Latest news with #InternationalDevelopment
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
State Department unveils patriotic 'America First' rebrand as part of sweeping makeover
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department is launching a new, "America First" rebranding initiative to consolidate all the logos for its offices under a singular one depicting the American flag — an effort that aligns with the agency's massive overhaul plans. Whereas separate logos existed previously for offices including embassies, bureaus and programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development, the rebranding effort seeks to establish "consistent branding" across all these platforms to best reflect American contributions abroad, according to a State Department official. "The redesign is very simple, and that was to recenter and re-anchor the visual identity of American efforts overseas in the American flag," Darren Beattie, undersecretary for public diplomacy at the State Department, told Fox News Digital Tuesday. Beattie said that inconsistent branding across State Department offices and programs has meant that sometimes U.S. efforts abroad aren't as widely recognized, while other countries that do have uniformity in branding receive greater credit. "There's some things you look at it, and you have no clue that's associated with the United States government at all, and that's obviously contrary to our purposes," Beattie said. "If we're contributing something great overseas, we want that positivity and that contribution to be immediately visually distinguished as something associated with the United States." The State Department rolled out guidance on the rebranding effort Wednesday — just a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that USAID would officially no longer continue to provide foreign assistance. Fox News Digital first reported in March that the State Department would absorb remaining functions from the previously independent organization, which delivered aid to impoverished countries and development assistance. Compliance with the rebranding effort across State Department offices and bureaus is slated for Oct. 1, according to Beattie. The effort seeks to visually complement the State Department's reorganization already underway, which officials have said is the largest restructuring of the agency since the Cold War. Rubio unveiled plans in April to revamp the agency because the department was "bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission." Additionally, Rubio told lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing foreign affairs in May that the restructuring aimed to "empower" regional bureaus and embassies who are responsible for spearheading the "best innovations." "They are identifying problems and opportunities well in advance of some memo that works its way to me," Rubio told lawmakers. "We want to get back to a situation or we want to get to a situation where we are empowering ideas and action at the embassy level and through our regional bureaus. Those are literally the front lines of American diplomacy. And so we have structured a State Department that can deliver on that." Fox News Digital first reported in May that the agency's reorganization plans would involve cutting or consolidating more than 300 of the agency's 700 offices and bureaus in an attempt to streamline operations. The reorganization involves axing roughly 3,400 State Department personnel, amounting to approximately 15% to 20% of the agency's domestic headcount, State Department officials previously told Fox News Digital.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ottawa's foreign aid chief eyes red tape, visibility as Canada resists cutbacks
Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development), takes part in a swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi OTTAWA — The MP overseeing foreign aid says Canada must take a more efficient, more visible approach to development and humanitarian assistance to make the case for maintaining aid spending as the United States pulls back. 'Those that are staying the course need to be more nimble and need to be more versatile,' said Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, in his first major interview since taking on the role. Sarai said his top priorities in the job are to ensure Canadian aid dollars are being spent efficiently and to give Canadians and aid recipients a better idea of where the money goes. 'It doesn't mean that a sack of grain needs to have a Maple Leaf on it,' he said. While branding can play a role, Sarai said, the government can also spread its message through social media, outreach campaigns in recipient countries and possibly through provincial government-approved textbooks. 'Canadians would be happier, and I think those recipients would have a better value and respect and admiration for Canada and its aid,' he said. 'So that's definitely a priority.' Sarai said Canadians should know how their aid dollars work to, for example, flood-proof areas prone to natural disasters or provide farmers with climate-resilient crops. 'A potato seed that comes from Prince Edward Island to a remote part of the Philippines can take a family from barely sustaining themselves to being able to not only feed themselves but also put their children through education,' he said. Sarai worked as a lawyer in Surrey, B.C. before running for federal office in the 2015 election, when the Liberals under Justin Trudeau won a majority government. He became parliamentary secretary for veterans affairs in fall 2023. While his current role falls short of a full ministerial portfolio, it puts him in charge of overseeing Canada's aid budget and allows him to participate in some cabinet meetings. Ottawa spent $12 billion on foreign aid in the fiscal year that ended in spring 2024, the latest year fully reported by Global Affairs Canada. Half of that was core foreign aid spending, while $2.6 billion was for loans and development financing, mostly for Ukraine. Another $2.6 billion went to services for refugees arriving in Canada, while the rest largely went to global projects such as United Nations humanitarian appeals and preventive health projects. Sarai said knocking on doors during the spring election campaign convinced him that few Canadians know where their aid dollars are going. 'That's what my priority is — how can I communicate and share that. And how can I get the best bang for your buck, the most efficient way to get our aid to those that are most in need,' he said. Sarai said Prime Minister Mark Carney told him 'to cut some red tape' and proceed with Global Affairs Canada's ongoing reform of the bureaucracy it uses to fund development and humanitarian projects. Charities have long claimed that Canada's aid system is more cumbersome than those of its peers, with copious paperwork requirements that delay grants and freeze out smaller aid groups. The department has said it's trying to give clearer guidance so that it can keep preventing aid from being misused while allowing Canadian organizations to expand their reach by partnering with smaller, grassroots groups. Aid groups have criticized Ottawa for drastically cutting back on development work in Afghanistan since the Taliban retook the country in August 2021. Several of Canada's allies have issued blanket exemptions to terrorism-financing rules to allow development workers to pay local staff without being accused of funding terrorism through the Taliban's taxes on salaries. Ottawa has instead opted for a complex permitting system that has been widely criticized. Sarai said the broader reforms his department is undertaking will ensure Canadian organizations can access the funding Ottawa allocates for projects abroad. Canadian non-profits have been bracing for worse since the United States started slashing its aid budget. On behalf of U.S. President Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk placed thousands of staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development on paid leave and froze payments and shipments of aid around the world. Canadian non-profits say that many of their projects ran off systems operated by USAID or UN agencies that relied on significant U.S. funding. The aid sector has been further demoralized by the outcome of the recent G7 summit, which Canada hosted. World leaders at the summit made no major joint spending commitment to help populations facing conflict and hunger in places like Sudan, Myanmar and the Palestinian territories. Canada promised at the G7 to spend $391.3 million 'to catalyze private capital toward economic growth and development projects around the world.' Ottawa hasn't said yet where and when the funding will be used. The federal government also said it earmarked 'up to $544 million' in loans for 'new development financing in Latin America and the Caribbean.' During the spring election, Carney said he would not follow the example of the U.S. or some European countries by cutting back aid. He said Canada's approach is 'to be generous and to be effective in our support of those who are most vulnerable around the world.' Sarai said Carney's decision to maintain aid recognizes that diseases don't respect borders, that hunger and poverty lead to waves of to refugees, and that countries receiving Canadian aid are more open to Canadian trade. He said Carney's message is likely that Canadian aid needs 'to be more nimble, be more creative, so we can do more with the same amount of dollars.' The government still hasn't released a budget indicating whether the flow of aid will remain steady or see an increase or decrease. Sarai is in Brussels this week for a pledging summit with GAVI, the global vaccine alliance. Ottawa did not announce new funding for the alliance at the summit. He then heads to Spain for a UN conference on development financing with private and civil society. He expects to take part next month in the G20 meeting of development ministers in South Africa, and possibly a summit in the Solomon Islands focused on adaptation to climate change. Sarai said his talks with ambassadors in Ottawa and visiting dignitaries have left him surprised at the depth and scope of Canada's international reputation for multilateralism. 'The world still sees Canada as in a very good light. We don't have a history that is colonializing other countries,' he said. 'We have played important roles before, and we should continue to to play those roles.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
OPEC Fund provides $212mln loan to Oman for Khasab-Daba-Lima Road project
The OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) has signed a $212 million loan agreement with Oman to finance the Khasab-Daba-Lima Road Project (Sultan Faisal bin Turki Road) in the Musandam Governorate. The agreement constitutes the second tranche of a total approved loan of $392 million for the project. In October 2024, the Fund had signed a $180 million loan agreement as first tranche in support of the project. The Khasab-Daba-Lima Road Project comprises a two-lane single carriageway asphalt road, spanning approximately 70 km, between the cities of Khasab, Daba, and Lima, facilitating better access to markets and ensuring safer transport of goods and people. (Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Qatar Tribune
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Al Khulaifi meets officials on the sidelines of Oslo Forum for Peace
OSLO: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi has held separate meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway HE Espen Barth Eide; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic HE Asaad Al Shibani; Minister of International Development of the Kingdom of Norway HE Asmund Aukrust; State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Andreas Kravik; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye HE Burhanettin Duran; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran HE Dr Majid Takht-Ravanchi, and Commissioner for Human Rights in the Ukrainian Parliament Dmytro Lubinets. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the annual Oslo Forum for Peace held in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. During the meetings, the parties reviewed bilateral cooperation and ways to support and enhance it, in addition to discussing a number of regional and international issues.
India Gazette
08-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Norway's Minister of International Development meets Union Minister Jitendra Singh, expresses solidarity with India over Pahalgam attack
Monaco [Monaco], June 8 (ANI): Ahead of the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) side event, Norway's Minister of International Development, Asmund Grover Aukrust, met Union Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh in Monaco and expressed solidarity with India over the recent attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The two leaders exchanged notes on deepening India-Norway cooperation in Marine Planning, Arctic research and a resilient Blue Economy. Asmund Grover Aukrust said they eagerly looked forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Norway. The Norwegian side has clearly expressed support for India in the wake of recent developments. The Norway Minister conveyed that there is a strong public sentiment in Norway in favour of India, with many citizens expressing a desire to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit their country. In a press release, Ministry of Earth Sciences stated, 'In a significant diplomatic engagement ahead of the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) side event, Norway Minister of International Development, Asmund Grover Aukrust, called on India's Minister for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh and conveyed his country's solidarity with India, in the light of the deplorable happenings in Jammu & Kashmir in recent weeks. Dr Jitendra Singh acknowledged Norway's support, in response to which Aukrust said that they eagerly looked forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Norway.' 'From the Norwegian side, there has been a clear expression of support for India in the wake of recent developments. The Norway Minister conveyed that there is a strong public sentiment in Norway in favour of India, with many citizens expressing a desire to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit their country,' it added. This gesture was seen as a mark of solidarity and growing mutual respect between India and Norway. Dr Jitendra Singh acknowledged this goodwill and thanked the Norwegian leadership and people for their continued support for India's cause on the global stage. In a post on X, Jitendra Singh stated, 'A very fruitful 'bilateral' with Norway Minister of International Development, Mr Asmund Grover Aukrust, aboard the historic vessel 'Statsraad Lehmkuhl' at #Monaco. Exchanged notes on deepening India-Norway cooperation in Marine Planning, Arctic research and a resilient #BlueEconomy.' In another post on X, Jitendra Singh wrote, 'Ahead of the 'Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Meet, #Norway Minister of International Development, Mr Asmund Grover Aukrust conveyed his country's solidarity with India, in the light of the deplorable happenings in #JammuAndKashmir in recent weeks. The Norway Minister conveyed that there is a strong public sentiment in Norway in favour of India, with many citizens expressing a desire to see Prime Minister @narendramodi visit their country.' Upon his arrival at Quai Port Hercule in Monaco, Dr Jitendra Singh was warmly received by Director Trond Gabrielsen and Senior Adviser Eivind S Homme from the Ocean Section of Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As Dr Jitendra Singh boarded the historic research vessel 'Statsraad Lehmkuhl', he was welcomed by Asmund Grover Aukrust, along with the ship's captain, marking a cordial start to the bilateral engagement. In a press release, the Ministry of Earth Sciences stated, 'The bilateral engagement builds on the collaborative agreement on ocean management announced by the Prime Ministers of India and Norway in 2019. Since then, both nations have been actively working together on marine spatial planning as a key pillar of the Blue Economy. In the current meeting, the Ministers discussed avenues to further deepen this cooperation, including efforts to share their collective experience and expertise in ocean management with other countries, particularly island nations that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate patterns.' During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties in ocean governance and marine spatial planning, a crucial component of the global strategy for sustainable use of ocean resources. The discussion also touched upon enhancing collaboration in Arctic research, polar science missions, and the exchange of best practices on coastal resilience and maritime data sharing, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' press release. In a press release, Ministry of Earth Sciences stated, 'Speaking onboard the century-old sailing ship, which has become a symbol of ocean education and sustainability under the 'One Ocean Expedition,' Dr Jitendra Singh emphasized India's resolve to leverage science and technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to life below water. He also reiterated India's willingness to work closely with Norway and other like-minded countries in building climate-resilient blue economies.' Asmund Aukrust expressed appreciation for India's proactive role in regional and global marine conservation efforts and welcomed deeper collaboration in research and innovation, including the use of digital tools for marine planning and monitoring. The bilateral meeting served as a prelude to the larger MSP side event, where both leaders are expected to join other global stakeholders in sharing their national experiences and commitments to marine spatial planning, according to the press release. The press release stated, 'As nations increasingly turn to ocean-based solutions for sustainable growth, the India-Norway engagement signals a mutual recognition of science diplomacy as a vital bridge between environmental stewardship and development imperatives. With the ocean high on the global agenda, especially as the world looks ahead to the upcoming UN Ocean Conference, the dialogue between Dr. Jitendra Singh and Aukrust marks a step forward in harnessing shared knowledge, resources, and political will to protect and sustainably manage the marine commons.' He arrived at Monaco on Sunday for a series of meetings on board the vessel ship. In a post on X, Singh stated, 'Arrived at #Monaco for a series of meetings lined up onboard the vessel ship. Hallmark of the presence of Crown Prince of Norway, H.E. Haakon.' He also addressed the Monaco Marine Conference on Sunday and reiterated India's commitment to a resilient Blue Economy and pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about it twice in his two consecutive Independence Day addresses. In a post on X, Jitendra Singh stated, 'Addressed the #Monaco Marine Conference. Reiterated India's commitment to a resilient #BlueEconomy and pointed out that Prime Minister @narendramodi had referred to it twice in his two consecutive Independence Day addresses.' 'The India-Norway MSP collaboration, under the Indo-Norwegian Integrated Ocean and Research Initiative, has already yielded visible outcomes, notably the pilot projects in Puducherry and Lakshadweep addressing diverse issues like coastal erosion, biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and conservation. One of India's most notable achievements is the launch of the SAHAV portal - a GIS-based decision support system now recognised as a Digital Public Good, to mark the International Ocean Day today,' he added. (ANI)
