Musings From Abroad

Desertification in focus as 15th UN Conference of Parties ends in Ivory Coast

Published

3 years ago

May 21, 2022

The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has ended in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The edition which was against desertification ended with 38 decisions adopted to invest in land restoration and drought mitigation.

The conference was attended by leaders from governments, the private sector, and civil society with a target of finding sustainable solutions for land restoration.

The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the UN Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention.

The Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Thiaw of the COP stressed the need for effective steps to prevent continued land degradation.

“Beyond the technical terms and discussions, all is really about life. It’s about our well-being. Knowing that 40% of the planet’s land surface is already damaged by human activity, I think, calls for action. So this COP is also a call to action on two major issues: land restoration and drought.” The Secretary remarked.

Climate activist, Jean Claude Brou, argued that the effect of land degradation is telling on agriculture performance of the world and Africa particularly.

“The farmers experience the reality of land degradation, they are the ones battling it on all fronts, the farmers know this reality. The farmers are the ones who know the reality of the situation in the forests. They’re organized in groups and could have been invited! Instead, administrators, committees, or agricultural organizations, attended, I do not agree with that.”

According to a policy brief (Pdf) published by the African Group of Negotiators Support, Land degradation is rampant in Africa, accounting for 46% of the total land area. At the current pace, it is projected to render more than half of the cultivated land in Africa unusable by 2050.

The 196 Parties that made the conference, pledged to boost drought resilience and invest in land restoration for prosperity in the future. 38 decisions were adopted with more robust monitoring and data to track progress against land restoration commitments.

It was also noted that new political and financial impetus to help nations deal with the devastating impacts of drought and build resilience.

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Musings From Abroad

Swiss company Mercuria partners Zambia’s IDC in new metals trading firm

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by Swiss commodities trader, Mercuria, on Thursday, it has established a metals trading arm with Zambia, the second-largest producer of copper in Africa.

The trading unit is jointly owned by Mercuria and an arm of Zambia’s Industrial Development Company (IDC), and its purpose is to allow Zambia to engage directly in the minerals trading market.

The joint venture “envisages the establishment of a vehicle to market and trade Zambian copper by mutual leverage,” according to a statement from Cornwell Muleya, the CEO of IDC.

The southern African nation wants to increase copper output to roughly 3 million metric tonnes within the next ten years, and in 2023, it produced roughly 698,000 tonnes of copper, down from 763,000 metric tonnes the year before.

In June, the Zambian government announced that it would establish a minerals trading unit.

Investors including First Quantum Minerals and Barrick Gold are ramping up production, with output set to receive a further boost once Vedanta Resources’ Konkola Copper Mines restart activity.

“Our joint venture with IDC marks a significant milestone for Zambia as it positions itself more strategically in the global minerals market,” Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s global head of metals and minerals, said in the statement.

Musings From Abroad

Blinken to reveal UN Sudan funding additions

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Additional financing for humanitarian aid to Sudan and initiatives to strengthen civil society in the nation, where a conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, will be announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the United Nations on Thursday.

Blinken will make many announcements when he leads a UN Security Council meeting on Sudan on Thursday, which will centre on humanitarian aid and civilian protection, Deputy U.S. Representative to the UN Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday.

According to Price, the announcements would include more money for humanitarian help, initiatives to strengthen civil society, and the return of democracy.

“Sudan, unfortunately, has risked becoming a forgotten conflict,” Price said.

“So part of the reason the secretary … opted to convene a signature event on this very topic is to make sure it remains in the spotlight,” Price said.

For almost 18 months, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s army have been engaged in combat, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis that has forced over 12 million people from their homes and made it difficult for U.N. organisations to provide aid.

A power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces preceded a planned shift to civilian administration, which sparked the conflict in April 2023.

Although the army declined to join this year’s U.S.-mediated peace negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties did pledge to increase assistance access, which prevented any movement towards a ceasefire.

Price stated that before President Joe Biden’s term ends next month, the United States would keep collaborating with allies to enhance humanitarian access in Sudan and eventually end hostilities.

“We are going to leave nothing on the field in our efforts to work with allies, with partners, with the Sudanese stakeholders themselves, on the issues that matter most – humanitarian access, the provision of humanitarian assistance, ultimately, the process by which we can work to get to a cessation of hostilities, which is most urgently needed,” he said.