• Global leaders align support for the World Bank Group (WBG) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) ambition to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030.
• Bank Presidents share their vision for the initiative, Mission 300, that will connect close to half of the world’s un-electrified population.
• Prime Minister of Tanzania announced the African Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, where African Heads of State, development partners, and private sector leaders will convene in January 2025.

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — At the 79^th United Nations General Assembly and New York Climate Week, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet Leadership Council (GLC) convened three dozen leaders from government, development finance, the private sector, and philanthropy, to garner support and commit resources to accelerate Mission 300, a broad partnership led by the World Bank Group (WBG) and African Development Bank (AfDB) to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030. During the convening, AfDB President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and WBG President, Ajay Banga, addressed world leaders for the first time since they launched the initiative in April during the World Bank Spring Meetings.

GLC Co-chairs, Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, and Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, called on members to mobilize support and shared new commitments of their own. The Government of Norway endorsed Mission 300, and committed to supporting the acceleration of investment in renewable energy, including through a new state guarantee mechanism, existing collaboration with the World Bank and the African Development Bank and by advocating for a robust IDA21 replenishment. Meanwhile, The Rockefeller Foundation, GEAPP, and SEforALL, announced an initial $10 million Technical Assistance Facility to support Mission 300 and kickstart an initial 15 projects in 11 countries. 

This year’s annual in-person GLC convening was dedicated to advancing energy access in Africa, where more than half of the population live without electricity. Additional GLC members agreed to align efforts and resources, including, British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution; Agence Française de Développement (AFD); the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Power Africa, a US-Government led partnership; and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, among others.

“Development is about dignity and there is no dignity without electricity. Economies cannot grow in the dark,” Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank said during the convening. “Energy is fundamental to Africa’s development. For us to achieve the ambition of Mission 300, we need to work together. I cannot think of better partners than the World Bank and all the members of the GEAPP Leadership Council to do this with.”

“The foundation of all growth is energy. Working together with the African Development Bank and GLC members, Mission 300 offers a new approach to financing and partnership,” said Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank. “I am encouraged by the momentum from today’s convening, which is critical to bringing together concessional capital, on-the-ground expertise, and the ability to plan and execute projects with urgency to drive impact.”

African leaders addressed the GLC, sharing the urgency and criticality of advancing energy access. They spoke to the insufficient speed and scale of the energy transition across the continent, welcoming Mission 300 as a platform to prioritize, innovate, and accelerate.

“Energy is the lifeblood of every civilization. We cannot advance our development agenda in Liberia without electricity,” said H.E. Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia. “I want to express our gratitude to the World Bank, African Development Bank, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Alliance partners; this initiative gives me hope, and Liberia promises to take any opportunity we have through this initiative to put it to the best use for the interest of our people.”

“Nearly 600 million people, more than half of Africa’s population, lack energy access, hindering the continent’s economic growth. This is unacceptable,” said H.E. Kassim Majaliwa, Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania. “Stronger coalitions among countries, development partners, and the private sector are crucial to closing the electrification gap. We commend the World Bank and African Development Bank for their bold commitment and GEAPP’s Alliance partners for their unwavering support to provide electricity to 300 million people by 2030, a step that could transform Africa’s future.”

With this goal in mind, the Prime Minister on behalf of Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, announced that the African Union, African Development Bank Group, and the World Bank Group, in partnership with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, will host a summit in Dar es Salaam to build high-level political momentum for Mission 300 in January of 2025.

GLC Co-Chair, Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, reiterated the GLC’s commitment to backing Mission 300 saying, “The green transition is happening now. It is about giving all countries the same opportunities, creating jobs and cutting emissions. To give 300 million people access to electricity by 2030 is the kind of ambition we need. And we can achieve it, if we work smarter and better together.”

Speaking to the work of the Alliance, GLC Co-Chair, Raj Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation said: “In the past 24 months, GEAPP and its more than 50 partners have developed 130 projects across 40 countries, improving electricity access for over 50 million people, reducing 43 megatons of carbon emissions, and enhancing the livelihoods of over 2 million people. Yet, much more remains to be done. By supporting the Banks’ goal to empower 300 million Africans by 2030, we can drive the most impactful development initiative of our generation.”

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The GLC’s commitment to Mission 300 builds on its ongoing efforts to support emerging economies’ energy and climate solutions, including the Battery Energy Storage Consortium, which launched with 16 first-mover countries and over 19 technical and resource partners at COP28 in 2023. The Consortium is already accelerating deployment of battery storage in India, Malawi, Vietnam, and Barbados through projects totaling over 200 megawatts.

“Mauritania is committed to tackling one of Africa’s greatest challenges—access to affordable, reliable electricity. With over 600 million people across the continent still without power, we fully support the initiative led by the World Bank and AfDB as an extension of Desert-to-Power to provide electricity to 300 million people by 2030,” noted H.E. Mohamed Khaled, Minister of Energy and Petroleum of Mauritania. “In Mauritania, we are driving progress through innovative projects like the BESS Consortium, BEST and RIMDIR program, which will increase national electricity access to 70%. With nearly half of our energy already coming from renewables and groundbreaking hydrogen projects underway, Mauritania is leading the way toward a sustainable, reliable and inclusive energy future.”

“This is a race against time—we face either a future of escalating crises or one of transformational opportunity,” said Woochong Um, CEO of GEAPP. “GEAPP is bringing the power of our Alliance, including governments, businesses, and philanthropy to join and accelerate progress together to ensure universal access to reliable, renewable, affordable power. Initiatives like Mission 300 are not just smart—they are essential for building a sustainable future where everyone can prosper. Today, the GEAPP Leadership Council is proving that acting at scale and speed is possible. By changing energy, we change lives.”

About Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is an alliance of philanthropy, governments, technology, policy, and financing partners. Our common mission is to enable emerging and developed economies to shift to a clean energy, pro-growth model that accelerates universal energy access and inclusive economic growth while supporting the global community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade. As an Alliance, we aim to reduce 4 gigatons of future carbon emissions, expand clean energy access to one billion people, and enable 150 million new jobs. With philanthropic partners the IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund, GEAPP works to build the enabling environment, capacity, and market conditions for private sector solutions, catalyze new business models through innovation and entrepreneurship, and deploy high-risk capital to encourage private sector solutions and assist just transition solutions. For more information, please visit www.energyalliance.org and follow us on Twitter at @EnergyAlliance.

Contact: Eric Gay, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), [email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/geapp-leadership-council-backs-transformational-plan-to-electrify-africa-302257414.html

ADELAIDE, South Australia, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BioCina Pty Ltd., a global end-to-end biologics Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), announced a new partnership with drug developer EnGeneIC Pty Ltd., for a project including technology transfer, process scale-up and GMP batch manufacture of EnGeneIC’s proprietary ‘EnGeneIC Dream Vector’ (EDV^™) nanocells.

EnGeneIC’s mission is to transform cancer treatment through targeted cyto-immunotherapy by developing Antibody-Nanocell Drug Conjugates (ANDCs) using its EDV^™ platform, which employs antibody-targeted, non-living ‘nanocells’ to deliver cytotoxic payloads directly into tumor cells. ANDCs enable the use of highly potent chemotherapeutic drugs encapsulated by nanocells, thereby reducing systemic toxicity, while also offering a new means for treating drug-resistant cancers and stimulating a potent anti-cancer immune response. This dual approach aims at safer, more targeted treatments with fewer side effects, for patients with nowhere else to turn. BioCina will deliver an end-to-end package of services in preparation for clinical and commercial manufacture of EDVs.

BioCina’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark W. Womack stated, “I’m so very proud for BioCina to be entrusted to advance EnGeneIC’s transformative therapeutic, which has the potential to make a profound impact on previously untreatable cancers.”

EnGeneIC’s Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Himanshu Brahmbhatt stated, “For several years, EnGeneIC has been searching for a contract cGMP manufacturer for its EDV cancer therapeutics. It has been a difficult road so we couldn’t be more pleased to be able to entrust our technology to the professional team at BioCina. Mark Womack and his colleagues are remarkable in that they are genuinely concerned about the plight of cancer patients. This gives great confidence to EnGeneIC that the partnership will succeed in getting cGMP quality EDV therapeutics to cancer patients in a timely manner.”

About BioCina

BioCina is a global end-to-end biologics Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), offering highest-quality, cost-effective cell line, process, analytical and formulation development, and cGMP clinical & commercial manufacturing for the microbial, pDNA and mRNA modalities. BioCina’s first facility in Adelaide, South Australia has a rich history of developing and manufacturing both clinical and commercial drug substance, backed by most critical SME’s having an average tenure of 15+ years at the site. BioCina boasts an elite quality record having successfully passed regulatory inspections by the US FDA, EMA, TGA and Health Canada. Through a partnership with NovaCina, BioCina offers clients a highest-quality fill-and-finish solution. BioCina is proud to have clients globally, including the U.S., Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Australia offers one of the most attractive tax incentives available globally (up to 48.5% cash refund), and one of the world’s premier trial networks, making it an ideal destination for biologics companies looking to invest in scaling-up and manufacturing products. Learn more at https://biocina.com.

About EnGeneIC

EnGeneIC is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing its proprietary EDV™ (EnGeneIC Dream Vector) nanocell technology for oncology and infectious disease applications. The EDV^™ nanocell is the foundation of a first-in-class antibody nanocell drug conjugate platform for delivering a range of therapeutic payloads – drugs, siRNAs, miRNAs, adjuvants – via antibody-targeting a cancer cell’s surface, with minimal toxicity. For cancer applications, the EDV technology enables delivery of the most potent chemotherapeutic agents, effectively overcoming drug-resistance and killing tumor cells, while simultaneously stimulating the patient’s immune system, allowing a potent anti-tumor response. EnGeneIC is now entering Phase IIa clinical trials in Australia and the USA in patients with intractable, low survival cancers, including patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Media Contact
[email protected]

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RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, the Global Citizen Forum is proud to unveil Future of Wealth – the third chapter of the celebrated Butterfly Effect Trilogy.

Brought to life in partnership with Prestel & Partner, the global leader in Family Office Forum conferences, and presented by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), this exclusive, invitation-only Family Office Global Citizen Forum will take place on 4^th-5^th December 2024 at the Intercontinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa. Pioneering mobility experts and leading family offices will come together to explore the benefits that global citizenship can bring to generational wealth planning.

Now celebrating a decade of annual summits, the Global Citizen Forum is noted for its unparalleled network of governments, celebrities, and visionaries throughout the world, putting entrepreneurs in conversation with the decision-makers that matter. Heads of State in attendance at previous Forums have included the Prime Ministers of St. Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, and St. Kitts & Nevis. Government officials from a host of other countries regularly attend to partake in a summit of ideas.

Guests and speakers in the past have included UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former President of the EU Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, Actor & Director Robert De Niro, Olympic athlete and activist Yusra Mardini, former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman, renowned economist Nouriel Roubini, and former President of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa.

Prestel & Partner is the leading forum for family offices, managing events across the world that bring together family offices, wealth owners, and select partners to build ideas for sustainable and scalable portfolio management. Throughout the calendar year, Prestel & Partner host forums in cities all around the world. It will bring its 15 years of expertise to ensure that Future of Wealth brings lasting solutions for attendees.

Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority commented: “After three consecutive and successful summits held in Ras Al Khaimah, we look forward to hosting this special edition of the Global Citizen Forum. Our Emirate places environmental, economic and community values at the center of its investment and development strategy. This forum gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain fresh insights, invest in Ras Al Khaimah and help shape a lasting legacy for the future.”

Armand Arton, Founder & Chairman, Global Citizen Forum explained: “The greatest gift we can give our children is the freedom to realise their potential – in an environment that gives them the opportunity to do so. Through the catalysing power of global citizenship, we can give the next generation that freedom, empowering them to achieve things that we can scarcely dream of.

“This Forum is a chance to find creative solutions for building lasting generational mobility. Over the next two days, we will be joined by a host of disruptive thinkers, world leaders, and market-moving wealth creators. We can’t wait to see the solutions this powerhouse of creativity will produce.”

Katja Mulheim, Founding Partner, Prestel & Partner, said: “Global mobility is increasingly crucial to generational wealth planning, offering access to diverse opportunities, mitigating risks, and ensuring wealth preservation across borders. By embracing mobility, families gain flexibility in investment diversification and business growth while safeguarding their legacy in a rapidly changing world.”

Tobias Prestel, Founding Partner, Prestel & Partner, added: “We’re delighted to co-create this event with the Global Citizen Forum, and are looking forward to a fascinating series of seminars, conversations, and ideas that will redraw the map for intergenerational wealth planning.”

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About Global Citizen Forum

The Global Citizen Forum is a Canadian non-profit organization driven by a global community of leaders and catalyzers unlocking the potential of global citizenship. Through a series of curated events and experiences, GCF’s community gathers from across the globe for their Annual Summit to bridge dialogue with action for traceable, transparent, and measurable impact.

www.globalcitizenforum.org | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

#GCF2023 #GCFRAK

About Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) was established in May 2011 under the government of Ras Al Khaimah. RAKTDA aims to develop the Emirate’s tourism infrastructure and establish Ras Al Khaimah as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel, creating sustainable investment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. In order to achieve its goals, the Authority has a government mandate to license, regulate and monitor the Emirate’s tourism and hospitality industry.

www.visitrasalkhaimah.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

About Prestel & Partner

Prestel and Partner are international conference organisers that provide market-leading, independent, editorially neutral, forums for family offices, wealth-owners, and selected sectoral experts in the fields of family governance, wealth management, and investment.

www.prestelandpartner.com

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About Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is the northernmost of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is known for its diverse landscape, from 64km of beaches, to deserts and imposing mountains, as well as its rich history, dating back 7,000 years. It has many archaeological sites, four of which have been shortlisted on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites. The Emirate’s Jebel Jais, which is the highest mountain in the UAE, boasts attractions including Jebel Jais Flight, the world’s longest zip line at almost 3km, and 1484 by Puro, the UAE’s highest restaurant. Ras Al Khaimah is centrally located at the modern crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, with one third of the world’s population within four hours’ flying time, making it an ideal location for businesses to expand into the UAE, the Middle East and Africa region and beyond. The Emirate boasts one of the most diverse economies in the region, with no single sector accounting for more than 30% of the Emirate’s GDP – a critical advantage that enhances Ras Al Khaimah’s economic flexibility and strength. Ras Al Khaimah has been rated in the ‘A’ range by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s international ratings agencies for 15 years. Ras Al Khaimah is a multicultural society, with a population of 0.4 million people in 2023. With year-round sunshine, straightforward business set-up and a competitive and affordable cost of living, Ras Al Khaimah is the informed choice for business, lifestyle and exploration. 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-citizen-forum-launches-future-of-wealth-summit-to-build-a-legacy-for-future-generations-302257320.html