Argus Geopolitical Intel

Pacific Is, Unite around renewables ambition - IRENA on GEO´ Posted By PR Channel Team - Gibraltar (Remote) www.geopoliticalmatters.com Pacific SIDS committed to strengthening energy transformation through more ambitious nationally determined contributions ahead of COP26 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 28 February 2021 - In a year of critical action on climate mitigation and adaptation, Pacific Island governments have reinforced their commitment to energy transition action and strengthened sustainable energy goals within updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, the United Kingdom in November.  At a meeting of high-level policy and intergovernmental representatives jointly hosted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Regional Pacific NDC Hub and the UK COP26 Presidency, ministers and government representatives reiterated the need for transformative pledges that significantly reorient the world’s energy transition pathway. Pa...

Belarus Human Rights Deteriorating - UN on GEO´ Posted By PRChannel Team - Gibraltar (Remote) www.geopoliticalmatters.com Google Indexed on 260221 at 09:41 A “systematic crackdown” against dissent in Belarus is continuing, months since the country’s disputed presidential election last year, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has told the Human Rights Council .  In comments to the Geneva forum on Thursday, the High Commissioner for Human Rights insisted that curbs on demonstrators had got worse since last August’s poll returned President Alexander Lukashenko to office. Those protests had led to “mass arbitrary arrests and detentions” of largely peaceful demonstrators, along with “hundreds of allegations of torture and ill-treatment”, Ms. Bachelet said, before noting that “not one of the hundreds of complaints for acts of torture and ill-treatment” had been investigated. The High Commissioner highlighted concerns about Government proposals which would reportedly “enable harsher punis...

The Future of Nagorny Karabakh - By Thomas De Waal Carnegie Europe on GEO´ Posted By PRChannel Team - Gibraltar (Remote) www.geopoliticalmatters.com The November 2020 ceasefire agreement halted the war over Nagorny Karabakh, but a sustainable peace agreement remains far from reach. By providing economic support and fostering dialogue and reconciliation, international actors can play a role in this long-term project. On November 10, 2020, a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement halted a forty-four-day-long Armenia-Azerbaijan war over the disputed territory of Nagorny Karabakh, confirming a decisive Azerbaijani military victory. Three months later, the dust has not settled from the latest war. Although it completely altered the balance of power between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the November agreement was far from a true peace treaty and left many issues unresolved. The enormous human suffering it caused, with the loss of at least 6,500 lives, including around 150 civilians, reverberates thro...

Country Report KENYA 2021 on GEO´ Compass™  Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Africa with 47 semi-autonomous counties governed by elected governors. At 580,367 square kilometres, Kenya is the world's 48th largest country by total area. With a population of more than 52.2 million people, Kenya is the 27th most populous country. Kenya's capital and largest city is Nairobi while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa. Kisumu City is the third largest city and a critical inland port at Lake Victoria. Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret. To receive the full Report direct to your inbox please Click Here to Register Free

Policy Measures to Advance Jordan’s Transition to Renewables- IRENA  on GEO´ Posted By: PRChannel Team - Gibraltar (Remote) www.geopoliticalmatters.com A new report published today by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has identified a series of policy measures that can help advance the energy transition towards renewable energy in Jordan.   The Renewables Readiness Assessment: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan – developed in co-operation with Jordan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, suggests opportunities exist to deepen private sector engagement in national efforts to reach a 31 per cent share of renewables in total power by 2030.  “The recommendations of this report comply with the newly issued Energy strategy 2020-2030 and its action plan,” said H.E. Engineer Hala Zawati, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jordan. “We are fully aware that to achieve all these ambitious targets, a strong partnership between the public and private ...

The Geopolitics of Albania - GEO´_Compass™  Report Compiled by: David Cartwright - Newsteam www.GEOPolitical Matters.com Google Indexed at o7:10 on 161020 ALBANIA: Located on Southeastern Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, is a small country with Adriatic and Ionian coastlines and an interior crossed by the Albanian Alps. The foreign relations of Albania are conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana. The current minister is de jure Prime Minister Edi Rama due to president Ilir Meta's rejection of the role to be held by the de facto minister, Gent Cakaj, a result of 'a lack of experience' from the latter. Albania is a sovereign country in Southern Europe, and the Mediterranean that declared its independence on 28 November 1912. Its foreign policy, has maintained a policy of complementarism by trying to have friendly relations with all countries. Since the collapse of Communism in 1990, Albania has extended its responsibilities and position in European and interna...

UK When should Rishi Sunak balance the books? Institute for Government on GEO´ Posted by PRChannel Team - Gibraltar (Remote) www.geopoliticalmatters.com Thursday 25 February 2021, 09:30 - 10:30 This is a live online event. Please do not travel to the Institute. Register for the Event Here   The chancellor told the Conservative Party Conference last year that “this Conservative government will always balance the books”. But the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis has led to record borrowing, an increasing debt and a depressed outlook for the economy – and likely tax revenues – in the medium term. However, as the pandemic continues, so will the government’s role in supporting the economy – and the cost of servicing its debt is currently at record lows. So does the government need to embark on a programme of fiscal consolidation? And if so, when? Whether or not Sunak intends to balance the books in this budget, what balance should he strike between tax and spending measures? In...