We feel that if the data here is accurate, Arab business is rather looking for new talent in the new world. We believe that most young recruits to businesses in North Africa and the Middle East are returning young talent and that this positions well these business companies for the changing global atmosphere. It is rather that then looking to hire on the cheap. The business slow down has just helped refresh the human capital of MENA (The Middle East – North Africa Arab region).

—————
 http://www.arabianbusiness.com/595422-me…

MENA firms hire new graduates to cut costs – poll

by

Elsa Baxter,  Sunday, 22 August 2010.

GRADUATES: 37.6 percent of people said their employers preferred to hire fresh graduates post recession. (Getty Images)

Almost 40 percent of Middle East and North African (MENA) employees said their company was more interested in hiring new university graduates since the global recession, according to the latest poll by Bayt.com.

The survey, which consulted 13,197 respondents from across the region, found that 37.6 percent of people said their employers preferred to hire fresh graduates, while 26.4 percent said they were less inclined to do so. A further 19.2 percent of respondents said things were unchanged.

More than half (51.7 percent) of participants said the number one motivation behind the hiring was financial because new graduates command lower salaries and fewer benefits, while 12.7 percent said it was because they would have more passion for the job.

A further 10.4 percent it was because new graduates would have more creativity, 8.4 percent said it was due to their fresh analytical thinking, and 5.1 percent cited better communication skills. {our math says this is 37.6% or that one out of 2,9 respondents was honest about the motives. The others belong to the commonly held  idea that age makes people wiser while we rather think that today ag makes most people more obsolete}

“The results of our most recent poll show that in times of economic strife employers are perceived as more likely to hire fresh graduates mostly due to the fact that they accept a lower salary and require fewer benefits,” said Amer Zureikat, vice president of sales, Bayt.com.

« Rencontre Régionale: Adaptation aux changements climatiques au Maghreb: Bilan et Perspectives »

from: Prof. Dr. Med-Saïd KARROUK to African
Feb 14, 2010
from  KarroukSaid at yahoo.com

Le Comité National IGBP, et l’Université Hassan II, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca (Maroc) – Avec le soutien du programme ACCA du CRDI et du DFID

Organisent :

La « Rencontre Régionale: Adaptation aux changements climatiques au Maghreb:
Bilan et Perspectives »

Le 16 et 17 mars 2010, FLSH Ben M’Sick, Casablanca

Préambule :

En réponse aux défis environnementaux et socio-économiques majeurs liés aux changements climatiques, placés actuellement au cœur de l’ordre du jour des grandes réunions internationales, et dans la perspective d’une contribution à l’effort mondial de sensibilisation sur les enjeux du changement du climat, que cette rencontre sur l’adaptation aux changements climatiques au Maghreb est organisée, à laquelle seront invitées des personnalités de très haut niveau et d’éminents scientifiques et experts. D’autre part, un plan d’action concret sera proposé pour la mise en place de projets prioritaires d’adaptation pour les gouvernements, les entreprises et la société civile.

Ceci permettra en même temps d’imprimer une dynamique nouvelle aux actions jusqu’ici timides des pays maghrébins sur le plan international dans le domaine des changements climatiques.

La diffusion de l’information recueillie durant cette conférence sera effectuée par le réseau « ClimDev » qui desserve plus de 10 000 lecteurs francophones à travers le monde. A cela s’ajoutera la publication des actes de la conférence qui seront adressés aux différents acteurs visés par la conférence : les décideurs, les scientifiques, les ONG, …etc.

Objectifs de la rencontre :

Cette rencontre a trois objectifs :
Renforcer la capacité des scientifiques, des organisations, des décideurs et d’autres intervenants à contribuer à l’adaptation aux changements climatiques ;
Susciter une meilleure compréhension des conclusions des scientifiques et des organismes de recherche en ce qui concerne la variabilité du climat et les changements climatiques ;
Fournir aux concepteurs de politiques des données scientifiques de bonne qualité.

Les axes de cette rencontre sont les suivants :
·         L’adaptation de la sécurité environnementale au Maghreb (extrêmes thermiques, ressources en eau, sécheresse, inondations, désertification, feux de forêts, érosion littorale et continentale, santé, biodiversité)
·         L’adaptation de la sécurité alimentaire au Maghreb (agriculture : contraintes spatiales, des essences, la nouvelle distribution agricole régionale, etc),
·         L’adaptation de la sécurité énergétique au Maghreb (efficacité énergétique, énergie renouvelables, activités socio économiques, etc)
·         Réalité de l’adaptation aux pays du Maghreb ; états des lieux : contraintes et défis

Enjeux :

Gravement préoccupés par la vulnérabilité des systèmes socioéconomiques et de production du Maghreb au changement climatique et aux faibles capacités de riposte de la région, les décideurs politiques ont retenu le changement climatique comme l’une des préoccupations prioritaires et ont lancé un appel de coopérations aux partenaires pour appuyer leurs pays et les communautés économiques régionales afin qu’ils puissent intégrer de façon efficace la problématique du changement climatique dans leurs plans de développement.

Les négociations actuelles sur le changement climatique recherchent un nouvel élan pour l’après 2012 qui prendrait en compte les leçons du Protocole de Kyoto et la nécessaire convergence des priorités des diverses Parties. Dans cette perspective elles ont identifié quatre domaines-clés pour un dialogue de haut niveau, pour la coopération et l’action de long terme sur le changement climatique. Il s’agit :
du développement durable,
des technologies,
de l’adaptation et,
des opportunités de marché.

Le Maghreb se doit d’y inscrire sa spécificité et ses priorités et d’en saisir les opportunités pour son développement.

La Rencontre de Casablanca s’intègre dans cet élan et souhaite participer à l’aide à la décision pour une adaptation efficace par la recherche et le renforcement des capacités vis-à-vis de ce crucial problème, celui des Changements Climatiques au Maghreb.

Public cible :
Chercheurs
Décideurs politiques
ONG
Journalistes

Comité scientifique :

KARROUK Mohammed Saïd, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca
ALIFRIQUI Mohamed, Faculté des Sciences, Marrakech
BAHI Lahcen, Ecole Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs, Rabat
CHAKER Miloud, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Rabat
DAMNATI Brahim, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Tanger
EL ASSAAD Mohamed, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca
EL HAIBA Mahjoub, Faculté de Droit, Casablanca
EL HARRAK Ahmed, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca
EL HATTAB Ahmed, Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Formation des Cadres et de la Recherche Scientifique, Rabat
HEFNAOUI Ahmed, Faculté de Droit, Mohammedia
HENIA Latifa, FSHST, Université de Tunis
IRAQI Ahmed, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Casablanca
LAOUINA Abdellah, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Rabat
MESSOULI Mohammed, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech
MOKSSIT Abdellah, Directeur de la Météorologie Nationale, Casablanca
MOUHIDDINE Mohamed, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca
ORBI Abdellatif, Institut National de la Recherche Halieutique, Casablanca
SALOUI Abdelmalik, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Mohammedia
YACOUBI-KHEBIZA Mohamed, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech

Comité d’organisation :

KARROUK Mohammed Saïd, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca
KADDOURI Abdelmajid, Doyen de la Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,
GONEGAI Abdelkader, Vice Doyen de la Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,
AIT KADIR Jamal, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
AKBLI Siham, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
ALLALI Asmaâ, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
BELOUARDA Youssef, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
CHAïR Majda, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
EL ALAMI Mohammad, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
EL ASSAAD Mohamed, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,
EL HARRAK Ahmed, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,
ELKHABBAZ Rachid, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
FATTAH Hind, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Doctorat ClimDev, Casablanca,
HABIL Kenza, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,
HAJJI Ilham, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
HAJJOUBI Mohamed, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Doctorat ClimDev, Casablanca,
KIRD Hanane, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master GAT, Casablanca,
LAKHAL Fouad, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
MOUHIDDINE Mohamed, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,
SAFARI Abdelati, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
SAHIB Zahra, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Master ClimDev, Casablanca,
SALLOK Amal, , Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Doctorat ClimDev, Casablanca,
SEFRI Youssef, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,
ZOUHADI Abdellah, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines Ben M’Sick, Casablanca,

Date-limite et directives pour soumettre des résumés :

Nous voudrions inviter les participants à présenter des communications orales et des affiches basés sur les thèmes de la rencontre, liés à la région du Maghreb. Les résumés doivent être soumis avant le 31 janvier 2010 par courriel, en anglais, français ou arabe.
Ils ne doivent pas excéder 300 mots, ni contenir des abréviations ou citations inconnues.
Le résumé doit être soumis dans le format « word » de Microsoft. Aucun autre format ne sera accepté
Le résumé doit être en format papier A4. Le titre en “gras” en utilisant une police « Arial » de 12 points.
Le titre doit être court, précis et reflète le sujet de la présentation ou de l’affiche.
Inclure les noms et les adresses de l’auteur(s), l’adresse complète, et adresses courriel de l’auteur(s) et de l’affiliation institutionnelle.

Aide aux participants :

La rencontre fournira l’aide de voyage, d’hébergement et de restauration, partielle ou totale, à un nombre limité de participants qui sont dans le besoin d’aide financière. On s’attend à ce que les participants puissent financer leurs propres dépenses et ou recevoir l’appui d’une autre organisation pour couvrir les frais.
La demande de subvention est conditionnée par l’acceptation d’une participation abstraite.
La priorité sera accordée à:
Jeunes scientifiques,
Etudiants doctorants,
Avocats stagiaires,
Educateurs en environnement,
Et régulateurs praticiens des pays du Maghreb,

Conditions :
Une lettre d’application qui inclut:
Titre(s) du résumé(s) soumis;
Description claire des activités professionnelles principales;
Description des participations récentes dans  des activités relatives aux changements climatique (conduite d’activités communautaires, recherche, éducation, politique et prise de décision);
Description claire des besoins d’aide financière, comprenant une évaluation de fonds demandés (c.-à-d., voyages par avion, hôtel, repas, etc.), exprimant également par qui seront couvert les frais complémentaires ;
Un curriculum vitae de pas plus de deux pages (CV) :
Des présentateurs des pays développés ne seront pas soutenus quoiqu’ils puissent être à l’origine résidants ou citoyens des pays en voie de développement.

Frais de participation :
Aucun frais de participation n’est exigé, cependant, la fiche d’inscription doit être adressée aux organisateurs dans les délais prévus.

Conférences invitées :
Des conférenciers de très haut niveau ont confirmé leur participation, et nous attendons la réponse des autres.

Programme Prévisionnelle :

Programme :
Mardi 16 mars 2010
Mercredi 17 mars 2010
08:00 – 09:00
Enregistrement

09:00 – 09:30
Plénière d’ouverture
conférence magistrale plénière Sessions 3
09:30 – 10:00
Session 3 : présentations orales
10:00-10:30
Pause café / Session poster
10:30-11:00
conférence magistrale plénière
Session 1
Session 3 : présentations orales
11:00 – 12:00
Session 1: présentations orales
Session 3 : présentations orales
12:00 – 13:00
Session 1: présentations orales
Session 3 : discussion ouverte
13:00 – 14:00
Pause Déjeuner
14:00 – 14:30
conférence magistrale plénière Session 2
Session de conclusions, recommandations et de clôture
14:30 – 15:30
Session 2: Présentations orales
15:30 – 16:00
Pause café / Session poster
16:00 – 16:30
Session 2: Présentations orales
Assemblée Générale :
CN IGBP et AMERCE
16:30 – 18:00
Sessions 1 & 2:
discussion ouverte

***************
Dr. Mohammed-Saïd KARROUK ??????? ???? ???? ????
Professeur de Climatologie ????? ??? ??????

Directeur Exécutif du Comité National IGBP (Global Change)
Université Hassan II, FLSH Ben M’Sick
Centre de Recherche de Climatologie (CEREC)
Master & Doctorat “Climat & Développement” (ClimDev)
BP 8220 Oasis, MA-20103 Casablanca (Maroc)
Tél: +212 661 156 051 Fax. +212 522 705 100
E-Mail:  KarroukSaid at Yahoo.Com
ou:  ClimDev.Maroc at Gmail.Com
ou:  CEREC at UnivH2M.Ac.Ma
Skype: ClimDev.Maroc

www.SustainabiliTank.info has backed this concept from its start. We
also believe that joint activities at this scale could help bring
about peace on the circumference of the Mediterranean, and show how
intelligent interdependency based on reliably renewable sustainable
resources could help people live friendlier to each other. This was
not the case when the relationship is based on selling and buying
depletable oil that only fuels corruption in the home of the seller.

————

Solar Maghreb

Developing large scale North African solar markets

Algiers, Algeria:  11—12, May 2010

The conference will be simultaneously translated in English and French

Introduction:

This event will bring together key players from the region – with particular focus on Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania – with global industry experts.  This event forms part of the Solar Global Series which is now in its 3rd year and has been attended by over 1200 high calibre delegates to date.

The Maghreb region contains vast solar energy resources and the exploitation of these will be a critical factor in helping accelerate the region’s economic development. The Maghreb countries have realized that tremendous opportunities exist and are beginning to diversify their energy markets away from an over reliance on oil and gas.

The recent announcement of the DESERTEC Industrial Initiative to develop a reliable, sustainable and climate friendly energy supply from the deserts in the Middle East and North Africa highlights the potential of the region.  Solar in North Africa can become both a clean domestic energy source and also a new clean energy export product.

With high solar generation potential Algeria is a key driver for the region in the development of solar markets.  The Energy Minister, Dr. Chakib Khelil has bolstered the sector with the introduction of a solar thermal plant feed in tariff and signed a series of MoUs and bilateral agreements aimed at expanding the country’s solar energy production and export capabilities.  In Morocco, the Energy Minister Amina Benkhadra has launched a $9 bn scheme to produce 38% of their electricity needs from solar by 2020.  In Libya a newly designated authority, REAOL has been tasked with developing the Libyan sustainable energy strategy.  In Tunisia international companies are carrying out feasibility studies for large scale CSP plants and the Ministry of Industry has set a target of 500,000sqm of panels installed by 2010.

Despite all these developments the region still faces many challenges in order to fully realize extensive domestic solar industries and the necessary infrastructure for clean electricity exports. Attend Solar Maghreb 10 to understand the many issues and network with the key players as the region develops its renewable energy strategies and develops profitable partnerships with leading innovators from the international solar market place.

Confirmed speakers include:

Silvia Pariente-David, Senior Energy Specialist, World Bank, Tunisia

Dr. Pedro Banda, Director General,
ISFOC, Spain

Dr Mahieddine Emziane, Faculty Member,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Prof. Ibrahim Mohamed Saleh,
Electrical Engineering Department, Al-Fateh University, Libya

Key reasons to attend:

• Gain an in depth understanding of the potential scale of the solar market in this region
• Understand the policy support and stage of development in each country
• Identify investment opportunities in the region
• Participate in a series of interactive panel discussions and help shape this fast moving market
• Benefit from first class networking opportunities though our online networking tool prior to, during and after the event

Who will you meet?

Agenda outline:

Day One – 11 May 2010:

Solar Energy for Sustainable Economic Development

Keynote Session – Building the Solar Energy Future in the Maghreb Region

The keynote session will review how solar markets are developing across the world, how the market can develop in the region and what forms of solar – thermal, PV and at what scale – residential, industrial and utility will evolve.   Key visionaries will also share their views and thoughts on how solar energy will produce sustainable development and act as a key driver for economic development.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Regulation and Government Support
This session will review what governments are currently doing to stimulate the development of solar markets in the region and what they are planning moving forward.  It will also discuss key learning’s from other markets and look at the role of feed in tariffs and other incentives.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Solar Finance, Investment & Economics
This session will look at the challenges of raising finance in the current economic conditions and what new forms of financing are emerging.  Different finance models are required for large scale solar projects and these will also be reviewed.  The speakers will also look at the economics surrounding solar power, looking at the true costs of solar and the levelised costs of solar energy.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Panel Discussion – Solar & Hydrocarbons Panel
- How can leading regional oil and gas companies harness solar?
- How can hybrid solar and gas power stations be developed?

Solar Business Models

Solar technologies work from small scale residential through to larger scale industrial units and utility scale projects. This session will review which innovative business models and applications are suitable for the Maghreb region.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Close of day one & networking drinks

Day Two – 12 May 2010:

Solar Energy Technologies & Innovation

Technology & Innovation – CSP, Silicon PV, Thin Film PV & CPV

In this session a series of key speakers will provide the latest updates on their rapidly developing technologies and innovation paths.  What have they learnt from previous implementations and what needs to be applied to the development of the solar market in this region.  Matching the correct technology with each project, a combination of solutions will apply across the region.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Large Scale Project Case Studies
This session will showcase a series of practical and real life deployments from early adopters in the region as well as showcasing some key learning’s from previous deployments in other regions.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Developing Solar Supply Chains and Domestic Solar Industries
This session will discuss how a domestic solar industry could be developed.  It will review the key success factors for developing solar manufacturing plants and also the prospects for the local supply of components.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Key Solar Building Blocks
The final session will review the additional building blocks that are needed to drive the market forward in the region such as testing and applicability issues for different solar technologies, the role of local research and development resources and how local expertise can be developed.

Interactive discussion session with speakers

Close of conference

Speaking opportunities:

If you are interested in speaking at this event please submit a speaking proposal (presentation title, 4-5 bullet points and brief synopsis) to Rebecca Jackson
Email:
rebecca.jackson@greenpowerconferences.com

Sponsorship & exhibition opportunities:

Sponsor Solar Maghreb and benefit from:

• 1st class lead generation: meet companies actively working in the solar industry
• Enhanced brand profile: pre-event promotional campaign plus extensive on site branding
• Excellent publicity: gain an incredible amount of presence from on site promotion
• A cost effective marketing solution: our development team will be happy to customize a package and develop a cost effective marketing channel to generate new sales leads

Sponsorship options offering varying levels of branding and exposure are available to suit budgets and marketing aims.

Contact
William Todd for further details:
Office: +9714 813 5211 l Fax: +44 207 900 1853
E-mail:

william.t@greenpowerconferences.com

Partners:

Official Offset Partner:

---

Green Power Conferences consistently work in strategic partnership with industry leading organisations and trade publications. Our international and targeted marketing campaigns ensure excellent marketing exposure for our partners.

If you would like to partner with us, please contact Ryan Winchester ,

ryan.winchester@greenpowerconferences.com

Venue:

TBC

 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/tech…

U.S. Secretary of State Clinton urges China to probe Google case.
U.S. Secretary of State calls for consequences and condemnation of those who carry out cyberattacks.

Robert Burns, Washington — The Associated Press, Published on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 in Globe and Mail of Canada.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday urged China to investigate cyber intrusions that led Google Inc. GOOG-Q to threaten to pull out of that country – and challenged Beijing to openly publish its findings.

“Countries that restrict free access to information or violate the basic rights of Internet users risk walling themselves off from the progress of the next century,” she said, adding that the U.S. and China “have different views on this issue, and we intend to address those differences candidly and consistently.”

She cited China as among a number of countries where there has been “a spike in threats to the free flow of information” over the past year. She also named Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Egypt and Vietnam.

Ms. Clinton made her remarks in a wide-ranging speech about Internet freedom and its place in U.S. foreign policy.

“Some countries have erected electronic barriers that prevent their people from accessing portions of the world’s networks,” she said.

“They have expunged words, names and phrases from search engine results,” Ms. Clinton said. “They have violated the privacy of citizens who engage in nonviolent political speech.”

State Department officials have said they intend soon to lodge a formal complaint with Chinese officials over the Google matter, which a senior Chinese government official said Thursday should not affect U.S.-China relations.

Vice-Foreign Minister He Yafei said in Beijing, “The Google case should not be linked with relations between the two governments and countries; otherwise, it’s an over-interpretation,” according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The Xinhua report did not mention censorship, instead referring to Google’s “disagreements with government policies.”

In a passage of her speech before she explicitly mentioned the Google matter, Ms. Clinton spoke broadly about the connection between information freedom and international business.

“Countries that censor news and information must recognize that, from an economic standpoint, there is no distinction between censoring political speech and commercial speech,” she said. “If businesses in your nation are denied access to either type of information, it will inevitably reduce growth.”

“Increasingly, U.S. companies are making the issue of information freedom a greater consideration in their business decisions,” she added. “I hope that their competitors and foreign governments will pay close attention to this trend.”

She then raised the Google case.

“We look to Chinese authorities to conduct a thorough review of the cyber intrusions that led Google to make its announcement,” she said, referring to Google’s recent statement that it is reconsidering its business operations in China. “We also look for that investigation and its results to be transparent.”

—————-

Further - Ms. Clinton wants to see INTERNET FREEDOM AS A PLANK OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY – she says that an attack on one Nation’s computer network should be seen, what it really is, an attack on all!

Censorship should not be accepted by any company, and American companies must take a principled stand she further said.

The US will place a “demarche” with China – a diplomatic move of protest showing its displeasure with the way China treated Google. The US is not ready to accept that this is a mere business squabble. We follow this logic and think the US should also express its displeasure the way certain well placed UN Department of Public Information officials use their positions to intefere with the dissemination of news at the UN. One outside the UN New York Times investigative reporter had looked into this three years ago, but her worldwide distributed article had no impact on the UN, neither did we see the US making a “demarche” to Mr. Ban Ki-moon. Could the State Department under the Hillary Clinton baton have a look there too?

UPCOMING MEETINGS IN AFRICA: November 2008
African Ministerial Conference on the Financial Crisis: 12 November 2008: Tunis, Tunisia: African Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors are meeting   to discuss the global financial crisis and its potential impacts on African economies.   Organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the Conference aims to mobilize Africans with a view to seeking an answer to the global financial crisis.
For more information, see:   http://www.afdb.org/portal/page?_pageid=…

African Conference of Ministers in Charge of Environment on Climate Change for post-2012: Algiers, Algiers; 19-20 November 2008: The African Conference of Ministers in Charge of Environment on Climate Change for post 2012 is expected to discuss and adopt outcomes related to: the Bali Action Plan: international Cooperation basis or obligation of the share of commitments; meaning   and scope   of the concepts of ” Comparable efforts” and     “Shared Vision” for developing countries; sectoral approach: impacts and consequences on African countries’   development; and   meaning and scope of the concepts of Measurable, Verifiable and Reportable (M.R.V) for developed and developing countries.
For more information, see: http://www.unep.org/roa

Meeting of the Executive Committee and Technical Advisory Committee of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW): 24-28 November 2008, Nairobi, Kenya. The AMCOW Executive Committee (AMCOW-EXCO) and the AMCOW Technical Advisory Committee will meet to consider approaches to carrying forward the Sharm El Sheikh Declaration and Commitments on Water and Sanitation (adopted by the African Union Summit, Egypt, June 2008).
For more information, see:   http://wwww.amcow.org/

Ecological Agriculture: Towards Food Security and Sustainable Rural Development in Africa: 26-28 November 2008, African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This conference is organized by the African Union, UN Food and Agriculture Organization and Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,   in collaboration with the Institute for Sustainable Development, Ethiopia and Third World Network. The conference aims to raise the awareness of policy makers so that they can enhance the capacity of Africa’s smallholder farmers.
For more information, contact: African Union Commission, Box 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Tel: 251 (11) 552-5844; Fax 251-11-552-5835; E- mail:  ahono_olembo at yahoo.com

Richard Sherman
Programme Manager, Africa Regional Coverage Project
International Institute for Sustainable Development- Reporting Services
300 E 56th   St Apt 11A New York, NY 10022 USA
US Mobile: 646 379 3250
E-mail:  richards at iisd.org
Web: http://www.iisd.ca/africa
Web: http://www.climate-l.org

International Institute for Sustainable Development http://www.iisd.org

Subscribe for free to our publications http://www.iisd.ca/email/subscribe.htm

——————

Further from IISD:

Dear AFRICASD-L Subscribers;
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), in cooperation with the Secretariat for the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), is pleased to announce the launch of the LAND-L announcement list.

To subscribe to the LAND-L list, please visit http://www.iisd.ca/email/subscribe.htm

This new distribution list, similar to IISD’s other announcement lists CLIMATE-L, FORESTS-L, WATER-L, CHEMICALS-L, MEA-L, OCEANS-L, ENERGY-L and AFRICASD-L, has been launched in conjunction with the new Comprehensive Communication Strategy of the UNCCD

The purpose of LAND-L is to provide a free, moderated, community communications tool, allowing subscribers to post announcements related to desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) as well as sustainable land management (SLM) events, policy developments, publications and new initiatives. LAND-L is not a discussion list and is limited to non-commercial, non-political announcements.

After signing up for LAND-L at http://www.iisd.ca/email/subscribe.htm   please check your email folders after subscribing and respond to a confirmation email.

Any subscriber may use this new list to send announcements to the other subscribers on the list by sending emails to  LAND-L at lists.iisd.ca

For assistance in subscribing to LAND-L, please send email to IISD Reporting Services Digital Manager, Diego Noguera, at  diego at iisd.org

———————————————————————-
Langston James “Kimo” Goree VI
Director, IISD Reporting Services
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) — United Nations Office
300 E 56TH ST 11A – New York, NY 10022
Fax: +1 646 219-0955 Mobile phone/SMS: +19172934781
Email:  kimo at iisd.org Skype: kimogoree Blog: http://www.kimogoree.com
Where:   Istanbul Nov 10-13, NY 15-28, Poznan 29-1 Dec, Rome 2-3

From:      messouli at gmail.com
Subject: workshop CC
Date: September 14, 2008

The University of Marrakech and its partners (DMN, CDRT, START, OSS), with the support of the Climate Change and Adaptation in Africa program (CCAA), announce a two day international workshop to be held on 25 and 26 of November 2008 in Marrakech. The title of the conference is ” Climate change in the Maghreb: thresholds and limits to adaptation

The overall objective of this conference is to consider strategies for adapting to climate change, in particular to explore the potential barriers to adaptation that may limit the ability of societies in the Maghreb countries to adapt to climate change and to identify opportunities for overcoming these barriers

Deadline for Submission of Abstracts is 10 October 2008.

to register, please go to this link at your soonest convenience and discover other information on the workshop:
 http://www.ucam.ac.ma/ccam/ccamaccueil.h…

Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, The Japan Times online.

Regarding The Trips to Libya – “Oily Moves to Compensate” by Gwynne Dyer from London.

Libya was the diplomatic crossroads of the planet last weekend: Condoleezza Rice made the first visit by a U.S. secretary of State in 55 years (to discuss a murky deal involving payments to American victims of terrorist attacks allegedly sponsored by Libya); radical Bolivian President Evo Morales showed up (to beg for money or cheap oil); and Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived to promise Libya $5 billion in compensation for the brutalities of Italian colonial rule.

The U.S. Congress was not impressed. Last Monday the Senate Foreign Relations Committee postponed hearings on the confirmation of Gene Cretz as the first U.S. ambassador to Libya since 1972.
What bothered the senators was Libya’s delay in paying a promised $1.8 billion in compensation to the families of 180 Americans who died when Pan Am Flight 103 was brought down by a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and of the American soldiers targeted in a 1986 attack on the West Berlin nightclub La Belle (one killed, scores injured).
Western intelligence services blamed both those attacks on Libya’s leader, Colonel Moammar Gadhafi. U.S. aircraft bombed Libya after the 1986 attack, killing some 30 Libyans including Gadhafi’s adopted daughter. Yet the evidence for Libyan involvement is distinctly shaky, and Libya never officially admitted its responsibility. Instead, Libya finally signed a “humanitarian” deal that gives the American families $1.8 billion, but also includes an unstated amount for the Libyan victims of the American air attacks. How very curious.

Details of the deal have been left vague, and nobody will say where the money for the Libyan victims of U.S. airstrikes is coming from. If it is coming from the U.S. government, that would be an interesting precedent. But everybody knows what is really at play here.

The United States worries about the security of its oil supplies and Libya produces oil, so Washington has been seeking a way to end its quarrel with Colonel Gadhafi for a long time. Gadhafi wanted that too, because the U.N. sanctions imposed at Washington’s request were hurting his regime. But since neither government ever apologizes, it took a while.

Gadhafi’s key move was to dismantle his fantasy “nuclear weapons program” — he never really had more than bits and pieces — in 2003. This let President George W. Bush claim that his “war on terror” was scaring the bad guys into behaving better, so the mood music improved immediately. Even before that, Libya sent a couple of low-level intelligence agents to face an international court over the Lockerbie bombing (one was acquitted, one was convicted, and the Libyan regime was scarcely mentioned).

The final compensation deal was signed last month. Condoleezza Rice was in Libya this month partly to show that Gadhafi was no longer in the doghouse — and partly to ask where the money was. That is bothering the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, too, but they shouldn’t worry. Libyan banks take more than a month to transfer even thousands of dollars abroad, let alone billions.

The history behind Silvio Berlusconi’s deal with Gadhafi is much clearer, and so are the motives behind it. Italy conquered Libya, formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1911, and ruled it until 1943. Tens of thousands of Libyans who resisted were killed, many more had their land confiscated and given to Italian settlers, and the country was run for Italy’s benefit, not that of its own people. Italy owes — but why is it paying now, half a century later?

The answer is partly oil — a quarter of Italy’s oil and a third of its gas come from Libya — but also illegal immigrants. Italy is the destination for a growing stream of economic migrants from Africa who use Libya as a jumping-off place for their trip across the Mediterranean, and Berlusconi needs Gadhafi’s cooperation to stem the flow. So Libya gets $5 billion of Italian money to compensate for all the wrongs of the colonial era (and Italy’s compensation will come later, in apparently unrelated deals).

“It is my duty . . . to express to you in the name of the Italian people our regret and apologies for the deep wounds that we have caused you,” Berlusconi said in Benghazi, bowing symbolically before the son of the hero of the Libyan resistance, Omar Mukhtar.

It’s a generous apology, too: $200 million a year on infrastructure projects for 25 years, and if Berlusconi’s cronies in the Italian construction business get the contracts, what’s the harm in that? But we will probably not see him making a similar apology in Mogadishu or Addis Ababa anytime soon.

Libya got off lightly. Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea, Italy’s other African colonies, suffered far more from its rule, and are owed far more in compensation. But they have no oil, they are not close to Italy, and they are not going to get it.

If you calculate the amount owed by other former colonial powers at the same per capita rate as Italy did for Libya — around $1,000 per head of the ex-colony’s current population — then France owes Algeria $30 billion, the U.S. owes the Philippines $75 billion, and Britain owes India $1.1 trillion.

But the victims’ heirs shouldn’t spend their money until they actually have it in their hands, and they shouldn’t hold their breaths while waiting.

From:  rcervigni at worldbank.org
Subject: Climate Change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – New World Bank web site.
Date: June 27, 2008

We are pleased to announce the launch of the World Bank web site on climate change in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA).

The site contains information on ongoing and planned World Bank activities aimed at helping MENA countries enhance their resilience to Climate Change, and move to a low carbon development path.

The URL for the site is: http://www.worldbank.org/mena/climatecha…

Raffaello Cervigni
Senior Natural Resource Economist
Regional Coordinator, Climate Change
Sustainable Development Sector Department (MNSSD)
Middle East and North Africa Region
The World Bank
Room H 8-225
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20433 USA
Office: 202 458 8473
Fax: 202 614 1688
Cell Phone: 202 378 4432
E-mail:  rcervigni at worldbank.org

Algeria unimpressed by Sarkozy’s Med union as per http://www.theparliament.com/press-revie…

French prime minister François Fillon has failed to convince Algerian leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika to take part in the inaugural meeting of the union for the Mediterranean during a visit to the country, Le Monde reports.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy will launch his revitalised partnership on 13 July in Paris, but Bouteflika will not attend, at least no until he receives more detailed information about the project he described as “wishy washy”.
Algeria is concerned that Sarkozy’s project will force it to recognise Israel, and Bouteflika is also annoyed that his country will have no particular status within the union: Egypt will be vice president, Morocco will host the secretariat and Tunisia the headquarters of the organisation.

Libyan president Muammar Gadaffi is the only African leader who has so far declined to attend, calling the idea an “affront” to the southern nations.

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and the IPCC Technical Support Unit are jointly organising a regional outreach workshop on the findings of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. The workshop, which is aimed at African researchers, will take place on 29-30 April 2008 in Marrakech, Morocco. To be considered for participation, please submit your application no later than 5 April 2008.The objective of the workshop is to disseminate the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report findings to African researchers and scientists, in particular those of the circum-Saharan region.

The various presentations and discussions will cover the following topics:

·     The research needs for Africa.

To apply please visit the OSS website (link provided below) and download the workshop’s flyer. Only successful applicants will be contacted by 10 April 2008.
 http://www.oss-online.org/index.php?opti…

Jihed Ghannem
Communications Officer
The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)
Boulevard du Leader Yasser Arafat
BP 31, 1080 Tunis, Tunisia
T: +216 71 20 66 33       F: +216 71 20 66 36
Visit our new website at www.oss-online.org

This is an update of our first posting of February 1, 2008, when to fliers by the UN Staff Union were brought to our attention. We attach these two fliers to the end of the article. The flier of January 23, 2008 talks about the bombing in Algiers and demands an outside independent investigation as it was done after the Baghdad bombing of the UN compound there. But the other flier shows total distrust of the UN top brass. The December 17, 2007 flier came about because the killing of two Red Cross workers in Sri Lanka beginning of 2007, and also of aid workers killed in 2006. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his opposition to the killings, but did he stand up to the Sri-Lanka government when it accused UNICEF Country Representatives that protested the killings. If the UNSG cannot stand up to Sri Lanka and Algeria, why in the world will a UN employee want to serve in a troubled country knowing that he/she is not completely backed by the UN system?

The original article:

The Algerians Insisted That Algerias Lakhdar Brahimi Be The Investigator In The Killing of 17 UN Staff In Algiers. Does The UNSG Not Care For The Safety Of UN Civilian Staff?

Last evening we went to the UN to watch an Academy Award winning documentary – “Into The Arms Of Strangers: Stories Of The Kindertransport.” That was the story of 10,000 children that were sent off by their Jewish parents from Nazi occupied European continent to Britain – this in order to give them the chance to live. Not an easy task for parents and children alike. On the way to the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium we passed the BESA exhibit that shows Albanian Muslims – Kosovarians – that saved Jews during the war – so humanity can feel that in those days of darkness there were Muslims that felt repulsion to Nazi behavior.

After the movie I happened to talk to a journalist accredited to the UN that told me – you know what? Ban Ki-moon looked high and low and landed upon an Algerian Ex-Minister and perpetual Algerian UN emissary to investigate the recent killing of 17 UN employees in Algeria. If I would not be afraid that someone would accuse me of racism – I would clearly say that this stinks of “WHITEWASHING.” I cannot see why the stomachs of UN civil employees would not turn over with these news.

People of their ilk, were indeed killed like they were in the bombing of the Baghdad UN compound – this because the UN top brass is back-bone-less when it comes to stand up to what it calls a sovereign government – and do not wink when in the process they sacrifice lives of UN employees. You can say that military people have sold their safety when signing up for serving in an army, but civilians did not. The UN Staff Committee, if they have any backbone must now speak up. If they are also run by interested country citizens on the UN quota based system, so good luck when next bomb strikes.

With above information in my head, I discovered at home that things start filtering to the press via the very few outlets of true investigative journalism that still operate at the UN.

After Algiers Bombing, UN to Appoint Algerian Ex-Minister Lakhdar Brahimi to Investigate.

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, January 31 — “In the wake of the bombing last month that killed UN staff in Algiers, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he would appoint an outside panel to investigate. The Algerian government protested, saying it had not been consulted. Ban and his chief of staff Vijay Nambiar both met with Algerian officials, and Thursday night Algerian diplomats said that the choice to head the UN panel is former Algerian foreign minister Lakhdar Brahimi.”

At the UN, some scoffed at such a choice as an accommodation which would call into question any independence of the panel. Others called it astute politics, given that Brahimi’s previous study of peacekeeping made it likely that he will exonerate the UN system, too.

But UN Development Program Administrator Kemal Dervis, asked by Inner City Press about UNDP’s Marc de Bernis’ role in not having raised the threat assessment level after the April 2007 bomb attack in Algeria, said that the UN had in fact asked the Algerian government to help block off the street in front of the UN building, without any formal response. So this time, in effect there was a UN employee who on location asked for improved security from the Algerians. Obviously, nobody from UN headquarters in New York has moved onto that subject in those days. Mr. Marc de Bernis was killed in the bombing – so now we rely on his widow’s statements.

“Algerian officials have fired back, including at a conference in Tunis on Thursday, when Algeria’s interior minister Yazid Zerhouni spoke, in front of UN Security chief David Veness, of the need for \’respect for the sovereignty of states… without interference in their internal affairs.’ Hours later, other Algerian diplomats named Algerian Brahimi as the UN’s “outside” investigator.”

Now that is what we keep saying all the time – THE UN IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR OF ITS SOVEREIGN STATES – and this is lower then low.

Lakhdar Brahimi – is he “a fox guarding the hen house,” as one diplomat put it?
Remembering that Algeria is a member of OAPEC and sells oil and gas to Europe – could he be rather the cat that was put in charge of the sour cream jar?

David Veness, it should be said, was previously with Britain’s Scotland Yard, for which he investigated without success the disappearance of three million dollars from UN custody in Somalia. Now Scotland Yard is providing the veneer of outside investigation to Pervez Musharraf’s inquiry into the murder of his political rival Benazir Bhutto.

Matthew writes that “one wag at the UN Thursday night, at the end of the month of Security Council presidency reception by the Libyan mission, asked and answered a question. What is the difference between Pervez Musharraf and Ban Ki-moon? (A beat.) At least Pervez Musharraf has Scotland Yard.”

So, the UNSG will not even show strength of looking for cover by reaching out to someone like David Veness to look into what hapened in Algiers. That corects us now – THERE WILL NOT BE EVEN A WHITEWASH in the Algiers affair – plain lack of trust in the so called Algerian in-house investigation.

WE HAVE A SUGGESTION – WHY WOULD NOT BAN KI-MOON ASK FOR AN ISRAELI EX-MOSSAD MAN TO VOLUNTEER TO REVIEW THE BRAHIMI CONCLUSIONS. TO BE MORE PRECISE – HE SHOULD ANNOUNCE THIS AS HIS UN INSTITUTIONAL CHOICE WHEN ACCEPTING THE ALGERIAN SOVEREIGN CHOICE OF BRAHIMI. ONLY A DRASTIC MOVE LIKE THIS CAN RETURN A SEMBLANCE OF CREDIBILITY BEFORE THE UN STAFF.

The Commission on Sustainable Development Is It A Moribund UN Body Or Will It Be Revived Because It Is Needed After The Re-Engagement Hoopla That Happens Now At Bali?

Our Website was established in order to help create the awareness that there is no other development possible – not in the developing countries and not in the developed countries – that is not SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

We had experience starting from before the Brundtland Commission of 1987, we were engaged at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, and we wrote the “Promptbook on Sustainable Development for The World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg 2002. In short we are strong believers that if the UN CSD were not created in 1994, we would have had to create it now.

Why that? Simply, because as it is crystal clear now that the development of tomorrow cannot go on by rules of the development of yesterday – and this was given, right today, full global recognition in Oslo, when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the scientists of the IPCC, and to Al Gore – whatever will come out from the Bali-Poznan-Copenhagen process will be clearly a final global landing on the runway that was built in Rio for Agenda 21. And as we keep saying – this will be a joint Sustainable Development for North and South, East and West. It will be a world were those that have the needed technologies will share them with those that are only trying out for their own National development. This will not be done because of altruism – it will be rather because of self interest that comes from the simple fact that we are all residents of planet earth, and we understand that we have caused the planet to be on a path of destruction that harms the continuation of life as nature or god created.

After UNCED, The UN created a Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development and Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Gali appointed Mr. Nitin Desai, at the Under-Secretary-General level to head the Department. 1994-1998 Joke Waller-Hunter from the Netherlands was the first Director of the Division for Sustainable Development and the head of the Commission on Sustainable Development – so the Commission itself dates back, for all practical purpose, to 1994 – even though it officially was started in 1992. In May 2007 we witnessed the CSD 15 (that is counting back to 1992!).

In 1997, Secretary-General Kofi, in an effort to reduce the number of UN Under-Secretary-Generals, consolidated three economic and social departments and created UN DESA (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and eventually put Mr. Desai as head of DESA where he was until he was replaced in 2003 with Mr. Jose Antonio Ocampo, the former Finance Minister of Colombia; the new Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, brought in, July 2007, Mr. Sha Zukang, the previous China Ambassador in Geneva. In 1998 Ms. JoAnne DiSano, with a background of having worked for the Canadian Government, and then for 11 years with the Australian Government, became the Director of the new Division of Sustainable Development within DESA. She held this position until September of 2007 and since then the position is VACANT, and it looks as if the UN does not care.

Ms. Joke Waller-Hunter, left her position with the CSD in 1998 in order to become the Executive Secretary of the of Bonn based   UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) where she remained untill her death in 2006. She was replaced there in 2007, by Mr. Yvo de Boer, appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Yvo de Boer is also from the Netherlands, where he was Director for International Affairs of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment. He was in the Past Vice-Chair of the Commision on SD and Vice-Chair of the COP of the UNFCCC. Both, the CSD and the UNFCCC are outcomes of the 1992 UNCED. Ms. Joke Waller-Hunter’s departure from New York may have had something to do with the 1997 UN reorganization that replaced the Department of SD with a Division of SD within DESA. She may have sensed that her presence at UNFCCC will further SD goals easier then   at the new Division of SD – that its creation caused in effect a demotion in her position.

The present vacancy at the nerve-center of the CSD, at a time the CSD is needed indeed, following the latest push at the UNFCCC, on matters of climate change, that causes our renewed interest in the UN CSD and in the UN Division that was established specifically in order to run the CSD. We are afraid that it will be difficult to see progress on the UN level, in matters of climate change, without a functioning office that deals with sustainable development.

Now to be honest, our interest is not just because of curiosity – but rather because of the worry that we understand very well the reasons for the slow demise of the CSD – the factors that got it to start on what may be a path to extinction.

At CSD 9 it was decided that the CSD will discuss specific topics in cycles of two years. So the first cycle was Water for CSD11-CSD12, the second cycle Energy for CSD14-CSD15, the third cycle Land Use for CSD16-CSD17.

So 2006-2007 was the Energy cycle, and as in UN fashion it was supposed to be the turn to have a chair from Asia, it was the Asians that suggested Qatar to chair the energy subject. Now Qatar is a producer of gas rather then oil.

Some said that though sustainable development must help put forward development methods that are less dependent on oil and coal, this for reasons of global warming and climate change, nevertheless, recognizing the role of natural gas as a cleaner fuel and a potential intermediary fuel from an oil and coal economy to an economy that is starting to be based on renewable sources of energy, Qatar could have been acceptable also as a political peace-maker between the interests of conventional industry and the incoming new industry based on renewbles. But to the consternation of those optimists, we could see that behind the representative of Qatar, at the CSD sessions, there was always sitting a representative from Saudi Arabia, and in the end there was no resulting negotiated text for what is probably one of the most important topics of Sustainable Development – Energy.

Above was nothing yet when compared with what happened in the last day of CSD 15. As always, there are elections for the next CSD membership – the membership is held at 53 countries elected according to a regional key – and then there is the election of the “bureau” and the new chair. The turn according to UN habit was that next chair will be from Africa, and as said, the topic for CSD16 in 2008, and for CSD17 in 2009, will be Land Use. The Africans decided to put forward Zimbabwe as their choice and campaigned with the G77 that this is their wish. The UK did not want any part of this, and specially since the land policies of the Mugabe Government have run Zimbabwe agriculture from being a large agricultural exporter to becoming a starving nation, with an economy that was totally destroyed, a monetary situation that shows astronomic inflation rate, and human rights problems that clearly make it ineligible for a UN leadership position, it is this obstinacy that reduced the CSD to plain irrelevancy. We were there that night of Friday May 11, 2007, in room 4 in the UN basement, and watched in disbelief how the distinguished, low-key German Ambassador, head in New York of the EU presidency, with the German Minister of the Environment next to him, simply told the CSD Chair from Qatar that the EU cannot work with this sort of CSD.

If by any way I exaggerate now, 7 months later, please forgive my memory, but see what I, Pincas Jawetz, Inner City Press journalist Matthew Rusell Lee, and the EUobserver from Brussels, wrote about this – the references on the www.SustainabiliTank.info web are:

- EUobserver on the 5/11 Crash of CSD15 (May 14th, 2007)

- A First Analysis: From The Ashes of the CSD, Will We See A Rising Phoenix? A Brundtland II, To be Called – “OUR COMMON GROUND” ? (May 13th, 2007)

- The UN General Assembly Resolution of September 30, 1974 against South Africa was not Premised On Apartheid’s Threat To Security, But On Its Serious Violation Of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. WHY DOES
SOUTH AFRICA OF 2007 BACK MUGABE’s ZIMBABWE SAYING HE DOES NOT THREATEN INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY? (May 13th, 2007)

- 9/11 and 3/11 Have Become Symbols of what Oil Money Can Cause To Those Who Insist On Buying The Oil, Will 5/11 Become The Symbol of Awakening at the UN? This Because Of May 11, 2007 Late Evening Happenings At
The So Called UN Commission On Sustainable Development? (May 12th, 2007)

- At the UN, Zimbabwe Elected 26-21 to Sustainable Development Chair for CSD16, As EU and Others Reject Final Text of The Chairman from Qatar of CSD15. (May 12th, 2007)

I took then the 5/11 date and in ways of exaggeration tried to compare this with 9/11 in New York and 3/11 in Madrid. Was it really an exaggeration? Could we say that the backing Zimbabwe got from States with unresolved problems from colonial days, and oil states that think, completely wrong, that they have anything to gain from derailing the concept of sustainable development, sustainable energy, global warming, climate change…, from efforts to improve the life of billions of people?

Further, the UN recognizes three groups of States with greater needs – these are the Least Developed States (LDCs), the Small Island Independent States (SIDS), and the Landlocked States. These are the States within the UN system that are most in need of help via sustainable development. Why did the UN take them out from being under the Under-Secretary-General who heads DESA, and put them under a separate Under-Secretary-General? Does this not cause waste and decreased efficiency? Would they not be served better within a well functioning unified economic organization that takes, for instance, in account the interests of Island States when it comes to the subject of the effects of global warming/climate change?

Now, I was not going to allow myself to lose my hope for a functioning CSD. The articles I refer to above are actually articles of hope – that is I hope that from the ashes the CSD will rise, as a Phoenix, under the leadership of Brundtland II.

Does this look likely? I submit it is imperative, and by the end of this week, whatever wind will be blowing from Bali, people will see that it does not go without sustainable development. So why do the Africans not get together and try to rein in Mr. Mugabe? Again, just this week, the EU invited all Heads of State of Africa to Lisbon for discussions on trade that were needed in order to help restart the Doha trade round. The Europeans were ready to put aside the dispute with Mugabe, and he was also invited – then why did he have to show physically his raised fist? Is this the end of an EU-Africa relation? Clearly not. It was just a new beginning showing that rational people can try to restart negotiations even in the presence of a street-bully. And that brings me back to the UN DC-2 building – that is where one finds the CSD Secretariat.

CSD 16 will happen one way or another in May 5-16, 2008. The full list of topics is: “The Review Session of The Third Implementation Cycle that Will Focus on Agriculture, Rural Development, Land, Desertification, and Africa.”

The CSD expects Germany to fund the bringing to New York of youth representatives from the developing countries. A main topic will be “Drought and Desertification and Africa” – this means effects of climate change that helped cause warfare in Africa. Will the world allow Africa to commit suicide through obstinacy, or is the world obliged to look into the mirror and say we cannot continue on this path? Mr. Baroso bit his lip and made an effort. We assume the EU will continue to try to find a way to keep the Commission in business, if at least the UN Secretariat helps reestablish a CSD Secretariat – and at the minimum there must be a functioning Director of the CSD Secretariat. That is the closing of the three month old vacancy that was created with the departure of Ms. JoAnne DiSano.

I understand that part of the nominating and election process involves the Commission itself. The present 53 members are:

African States: 12 besides Zimbabwe. They are – Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo/Kinshasa, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Tanzania, Zambia.

Asian States: 11 – Bahrain, China, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Thailand.

Eastern Europe: 6 – Belarus, Croatia, Czech Rep., Poland, Russia, Serbia.

Latin America and Caribbean: 10 – Antigua and Barbuda (the incoming head of G-77), Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Peru.

Western European and Others: 13 – Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK, US.

By looking through this list I clearly see that Poland, the host of next year’s follow up meeting to Bali, motors of the UNFCCC track like Germany, UK, Japan, Australia, India, even China, Antigua, Korea,Tunisia, Congo/Kinshasa, Tanzania, Croatia will want to see a functioning CSD. What is needed is a low key peace maker with vision who comes from inside the UN system, and who has a history of having seen the difficulties when working with developing countries that seem to have memories from colonial days that they apply to new situations that really are of a totally different nature. Finding such a person would help, we hope, revive the CSD, so it could continue its functions and prepare for much larger importance when the UNFCCC track finally starts sputtering.

Invitation to attend the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA / IDRC) program’s joint side event at the UNFCCC COP 13 in Bali.

“Adapting to climate change in Africa: towards regional solutions”

6 December 2007, 20:00 – 21:30
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Solar room

The speakers:

Ms Fatima Denton, Program Leader, Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program (International Development Research Centre, IDRC)
Mr. Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, Climate focal point, the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)
Mr. Josué Dioné, Director, Food Security and Sustainable Development Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Mr. Sékou Touré, Conflict Resolution Commissioner, Global Environment Facility (GEF) [to be confirmed]
Chair: Mr. Youba Sokona, Executive Secretary, the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)

The recent IPCC assessments reiterate that Africa is the continent most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. The panel will explore steps needed to address climate change on a regional basis. The discussion will touch on key issues including land degradation, food security and water resources management. The panellists will demonstrate the benefits of a regional approach to devising adaptation strategies and formulating policy responses to climate change in Africa.

Jihed Ghannem
Communications Officer
The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)
Boulevard du Leader Arafat
BP 31-1080 Tunis, Tunisia
T: +216 71 20 66 33 F: +216 71 20 66 36

This is a Release to The Press by the UNFCCC headquarters For What Could Have Been A Very Important Event – Had it be held on the Northern Shore Of The Mediterranean, if the focus is the Mediterranean, or South of the Sahara, if the focus is Africa. Simply, having the event under Arab Leadership Does Only Confuse The Issue, Like Going To OPEC in Saudi Arabia In Order To Appease The Arab Oil Exporters Does Very Little To The Issue Of Green House Gas Emissions From Combustion Of Oil.

We understand the needs of diplomacy, but we also know the Saudi position that if climate change becomes the preoccupation of the oil addicted countries, like the attempt of decreasing the dependence on drugs decreases the market for the drug-pushing families, this will harm economic interests of the oil selling families of the Arab world. Shoring up your back in the face of this sort of UN pressure does little else then kill any positive attempt at building for a better future for all of us – this because it muddies the real issues. Our comments are not intended to interfere with publication of the event in Tunis, but are to be seen as an editorial reaction to what we think is the wrong way at leading towards a world program on man-induced climate change. We will also remark for the n-th time that nothing will happen before there is a US Presidential push and leadership that we expect to evolve within three years under next US President, and will be pushed by business factors from such locations as the Silicone Valley in the US and their counterparts in other places outside the US. We clearly expect that wise people that showed their capability at investing for the long term their gains from oil, like the financial gurus in the Emirates that did not waste their money on Cadillacs, women and tanks, will also benefit from this new change in the economy – and power to them. They know the direction of the wind and do not need a pat on the back that has the psychological effect of coalition building with those that are most exposed to the damages from climate change. (comments by Pincas Jawetz)

UNFCCC Executive Secretary available for interviews IN TUNIS on climate change
issues in Africa and Mediterranean Regions

On, 18 November 2007, Mr. Yvo de Boer, the UN’s top climate change official
will attend the “International Solidarity Conference on Climate Change for
African and Mediterranean Regions” in Tunis, Tunis (18-20 November).

In his key-note address. Mr. de Boer will focus on the impacts of climate
change on Africa and what can be done to respond to this, given that Africa
will be particularly hard hit by the impacts of climate change.

Such impacts, as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), are increased incidents of drought and flooding, along with other
extreme weather events. These impacts will in turn lead to increased water
and food scarcity for millions of people within the coming decades. The
extent of impacts caused by climate change depends on the extent greenhouse
gas emissions – mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and
deforestation- can be reduced over the coming decades.

This year is crucial to the international negotiations that will take place
at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia this
December. The main goal of the Bali Conference is to deliver a necessary
breakthrough and get negotiations going on a new international climate
change agreement post-2012. Strengthened action on adaptation, especially
in developing countries, needs to be part of a new international climate
change deal post-2012.

The Tunis conference, attended by Environment Ministers, is expected to
issue a “Tunis Declaration” will deliver key input for the Climate Change
Conference in Bali. It is also expected to deliver an integrated adaptation
plan for Africa and the Mediterranean countries (including France, Spain
and Italy).

Mr. de Boer is available for interviews and media opportunities focused on
climate change and Africa/Mediterranean Regions and the issues on the table
at the Bali Conference. He will be at the Hôtel Barcelo Carthage Thalasso
in Tunis, where the conference is taking place on 18 November.

Interviews can be arranged at the hotel on Sunday, 18 November from 13:15,
or – for foreign correspondents – can be conducted by telephone from Tunis.

To arrange interviews and for further information, please contact: Ms.
Katrin Cowan, Public Information Officer: +49 162 209 3877

To schedule interviews outside of the Tunis conference, please contact
Carrie Assheuer, Public Information and Media Assistant, tel.: (+49-228)
815-1005, email: press(at)unfccc.int

About the United Nations Climate Change Conference – Bali, 2007
This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (3-14 December) will
be presided over by Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar, with
support from the UN’s Climate Change Secretariat. More than 10 thousand
participants are expected to attend. The main goal of the conference is to
launch negotiations on a new international climate change agreement. The
conference will not deliver a fully negotiated and agreed climate deal but
is aimed to set the necessary wheels in motion. Parties are expected to
agree the key areas which the new agreement should cover, such as
mitigation (including avoided deforestation), adaptation, technology and
financing. They also are also expected to agree on 2009 as the year the
negotiations will conclude.

About the UNFCCC
With 192 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) has near universal membership. It is the parent treaty of the 1997
Kyoto Protocol, which has to date 176 member Parties. Under the Protocol,
36 States, consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries
undergoing transition to a market economy, have legally binding greenhouse
gas (GHG) emission limitation and reduction commitments, while developing
countries have non-binding obligations to limit emissions. The ultimate
objective of both treaties is to stabilize GHG concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with
the climate system.

UNFCCC Press Office
Information Services – Communications and Media Unit
Bonn, Germany
Tel.: (+49-228) 815-1005
Fax: (+49-228) 815-1999

 At SustainabiliTank.info we wonder how outsiders can act as blatant when they come to Africa. We went on record by questioning why the Conference on helping Lebanon was held in Paris, France, the former colonial masters – and a coleague said in jest that the conference on helping Somalia will be held in Rome. Now he is proven right – Italy just promissed that.   Furthermore – the Arab influence in Africa was nothing but negative. Now Tunisia wants to see some more of it. Africa has indeed no future unless they shake off such visitors. Only a Calestous Juma type can help – some day.

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Professor Calestous Juma: Calestous Juma, an African, Professor of the Practice of International Development, Harvard University, presented on “The New Culture of Innovation: Africa in the Age of Technological Opportunities.” In opening, he cited Africa’s central challenge as how to foster a new culture of technological innovation in an age of epochal technological opportunities. Noting that most national S&T policies still focus on basic research approaches founded on the notion of “scarcity” of knowledge, he suggested that policy approaches based instead on the concept of available “technological opportunities” would lead to different strategies that emphasize technology prospecting and international partnerships, and that use existing knowledge as a starting point for solving problems.

He stressed the need for a new economic vision for Africa, expressed at the highest level of government, which focuses on the role of knowledge as a basis for economic transformation. He said such a vision would entail placing policy emphasis on emerging opportunities, such as renewing infrastructure, building technical capabilities, stimulating business development and increasing participation in the global economy. Suggesting that such an approach must necessarily focus on learning and continuous improvement, Professor Juma then addressed the possibilities for developing such an opportunity-based outlook by discussing four key areas: economic growth as social learning; strength in diversity; renewing economic growth; and creating a new culture of innovation.

On economic growth as social learning, Professor Juma introduced the concept of “learning to grow” – being the ability to learn how to improve performance in a variety of fields, such institutional development, technological adaptation, trade, organization and the use of natural resources. He noted the importance of investing in basic infrastructure, nurturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and government support for higher education institutions, academies of engineering and technological sciences, professional engineering and technological associations, and industrial and trade associations. He also emphasized the need to identify technologies opportunities to enhance Africa’s development, citing several important areas of science, including the life sciences, engineering and materials science, and science related to the development of alternative energy sources.

Regarding the issue “of strength in diversity,” Professor Juma emphasized the importance of using international trade and technology cooperation as tools for enhancing regional stability. Citing countries such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa as examples, he suggested that Africa could benefit from bilateral and multilateral agreements and partnerships that promote the use of regional technological capabilities in international trade. He also emphasized that science and innovation are central elements of the continent’s integration agenda and so should be made more explicit

On renewing economic growth, Professor Juma discussed the importance of and strategies for: strengthening infrastructure facilities; reforming higher technical education; spurring business entrepreneurship; fostering international trade; and joining the global knowledge ecology. On creating a new culture of innovation, he discussed the need to improve technology governance; identify strategic technology missions; and diversify funding sources. Among other recommendations, Juma suggested a presidents’ council on science, technology and innovation to champion the role of technological innovation in development, and the promotion of international technology cooperation and strategic alliances in the S&T field by ministries of foreign affairs.

Professor Juma concluded by noting that charting a new development path will require creative thinking and risk taking, and that a large part of the cautious approach inherent in international development projects results from rigidities in existing systems of accountability. He noted that all learning processes entail a large degree of experimentation and risk taking, such that it is important not only to assess the final impact of specific projects, but to create environments that promote trust through continuous feedback. He said development cooperation must be open, collaborative and guided by collective learning, and that conventional judgments about project “failure” and “success” must be replaced with a greater emphasis on lessons learned.

President of Tunisia: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of Tunisia, noted that the choice of this Summit theme reflects a common determination to join the process of modernization and progress and to keep pace with modern scientific and technological developments.

In highlighting that Africa’s youth are the continent’s most important capital and the symbol of its aspirations for a better future, President Ben Ali stressed the need to: promote their capacities; prepare them to assimilate modern scientific and technological developments; and instill in them a sense of initiative to qualify them to assume their role in serving development. He emphasized the need to further cooperation with international institutions specialized in S&T and to benefit from cooperation in developing and upgrading systems of scientific research in African countries. He also underlined the importance of expanding cooperation and exchange of expertise between African regional bodies acting in the fields of education, scientific research and modern technologies and their counterparts in Arab countries.

President Ben Ali then outlined reforms introduced in Tunisia since 1987 to achieve development in all economic and social dimensions. He noted the special place of scientific research and technology in Tunisia’s development efforts, including the development of technological “poles” to achieve technological development and interaction between research and economic enterprise. He also outlined the conclusion of a cooperation agreement with the UN University for the establishment of a remote training center in Borj Cedria, to provide training to African scientists in the fields of water, the environment, biotechnology and energy.

In stressing the need for Africa to expand its platform of investment in scientific research, reinforce its human resources in infrastructure, and make regional use of its resources, President Ben Ali expressed support for the CPA, as well as the recommendations of the Extraordinary Conference of AMCOST, and called on the Assembly to adopt the recommendations and develop a plan for their implementation.

Prime Minister of Italy: Romano Prodi, Prime Minister of Italy, noted that his presence at the Summit indicated Italy’s commitment to giving Africa a voice and a central place on the world stage. He noted that while Africa is living through a period fraught with contradictions, there are signs of hope that must be seized upon and encouraged. Noting Africa’s political and economic revival, he said that his confidence in Africa is heightened by Africa’s self-confidence – in its political and economic growth and as a great continental institutional community. He noted that the most important event of the past few decades, in terms of political revival has been the process of political and institutional integration spearheaded by the AU.

Prime Minister Prodi noted important areas for cooperation between the EU and the AU, including development, migration, science, international trade, innovation, energy and the environment, citing the recent Euro-African Conference on Migration, research into low-cost vaccines and measures to allow for debt cancellation, as examples. He also outlined areas in which the AU and the EU must “step up the pace,” including matters of innovation, energy and the environment.

On peace and security issues in Africa, he appealed to member states to eschew unilateral decisions and to work, without rhetoric, for agreed solutions to ongoing crises on the continent. In expressing Italy’s commitment to assisting Africa to overcome its challenges, he noted three examples: Italy’s financial contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis; the upcoming opening of the third pole of the International Center for Generic Engineering and Biotechnology, headquartered in Italy, in Africa; and Italy’s commitment to organizing a Somalia Peace Conference as soon as conditions permit it. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of the value of defending life, as an inalienable right and expressed hope for continued cooperation with Africa on a moratorium on capital punishment.

from the February1, 2007 edition of the Christian Science Monitor

A clearer global climate forecast – by Peter N. Spotts, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.
A report coming Friday, tomorrow, February 2, 2007, will offer the strongest consensus yet on how the Earth will change:

By 2100, retired snowbirds will be joined by “sun birds” – who flee north to escape oppressively hot, humid summers not just in Miami, but Milwaukee as well. In the US West, deep mountain snows – currently a key natural reservoir for fresh water – will virtually vanish. And while the growing season will expand by about a month, urban gardeners will spend more time indoors as higher temperatures help boost smog at ground level.

Welcome to a world where the climate is, on average, 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than today.

That projection – more specific than any previous one – is just one element expected to emerge this week as some 500 scientists from around the world gather to put the finishing touches on a major report on the Earth’s climate and what the future may hold for it as humans continue to pump heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

It’s the first of three volumes set for release this year by the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Details in the document, which focuses on climate change, remain closely held until its release Friday morning. Leaks to the press based on earlier drafts, however, suggest that the researchers are projecting temperature increases of between 2 and 4.5 degrees C (3.6 and 8.1 degrees F.) by century’s end if carbon-dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere reach twice their preindustrial levels. Their “most likely” increase is expected to be about 3 degrees C.

“Three degrees is very significant warming,” acknowledges Thomas Delworth, a researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N.J.

Of course, projecting future climate is a dicey proposition. High-powered computers are loaded with mind-numbing programs whose math represents a range of key processes in the oceans, atmosphere, and land. Scientists enter a few key numbers at start-up, such as the sun’s radiation level and levels of greenhouse gases at a beginning time, then press “enter.”

Still, “we’re not completely sure of a lot of the physics, and it’s hard to build a model for something you don’t understand,” says William Collins, a modeler at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. “We don’t know the trajectory for man-made greenhouse gases over the next century.”

To finesse that issue, the IPCC has developed a range of emissions profiles, based on different assumptions about population and economic growth and the pace of adoption of new technologies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The emissions profile that yields the 3-degree C warming “is fairly optimistic,” Dr. Collins says. It assumes rapid economic growth, a rapid influx of new, more efficient technologies, and a world population that peaks mid century, then starts to decline. Based on past and current emissions, many climate scientists say that a doubling of atmospheric CO2 by century’s end is a done deal.

One rule of thumb: Wet areas will get wetter and dry areas will get drier. The most rapid warming is expected over the continents. In essence, climate bands move north, giving Wisconsin the kind of summers once limited to places like southern Mississippi. Warming in northern North America and north-central Asia would be largest in winter. Already, disappearing sea ice, melting permafrost, shifts in vegetation, and melting Greenland ice are signaling the changes under way in the far north.

One likely hot spot: coastal areas around the Mediterranean Sea.
“Every model projects strong drying over the Mediterranean, from Spain through the Middle East,” Dr. Delworth says. The region could range on average from 4 to 8 degrees F. warmer in the summer than today, sending any remaining beachgoers on the Costa del Sol scrambling for cooler climes. “That’s a very profound impact” on a geopolitically important part of the world, he adds.

Another region of concern is Africa’s Sahel, which has seen a series of severe droughts over the past 30 years. Yet Delworth acknowledges that the models fail to agree on whether the drying trend of the past 30 years will continue.

For the US, global warming will squeeze more moisture out of the already dry Southwest. “But the consensus among models is not as high,” he explains. One reason: Models are still having a hard time capturing the wind patterns that bring seasonal monsoons to the region.

One broad area that may receive more scrutiny: the portions of Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado that host vast expanses of sand dunes. A recent study by researchers at the University of Nebraska and the University of Wisconsin notes that many of these dune systems are on the knife’s edge of mobilization, and could begin to wander across the landscape if moisture becomes much more scarce.

The Times of London, http://www.timesonline.co.uk
January 24, 2007

Khaled Abdelwahhab

An Arab who saved the lives of two dozen Jews during the Holocaust is about to receive an unprecedented honour from Israel. Khaled Abdelwahhab, a wealthy Tunisian landowner, is poised to become the first Arab to be celebrated as a Righteous Gentile.

The award, presented by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance authority, is granted to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust in which six million died.
More than 21,000 people have been granted the title of Righteous Among the Nations since it was established in 1963, with Oskar Schindler probably the best known. But, in spite of stories of heroism and friendship recorded by members of North Africa’s once-large Jewish community, no candidate has emerged from the Arab Muslim world.

The story of Khaled Abdelwahhab was uncovered by an American Jewish expert on Arab and Islamic politics who was researching for a book.

A survivor told Robert Satloff that Abdelwahhab had rescued 23 Jews, including her family, as they sheltered in an olive oil factory after being thrown out of their homes by German soldiers. He feared that the women were going to be put to work in a brothel and gave them sanctuary for the remaining six months of the German occupation.

Interviewed at her home in Los Angeles a few weeks before her death, Anny Boukris said that Abdelwahhab had discovered that German officers were planning to take her mother, Odette, to work in the brothel they had set up in Mahdia, on the east coast of Tunisia.

Abdelwahhab’s father was a good friend of the Boukris family, so he drove straight to the olive oil factory and told all the Jews sheltering there that their lives were in danger and that they must go with him immediately.

He settled them all at his family farm in the village of Tlelsa, 20 miles from Mahdia, and they remained there until British troops ended the German occupation in April 1943.

Abdelwahhab was 32 when the Germans arrived in Tunisia and was described by Dr Satloff as a bon vivant, blessed with Hollywood film-star looks — and an eye for the ladies. His father was a former minister to the court of the Tunisian bey [sovereign].

Abdelwahhab studied art and architecture in New York and lived for a time in Paris. He married a Venezuelan opera singer in Spain and she became the mother of one of his two daughters. He died in 1997 at the age of 86.

Estee Yaari, of Yad Vashem, told The Times that a file on Abdelwahhab had been opened and would be considered by a commission of experts led by a supreme court judge. “It looks as if there is enough material to move this forward and he would be the first Arab to become a Righteous Among the Nations,” she said.

Dr Satloff, executive director of the Institute for Near East studies in Washington, uncovered the story of Abdelwahhab’s heroism while working on a book that he hoped would break “the conspiracy of silence” in the Arab world surrounding the rescue of Jews during the Holocaust.

Dr Satloff, who flew to Israel to meet Yad Vashem officials yesterday, said: “These stories are only coming to light now because we haven’t looked too hard before at the Holocaust experience in Arab countries. But another reason is that Arabs who did save Jews didn’t want to be found. They are reluctant to admit that they saved Jews.”

More than 1.5 million Jews lived in northern Africa during the Second World War and were subject to persecution by the Nazis and their allies there, although few were sent to the death camps in Europe.