Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO – Report:

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The World Bank is expanding support for Zambia’s watershed management and forest conservation, approving the second phase of the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD II) project aimed to improve sustainable management of over 680,000 hectares of land and enhance livelihood resilience for over 650,000 people in targeted vulnerable communities of Zambia’s Miombo ecoregion.

With investments of $137 million, TRALARD II builds on the successes of TRALARD and will help the Zambian government expand its efforts to address highly vulnerable regions, including the Southern Province to promote climate-resilient livelihoods and support green jobs in priority sectors.

“TRALARD II is a powerful example of how climate action can be community-driven and inclusive. By investing in climate-smart agriculture, restoring degraded landscapes, and modernizing hydromet services, it will help Zambian communities enhance resilience to climate change,” said Achim Fock, World Bank Country Manager for Zambia.

The project also promotes sustainable, rural economic activities with a focus on strengthening value chains and market access to promote livelihoods that reduce exploitation of natural resources. Through TRALARD II, the World Bank is contributing to Zambia’s National Green Growth Strategy (NGGS) which guides Zambia’s transition to a low carbon, resource efficient, resilient, and socially inclusive economy by 2030.

TRALARD II will also contribute to government efforts to improve participatory land-use and water resource planning, weather monitoring and forecasting, enhancing the quality and reliability of meteorological data to support timely and accurate climate forecasts. It will also support strengthening institutional and technical capacities within the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) and other relevant institutions. It will work with local communities to protect existing forest reserves and support establishment of new Community Forest Management Groups (CFMGs).

A new jurisdictional Emission Reduction Program will also be developed to strengthen Zambia’s capacity to participate in carbon markets and generate additional resources that can be re-invested in the landscape to improve rural livelihoods.

“TRALARD II reflects the World Bank’s commitment to support Zambia’s efforts to combat climate change through inclusive, community-driven solutions. TRALARD II deploys a whole-of-society approach to promote socioeconomic development needs of local communities and nature-based solutions within the broader landscape by integrating ecological, social, and economic factors. This approach helps protect ecosystems and create economic opportunities for rural communities,” said Elisson Wright, World Bank Senior Environmental Finance Specialist.

The project financing includes an International Development Association (IDA)* grant in the amount of $100 million and the following grant resources: $3 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), $7 million from the Least Developed Countries Fund for Climate Change (LDCF), $10 million from the Africa Climate and People Trust Fund (ACP) funded by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), $10 million from the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF)/Climate Investment Fund (CIF), and $7 million from the Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions Multi-Donor Trust Fund (SCALE).

*The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 78 poorest countries, 40 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has provided $563 billion to 116 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged about $34.5 billion over the last three years (FY22-FY24), with about 70 percent going to Africa. Learn more online: IDA.worldbank.org. #IDAworks

– on behalf of The World Bank Group.

Source: APO – Report:

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Systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in criminal justice systems around the world is pervasive and deeply entrenched, the UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement published a new report today.

The report identifies twelve key elements needed for criminal justice systems to eliminate racism and discrimination against Africans and people of African descent. These elements include the elimination of violations such as racial profiling or discrimination in access to bail and parole, and fundamental issues such as adequate training, the use of disaggregated data and the diversity and fair representation of Africans and people of African descent across the justice chain. Other highlighted promising practices include racial and cultural impact assessments, sentence reviews, and restorative justice measures with alternatives to incarceration.

“The overrepresentation of people of African descent in prisons and detention facilities across multiple countries is both a consequence and a symptom of systemic biases in criminal legal systems,” the report said. “Racial stereotypes falsely portraying Africans and people of African descent as inherently criminal not only influence individual decisions by police, judges and prosecutors but also distort entire justice systems.”

“The historical origins of many legal and law enforcement institutions – established during colonial rule or rooted in racially oppressive systems – continue to shape contemporary practices,” the report said. “These disparities are part of a pattern of institutional racism rooted in the enduring legacies of colonialism, enslavement and segregation.”

“All these violations are at high risk of continuing to increase in the current global context. We call on all States to implement these recommendations. We need to work together to overcome systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the criminal justice system,” Akua Kuenyehia, the Chair of the Expert Mechanism said.  

The Expert Mechanism will present its report to the Human Rights Council on 1 October 2025 in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, together with its report of the country visit to Belgium.

– on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Source: APO – Report:

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The UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan has condemned in the strongest terms a deadly drone strike allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Al-Safiya Mosque and adjacent homes in El Fasher, North Darfur, on 19 September. Calling for immediate action to protect civilians, the Mission warned that El Fasher remains under siege and at grave risk of further attacks, with civilians facing extreme danger.

The attack, which took place during dawn prayers, reportedly killed at least 75 worshippers, including children, and injured many others. It is the latest, and the most devastating, in a series of assaults on religious and cultural sites during Sudan’s ongoing conflict.

“Killing civilians, including children, while in prayer in a mosque shows a blatant disregard for the most fundamental principles of international law,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “Those responsible must be held accountable.”

In its report presented to the Human Rights Council on 8 September, the Mission indicated its receipt of credible allegations of similar attacks on other places of worship by both warring parties, including the shelling of churches in El Fasher by the RSF and the bombing of mosques and of a Baptist church in Wad Madani and Khartoum by the Sudanese Armed Forces.

“Places of worship should be sanctuaries, not targets,” said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, expert member of the Fact-Finding Mission. “This strike deepens the trauma of communities already suffering starvation, displacement and sexual violence. The world cannot look away while civilians are attacked in their most sacred spaces.”

The Mission stressed that attacks directed against cultural property and religious sites are flagrant violations of international humanitarian and human rights law that may amount to war crimes. It underscored that intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated inter alia to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, and historic monuments constitute war crimes, provided these sites are not military objectives. The onus falls on the attacking side to prove the military objective.

“Sudan’s rich and diverse religious and cultural tapestry forms part of its shared heritage,” said Mona Rishmawi, expert member of the Mission. “Deliberate attacks on worshippers, mosques, churches, and cultural sites risk erasing identity and dignity. The International Criminal Court has already condemned individuals for the intentional destruction of religious and cultural sites in other conflicts. The Fact-Finding Mission will continue to investigate these grave acts and seek accountability.”

The Mission called for concrete measures by all parties to protect civilians and safeguard and protect religious and cultural buildings.

“Every day of delay results in more bloodshed,” Othman said. “Justice and protection demand immediate action.”

– on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) (https://IsDBInstitute.org/) is pleased to announce opening of nominations for the IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics (Knowledge Contribution) for the year 1447H (2026).

This cycle of the Prize is in the Knowledge Contribution category, aimed to recognize, reward, and encourage significant knowledge contributions in areas related to Islamic economics that have the potential to solve major economic and financial challenges of IsDB Member Countries.

Individuals and institutions are invited to nominate other individuals and institutions whose contributions to knowledge are groundbreaking and have a substantial effect on people’s lives and economic progress in accordance with Islamic principles. Self-nomination is not accepted for this category of the Prize.

The prize comes with a US$ 50,000 award for the first-place winner, US$ 30,000 for second place, and US$ 20,000 for third place.

The nominated contributions should have been made within the previous seven years and be potentially replicable elsewhere.

The nomination is a two-step process that can be initiated by visiting the ‘How to Apply’ (http://apo-opa.co/4mvmSVi) page on the  IsDB Prize Portal (http://apo-opa.co/3Vv7I7B). The first step is the registration of the nominator/applicant, which is open until 11 December 2025. The second step is for the nominator/applicant to upload the nomination form details and any relevant files before 14 December 2025.

For more information about the prize and nomination procedure, visit the IsDB Prize Portal (http://apo-opa.co/46DGL6T) or contact us on isdbprize@isdb.org.

The prize winner and runners-up will be honored at a ceremony during the 2026 IsDB Group Annual Meetings on a date to be announced in due course.

– on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).

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About the Islamic Development Bank Institute:
The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) is the knowledge beacon of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Guided by the principles of Islamic economics and finance, the IsDB Institute leads the development of innovative knowledge-based solutions to support the sustainable economic advancement of IsDB Member Countries and various Muslim communities worldwide. The IsDB Institute enables economic development through pioneering research, human capital development, and knowledge creation, dissemination, and management. The Institute leads initiatives to enable Islamic finance ecosystems, ultimately helping Member Countries achieve their development objectives. More information about the IsDB Institute is available on https://IsDBInstitute.org/

Source: APO – Report:

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On September 21, 2025, in a rare and unexpected move, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi used his power under the constitution to reject a deeply flawed draft Criminal Procedure Code. He returned it to Parliament to “review objections to a number of the draft law articles.” 

For nearly a decade, consecutive parliaments under President Sisi have acted as a rubber stamp for government policies. Members should use this opportunity to substantially revise the bill.

Members should genuinely engage in transparent consultation with independent human rights groups, legal experts, and the lawyers’ syndicate to produce a draft law that is consistent with Egypt’s Constitution and its obligations under international human rights law. Human rights groups and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have expressed their readiness to support the process.

Numerous independent Egyptian human rights groups, international organizations, UN experts, and the OHCHR, urged President Sisi to reject the catastrophic draft law. A Human Rights Watch analysis showed that it would undermine Egypt’s already weak fair trial rights protections and further empower abusive law enforcement officials.

Chief among the draft law’s flaws is that it fails to end the routine, unjustified use of pretrial detention, a hallmark of repression in Egypt, further normalizing its excessive use, while it should be an exception.

The proposed draft also included provisions codifying and broadening the use of videoconference for prosecutorial and judicial hearings. Remote hearings undermine fair trial guarantees and hinder judicial officials from assessing defendants’ wellbeing, leaving them more vulnerable to abuse, including abusive prison conditions.

The presidency’s statement rejecting the draft acknowledged some of these flaws. It mentioned, for example, the need to “achieve further guarantees for the sanctity of a person’s home and the rights of the accused before investigation and trial authorities. This also includes increasing alternatives to pre-trial detention to limit its use.”

If parliament seizes this moment, it can have ramifications that go far beyond the draft law. If Sisi’s refusal to ratify the flawed draft law is put correctly to use, it can represent a golden opportunity to begin to reverse Egypt’s protracted human rights crisis, the worst in decades.

– on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Government of the Republic of Uganda will host the Second Session of the Uganda-Somalia Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) alongside an Investment and Business Summit from 7-8 October 2025 at Mestil Hotel, Kampala, under the theme “Promoting Uganda-Somalia Partnership through Investment, Trade and Tourism, and Harnessing Opportunities in Both Countries.”

This was announced during the media launch for the Uganda-Somalia JPC, Investment and Business Summit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters. The meeting will bring together senior government officials, business leaders, and private sector representatives from both countries to review bilateral cooperation progress and unlock new trade and investment opportunities.

During his welcoming remarks, H.E. Prof. Sam Tulya Muhika, Head of Mission at the Uganda Embassy in Somalia, welcomed the press and noted that one of the hopes of the Summit is to raise awareness among the private sector in Uganda about available trade and investment opportunities between Uganda and Somalia. He emphasized that while Ugandans engage in business with Somalia, the reverse is currently limited.

H.E. Tulya Muhika highlighted the longstanding ties between the two countries, evidenced by the Somali community in Uganda since the 1920s. He also reflected on the progress of Uganda-Somalia relations, from establishing a permanent mission in 2014 to the 2016 framework agreement, which allows individual MDAs to enter Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for cooperation and implementation under the oversight of the JPC.

He noted achievements of the previous JPC, including the establishment of the Joint Permanent Council for Trade and Investment, and explained that the current JPC will: Review the implementation of agreements signed in 2022, covering defense, trade, and diplomatic cooperation.

• Conclude new MoUs on Immigration Management, Education and Sports, and a Bilateral Labor Agreement.

He said the Investment and Business Summit, to be graced by H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, and H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, will provide a platform for the private sector and government to:

· Showcase products and services through exhibitions.                                         

· Hold Business-to-Business (B2B) sessions.

· Address challenges to doing business and explore access to wider markets, including the Gulf region.

H.E. Tulya Muhika stressed the importance of promoting investment between the two countries, noting that while Uganda already has an investment portfolio in Somalia, the primary expectation is to raise awareness of opportunities in both countries to create a balanced trade relationship.

Amb. Abdi Latif Ali, Deputy Ambassador of Somalia to Uganda, expressed gratitude for the second session of the JPC, calling the meetings a reflection of deep bilateral ties. He acknowledged Uganda’s support during Somalia’s difficult periods and recalled Somalia’s support for Uganda’s stability in the 1970s.

He highlighted that the 2016 framework agreement laid the foundation for the JPC, whose first session was held in Kampala in 2022. New MoUs will be signed to open avenues in education, migration, and labour, as well as agreements in security, health, and refugee affairs.

He emphasized that the partnership contributes to bilateral cooperation and regional peace and EAC integration, expressing confidence that brotherhood and mutual respect will boost the outcomes of the upcoming JPC.

Amb. Ali also cited economic cooperation examples, such as the potential for Ugandan avocados to reach Somali markets at higher prices, highlighting trade opportunities. He confirmed that Somalia’s Chamber of Commerce will participate, and additional MoUs are ready to be signed in labour, education, migration, and health.

Representing the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Richard Kabonero, Head of Regional Economic Cooperation, thanked both missions for their efforts toward the JPC. He highlighted Uganda’s expanding export base:

“In the last 15 years, Uganda has added 31 new products to its export markets, and there is no better market than our neighbors and the region.”

Amb. Kabonero encouraged media members to raise awareness so Ugandans and private sector players can showcase and trade these products during the Summit. He emphasized aviation and education as key areas where Uganda holds a competitive advantage, and noted that strong economic linkages will help mitigate security challenges.

The First Session of the Uganda-Somalia Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) was held on 7-8 August 2022 in Kampala, focusing on cooperation across political, economic, and social sectors. Key MoUs were signed on diplomatic and political consultations, defense, trade, investment agencies, and chambers of commerce. 

On 10 August 2022, both Presidents attended an Investment and Business Summit, which resulted in the Kampala Declaration on Trade, Investment, and Tourism. The session reinforced the long-standing partnership between Uganda and Somalia, translating regional peacekeeping efforts into trade, investment, and sustainable development opportunities.

Uganda and Somalia share a long-standing partnership underpinned by political, security, and economic cooperation. Since deploying the first troops to Somalia, Uganda has led regional peacekeeping efforts through AMISOM, ATMIS, and AUSSOM. Both countries are now working to translate peace dividends into trade, investment, and sustainable development.

– on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: APO – Report:

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The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has sent a congratulatory message to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion commemorating the 95th National day of that Country on September 23, 2025.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, President Boakai, on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of Liberia and in his own name, extended heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to His Highness King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and through him to the people of Saudi Arabia as they commemorate this historic occasion.

The Liberian leader expressed that it is his utmost prayer that the bonds of friendship and cooperation so happily subsisting between the two Countries and peoples will be strengthened for the wellbeing of their both countries and peoples. 

President Boakai then prayed that Allah will continue to endow His Highness King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud with abundant wisdom, strength and good health as he leads his people to noble heights.

– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.