Musings From Abroad

Former Cameroon PM Yang chairs UN Assembly

Published

3 months ago

September 12, 2024

The former prime minister of Cameroon who assumed leadership of the UN General Assembly has urged divided nations of the globe to unite and take action to address global issues like poverty, armed conflict, and climate change.

The 193-member world body was informed by Philemon Yang that there were concerns over the ability of nations to work together to address these and other urgent issues. But he added: “We must demonstrate that international cooperation remains the most effective tool at our disposal to address the deep and borderless problems we face. ”

The cornerstone of Mr. Yang’s one-year presidency, according to the veteran diplomat who led his West African nation as prime minister from 2009 to 2019, “will be built on the principles of unity in diversity.” He went on to say that throughout his presidency, maintaining peace and security will be “of paramount importance.”

“I will therefore urge the Assembly to intensify its determination to prioritize the resolution of conflicts, including the intractable conflicts in the Gaza Strip, Haiti and Ukraine, as well as to find lasting solutions to the situation in the Great Lakes region and elsewhere in Africa ,” Mr. Yang said.

The United Nations, which was established out of the ashes of World War II, has been encouraged by outgoing General Assembly President Dennis Francis to fulfil its goal of preserving world peace and security.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the scale of man-made human suffering that we are witnessing around the world is simply staggering ,” said the former diplomat and ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago , referring to Gaza and other conflicts.

However, Francis cautioned that “on our current trajectory, millions more will face poverty and hunger by 2030.” Millions of people today live in extreme poverty and despair.

The necessity of international cooperation was again emphasised by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

He declared that the 78th session of the General Assembly, which came to a close on Tuesday morning, had been the warmest year on record in addition to being “a tumultuous year” characterised by ongoing poverty, inequality, injustice, division, violence, and conflict.

“But this session also ends at a time of growing hope and inspiration about what we can achieve if we work together ,” the UN chief said.

Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Guterres greeted diplomats at the opening of the 79th session of the Assembly, saying, “Step by step, solution by solution, we can rebuild trust and faith in each other and in what we can achieve through collaboration and solidarity.”

The Secretary-General called the Future Summit on September 22–23, which Mr. Yang will chair. The purpose of the summit is to encourage multilateral action on global issues and reform international organisations established after World War II, such as the United Nations.

Related Topics:Cameroon Featured Philemon Yang United Nations

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Musings From Abroad

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

Published

3 hours 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

1 day 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.