Segunda-feira, 4 de Julho de 2016
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EU aid for African Great Lakes region getting through, but may be too expensive, say auditors
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The auditors examined the European Commission's humanitarian support in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania for the period between 2011 and 2015, which amounted to about €300 million
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LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg, July 4, 2016/ -- EU humanitarian aid to refugees from conflicts in the African Great Lakes area is responding to the challenges faced but may be costing too much to deliver, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. Despite the difficult working environment, EU aid has made a valuable contribution to addressing the problems but there are some weaknesses in the way the aid is managed, say the auditors. More information is needed from the UN and its partner agencies as to how the money is spent.
The auditors examined the European Commission's humanitarian support in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania for the period between 2011 and 2015, which amounted to about €300 million. They concluded that the aid was, in general, managed effectively. However, as humanitarian needs are increasing and funds are limited, efficiency is ever more important. The budgets examined were not detailed enough and there were no assessments of whether the proposed costs were reasonable. About half of the EU aid was spent through UN agencies and when the UN sub-contracted its activities no data was made available on how much was actually spent on the beneficiaries.
"I am concerned that the Commission does not have the figures it needs to check whether the aid is being delivered in the most efficient and economical way" said Mr Karel Pinxten, the Member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the report. "The more links there are in the chain between the EU taxpayer and those in need, the more difficult it becomes. The Commission should press UN agencies such as UNHCR and the World Food Programme, together with NGOs, for more information on how the EU's money is being spent. Otherwise, this aid risks being too expensive."
The auditors found there was a lack of documentary evidence to determine geographical priorities and assess project proposals. As a result it was not possible to determine whether the projects chosen complied with the relevant criteria and if the most appropriate projects were selected.
The monitoring framework was appropriate, given the difficult working environment. The reports from the partners were, however, frequently late and this limited their usefulness. The expertise of the Commission's field staff was helpful to the funded partners but reporting from the field visits was not sufficiently comprehensive. Because of inadequate recording of the follow-up of problems raised, it was not possible to ensure that these were satisfactorily resolved. On a more global level, there is no reporting on the Humanitarian Implementation Plan to provide an overview of results and lessons learnt.
The results achieved overall for the projects examined were satisfactory. One partner, however, managed to spend most of its budget but only achieved a small percentage of the planned results. In a few cases the justification for time extensions and additional budgets was not apparent. While the desirability of linking relief, rehabilitation and development has been widely accepted by the Commission and other donors, there are very few examples of this being applied in practice. Without very actively pursuing this goal, say the auditors, there is a danger that opportunities to move from humanitarian aid to development aid will be missed.
The full press release, including notes to editors, and special report in 23 EU languages is available on eca.europa.eu
Distributed by APO on behalf of European Court of Auditors (ECA).
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Quarta-feira, 8 de Julho de 2015
The new African Peace Facility - Annual Report 2014 is out
Since 2003, the African Peace Facility (APF) has been a key instrument underpinning Africa-EU cooperation on Peace and Security, with EUR 1.3 billion paid out through the instrument by the end of 2014. The APF Annual Report 2014 presents the activities and performance of the APF throughout the year.
The overall objective of the Report is to inform key stakeholders about the APF and new developments in order to facilitate communication and information exchange as well as to enhance transparency and accountability.
The Report provides a general overview of the APF instrument, along with an update on the activities in the three main areas of action for the period of January-December. The Report annex contains updated facts and figures that give an overview of supported initiatives, in addition to budget information.
Read it here!
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USD 35 Million grant The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, December 11, 2014/ -- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has extended a grant of US$35 million to help fight Ebola in West Africa.
In a statement to the media on this occasion, Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) (http://www.isdb.org) said that the Ebola fighting programme, initiated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and implemented by IDB, comprises the following elements:
1- Providing schools with thermal sensors and medical examination equipment designed to diagnose the disease, thereby facilitating its treatment and preventing its spread. The equipment will allow governments to open schools for the current academic year. Pupils will be examined at entry to ensure they have not contracted the disease, thus reassuring parents about the safety of their children at school.
2- Providing thermal sensors and medical examination equipment at airports, railway stations and bus stations to diagnose the disease and ensure early treatment.
3- Establishing a specialized treatment centre in each of the three endemic countries, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, designed to serve suspected cases in schools, hospitals and public transport, and wherever contamination is likely to occur in crowded conditions. Suspected cases will be received in these centres for further medical tests before they are referred for specialized treatment if necessary.
4- Establishing a specialized treatment centre in Mali where Ebola appears to have broken out but is not widespread. The centre will help the country’s health authorities cope with potential epidemics in the future.
The IDB President emphasized that the kind donation made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques will further boost the Islamic world efforts in supporting the international fight against Ebola. He added that the equipment financed by this donation will speed up the opening of schools in the countries concerned, reinforce the institutional and health infrastructure to fight the current epidemic and any potential epidemics in the future, Allah forbids, thus saving thousands of lives and ensuring the safety of those at risk of contamination.
Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali implored Allah to preserve the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdallah Bin Abdulaziz for his kind deeds to save the lives of people in line with Allah’s saying in the Quran "and that whoever saves one life should be regarded as though he had saved all mankind". He also prayed the Almighty to cure the sick and to protect humanity from all evils and disease.
Football Stars, Celebrities, International Health Organizations and Corporations Join to Launch “Africa United” To Help Stop Spread of Ebola in West Africa
Public education campaign emphasizes vital role of healthcare workers and features new Ebola prevention communications for West Africa, including ‘We’ve Got Your Back’ PSA
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, December 3, 2014/ -- At the Official Draw for the 2015 OrangeTM Africa Cup of Nations today, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) joined football stars, celebrities, international health organizations and corporations to announce the launch of Africa United (http://www.weareafricaunited.org), a global health communications campaign aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola in West Africa. The campaign, which is supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation and driven creatively by actor Idris Elba, is designed to recognize the vital role of frontline healthcare workers, as well as to provide critical education and resources for the people of West Africa. Educational messages will be delivered on local and national radio and TV, billboards and by SMS to audiences in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and neighboring countries.
Tanzania refute claims to evict 40,000 Maasai from their land in Ngorongoro
The government of United Republic of Tanzania has never had any plan to evict the Maasai people from their ancestral land
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, November 28, 2014/ -- The government of United Republic of Tanzania has never had any plan to evict the Maasai people from their ancestral land as falsely reported by the media in recent days. The information circulated through the media outlets globally was misleading, malicious and meant to tarnish the image of our country and her international standing.
The Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism (http://www.mnrt.go.tz), Hon. Lazaro Nyalandu said that the claims that 40,000 Maasai were being evicted are false unfounded and baseless. The argument that the land in question is being sold to a wealthy Middle Eastern family are a total fabrication and in contrary to the Tanzanian law.
Members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Land, Natural Resource, and Environment are due to visit the Loliondo area to bear witness to the government position and speak directly to the Maasai people. The Minister, Lazaro Nyalandu will also be leading a team of government officials and Media Houses to visit Ngorongoro in the next few days.
On Thursday, May 8th 2014, the Africa Progress Panel (http://www.africaprogresspanel.org) will release its annual Africa Progress Report - Grain, Fish, Money – Financing Africa’s Green and Blue revolutions, at the World Economic Forum on Africa held in Abuja, Nigeria.
Chaired by former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, last year’s report Equity in Extractives – Stewarding Africa’s Natural Resources for all, made headlines with its analysis of the oil, gas, and minerals industries in Africa.
This year’s report will argue that Africa can and must unleash green and blue revolutions in its agriculture and fisheries. It will highlight the opportunities for Africa of the world’s growing demand for food and the critical importance of agriculture and fisheries for two thirds of people in Africa engaged in these sectors. The report will also recommend related policies, including policies to scale-up Africa’s infrastructure and extend its financial services. The report will also outline the urgent need to stop the plunder of Africa’s timber and fisheries.
