The World Bank reports the African region will receive $45 billion of the $75 billion allocated for development purposes. It says other recipients will include small Pacific island states threatened by climate change and fragile countries in the Western Hemisphere, such as Haiti. [...] The fund, which runs from July 1 through June 30, 2020, also will support specific development projects in 82 additional fragile states, including Guinea, Nepal, Niger, and Tajikistan.

This week, prime minister Hailemariam Dessalegn had presented a six-month performance assessment report of his government to the House of Peoples Representatives. Foreign relation and diplomacy were among the overarching themes. [...] Efforts were channelled towards helping the country enjoy finance either in a form of loan or aid for trade, investment, tourism. In general, the activities were focused on economic diplomacy.

VOA began radio broadcasting in 1942, to combat Nazi propaganda. Per its charter, it is mandated to “serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news.” Since WWII, it has been the front-edge of America’s informational interface with citizens around the world, particularly those battling dictatorships and tyranny. [...] VOA is the largest public diplomacy program of the United States government and broadcasts in more than 40 languages.

President Donald Trump’s proposed deep cuts to humanitarian aid go against the global development goals the United States committed to in 2015, the European Union’s international development chief warned Friday. “Any withdrawal or cut in the development assistance would actually go contrary to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals agenda,” 

At the embassy level, ambassadors may be viewed as digital gatekeepers. Studies have shown that embassies headed by ambassadors who view digital platforms as an important resource are likely to be active online and to utilize digital tools in innovative ways. Conversely, embassies headed by ambassadors who view digital platforms as a risk are likely to be inactive online.

Considering Africa’s lackluster performance, it is no coincidence that many African countries and global development institutions are now prioritizing a strategy of trade over aid. But what if focusing on trade—such as partnerships with Chinese and American governments and companies—is the wrong way to look at the problem? What if instead, African countries focused on innovation? The opportunities for growth and prosperity would be much brighter.

She said India's investments in Africa had also received a boost in recent years as African countries were receiving strong investment interest from India due to their high growth markets and mineral rich reserves. Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee said his Government was committed to further strengthening partnerships with Africa for mutual benefit.