APO International

 The Government of Guinea-Bissau must urgently prioritise water and sanitation services if it wants to improve the lives of its population, particularly women and children, a UN expert said today. The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, made the appeal in a statement at the conclusion of his 10-day official visit to Guinea-Bissau. “Official statistics indicate that only 24% of the population has […]

 Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the leading infrastructure solutions provider in Africa, has announced its support for the +234Art Fair, coming on as partners for the second year in a row. This aligns with the Corporation’s commitment to empowering and elevating the continent's youth, with more than 260 young artists expressing interest in exhibiting their works at the second edition of the international art fair, organized by Soto Gallery in […]

 The European Union strongly condemns yesterday’s terrorist attack in Mogadishu, which targeted the convoy of the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. We are dismayed by this heinous act that has claimed the lives of innocent civilians. The EU commends President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who has reached the frontlines to support the Somali National Army in its efforts to fight al-Shabaab. The EU and Somalia share […]

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a contribution of nearly USD 1.2 million (£ 950 000) from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which will support the implementation of the Africa Phytosanitary Programme (APP).   APP is an initiative of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and is designed to strengthen the technical capacity of personnel in national plant protection organizations - government agencies responsible for phytosanitary […]

 The global transition to a low-carbon economy has led to increased scrutiny of coal with many industrialized nations citing its significant environmental and health impacts as a primary concern. The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – the voice of the African Energy sector – is championing coal as a vital part of Africa’s energy mix. Speaking at Southern Africa Oil&Gas Conference 2025 - organized by the South African Oil&Gas Alliance (SAOGA) - […]

 During the Finance Ministers’ Budget Speech, the Finance Minister made a clear commitment that National Treasury will conduct “ghost audits” to eliminate so-called “ghost” employees in public administration. The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration agrees that the existence of these public service ghost employees, or, if you will, Casper – the unfriendly public service ghost, creates wastage in the public service wage bill and should be investigated. The […]

 The Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament on Tuesday welcomed Parliament’s performance for the first three quarters of the 2024/25 financial year. The committee received a briefing from the executive authority and administrative management on Parliament’s cumulative performance over this time. It noted that the quarterly reports reflect steady progress on the institution’s core functions, such as legislation and oversight, although some challenges remain. The committee noted […]

 On 17 March 2025, Ms. Pinsuda Jayanama, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, had a discussion with H.E. Mrs. Hala Youssef Ragab, Ambassador of the Arab republic of Egypt to Thailand. Both sides welcomed close bilateral relations between Thailand and Egypt and discussed cooperation areas of mutual benefits, including relations in multilateral and UN-related areas. They also exchanged views on current global issues of mutual interest. Distributed by APO […]

 The partnership, originally announced at COP 26, aims to support South Africa to move away from coal and to accelerate its transition to a low emission, climate resilient economy.  The US contribution to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET), as set out in the JET Investment Plan, was $56m in grant funds and $1bn in commercial debt/equity from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).   While the withdrawal of the […]