Day: January 20, 2022

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ statements following his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Ioannis Kasoulides (19.01.2022)

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ statements following his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Ioannis Kasoulides (19.01.2022) Honourable Minister, dear colleague,   
It is a great pleasure and honour to welcome you to Athens, in your first bilateral visit abroad after taking up your appointment.

Of course, last week we had the opportunity to travel to Brest, France, in order to participate in the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers.

I am not going to bring forward anything new if I recall that you are one of the most experienced serving Ministers of Foreign Affairs. In fact, together with our colleague from Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, you are, if you will allow me, the “Wise Old Men” of our European family.

I would like to assure you that the Greek government, the Mitsotakis government and I personally are continuing our full support for achieving a viable and just solution to the Cyprus issue.

A solution based on the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and, of course, fully compatible with the European acquis, namely, a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.

I am certain that together we will continue the excellent cooperation and perfect coordination that I had with your predecessor, Nikos Christodoulides.

Today also, allow me to say, Minister, it was a day of special significance for us. A short while ago we watched together the new Rafale jets acquired by the Hellenic Air Force flying for the first time.

These most advanced aircrafts will contribute substantially to the safeguarding and defence of Hellenism and it was with particular pleasure that we watched them together flying for the first time over Athens, over the Parthenon.

These aircraft signify the strong ties, but also the strategic relationship of Greece with France.

Again I am not going to bring forward anything new if I reiterate that Turkey is unfortunately continuing with its provocative actions, violating the sovereignty and sovereign rights of both Greece and the Republic of Cyprus.

One of the most recent examples was the harassment, yet again, of a research vessel conducting legitimate research. Unfortunately, these actions are combined with the escalation of aggressive rhetoric which is also directed against specific persons, a rhetoric that calls into question the achievements of decades.

And it is this conduct, which is not acceptable, that we will continue to expose in the clearest terms to our European colleagues and to all international fora.

At the same time, however, we reiterate, as I would like to reiterate today on the occasion of our meeting, our intention to engage in a sincere and constructive dialogue with Turkey, within the institutionalized frameworks, under the essential prerequisite, of course, of respect for International Law and the International Maritime Law.

Our close cooperation however, dear Minister, is not and should not be limited to a single issue.

I look forward to continuing the excellent cooperation between Greece and Cyprus in the wider European framework, in the broad range of issues we face within the Union; also in addressing common challenges, the Conference on the Future of Europe, the Pact on Migration and Asylum, for instance.

Your personal experience, as you have played an active role in the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union, as well as your many years of service in the European Parliament, will constitute a particularly useful asset in our effort.
Also, our common goal is to consolidate and strengthen our trilateral and multilateral cooperation as well.

Our cooperation with other countries in the region, starting with Egypt and Israel, has expanded and now covers a wide geographical range.

I would like, especially today on the occasion of your presence here, to refer to the 3 + 1 format between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the USA. This partnership is a milestone of multilateralism in the region, as the United States participates as our strategic partner.

Multilateral schemes started with the exchange of views on issues of common interest, but have developed into a framework for establishing strategic thematic relationships. They cover the areas of energy, transport, civil protection, tourism and, of course, developments in the wider Mediterranean region.

Besides, today we had the opportunity to exchange views on the wider region, on the Middle East, but also, of course, extensively on the Balkans.

As is known, I will travel to Croatia the day after tomorrow. The Prime Minister, Mr. Mitsotakis, will be in Belgrade on January 28. He will also meet with the Croatian Prime Minister. There is a lot of work to do regarding the Balkans and we are extremely concerned about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With regard to the Gulf, I would like to emphasize today, on the occasion of your visit, that Greece stands in solidarity with its strategic ally in the region, the United Arab Emirates.

And it condemns in the most categorical terms the attack against the UAE.

Finally, we discussed our cooperation within the framework of the United Nations. As everyone knows, Greece has formally presented its candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2025-2026 term. And I would like to express my satisfaction with the positive reactions we receive to our candidacy.

We intend to promote a positive agenda in the context of this candidacy as well, in order to address common challenges, such as the impact of climate change and the migrant/refugee issue.

However, in conclusion, I would like to say that the guiding principle to this effort, as in any other effort of the Hellenic Republic, has always been the commitment to International Law, the promotion of good neighbourly relations and full respect for the provisions of the United Nations Charter.

Dear Minister, welcome to Athens today. Thank you so much for your visit.

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CoinEx Offers Emergency Aids to Filipinos Affected by Typhoon Rai as A Gesture of Goodwill

HONG KONG, Jan. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, Typhoon Rai hit the Philippines and to assist in disaster relief, CoinEx has offered emergency aid to disaster-stricken areas. As one of the strongest storms the country witnessed in 2021, Rai has brought strong winds, heavy rainfall, as well as floods. On December 31, 2021, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) briefed that Rai had affected 4.45 million people in this country and damaged more than 530,000 houses.

CoinEx dispatched support teams to the three worst-hit areas, respectively Southern Leyte, Cebu, and Negros. Sparing no effort in supporting disaster relief in the country, CoinEx also provided emergency assistance donations for local rescue organizations. Each support team consisted of 20 members. Soon after Rai hit the country, they prepared and distributed the relevant supplies to locals who need them the most.

On 6th and 8th January , the support teams visited locals in areas hit by Rai and distributed a total of 300 supply packages that included rice, noodles, sardines, water, bread, biscuits, and other daily suppliers. Apart from the provision of emergency supplies, CoinEx also gave a $10,000 emergency donation to the local government and spared no effort in supporting disaster relief in the country.

CoinEx’s assistance to disaster relief in the Philippines fully reflected its mission of “Via Blockchain, Making The World A Better Place”. CoinEx always committed to its social responsibilities, has been actively involved in various charitable causes and held charitable events around the world. With a loving heart, CoinEx has been doing its utmost to give back to society and extend a helping hand.

As a world-leading crypto trading platform, CoinEx will continue to perfect its products and provide users with the best services. Meanwhile, it will also keep sending a positive message and engage in more charitable events. Aiming to give back to the public and its global users, the exchange will strive to take on more social responsibilities while calling on more people to contribute to charitable causes.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1728599/image_5019524_36268505.jpg

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1728600/image_5019524_36268573.jpg

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Extreme poverty rises in West Africa due to COVID-19 pandemic

Abuja, Nigeria – Extreme poverty in Western Africa increased by nearly 3 percent last year, according to a new report on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 published today by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The report, completed in partnership with the West Africa Sub-Regional Office for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), indicates that the proportion of people in the region living with less than $1.90 a day increased from 2.3 per cent in 2020 to 2.9 per cent in 2021. The debt burdens of countries in the region have also increased in the context of slow economic recovery, shrinking fiscal space and weak resource mobilization.
The COVID-19 impact study highlights the effects of the preventive measures including border closures, movement restrictions, and the disruption of supply chains. All these measures disrupted income-generating activities and exacerbated food price increases in the markets. The most affected are people who rely on unstable income sources such as small traders, street vendors and casual workers.
This deteriorating economic situation has adversely affected the food security and nutrition situation of women, men, and children. More than 25 million people in West Africa are unable to meet their basic food needs in the region, an increase of 34% compared to 2020. The situation is most severe in conflict-affected areas such as the Lake Chad Basin, Liptako-Gourma and the Sahel region, forcing people to sell their assets and livelihoods to meet their food needs.
“The Coronavirus health crisis has particularly annihilated the benefits gained by ECOWAS and its Member States in the fight against food insecurity and malnutrition” said Sekou SANGARE, ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water resources.
“Even if we are happy with the governments’ response through the mitigation actions they have taken, we have to worry about the residual effects of the health and economic crisis as they are likely to continue disturbing our food systems for a long time while compromising populations access to food due to multiples factors.”
The publication of this report comes in a context marked by a fragile regional economy that is not dynamic enough to allow families to regain their pre-crisis social and economic well-being. The results of this study will enable public and private actors to provide appropriate and resolute responses to the negative impact of COVID-19 on the lives of people in West Africa.
“The socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 calls for immediate and concerted actions to further strengthen people’s resilience and capacity to withstand shocks” said Chris Nikoi, WFP’s Regional Director for West Africa. “This report clearly shows the urgent need for Governments and partners to deliberately increase investments to strengthen and increase social protection programs, social safety-nets such as school meals, and other livelihoods-enhancing programs with particular emphasis on women and youth.”
The Director of the ECA’s West Africa Sub-Regional Office, Ngone Diop, stressed that one of the strengths of the ECOWAS-WFP-ECA partnership was to “carry out an online survey, which has mobilized nearly 8,000 survey respondents in just two editions.”
Moreover, Mrs Diop said “basing our analyses on primary, first-hand data from households directly impacted by the health crisis makes it possible to offer decision-makers at the regional and national levels with relevant and better-targeted policy options.”
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, ECOWAS and its partners have put in place various economic and financial measures to respond to the increasing needs caused by COVID-19 in the region. In close collaboration with the West African Health Organization (WAHO), ECOWAS mobilized nearly US$ 38 million in the first half of 2021 to meet the needs of the population.
The ECOWAS Member States, with the support of their technical partners including WFP, have implemented an unprecedented expansion of social protection programmes, as well as food distributions, for the most vulnerable communities. In Mali and Niger, for example, WFP, in partnership with UNICEF and with funding from the German Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), is supporting 1.4 million people and helping to strengthen national social protection systems to make them more responsive to shocks and more sensitive to nutrition.
“WFP is committed to engage more with ECOWAS in enhancing coordination and facilitating experience sharing among countries, with the aim to ensure social protection systems in the region support food security and nutrition and provide resilience to shocks.” Nikoi insisted.

Source: World Food Programme

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Schools should be ‘last to close, first to open’ Multilateral agencies in Jordan call for continued prioritization of education during COVID-19

AMMAN, 19 January 2022— Schools should be the last sector to close and the first to open to prevent a loss of learning that could impact children for years to come, called the heads of UN agencies and the World Bank in Jordan today.
All agencies and the World Bank recognized the efforts made to date by the Government of Jordan to prioritize school opening, with significant investments made to date to ensure that the necessary measures are in place for safe learning and that both children and teachers have the skills and tools they need to effectively catch up.
The heads of three UN Agencies in Jordan – UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO – and the World Bank called on the Government of Jordan to avoid reversing years of progress in education by continuing to apply the safe reopening framework that seek to keep in-person learning at schools available for the majority of students. The longer that COVID-19 measures keep classrooms closed in Jordan, the greater the impact on children and youth.
*“Time is of the essence to help children who have already lost almost two years of in-person learning. The focus must be on getting the most vulnerable children who are facing a shadow pandemic of child labour, early marriage and mental health issues, and are most at risk of dropping out, back to school,” *said Tanya Chapuisat, Representative, UNICEF Jordan.
“*The COVID-19 pandemic has already placed restrictions and immense pressures on children everywhere. Returning to school should be an exciting time for them and contributes to their physical and mental development. It’s where they get to learn, grow, interact with others. School closures in Jordan should not be considered an option like they were earlier in the pandemic, given that the country has been a regional leader in effectively preparing schools for reopening, with high vaccination coverage, guidance and training for teachers; hygiene and sanitation materials; as well as physical distancing and rotation*,”said Dr Jamela Al-Raiby, WHO Representative to Jordan.
“*Early indications from the recent mid-term review of Jordan’s Education Strategic Plan (ESP) already point to alarming learning and equity losses due to the pandemic. Stronger prioritization on reopening schools and keeping them open and mainstreaming of remedial education approaches within public schools will be critical especially for children from low-income households, children with special needs, and refugee children,*” said Min Jeong Kim, Representative, UNESCO Jordan.
“*Disruptions to instructional time in the classroom can have a severe impact on a child’s future ability to learn. **Learning losses can far exceed the actual school closure time. **The pandemic threatens to undo years of hard-earned progress in the education sector in Jordan, and further closures might reverse the important progress of remediation efforts and result in additional learning losses,*” said Holly Benner, Resident Representative to Jordan, The World Bank.
The cost of keeping schools closed is significant as children who fall behind in their education are more likely to drop out, affecting Jordan’s human capital outcomes and the ability of young people to access jobs and economic opportunities in the longer term. Simulations suggest that students have lost up to 0.9 years of schooling in Jordan, adjusted for quality. It is estimated that in Jordan students’ future earnings may fall as much as 8 percent.
School closures disproportionately affect younger children, those with limited digital access, children with disabilities, girls, refugees, and children living in poverty. School is critical for children beyond learning – it helps them to socialize and develop, and for some children, school is the only place where they feel safe.
The multilateral agencies reiterated their continued support to the Ministry of Education to get all children back to learning in the second semester as soon as possible.

Source: UN Children’s Fund

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Grave violations against children in Sudan must stop

AMMAN, 19 January 2022 – “Over 120 grave violations against children have been verified across Sudan since the military coup on 25 October last year.
“Nine children were killed during demonstrations mainly in Khartoum while another 13 were injured. Most violations were against adolescent boys. Boys and girls as young as 12 were detained. Children were impacted as a result of frequent attacks on medical facilities.
“UNICEF reiterates its call on authorities in Sudan to protect children across Sudan from harm and violence at all times. Children are not a target including during conflict or political events.
“The excessive use of force against civilians including children must stop”.

Source: UN Children’s Fund

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