Author: Aishat Ibrahim

The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has launched the Nigerian Economic Diplomacy Initiative NEDI.

NEDI was initiated by the foreign affairs ministry to connect local businesses with opportunities abroad and professionals in the diaspora with businesses in the country.

Speaking at the launch, Osibanjo stated that NEDI is a game-changing initiative that has been designed to complement the fundamental economic objective of the Federal Government, which is to improve the well-being of Nigerians as individuals and collectively.

In his words:

“In the case of Nigeria, the private sector is particularly important because it accounts for well over 90 percent of our GDP. We are fully aware that building a competitive and vibrant national economy of our dream relies on enabling the innovation and dynamism of our private sector operators to flourish,”

The Chief Host, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said:

“NEDI is designed to ensure economic growth and development through the facilitation of market access, cross-border trade, and recruitment of skilled Nigerians in Diaspora for national development. This initiative is a result of our commitment to leverage on existing infrastructure to stimulate economic growth for Nigerians in the country and Diaspora.”

The unemployment rate in the country has been on an upward trend, however, one way of changing this is by seeing to it that the government engages the private sector. It is important the government provides critical infrastructure and the right platform to empower the private sector to become more productive. Also, there is a need to promote initiatives that would reduce the barrier to entry for budding entrepreneurs.

NEDI is an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and by Investment (FMTI); the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC); and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has included seven Nigerians amongst the 721 experts from 90 countries invited to participate in the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors.

The Sixth Assessment Report, according to the IPCC, will inform policymakers, international climate negotiators and other stakeholders about the latest knowledge on all aspects of climate change. This allows work to start on the next comprehensive assessment of the science related to climate change.

The Nigerian intellectuals that are part of all the three Working Groups of the project include:

1. Hyacinth Nnamchi of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Working Group I – Chapter 2: Changing state of the climate system) as Lead Author
2. Ms Ibidun Adelekan of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan (Working Group II – Chapter 9: Africa) as Coordinating Lead Author
3. Ayansina Ayanlade of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (Working Group II – Chapter 9: Africa) as Lead Author
4. Chukwumerije Okereke of the University of Reading, UK (Working Group III – Chapter 1: Introduction and Framing) as Coordinating Lead Author
5. Ms Chioma Daisy Onyige of the University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt (Working Group III – Chapter 5: Demand, services and social aspects of mitigation) as Lead Author
6. Ogheneruona Diemuodeke of the University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt (Working Group III – Chapter 10: Transport) as Lead Author
7. Sanusi Mohamed Ohiare of the Rural Electrification Agency (Working Group III – Chapter 15: Investment and finance) as Lead Author

The bureaux of the three IPCC Working Groups selected the authors from 2,858 experts representing 105 countries, following a call to governments and IPCC observer organisations for nominations. Working Group I is responsible for the physical science basis, Working Group II looks at impacts, adaptation and vulnerability and Working Group III covers mitigation of climate change.

The IPCC Chair, Hoesung Lee stated:

“The Sixth Assessment Report will update our knowledge on climate change, its impacts and risks, and possible response options, and play an important role in implementing the Paris Agreement.”

“These author teams, drawn from the hundreds of excellent nominations the IPCC was fortunate to receive, provide us with the necessary expertise across a range of disciplines to conduct the assessment. I am gratified that we have also raised the proportion of women and scientists from developing countries involved in our work.”

Following their selection, the authors will now review the existing scientific literature and prepare drafts of the report on the basis of the outlines of the Working Group contributions already agreed by the Panel.

The three IPCC Working Groups will finalize their respective contributions to the AR6 report in 2021. A Synthesis Report will complete the AR6 cycle in early 2022, integrating all the Working Group contributions and the findings of the three special reports that are currently underway. The conclusions will be available in time for the first Global Stock-take, a periodic review of collective progress towards achieving the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.

The outlines of the Working Group contributions to AR6 were agreed at the 46th session of the IPCC in Montreal in September 2017 and can be found here:

• Outline of the Working Group Icontribution to the IPCC AR6
• Outline of the Working Group IIcontribution to the IPCC AR6
• Outline of the Working Group IIIcontribution to the IPCC AR6

Of the selected experts, 44% come from developing countries and countries with economies in transition, 53% are new to the IPCC process and 33% are women.

For the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), the IPCC selected 829 authors from over 80 countries. Of these, 37% were from developing countries and countries with economies in transition, 68% were new to the IPCC process and 21% were female.

The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in 1988 to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments concerning climate change, its implications and risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies. It has 195 member states.

Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at a plenary sitting have elected Justice Chile Eboe-Osuji, a Nigerian as the president of the court for a three-year term.

Judge Robert Fremr from the Czech Republic was elected First Vice-President with Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut of France as Second Vice-President.

Chile Eboe-Osuji, who became the first Nigerian to be elevated to the court in 2012, would serve as ICC president for the next three years.

“I am deeply honoured to have been elected by my peers as President of the International Criminal Court. As I take up my duties, I feel encouraged that I am able to rely on the wide experience of the two Vice-Presidents, Judge Robert Fremr and Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, both of whom I have closely worked with previously. I look forward to working together with them as well as with all the judges, all the Officials and the staff of the Court in a spirit of collegiality.

I also look forward to collaborating with the Assembly of States Parties, civil society and the international community at large, acting together to strengthen and reinforce the Rome Statute system, the 20th anniversary of the adoption of which we celebrate this year.

I am also grateful to the previous President, Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, and Vice-Presidents, Judges Joyce Aluoch and Kuniko Ozaki, for their work and leadership.”

The Role of the ICC Presidency

The ICC Presidency – consisting of the President and the two Vice-Presidents – plays a key role in providing strategic leadership to the ICC as a whole.

The Presidency coordinates with the other organs and seeks the concurrence of the Prosecutor on matters of mutual concern.

In accordance with the Rome Statute, the ICC’s governing treaty, the Presidency is responsible for the proper administration of the Court, with the exception of the Office of the Prosecutor.

The Presidency oversees the activities of the Registry and provides input into a broad range of administrative policies affecting the Court’s overall functioning.

Furthermore it conducts judicial review of certain decisions of the Registrar and concludes Court-wide cooperation agreements with States and international organizations.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established on 17 July 1998, by a conference of 160 States which established the first treaty-based permanent international criminal court. The treaty adopted during that conference is known as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The court investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

Profile of Chile Eboe-Osuji

• The new president holds an LLB from the University of Calabar, Nigeria (1985), an LLM from McGill University, Canada (1991), and a PhD in international criminal law from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2011).
•  He was elected to ICC in December 16, 2011, thus making him the first judge of Nigerian descent in that Court. He won the office in the fifteenth ballot in the Assembly of States Parties with 102 votes.
• He has taught international criminal law as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa, Canada, and has an extensive record of legal scholarship and publications.
• Judge Eboe-Osuji served as a legal expert to Nigeria’s delegation to the ICC-ASP Special Working Group on the Definition of the Crime of Aggression and practised law as a barrister, appearing in many criminal, civil and constitutional cases before national courts in Nigeria and Canada.
• Prior to joining the ICC, Judge Eboe-Osuji was the Legal Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, during which time he led the writing of submissions to the European Court of Human Rights and the United States Supreme Court.
• He also served as the Principal Appeals Counsel for the Prosecution in the Charles Taylor Case at the Special Court for Sierra Leone (2007-2008) and has held several posts at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, including Head of Chambers (2008-2010) and Lead Prosecution Trial Counsel (2000-2003).