Latest news with #Mohammed
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Sevilla Conference On Development Financing Shows Optimism For Multilateralism
Today, a $4 trillion financing gap is hindering progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the end of this decade. In response, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) will take place in Sevilla, Spain, beginning on 30 June, bringing together stakeholders to advance solutions to the financing challenges threatening sustainable development. 'We've seen mounting debt burdens and declining investment, and we've seen reduced aid and growing trade barriers. The current system is certainly not delivering for the people it was designed to support,' said Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed at a briefing on Wednesday about the conference. She was joined by Ambassador Héctor Gómez Hernández of Spain, and Ambassador Chola Milambo of Zambia. Role of stakeholders More than 70 heads of state and government will attend the Conference, along with leaders of international financial institutions, civil society, philanthropies and the private sector, including those from energy, food systems and digital industries. 'The collective presence alone, I believe, sends a good signal for multilateralism at a time when we're facing quite a bit of pushback,' said Ms. Mohammed. Seville Commitment On 17 June, Member States agreed on the Compromiso de Sevilla, or Seville Commitment, to adopt at the Conference. Ms. Mohammed stressed that the Commitment addresses the debt crisis in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to financing shortfalls, as many spend more on debt interest than on essential services, straining the opportunity for sustainable development. Ambassador Milambo explained that this will be done through greater transparency, a global debt registry, and amplifying the voices of debtor countries. It also aims to catalyse investment by tripling Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) lending, doubling Official Development Assistance (ODA) to developing countries, leveraging private sector investment and ensuring the international financing system is more inclusive and effective. 'This is an agenda that world leaders can do something about. They do have the tools – and the political clout – to make it happen,' said Ms. Mohammed. Test of multilateralism Ambassador Hernández emphasised that the Conference comes at a critical time for multilateralism. 'This conference is an appeal to action, and we have the extraordinary opportunity to send a very strong message to defend the international community's commitment to the multilateral system,' he said. Ambassador Milambo later added that the consensus on the Seville Commitment 'sends a real message of hope to the world that we can tackle the financing challenges that stand in the way of the SDGs and that multilateralism can still work.' Despite the consensus, the United States recently announced it will not send a delegation to the Conference. Speakers urged observers to keep the broader picture in mind: 'It is regrettable, but it doesn't stop us from continuing to engage with that Member State' and urge a change in the course of action, said Ms. Mohammed. She concluded by noting that, especially given the recent agreement of the Commitment, the discussions the UN is having with other donors on how they are trying to use resources more efficiently will hopefully go a long way.
Yemen Online
a day ago
- General
- Yemen Online
On Islamic New Year, Saudi Arabia unveils new gold-embroidered Kiswa for Kaaba
Saudi Arabia unveiled the new Kiswa, the black and gold cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca, on the first day of the Islamic New Year in a sacred tradition that dates back to the Prophet Mohammed. The new Kiswa is made of 670 kilograms of natural black silk and 150 kilograms of gold and silver-plated thread. It features 68 Quranic verses embroidered with 24-karat gold-plated silver, all hand-stitched by skilled artisans using traditional Islamic embroidery techniques. The massive textile spans 658 square meters, consists of 47 silk panels, and weighs more than a metric ton. It is produced annually at the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Manufacturing of the Kaaba's Kiswa in Mecca, and its estimated cost is approximately $4.5 million (SAR 17 million). A ritual of reverence and precision The Kiswa is replaced every year on the first day of Muharram – which falls on Thursday in the lunar calendar – in a carefully coordinated operation involving over a hundred specialized technicians. The installation is carried out using electric lifts and scaffolding to ensure that no part of the Kaaba is exposed at any time. To protect the Kiswa from damage during the Hajj pilgrimage, a white cotton covering known as the 'Ihram of the Kaaba' is temporarily added to its lower portion. This barrier shields the cloth from being touched, torn, or stained as millions of pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba during the peak days of worship.
Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
HM exchanges new Hijri year greetings with leaders of Arab countries
Muscat: On the occasion of the New Hijri Year 1447 AH and the anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed's Hijra, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has exchanged cables of greetings with leaders of Arab and Muslim countries. In his cables, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere sentiments and best wishes for them, praying to Allah the Almighty for the return of this blessed occasion on them and their peoples, and to bestow upon the entire Islamic nation abundant blessings. In their cables to the country's Monarch, the leaders of the Arab and Muslim countries expressed their sincere greetings and best wishes to His Majesty the Sultan. They prayed to Almighty Allah to bestow divine blessings and bounties upon His Majesty and his noble people, and to make the new Hijri year, a year in which Muslims and the entire world enjoy stability, peace and harmony.
Iraqi News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Syrian architect uses drone footage to help rebuild hometown
Tal Mardikh – Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed could barely recognise his war-ravaged village when he returned after years away. Now, his meticulous documentation of the damage using a drone helps to rebuild it. 'When I first came back, I was shocked by the extent of the destruction,' said Mohammed, 34. Walking through his devastated village of Tal Mardikh, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, he said he could not recognise 'anything, I couldn't even find my parents' home'. Nearly half of Tal Mardikh's 1,500 homes have been destroyed and the rest damaged, mainly due to bombardment by the former Syrian army. Mohammed, who in 2019 fled the bombardment to near the Turkish border, first returned days after an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. The architect, now based in Idlib city, had documented details of Tal Mardikh's houses and streets before fleeing, and afterwards used his drone to document the destruction. When he returned, he spent two weeks carefully surveying the area, going from home to home and creating an interactive map showing the detailed conditions of each house. 'We entered homes in fear, not knowing what was inside, as the regime controlled the area for five years,' he said. Under the blazing sun, Mohammed watched as workers restored a house in Tal Mardikh, which adjoins the archaeological site of Ebla, the seat of one of ancient Syria's earliest kingdoms. His documentation of the village helped gain support from Shafak, a Turkey-based non-governmental organisation which agreed to fund the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 434 out of 800 damaged homes in Tal Mardikh. The work is expected to be completed in August, and includes the restoration of two wells and sanitation networks, at a cost of more than one million dollars. – 'Full of hope' – Syrians have begun returning home after Assad's ouster and following nearly 14 years of civil war that killed over half a million people and displaced millions of others internally and abroad. According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, more than 600,000 Syrians had returned home from abroad, while around 1.5 million internally displaced people have gone back to their regions of origin. The agency estimates that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced people could return by the end of this year. Around 13.5 million currently remain displaced internally or abroad, according to UNHCR figures for May. In Tal Mardikh, Alaa Gharib, 45, is among only a few dozen residents who have come back. 'I lived in tents for seven years, and when liberation came, I returned to my village,' said Gharib, whose home is among those set for restoration. He is using a blanket as a makeshift door for his house which had 'no doors, no windows, nothing'. After Western sanctions were lifted, Syria's new authorities are hoping for international support for post-war reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion. Efforts have so far been limited to individuals or charities, with the government yet to launch a reconstruction campaign. Architect Mohammed said his dream was 'for the village to be rebuilt, for people and life to return'. He expressed hope to 'see the Syria we dream of… the Syria full of hope, built by its youth'.
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Syrian architect uses drone footage to help rebuild hometown - Region
Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed could barely recognise his war-ravaged village when he returned after years away. Now, his meticulous documentation of the damage using a drone helps to rebuild it. "When I first came back, I was shocked by the extent of the destruction," said Mohammed, 34. Walking through his devastated village of Tal Mardikh, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, he said he could not recognise "anything, I couldn't even find my parents' home". Nearly half of Tal Mardikh's 1,500 homes have been destroyed and the rest damaged, mainly due to bombardment by the former Syrian army. Mohammed, who in 2019 fled the bombardment to near the Turkish border, first returned days after an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. The architect, now based in Idlib city, had documented details of Tal Mardikh's houses and streets before fleeing, and afterwards used his drone to document the destruction. Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed (L) shows on a tablet an interactive map that he created, revealing the detailed conditions of each house in his village Tal Mardikh, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. AFP When he returned, he spent two weeks carefully surveying the area, going from home to home and creating an interactive map showing the detailed conditions of each house. "We entered homes in fear, not knowing what was inside, as the regime controlled the area for five years," he said. Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed (R) speaks to workers during the restoration of a house in his village Tal Mardikh. AFP This aerial photograph shows a partial view of the village of Tal Mardikh, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. AFP Under the blazing sun, Mohammed watched as workers restored a house in Tal Mardikh, which adjoins the archaeological site of Ebla, the seat of one of ancient Syria's earliest kingdoms. His documentation of the village helped gain support from Shafak, a Turkey-based non-governmental organisation which agreed to fund the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 434 out of 800 damaged homes in Tal Mardikh. The work is expected to be completed in August, and includes the restoration of two wells and sanitation networks, at a cost of more than one million dollars. Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed (R) works with a colleague in his village Tal Mardikh, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. AFP 'Full of hope' Syrians have begun returning home after Assad's ouster and following nearly 14 years of civil war that killed over half a million people and displaced millions of others internally and abroad. According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, more than 600,000 Syrians had returned home from abroad, while around 1.5 million internally displaced people have gone back to their regions of origin. The agency estimates that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced people could return by the end of this year. Around 13.5 million currently remain displaced internally or abroad, according to UNHCR figures for May. In Tal Mardikh, Alaa Gharib, 45, is among only a few dozen residents who have come back. "I lived in tents for seven years, and when liberation came, I returned to my village," said Gharib, whose home is among those set for restoration. He is using a blanket as a makeshift door for his house which had "no doors, no windows, nothing". After Western sanctions were lifted, Syria's new authorities are hoping for international support for post-war reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion. Efforts have so far been limited to individuals or charities, with the government yet to launch a reconstruction campaign. Architect Mohammed said his dream was "for the village to be rebuilt, for people and life to return". He expressed hope to "see the Syria we dream of... the Syria full of hope, built by its youth". Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed (C) speaks to residents of his village Tal Mardikh, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. AFP Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
