Ethiopia, Tigray sign deal in Pretoria for cessation of hostilities
3/11/2022: The Ethiopian government and rival Tigray People's Liberation Front have signed a "permanent cessation of hostilities" deal facilitated by a mediation process in South Africa, led by the African Union. The two sides have also agreed to allow unhindered access for humanitarian supplies to the Tigray region.
Source: The East African
West Africa hit by illegal Chinese fishing
26/10/2022: Research coordinated by a group of 11 global NGOs finds that West Africa has become the global epicentre for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. This practice, dominated by Chinese vessels, accounts for one-fifth of the value of global fisheries catches, worth up to $23.5bn annually.
Source: Financial Transparency Coalition
Russia ends suspension of Ukraine grain deal
2/11/2022: The UN Secretary-General has warmly welcomed Russia’s decision to resume its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Senior UN officials confirm that exports from Ukraine and Russia under the deal have helped lower grain prices and stabilize markets.
Source: UN News
Glasgow Declaration on Forests rings hollow ahead of COP27
1/11/2022: Countries are nowhere close to meeting the goal of ending deforestation by 2030 announced in Glasgow in 2021, according to a new assessment. Indonesia is the only country that is moving in the right direction.
Source: Mongabay
ICC: Afghanistan inquiry can resume
31/10/2022: The International Criminal Court has announced that the investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan can resume. The judges considered that Afghanistan is not presently carrying out genuine investigations that would justify any further deferral.
Source: Human Rights Watch
UN chief concerned at stalled Black Sea Grain Initiative
30/10/2022: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern at Russia's suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The deal was demonstrably successful in bringing down prices, preventing some 100 million people from falling into extreme poverty.
Source: UN News
G20 still paying billions in fossil fuel subsidies
27/10/2022: The G20 group of nations provided nearly $200 billion in support of fossil fuels in 2021, despite the worsening impacts of the climate crisis and their pledge in 2009 to phase out “inefficient” subsidies. The countries with the highest total subsidies for fossil fuels were China, Indonesia and the UK.
Source: China Dialogue
ASEAN ministers hold emergency Myanmar meeting
26/10/2022: As military atrocities continue in Myanmar, an estimated 70,000 refugees are seeking asylum throughout the region. Southeast Asian leaders should respond to evidence that their own governments are forcing refugees to return to Myanmar where their safety is at risk.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Global Rule of Law recession enters 5th year
26/10/2022: For the fifth year in a row, the rule of law has declined globally, according to the 2022 Rule of Law Index. Respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms is down in three-quarters of countries since 2015.
Source: World Justice Project
Will Africa’s metals boom suffer the same curse as oil?
25/10/2022: African soil is rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel and lithium - crucial ingredients in clean energy technology. But the exploitation of resources in Africa has a long history of unequal distribution of wealth, corruption, environmental damage and rights violations.
Source: The East African