JUBA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations relief agency has called on South Sudan to protect communities, humanitarian personnel and assets across the country after the killing of three aid workers on Thursday.

Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan and Arafat Jamal, the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim (a.i.) who condemned the incident urged the perpetrators to respect international law and humanitarian staff and assets.

"This attack is completely unacceptable. This is not the first of these incidents in this area. Criminals who choose to use violence to serve themselves ensure vulnerable people suffer more. If humanitarians and humanitarian assets are not protected, humanitarian assistance to that area will have to stop," Nyanti said in a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Friday evening.

A convoy of commercial trucks carrying vital life-saving food commodities from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) was attacked between Gadiang and Yuai in Jonglei state on Thursday.

Three people on the convoy were killed, and one person was wounded.

Nyanti is currently visiting donor capitals to raise the profile of the needs of people in South Sudan and advocating for support.

"When humanitarian assistance is attacked, it is the people in need who suffer. Indeed, such incidents discourage those donor countries who would otherwise invest in South Sudan," she said.

Jamal on his part called on the government to immediately implement its commitments to ensure civilians, including humanitarians, are safe.

"I have unfailing admiration for everyone who helps and supports people in need. It is devastating to realize that people undertaking vital work can be executed so heartlessly. The crime is compounded when these attacks go unpunished. These killers must not be allowed to roam free," he said.

South Sudan, which is one of the most dangerous places for aid workers saw 319 violent incidents reported in 2021 targeting humanitarian personnel and assets, with five aid workers killed, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. - Xinhua

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On November 30, 2021 Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, appointed Rector of the "Saint Curé d'Ars" interdiocesan philosophical Seminary in the archdiocese of Bujumbura, rev. Fulgence Nshimirimana, of the diocesan clergy of Bururi.
The new Rector was born on August 19, 1974 in Bururi. He was ordained a priest on August 9, 2003. After his high school studies in Bururi, he attended the preparatory Seminary in Burasira, then he obtained a baccalaureate in philosophy at the major Seminary of Bujumbura, and after a year of internship in the parish, the baccalaureate in theology at the major Seminary in Gitega. He continued his studies at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, obtaining a degree (2009-2011) and a doctorate in philosophy (2011-2018). Since his ordination he has been Assistant parish priest and parish priest in Burundi, then he carried out the ministry in some parishes in Italy. From 2018 to 2020 he was a formator at the major Seminary of Bujumbura, and since 2020 Rector ad interim. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 25/3/2022, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License)

The Uganda Vision 2040 aspires to pursue economic development and socioeconomic transformation premised on the principles of a green economy such as equity, environment sustainability, resource efficiency, climate change adaptation and mitigation and inclusiveness. Accordingly, the National Planning Authority in partnership with the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Water and Environment with financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is in the final stages of developing a Green Growth Development Strategy. A multi-sectoral committee comprised of state and non-state actors chaired by the National Planning Authority is drafting the strategy. The Uganda Green Growth Development strategy seeks to operationalize the tenets of a green economy as espoused in the Uganda Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan and covers a time horizon of fifteen years. An implementation roadmap/action plan of the strategy is also being developed by the Global Green Growth Institute to sequence interventions for the short term, medium term and long term.

In Uganda’s context, green growth is defined as a system or development paradigm that aims at catalyzing economic growth through the efficient use of the country’s natural, human, and physical capital in an inclusive manner along a low carbon emissions, climate resilient development pathway. It is important to note that the transition to green growth entails a number of tradeoffs for some investments which calls for a clear understanding of where to devote policy effort and priority.

The Objectives of the Uganda Green Growth Development Strategy are to:

• Enhance Uganda’s economic growth while creating new opportunities for decent employment.
• Support a low-emissions economic growth pathway integrating resource use efficiency, climate resilience, disaster risk reduction and optimal use of natural capital;
• Undertake a socially inclusive growth that improves food and nutritional security;
• Put in place an enabling institutional, governance, financing framework to operationalize an optimal green growth development strategy

The Guiding Principles governing the strategy include:

• wealth creation and social inclusiveness;
• creation and promotion of green jobs
• low carbon emission climate resilient growth;
• science, innovations and compliance;
• resource use efficiency; and,
• creation of partnerships at global, national and sub-national levels.

Priorities for Investment in the Uganda Green Growth Development Strategy include green planned cities development, agriculture with focus on solar powered irrigation and upgrading the agricultural value chain, sustainable energy and natural capital management.

An economic analysis of the potential impacts of green growth on Uganda’s economy indicated that if green growth interventions are fully implemented, they can boost economic activity, worth around 10 percent of GDP by 2040 compared to business as usual, deliver employment up to 4 million jobs and reduce future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 28 percent relative to a conventional growth pathway
(Exceeding Uganda’s current commitments in the Nationally Determined Commitments.

Investment in the Above Areas is envisaged to generate the Following Outcomes for the Country:

• Green Jobs
• A Low emissions growth trajectory with focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Increased incomes and economic gains and opportunities for all
• Sustainable Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management
• Food and Nutritional Security
• Resource Use Efficiency;
• Social Inclusiveness

Financing of the Uganda Green Growth Development Strategy

The envisaged sources of financing are; the Government of Uganda, the Private Sector and Development Partners. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has committed to partner with government to develop a national green growth financing vehicle. Additionally, focus will be on development of bankable project proposals guided by the aforementioned investment areas identified under the strategy. This will among others target existing green growth financing windows under climate change and the various environment funds at global and regional levels. Integration of green growth in the sector plans, annual plans and budgets shall be the entry point for accessing the finance from the government of Uganda.

Read more: UGGDS 2017/18 – 2030/31 - Global Green Growth Institute