Assembly designated 29 May as the Day because it was the date in 1948 when the United Nations’ first peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO),began operations.

Commemorative activities will be held at United Nations Headquarters on the 19thto enable the Heads of the Military Components of UN peacekeeping operations, who will be present in New York this week, to join the Secretary-General in observing the Day. UN peacekeeping operations, UN Information Centres and other UN offices around the world will observe the Day on or around the 29th.

The Secretary-General spoke today by telephone with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya following the Kenyan Government’s decision of 6 May 2016 to close the Dadaab refugee camps. He expressed deep appreciation to President Kenyatta and the people of Kenya for decades of generous hospitality to significant populations of asylum-seekers and refugees. The Secretary-General assured President Kenyatta that he appreciated the enormous task and responsibility involved in hosting large numbers of refugees, amidst daunting security challenges.

The Secretary-General urged President Kenyatta to continue to use the Tripartite Agreement, signed in November 2013 with the Federal Government of Somalia and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as a basis for the voluntary return of Somali refugees in safety and dignity. He expressed the United Nations support to Kenya, including the proposal by the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, that a high-level bilateral review on the refugee situation in Kenya be conducted by the Government of Kenya and UNHCR. The Secretary-General mentioned that the Deputy Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Refugees would visit Kenya at the end of May. They look forward to discussing this issue forward with the Government of Kenya, and will underline the readiness of the United Nations to garner the support of the international community in addressing Kenya’s refugee challenges, with consideration for the host communities in Kenya as well as the sub-regional security concerns. New York, 18 May 2016

H.E. Marcelino Medina, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, will be visiting South Africa from 20 to 25 May 2016. He will lead Cuba’s delegation to the 13th session of the Cuba-South Africa Joint Consultative Mechanism to be held on Monday 23 May at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, hosted by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, H.E. Luwellyn Landers, who he will join in celebrating 20 years of bilateral inter-governmental cooperation between the two countries. As part of his visit, Deputy Minister Medina will visit Limpopo, where he will be welcomed by Premier Stan Mathabatha and members of the provincial authority. He will also have the opportunity to meet with the Cuban professionals delivering services in that province as part of Cuba-South Africa bilateral cooperation program.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 May 1994 and, since 1996, have engaged in a bilateral cooperation program which began with the arrival of the first group of Cuban health professionals to contribute to South Africa’s commitment in the delivery of comprehensive and accessible health services.

Cuba has a long history of cooperation and solidarity with South Africa that dates back to the early 1960s, when a first group of young South Africans arrived in Cuba in 1962 to receive professional training in medicine and other sciences.

1.H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, and Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama paid an Official Working Visit to Japan from 17 to 20 May 2016, at the invitation of the Government of Japan.

2.H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, and President Mahama held a bilateral summit meeting in Tokyo on 18 May 2016. Prime Minister Abe welcomed President Mahama’s second visit as President since his last visit in May 2013. President Mahama offered his condolences to the victims of the Earthquake Centered in the Kumamoto Region of Kumamoto Prefecture 2016, and expressed his sympathies to the people in the affected areas. Both leaders showed their satisfaction with the development of their long-standing friendly and cooperative relations that has been nurtured between the two countries in both bilateral and multilateral contexts. They also confirmed their determination to further strengthen their ties and noted that the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year would be an excellent opportunity to do so.

3.Both leaders affirmed the importance of universal values, such as democracy and the rule of law. They also emphasised that they would strengthen dialogue and cooperation to ensure peace and stability of the international community while upholding the international system based on the rule of law. President Mahama welcomed Japan’s intention to contribute even more proactively in securing peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the international community, and supported Japan’s policy of “Proactive Contribution to Peace” based on the principle of international cooperation as well as Legislation for Peace and Stability, which took effect in March this year as its concrete practice of that policy.

4.Prime Minister Abe highly commended Ghana’s long history of stable democracy, its achievement in economic growth and steady social improvements in recent years, as well as its active contribution to peace and stability in Africa and the rest of the world, and expressed his determination to continue supporting Ghana’s efforts. President Mahama expressed his gratitude for Japan’s long-standing assistance to Ghana’s socio-economic growth and stability.

5.Both leaders welcomed a recent increase in the activities of Japanese companies in Ghana, which is considered as one of the economic gateways to West Africa for the Japanese business community, and recognised the benefit of further enhancement of economic ties for both sides. In this regard, both leaders confirmed their willingness to accelerate and conclude at the earliest possible timing the ongoing negotiations of a bilateral investment treaty. Both leaders also shared the recognition of the importance of the conclusion of an avoidance of double taxation convention between Japan and Ghana to further enhance investment and economic exchanges between the two countries and decided to start consultations in this regard at the earliest possible timing.

6.Both leaders stressed the importance of quality infrastructure in Ghana and expressed their intention to promote Japan’s role in this regard, based on the outcome of the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) and with a view to further strengthening cooperation towards the next TICAD summit meeting. From this perspective, President Mahama expressed his sincere gratitude for Prime Minister Abe’s pledge today on the Construction of a New Bridge across the Volta River on the Eastern Corridor Project.

7.Both leaders emphasised the importance of promoting public health in line with universal health coverage, as prerequisite for Ghana’s human security and further growth. In this connection, both leaders welcomed today’s signing of the Exchange of Notes concerning the Project for the Construction of Advanced Research Center for Infectious Diseases at Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Both leaders also shared the view on the importance of supporting community-level efforts in the health sector. From this perspective, Prime Minister Abe welcomed the recent launching in Ghana of the revised policy of “Community-based Health Programme and Services (CHPS)”, and expressed his intention to continue supporting the implementation of Ghana’s CHPS policy.

8.Both leaders shared the beliefs that people-to-people exchanges are essential for mutual understanding and recognised the vital role of such exchanges, which date back to the days even before Ghana’s independence. In this regard, both leaders welcomed today’s signing of the Exchange of Notes concerning the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship. Both leaders also expressed their willingness to continue people-to-people exchanges through a variety of other programmes such as African Business Education Initiative for Youth (ABE Initiative), Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) training programmes and sports exchanges through “Sport for Tomorrow” Programme.

9.Both leaders welcomed that the next TICAD summit meeting would be held in August this year for the first time in Africa and confirmed their determination to strengthen their cooperation to make this meeting a success. Prime Minister Abe expressed his view that TICAD VI would be an important opportunity to support Africa’s development agenda, Agenda 2063, and that Japan would demonstrate concrete contributions which are distinctive to Japan, such as quality infrastructure investment and human resource development, promoting science, technology and innovations, strengthening Public-Private Partnership and engagement of the private sector, under the principle of human security. Prime Minister Abe also expressed his expectation for President Mahama’s contribution to TICAD VI. Responding to Prime Minister Abe’s invitation, President Mahama highly appreciated Japan’s contribution and stated that he would attend TICAD VI.

10.Both leaders shared the view that the United Nations Security Council does not fully reflect the realities of the international community in the 21st century, and expressed their determination to greatly enhance their cooperation towards its reform to increase its effectiveness, transparency and representativeness. They emphasised the importance of building upon the recent developments in the Intergovernmental Negotiations in New York and of moving the process forward, including through increased interactions and consultations. In particular, they shared the recognition on the necessity of holding a dialogue between the G4 (Brazil, Germany, India and Japan) and the African Union (AU). Both leaders urged all UN Member States to work in a concerted manner towards this end. They also expressed their intention to enhance their coordination on the issues facing the UN, as Japan currently serves as a member of the Security Council.

11.Prime Minister Abe expressed his appreciation for Ghana’s consistent support to Japan’s efforts in disarmament and non-proliferation. Recognising the central role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in peaceful uses of nuclear energy, both leaders affirmed the importance of the continuity of the IAEA under the leadership of the Director General Mr. Yukiya Amano, and shared the intention on a continuous cooperation for the IAEA’s “Atoms for Peace and Development”.

12.Both leaders welcomed the adoption of the Paris Agreement by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) and emphasised the importance of its prompt entry into force and effective implementation. They reaffirmed further cooperation in addressing climate change, including through their bilateral cooperation.

13.Both leaders shared the intention to strengthen their cooperation in addressing a wide range of global issues such as countering terrorism and violent extremism, as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

14.President Mahama thanked Prime Minister Abe and the Government of Japan for their warm hospitality accorded to him and his delegation. President Mahama also wished Prime Minister Abe success of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and extended an invitation to Prime Minister Abe to visit Ghana at a date to be confirmed through diplomatic channels.

Africa remains one of the preferred frontiers for investment opportunities and doing business, according to a report released by PwC Africa today (www.PwC.com). Growth and foreign direct investment has continued in Africa amid the recent global economic uncertainty.

Download the report: http://www.apo.af/GQ1wcC

This is confirmed by PwC’s Africa Business Agenda survey, which shows that Africa and the emerging markets remain a vital growth opportunity for CEOs. The Africa Business Agenda compiles results from 153 CEOs and includes insights from business and public sector leaders from across Africa.

Hein Boegman, CEO for PwC Africa, says: “CEOs in Africa are ramping up their efforts to innovate and find new ways to do business on the continent in a move to stimulate growth in a challenging and uncertain global business environment.

“The global financial and economic crisis has revealed Africa’s vulnerability to a number of external economic shocks. These include the decline in commodity prices fueled by the economic slowdown in China; a marked decline in the demand for commodities; and the collapse in value of the emerging market currencies against the US-dollar in anticipation of an interest rate hike.

“Notwithstanding a multitude of challenges, many of which are cyclical, we remain confident that Africa’s prospects remain positive. Africa’s business leaders have the opportunity to pursue new business opportunities on the continent, more particularly in the light of rapid innovative and technological advances that have the potential to transform and shape industries.”

Africa’s CEOs are critically aware of these issues and the impact they may on their businesses. CEOs believe global economic growth is unlikely to improve and will stay the same in the short and mid-term; nonetheless they remain confident that there are opportunities for growth over the next 12 months (78%), and 9 out of 10 believe they can deliver growth in the next three years.

The global business environment has become increasingly complex and challenging. The report shows that CEOs in Africa share many of the same concerns with their peers globally. The top three concerns include exchange rate volatility (92%), government response to fiscal deficit and debt burden (90%) and social instability (80%).

CEOs in South Africa have similar concerns as their counterparts on the continent, with the report showing that there are uncertainties about government response to fiscal deficit and debt burden, social instability, and high unemployment or underemployment.

Across the continent, shifting demographics, rapid urbanisation, rising disposable income and technological change are all influencing growth opportunities and strategies. Africa’s CEOs rank technological advances (75%), demographic shifts (52%) and a shift in global economic power (58%) as the top three defining trends that will transform their businesses over the next five years. In addition, new advancements and breakthroughs in frontiers of R&D are opening up more opportunities for businesses.

Our survey of CEOs reveals four common priorities among Africa’s business leaders: diversification and innovation; addressing greater stakeholder expectations; effectively leveraging growth catalysts like technology, innovation and talent; and measuring and communicating shared prosperity.

Catalysts for growth

In Africa, the environment is constantly changing and the growth opportunities are unparalleled. After more than a decade of urbanisation, Africa is poised for a digital revolution. Increasingly, organisations are using technology to challenge business models and disrupt competitors in markets. Technology was seen by CEOs in the survey as the best way of assessing and delivering on customer expectations by implementing customer relationship management systems (69%), interpreting the complex and evolving needs of customers through data and analytics (56%), and improving communication and engagement by means of social media (58%).

Corporate governance has also brought IT to the fore. In South Africa, the draft King IV report recognises that information technology (IT) has become an integral part of doing business today.

Going forward, CEOs in Africa indicated that they will be more actively looking for partners, while keeping an eye on costs. Partnerships and alliances feature prominently in their plans, with more than half of Africa CEOs (56%) planning to enter into strategic alliances over the next 12 months. In addition, 16% say they intend carrying out cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in the next year. Looking at investment prospects, China (22%), Kenya (22%), Uganda (20%) and South Africa (18%) remain the countries Africa CEOs view as most important for growth in the next 12 months.

While many organisations across the globe are expanding or seeking to expand in Africa, the availability of key skills stands out as a key concern for CEOs both in Africa and South Africa. More than half of Africa’s CEOs expect to increase their headcount over the next year. ‘The talent trends that we are seeing suggest that the market is becoming more and more competitive,” Boegman adds. As a result companies are having to review their talent management strategies. Around half plan to invest more in their leadership pipeline and focus on developing their institutional culture.

Stakeholders’ expectations

Across Africa boardroom agendas are changing, with many additional focus areas being brought to the table. The corporate landscape continues to undergo constant change, with companies being confronted by shareholders and other institutional investors who demand explanations around financial reporting and performance. In the process business is encountering a range of challenges in responding to wider stakeholder expectations. These include: additional costs to doing business (62%), unclear or inconsistent standards or regulations (45%), and customers’ unwillingness to pay (35%).

Dion Shango, CEO for PwC Southern Africa, says: “More successful companies tend to be collaborative and collective in their engagement with stakeholders. Business leaders need to have a business rationale for engaging and collaborating with stakeholders, while being acutely aware of the risks posed by not engaging with all relevant stakeholders.

“One of the most significant benefits of engaging and collaborating with stakeholders is that an organisation may be able to engage new markets in Africa and speed up the introduction of new products and services.”

Trust is also emerging as an important differentiator in the business community. Building trust helps organisations to attract investment and build stakeholder loyalty. It is concerning to note that 65% of Africa CEOs are somewhat or extremely concerned about the lack of trust in business. Corruption is also seen as a major threat by businesses (86%). The private sector has taken the initiative to fight corruption by calling on government and regulators to enforce legislation and codes of business practice.

Communicating shared prosperity

It is positive to note that Africa CEOs are increasingly recognising the importance of reporting on non-financial matters. In addition, most Africa CEOs surveyed not only believe that success is dependent on more than just making money, they also believe that their organisatiions should do more to report on the broader impact of their activities and how these activities create value for stakeholders.

Shango concludes: “Africa and South African CEOs have built on the experience of the past few years and are better prepared to deal with the host of challenges and uncertainties. CEOs have and also continue to reshape their business strategies to take advantage of new opportunities for growth, both in existing and new markets.”

Media Contacts:

Hein Boegman: CEO for PwC Africa Office: + 27 11 797 4355 Email: hein.boegman@za.pwc.com

OR

Dion Shango: CEO for PwC Southern Africa Office: + 27 11 797 4166 Email: dion.shango@za.pwc.com

OR

Sanchia Temkin: Head of Media Relations, PwC South Africa Office: + 27 11 797 4470 Email: sanchia.temkin@za.pwc.com

OR

Nonki Ndlazi: Media Liaison Officer Office: + 27 11 797 0418 Email: nonki.ndlazi@za.pwc.com

OR

Bafiihlile Mokoena: Account Executive, Edelman South Africa Office: + 27 11 504 4000/Mobile: + 27 (0) 73 753 1025 Email: Bafihlile.Mokoena@edelman.com

About PwC

At PwC (www.PwC.com), our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 208,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.

PwC has a presence in 36 Africa countries with an office footprint covering 66 offices. With a single Africa leadership team and more than 400 partners and 9000 professionals across Africa, we serve some of the continent’s largest businesses across all industries.

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.PwC.com/structure for further details.

©2016 PwC. All rights reserved

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (www.ICD-ps.org), the private sector arm of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, in partnership with PT Mandala Multifinance TBK, an Indonesia-based company engaged in consumer financing, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in which ICD will offer its assistance in the carving out of Mandala’s Sharia’a business to a stand-alone Sharia’a compliant multi-finance company via ICD’s Islamic Finance Institution (IFI) program.

The Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ICD, Mr. Khaled Al Aboodi, and the Chief Executive Officer and President of Mandala, Mr. Harryjanto Lasmana, signed the MoU on behalf of the two organizations in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, at the sidelines of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group 41stAnnual General Meeting held at the Jakarta Convention Center.

The agreement outlines the parameters of ICD’s advisory services to Mandala and paves the way for the equity participation of ICD and its related entities in the newly-established company. The company is set to operate out of Indonesia. ICD has been one of the key financiers to Mandala for the past seven years and has successfully managed to bring its financial institution partners from the region as well as from the Middle East region to support Mandala’s ongoing business expansion.

During the signing ceremony, Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi commented: “The Islamic Finance Institution (IFI) Program was launched as part of ICD’s mission to develop and promote Islamic financial institutions in member countries. I am convinced that ICD’s wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise in providing financial advisory and sound technical services will guarantee the successful transition of Mandala’s Sharia’a compliant business into a new Islamic multi-finance company which is up to global standards.”

Mr. Harryjanto said, “I am very pleased today to ink this agreement together with ICD, and Mandala remains grateful for the generous and timely support offered. ICD has been instrumental in Mandala’s rapid growth and the new Islamic unit will indeed add a new dimension to the business, especially seeing that it will attract investors from Middle Eastern financial institutions. Over the years, Islamic finance has notably served as a viable funding mechanism for various economic sectors, thus demonstrating its viability as an engine of growth. That said, I am convinced that the new unit will further create value for the Islamic finance industry. We look forward to a productive and fruitful collaboration.”

For further information please contact: Ahmed A Khalid / Nabil Al-Alami Regional Head — Asia / Head, Marketing E-mail: aabdulkhalid@isdb.org / nalami@isdb.org Website: www.icd-ps.org

About the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) ICD (www.ICD-ps.org) is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Sharia’a. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moody’s. For more information, visit www.icd-ps.org

About PT Mandala Multifinance TBK PT Mandala Multifinance TBK is an Indonesia-based Company engaged in consumer financing. The Company’s business includes leasing, factoring, credit card and consumer financing. It focuses on two-wheel vehicles financing business, particularly motorcycle financing. The Sharia financing service is executed by the cooperation support of Sharia banks. Headquartered in Jakarta, it also operates offices in Java, Sumatera, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan.

Many business owners are not equipped to survive the years of hard work and reach overall success. Lack of finance is one of the biggest reasons for this. For many small and medium business owners, managing finances is one of the most challenging tasks.

Poor accounting practices leave business owners in the dark as to their financial standing. While in many companies, this is a role fulfilled by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), in a small or medium enterprise, this is just one of the many hats the business owner needs to wear.

Business owners make life sacrifices, take risks to follow their dreams and pursue their passions.

It is vital that they have the necessary information to ensure that they can focus on their business and leapfrog into the future.

Here are four fail proof hacks to keep your business financially sound:

Dedicating an account to a business’s income and expenses is vital to ensuring that personal and business expenses are kept tidy.

This is also useful when it comes to tax season and saving money. If a bookkeeper or accountant charges by the hour then having them stick to work finances instead of handling personal expenses will save them time and the business money. An itemised business account also helps with managing and projecting cash flow.

Supporting the bottom line isn’t just about increasing sales and revenue but also about keeping expenses in check.

Tracking and limiting expenses will automatically increase profit and also bodes well for tax planning. This not only helps with having a clear picture of the business’s financial standing but also helps with reducing costs and potentially increasing tax rebates.

Good accounting software that can grow with a business, preferably from a supplier that also started small and understands the challenges of this market, helps a business owner keep a finger on the financial pulse of the entity.

The introduction of cloud based accounting software has also made the costs of this service more financially viable. Technology has the ability to automate and speed up the calculations of business expenses such as tax and payroll and ensure that these are accurate. By automating accounting processes, this will free up time for staff to focus on other activities.

Ensuring that invoicing is accurate, delivered on time and up to date is an essential element of financial success. Using an automated accounting system keeps you up to date on clients who need to pay and when. This also ensures that the cash flow of the business is always kept healthy.

For media queries: Idea Engineers (PR agency for Sage) Ashmika Panday Tel: +27 (0)11 803 0030 Mobile: +27 (0)73 626 0108 ashmika@ideaengineers.co.za

Idea Engineers Del-Mari Roberts Tel: +27 (0)11 803 0030 Mobile: +27 (0)72 5958 053 delmari@ideaengineers.co.za

About Sage Sage (www.Sage.com) is the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll, and payment systems, supporting the ambition of the world’s entrepreneurs. Sage began as a small business in the U.K. 30 years ago, and over 13,000 colleagues now support millions of entrepreneurs across 23 countries as they power the global economy. We reinvent and simplify business accounting through brilliant technology, working with a thriving community of entrepreneurs, business owners, tradespeople, accountants, partners, and developers. And as a FTSE 100 business, we are active in supporting our local communities and invest in making a real difference through the philanthropy of the Sage Foundation.

Sage - the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll, and payment systems, supporting the ambition of the world’s entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.Sage.com

At the side lines of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group 41st Annual Meeting in Jakarta, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (www.ICD-ps.org), the private sector arm of IDB Group and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB), a multilateral financial institution headquartered in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The MoU reaffirms the commitment of BSTDB and ICD to the objective of sustainable economic and social development and emphasizes the importance of effective economic cooperation through undertaking research and capacity-building programs in order to better serve common member countries in the Black Sea region — Albania, Azerbaijan and Turkey. ICD and BSTDB will facilitate trade and investments in these countries through co-financing and co-investment projects and by supporting joint networking opportunities, with the aim of promoting inclusive growth. In addition, SMEs in the region will also benefit from efforts that will be focused on easing their financial burden, including financing businesses both directly and through financial institutions.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Ihsan Ugur Delikanli, President of BSTDB and Mr. Khaled Al Aboodi, the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ICD.

During the signing ceremony, Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi expressed his strong support for the partnership, stating: “ICD and BSTDB are founded on similar principles and mandate, and today’s signing is a step in the right direction to facilitating faster growth of trade and investment opportunities in the Black Sea region. I look forward to both institutions working in a collaborative and complementary way to effectively address some of the needs and concerns of the region.”

Dr. Ihsan Ugur Delikanli said, “I believe this collaboration is an important platform to harness the synergies and cooperation potential of our two development financial institutions. I am confident that by working together, we will advance regional economic progress, achieve tangible results, and move forward towards a brighter future.”

For further information please contact:

Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)

Ahmed A Khalid / Nabil Al-Alami Regional Head — Asia / Head, Marketing E-mail: aabdulkhalid@isdb.org / nalami@isdb.org

Black Sea Trade and Development Bank Haroula Christodoulou, Principal Associate- External Relations and Media E-mail: cchristodoulou@bstdb.org

About the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)

ICD (www.ICD-ps.org) is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Sharia’a. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moody’s. For more information, visit www.ICD-ps.org

About Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB)

The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is an international financial institution established by Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The BSTDB headquarters are in Thessaloniki, Greece. BSTDB supports economic development and regional cooperation by providing loans, credit lines, equity and guarantees for projects and trade financing in the public and private sectors in its member countries. The authorized capital of the Bank is EUR 3.45 billion. BSTDB is rated long-term “A-” by Standard and Poor’s and “A2” by Moody’s. For information on BSTDB, visit www.bstdb.org.

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

What: Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the African Youth Charter

Theme: “10 Years Implementation of the African Youth Charter: Accelerating Youth Development in Africa”

When: 21-25 May 2016

21-22 May: BANJUL+10 side events 23 May: Presentation of the 3-year Strategy and Work Plan towards the end of the Youth Decade Plan of Action 24 May: Official opening ceremony and Ministerial Session 25 May: High Level Roundtable and Intergenerational Dialogue

Who: The African Union Commission in collaboration with the Islamic Republic of The Gambia, and with the support of UNFPA, UNESCO, UNAIDS, IPPF, GESCI, Commonwealth

Where: Banjul, The Gambia

Objectives: The main objective of the Banjul+10 AYC commemoration is to provide a common platform for Member States to conduct a peer review of their investments to “prepare the future” for Africa’s youth;

The specific objectives of the celebration include:

To provide a high-level political forum for intergenerational discourse and advocacy, stakeholders’ interaction, agenda setting and celebration of African youth Initiatives. To showcase the progress Africa youth are making across all fields of human endeavour surviving against all odds, leading innovation, creativity and public service. To ensure and facilitate broad based and inclusive consultations that will set the

baseline for assessing progress in the youth development targets of Africa’s growth and development paradigm beyond 2015.

To provide an avenue for discussion on the proposed Africa’s demographic framework that will guide the application of a youth lens at all levels and in the rollout of the AU 2063 Agenda. Commemoration of the African Liberation Day in Banjul, The Gambia May 2016

Participants:

The Commemoration will be attended by Member States, the African Union Commission, the Pan African Youth Union, Regional Youth Organizations, National Youth Councils, Civil society, Diaspora Youth; Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Partners in Youth Development, Youth Champions and Invited Guests, Media.

Expected outcomes:

Renewed impetus for the implementation of the African Youth Charter, towards Youth Development and Empowerment in Africa. Banjul+10 declaration and two years action towards accelerated

implementation of the African Youth Decade Plan of Action.

Draft of roadmap of activities for the commemoration of AU 2017 theme on “Harnessing Demographic Dividend through investments in youth”. Raised awareness for promoting youth employability, entrepreneurship and innovation. Propose mechanisms for the establishment of the African Union Chairperson’s Envoy on Youth discussed.

Background:

During the Seventh Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in Banjul Gambia, July 2006, African Union Heads of State and Government adopted the African Youth Charter (AYC) — a political and legal document which serves as a strategic framework that gives direction for youth empowerment and development at continental, regional and national levels. The AYC aims to strengthen, reinforce and consolidate efforts to empower young people through meaningful youth participation and equal partnership in driving Africa's development agenda.

So far, 42 countries have signed the charter, and 38 have ratified it. It was indeed one of the fastest ratified legal instruments of the African Union, for which reason, African countries can congratulate themselves for recognizing and honouring the place of youth. Also, it is important to note that beyond Africa the African Youth Charter is well known and has inspired international youth Forums, organizations, and policies in Europe, South America, UN agencies amongst others.

Ten years later, Africa is taking stock of the progress made as well as the challenges faced, in order to collectively re-strategize and strengthen the momentum towards the implementation of the African Youth Charter and by implication achieving the vision set out in Africa’s Agenda 2063. The commemoration of the tenth year anniversary of the Youth Charter will be under the theme “10 Years Implementation of the African Youth Charter: Accelerating Youth Development in Africa”. As a “rights based” policy framework, it is critical to foreground youth rights in all its facets and as a guideline towards the achievement of the desired developmental outcomes for young people in Africa.

Banjul+10 is an opportunity to advance the agenda of youth empowerment and development in all member states by ensuring, as a mechanism, mutual accountability to the obligations of African Youth Charter and re-affirming commitments in the Decade of Youth 2009 — 2018 and its Plan of Action. The Outcomes of the Banjul+10 will feed into the second AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) meeting of AU Ministers in Charge of Youth, Culture and Sports, and also serve as roadmap for the 2017 'African Year for Harnessing Demographic Dividends for accelerated Youth Empowerment'

Media representatives based in Gambia and the sub-region are invited to cover the event.

Join the Twitter conversations on the 10 year anniversary of the African Youth Charter using our Twitter handle @AUYouthProgram and the hashtag #AUBanjulPlus10.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said:

My thoughts are with the family and friends of all those missing following the disappearance of EgyptAir’s flight MS804. We are in close contact with Egyptian and French authorities and have offered the Egyptian authorities our support in their search and rescue efforts.

We know that one British passport holder boarded the flight in Paris and our staff are providing support and assistance to the family at this difficult time. We will continue to help in any way we can.

Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter@PHammondMP

Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter@foreignoffice

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The following foreign Heads of Mission presented their credentials to President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam in separate ceremonies at the Istana today: (a) The High Commissioner of the Republic of Mozambique Her Excellency Maria Gustava

Her Excellency Maria Gustava

Mrs Maria Gustava is a senior career diplomat who joined the Mozambique Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in 1989. She has served various posts in the Ministry, including Head of Department for Multilateral Economic Relations, Deputy Director for International Organisations and Conferences, Deputy Director for Studies Planning and Information and Deputy Head of the Mission in South Africa. She was appointed Ambassador to Indonesia in February 2016. Prior to this appointment, she was the Director General for Asia and Oceania, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Mrs Gustava graduated from Monash University, Australia, in 1997, with a Master’s Degree in Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 1991, she obtained an Honours Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Higher Institute for International Relations in Mozambique. She was awarded the Diploma of Honours by the Government of Mozambique for her contribution to the successful preparation of three international summits in Maputo in 2004, namely: New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Summit, World Economic Forum’s Africa Economic Summit and the Africa Caribbean and Pacific Summit. She was also awarded the Diploma of Honours for her contribution to the success of the brainstorming workshops at the President’s Office from 2005 to 2014. Mrs Gustava is married with 3 children.