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Die Firma Newrest, die für das Personal der Nightjet-Nachtzüge verantwortlich ist, schliesst abrupt den kürzlich eröffneten Standort in Zürich. 30 Angestellte stehen plötzlich auf der Strasse. Die Gewerkschaft SEV spricht von Managementversagen.

À l’approche du mois sacré de Ramadan 2026, de nombreuses familles algériennes, ainsi que les enseignants et les personnels administratifs, attendent avec attention la confirmation […]

L’article Ramadan 2026 : quels seront les nouveaux horaires de cours dans les écoles ? est apparu en premier sur .

Eine alte Unfallwunde aus Thailand riss wieder auf und entzündete sich gefährlich. Ärzte einer Klinik an der Schweizer Grenze retteten Prinz Fréderic von Anhalt mittels Not-OP.

Der französischer Fernsehsender BFMTV zeigt erstmals Bilder aus dem Innern der Inferno-Bar Le Constellation in Crans-Montana VS. Ein Brand-Experte schaut sich zusammen mit Blick die Bilder an. Seine Fazit: Ein Wunder ist nicht mehr passiert.

Hinter der schillernden Fassade von Das Zelt brodelt es: Offene Rechnungen und grosse Pläne. Mit Blick spricht der Chef Adrian Steiner zur finanziellen Situation.

Der US-Botschafter bei den Vereinten Nationen hat einer möglichen Verlagerung des Uno-Sicherheitsrats nach Genf eine klare Absage erteilt. New York bleibe der Ort, «an dem jeder sprechen kann».

Spielen statt beten: Mit «Level Up!» will die katholische Kirche in Spanien Paare für Hochzeiten begeistern. Denn immer weniger junge Verliebte entscheiden sich für eine kirchliche Trauung.

In Studen BE soll mitten im Dorf ein Swinger-Club entstehen. Die Gemeinde hat das lange nicht gemerkt. Doch jetzt wehren sie sich – doch ganz so einfach ist das nicht.

Africa’s challenge lies not in a lack of ambition, but in ensuring that governance and accountability mechanisms are strong enough to turn commitments into results. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS

By Françoise Uwumukiza
Feb 11 2026 (IPS)

Africa has never lacked agricultural strategies. Since the launch of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in 2003, governments have pledged repeatedly to spend at least 10 per cent of public budgets on agriculture and to raise productivity through better investment and coordination. The African Union reaffirmed this target in subsequent declarations, such as Malabo in 2014 and the Kampala CAADP Strategy (2026-2035).

Yet, two decades on, one in five Africans still faces hunger, and few countries have met the budget commitment. With the upcoming African Union Summit around the corner, it is time to reflect on whether the continent’s food systems are finally on a path to lasting transformation. The lesson is clear: Africa’s challenge lies not in a lack of ambition, but in ensuring that governance and accountability mechanisms are strong enough to turn commitments into results.

The Kampala Correction

Adopted in 2025, the Kampala Declaration and Action Plan signalled a quiet but significant shift in Africa’s food and agricultural governance — recognising that transformation depends as much on political accountability as on policy and investment.

With the upcoming African Union Summit around the corner, it is time to reflect on whether the continent's food systems are finally on a path to lasting transformation
For the first time, parliaments are at the centre of the CAADP process. Legislators are now tasked with aligning national laws to continental targets, ensuring that agriculture, nutrition, climate and trade policies work in concert, and subjecting executive commitments to real oversight.

This correction matters. The Kampala Declaration recognises that accountability must extend beyond governments alone. It calls for stronger legislative scrutiny, transparent budget processes, and active participation by civil society and local authorities to ensure commitments translate into results. Without such checks and coordination, implementation will continue to drift.

The African Food Systems Parliamentary Network (AFSPaN) has translated this broader governance mandate into a Ten-Year Parliamentary Call to Action (2026–2035). It urges legislatures to:

• Align and update laws governing food, trade, climate and health;
• Scrutinise agricultural budgets and track spending efficiency;
• Institutionalise partnerships with civil society and local authorities;
• Guarantee gender- and youth-responsive policies; and
• Build data and analytical capacity to support evidence-based debate.

The Political Economy of Food

This is also a question of priorities. In many countries across Africa, debt-service costs often exceed agricultural budget. The continent cannot rely indefinitely on external aid while under-investing domestically in food and nutrition security. Parliamentarians have the constitutional authority to decide how money is allocated and to hold governments accountable for how it is spent. They should use this authority to ensure that fiscal policy — including debt management and investment decisions — directly supports long-term food and nutrition security.

Strong oversight is not an obstacle to executive action; it is the precondition for efficiency. Countries that have embedded accountability — such as Rwanda, where performance contracts and results-based budgeting are standard — demonstrate that governance can accelerate progress more effectively than any single financing instrument.

Accountability as the Missing Infrastructure

As the heads of state gather at the AU summit, the Kampala Declaration offers a timely reminder that Africa’s food crisis is as much a governance challenge as a production one. Infrastructure, markets and agricultural inputs remain vital, but the missing infrastructure deficit is institutional. Without transparent laws, credible budgets and measurable outcomes, even a well financed investment cannot deliver a lasting transformation.

The next decade under CAADP must therefore prioritise governance. The Kampala Declaration makes clear that success will be determined by technical agencies and political institutions. Its real test will be whether parliaments exercise the courage to challenge under-performance and to legislate for long-term resilience.

Parliamentarians have finally been given the mandate to connect these dots. They must now use it.

 

Hon. Françoise Uwumukiza, Deputy Secretary-General, African Food Systems Parliamentary Network (AFSPaN)

Excerpt:

Hon. Françoise Uwumukiza is Deputy Secretary-General, African Food Systems Parliamentary Network (AFSPaN)

The Council today appointed new prosecutors for Belgium and Czechia to the EU Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO). European prosecutors supervise investigations and prosecutions and, together with the European Chief Prosecutor, form the EPPO College. 

The Council today formally approved measures to help tackle the influx of goods entering the EU duty free in small parcels - a problem which can lead to unfair competition for EU sellers.

The Council extended the mandates of the EU Special Representatives for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and for Human Rights.

The Council adopted a set of implementing decisions making the financial assistance under the SAFE regulation available to eight EU member states and adopted decisions authorising the EU to sign and conclude the bilateral agreement between the EU and Canada.

Press briefing ahead of the Eurogroup meeting will take place on 13 February 2026 at 10.30. 

The Council today appointed new prosecutors for Belgium and Czechia to the EU Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO). European prosecutors supervise investigations and prosecutions and, together with the European Chief Prosecutor, form the EPPO College. 

Heute hat der Rat Maßnahmen förmlich gebilligt, um den Zustrom an Waren anzugehen, die in kleinen Paketen zollfrei in die EU gelangen – ein Problem, das zu unfairem Wettbewerb für EU-Verkäufer führen kann.

The Council extended the mandates of the EU Special Representatives for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and for Human Rights.

The Council adopted a set of implementing decisions making the financial assistance under the SAFE regulation available to eight EU member states and adopted decisions authorising the EU to sign and conclude the bilateral agreement between the EU and Canada.

Press briefing ahead of the Eurogroup meeting will take place on 13 February 2026 at 10.30. 

The Council today appointed new prosecutors for Belgium and Czechia to the EU Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO). European prosecutors supervise investigations and prosecutions and, together with the European Chief Prosecutor, form the EPPO College.