World Bank [to 1 March 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

February 28, 2014
Food Loss and Waste a Barrier to Poverty Reduction
Global Food Prices Continue to Decline, but at Slower Pace
WASHINGTON, February 27, 2014 — The world loses or wastes one-quarter to one-third of all food produced for human consumption, according to the latest issue of the World Bank’s quarterly Food Price Watch citing FAO and World Resources Institute estimates. In regions rife with undernourishment, such as Africa and South Asia, this shocking loss translates to 400 to 500 calories per person, per day—and up to 1520 calories in the developed world.“ The amount of food wasted and lost globally is shameful,” said Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group. “Millions of people around the world go to bed hungry every night, and yet millions of tons of food end up in trash cans or spoiled on the way to market. We have to tackle this problem in every country in order to improve food security and to end poverty.” According to the latest edition of Food Price Watch, global food prices declined by 3 percent over the last quarter but remain

February 26, 2014
Reforms in Labor Markets and Social Protection are Key to Job Creation in the Arab World
RIYADH, Ministers, representatives from international organizations, private sector and labor union experts gathered in Saudi Arabia for a three-day event to discuss challenges and solutions related to access to the labor market, rigidity in economic structures, and enhanced social protection systems
The Forum, “Towards Social Protection and Sustainable Development,”  organized by the World Bank in partnership with the Arab Labor Organization and the Saudi Ministry of Labor, was held under the auspices of HRH King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.
The Forum concluded with the adoption of the Riyadh Declaration, which lays 29 policy recommendations to support job creation, enhanced social protection systems and improved processes for social dialogue. The Declaration urged signatories to engage in comprehensive reforms that will build the human capital of the poorest and most vulnerable, contribute to economic growth, and boost shared prosperity across the region. Moreover, the Declaration called on Arab League countries to solve unemployment and exclusion through cooperation between governments, international and regional organizations and the private sector.
Participants included over 42 Ministers from Arab League member countries, representatives from international organizations such as the International Labor Organization, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as members from the private sector and labor unions.

February 26, 2014
Infographic: Expanding Access to Water to the Poor Through the Domestic Private Sector
Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation and at least 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water.  This causes thousands of children to die each day and hundreds of billions of dollars in global economic losses every year. With so many people lacking access to these basic services, developing countries have an enormous challenge ahead.  It calls for a massive increase in the roll out of water and sanitation services, both in urban and in rural areas.  This will require significant investment, as well as improvements in management of the utilities providing these services. Experience around the world shows that both the public and private sector can deliver affordable, sustainable, high quality water and sanitation services, which has more to do with factors such as the capacity and financial sustainability of the service provider and whether there’s a reasonable regulatory and institutional framework in place