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Les échos de la vitalité de la culture africaine et de sa diaspora avec Valérie Bony.

Nino Niederreiter beendet seine persönliche Punkteflaute. Der Schweizer NHL-Stürmer trifft nach 82 Sekunden gegen Pittsburgh zum 1:0. Winnipeg siegt auswärts 4:1 und reitet weiter auf der Erfolgswelle.

President-elect Donald Trump takes office in two months and is expected to again pull the world's largest economy out of climate diplomacy.

In der Schweiz essen 5,3 Prozent der Bevölkerung oder rund jede 19. Person kein Fleisch mehr. Und 0,7 Prozent der Schweizerinnen und Schweizer leben vegan. Allerdings gibt es bei der Wahl der Ernährungsform weiterhin deutliche Unterschiede nach Geschlecht und Alter.

Europaabgeordnete haben von der EU-Kommission eine Untersuchung zur Sichtbarkeit von Beiträgen auf der Plattform X gefordert. Konkret geht es um die Frage, ob Plattform-Eigentümer Elon Musk seinen eigenen Beiträgen EU-rechtswidrig zu grösserer Reichweite verhilft.

Der frühere EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker hat die Wiedereinführung von Grenzkontrollen in Deutschland und anderen EU-Staaten kritisiert. «Ich hätte gerne, dass das aufhört», sagte er der deutschen Nachrichtenagentur DPA.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was working with its Western partners to work out systems to counter "new risks".

Malang Sambou Manneh, who is representing The Gambia as lead negotiator for the mitigation work program as well as the nationally determined contributions at COP29 Baku. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 23 2024 (IPS)

Every year, the Conference of the Parties creates a global milestone for the climate movement, setting new standards and advancing action towards a net-zero planet to sustain all life on earth. COPs provide a platform for the global community to agree on what it would take to restore planet Earth and the contributions that all signatories to the Paris Agreement should make.

The negotiations are often tense, long, and winding and, more often than not, laden with divergent views on how to build back better. As climate change takes away lives and livelihoods, leaving behind substantial loss and damage, IPS spoke to Malang Sambou Manneh, who is representing The Gambia as lead negotiator for the mitigation work program as well as the nationally determined contributions at COP29 Baku.

Sambou has seen it all, having participated at the COPs since the landmark Paris Conference and a negotiator in COP27 Sharm El-Sheikh that set the rolling for the Loss and Damage Fund, COP28 UAE, where the Just Transition from Fossil Fuel deal was struck and COP29 Baku now dubbed the Climate Finance COP.

He says ongoing negotiations started with the sixtieth sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SB60) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in June 2024 and that the outcome shaped the agenda for COP29. But even then, the signs were there that the road ahead would not be easy.

“During SB60 in Bonn, we tried to ensure that the mitigation work program is adapted, but unfortunately, we did not reach any agreement, which means we ended up with Rule 16—no consensus. But COP29 was to be a lifeline for the mitigation agenda. Still, negotiations on mitigation have not been progressive or desirable.”

Stressing that while it costs resources and time to participate at any COP, it is disappointing to see some parties quickly move to Rule 16 or no consensus on critical issues such as mitigation and fossil fuels and that they were not prepared to talk. The African Group of negotiators has nonetheless remained firm and unified around the main agenda, as most of the cities and countries are in danger from climate change. But there are certainly contentious issues around, say, fossil fuels.

On fossil fuels, The Gambia has no sacrifice to make compared to other fossil fuel-rich countries in Africa. Saying, “I can talk in the Gambia’s national capacity and say we will move away from fossil fuels, and our energy transition can directly move to renewables. For others, it is a tough choice to make. The least developed countries, who are the clear victims of climate change, should be pushing for the transition, and the tripling of renewable energy deployment in Africa is there the most vulnerable.”

Sambou works extensively in education, agriculture, health, and renewable energy. Observing, “I came from a little poor family who have migrated to Europe. I did all my studies, built my family studies, and came back to Gambia and then, 10 years ago, developed a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) school for young women who are in technology and installing technology. And now, with the climate promise funded by UNDP, women are becoming independent power producers and building businesses around this.”

As a negotiator in climate, the TVET is a highlight of his life’s work, enrolling 100 women every year. The school is called Fandema, ‘Help Yourself’. Sambou TVET activities and projects are all built around responsible and sustainable development.

Knowledge gained working with communities has enriched his capacities as a negotiator in climate talks, giving him insights into how communities are interacting with the challenges and barriers caused by climate change towards sustainable climate solutions. But he says arriving at consensus at the COPs is not always easy, despite the magnitude of climate-provoked problems facing the global communities. Already, there have been many issues of contention.

“For instance, on two occasions within my thematic discussions, we had instances where discussions stalled. Remember, these are negotiations of Parties and some have strong positions about many different issues. Very early on, some strong Parties have already stated that they are not interested in making any political high-level messages or statements, and there are issues they do not want to see within the mitigation work program. It is a tight rope to walk,” he observes.

In such cases, it means negotiators proceed in making policy messages, which are not as effective as political high-level statements. Further saying that Africa needs to be in a strategic position to interpret COP29 text contextually as it is the only way that COP decisions can translate into changing lives.

“I am very disappointed to see that coming here from a poor country is a big sacrifice, only to reach here, and the technical people are not interested in talking to each other over these issues. There has to be total consensus, so if one Party backs out of any of these issues, there is no consensus,” he says.

Sambou does not like what he has seen thus far at COP29. He feels the talks lacked the push and momentum needed to deliver an ambitious outcome and especially around mitigation. He faults developing countries for their lukewarm approach and even hostile take on mitigation.

While he understands that developing countries in Africa see embracing the mitigation agenda as translating to a total change of their lifestyles and systems, “we are 58 years behind in terms of development, and it would be best to move forward with practices, lifestyles, and systems that align with the climate agenda.”

“Mitigation is not a burden for us; it is an action that we must all partake in. For instance, it is about methods of consumption and production that are responsible, sustainable, and in line with the SDGs. We have to be wise enough and say, ‘Let us save the planet’ because we are not yet contaminated, but we can also control how the things are moving,” he observes.

On what a deal of a lifetime would look like, Sambou speaks of the need for “high-level messages of commitment on mitigation from every responsible country represented at COP29. That pledges that are in place are fulfilled. Developed nations are paying the cost of climate change. More renewables and tripling of renewable energy. Climate accountability and transparency and a substantial reduction of emissions, as this will save us all from the little islands and small countries, poor and underdeveloped nations are looking at COPs for a much-needed lifeline.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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The southern African state has been a shaken by a wave of protests and killings since disputed elections.

The southern African state has been a shaken by a wave of protests and killings since disputed elections.

The southern African state has been a shaken by a wave of protests and killings since disputed elections.

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On 21 November 2024, Ambassador Antti Karttunen, Head of Office of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan participated in the International scientific and practical conference titled "Global Challenges and Threats in Law Enforcement: Modern Strategies and Solutions" held at the Law Enforcement Academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.

In his opening remarks, the Head of Office of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan emphasized the vital importance of partnerships, innovative solutions, and a collective commitment to addressing the evolving challenges faced by law enforcement agencies. He also underlined that addressing contemporary security threats requires collaborative efforts and a unified approach.

Ambassador Antti Karttunen reaffirmed the ongoing cooperation with the Law Enforcement Academy, highlighting the comprehensive nature of its engagement across the three dimensions of the OSCE’s security approach:

- Politico-Military Dimension – Strengthening capacities to combat cybercrime and terrorism, areas of critical concern in today’s interconnected world.

- Economic and Environmental Dimension – Tackling corruption and money laundering to safeguard the integrity of public institutions and enhance public trust.

- Human Dimension – Promoting the rule of law, combating online child exploitation, and providing advanced legal training for prosecutors and investigators.

This collaboration underscores the shared understanding that global challenges - such as cybercrime, corruption, and human rights violations - can only be addressed through coordinated action and the development of innovative strategies.

Over the next two days, conference participants will engage in constructive discussions, sharing valuable insights and practical solutions. This event aims to strengthen regional and international networks, fostering collective efforts to build safer, more just societies for future generations.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel, 25 November – 1 December 2024

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Alors que novembre touche à sa fin, les conditions météorologiques annoncent un retour progressif du froid et de la pluie dans plusieurs régions d’Algérie. Ce […]

L’article Retour de la pluie en Algérie : vigilance « jaune » dans plusieurs wilayas ce samedi 23 novembre est apparu en premier sur .

Nach Vulkan Marco Schällibaum (62) haben die Hoppers mit Tomas Oral (51) einen neuen Heisssporn an der Seitenlinie. Was ein Ex-Spieler und die Schwester sagen. Und weshalb es nach dem Kellerduell gegen Winterthur Schwarzwäldertorte geben wird.