Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Anatolio Ndong Mba, Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea to the UN talks future of Africa
Ambassador Ambassador said Africa’s growing economic power is leading to social and political progress. He also called for stronger African participation in global organizations.
Equatorial Guinea Launched First Phase of Polio Immunization Campaign
The government
of Equatorial Guinea launched
the first phase of a campaign to immunize the nation’s children against polio
last week. The government has been working closely with World
Health Organization (WHO),
UNICEF, United Nations (UN), Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) Atlanta, the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation
and others to implement this proactive campaign.
Leo Heileman, UN
Resident Coordinator, has stressed the importance of the campaign and noted
that all UN agencies are supporting it. “The WHO and UNICEF have mobilized
technical support in order to have experienced consultants to accompany the
national teams, and execute the planned activities to carry out quality
vaccination campaigns,” he said.
“Polio is a
highly contagious disease that mostly affects children under five years old but
also adults with a low immunity produced by the vaccine or a previous exposure
to the disease,” said Diosdado Vicente Nsue Milang, Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
“It can cause total or partial paralysis; thus far, the vaccine is the only effective
preventive tool and the tool has achieved its eradication in Western
countries.”
Equatorial
Guinea has not recorded any cases of wild poliovirus since 1999, Nsue Milang said.
In a strong plea for citizens to vaccinate their children, he said, “Poliomyelitis cannot be cured but can
be prevented by a vaccine that is easily administered. Its eradication requires
that all children under fifteen years old be vaccinated to prevent any further
outbreaks.”
The government
of Equatorial Guinea launched information campaigns to educate citizens about
the need to take preventive measures against polio prior to the launch of the first
phase, following a recommendation from the World
Health Organization (WHO).
During the
informational campaigns and launch ceremony of the first phase, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo stressed the importance of the vaccine
and encouraged all parents to vaccinate their children under fifteen years old.
Government officials, delegates, chairpersons of village councils and
neighborhood communities were at the ceremony aimed at sharing this message with all parents, in order to complete the eradication of the
disease in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
A second phase
will take place from May 23 to 26 and a third from June 10 to 13, sponsored by
the government.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
President Obiang Attends John XXIII And John Paul II Canonizations
President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial
Guinea attended the
canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II in the Vatican last week
and met with Pope Francis.
The President of
Equatorial Guinea was one of the 24 heads of state, who attended the
canonization, along with prime ministers and other senior representatives of
countries and international institutions. There were more than ninety official
delegations.
He was
accompanied by Constancia Mangue de Obiang, the First Lady of Equatorial Guinea.
Approximately one million people attended the ceremony.
Last year,
President Obiang met with Pope Francis at the Vatican and exchanged with
Vatican officials the instruments of ratification of an agreement with the Holy
See on relations between the Catholic Church and the Republic of Equatorial
Guinea. The agreement confirmed the good bilateral relations between the two
states, recognized the legal personality of the church and its institutions,
and covered canonical marriage, places of worship, educational institutions,
and spiritual assistance to the Catholic faithful in hospitals and prisons.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Equatorial Guinea Develops Climate Change Plan to Reduce Carbon Emissions and Mitigate Climate Change
Plan
supports sustainable energy and Fund for Climate Change in Africa
The government
of Equatorial Guinea has
developed a national climate change plan aimed at reducing carbon emissions and
mitigating climate change.
“We understand
climate change has an impact on every region. The national climate change plan
allows us to implement projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions, support
sustainable energy, among others,” said Santiago
Francisco Engonga, Director General of Environment for the Ministry of
Fisheries and Environment. “The African continent is the most vulnerable when
it comes to climate change and we are doing our share to help.”
Equatorial Guinea is undertaking many initiatives to address climate
change in the country. The Ministry of Fisheries and Environment and the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy
are working together on a sustainable energy project that focuses on solar,
wind and marine energy. This project is being implemented as a result of the national
climate change adaptation plan.
In addition, the climate change regulatory law in
Equatorial Guinea has established the National Fund for Climate Change
(FONAMA), which undertakes initiatives to improve the environment, such as conserving biodiversity and protecting migratory
species.
Engonga sees the recently approved aid to the Fund for Climate Change in
Africa (FCCA) as a positive milestone for the African continent, which has not received
significant financial aid to combat climate change and its effects.
“This fund will help ease the access of countries to the financing they
need to protect their economies and environmental assets in view of climate
change,” said Alex Rugamba, President of the Coordination Committee of
Climate Change of the African Development Bank.
President Obiang
Nguema Mbasogo called for the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of
nations (ACP) to strengthen
cooperation to face energy problems, climate change and challenges delivered
from globalization together at the 7th ACP Summit held in Malabo in
2012.
Africa’s Growing Economic Power Leading To Social And Political Progress, Says Equatorial Guinea’s U.N. Permanent Representative
Ambassador
calls for stronger African participation in global organizations.
The government
of Equatorial Guinea has
been a leader in the African continent and has established successful reforms
and programs in the country, and its neighbors are doing the same, Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba, permanent representative of Equatorial
Guinea to the United Nations, told attendees at a panel on “African Solutions,
African Problems,” held at the Peace Islands Institute in partnership with the Journalists and
Writers Foundation.
Ambassador Ndong
Mba discussed the Africa paradigm and said it is important that Africa and its
54 countries be regarded as equal partners on the world stage. Africa will be
exerting its influence for a more fair and equitable benefit from its natural
resources. Africa seeks an even greater economic diversification; this means
that while Africa extends the value it receives from her natural resources, at
the same time, there is a movement to increase diversification into other
sectors for greater national and continental resiliency, making the continent
less susceptible to oil shocks and volatility in the world commodity markets.
“Equatorial
Guinea is using income from its natural resources to expand [and] develop
infrastructure and other sectors. Equatorial Guinea has experienced significant
growth over the past few years. Another important goal we have is towards
economic diversification, which will reduce our reliance on oil revenues by
converting revenues from oil into large public works projects and a portfolio
of agro-industry, fisheries projects and tourism.”
As Africa
continues to make significant progress in the political, social and economic
spheres, the continent demands an even greater role on the world stage.
Ambassador Ndong Mba said that Africa welcomes partnerships but Africans must
lead Africa’s development, and African solutions must be applied to African
problems.
During the
panel, Ambassador Ndong Mba discussed Africa’s growing influence on the global
stage and the growing number of countries on the continent that are embarking
on policies of diversification and infrastructural development to attract
investors and build a solid foundation for development.
“According to The Economist, six of the world’s ten
fastest growing economies of the past decade are in sub-Saharan Africa, and
many African countries have enjoyed growth in income per person of more than 5%
a year since 2007,” he said. “Africa’s
rise on the global stage is palpable.
The continent’s emerging middle class with increasing disposable income
is slowly being recognized.
According to the Ernst & Young’s attractiveness survey Africa 2013, the size of the African
economy has more than tripled since 2000. Moreover, a number of African
economies are predicted to remain among the fastest growing in the world. To site another source, a McKinsey
Global Institute analysis indicated that four sectors in Africa namely –
consumer products and services, infrastructure, agriculture and natural
resources will together be worth $2.6 trillion in annual revenue by 2020.”
This trend is
seen clearly in the rapid development of Equatorial Guinea over the last
several years.
“In my country,
Equatorial Guinea, the President of the Republic set in motion a long-term
development plan, Horizon 2020, which aims to invest in important sectors,
which will in turn strengthen economic growth to ensure a transparent social
climate, build important infrastructure to support a modern nation state, and
improve social welfare and reduce poverty. A billion dollars have been set
aside to support this initiative,” he said.
Ambassador Ndong
Mba said that Africa’s growing economic power should be met with growing
political power on the world stage.
“Africa requires
a greater say in the management and governance of the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund…,” he said. “Since Africa is becoming an important
driver of future global economic growth, since Africa is home to a billion
inhabitants and growing, since Africa is growing in its strategic importance to
the rest of the world, it is time to validate Africa’s growing importance. It is now time that Africa occupies
permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council.”
The institute’s Ambassadors
Series panel on African Solutions to African Problems covered education,
health, economy, culture and peace and security and served as a platform to
bring diplomats accredited to the United Nations together with academics,
experts and civil society to engage with one another, and to discuss global
issues and exchange multiple perspectives. The panel was moderated by H.E
Antonio Tete, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations,
and featured presentations by Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo, permanent representative
of South Africa to the UN, and Ambassador Osama Abdelkhalek, deputy permanent
representative of the Republic of Egypt to the UN, in addition to Ambassador
Ndong Mba.
For the full
speech, please go to the following link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/220212858/Ambassador-Series-Ambassador-Anatolio-Ndong-Mba-Equatorial-Guinea
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Equatorial Guinea Develops Industrial Plan in Drive to Diversify Economy
Industrialization
Plan 2020 will help reduce dependence on imports, build sustainable economic
activity
The government
of Equatorial Guinea has
established the Industrialization Plan of Equatorial Guinea (PEGI) 2020, aimed
at creating a guide for the development of sustainable industry and a diversified
economy.
“Reducing
dependence on imports and transforming our natural resources will allow us to
ensure our independence and solvency in a globalized world,” said President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo when talking about the plan. Equatorial
Guinea's economy is heavily dependent on the production of oil and natural gas.
The plan is aimed at reducing this dependency. The government has identified
four priority sectors for development, one of which remains oil and energy. The
others are agriculture, livestock and agro-industry; fisheries and aquaculture;
and services—especially tourism and financial services.
The government
announced a number of new foreign investments in these priority areas at an
investment conference in Malabo in early February.
The different
industrial projects will contribute to reducing the rural exodus, creating
high-quality jobs, and raising the standard of living of the population.
The PEGI-2020
was adopted at the industrialization conference held in 2011. This plan
supports the national development plan ‘Horizon 2020’ as part of development of
the industry to ensure economic diversification.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Equatorial Guinea Leads Polio Immunization Campaign Throughout Continental Region
Secretary
of State for Public Health meets with healthcare providers in the country’s continental
region to plan for next week’s campaign launch
The Secretary of State for Public Health
in Equatorial Guinea, Práxedes Rabat Macambo, led an
informational meeting from the country’s continental region (also known as Rio
Muni or Mbini) to brief healthcare providers on the polio immunization campaign
that will be launched next week. The campaign is aimed at vaccinating the
nation’s children against polio following two recent outbreaks.
The purpose of
the meeting was to provide information to hospital managers, health centers
managers and vaccination program leaders about the three phases of the polio
preventive campaign the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will lead on
April 21.
Next week, the
first phase of the preventive campaign, sponsored by the government of
Equatorial Guinea, WHO, UNICEF and others, will treat children up to fifteen years old. A
second phase will take place next month and a third in June.
Last month, the
government created a crisis committee to search for immediate solutions to
prevent the spread of polio infection in Equatorial Guinea. The result was the
upcoming immunization campaign.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Equatorial Guinea Launches Polio Immunization Campaign
West
African Nation works with World Health Organization and Others to Implement
Proactive Campaign
The government
of Equatorial Guinea has
launched a campaign to immunize the nation’s children against polio following some
recent outbreaks.
The first case
of polio was detected on February 6, 2014 in the district of Niefang, it was an
acute flaccid paralysis diagnosed in a two-year old child who was never
vaccinated. On March 19, confirmation was received from laboratories in Atlanta
(United States) that it is a case of type I poliovirus. Its sequence has shown
that it is related to the poliovirus circulating in the central region of
Cameroon for the last six months. This is the first case of wild poliovirus
reported in Equatorial Guinea since 1999. The vicinity of this country with ours
is a threat for Equatoguineans.
The government immediately
created a crisis committee to look into solutions to prevent the spread of the
disease.
Following the World
Health Organization (WHO)’s
recommendation, the government of Equatorial Guinea has launched informational
campaigns to educate citizens about the need to take preventive measures
against the disease.
On April 21-24,
the first phase of the preventive campaign, sponsored by the government of
Equatorial Guinea, WHO, UNICEF and others, will treat children ages one to fifteen. A
second phase will take place from May 12 to 15 and a third from June 9 to 12,
sponsored by the government. Children under five years old will be immunized in
these phases. After the three phases are completed, the Ministry expects to
have all children vaccinated. This strategy, which was also recommended by the
WHO, has already produced good results in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Chad and Angola.
The Ministry of
Health, led by Diosdado Vicente Nsue Milang, is overseeing the campaign.
Cameroon, the
country most affected with three cases of wild poliovirus since the beginning of
2014 and seven since last year, has reported that it will begin the campaign on
April 11.
The Ministry
also requested the appropriate technical support to implement the campaign,
which will be provided by six technical experts from the WHO and a team from the
CDC.
The United
Nations agencies accredited to Equatorial Guinea praised the government for its
prompt reaction to the outbreak and its commitment to prevent further
infections. The agencies also provided the organizational
support to the campaign.
The crisis
committee, which was formed to search for immediate solutions to prevent the
spread of polio infection in Equatorial Guinea, included the Ministry of Health
and Social Welfare; Ministry of Education and Science; Ministry of Social
Affairs and Gender Equality; Ministry of Transportation, Technology, Postal
Affairs and Telecommunications; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Local
Corporations; Ministry of Defense and National Security; Ministry of Information,
Press and Radio; the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations
Fund for Children (UNICEF).
Labels:
CDC,
Equatorial Guinea,
Guinea Ecuatorial,
UNICEF,
WHO
Friday, April 11, 2014
National University Of Equatorial Guinea And Drexel University Enjoy Long-Term, Growing Partnership
Dr.
Gail Hearn talks about her experience as former Director of the Country’s Bioko
Biodiversity Protection Program
The academic
partnership between the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE) and Drexel
University began in 1999 with a few initiatives such as training UNGE
professors and providing UNGE with its initial Internet connection to its
current well-integrated collaboration.
Dr.
Gail Hearn, Professor and
former Director of the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP) at Drexel University, said that Drexel
University’s Study Abroad program brings American undergraduates together with
UNGE students to work on common research projects. “Graduate students
from my lab, including a Drexel Ph.D. candidate from Equatorial Guinea
(Demetrio Bocuma Mene), have carried out in-depth studies focused on Bioko
Island’s biodiversity. Monitoring activities done in conjunction with UNGE,
like enumerating forest wildlife (since 1996) and nesting sea turtles (since
2000), provide a baseline for future studies that will measure the effects of
human activities and climate change on Bioko’s natural ecosystems.”
Dr.
Hearn said the Equatorial Guinea has great biodiversity consisting of unique
species despite being geographically small. “West/Central Africa holds more
than 20% of earth’s entire biodiversity, partly because several different
ecosystems converge near the volcanic chain that begins in Cameroon and
stretches from the African continent to Bioko Island and Annobón [Island]. In addition to the many Congo Basin
species found in Rio Muni, Bioko Island adds a different assortment of species
that are more characteristic of the so-called Guinean forests to the north, and
because it is an island, Bioko adds unique species. The best known of
these Bioko Island endemic species is Pennant’s red colobus, a critically
endangered (IUCN Red List) monkey found only in the southwestern corner of
Bioko Island.”
Dr.
Hearn said the people in Equatorial Guinea “were always unusually thoughtful
and forgiving of cultural differences. For example, the people of Ureca village
[on the southern end of Bioko Island] kept me and my students safe from all
kinds of hazards when we were working in the forests near their village,
including many things we might not have thought of ourselves: safely cooked
meals; protection against ants and snakes; identifying potable water. I always
felt entirely safe in the forest because of their protection.”
As
UNGE and Drexel University continue to work together, Dr. Hearn believes that
UNGE has the opportunity to become a regional leader in researching and
protecting one of the most biologically diverse parts of the world.
As
Dr. Hearn’s time with BBPP comes to an end, Dr. Katy Gonder, a tenured associate
professor who is newly recruited to Drexel University, will take over the director
position and continue many of the BBPP programs that have already proven to be
successful. She will also bring new vigor to the UNGE/Drexel partnership with
international collaborations through the Central African Biodiversity Alliance
(“CABAlliance”), an organization that she helped to establish.
UNGE recently
honored Dr. Gail Hearn for her dedication to
the conservation and management of biodiversity on the Island of Bioko.
Equatorial Guinea And Hess Corporation Strengthen Growing Partnership
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea’s President, met with
John Barnett Hess, Hess Corporation CEO, to strengthen the long-term and
growing partnership between the company and the West African Nation.
During the
meeting, President Obiang and Mr. Hess discussed the company’s continued investment
in the country’s energy, education and science sectors. Hess representatives
praised the socio-economic development the country is experiencing.
Gabriel Mbega Obiang Lima, Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines,
Industry and Energy, Gregory P. Hill, Hess Corporation President and COO of
Exploration and Production, Brian David, International Vice President were also
present at the meeting.
“Hess is an
exemplary company that has been working and collaborating in the development of
Equatorial Guinea for years, and that has professionally trained many
Equatoguineans,” said Minister Mbega Obiang Lima at a press conference. He also alluded to the educational and
social contribution the company has made to the country. Hess sponsors projects
such as the National Program for Educational Development of Equatorial Guinea
(PRODEGE), whose second phase was just approved, in collaboration with the
Ministry of Education and Science, which will train students at the primary and
secondary level.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Equatorial Guinea Hosts Regional Economic Meeting
Equatorial
Guinea hosted a meeting of the Ministers of Finance of the nations of the
Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) CFA franc countries as well as members of the International
Monetary Fund and the World
Bank.
The meeting took
place in the Sipopo Conference Center of the capital city of Malabo from April
2 - 3.
Marcelino Owono
Edu, the Minister of Finance and Budget of Equatorial
Guinea, stated that the Ministers
of Finance meeting was designed to analyze the overall economic situation of
these countries.
The event occurs
twice a year and includes the participation of more than 50 technicians.
The Minister of
Finance and Budget worked with other members of the Government to design a
program that encourages cooperation among the central banks of the Central
Franc Zone and economic growth of member countries.
Monday, April 7, 2014
The National University of Equatorial Guinea Honors American Researcher for her Contributions to Biodiversity Conservation in the Country
Researcher
worked on the island for over 20 years
The National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE) recently honored Dr. Gail Hearn, Professor and Director of the Bioko
Biodiversity Protection Program at Drexel University, with a gold medal for her
dedication to the conservation and management of biodiversity on the Island of
Bioko.
During the award
ceremony earlier this year, Carlos Nze Nsuga,
UNGE Rector, praised Dr. Hearn’s work in leading Bioko Island’s biodiversity
protection program. Dr. Hearn has worked with UNGE since 1997. “Dr. Hearn has
directed the program that has allowed the biodiversity of Equatorial Guinea to
be known worldwide. Thanks to her, we have conducted research and have found
four new species of frogs and butterflies, amongst others,” said Rector Nze
Nsuga.
Dr. Hearn
started her journey toward the conservation of biodiversity on the island at
Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She founded the Bioko
Biodiversity Protection Program
in partnership with UNGE, aimed at promoting the conservation of Bioko Island’s
wildlife through self-sustaining programs in education, research and
conservation.
“We are very
proud of all the work the people and the government of Equatorial Guinea have
done in recent years, and we have high hopes that within a very few years no
more primates in Bioko will be endangered,” said Dr. Hearn.
Dr. Hear said
that Bioko Island was a unique and rich environment. “My best memory of Equatorial Guinea lies
in the southern forests of the island of Bioko, which remain as they were a
thousand years ago. With its trees, birds, monkeys, turtles, and these are
resources that make Equatorial Guinea unique despite being geographically small.
I hope that Equatorial Guinea makes an effort to preserve this great biodiversity
wealth, even export it to assist in the economy of the developing country.”
The educational
and conservation efforts of the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program have
expanded considerable since 1986. UNGE and Drexel
University's Study Abroad Office
lead programs during spring and fall semesters.
During her time
on Bioko Island, Dr. Hearn’s research has focused on the population decline of
primate species on the island due to bushmeat hunting, the island’s
biogeography, wildlife, monkeys, conservation challenges, and marine turtles to
name a few.
Mark Asquino, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of
Equatorial Guinea joined Dr. Hearn at the award ceremony.
President Obiang attends Fourth EU-Africa Summit
Equatorial Guinea’s President, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, attended the fourth EU-African Summit held in Brussels on April 3-4. Obiang
joined more than 60 leaders from the European Union and Africa in a two-day
summit aimed at strengthening security, commerce and migration control ties.
The summit
discussed security issues affecting the African continent. Attendees focused on
the crisis in the Central African Republic and the situations in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Mali, Sudan and Somalia, which have serious problems of
instability and violence.
President Obiang
met with Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner
for Industry and Entrepreneurship, to discuss the promotion of foreign
investment in Equatorial Guinea and broader African-European industrial
relations. He also held bilateral meetings with business representatives from
Belgium, Luxembourg and other European states.
While
in Brussels, President Obiang gave a lecture at the Cervantes Institute, the public
institution created by Spain in 1991 to promote and teach the Spanish language
and the other official languages of Spain and to disseminate Spanish and
Latin American culture, where he spoke on the role of the Spanish language in
Africa. During his address, the Head of State emphasized Equatorial Guinea’s
commitment to the preservation of the Spanish language within the international
community. Obiang has ensured that Spanish was adopted as a working language
within the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States
(ECCAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission.
“The summit has
demonstrated how wide and deep our relationship is, and how shared values and a
shared vision…enable us to face the challenges of the present,” said Herman Van
Rompuy, European Council President, in the final news conference. “Our
partnership of equals has come of age.”
“African and
European leaders have spoken, said Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, President of the Commission
of the African Union. “We have demonstrated that there is much that we can and
must do together to confront common challenges and take advantage of
opportunities.”
The summit
concluded with a three-year plan to frame EU-African relations for 2014-2017, which includes 5 topics, peace and
security, democracy, good governance and human rights, human development,
sustainable and inclusive development and growth and continental integration,
global and emerging issues.
Earlier this
week, President Obiang accompanied by the First Lady, Constancia Mangue de
Obiang, traveled to Spain to attend the memorial service for the former Spanish
President Adolfo Suarez. Obiang was the only Head of State, Besides King Juan
Carlos, present at the funeral.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Equatorial Guinea to Host CFA Franc Summit
Equatorial Guinea will host a summit for the CFA franc countries
as well as members of the International
Monetary Fund and the World Bank,
which will take place in the Sipopo Conference Center of the capital city of
Malabo from April 2 - 3.
Marcelino Owono Edu, the Minister of Finance and Budget of Equatorial Guinea,
announced the upcoming summit during a meeting, stating that the summit was
designed to analyze the overall economic situation of these countries.
The event occurs twice a year and includes the participation
of more than 50 technicians.
In preparation of the summit, Marcelino Owono Edu held a
preliminary meeting on March 30 to discuss the organization of the Meeting of Ministers of
Finance of the Franc Zone.
Alongside other members of the Government, the Minister of
Finance and Budget worked to design a program that encourages cooperation among
the central banks of the Central Franc Zone and economic growth of member
countries.
Equatorial Guinea is working to play a greater role in the
international community, and it is using events such as this summit as
opportunities to showcase leadership and promote economic development within
the region.
Labels:
Equatorial Guinea,
franc zone,
Guinea Ecuatorial
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