Daily Media Summary, 06-11-2015

THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

Today’s summary of the local dailies highlights President Johnson Sirleaf’s departure for the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Group of Seven Summit’s commitment to assist the three countries worse affected by the Ebola virus disease (Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone) over the next five years and the United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki- Moon’s pronouncement of an international Ebola recovery conference slated for July 10th among others.

 

DOMINANT STORIES

 

President Off To AU Summit

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has departed the country to attend the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Johannesburg, South Africa. The New Democrat newspaper quotes an Executive Mansion release as saying that the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which is being held under the theme: “Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063”, takes place on Sunday, June 14, and Monday, June 15, 2015 at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg. The Summit’s agenda specifies that the President of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. Mr. Robert Mugabe; Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma; President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Mr. Jacob Zuma; and Secretary General of the United Nations, H.E. Ban Ki Moon will address the opening session of the Summit. The African Union Summit will later consider the report of the Commission on the Ebola Crisis; the report of the Ministerial Retreat on: First Ten-Year implementation plan of the Agenda 2063 and modalities for implementation of the Alternative Sources of Financing the African Union; the report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa; and the progress report of the Commission on Maternal, New Born and Child Health (MNCH).

 

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Off To 25th AU Summit(West Africa INFO POST), Pres. Sirleaf @ 25th AU Summit In Johannesburg(The Analyst), Ellen Off To 25th African Union Summit In South Africa(Heritage), Pres. Sirleaf Off To 25th AU Summit In South Africa(INSIGHT), Ellen Off To South Africa(FOCUS)

 

G7 Summit Commits To Support Ebola Affected Countries; Issues Leaders’ Declaration On Global Economy, Foreign Policy, Health Climate Change And Environment, And Development

 

Leaders at the recently concluded Group of Seven (G7) Summit in the German Alps of Schloss-Elmau have committed to assist the three countries worse affected by the Ebola virus disease (Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone) over the next five years, after their economies were badly affected by the Ebola virus disease. According to a dispatch from Schloss-Elmau, Germany, in a Leaders’ Declaration adopted at the end of the 41st G7 Summit, the leaders and their partners agreed that the Ebola crisis has shown that the world needs to improve its capacity to prevent, protect against, detect, report and respond to public health emergencies. ''We are strongly committed to getting the Ebola cases down to zero. We also recognize the importance of supporting recovery for those countries most affected by the outbreak. We must draw lessons from this crisis. We acknowledge the work that is being done by the WHO and welcome the outcome agreed at the Special Session of the Executive Board on Ebola and the 68th World Health Assembly. We support the ongoing process to reform and strengthen the WHO’s capacity to prepare for and respond to complex health crises while reaffirming the central role of the WHO for international health security”. The leaders agreed to commit to preventing future outbreaks from becoming epidemics by assisting countries to implement the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR), including through Global Health Security Agenda and its common targets and other multilateral initiatives, according to the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

 

Related Captions: G7 To Support Ebola Affected Countries(West Africa INFO Post), G7 Summit Commits Support To Ebola Affected Countries(The Inquirer), G7 Summit Commits To Support Ebola Affected Countries(INSIGHT)

 

UN Slates International C conference on Ebola Recovery for July

The Heritage newspaper writes that United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki- Moon has announced that he will convene an international Ebola recovery conference next month in New York.  The forum will seek to help mobilize needed resources “in the last mile of the response “against the Ebola outbreak and to start the affected West African Countries on the path of early recovery”. All of you investments, all of the sacrifices and lives lost, and all of the risks that the relief workers took would be squandered if  the outbreak recurs”, Ben cautioned in his recent remarks to an informal plenary of the UN General  Assembly on the  Organization Ebola response efforts . Next month, on July 10th, I will convene an international Ebola recovery conference in New York, the UN chief said.      

 

Related Captions: UN Slates Int’l Conference On Ebola Recovery For July(INSIGHT), UN Holds Ebola Conference In New York Soon(FOCUS)

 

Pres. Sirleaf Returns Home

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has described the just-ended 41st G7 Summit held in Schloss Elmau, Germany as “successful”.  “We all have to work together to bring growth and development to our county and to also bring relief to our people,” President Sirleaf stressed. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader made the statement when she addressed journalists at the Roberts International Airport late Tuesday evening upon her return to the country. President Sirleaf emphasized Government’s commitment to fighting poverty and creating opportunities and equity for all Liberians. She said her Administration will ensure the issue of attracting partners who are generously interested in the reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure and health sectors. On the issue of economic and security development, President Sirleaf pointed out that indeed they are cardinal to the overall rehabilitation of the country’s power generating sector. She said her Government is committed to tackling the increased level of terrorism in Africa. President Sirleaf was in Schloss Elmau in Upper Bavaria, Germany to attend the 41st summit meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the Group of Seven (G7) nations. The meeting, which took place from June 7 to 8, discussed the global economy, foreign, security and development policy, the UN conferences to be held in 2015 as well as the post-2015 development agenda, reports the West Post INFO POST newspaper.

  

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Returns Home(West Post INFO POST), Ellen Returned Home…Want Liberians Work Together For Progress(FOCUS), President Returns - Describes G7 Summit As ‘Successful’(FrontPage Africa)

 

 

U.S. Army 48th Chemical Brigade Ends Mission In Liberia

The In Profile Daily reports that the 48th Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Brigade has cased its colors to signify the end of its participation in Operation United Assistance (OUA)-TAC. OUA was part of the overall ‘whole of U.S. Government’ response to assist Liberia in getting rid of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The brigade held the casing of the colors ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia on June 4. U.S. Ambassador Deborah Malac and Embassy staff, as well as representatives from USAID, the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Defense Attaché’s Office, attended the ceremony. The 48th CBRN Brigade was deployed to Liberia in mid-March 2015 to replace the 101st Airborne Division. The brigade worked to monitor the EVD situation and assess the need for additional Department of Defense (DOD) resources to aid in the response.

 

Related Captions: U.S. Army 48th Chemical Brigade Ends Mission In Liberia(Heritage), U.S. Army Chemical Brigade Ends Mission In Liberia(The News), US Brigade Ends Mission(New Democrat), U.S. Army Chemical Brigade Ends Mission In Liberia(FOCUS), U.S. Army 48th Chemical Brigade Ends Mission In Liberia(FrontPage Africa)

 

 

OTHER STORIES

 

         

BIN Train 250 Officer

The New Democrat newspaper says the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization has began a three- month training program for 250 officers which should have taken place two years ago as part of BIN strategic plans which run parallel with UNMIL, transitional plan in Liberia. The training process was delayed due to a combination of problems including lack of funding and the renovation of the training process in Sinje, previously occupied by the Pakistani Contingent of NUMIL. Office undergoing the training program in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County, will be taught border management and Security, cross border crime, ECOWAS Protocol etc.