Pillay urges states to inject human rights into Rio+20

NEWS RELEASE:GENEVA (18 April 2012) – As negotiations on the Rio+20 Conferen ce outcome enter a critical phase, UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay has urged all United Nations Member States to ensure that human rights are thoroughly integrated in the discussions and in any final outcome. 

Twenty years after the adoption of the landmark Rio Declaration, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development is due to convene in June this year. Regrettably, said Pillay in a letter sent to all UN Member States, the draft outcome document of the Rio+20 Conference fails to take sufficient account of human rights imperatives. 

GIABA To Hold World Press Conference

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will hold a World Press Conference, bringing journalists and media executives from various media houses within and outside the West African region on 27-28 April, 2012, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar, Senegal GIABA, a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as well as Financial Action Task Force-Styled Regional Body (FRSB) was established by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in the year 2000 with the mandate to protect the national economies and financial system of member States from abuse and laundering the proceeds of crime, in an email made  available to Mansa Banko

GIABA To Hold Briefing Session For ECOWAS Ambassadors, Partners

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will hold an Annual briefing session for ECOWAS Ambassadors and development partners in the Republic of Senegal on the 27th April, 2012,  at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar, Senegal, a press release from GIABA disclosed. 

GIABA, a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as well as Financial Action Task Force-Styled Regional Body (FRSB) was established by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in the year 2000 with the mandate to protect the national economies and financial system of member States from abuse and laundering the proceeds of crime.  

Gambia News Online Publisher attends World Press Conference

Lamin Jahateh, editor and publisher of Gambia News Online, an online newspaper, on Thursday left to Dakar, Senegal, to attend the World Press Conference organized by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).

Mr Jahateh, who is the national correspondent of  (APA), will join other journalists and media executives from various media houses within and outside the West African region at the conference which is meant to sensitise information managers to their responsibilities and obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime towards fostering and strengthening partnership between GIABA and the media in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing in West Africa.

Highlights from the Africa Carbon Forum in Addis Ababa

Highlights for Friday, 20 April 2012
DAILY WEB COVERAGE
| Wed 18 April | Thu 19 April | Fri 20 April |
The fourth Africa Carbon Forum concluded its discussions today at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants convened over three days to discuss the latest developments in the carbon market and to identify means by which the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other mitigation mechanisms can be successfully applied in Africa. Today’s meeting included plenary sessions on forestry and agriculture and on global perspectives on the future demands for offsets; two round table discussions on benefits to Africa from “climate smart agriculture” and on carbon market linkages. Two workshops were also conducted on new market mechanisms and on REDD+ linkages between projects and national frameworks. As well, two training sessions provided participants with information on establishing national/regional grid emission factors and on carbon and sustainable agriculture land management. John Kilani closed the Forum at 5:20pm.
	L-R: Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, Director-General, Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Ethiopia, congratulates Henry Derwent, President and CEO, IETA, at the closing of the Forum.

GAWFA introduces mobile banking to reach clients nationwide

GAWFA CEO, Dr Oley Njie-Mbye

The Gambia Women Finance Association has introduced mobile banking system geared towards making mobile money transactions both easier and more available to its clients most of whom live in remote rural areas without access to traditional brick-and-mortar financial institutions.

The project, funded by the Spanish Cooperation Agency, an international agency fighting against poverty around the world, will reduce costs for Gawfa and increase customer convenience.

The 18-month project, approved by the funders in March this year, will help Gawfa’s clients to have improved access to Gawfa-offered financial services by allowing them to access their account with ease and comfort at the place they (the clients) want it. 

Objectives of the SEYCOHAIDS 2012 Conference

Lilongwe 2012 will bring another opportunity for youth within Africa and the Diaspora to interact, share ideas and good practices on HIV/AIDS, Sexual Reproductive Health and rights issues in the region. 

The broad objectives for the Conference are: