Day: August 14, 2023

Ethiopia's House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) is convening its 1st extraordinary session to examine and pass a decision on the state of emergency Proclamation declared by the council of ministers.

Recall the council of ministers in its 23rd regular session on August 4, 2023 unanimously passed decision to declare a state of emergency in the Amhara region following the request made by the regional state to the federal government as the situation cannot be controlled through regular law enforcement.

Hence, the House is expected to pass a decision on the state of emergency proclamation declared by the council of ministers in its 1st extraordinary session today.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The House of Peoples’ Representative (HPR) of Ethiopia has today endorsed the draft proclamation of state of emergency declared by the Council of Ministers in Amhara Region.

In its first extraordinary session convened today, the House endorsed the draft proclamation with majority vote.

Government Chief Whip, Tesfaye Beljige, presented the draft proclamation the Council of Ministers passed in its 23rd regular session on August 4, 2023.

Tesfaye elaborated that attacks supported by arms have been carried out in Amhara region and the situation cannot be controlled by regular law enforcement.

He added that the violence has disrupted the regional government from carrying out its duties and underscored the importance of the bill to protect the country and ensure the peace and safety of our people.

Accordingly, the house held in-depth discussion on the proclamation and endorsed it with 12 absentia and 16 against.

Similarly, the house approved the appointment of seven-member State of Emergency Inquiry Board.

Recall the council of ministers passed decision to declare a state of emergency in the Amhara region following the request made by the regional state to the federal government as the situation cannot be controlled through regular law enforcement on August 4, 2023.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

More than 4.4 million hectares of land have been covered with seeds in Amhara region, Head of the agricultural bureau, Hailemariam Kefyalw disclosed.

Hailemariam told ENA that following the implementation of the state of emergency in the region peace and stability the agricultural activities have been reinstated.

He further stated that agricultural inputs are being provided and full development activities restored.

As a result, the farmers in the region have started farming activities in cooperation with the leadership and experts.

Mentioning that 5.29 million quintals of fertilizer have been purchased for the region out of which some 4.2 million quintals have already been under distribution.

Since the declaration of the state of emergency, soil fertilizer which was being transported by 370 vehicles have also arrived in the region.

The region has planned to cover 5 million hectares of land with seeds and harvest 160 million quintals of agricultural products during the current harvest season, he indicated.

Specialized seeds and fertilizer inputs, including mechanized farming tools, have also been made available to the farmers, Hailemariam added.

It is to be recalled that the security problem in the Amhara region, the peace and stability has returned to normalcy by joint endeavors of the national defense force in cooperation with the security forces of the region. The situation has helped to resume regular services in the cities due to the peace and stability created.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The nineteenth ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) kicked off today in Addis Ababa.

The conference organized under the theme "Seizing opportunity and enhancing collaboration to address environmental challenges in Africa," will be held until 18 August 2023.

At the opening of the conference, State Minister of Planning and Development Sandokan Debebe said Ethiopia has been exerting maximum efforts to mitigate climate change by planting billions of trees.

The efforts being made by the government of Ethiopia is nature based solution to climate change, he added noting that the country is also highly engaged in exploring renewable energy which shows the country's commitment to sustainable development.

The conference that attracted more than 40 environment ministers and over 440 participants, is expected to help Ethiopia to show case its achievements in Green Legacy Initiative.

The main objective of the conference is to strengthen collaboration among the various institutions and enhance implementation of regional and global environmental frameworks in order to address the environmental challenges facing the continent.

This entails building on existing initiatives, including strengthening the role of those institutions that support implementation of regional and global outcomes, it was indicated.

The session will also aim to further strengthen the work of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment in its contribution to the region’s environment and sustainable development agenda.

This includes addressing emerging environmental issues, enhancing collaborative efforts with partners and stakeholders, beefing up its financial base, and review of proposals to strengthen its rules of procedure, as was decided by the resumed 18th ordinary session, among other matters.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

In this year's Green Legacy Initiative, more than 16 million tree saplings have been planted in Addis Ababa, the Urban Beauty and Green Development Bureau of City Administration announced.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched the second phase of the Green Legacy Initiative on June 8, 2023 in Afar region under the theme "Let's plant tomorrow today".

At the national level, this year's Green Legacy Initiative gears towards planting 6.5 billion tree saplings. Addis Ababa has set to plant 17 million tree saplings.

According to Sintayehu Mengistu, technical advisor to the Urban Beauty and Green Development Bureau, more than 16 million tree saplings have so far been planted in Addis Ababa during the current rainy season as part of the national Green Legacy Initiative.

According to plan, the city has managed to planting 60 percent shade trees, 20 percent beautifying trees, and 20 percent fruit trees. Out of the 17 million saplings, we have planted about 16 million, he said.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

African countries need to come up with a common political stand on UN climate change conference, State Minister of Planning and Development Sandokan Debebe underscored.

The nineteenth ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) kicked off today in Addis Ababa.

The conference, organized under the theme "Seizing opportunity and enhancing collaboration to address environmental challenges in Africa," will be convened for the coming 5 days.

In his opening remark, Planning and Development State Minister Sandokan Debebe said Africa faces unique environmental challenges that require innovative solutions.

Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiatives which surpassed its ambitious target by planting 25 billion seedlings exemplifies a commitment on nature based solution, he said.

The initiative leverage national capacity including tree planting experience, citizen’s engagement, media outreach, fostering a green culture to combat climate change environmental degradation, Sandokan added.

Ethiopia's national wheat production program also signifies another domestic endeavor thriving for food sovereignty and resilient in the face of shocks such as droughts.

“We need to address this issue including the unwise and unequal utilization of resource, the proportionate severe impact of climate change experienced by Africa manifests through recurrent droughts, hurricanes and rising sea levels. Additionally, the swift loss of biodiversity leading to the wildlife migration and rapid expansion of desertification are pressing matters.”

The engagement in internal discussions such as the one taking place today, along with presenting in united and robust stance at the global dialogues is crucial, Sandokan pointed out.

"We expect the event participants to commit to presenting Africa's interest in the global negotiations to ensure that our continent benefits from the necessary resource, technical experts while we are maintaining our positions in the global arena," the state minister said.

UN Environment Program UNEP, Regional Director and Representative, Regional Office for Africa, Rose Mwebaza on her part said we face multiple global crises and plastic pollution now is the critical concern that threatens human health and environment in Africa.

“Climate change continues to pose profound threat to our nation states. It affects a very survival of our people and therefore at UNEP, we are going to continue working with you to leverage climate finance across the multilateral funds to support the African countries to deal with the climate change,” she said.

Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority, Director General Getahun Garedew on his part said we are expecting the meeting to pass resolutions that will help the African group of negotiators in different multilateral environmental agreements.

Now African countries all coming together, we need implementation. As an output from Addis on climate agenda, the common stand of African countries will be that the loss and damages are surpassed and passing irreversible stage, we need action now.

“We expect the African group of negotiators to give an input for their respective ministers to have political stand regarding common stand of African countries for the COP session and there are some other multilateral stages that expect input from African countries.”

The main objective of the conference that attracted more than 40 environment ministers and over 440 participants, is to strengthen collaboration among the various institutions and enhance implementation of regional and global environmental frameworks in order to address the environmental challenges facing the continent.

The session is believed to provide a platform for strengthening Africa’s collective engagement in the global environmental agenda, including in the various conferences of the parties of environmental agreements, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and other multilateral processes related to combating climate change and desertification among others.

The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference will convene from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), it was indicated.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency