Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO

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H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, held a virtual meeting with H.E. Dr. Amer Al-Bassat, Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade, in the presence of Judge Mahmoud Makkiyah, Secretary-General of the Lebanese Council of Ministers.

The meeting came within the framework of the ministry’s role in organizing the 10th session of the Egyptian-Lebanese Joint Higher Committee. Discussions focused on efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries and preparations for the upcoming session, in line with the directives of the leadership of both nations.

At the outset, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reaffirmed Egypt’s keenness, under the leadership of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to advance relations with Lebanon and further strengthen cooperation to achieve mutual development goals across various sectors.

She noted that recent months have witnessed a renewed momentum in bilateral relations, as reflected in the visits of the Lebanese President and Prime Minister to Egypt—demonstrating both countries’ strong commitment to coordination and expanding cooperation during this pivotal phase for the region.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reviewed the progress made in implementing the resolutions of the previous session of the Joint Higher Committee, which was held in Beirut in 2019. The meeting also addressed all topics and proposed documents on the agenda of the 10th session, scheduled to be held in Cairo at the end of this month, under the co-chairmanship of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, and H.E. Dr. Nawaf Salam, Prime Minister of Lebanon.

Discussions further explored ways to support and enhance bilateral partnership and cooperation in accordance with proposals from the relevant Egyptian ministries and agencies in areas including investment, foreign trade, electricity, renewable energy, civil aviation, air and maritime navigation, land and sea transport, agricultural research, supply and internal trade. The talks also covered the exchange of expertise in the fields of culture, education, technical and higher education, scientific research, and cooperation with the National Institute for Planning.

During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of doubling the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Lebanon to reflect the depth of their relations, highlighting the need to remove trade barriers and simplify customs procedures. The volume of trade between the two countries reached USD 1 billion in 2024, compared to USD 774 million in 2023, representing an increase of 29.3%.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat also noted the promising opportunities for Egyptian construction, contracting, and engineering consultancy firms to play a major role in Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts. She stressed that Egyptian companies are well-qualified and highly experienced, with skilled labor capable of contributing effectively to rebuilding Lebanon.

For his part, H.E. Dr. Al-Bassat underscored Egypt’s pivotal role as a cornerstone of stability in the Arab region and a key supporter of joint Arab action, praising Egypt’s continuous political and humanitarian support for the Lebanese people and its steadfast backing of Lebanon in international forums.

He added that there are great opportunities to strengthen trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, especially given the strong alignment of visions between their leaderships to elevate economic and commercial relations to new levels.

H.E. Dr. Al-Bassat also stressed the importance of mutual visits by business delegations to explore available investment opportunities and open new horizons for industrial and commercial partnerships. He highlighted Egypt’s accumulated experience in implementing major national projects, including the establishment of large industrial and agricultural zones, modern urban communities, and fourth-generation smart cities such as the New Administrative Capital, New Alamein City, and New Mansoura City, which have transformed Egypt’s urban landscape. He also referred to Egypt’s extensive national road network and major transport projects such as the metro, high-speed rail, and monorail systems.

It is worth noting that economic and technical cooperation between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Lebanese Republic has witnessed steady progress since the signing of the Agreement Establishing the Egyptian-Lebanese Joint Higher Committee in Cairo on March 16, 1996.

The ninth session of the committee was held in Beirut in May 2019, co-chaired by H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly on behalf of Egypt and H.E. Saad Hariri on behalf of Lebanon, during which four documents were signed in the fields of tax expertise exchange, communications and information technology, investment promotion, and importation of Egyptian building materials, in addition to the final minutes of the session.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.

Source: APO – Report:

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The West African Development Bank (BOAD) (www.BOAD.org) has taken a major step in strengthening its financing capacity by increasing the size of its sovereign, portfolio credit-insurance policy signed in June 2023. The policy—subscribed with a pool of leading private insurers—now amounts to XOF297.6 billion (approximately EUR 454 million). This transaction is part of strategic plan Djoliba, which aims to optimize risk management and expand financing for WAEMU member countries. 

This expansion underscores the credit insurance market’s renewed confidence in the strength of BOAD’s strong capital base and further reinforces the resilience of its financing model. 

With insurers rated A- and AA-, BOAD is improving the average rating of its overall loan portfolio, with the aim of positively influencing its own investment grade rating. 

Combined with securitization, the credit-insurance program is a pillar of BOAD’s strategy for risk distribution and credit enhancement. With this increase, the total amount of insured outstanding exposures is about EUR 700 million, or 15% of the total loan portfolio. This momentum reflects BOAD’s commitment to fully leverage this instrument to optimize risk management and increase its financing capacity for the benefit of its member countries. 

The size of this policy also attests to market recognition of BOAD’s strong preferred creditor status and its unique role across the WAEMU region. It strengthens the Bank’s ability to mobilize financing on optimal terms for its member countries. 

BOAD President Serge EKUE stated: “The extension and increase in size of this insurance policy reflect markets’ confidence in the strength of our capital base and the quality of our management. This mechanism, which enhances our risk profile and that of our borrowers, will enable us to raise resources on the best possible terms to sustainably finance the development of our member countries. It is an essential lever for delivering the ambitions of Plan Djoliba and reinforcing BOAD’s role as a catalyst for development in the region.” 

– on behalf of Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD).

For further information: 
West African Development Bank 
Communication and Public Relations Department 
Tel.: +228 22 23 25 65 / +228 22 21 59 06 
WhatsApp: +228 99 99 32 15 / +228 22 21 52 67
Fax: +228 22 23 24 38 
Email: boadsiege@boad.org
68 av de la Libération, B P 1172 Lomé, Togo 

About the West African Development Bank (BOAD):
The West African Development Bank (BOAD) is the common development finance institution of the member countries of the West African Monetary Union (WAMU). It is an international public institution whose purpose, as provided under Article 2 of its Articles of Association, is to promote the balanced development of its member countries and foster economic integration within West Africa by financing priority development projects. It is accredited to the three climate finance facilities (GEF, AF, GCF). Since 2009, BOAD sits as an observer at the UNFCCC and actively participates in discussions on devising an international climate finance system. Since January 2013, it has been home to the first Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), whose aim is to provide direct support to governments, NGOs and the private sector in identifying and developing CDM projects. Since October 15, 2023, the Bank has been co- chairing the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) and has been holding the club’s sole Presidency as of February 27, 2025. This Club brings together 27 national, regional and multilateral development banks from around the world.  https://www.BOAD.org/fr/ 

Source: APO – Report:

Imagine a marketing manager who left a company six months ago, taking their personal laptop with them. On it, unbeknownst to anyone, was a cached login to a shared cloud drive containing sensitive client proposals and campaign strategies – access that was simply overlooked during offboarding. Months later, the ex-employee accidentally drags a folder from that shared drive onto a public-facing personal cloud storage, thinking it was their own. The link to this inadvertently exposed data is then discovered by a competitor or a data broker, leading to a massive leak of proprietary information, significant reputational damage, and a loss of client trust. This seemingly innocuous oversight, can spiral into a devastating corporate crisis. While this scenario is a little extreme, it is unfortunately not far-fetched in today’s complex digital landscape.

When an employee leaves an organisation, most leaders focus on succession, handovers and HR paperwork. But behind the scenes, another risk often goes unchecked: the “shadow employee”. Retaining access to company systems long after they’ve left, these ex-staff members pose a serious cybersecurity threat that can lead to data breaches, financial loss and reputational damage – even if everyone parted ways with smiles, hugs and pizza.

According to a recent study (https://apo-opa.co/46SOBcD), 89% of former employees keep valid logins, while 45% retain access to confidential data after departure. Most disturbingly, almost half admitted to continuing to access company systems after leaving.

“The shadow employee phenomenon is more common than many realise, particularly in organisations with high staff turnover or fragmented and cloud based systems,” asserts Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa (www.KnowBe4.com).

She says it often goes undetected because access management tends to focus more on onboarding than offboarding. “When IT and HR operate in silos or access isn’t centrally tracked, it’s easy for credentials, third-party accounts or shadow IT tools to be overlooked,” Collard comments. “It shouldn’t be seen as just a technical issue; it’s a human one, too (https://apo-opa.co/3IwpyUX), where attention to digital hygiene and processes are lacking.”

Risks of rogue access

The threat of shadow employees was brought into sharp focus in 2023 when a US company suffered a major data leak traced back to a former IT consultant (https://apo-opa.co/46TXYc2) whose access to internal drives was never revoked. The incident exposed client information and resulted in a six-figure (dollar denominated, no less) settlement on top of contract losses.

“The risks are serious and multifaceted,” states Collard. “They encompass operational risk, reputational risk and financial risk.” In terms of operational risks, she explains that outdated access rights can disrupt workflows, expose sensitive information or allow unauthorised changes to systems – even inadvertently.

Regarding reputational risk, a data breach caused by a former staff member can erode customer trust and damage brand credibility. “Ex-employees with active credentials can intentionally or unintentionally cause data breaches, leak sensitive information, manipulate internal systems or impersonate staff,” she says.

“In some cases, disgruntled employees may delete or sabotage critical data,” she elaborates. “Even if there’s no malicious intent, the mere presence of active credentials outside of an organisation’s control creates vulnerabilities that threat actors can exploit, especially through credential stuffing or phishing (https://apo-opa.co/46V077s).”

The last risk to organisations involves financial risk. “Rogue access can result in regulatory fines, legal costs (https://apo-opa.co/48iKWHK) and lost revenue,” she says. The reason why these security breaches occur is that many organisations treat offboarding as an almost “optional HR thing”, not a cybersecurity event. “They fail to conduct thorough access audits or delay revoking credentials across all systems, especially cloud platforms, collaboration tools and unmanaged software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications,” argues Collard.

Why robust offboarding is key

To close the loop and reduce the shadow employee threat, organisations must build strong offboarding processes that bridge HR and cybersecurity. “It starts with a shared mindset: offboarding must be seen as a collaborative security process, not just an admin task,” she comments.

Another important step is to automate deprovisioning to revoke access in real-time. “Integrating identity and access management (IAM) tools and involving security or risk teams in offboarding governance can also help,” she says. Other action items include performing regular access reviews to identify dormant or unauthorised accounts and educating managers to close the gap on shadow IT.

“Make line managers accountable for flagging all tools and systems used by exiting staff and track unofficial tools in your access control system,” she recommends. The HRM Report (https://apo-opa.co/46YnUn3) also noted that “Shadow AI” use is a growing concern across Africa, with 46% of organisations still developing formal AI policies while staff increasingly use generative AI from work networks without checks on credentials or information sharing. This lack of governance around new technologies further underscores the need for robust offboarding processes that account for all forms of access, not just traditional systems.

In conclusion, Collard maintains that former employees shouldn’t keep the digital keys to your organisation’s kingdom. “As the workplace becomes more hybrid and decentralised, organisations must rethink offboarding as a critical component of cybersecurity hygiene,” she emphasises.

– on behalf of KnowBe4.

Contact details:
KnowBe4
Anne Dolinschek
anned@knowbe4.com

Red Ribbon
TJ Coenraad
tayla@redribboncommunications.co.za

Source: APO – Report:

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The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of JPY 400 million (approximately US$2.7 million) from the Government of Japan. This vital funding will enable WFP to provide school meals in Sudan, which help to increase school attendance and boost learning outcomes.

“This generous contribution from the Government of Japan comes at a critical time when school are reopening in Sudan,” said Laurent Bukera, WFP Sudan Country Director and Representative. “School meals will help vulnerable children resume their education and increase their success rate in school.”

“We are deeply grateful to the Government and people of Japan for their continued solidarity with the people of Sudan,” he added.

This contribution will be a catalyst for children in Sudan to benefit from education. With the JPY 400 million contribution, WFP will ensure that children have access to food at school, which helps to keep students in classrooms.

“The protracted war in Sudan is depriving children of their basic right to go to school and enjoy education. This is, indeed, a tragic loss not only for them but for the future of Sudan as a whole,” said Mr. Mizuuchi Kentaro, Chargé d’Affaires of Japan to Sudan.

“We hope that the school meals provided to them through the cooperation between WFP and Japan would assist in addressing the issue by encouraging children to gain access to food while they also gain access to education,” he concluded

This funding brings Japan’s total support to WFP’s operations in Sudan to US$21 million since 2022, underscoring Japan’s commitment to humanitarian action and to the people of Sudan.

This contribution accounts for 13 percent of WFP’s funding requirements to continue school meals programs in Sudan for the next six months. Despite Japan’s generous contribution, WFP still requires $14.8 million for school meals programmes in Sudan over the next six months (October 2025 to March 2026).

Sudan’s war has triggered the world’s largest hunger crisis, with around 25 million people facing acute food insecurity and 638,000 people in catastrophic conditions. Active fighting has subsided in some areas in southern and central Sudan, where investment in early recovery – like a return to schools – is crucial.

– on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).

Source: APO – Report:

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Liberia has reaffirmed its leadership in advancing gender equality in diplomacy and governance with the validation of its Gender-Responsive/Feminist Foreign Policy (GRFP/FFP) Roadmap and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gender Assessment during a high-level workshop held on Friday, October 3, 2025 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia.

Serving as keynote speaker, Cllr. Deweh E. Gray, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that Liberia stands as the first African country to chart the course toward a Gender-Responsive Foreign Policy, positioning itself at the forefront of continental and global efforts to embed gender equality and human rights into foreign policy.

She further underscored that Liberia remains the first country in Africa to formally commit to pursuing a Feminist Foreign Policy, following the government’s decision in February 2024.

“Liberia’s commitment is deeply rooted in our proud legacy of women-led peacebuilding, governance, and advocacy for inclusive development. With Liberia’s election on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member, we will use this platform to advocate strongly for the empowerment of women and girls worldwide,” Cllr. Gray declared.

“Liberia is proud to be a pioneer in charting this course,” Cllr. Gray affirmed. “Our commitment is clear: we will continue to lead with courage, championing the rights and empowerment of women and girls across our borders and beyond.”

She added that the initiative reflects Liberia’s determination to advance gender equality not only within national institutions but also across regional and global platforms.

For her part, Madam Comfort Lamptey, Country Representative of UN Women, welcomed the milestone, pledging the organization’s continued support to Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in achieving the objectives of the roadmap. “UN Women is proud to work with the Ministry to make Liberia a model for Africa and the world in integrating gender equality and feminist principles into foreign policy,” she stated.

Liberia’s leadership on feminist diplomacy has been reinforced by multiple achievements: Membership in the Global Feminist Foreign Policy+ Group, which brings together countries dedicated to embedding gender equality in foreign policy. Extensive national consultations with government institutions, civil society organizations, youth networks, and international partners to ensure inclusivity in shaping the roadmap. Active participation in the African Union High-Level Meeting on Feminist Foreign Policy, further demonstrating Liberia’s continental leadership in this area.

These milestones underscore Liberia’s determination to contribute to shaping a feminist approach to diplomacy on the continent and beyond.

The GRFP/FFP Roadmap seeks to institutionalize gender equality, women’s rights, peace and security, women’s economic empowerment, and inclusive climate and resource management across Liberia’s diplomacy, external cooperation, and institutional practices.

Complementing this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gender Assessment highlights institutional gaps, opportunities, and priority reforms to strengthen gender mainstreaming within the Ministry’s structures and practices. Together, these tools are designed to transform Liberia’s foreign policy into a powerful instrument for equity, justice, and inclusive development.

The validation workshop drew a diverse group of stakeholders, reflecting the national and international support for Liberia’s gender-responsive foreign policy agenda. Participants included: Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), and the Women’s Legislative Caucus. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs): women’s rights organizations, civil society advisory groups (CSAG), youth networks, academia, and media. Development Partners: UN agencies, representatives and bilateral partners.

– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.