The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) on Tuesday released initial emergency assistance budget for Simien Mountains National Park.
The initial assistance is meant for the hiring of international and local experts to assess the situation and make recommendations on future actions to protect the park by bench marking best practices, according to Ethiopian Embassy in Paris, France.
In a related development, representatives from Ethiopia, France, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and ICCROM on the safeguard of the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela met at the UNESCO Headquarters today.
The meeting was conducted with the aim of assessing the state of Lalibela, a world heritage site, and looking for solutions of preserving the peculiar tourist site.
On the occasion, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to France, Henok Teferra said the joint team of Ethiopian and French experts will evaluate the state of the world heritage site to come up with solution for the preservation of site. (FBC)
Ethiopia to host World Export Development Forum
Addis Ababa will host the 2019 World Export Development Forum (WEDF), scheduled to take place from 18-22 November, according to the International Trade Center (ITC).
ITC reported on Wednesday that the Forum will bring together over 1000 business leaders, policymakers and trade development officials to address international business competitiveness issues and profile international investment in Ethiopia.
WEDF will take place during Africa Industrialization Week, with sessions designed to help business make the most of the newly-ratified African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Topics will include investing in value addition, addressing the skills mismatch, sustainable packaging and more.
Co-hosted by the International Trade Centre and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Ethiopia, this year’s World Export Development Forum will take place at the African Union headquarters in conjunction with the Africa Industrialization Week.
This year’s World Export Development Forum will put the accent on women and youth through a SheTrades Global event and a YES! Forum – a unique platform for youth entrepreneurship and self-employment. (ITC News)
Queen Maxima vows UN’s support for Ethiopia’s digitalization efforts
Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, who is also the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, on Wednesday vowed the UN’s continued support to the Ethiopian government’s efforts towards digitalization.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology, in a statement issued Wednesday, said that Maxima, during her meeting with Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology Getahun Mekuria (PhD), reiterated the UN’s readiness to provide technical, knowledge, as well as advisory support.
The queen, who is currently in Ethiopia as part of a three-day visit that aimed to promote access to financial services in the East African country, envisaged to promote digital applications in Ethiopia’s financial services, as well as the development of digital national identification (ID) system.
Mekuria, during his discussion with Maxima who was accompanied by World Bank and the Gates Foundation representatives, highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts in pushing for a digital financial system, digital ID, as well as the privatization of the telecom sector. (Xinhua)
12 Ethiopians die in diarrhea outbreak
An acute watery diarrhea (AWD) outbreak in northern Ethiopia has left 12 people dead, state media reported on Wednesday.
At least 165 others are recovering from the effects of the acute watery diarrhea outbreak, which is concentrated in the Amhara Regional State, Amhara Mass Media Agency said.
On Tuesday, an Ethiopian federal government official said a medical team has been dispatched to AWD-affected areas of Amhara Regional State.
Beyene Moges, deputy director general of Ethiopia Public Health Institute, said federal, regional and zonal officials are working together to control the outbreak, but the efforts have been hampered by the remoteness of the areas affected by the suspected cases of acute watery diarrhea as well as poor mobile phone and road networks.
With the rainy season expected to start in June and continue until the middle of September, the Ethiopian government is trying to contain the AWD outbreak by improving hygienic conditions in factories, health facilities, agricultural areas and eateries. (Xinhua)