Africa Renewal: April 2023
Gender
Rwandan woman develops App to boost agriculture
The Smart Potato Greenhouse Technology app uses sensors to monitor soil quality and temperature and automates irrigation
Women Hold Up Half the Sky
Ms. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee – the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa – reflects on women overcoming differences and leading movements for peace, gender equality and women’s rights
Horn of Africa: Using digital technologies to advance women, peace and security agenda
Online platforms provide unique opportunities to women’s political, economic, and social inclusion, which requires sustained commitment by the international community.
Escalating violence in Sudan shuts hospitals, puts pregnant women at risk
Doctors, nurses and hospital staff unable to travel to work and vital humanitarian aid not getting through
Climate Change
Fast-tracking global Early Warnings systems
13 African countries among initial group to receive coordinated and targeted support in new global early warning initiative.
Nigeria formally joins UN Water Convention
10 countries from Africa, Middle East and Latin America commit to join key water-sharing treaty, as UN sets membership target for half of all countries by 2030.
Water-insecure Africa gets some wins at the UN Water Conference
Charlotte MacAlister, the lead author of the Global Water Security 2023 Assessment report, says African governments and citizens must take urgent actions to boost water security
Economic Development
Afreximbank and UNECA sign agreement to establish special economic zones for the production of Battery Electric Vehicle
The two organisations will play a central facilitating role, acting as the project’s financial and technical partners respectively
African Ministers call for a reformed global debt architecture
Reviewing and updating of the IMF-World Bank Debt Sustainability Analysis is key to make it more SDG- and solvency-focused
Health and Well-being
Combating violence
Youth
New youth climate advisers picked
UN Secretary-General urges young people globally to ratchet up pressure this year. They are key to keeping climate goals alive, kicking fossil fuel addiction, driving climate justice.
Health
Africa needs to vaccinate 33 million children to put progress back on track
African Vaccination Week and World Immunization Week (24–30 April) theme is “The Big Catch-Up”, to reach kids who missed vaccinations, and to restore and strengthen routine immunization programmes
Peace and Security
Technology
Young woman ignites a 3D printing revolution in The Gambia
The UN in The Gambia is supporting initiatives to bridge the gender disparity gap in STEM through raising awareness and capacity-building support to women-owned businesses
Youth & ICT
Rwanda: Using innovative poker games to promote sexual and reproductive health among the youth
Inventor Ndagijimana Benoit says ‘Ishema Ryanjye’ card games are a hit among adolescents
Human Rights
Prioritising Human Rights in Africa
The plan is to bring these issues to policy and governance processes.
Sustainable Development Goals
Stemming the tide: UN supports flood survivors in South Africa
The UN is providing access to mobile health services at the shelters and has appealed for emergency provisions of relief items and ensuring that schooling for children remains
Humanitarian Aid
Environment
How Africa benefits from the new historic “high seas” treaty on maritime biodiversity
Treaty obligates States to adopt ocean conservation measures with fair and equitable sharing of benefits
Culture and Education
Cultural spaces help counter harmful legacy of slavery
Bryan Stevenson, American lawyer and Founder and Executive Director of Equality Justice Initiative (EJI), a US non-profit