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Sierra Leone commits to environmental protection

By Politico staff writer

Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr Francis Kai-kai has at the 112th session of Council of Ministers of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) pledged Sierra Leone’s commitment to actions that mitigate the impact of climate change and the issue of biodiversity which contributes to climate change.

The Session which was held virtually for three days deliberated the report of the Secretary-General of the OACPS and the report of the OACPS Committee of Ambassadors submitted to the Council of Ministers for adoption.

The key areas  highlighted by the minister of planning in an interview after the meeting according to report by the Information attaché Brussels, Belgium, Betty Milton was that of climate change, biodiversity and the resolution of the new name for the new partnership agreement which is the Samoa Agreement which has been endorsed by the Council. 

The New Partnership-Agreement was initiated by both the OACPS and the EU in April, 2021 following negotiations by both sides and is to be signed later in 2021 or early 2022 in Samoa following the completion of procedures for approval.

Sierra Leone being a country where fisheries remain a vibrant sector of the economy, the Minister  endorsed the presentation on the state of the fisheries negotiations by the Foreign Minister of Jamaica, Kamina Johnson-Smith.

During the plenary proceedings relating to the presentation by the Secretary-General of the OACPS strategic plan of the organisation, Dr. Francis Kai-Kai drew attention to the lessons learned from the European Development Fund (EDF) and counted on the preparedness of member states in terms of the benefits envisaged from the new partnership arrangement with the EU.

On the issue of climate change and climate financing, the Minister said climate change is a universal issue which Sierra Leone has recognized a long time ago but that the country remains very vulnerable to climate change in relation to some studies which have ranked the country as the third most vulnerable country in terms issues of climate change in the world.

He added that Sierra Leone will continue to prioritize any action that would help mitigate the impact of climate change and the issue of biodiversity. He expressed Sierra Leone’s determination to be part of the global momentum to deal with climate change and sustainable development.  He also spoke of the country’s willingness to support any legislation or resolution that would enhance regulating the utilization and conservation of natural resources.

Another crucial area discussed was the issue of digital connectivity and digital solutions programme to strengthen the resilience of education, health and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises systems, to COVID-19 in ACPS countries.

With education being the flagship initiative of the government of Sierra Leone, Dr Francis Kai-Kai said “we continue to support free, quality education. 22% of our national budget goes to this sector and a reasonable one goes to health and that of agriculture”.

These are three legs of the flagship programme the Minister emphasized to promote human capital development and which the government remains very supportive of in terms of the resilience of the country to development.

The Sierra Leone delegation to the session also  comprised  the Ambassador to Belgium, Samuel Tamba Musa and  Saifu George, First Secretary in the Embassy .

Copyright © 2021 Politico Online 12/07/21

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