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December 8, 2020
Investment Promotion Agencies from Estonia, India, and Rwanda receive UN Awards for excellence.
• The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency wins special recognition for mainstreaming gender in investment promotion.
Photo: UNCTAD held its 12th Debt Management Conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 18 to 20 November 2019. The conference was followed by the Debt Management and Financial Analysis System (DMFAS) Programme Advisory Group, on 21 and 22 November 2019. Image provided by & Copyright © UNCTAD. Photo by Jean-Philippe Escard (UNCTAD). File Photo.
Photo: UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi presents an award to Claudia de Heredia. UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women initiative. Seven women from across the developing world were announced as UNCTAD’s first “eTrade for Women Advocates” on 24 September on the margins of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. These women are crushing the gender gap by building flourishing digital businesses and creating wealth and employment in their countries through vision, passion, and dedication. Image provided by & Copyright © UNCTAD. Photo by Tim Sullivan (UNCTAD). File Photo.
Photo: UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi presents an award to Xiaofei Yao. UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women initiative. Seven women from across the developing world were announced as UNCTAD’s first “eTrade for Women Advocates” on 24 September on the margins of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. These women are crushing the gender gap by building flourishing digital businesses and creating wealth and employment in their countries through vision, passion, and dedication. Image provided by & Copyright © UNCTAD. Photo by Tim Sullivan (UNCTAD). File Photo.
Geneva, Switzerland, 8 December 2020 — UNCTAD has awarded three investment promotion agencies for their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced the winners during the 2020 Global Investment Promotion Conference, a satellite event of the World Investment Forum, organized by UNCTAD in partnership with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA).
UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi, and WAIPA President, Fahad Al Gergawi, opened the two-day online event on 7 December.
“The pandemic has brought to light the critical role of investment promotion agencies and other government institutions, such as special economic zones,” Dr. Kituyi said.
“As many undergo a re-strategizing process, they need to stay informed of investment megatrends and policy evolution and understand the consequences for investment promotion.”
The high-level inaugural session brought together business leaders and high-level representatives of international organizations to debate investment prospects, new ways to attract investment beyond the pandemic, and governments’ strategic reorientation.
The President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, delivered keynote addresses.
The session concluded with the UN Investment Promotion Awards presentation by UNCTAD’s director of investment and enterprise, James Zhan.
• Winning agencies commit to innovation.
The Estonian Investment Agency won the award for its innovativeness in supporting its stakeholders and investors during the pandemic through digital solutions. These included initiating chatbot and e-consulting services and virtual business visits for investors, leveraging the country’s information technology capacity and experience with e-government.
Invest India won the award in recognition of the breadth of the services and information that it has offered the Indian investment community since the onset of the pandemic.
A prime example of its work is the creation of Invest India’s comprehensive Business Immunity Platform.
The platform offers services such as a COVID-19 helpdesk, information on central and state advisories, notifications and government support measures, and the latest news on the pandemic.
The Rwanda Development Board won the award for the effective use of its advanced online business promotion and registration services during the pandemic and for setting up partnerships to facilitate and prepare the country’s economy for recovery.
These partnerships focus on developing new skills in the labor force, securing safety in the tourism sector, and promoting digitalization, among others.
• Special gender award
This year, UNCTAD gave a special award recognizing agencies’ effort to mainstream gender in investment promotion as part of broader work on gender and investment.
The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) received special recognition for its strategic approach in addressing gender in its work.
CINDE has set objectives, defined indicators, and developed partnerships to contribute to national commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment and Sustainable Development Goal 5, which tackles this issue.
Since 2002, UNCTAD has awarded 60 investment promotion agencies and other organizations from 49 countries to promote sustainable development investment.
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:45 AM | View the original post
December 6, 2020
Rolex presents Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller fitted with an Oysterflex bracelet.
• The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller has an Oysterflex bracelet for the first time. The innovative, high-performance elastomer bracelet on this 18 ct yellow gold version has an Oysterclasp and the Rolex Glidelock extension system for enhanced comfort on the wrist.
Photos: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, new 18 ct yellow gold version. Images provided by & copyright © Rolex.
AN INVITATION TO TRAVEL
Rolex presents a new 18 ct yellow gold version of its Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, fitted with an Oysterflex bracelet. The watch is the first in the Classic category to include this innovative bracelet made of high-performance elastomer. It also features a bright black, sunray-finish dial with hands and hour markers in 18 ct yellow gold. The light reflections on the case sides and lugs highlight the 42 mm Oyster case’s refined profile.
This new version is equipped with the fluted, rotatable bezel unique to the Sky-Dweller. It sets the watch in conjunction with the Ring Command system. It also has a Chromalight display: the hands and hour markers are coated or filled with a luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow in dark conditions.
A WEALTH OF EXPERTISE
An elegant watch for frequent travelers, the Sky-Dweller, simultaneously displays the time in two time zones and has an annual calendar. In 24-hour format, the reference time is shown via an off-center disc, and the local time is read using conventional center hands. The yearly calendar, named Saros, automatically differentiates between 30- and 31-day months. A patented mechanism operates it. It stands out for its innovative display: the year’s months are indicated in 12 apertures around the dial’s circumference, with the current month marked in red. The instantaneous date change is linked to the local time.
The Sky-Dweller includes the Ring Command system, an interface between the rotatable bezel, winding crown, and movement that allows the wearer to select and set the timepiece’s functions one by one, easily, quickly, and securely.
OYSTERFLEX BRACELET
The new 18 ct yellow gold version of the Sky-Dweller is fitted with an Oysterflex bracelet, which singularly combines the robustness and reliability of a metal bracelet with the flexibility, comfort, and aesthetics of an elastomer strap.
SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFICATION
Like all Rolex watches, the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015 covers the Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller.
Source: ROLEX
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:53 AM | View the original post
December 5, 2020
Christmas Season at the White House
Photo: 2020 White House Christmas. The Cross Hall of the White House is decorated for the Christmas season Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks).
Photo: 2020 White House Christmas. First Lady Melania Trump reviews the Christmas decorations Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks).
Photo: The White House Christmas Tree Arrival. First Lady Melania Trump receives the White House Christmas Tree Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, at the North Portico of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks).
Photo: The White House 2020 Fall Garden Tours. Guests attend the Fall Garden Tours Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, on the White House’s South Lawn. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks).
Source: The White House
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:17 AM | View the original post
December 4, 2020
TIME and Nickelodeon Reveal the First-ever Kid of the Year.
Gitanjali Rao, 15, is Recognized as the 2020 Kid of the Year for Her Mission to Create a Global Community of Young Innovators to Solve the World’s Biggest Problems.
Kid of the Year TV Special, Hosted by Trevor Noah and Produced by TIME Studios, to Simulcast on Nickelodeon, TV Land, TeenNick, and Nicktoons on Friday, Dec. 4.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2020 — TIME, TIME for Kids, and Nickelodeon announced 15-year-old scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao from Colorado as the 2020 Kid of the Year, the multiplatform initiative recognizing extraordinary young leaders who are making a positive impact in their communities.
Selected from a field of more than 5,000, 2020 Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao is featured on the Dec. 14 cover of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, Dec. 4.
In an interview with Angelina Jolie for TIME, Rao spoke about her work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying: “I don’t look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it’s an older, usually white man as a scientist. It was almost like people had assigned roles regarding their gender, age, and skin color. My goal has shifted from creating my own devices to solve the world’s problems and inspiring others to do the same. Because, from personal experience, it’s not easy when you don’t see anyone else like you. So I want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it.”
Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao, alongside the other top finalists and honorees, will be recognized during the first-ever Kid of the Year TV special, hosted by Trevor Noah. The special will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TV Land, TeenNick, and Nicktoons on Friday, Dec. 4.
The Kid of the Year TV special will feature guest stars from entertainment, sports, and pop culture to surprise the top five Kid of the Year honorees and celebrate their work. Celebrity guests making appearances throughout the special include Kristen Bell, Simone Biles, Dixie D’Amelio, Billie Eilish, Rob Gronkowski, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Hemsworth, Ken Jeong, Angelina Jolie, Chloe Kim, Brie Larson, Zachary Levi, Russell Westbrook, and Malala Yousafzai, among others.
Each of the top five Kid of the Year honorees will receive a cash prize from Nickelodeon and have the opportunity to serve as a Kid Reporter for TIME for Kids with exclusive access to a Nickelodeon event.
Nickelodeon’s Kid of the Year TV special is a co-production of TIME Studios, Day Zero Productions, Mainstay Entertainment, and Nickelodeon.
TIME is a global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million worldwide, including over 40 million digital visitors each month and 45 million social followers.
Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and worldwide, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing, and feature films.
Source: TIME
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:54 AM | View the original post
December 3, 2020
The USA Wins First-Ever Miss Earth Crown
• Lindsey Coffey from Pennsylvania bests 83 candidates at the 20th-anniversary coronation.
Photo: Miss Earth 2020. Lindsey Coffey of Pennsylvania, USA.
WASHINGTON, December 2, 2020 — On November 29, Lindsey Coffey of Pennsylvania became the first American representative to be crowned as Miss Earth during the 20th-anniversary coronation.
Based in the Philippines, Miss Earth® is the only major international pageant to hold an event during 2020, opting to host a two-month-long series of virtual online events. “We decided not to skip this year so we can continue with our mission to raise awareness on the state of the environment,” Lorraine Schuck, Carousel Productions executive vice-president and Miss Earth co-founder, said in a statement earlier this year.
Advocating Beauty for a Cause™, Miss Earth empowers women through community leadership, eco-tourism, and environmental education. It is recognized as the globe’s most relevant pageant and has been named best national pageant by several American media networks.
Coffey, 28, was a successful college track athlete and completed a pre-law curriculum at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science before entering a successful modeling career in New York and other major cities worldwide. She plans to continue her goal to pursue law school following her year as Miss Earth.
Following the announcement, Coffey said, “I joined the Miss Earth sisterhood to become a voice, to inspire, and to make a difference in our world. Now is that opportunity, as now is the time for action. Now is the time to be more than in your country. We are not just citizens of our nation. We are citizens of the world, and once we start to view one another as such, we will always find success. As your Miss Earth, that is the legacy I will leave behind me.”
Miss Earth is unique in that it also crowns three elemental international titleholders to carry out the organization’s mission in their regions. Miss Air is Stephany Zreik of Venezuela, Miss Water is Roxanne Allison Baeyens of the Philippines, and Miss Fire is Michala Rubinstein of Denmark. The remaining finalists were Myanmar’s Amara Shune Lei, Netherlands’ Tessa le Conge, Puerto Rico’s Krystal Badillo, and Poland’s Sabina PoÅ‚tawska. Eighty-four national representatives participated in activities.
This week, Coffey will conduct several international media interviews and appear on December 5 at a congratulatory reception. Plans are underway for an official crowning by 2019 Miss Earth Nellys Pimentel of Puerto Rico. The next USA representative will get crowned on January 17 in Orlando.
Source: Miss Earth
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Miss Earth 2020 Eco Angel of the USA.
Miss Earth 2020 Eco Angel of the Philippines.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:01 AM | View the original post
December 1, 2020
New Global Index Defines What Makes Digital Economies More Trusted and Resilient
• Digital Intelligence Index from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and Mastercard provides an in-depth look at the rate of technology adoption and the state of digital trust around the world.
Purchase, NY & Medford, MA. December 01, 2020 — The Fletcher School at Tufts University, in partnership with Mastercard, unveiled the Digital Intelligence Index. It charts the progress countries have made in advancing their digital economies, fostering trust, and integrating connectivity into the lives of billions.
This year’s index paints a picture of global digital development, sheds insight on key factors driving change and momentum, and unpacks what this means for economies facing the challenges of a worldwide pandemic and post-pandemic future.
Notably, the most dynamic digital economies - such as the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, UAE, and Germany - significantly outperformed the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) growth rate in Q2 2020 amidst the global lockdown. They feature high levels of available talent, active R&D collaboration between industry and academia, and a strong record of creating and bringing digital products into the mainstream.
Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School, said, “The pandemic may be the purest test of the world’s progress towards digitalization. We have a clearer view of how dynamic digital economies can contribute to economic resiliency during a time of unparalleled global turmoil and can recover and change.”
Other key findings include:
With nearly two-thirds of the world’s population online today, we are entering an ‘after access’ phase, where access alone is not enough. Aspects such as the quality of access, effective use of digital technologies, accountable institutions, robust data governance policies, and fostering trust are more excellent factors in determining digital competitiveness and sustainability.
Ajay Bhalla, president, Cyber & Intelligence, Mastercard, said, “Never before has there been such an acute need to understand the factors that drive digitalization and digital trust. With that knowledge, businesses and governments can work together to help all 7.6 billion people worldwide benefit from the vast opportunities a digitally advanced economy can bring. While much remains uncertain today, it is clear that digital success will be a key building block in our collective recovery.”
A Global Outlook on Digital Evolution and Trust
This year’s index looks at two components: Digital Evolution and Digital Trust. Digital Evolution captures an economy’s historical momentum from the physical past to the digital present. Digital Trust is the bridge that connects its journey from the digital present to an intelligent and inclusive digital future.
Mapping 95% of the world’s online population and drawing on 12 years of data, the Digital Evolution scorecard measures 160 indicators in 90 economies across four key pillars: institutional environment, demand conditions, supply conditions, and the capacity for innovation and change. These segment into four categories:
Stand Out economies - Singapore, United States, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Estonia, UAE, Israel, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Lithuania, and Qatar - are highly digitally advanced and exhibit high momentum. They are leaders in driving innovation, building on their existing advantages in efficient and effective ways.
Stall Out economies - such as Sweden, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Japan, and Canada - are mature digital economies with a high digital adoption state despite slowing digital momentum. They tend to trade off sustainability speed.
Break Out economies - such as China, India, Indonesia, Poland, and Russia - are evolving rapidly. With such momentum and significant headroom for growth, they are often attractive to investors.
Watch Out economies - such as Nigeria, Uganda, Colombia, Peru, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - have several infrastructure gaps. Despite this, young people show enthusiasm for a digital future with increased social media and mobile payments.
The Digital Trust scorecard measures 198 indicators in 42 of the index’s economies across four key pillars: behavior, attitudes, environment, and experience.
Economies such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico are beginning to build momentum on behavior scores, demonstrating substantial engagement on social media and other new technologies.
Economies such as China, Indonesia, and Vietnam have increasingly favorable attitudes about their digital future, buoyed by rapidly expanding digital adoption and opportunity.
Economies with more mature digitalization approaches such as Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark share measures that strengthen the trust environment, such as privacy, security, and accountability policies. Citizens in these countries tend to have more optimistic attitudes towards the future of digitalization.
Economies such as the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore provide citizens with a near-seamless experience, delivering the holy grail of advanced infrastructure, broad access, and unparalleled interaction. This experience is matched by high engagement levels, offering these economies a clear advantage in a ‘beyond access’ future.
Source: Mastercard
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:48 AM | View the original post
