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Following is the text of a joint statement issued by China, France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States of America at the conclusion of the Third P5 Conference: Implementing the NPT June 27-29, 2012 in Washington, DC.
Begin text:
The five Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) nuclear-weapon states, or “P5,” met in Washington on June 27-29, 2012, in the wake of the 2009 London and 2011 Paris P5 conferences to review progress towards fulfilling the commitments made at the 2010 NPT Review Conference, and to continue discussions on issues related to all three pillars of the NPT – nonproliferation, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and disarmament, including confidence-building, transparency, and verification experiences.
The P5 reaffirmed their commitment to the shared goal of nuclear disarmament and emphasized the importance of working together in implementing the 2010 NPT Review Conference Action Plan. The P5 reviewed significant developments in the context of the NPT since the 2011 Paris P5 Conference. In particular, the P5 reviewed the outcome of the 2012 Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference, continued their discussion of how to report on their relevant activities, and shared views, across all three pillars of the NPT, on objectives for the 2013 Preparatory Committee and the intersessional period. The 2012 PrepCom outcome included issuance of a P5 statement comprehensively addressing issues in all three pillars (NPT/CONF.2015/PC.I/12).
The P5 continued their previous discussions on the issues of transparency, mutual confidence, and verification, and considered proposals for a standard reporting form. The P5 recognize the importance of establishing a firm foundation for mutual confidence and further disarmament efforts, and the P5 will continue their discussions in multiple ways within the P5, with a view to reporting to the 2014 PrepCom, consistent with their commitments under Actions 5, 20, and 21 of the 2010 RevCon final document.
Participants received a briefing from the United States on U.S. activities at the Nevada National Security Site. This was offered with a view to demonstrate ideas for additional approaches to transparency.
Another unilateral measure was a tour of the U.S. Nuclear Risk Reduction Center located at the U.S. Department of State, where the P5 representatives have observed how the United States maintains a communications center to simultaneously implement notification regimes, including under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC), and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Vienna Document.
The P5 agreed on the work plan for a P5 working group led by China, assigned to develop a glossary of definitions for key nuclear terms that will increase P5 mutual understanding and facilitate further P5 discussions on nuclear matters.
The P5 again shared information on their respective bilateral and multilateral experiences in verification, including information on the P5 expert level meeting hosted by the UK in April, at which the UK shared the outcomes and lessons from the UK-Norway Initiative disarmament verification research project. The P5 heard presentations on lessons learned from New START Treaty implementation, were given an overview of U.S.-UK verification work, and agreed to consider attending a follow-up P5 briefing on this work to be hosted by the United States.
As a further follow-up to the 2010 NPT Review Conference, the P5 shared their views on how to discourage abuse of the NPT withdrawal provision (Article X), and how to respond to notifications made consistent with the provisions of that article. The discussion included modalities under which NPT States Party could respond collectively and individually to a notification of withdrawal, including through arrangements regarding the disposition of equipment and materials acquired or derived under safeguards during NPT membership. The P5 agreed that states remain responsible under international law for violations of the Treaty committed prior to withdrawal.
The P5 underlined the fundamental importance of an effective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards system in preventing nuclear proliferation and facilitating cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The P5 discussed concrete proposals for strengthening IAEA safeguards, including through promoting the universal adoption of the Additional Protocol; and the reinforcement of the IAEA’s resources and capabilities for effective safeguards implementation, including verification of declarations by States.
The P5 reiterated their commitment to promote and ensure the swift entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and its universalization. The P5 reviewed progress in developing the CTBT’s verification regime in all its aspects and efforts towards entry into force. Ways to enhance the momentum for completing the verification regime, including the on-site inspection component, were explored. The P5 called upon all States to uphold their national moratoria on nuclear weapons-test explosions or any other nuclear explosion, and to refrain from acts that would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty pending its entry into force. The moratoria, though important, are not substitutes for legally binding obligations under the CTBT.
The P5 discussed ways to advance a mutual goal of achieving a legally binding, verifiable international ban on the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons. The P5 reiterated their support for the immediate start of negotiations on a treaty encompassing such a ban in the Conference on Disarmament (CD), building on CD/1864, and exchanged perspectives on ways to break the current impasse in the CD, including by continuing their efforts with other relevant partners to promote such negotiations within the CD.
The P5 remain concerned about serious challenges to the non-proliferation regime and in this connection, recalled their joint statement of May 3 at the Preparatory Committee of the NPT.
An exchange of views on how to support a successful conference in 2012 on a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction was continued.
The P5 agreed to continue to meet at all appropriate levels on nuclear issues to further promote dialogue and mutual confidence. The P5 will follow on their discussions and hold a fourth P5 conference in the context of the next NPT Preparatory Committee.
End text.
dustpan and brush - tick
husband - tick
spade and wheelbarrow?
for 69/116 - cleaning implement
(the extension is beginning to move into the main house. JOY!)
05.12.2018 Pre-2020 Stocktake on implementation and ambition, Part I
These photos are free to use under Creative Commons licenses and must be credited: "© cop24.gov.pl"
Guillermo Padrés aseguró que gracias al contacto con la gente es como se han logrado implementar programas que beneficien a más sonorenses.
Ver boletín en:
es.scribd.com/doc/243722407/15-03-2012-El-Gobernador-Guil...
www.slideshare.net/GuillermoPadres/b031262
Entrega Gobernador Certificados de vivienda en Tu Gobernador en Tu Colonia.
Etchojoa, Sonora.- Durante el programa Tu Gobernador en Tu Colonia, el tercero que se maneja en un esquema regional en el que se atendieron a sonorenses que residen en Etchojoa, Huatabampo, Navojoa, Benito Juárez y Álamos, el Gobernador Guillermo Padrés aseveró que el Nuevo Sonora ya está dando resultados concretos pasando de los dichos a los hechos.
En el evento donde se reunió además con Gobernadores Mayos y se atendió a los Gobernadores Guarijíos, el mandatario estatal entregó de manera simbólica los primeros 10 certificados de cartas de asignación de lotes de casas al mismo número de familias, de un total de 326 certificados beneficiando a poco más de mil 500 personas de Etchojoa, viviendas que serán construidas en un predio de 12 hectáreas de terreno.
Durante el programa el Ejecutivo del Estado explicó que gracias al contacto con la gente es como se han logrado implementar programas y políticas de gobierno como cero cuotas escolares, uniformes escolares gratuitos, trasporte gratuito para estudiantes, obras de infraestructura y generación de empleo.
“Seguimos trabajando de la mano para poder crear ese bienestar y atender directamente las necesidades de los ciudadanos. Yo hago y reitero el compromiso de seguir ayudando a toda la gente, a quien no se había volteado a ver, porque mi gobierno es de la gente y le va a servir a la gente”, afirmó.
Beneficios concretos
Tan sólo en estos cinco municipios se otorgarán mil pies de casa, se han trasformado 43 escuelas con una inversión de 91 millones de pesos, se implementó el programa “Mi Barrio” en la colonia Nogalitos en Navojoa y en la 14 de Enero en Huatabampo que aún están en proceso.
Durante la entrevista con los diferentes medios de comunicación, el Jefe del Ejecutivo Estatal adelantó que se realizarán mejoras en las iglesias del Júpare y Etchojoa donde se conmemoran las fiestas de la Santísima Trinidad en el mes de Junio para así atraer turismo a esta región.
Padrés Elías confirmó que dentro de los siguientes dos meses se lanzará la licitación para la construcción de la presa Pilares, con una inversión de mil 700 millones de pesos, que garantizará el ciclo de riego en las 90 mil hectáreas que integra la región del mayo, así como prevenir las posibles inundaciones por las lluvias de temporada.
El Gobernador del Estado comentó que Sonora va por muy buen rumbo, con un promedio de crecimiento económico anual por arriba de la media nacional, creando más de 64 mil nuevos empleos, manteniéndose como el estado fronterizo más seguro de la República Mexicana, construyendo cuatro nuevas universidades, 13 preparatorias, iniciando el programa nacional Nuevo Futuro y trabajando en beneficio de las familias sonorenses.
Reiteró su compromiso de seguir colocando al ciudadano en el centro de las cosas, para que sean ellos quienes decidan qué hacen y qué no harán sus gobernantes.
Estuvieron presentes los alcaldes de Etchojoa, José Gilberto Almada Valdéz; de Navojoa, José Abraham Mendívil López; Benito Juárez, Manuel de Jesús Bustamante Sandoval; Huatabampo, Próspero Ibarra Otero, así como el presidente municipal de Álamos, Joaquín Navarro Quijada.
XVII Edición de Tu Gobernador en Tu Colonia
Más de 80 dependencias estatales federales y municipales
120 brigadistas que capturan las peticiones de los ciudadanos
250 unidades enlazadas dependencias estatales, federales y municipales
Municipios atendidos: Etchojoa, Navojoa, Benito Juárez, Huatabampo y Álamos
Tu Gobernador en Tu Colonia
17 ediciones (3 regionales)
135 mil ciudadanos asistidos
22 mil 798 servicios brindados
91 mil 800 peticiones recibidas
74% de conclusión
1 millón 500 mil ciudadanos asistidos en todos los programas de Atención Ciudadana
270 mil peticiones recibidas
84% de peticiones concluidas satisfactoriamente
McCormick Deering See Me On Black
A rally at Millers Flat, Central Otago, New Zealand.
This was to celebrate 100years farming in the Teviot valley.
Eishtec to create 250 new smartphone support jobs in Wexford.
Pictured are Brendan Howlin TD Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Heather Reynolds, Brian Barry and Colm Tracey Eishtec Company directors. and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD. Photo Patrick Browne
Eishtec, the Waterford based customer contact solutions provider, announced today that it is to create 250 new jobs by October 2013 as part of a major expansion via a new custom built facility in Drinagh, Co. Wexford. Eishtec currently employs 400 people in its Waterford site at the Cleaboy Business Park and these additional jobs will bring its total workforce to 650 across the South East region of Ireland.Brian Barry, one of the co-founders of Eishtec, said: “We are particularly encouraged by this growth because in January 2012 we announced 250 jobs for Waterford and, based on delivering strong performance to date, we have been able to grow beyond that figure to 400. We want to acknowledge the personal interest and support of Minister Bruton and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation as well as the ongoing support of Enterprise Ireland in our growth to date and these new jobs will be subject to their continued assistance”.Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, said:“Eishtec is a great role model for what we are trying to achieve in the Irish economy. This is an Irish company, founded by three former employees of a multinational, winning business in a highly competitive market, and growing employment in a part of the country which has suffered from high levels of unemployment. Through continued implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs I am determined to ensure that companies like Eishtec can continue to start-up, grow, and create the jobs we need”.The growth is on the back of Eishtec securing an expansion to an existing contract with EE, the company behind the UK telecommunications brands Orange, T-Mobile and EE. EE is a new brand that recently launched the UK’s first mobile superfast 4G network.Eishtec will expand its support for Orange and T-Mobile customers with smartphone service and technical care, including Android and iPhone.Making the announcement Heather Reynolds, co-founder, said: “We believe this expansion is testament to the skills and positive attitude of the people we've recruited. We are delighted to be expanding our business further to 650.Recruitment for the new positions is currently underway.”"This is another significant win for Eishtec, the South East and Ireland. We have the skills and experience in our team to provide the highest quality services to our clients and help support the achievement of its business objectives.” Ms. Reynolds added. “We're delighted we can maintain a proud tradition of providing market-leading customer services to blue chip organisations.”Eishtec was set up by Heather Reynolds, Brian Barry and Colm Tracey in May 2011 with nine employees. The company is now recruiting for service and technical support roles, with all training provided by Eishtec.ENDSFor further information contact: Jonathan Earl, B2B Communications, 087-2300700Notes to Editors:Eishtec founders and owners are Heather Reynolds, Brian Barry and Colm Tracey, who between them have a combined experience of more than 30 years in the contact centre industry.All previously held Director-level positions in the telecommunications industry.Heather Reynolds, from Waterford, has experience in contact centre management across Ireland, UK, Holland and India and was awarded Irish Contact Centre Manager of the Year in 2007 in the CCMA awards.Brian Barry, also from Waterford, has extensive experience as a financial leader in US, UK and European multinational organisations.Colm Tracey, originally from Belfast, has international experience in the US, Japan and the UK in the manufacturing, telecommunications and internet sectors.
Implementing a protocol is hard, this photo is from the time i was learning DBus protocol, padding, alignment,... and how to treat unsigned bytes in Java ;-))
Este año, la Casa del Deporte implementará un total de 19 escuelas gratuitas en Viña del Mar, con once disciplinas entre las que se encuentran como novedades el balonmano y la halterofilia.
Entre las postales que dejaron los X Juegos Suramericanos ODESUR Santiago 2014, además de la histórica cosecha de medallas que completaron un total de 129 preseas para nuestro país, se cuentan recintos repletos de público vitoreando a deportistas como si se tratasen de eliminatorias mundialistas de futbol, evidenciando el gran interés y pasión que sienten los chilenos por deportes muy distintos al balompié.
Consciente de esta atención por variadas disciplinas, es que la Ilustre Municipalidad de Viña del Mar, a través de la Casa del Deporte, hace ya casi una década, ha implementado de forma gratuita en toda la ciudad, un programa compuesto por Escuelas Deportivas, y que este año junto a las ya clásicas Tenis, taekwondo, Karate, Natación, Basquetbol, Hockey Patín, Gimnasia Rítmica, Voleibol y Rugby, trae importantes novedades, como la inclusión de dos nuevas especialidades deportivas.
El programa de Escuelas Deportivas, este 2014, da la bienvenida a su oferta al cada día más popular Balonmano o Handball, y que después de la brillante participación de las selecciones chilenas masculinas y femeninas de la disciplina, premiadas con bronce en ODESUR 2014, y que justamente jugaron en Viña del Mar, es que niños, jóvenes y adultos, pusieron sus ojos sobre esta entretenida rama deportiva.
Junto con el balonmano, la Halterofilia o Levantamiento Olímpico de Pesas, también se suma al programa Escuelas Deportivas, y consiste en el levantamiento de la mayor cantidad de peso posible en una barra en cuyos extremos se fijan varios discos, los cuales determinan el peso final que se levanta, y que reciben el nombre de “haltera”.
Orientadas a niños entre 7 y 14 años, las Escuelas Deportivas 2014, suman un total de diecinueve, y para la inscripción en cualquiera de las once disciplinas de este año, sólo hay que asistir al lugar, el día y la hora fijada para la clase, y llenar una matrícula gratuita con los datos personales del alumno, y la firma de un apoderado mayor de edad autorizando la participación del menor en el taller. Te esperamos!
UN Special Representative of Secretary-General David Shearer, opened the 7th session of the Head of Office (HoFO)/Area Security Coordinator retreat which started on 14 March and will end on 16 March 2017. This annual event, which has been held since 2011 brings the ten HoFOs together to share experiences, dialogue with headquarters, and to get a common understanding on Mission’s direction. Among others, the current retreat primarily seeks to explore opportunities at the field level to maximize the implementation of the mission’s mandate taking into account local initiatives to address specific challenges.
Photo: UNMISS/ Isaac Billy
05.12.2018 Pre-2020 Stocktake on implementation and ambition, Part I
These photos are free to use under Creative Commons licenses and must be credited: "© cop24.gov.pl"
All six DOF movements have been implemented now. Only need to add the pneumatic tubes and pump for opening and closing of the grabber. A manometer (64065) is added to display the air pressure.
A video of the 6 working movements can be viewed on Youtube.
The working pump can also be viewed on Youtube.
Harry in Philadelphia in May 2004 at dinner after the opening of an exhibition of his papers at Penn.
Mekelle– Ethiopia, 24th January 2016: Members of African Union (AU) Executive Council converged in the Tigray region of Mekelle, on 24 January 2016, within the framework of their third Ministerial Retreat, holding under the theme: “Implementation of Agenda 2063”. The Ministerial Retreat was chaired by Hon. Simbarashe S. Mumbengegwi, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the Executive Council, in the presence of H.E. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commissioners, H.E Mr. Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC. Hon. Dr Tedros Adhenon Ghebreyesus, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Abay Weldu, President of the Regional Authority of Tigray, representatives from AU Organs, the UNECA, NEPAD, RECs AfDB, AU Commissioners , the AUC Secretary General, and the Legal Counsel of the AUC, and invited guests.
President Weldu welcomed the participants in the city of Mekelle and presented the historical background of the region which he qualified as courageous and privileged population who inherited the most archeological objects and sites of humanity. He said the agenda of this retreat has a significant meaning to the Tigray tribe/people of Ethiopia. He appreciated the vision of the Union aimed at creatiing an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa”.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, AUC Chairperson, recalled the first retreat in the city of Ethiopia Bahir Dar in 2014, where she introduced the Dream of the African People in “the e-mail from the future”, among others. “Two years ago, as we concluded the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU, we met as in retreat in the city of Bahir Dar, to discuss the core responsibilities of this important organ, the Executive Council. It was then when I spoke about our dream of the Africa we want, in the e-mail from the future.
Two years later, as we gather here in Mekelle, Tigray region we can report that we have made some headway. As discussed at this retreat, we now have Agenda 2063 as our clarion call for action, supported by all sections of the African society”, stated the AUC Chairperson. She explained that, “we are now clear on the priorities of Agenda 2063, investing in our people, especially youth and women; in agricultural modernization and agro-businesses; in manufacturing and industrialization; the development of our infrastructure; democracy and developmental governance, as well as the need of silencing the guns by 2020.”
“Our Agenda 2063 flagship projects - such as the free movement of people, the Commodities strategy, the Pan African Integrated High speed Rail network - is taking off, and should help towards our vision of an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa, driven by its own people and taking its rightful place in the world”, underscored Dr. Dlamini Zuma.
Referring to the song on Agenda 2063 composed by a group of artists from Zimbabwe, played during the opening ceremony of the retreat, the AUC Chairperson called on other artists within the continent to emulate the good example. “ I would like to thank the Zimbabwean artists who came up with that song on Agenda 2063, and I challenge all of us to encourage our artists to compose as many songs as possible. Of course as the Chair of the Union, Zimbabwe led from the front”. She thanks the Mekelle authorities for hosting the AU Ministerial retreat and wished the Ministers fruitful deliberation. (See complete speech of the AUC Chairperson on the website: www.au.int ).
The Chairperson of the Executive Council on his part, recalled the high moments and priorities on Agenda 2063 saying “our Agenda is centred in the review of implementation of decisions taken during the 2nd Ministerial retreat and update on the implementation of the 1st ten year plan of Agenda 2063, the free movement of goods and persons, the issue of Immigration and tourism and wild life preservation”. Minister Mumbengegwi stressed that “as we continue streamlining and improving the working methods of our Union, we also need to consider how best we can align our bi-annual Summits in order to improve the effectiveness of our organisation and to give ourselves ample time to implement our decisions”. He expressed satisfaction to the fact that notable success has already been achieved in this vein, hence the need to proffering new and innovative ideas that will take the organisation to greater heights. (See complete speech of the Executive Chairperson on the AU Website: www.au.int) .
Speaking earlier, Hon. Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, stressed on the importance of holding the ministerial retreat which he said will enhance friendly and convivial relationship between the ministers. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said such gathering will enable the participants to express themselves freely while socialising with one another. He called on his pars saying, “We have a number of important issues to deliver including exchanging views and best practices on how to domesticate and enhance the implementation of agenda 2063 and its flagship projects.
Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), the third Ministerial Retreat aims at brainstorming and exchanging ideas on critical issues related to the implementation of the Africa Agenda 2063 so as to give clear direction and guidelines on devising best ways and means for its domestication to help improve the living conditions of the African citizens.
The Ministers will among other things consider AU Commission Restructuring Project, the free movement of people, African tourism, wild life conservation, and state of the African tourism sector and its opportunities and challenges.
At the end of its deliberations, the Ministerial Retreat will adopt the Mekelle Ministerial Retreat draft Outcomes document to be tabled during the Executive Council meeting scheduled to hold on 27 and 27 January 2016 for adoption. The AU Ministerial Retreat ends on Tuesday 26th January 2016.
AMT/ EAT
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Mrs Esther Azaa Tankou| Ag. Director of Information and Communication | African Union Commission | Tel: +251 (0) 911361185 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org|
For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
Follow us
Face book: www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission
Twitter: twitter.com/_AfricanUnion
YouTube: www.youtube.com/AUCommission
Learn more at: www.au.int
About the African Union
The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision: to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: www.au.int
5/28/2013 - TEXAS STATE CAPITOL - Texas Governor Rick Perry ceremonially signed House Bill 4, which lays the foundation for meeting Texas' water future water needs. HB 4 provides for active, full-time governance at the Texas Water Development Board; creates a new funding mechanism to support water-supply project implementation over the next 50 years; and directs local, regional and state officials to prioritize projects to ensure efficient use of available resources. The governor was joined by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus, as well as bill authors Reps. Allan Ritter, Four Price, Eric Johnson, Doug Miller and Eddie Lucio III, and sponsor Sen. Troy Fraser at the signing ceremony. (Official Governor's Office Photograph)
for more information: governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/18577/
AU Ministerial Retreat of the Executive Council Brainstorms on the Implementation of Agenda 2063
Mekelle– Ethiopia, 24th January 2016: Members of African Union (AU) Executive Council converged in the Tigray region of Mekelle, on 24 January 2016, within the framework of their third Ministerial Retreat, holding under the theme: “Implementation of Agenda 2063”. The Ministerial Retreat was chaired by Hon. Simbarashe S. Mumbengegwi, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the Executive Council, in the presence of H.E. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commissioners, H.E Mr. Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC. Hon. Dr Tedros Adhenon Ghebreyesus, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Abay Weldu, President of the Regional Authority of Tigray, representatives from AU Organs, the UNECA, NEPAD, RECs AfDB, AU Commissioners , the AUC Secretary General, and the Legal Counsel of the AUC, and invited guests.
President Weldu welcomed the participants in the city of Mekelle and presented the historical background of the region which he qualified as courageous and privileged population who inherited the most archeological objects and sites of humanity. He said the agenda of this retreat has a significant meaning to the Tigray tribe/people of Ethiopia. He appreciated the vision of the Union aimed at creatiing an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa”.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, AUC Chairperson, recalled the first retreat in the city of Ethiopia Bahir Dar in 2014, where she introduced the Dream of the African People in “the e-mail from the future”, among others. “Two years ago, as we concluded the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU, we met as in retreat in the city of Bahir Dar, to discuss the core responsibilities of this important organ, the Executive Council. It was then when I spoke about our dream of the Africa we want, in the e-mail from the future.
Two years later, as we gather here in Mekelle, Tigray region we can report that we have made some headway. As discussed at this retreat, we now have Agenda 2063 as our clarion call for action, supported by all sections of the African society”, stated the AUC Chairperson. She explained that, “we are now clear on the priorities of Agenda 2063, investing in our people, especially youth and women; in agricultural modernization and agro-businesses; in manufacturing and industrialization; the development of our infrastructure; democracy and developmental governance, as well as the need of silencing the guns by 2020.”
“Our Agenda 2063 flagship projects - such as the free movement of people, the Commodities strategy, the Pan African Integrated High speed Rail network - is taking off, and should help towards our vision of an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa, driven by its own people and taking its rightful place in the world”, underscored Dr. Dlamini Zuma.
Referring to the song on Agenda 2063 composed by a group of artists from Zimbabwe, played during the opening ceremony of the retreat, the AUC Chairperson called on other artists within the continent to emulate the good example. “ I would like to thank the Zimbabwean artists who came up with that song on Agenda 2063, and I challenge all of us to encourage our artists to compose as many songs as possible. Of course as the Chair of the Union, Zimbabwe led from the front”. She thanks the Mekelle authorities for hosting the AU Ministerial retreat and wished the Ministers fruitful deliberation. (See complete speech of the AUC Chairperson on the website: www.au.int ).
The Chairperson of the Executive Council on his part, recalled the high moments and priorities on Agenda 2063 saying “our Agenda is centred in the review of implementation of decisions taken during the 2nd Ministerial retreat and update on the implementation of the 1st ten year plan of Agenda 2063, the free movement of goods and persons, the issue of Immigration and tourism and wild life preservation”. Minister Mumbengegwi stressed that “as we continue streamlining and improving the working methods of our Union, we also need to consider how best we can align our bi-annual Summits in order to improve the effectiveness of our organisation and to give ourselves ample time to implement our decisions”. He expressed satisfaction to the fact that notable success has already been achieved in this vein, hence the need to proffering new and innovative ideas that will take the organisation to greater heights. (See complete speech of the Executive Chairperson on the AU Website: www.au.int) .
Speaking earlier, Hon. Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, stressed on the importance of holding the ministerial retreat which he said will enhance friendly and convivial relationship between the ministers. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said such gathering will enable the participants to express themselves freely while socialising with one another. He called on his pars saying, “We have a number of important issues to deliver including exchanging views and best practices on how to domesticate and enhance the implementation of agenda 2063 and its flagship projects.
Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), the third Ministerial Retreat aims at brainstorming and exchanging ideas on critical issues related to the implementation of the Africa Agenda 2063 so as to give clear direction and guidelines on devising best ways and means for its domestication to help improve the living conditions of the African citizens.
The Ministers will among other things consider AU Commission Restructuring Project, the free movement of people, African tourism, wild life conservation, and state of the African tourism sector and its opportunities and challenges.
At the end of its deliberations, the Ministerial Retreat will adopt the Mekelle Ministerial Retreat draft Outcomes document to be tabled during the Executive Council meeting scheduled to hold on 27 and 27 January 2016 for adoption. The AU Ministerial Retreat ends on Tuesday 26th January 2016.
AMT/ EAT
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Mrs Esther Azaa Tankou| Ag. Director of Information and Communication | African Union Commission | Tel: +251 (0) 911361185 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org|
For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
Follow us
Face book: www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission
Twitter: twitter.com/_AfricanUnion
YouTube: www.youtube.com/AUCommission
Learn more at: www.au.int
About the African Union
The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision: to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: www.au.int
On 19 February 2015, on the occasion of the Workshop on Linking Global and Regional Levels in the Management of Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”, a side event was jointly organized by the EAF-Nansen Project and the FAO Deep-sea Programme.
The event was to present aspects of the survey carried out on the seamounts in the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO) area by the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen and share insights on capacity development for the sustainable management of fisheries and biodiversity conservation in ABNJ.
The Side Event was opened and chaired by Merete Tandstad, Fishery Resources Officer at the FAO Marine and Inland Fisheries Branch.
Photo Courtesy of Deborah Catena
05.12.2018 Pre-2020 Stocktake on implementation and ambition, Part I
These photos are free to use under Creative Commons licenses and must be credited: "© cop24.gov.pl"
Adeso Goodwill ambassador and Somali actor, Barkhad Abdi, and farmer Ahmed Shire explore a gully, near Awasane village in Puntland, Somalia 26 Jan 2015. Adeso is implementing a large Natural Resources Management Project in Puntland targeting 100 communities that seeks to reduce hunger and food insecurity by improving rangeland conditions in the Puntland State
of Somalia. The project is helping communities build gully control structures and rock dams to restore rangelands. Adeso/KAREL PRINSLOO.
Participants capture during the Session: Implementing Strategies for Inclusive Growth at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Sikarin Thanachaiary
Participants capture during the Session: Implementing Strategies for Inclusive Growth at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Sikarin Thanachaiary
Participants capture during the Session: Implementing Strategies for Inclusive Growth at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Sikarin Thanachaiary
Every individual making an origami bird to one making a giant robotic arm is considered a maker and Maker Fest celebrates this epiphany of innovators, creators and designers ranging from a weaving artist to a rocket scientist. It is the platform for people who create magic using the technology hidden under the roof. Stretching from every corner of India, it is all about developing a great maker community in the country where people can learn and share in depth about the art. It is a trigger to a giant explosion of creativity that buzzes inside every innovator to showcase the resourcefulness of possessed knowledge by implementing it to a greater use.
Maker Fest is the Indian continuation of Maker Faire hosted across America, Europe, Africa and Japan, among others. Maker Faire, which launched in California, USA in 2006, now hosts hundreds of thousands attendees twice a year across California and New York. It is the amalgamation of festivals celebrating the innovators and an art show with all the booths for inventors and demonstrations and workshops for attendees. Creators, artists and hobbyist across the country are invited to present their contemporary applications of ideas using the vast ocean of art, science and technology. Also, it is non-commercial and free for the public to attend.
Maker Fest monumentalizes not only the final product but also the learning and explorations one faced during the making of something new using the already established. Come together to build up an enormous community of Makers in India as India is renowned of having the greatest intellectual horsepower among other countries of world.
Ideate, build and share.
Implementation services are for the end-users who use BITSoftware systems, as well as for application administrators who have to ensure internal support for end-users.
If by "fine" you mean "method to remove snow sufficiently such that you can reach you car".
Alternatively you can just wait for the spring thaw (usually around April) and hope you have enough food in the house.
Participants capture during the Session: Implementing Strategies for Inclusive Growth at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Sikarin Thanachaiary
At a news conference in the Afghan capital of Kabul today, UNAMA released ‘
A Way to Go: An Update on Implementation of the Law on the Elimination of
Violence against Women in Afghanistan.’ Produced jointly with the Office of
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the annual report found
that Afghan authorities registered more reports of violence against women
under the law on the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW law) over
the past year, but prosecutions and convictions under the law remained low,
with most cases settled by mediation. “The EVAW law, when it is applied,
has provided protection to Afghan women facing violence,” said UNAMA’s
Director of Human Rights, Georgette Gagnon (shown in right image). “But
most women victims still remain largely unprotected due to a lack of
investigation into most incidents and continued under reporting of
pervasive violence against women and girls resulting from discrimination,
existing social norms and cultural practices, and fear of reprisals and
threat to life.” Enacted in 2009, the EVAW law criminalizes acts of
violence against women and harmful practices including child marriage,
forced marriage, forced self-immolation, baad (giving away a woman or girl
to settle a dispute) and 18 other acts of violence against women including
rape and beating. It also specifies punishment for perpetrators.
Photo: Fardin Waezi / UNAMA
05.12.2018 Pre-2020 Stocktake on implementation and ambition, Part I
These photos are free to use under Creative Commons licenses and must be credited: "© cop24.gov.pl"
27 April 2021, A woman is eating rice and tilapia in a maquis, a typical street restaurant in Abengourou, Côte d'Ivoire. Tilapia represents a source of affordable and safe supply of animal protein in Côte d'Ivoire.
FISH4ACP aims to stimulate sustainable growth of the tilapia sector to create jobs and provide an income for the rural population. FISH4ACP aims to stimulate sustainable growth of the tilapia sector to create jobs and provide an income for the rural population. FISH4CP is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (OACPS) implemented by FAO with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
More on FISH4ACP Côte d’Ivoire: www.fao.org/in-action/fish-4-acp/where-we-work/africa/cot...
Project: GCP /GLO/028/EC
Photo: ©FAO/Sia Kambou
Participants capture during the Session: Implementing Strategies for Inclusive Growth at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Sikarin Thanachaiary
AU Ministerial Retreat of the Executive Council Brainstorms on the Implementation of Agenda 2063
Mekelle– Ethiopia, 24th January 2016: Members of African Union (AU) Executive Council converged in the Tigray region of Mekelle, on 24 January 2016, within the framework of their third Ministerial Retreat, holding under the theme: “Implementation of Agenda 2063”. The Ministerial Retreat was chaired by Hon. Simbarashe S. Mumbengegwi, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the Executive Council, in the presence of H.E. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commissioners, H.E Mr. Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC. Hon. Dr Tedros Adhenon Ghebreyesus, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Abay Weldu, President of the Regional Authority of Tigray, representatives from AU Organs, the UNECA, NEPAD, RECs AfDB, AU Commissioners , the AUC Secretary General, and the Legal Counsel of the AUC, and invited guests.
President Weldu welcomed the participants in the city of Mekelle and presented the historical background of the region which he qualified as courageous and privileged population who inherited the most archeological objects and sites of humanity. He said the agenda of this retreat has a significant meaning to the Tigray tribe/people of Ethiopia. He appreciated the vision of the Union aimed at creatiing an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa”.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, AUC Chairperson, recalled the first retreat in the city of Ethiopia Bahir Dar in 2014, where she introduced the Dream of the African People in “the e-mail from the future”, among others. “Two years ago, as we concluded the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU, we met as in retreat in the city of Bahir Dar, to discuss the core responsibilities of this important organ, the Executive Council. It was then when I spoke about our dream of the Africa we want, in the e-mail from the future.
Two years later, as we gather here in Mekelle, Tigray region we can report that we have made some headway. As discussed at this retreat, we now have Agenda 2063 as our clarion call for action, supported by all sections of the African society”, stated the AUC Chairperson. She explained that, “we are now clear on the priorities of Agenda 2063, investing in our people, especially youth and women; in agricultural modernization and agro-businesses; in manufacturing and industrialization; the development of our infrastructure; democracy and developmental governance, as well as the need of silencing the guns by 2020.”
“Our Agenda 2063 flagship projects - such as the free movement of people, the Commodities strategy, the Pan African Integrated High speed Rail network - is taking off, and should help towards our vision of an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa, driven by its own people and taking its rightful place in the world”, underscored Dr. Dlamini Zuma.
Referring to the song on Agenda 2063 composed by a group of artists from Zimbabwe, played during the opening ceremony of the retreat, the AUC Chairperson called on other artists within the continent to emulate the good example. “ I would like to thank the Zimbabwean artists who came up with that song on Agenda 2063, and I challenge all of us to encourage our artists to compose as many songs as possible. Of course as the Chair of the Union, Zimbabwe led from the front”. She thanks the Mekelle authorities for hosting the AU Ministerial retreat and wished the Ministers fruitful deliberation. (See complete speech of the AUC Chairperson on the website: www.au.int ).
The Chairperson of the Executive Council on his part, recalled the high moments and priorities on Agenda 2063 saying “our Agenda is centred in the review of implementation of decisions taken during the 2nd Ministerial retreat and update on the implementation of the 1st ten year plan of Agenda 2063, the free movement of goods and persons, the issue of Immigration and tourism and wild life preservation”. Minister Mumbengegwi stressed that “as we continue streamlining and improving the working methods of our Union, we also need to consider how best we can align our bi-annual Summits in order to improve the effectiveness of our organisation and to give ourselves ample time to implement our decisions”. He expressed satisfaction to the fact that notable success has already been achieved in this vein, hence the need to proffering new and innovative ideas that will take the organisation to greater heights. (See complete speech of the Executive Chairperson on the AU Website: www.au.int) .
Speaking earlier, Hon. Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, stressed on the importance of holding the ministerial retreat which he said will enhance friendly and convivial relationship between the ministers. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said such gathering will enable the participants to express themselves freely while socialising with one another. He called on his pars saying, “We have a number of important issues to deliver including exchanging views and best practices on how to domesticate and enhance the implementation of agenda 2063 and its flagship projects.
Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), the third Ministerial Retreat aims at brainstorming and exchanging ideas on critical issues related to the implementation of the Africa Agenda 2063 so as to give clear direction and guidelines on devising best ways and means for its domestication to help improve the living conditions of the African citizens.
The Ministers will among other things consider AU Commission Restructuring Project, the free movement of people, African tourism, wild life conservation, and state of the African tourism sector and its opportunities and challenges.
At the end of its deliberations, the Ministerial Retreat will adopt the Mekelle Ministerial Retreat draft Outcomes document to be tabled during the Executive Council meeting scheduled to hold on 27 and 27 January 2016 for adoption. The AU Ministerial Retreat ends on Tuesday 26th January 2016.
AMT/ EAT
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Mrs Esther Azaa Tankou| Ag. Director of Information and Communication | African Union Commission | Tel: +251 (0) 911361185 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org|
For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision: to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: www.au.int
This farm implement was a clodbusters to level the fields to baby bottom smooth. This would be a clodhopper if it didn't have enough weight. In fact most would revel in the field smoothed with this device but frankly it mostly opened the soil for blowing to Kansas and even though the concept was to destroy the bugs in the field there has been movement to minimum tillage farming which would require much less labor and enormous fuel and soil savings. I guess this decision would be different for a family organic grower who planned on leaving the land to his heirs or a corporate famer on leased land of large acreage. This device has been lying here fallow for some time.
I resurrected this earlier shot to add to the mass of agricultural shots in the Stream. I restarted with the RAW and used a couple of slices, the second with a stop-and-a-half boost for an Alpha Channel transparency to bring detail up. It's always fun to shoot an abandoned farm but it's a bonus to find some of the old machinery remaining. There are libraries of photos hidden in the details. I will have to take the full frame Nikon back for another trek.
Here we are at the MacIntosh Farm Preservation Center outside of Longmont, Colorado. Boulder County has collected many old agricultural machines on the property that boasts two large barns.
•Desde que se implementó este espacio creado por la Autoridad Portuaria Nacional, los casos delincuenciales han disminuido en un 20% en la zona.
¿Sabías que el Centro de Control, Comunicaciones y Respuesta a Emergencias de la Autoridad Portuaria Nacional, entidad adscrita al Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones (MTC), brinda apoyo a las embarcaciones, a los camiones que ingresan y salen del puerto y a las instalaciones portuarias del Callao? Efectivamente, cumple esa función con el fin de que la cadena logística sea más rápida y segura.
El citado centro de control, con ayuda de un sistema de cámaras de videovigilancia, ubicadas en las vías de acceso terrestre al puerto del Callao, efectúa un monitoreo diario del flujo de vehículos que se dirigen a las instalaciones portuarias de APM Terminals y DP World para dejar o retirar carga.
Julio Cruz, encargado del citado centro de control, explicó que, gracias al trabajo que realizan, la delincuencia ha disminuido en un 20% en la zona.
“Teniendo en cuenta que a diario ingresan como mínimo tres mil camiones al puerto del Callao, se requería con carácter de urgencia que exista un control y monitoreo de la zona en las vías y en el mar. Antes, era un caos, había mucho desorden vehicular, robos y extorsiones a los camineros. Hoy, el panorama es diferente y ello ayuda a dinamizar la economía”, sostuvo.
Se monitorea la prestación de los servicios portuarios a nivel terrestre y marítimo, centralizando, procesando y analizando cualquier información que pueda afectar al Sistema Portuario Nacional en el marco del Código Internacional para la Protección de los Buques y de Instalaciones Portuarias.
Para realizar un trabajo articulado, este centro se encuentra instalado en el Comité de Inteligencia Portuaria, conformado por la Dirección Nacional Antidrogas (Dirandro), la Dirección de Investigación Criminal (Dirincri), la Dirección Contra el Terrorismo (Dircote) y la Dirección de Policía Fiscal (Dirpolfis), así como el Programa Global de Control de Contenedores, quienes se encargan del perfilamiento de contenedores de exportación para identificar casos de narcotráfico y contrabando.
Trabajo articulado
Cabe anotar que, en junio pasado, con el fin de brindar seguridad a las instalaciones portuarias, a las vías y a las unidades de transporte de carga, el MTC y la Policía Nacional del Perú (PNP) firmaron un convenio para la prestación del servicio policial en los alrededores de los terminales chalacos.
Los transportistas de carga que acceden al puerto del Callao requerían contar con una mayor protección policial para reducir los actos delictivos en la zona y mantener la fluidez del ingreso y salida en el puerto a fin de entregar sus cargas a tiempo. Para ellos se dispuso el resguardo de 42 efectivos policiales, quienes se distribuyen en tres turnos las 24 horas del día y se ubican en puntos estratégicos.
Sichem/ Dalkey Cemetery.
This is the only specific Lutheran cemetery that we know of on the Adelaide Plains. The cemetery, Lutheran church and government school were all established here by 1872 when the land had been recently acquired. The Hundred of Dalkey was declared in 1856 but no one took up land here until 1865. The first to do so was Ernst Traeger who took up 600 acres of land in 1865 which he soon increased to 1,700 acres. His grain was carted by teams to Port Wakefield the nearest township. The other pioneering families were two Schaeche families and the Stein family. They were soon followed by other German families – Winter, Lange, Beinke, Schoenbergh, Zobel etc. More German settlers followed in the mid-1870s. Wilhelm Schaeche sold five acres to the Lutheran church for a church, school and cemetery. 1869 was the year in which the school opened and it was also used as a church until a new church was built a year or so later. A new stone Lutheran school was built in 1906 but that school closed during World War One in 1917 by act of parliament. (Sichem was not one of the 69 SA place names changed by that 1917 as it was only a locality and that locality already had the name of Dalkey.) Pupils from Sichem School then had to transfer to the government Dalkey School which operated in the Bible Christian church. (The Dalkey School had opened in 1879 and finally closed in 1946.) The Sichem Lutheran church closed in 1899 as a new Lutheran church opened in Balaklava. Like the school room it was eventually demolished. The District Council of Dalkey was formed in Traeger’s home in 1875 and for many years into the 1890s Ernst Traeger was a local councillor. When the council chamber was built in the 1882 it was sited in Owen. Eventually in the 1930s it became the District Council of Owen. Locally the English settlers of Dalkey district called the village German Town rather than Sichem. Sichem was a Hebrew city near Canaan. The most famous resident of Sichem was a son of Ernst Traeger who invented the pedal radio which was essential for the establishment of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and later the School of the Air. Another Traeger son established an implements business in Hamley Bridge. The Sichem or Dalkey cemetery was established around 1870. Although later headstones were all written in English look for some of the early ones like the Neumann family headstones and Traeger family headstones which are written in old German script. Dalkey was named by Governor MacDonnell in 1856 for the Hundred. Dalkey was a seaside place in Dublin the home place of Governor MacDonnell the first Catholic governor of South Australia.
Implemented by UNOPS, the government of India funded Socio-Technical Facilitation Consultancy support for housing reconstruction in Nuwakot, Nepal, started in March 2018. The project aims to reach over 23,000 people living in two urban municipalities and eight rural municipalities of the district of Nuwakot. So far, it has trained 81 women and 143 men through on-the-job training on masonry skills, increasing local capacity and marketable skills in the community.
© UNOPS/John Rae
All paper towel dispensers should be hands free! I hate washing my hands and then having to pull down that dirty nob to get a paper towel!
Shots of very quiet malls and food court area at Westfield Fountain Gate Shopping Centre in Melbourne as COVID 19 restrictions progressively came into force at Stages 1 to 3.
Although Stage 4 was not implemented which would have shut down retail, cinemas and food court seating areas were closed leading to a dramatic fall in customer numbers leading most chains to close with the exceptions of supermarkets and discount chains Kmart, Target and Big W.
Department store David Jones remained open while Myer closed down from late March to late May. Many book and game retailers remained open plus sporting goods chain Rebel Sport.
Thought more and implemented less. This is the reality of my long weekend. But finally everything should come to an end. So, just to celebrate my planning failure, i have decided in the afternoon (after sleeping till 2 PM) to visit Plum Island, located 25 miles north of Boston. One of my colleague and friend suggested this last friday when i was making my BIG plans.
The island is approximately 11 miles in length and most of the island is a National Wildlife Refugee. The entry is restricted to certain beaches during the nesting season. After meeting one of my old friend on the way, I have reached there just before the sunset and had lot of fun playing with my new ND filter on the beach.
Finally before wrapping up my gear, i saw these amazing sunset colors and the crescent moon over the Gatehouse. One thing immediately stuck my mind is a Silhouette :)
Strengthening Essential Health Services is critical to make health systems more resilient to situations of crisis said PAHO Director
15 Nov 2021
Roseau, Dominica, November 12, 2021 (PAHO/WHO) – Recounting the global situation pertaining to Covid-19 outbreak in Dominica, Dr. Etienne affirmed that “although the situation is challenging, it is not hopeless”. “If our approach to defeating the virus is based on collective vision and individual responsibility, based on science and evidence, based on empathy and compassion, based on partnership and leadership, we will come out of this pandemic faster.”
The Director also declared that PAHO’s work in other priority health areas must be implemented in parallel to the work for the pandemic response. “We urge all countries in the region to ensure that essential health programs are addressed and invest in health to make health systems resilient in time of crisis,” the Director said.
Dr. Etienne, attending a special ceremony to hand over medical equipment and supplies for the covid-19 response in Dominica, reminded the health officials that, before the first Covid-19 case was detected in the region, that PAHO was working with development partners, donors, governments, and leaders to prepare for the outbreak, and quickly respond to save lives, protect health workers, and stop the spread of the virus in the Americas.
In March 2020, PAHO dispatched a team of experts to Dominica to advise national authorities on the organization of services for prevention, surveillance, public health measures and management of cases. “The first country in the Eastern Caribbean that had the capacity to carry out PCR testing was right here in Dominica,” said Dr. Etienne, “because previously we had installed equipment for the diagnosis of dengue, which could also be utilized for Covid-19 testing.”
In respect to the clinical response to the Covid-19 care in Dominica, the Director stated that “most recently, PAHO deployed for 2 weeks an emergency medical team and nurses from Spain, who along with PAHO personnel from the Barbados Office and provided training and development of protocols for the management of Covid-19 protocols.
In his response, the Prime Minister, Hon Roosevelt Skerrit acknowledged his appreciation to PAHO as a very reliable, committed partner of Dominica over an extended period and especially during challenging periods. With much pride he also saluted the leadership and dedication of Dr. Etienne.
“PAHO has been at the forefront of providing advice, guidance and the mobilization and coordination of resources,” said Prime Minister Skerrit. “When this pandemic became a serious national, international and global concern, the bigger countries hoarded resources and we needed to have someone who could coordinate on behalf of small states like Dominica.”
Prime Minister Skerrit lauded PAHO for stepping in and doing a remarkable job in not only mobilizing resources but ensuring that Member States have access to resources especially vaccines, to combat the virus in their respective countries.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and New Health Investment was the recipient of several items made available by the Pan American Health Organization to address the Covid-19 response. PAHO’s Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, was on hand to officially present the items to the Hon. Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
In his remarks, Hon. Kent Edwards, Acting Minister of Health, Wellness and New Health Investment noted that the items to be received are significant, vital, and will continue to make the performance of their duties much easier. “These have been challenging times, but the staff has been dedicated and resilient and much of this I attest can be tied to the fact that the resources needed for the performance of the duties are being provided to them, and so as ministry and country we are grateful to PAHO,” he said.
The following items were handed over during the ceremony:
Two buses to support vaccination outreach, this is in addition to previously 2 minibuses, 1 car and 2 sixteen seaters, to support various aspects of the COVID response
7 portable computers (tablets) for Immunization Surveillance/ registry to facilitate data entry at community level
Ice Packs and Vaccine Carriers for extension of the vaccination program
20 Nebulizers to strengthen Health System
20 Pulse Oximeters for patient management
7,500 personal protective equipment (PPE) for protection of Health Care workers
Gene Xpert Machine, laptop and kits to strengthen laboratory capacity
30,000 PCR kits to continue screening in addition to 60,000 kits previously provided