Day: April 13, 2024

ABU DHABI: TRENDS Research and Advisory Center has debuted its pavilion at the Paris International Book Fair 2024, in the presence of Rachida Dati, the French Minister of Culture, and Mathieu Lacombre, the Minister of Culture of Quebec, Canada, who was honoured as the exhibition’s guest of distinction.

Minister Rachida Dati and Minister Mathieu visited TRENDS’ Pavilion No. B29, situated in the Exhibition Center of the Grand Palais Éphémère in the heart of Paris. Both ministers acknowledged TRENDS’ dedication to scientific research, credibility, and global trust.

This event also marked the commencement of Minister Mathieu’s European research tour.

The two ministers were briefed on the scope of TRENDS’ work and publications, commending its diversity, depth of research, relevance to contemporary events, and forward-thinking vision.

At its dedicated pavilion, TRENDS showcases a rich assortment of research publications, including original works, translations, and a diverse range of scholarly series available i
n various languages. Featured among these are volumes from its specialised encyclopedia on the Muslim Brotherhood, publications exploring political Islamic movements, and the Arabic edition of “The Twenty-Year War: Jihadism and Counterterrorism in the 21st Century”.

Right from the onset, TRENDS’ pavilion garnered a significant attention from the diverse audience, boasting over 3,000 publishers from more than 100 countries. Officials, writers, and publishers from across the globe eagerly gathered to learn more about TRENDS’ top-tier research initiatives, meticulously crafted by a select group of experts and specialists. As they perused through the Center’s varied publications, they express profound admiration for its global research endeavours.

Of particular note were TREND’S Encyclopedia on the Muslim Brotherhood and its 11 books, several of which have been translated into multiple languages. These publications emerged as standout offerings from the Centre, drawing considerable interest and acclaim from att
endees.

Distinguished guests on the exhibition’s opening day included not only various officials, writers, and researchers but also a cohort of master’s students from the Media and Publishing Programme at the University of Paris Serge.

Led by Gustavo Giroud, programme director, they engaged in an insightful dialogue session with TRENDS researchers.

The discussion delved into TRENDS’ publications and vision, as well as the pivotal role of think tanks and scientific research in enriching knowledge, interpreting events, as well as anticipating and shaping the future. Emphasising the significance of well-documented scientific research as the cornerstone of balanced knowledge content, the session underscored the importance of scholarly inquiry in determining our understanding of the world.

Visitors lauded the purposeful and impactful engagement of TRENDS at this premier cultural event in Europe, emphasising its global vision’s significance in disseminating knowledge and fostering international cooperation in r
esearch and studies.

They expressed admiration for the high-quality publications showcased at the pavilion and appreciation for TRENDS’ distinguished research efforts, which contribute to understanding the present and anticipating the future.

TRENDS researchers and the pavilion’s supervisory team actively participated in the exhibition’s initial planning meeting, where they presented their perspective on the importance of exhibitions in bridging knowledge gaps.

Later, TRENDS team and researchers visited the pavilion of the Romanian Cultural Institute, engaging with its director, Doina Marian, to discuss the importance of collaboration and establishing research partnerships.

TRENDS continues its engagement at the Paris International Book Fair 2024 by launching an original French-language book and unveiling its ‘Muslim Brotherhood’s Global Influence Index’. It will also host a dialogue session on media, culture, and the boundaries of influence in Arab-Western discourse, along with a global symposium on Euro
pean-Gulf relations.

TRENDS delegation will further explore opportunities for collaboration and strengthen partnerships with major research and intellectual centres in Paris and across Europe. Meanwhile, the media team will record podcast episodes featuring influential figures in global culture.

Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS, highlighted that the Center’s engagement in the Paris International Book Fair 2024 aligns with its commitment to knowledge dissemination, the advancement of think tanks and scientific research centres, as well as the presentation of its global perspective on various regional and international issues.

He stressed that this participation presents an opportunity to connect with eminent thinkers and researchers worldwide and forge new research partnerships.

Dr. Al-Ali added that during the exhibition and the subsequent French research tour, TRENDS’ agenda aims to further foster intellectual and research dialogues with international institutions. This endeavour, he noted, ma
rks a significant stride in strengthening TRENDS’ position as a leading independent centre regionally and globally, while providing robust research outputs that contribute to knowledge dissemination and support the academic community with valuable insights.

Source: Emirates News Agency

PARIS: International aid from official donors rose in 2023 to a new all-time high of USD 223.7 billion, up from USD 211 billion in 2022, as provider countries increased aid flows to Ukraine and directed more humanitarian assistance to developing countries, according to preliminary data collected by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

In 2023, the 1.8% rise in real terms was the latest in a series of annual increases in Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided by members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and the fifth consecutive year that ODA has set a new record. Total 2023 aid is up by a third from 2019 levels, reflecting the additional aid provided since, related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine.

At 0.37% of DAC donors’ combined Gross National Income (GNI) for a second year running, the ODA total still lags behind a long-standing UN target of 0.7% ODA to GNI. Of the DAC members, five countries – Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden –
exceeded the 0.7% UN ODA/GNI target in 2023. The biggest providers of aid by volume were the United States, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and France. In 2023, out of the 31 DAC member countries, ODA was higher in 14 DAC countries and lower in 17 DAC countries, due in many cases to lower refugee costs and, in some cases, lower levels of loans provided. ODA rose for EU Institutions too, which are also a DAC member.

ODA to Ukraine, where the war is entering its third year, rose by 9% in 2023 to reach USD 20 billion, including USD 3.2 billion of humanitarian aid. In 2023, ODA also increased to the West Bank and Gaza with preliminary estimates showing a rise of 12% on 2022 to USD 1.4 billion. Within that total, USD 758 million was in the form of humanitarian aid, which increased by 91% from 2022. On a global level, humanitarian aid rose by 4.8% in 2023 to reach USD 25.9 billion.

ODA used to cover refugee costs within donor countries fell by 6.2% in 2023 to stand at USD 31 billion, representing 13.8% of tota
l ODA compared with 14.7% in 2022. For 7 of the 31 DAC countries, in-donor refugee costs still accounted for over a quarter of their ODA in 2023. ODA excluding these in-donor refugee costs was up by 3.2% in real terms.

Official Development Assistance has remained an important, stable and reliable source of external finance for developing countries. Donor countries have provided a record level of international aid for the fifth year in a row, maintaining their support for long-term development priorities while helping countries around the world to meet short-term needs caused by external shocks and pressures,’ OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. ‘With slower growth and rising debt servicing costs, developing countries are facing additional fiscal pressures and increasing risk of debt distress. Long-term structural challenges such as climate change and deepening economic and social disparities, are compounding these pressures, so we must remain focused and committed to helping the most vulnerable to m
eet their economic development and growth objectives.’

The preliminary data show that bilateral aid flows from DAC members to the group of least developed countries were USD 37 billion, an increase of 3% in real terms in 2023 compared to 2022, when it showed a drop of 6.2%.

ODA makes up over two thirds of external finance for least developed countries. The OECD also monitors flows from some non-DAC providers and private foundations. Preliminary data released each April is followed by final data at the end of the year with a detailed geographic and sectoral breakdown.

‘I am pleased to see an overall increase in ODA, which preliminary data suggests is still the case if we exclude in-donor refugee costs, COVID-19 and Ukraine. This demonstrates that overall donor funding for these crises in recent years has not come at the expense of other ODA priorities,’ OECD DAC Chair Carsten Staur said. ‘Going forward we need donors to ramp up their support for the poorest and most vulnerable countries, in particular least
developed countries and countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. We need more focus on efforts to help partner countries counter extreme poverty and address climate change.’

Since 2019, ODA has risen by 34% from USD 160 billion to USD 214 billion (in constant 2022 prices), as DAC members mostly maintained or increased ODA budgets to support developing countries. Over the same period, humanitarian aid rose by 37.4% (from USD 18 billion to USD 25 billion), while remaining at 10-12% of total ODA, while in-donor refugee costs jumped by 184% from USD 10 billion to USD 29 billion.

Showing its resilience in responding to crises, ODA increased by 4.1%, 8.3% and 16.8% respectively in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as GDP growth across OECD countries fluctuated from -4.2% in 2020 to +5.9% in 2021 and +2.9% in 2022. The 1.8% rise in 2023 ODA was in line with that year’s GDP growth of 1.7%.

Source: Emirates News Agency

NEW YORK: Humankind must get away from the Cold War concept of a ‘space race’, even as commercial competition hots up to exploit the potential of the cosmos, the head of the UN agency for outer space affairs (UNOOSA) has told UN News

Marking Friday’s International Day of Human Space Flight, when the former Soviet Union’s Yuri Gagarin reached orbit back in 1961, UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini said that everybody has a role to play in the peaceful exploration of space – ‘it’s not just for the geeks and the nerds who like engineering.

‘Now, we’re really looking at space science and space exploration and looking for the most innovative and pragmatic approaches to that, and that is why we are seeing more commercial companies getting involved.’

She said the private sector allows national space agencies like NASA in the United States, to spread their risk, keep costs down, be bolder in their ambition and increase the chances of success.

The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is the birthplace of
all space regulation and treaties, ‘which underpin everything that we see happening in the space economy today’, she said, urging a continuation of a ‘global convening dialogue’ in both the public and private sectors.

She said as space debris increases in the Earth’s orbit and beyond, the UN will bring stakeholders together to discuss potential new guidelines for international oversight.

Source: Emirates News Agency

BRUSSELS: In 2022, Road traffic accidents claimed the lives of 20 653 people in the EU in 2022, marking a 4% increase compared with 2021 (19 917 fatalities), according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The number of fatalities has been increasing for 2 consecutive years after the unprecedented drop in 2020 (18 833), which was attributed to COVID-19 restrictions affecting passenger transport.

In 2022, there were on average 46 road traffic fatalities per million inhabitants in the EU. Taking into consideration the population of each EU country, the lowest rates of road fatalities in 2022 were registered in Sweden (22 road fatalities per million inhabitants), Denmark (26) and Ireland (31).

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) hosted the fourth edition of “Jusoor” (Bridges) programme during the holy month of Ramadan as part of its mission to foster cross-cultural communication and promote the spirit of volunteerism.

As part of efforts to bridge the gap between religions and cultures, and to promote harmony, the initiative invites people of various cultures, ethnicities, and beliefs as well as representatives of public and private sectors in the UAE to experience the spirit of Ramadan at the mosque, participate in the Centre’s annual ”Our Fasting Guests programme”, and learn about the mosque’s events and activities during the holy Month. By volunteering to distribute Iftar meals within the mosque, witnessing the firing of the Iftar cannon, and taking part in an array of cultural activities, the participants were introduced to the message and vision of the mosque. The event ended with a group Iftar, where participants gathered around a table in an atmosphere of coexistence an
d fraternity.

Dr. Yousef Al Obaidli, Director-General of the SZGMC), said:”The gatherings organised and supervised by the Centre provide opportunities for cultural and human interaction that goes beyond coexistence to positive interaction, especially in the United Arab Emirates, which embraces different religions and cultures on its land, where people live together in peace, within a harmonious social fabric and under ideal conditions of justice and equality. The experience of the centre, which adopts the visions of late founding father Sheikh Zayed for consolidating the concepts of human communication within a framework of noble values, is a source of inspiration for the world in promoting peace, harmony, and respect for all.”

The centre organised nine sessions of the programme in its fourth season, with more than 394 participants representing 13 embassies in the United Arab Emirates and a number of organisations and institutions. They distributed more than 1,750 Iftar meals at the mosque.

Source: Emir
ates News Agency

ABU DHABI: The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence announced the implementation of the 33rd airdrop of humanitarian and relief aid as part of the “Birds of Goodness” operation.

Two C17 aircraft belonging to the UAE Air Force and two C295 aircraft belonging to the Egyptian Air Force participated in the airdrop operation.

The airdrop was carried out over inaccessible isolated areas in the northern Gaza Strip via four aircraft carrying 82 tonnes of food and relief aid, bringing the total amount of aid airdrops to 2,107 tonnes since the beginning of the operation.

This brings the total amount of aid sent by the UAE to northern Gaza to over 2,477 tonnes, including both land shipments through the Kerem Shalom crossing and airdrops via ‘Birds of Goodness.’

The “Birds of Goodness” campaign is part of Operation ‘Chivalrous Knight 3’ to support the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Source: Emirates News Agency