Day: March 4, 2023

Doha – Vice President Esperança Costa is since Saturday morning in Doha, capital of Qatar, to participate on March 5-9 in the Fifth Conference of the United Nations on the Least Developed Countries (LDC).

The conference represents an opportunity to accelerate the sustainable development process. Thus, international assistance and support are fundamental in this process, so that the LDC can trod on their own path for prosperity, reads a communiqué on the issue.

During the conference, whose main theme is “From Potential to Prosperity”, heads of State and Government are to be gathered with representatives of the private sector, civil society, parliamentarians and young people to layout new ideas, redefine support sources and stimulate the fulfilment of compromises through the Doha Action Programme.

The event will include plenary sessions, high level round-tables, and a series of other parallel events, some of which turned to the private sector, the youth and South-South Co-operation.

The Vice President’s delegation include the minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Augusto Caetano João, Environment minister Ana Paula Chantre Luna de Carvalho, secretary of State for International Co-operation Domingos Vierira Lopes, and the secretary of State for Trade, Amadeu Leitão Nunes.

The team also comprise the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to Qatar, António Coelho Ramos da Cruz, presidential aides, MPs, public company directors, and representatives of the civil society.

The first UN Conference on Least Developed Countries was held in Paris, in 1981, while the second one took place in 1990, also in Paris. The third one happened in 2001, in Brussels, the fourth in Istanbul (Turkey) in 2011.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Doha – The UN Secretary General’s special advisor for African issues, Cristina Duarte, highlighted this Saturday Angola’s alignment with the agenda of the United Nations and its members on the sustainable development target.

The UN diplomat stressed that Angola is one of the countries in Africa that has been working and investing so that the aforementioned agenda become a reality.

Cristina Duarte was speaking to the press in Doha, capital of Qatar, after being received, in an audience, by the Vice-President of the Republic of Angola, Esperança da Costa, on the eve of the 5th Conference of United Nations on Least Developed Countries (LDC5).

At the audience, according to the UN diplomat, Esperança da Costa highlighted Angola’s work for the protection of its green areas, the environment, as well as Angolan public policies in terms of climate adaptation in the south of the country.

According to the diplomat, this is an example of Angola’s efforts, namely in the energy field, so that the challenge in this sector is duly resolved.

To Cristina Duarte, it is necessary for African countries to look at the energy sector as a propeller and from the point of view of national budgets it is increasingly important.

As for the expectation surrounding the LDCs meeting, she considered that the Doha Action Plan is pragmatic, strategic and focused, adding that it is necessary, from an African, national and governance points of view, for the continent to increase the capacity to implement public policies.

“We must understand that regional integration is not an option, it is imperative. We have to, regionally, unlock the value chains to have a market, make industrialization processes viable, take advantage of the growth of the African middle class”, she declared.

Cristina Duarte recognized all the support that the African continent has received, but thinks that the time has also come to start recognizing that more than 90% of the solutions to problems are in Africa.

“For example, in financing for development, at the moment Africa already finances its development. There are US$800 billion in domestic revenue plus private savings, against US$55 billion in public development aid”, she said.

Angola-Unesco Ties

According to the diplomat, this is an example of Angola’s efforts, namely in the energy field, so that the challenge in this sector is duly resolved.

To Cristina Duarte, it is necessary for African countries to look at the energy sector as a propeller and from the point of view of national budgets it is increasingly important.

As for the expectation surrounding the LDCs meeting, she considered that the Doha Action Plan is pragmatic, strategic and focused, adding that it is necessary, from an African, national and governance points of view, for the continent to increase the capacity to implement public policies.

“We must understand that regional integration is not an option, it is imperative. We have to, regionally, unlock the value chains to have a market, make industrialization processes viable, take advantage of the growth of the African middle class”, she declared.

Cristina Duarte recognized all the support that the African continent has received, but thinks that the time has also come to start recognizing that more than 90% of the solutions to problems are in Africa.

“For example, in financing for development, at the moment Africa already finances its development. There are US$800 billion in domestic revenue plus private savings, against US$55 billion in public development aid”, she said.

Angola-Unesco Ties

One day before the official opening of the United Nations LDC5 Conference, as part of the parallel events, the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, participated in a session of the Parliamentary Forum, at the Convention Center from Qatar.

This Saturday was also marked by the holding of a Summit of delegates from the LDC group, and by the opening of the Civil Society Forum.

On Sunday, the highlight is the opening ceremony of the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, under the motto “From Potential to Prosperity”, followed by general debates.

The work includes the themes “50 years of LDCs: building a new generation of partnerships for progress, “Decent jobs for youth forcibly displaced by LDCs”, “Putting youth at the forefront: paving the way for an enabling environment for youth thrive”.

There will also be a high-level thematic round table: Investing in people in the LDCs to leave no one behind”, “Private sector forum”, “Innovative youth-focused finance – investing sustainably in future generations”.

Vice-President Esperança da Costa participates in the event on behalf of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, at the head of a delegation that includes the minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano João, the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Domingos Vieira Lopes, as well as the country’s ambassador to Qatar, António Ramos da Cruz.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – An Angolan multi-sector delegation is participating in the second edition of the African Business Fair (SADA 2023), taking place from the 5th to the 7th of this month, in the city of Algiers, capital of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

The delegation, which arrived in Algiers this afternoon, is going to take advantage of its participation in the fair to promote Angola’s potential, mainly in the agribusiness, agriculture and tourism sectors, potential areas for investment in the country.

Angola participates in this event with professionals from different sectors and employer organizations, such as the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, and technicians from the Trade and Industry Chamber, from the Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX), Export and Tourism Associations and entrepreneurs.

Algeria is a country in North Africa with a Mediterranean coastline, whose interior is in the Sahara desert.

The friendly relations between Angola and Algeria began before the independence of the Angolans, proclaimed on 11 November 1975, when this Arab country provided diplomatic, material and military support in the independence fight.

After the independence period, support from Algeria was crucial for the training of the first Angolan staff, particularly in the oil sector.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – At least 150 young athletes from basketball academies in the country took part, this Saturday, at the Cidadela pavilion, in Luanda, in positional development exercises, an initiative of Junior NBA-Africa.

The activity was based on various stages of sports training taking into account the basic rules of the sport among participants up to 18 years of age.

The project is part of a multi-year partnership between the North American organization focused in Africa and the mobile phone company Africell, which started operation in in 2022.

The training actions were guided by national coaches, in the presence of the head of basketball operations for NBA-Africa, Franck Traore, the Africell’s CEO and COO, Christopher Lundh and James Browns, respectively.

This worldwide basketball development program, with a community reach, has already reached more than 100 boys and girls in Angola since its kick off.

Speaking to ANGOP, the head of basketball operations for NBA-Africa, Senegalese Franck Traore, said that Angola is a country rich in young people with great talent for the practice of the sport, a factor that enchants him.

He said that the fact that Angola is a sport reference on the African continent was essential for it to benefit from the project, which is intended to cover the entire continent.

He added that the idea is to guide young talents with the aim of selecting them to attend the NBA-Africa Academy, located in Senegal, where the sporting aspect goes hand in hand with the academic one, but with greater priority for the latter.

During the activity, the former basketball player had several moments of interaction with the coaches and the dominant speech was the call for commitment and dedication to studies, so that the doors open for the Academy and for the NBA, in the future.

Each participating athlete was offered a ball.

Source: Angola Press News Agency