UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive
24 Feb 2015
Japan’s private sector puts focus on resilience and risk-sensitivity as World Conference looms
More than 250 representatives from Japan’s business community have held an information-packed session to prepare for next month’s World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which will see the adoption of a new global framework to guide risk reduction over the next decade.
UNICEF [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html
Cholera outbreak in Malawi raises concerns of a large-scale spread: UNICEF
LILONGWE /GENEVA – 27 February 2015 – UNICEF Malawi is on high alert following a cholera outbreak in the southern border areas, where highly-populated camps for people displaced by the floods are located.
UNICEF statement on plight of child migrants in the Mediterranean
BRUSSELS, 26 February 2015 – “Since the beginning of the year, not a single week has gone by without reports of people, mostly from conflict-torn countries, crossing the Mediterranean on unsafe boats in search of sanctuary in Europe.
“Children are increasingly part of this exodus. Behind these journeys are individual stories of immense tragedy; the perils every child endures before, during and after these dangerous crossings are unfathomable. Many of these children are travelling without the protection of a parent or caretaker, and are vulnerable to risks of abuse and exploitation.
“UNICEF welcomes the European Commission’s announcement that it will be increasing its aid to Italy to help ensure that these children receive the protection, support, care and assistance they are entitled to.
“UNICEF believes that more must be done to address the root causes of these boat tragedies – including armed conflict, poverty and fear of persecution – as a means of preventing them from happening.”
UN Women [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/
“For women’s leadership to thrive, and for change to happen, all of us need greater courage and decisiveness” – UN Women Executive Director
Date : February 27, 2015
In her opening address at the “High-level Event on Women in Power and Decision-making”, held on 27 February, in Santiago, Chile, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka urged bolder action to fulfil the commitments made at the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 to increase women’s representation in leadership positions in all important sectors of society.
During Brazil’s Carnival, parade-goers promote respect for women
Date : February 26, 2015
Using an explosion of colour and audacious costumes to tell the story of brave women everywhere, the traditional samba school of Mangueira paid tribute to the women who fight every day to overcome gender inequalities in their parade. It is one of several national events for UN Women’s global Beijing+20 “Empowering Women – Empowering Humanity: Picture It!” campaign.
The potential that technology has to open up the world for women and girls – Executive Director
Date : February 25, 2015
Opening address by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at Mobile Learning Week 2015: “Leveraging technology to empower women and girls”, 24 February, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France
Fund for Gender Equality issues call for proposals
Date : February 23, 2015
Innovative civil society initiatives seeking to spur women’s economic and/or political empowerment are invited to apply for funding.
WHO & Regionals [to 28 February 2015]
:: Health crises in Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria need US$1 billion
24 February, 2015 Geneva – Raging conflict and beleaguered health services are threatening the health of tens of millions of people across the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria. To respond, the World Health Organization today called on the international community to provide $US1 billion to support its on-going efforts – and those of partners – to treat, immunize and provide the wide range of life-saving health services needed to populations in need.
– Read the full news release on WHO’s increased funding needed to meet health needs
– More information on Central African Republic
– More information on Iraq
– More information on South Sudan
– More information on Syrian Arabic Republic
:: WHO/Europe calls for scaled-up vaccination against measles
Over 22 000 cases reported in Europe in 2014–2015
Copenhagen, 25 February 2015
The WHO Regional Office for Europe calls on policy-makers, health care workers and parents immediately to step up vaccination against measles across age groups at risk. This will help to put an end to the outbreaks occurring in countries in the WHO European Region and to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.
Seven countries in the Region have reported 22 567 cases of measles in 2014 and thus far in 2015. This threatens the Region’s goal of eliminating the disease by the end of 2015. Even though measles cases fell by 50% from 2013 to 2014, large outbreaks continue.
“When we consider that over the past two decades we have seen a reduction of 96% in the number of measles cases in the European Region, and that we are just a step away from eliminating the disease, we are taken aback by these numbers. We must collectively respond, without further delay, to close immunization gaps,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “It is unacceptable that, after the last 50 years’ efforts to make safe and effective vaccines available, measles continues to cost lives, money and time.”…
:: Global Alert and Response (GAR): Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
– 26 February 2015 Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
– 26 February 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
.:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO identifying innovative ways to strengthen immunization services in Central Africa – 26 February 2015
Douala, 25 February 2015 –- The World Health Organization (WHO) Inter-country Support Team (IST) for Central Africa is convening its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Managers’ meeting in Douala, Cameroon from 23 to 27 February 2015 to strengthen and improve access to immunization services in 10 countries in Central Africa.
:: Kenya hosts commemoration to accelerate comprehensive implementation of WHO FCTC in the African Region – 25 February 2015
WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Tobacco: 10 years fighting a top killer in the Americas (02/26/2015)
:: PAHO/WHO supports CDC-led effort to eliminate malaria on Hispaniola by 2020 (02/25/2015)
WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.
WHO European Region EURO
:: WHO/Europe calls for scaled-up vaccination against measles 25-02-2015
WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO supports tax increase on cigarettes in Egypt 26 February 2015
:: Save lives: Recommit to implementing WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 26 February 2015
:: More progress needed to control the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-COV) in Saudi Arabia
23 February 2015
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 23 February 2015 – A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Institut Pasteur, France concluded a mission to Saudi Arabia to assess the current situation of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) following a surge of cases in the past few weeks and to make recommendations for improving the surveillance, prevention and control of the virus. Already this month, more than 50 cases have been reported in several locations in the Kingdom, including infections acquired in health facilities (called nosocomial infections) in Riyadh, Qassim Region and Damman City, eastern region
Members of the joint mission held discussions with high-level representatives from the Ministry of Health, visited the Command and Control Centre that has been leading all activities related to the control of the MERS-CoV, and toured the emergency and isolation facilities of the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital. Government officials and the WHO-led mission shared their concern about the rising number of MERS-CoV cases in recent weeks and in particular in health care facilities….
…The mission, along with the Saudi Arabian health authorities, identified main areas that should be urgently addressed:
– Understanding the animal/human interface, that is, modes of infection and transmission;
– Filling critical knowledge gaps in the science and epidemiology of MERS-CoV by conducting further research studies and by sharing the findings widely and rapidly;
– Improving disease prevention, especially in health facilities that continue to experience avoidable infections;
– Intensifying social mobilization, community engagement activities and communications. The mission also stressed the need for intersectoral cooperation and coordination, especially between health, agriculture, and other sectors….
WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.
UNAIDS [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/
Zero Discrimination Day to be celebrated around the world
26 February 2015
UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
27 Feb 2015
Ukraine: 80,000 internally displaced people get humanitarian aid
Kyiv – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has distributed vital humanitarian aid to over 80,000 of the most vulnerable people affected by the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
24 Feb 2015
Sierra Leone: People with disabilities look to an Ebola-free future
Freetown, Sierra Leone – A group of young wheelchair-bound men barrel down a busy street hustling cars for a few leones. The money they collect is meagre – and gets less and less as the Ebola crisis pushes them further towards the fringes of society.
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1
United Nations Reports Its 2013 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Efforts to reduce emissions continued, as evidenced by case studies on the Greening the Blue website
26-2-2015
IPCC Agrees on Acting Chair after R.K. Pachauri Steps Down
The actions taken today will ensure that the IPCC’s mission to assess climate change continues without interruption
24-2-2015
NAIROBI, Feb 24 – The Bureau of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agreed on Tuesday, in accordance with its procedures, to designate Vice-Chair Ismail El Gizouli as Acting IPCC Chair. The designation of El Gizouli follows the decision by Rajendra K Pachauri, PhD, to step down as Chairman of the IPCC effective today…
DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html
New $US 1 million UN Grant for leadership and innovation in sustainable energy
24 February 2015, New York
A new programme that will offer $US 1 million to institutions or individuals that have demonstrated leadership and innovation in energy for sustainable development was launched in the beginning of February by UN DESA, with funding support from the China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC), a Hong Kong-based NGO.
Valuing the environment – from sustained to sustainable growth
18 February 2015, New York
Growth has, for a long time, been seen as a crucial enabler in fighting poverty and the social injustices that come with it. In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the desired growth pattern was set to be sustained, inclusive and equitable. However, when looking at the post-2015 era and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mr. Pingfan Hong, Director of UN DESA’s Development Policy and Analysis Division, saw the need for a new kind of growth pattern where sustained growth has to be replaced by sustainable growth, whereby the value of the environment is fully considered.
UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 28 February 2015]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/press-releases/
UN-Habitat launches call for Urban Youth Fund applications
Nairobi 26 February 2015- UN-Habitat on Thursday launched call for applications for the Urban Youth Fund.
In its seventh year, the Fund provides grants to projects led by young people aged 15-32 years who are piloting innovative approaches to employment, good urban governance, shelter, secure tenure and risk rehabilitation.
The Fund aims to assist youth-led organizations in designing and implementing projects that will contribute to sustainable urbanization in the developing world. Furthermore, the Fund seeks to gain insight from successful grassroots youth projects and create greater awareness of the need for youth mainstreaming in development policies and strategies.
This year’s call for proposals strongly encourages applicants to ensure their projects include the following criteria:
1. A strategy to work with cities and or local authorities in order to maximize their ability at making an impact at the policy level. One of the key objectives of UN-Habitat’s youth programme is to enhance the capacity of local authorities to mainstream youth issues into their programmes and services.
2. The inclusion of the Human Rights Based Approach during projects’ implementation. The Human Rights Based Approach will be presented as a cross cutting issue toward the various UN- Habitat thematic areas in the projects’ goals. This is with the aim to empowering people to know and claim their rights. This also serves to increase the ability and accountability of individuals and institutions that are responsible for respecting, protecting and fulfilling these rights. For more information on Human Rights Based Approach please visit: http://unhabitat.org/urban-themes/human-rights/
UN-Habitat invites young people based in cities or towns from the developing world to apply for grants from the fund. The application is open from February 15 to April 15 2015. To apply please visit: http://www.unhabitatyouthfund.org
FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/
Agriculture key to Caribbean food security and coping with climate change
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government how efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition in the Caribbean have made substantial progress over the past two decades. Barbados, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Surinamehave met the Millennium Development Goal hunger target of halving the proportion of hungry people by 2015, he noted.
26-02-2015
Ending hunger and malnutrition a top priority for Caribbean region
Over the last two decades efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition in the Caribbean have made substantial progress, but these need to be further strengthened, Director-General José Graziano da Silva has told agriculture ministers from the region.
25-02-2015
FAO’s strong leadership instills a result-oriented culture, says new MOPAN report
A newly released report highlights the depth and breadth of the transformational changes taking place across the Organization.
25-02-2015
WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 28 February 2015]
https://www.wmo.int/media/?q=news
IPCC takes decisions on future work
27 February 2015
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has taken a series of decisions to make its reports more accessible and involve developing countries more closely in its work. The decisions, following a review of the future work of the IPCC over the past year and a half, pave the way for the IPCC to prepare its next cycle of reports, which will be initiated by elections for a new Bureau and Chair in October 2015.
Boost for Cooperation on Tropical Cyclones
25 February 2015
Regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region is to be increased to build greater resilience to tropical cyclones and related hazards, which wreak a heavy economic and human toll.
At a meeting hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, 9-13 February, representatives from 17 Member countries/territories from two separate – and active – tropical cyclone basins agreed to a series of new initiatives.
IPCC agrees on Acting Chair after R.K. Pachauri steps down
24 February 2015
The Bureau of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agreed on Tuesday, in accordance with its procedures, to designate Vice-Chair Ismail El Gizouli as Acting IPCC Chair. The designation of Gizouli follows the decision by Rajendra K Pachauri, PhD, to step down as Chairman of the IPCC effective today.
The decision to name Gizouli was taken at a Session of the Bureau ahead of the 41st Session of the IPCC, which is being held on 24-27 February 2015.
UNESCO [to 28 February 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/
28 February 2015
UNESCO Director-General welcomes the reopening of the Baghdad Museum
Director-General welcomes UN Security Council statement on destruction of artifacts at Mosul Museum
27 February 2015
UNESCO calls for mobilization to stop “cultural cleansing” in Iraq
Mobile technology the key to bringing ‘education to all’, says UN Broadband Commission
25 February 2015
Mobile technology: An enabler of women empowerment
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/
WIPO Re:Search Gains Momentum in the Fight Against Neglected Tropical Diseases, Malaria and Tuberculosis
WIPO Re:Search signed on more than a dozen new members in 2014, including two leading pharmaceutical firms, and nearly doubled the number of research agreements using shared intellectual property to promote the fight against neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and malaria.
Feb 26, 2015 PR/2015/773
USAID [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases
USAID Announces Education Crisis Response Program in Liberia
February 25, 2015
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the $18.7 million Education Crisis Response program today to assist the Government of Liberia in restoring basic education in the Ebola-affected country and help return children to school safely. The program was announced today while Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited with staff from USAID.
U.S. Government Launches President’s Malaria Initiative Next Six-Year Strategy for 2015-2020
February 25, 2015
The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), launched its next six-year strategy to further reduce malaria deaths and substantially decrease malaria illness, toward the long-term goal of elimination at the White House today.
African Union [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.au.int/en/
Feb.24.2015
African Unions Welcomes Back the First Group of its Heroines and Heroes in the Fight Against Ebola
Addis Ababa, 24 February 2014- 17 ASEOWA (African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa) health workers, who were the first to be deployed to fight Ebola, returned from Liberia on 22nd February, upon completion of their tour of duty and were welcomed back by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
Attending the meeting were the AUC Commissioner for Social Affairs Dr Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, the Director of Social Affairs Dr Olawale Maiyegun, ambassadors from the health workers’ member states and a representative from Liberia. It was a unique event- the first time ever that the AU had welcomed back heroines and heroes in the fight against Ebola, and, without any infections among the health workers.
Dr Dlamini Zuma thanked the health workers for their pioneering role and assured them that the AU’s is determined to defeat Ebola: “You personified Pan Africanism and solidarity. The African Union will stay the course until the affected countries are declared Ebola free. We are very happy that you undertook this mission”, she told them.
All returnees were awarded certificates of service in recognition of their contribution to the fight against Ebola and their selfless dedication. The returnees were from Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Among them were doctors, hygienists and communications experts. One of them was a trainer of other medical personnel in the treatment of Ebola patients….
The African Development Bank Group [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/
African Development Bank now supports 27 African countries to advance climate-smart initiatives, report says
26/02/2015 – In its 2014 Annual Report Financing Change: AfDB and CIF for a Climate-Smart Africa released Thursday, February 26, the African Development Bank (AfDB) shows that its support to Africa through the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) increased exponentially in 2014 to include one regional and 25 national Investment Plans, with an additional nine poor countries being funded for renewable energy solutions. It also shows an additional $500 million from AfDB and CIF for a total of $2.1 billion going to 16 projects already underway in 11 African nations.
ASEAN [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.asean.org/news
Press Release of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC)
28 February 2015.
The Tenth Meeting of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) was convened on 25-27 February 2015 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. The review of the implementation of the ACWC Work Plan 2012-2016 was followed by the discussion of the development of the Work Plan for 2016-2020.
Since the Ninth ACWC Meeting in October 2014, two activities have been completed. The ASEAN Regional Conference of Senior Officials on Strengthening the Protection and Empowerment of Women Migrant Workers was convened by the Philippines on 13-14 November 2014 in Manila. The Conference was a joint undertaking of ACWC and ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO). In the same month, the ASEAN Consultation on Cultural and Religious Practices Impacting the Rights of Children was hosted by Indonesia with the support of UNICEF on 18-20 November 2014 in Jakarta. Religious leaders, cultural leaders and government officials from ASEAN Member States were engaged in the Consultation.
The Meeting adopted the Gender Sensitive Guideline for Handling Women Victims of Trafficking in Persons which aims to support the improvement and enhancement of practices in handling women and girl victims of trafficking by law enforcement agencies, social workers, health officers, service providers, and other frontline agencies and NGOs that are dealing with human trafficking cases. The Guideline had been reviewed and enriched by the inputs of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and other relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies…
World Trade Organisation [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
[We limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]
24 and 25 February 2015
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: FORMAL MEETING
Poorest states seek more time on medical patents, and members discuss women and innovation
The least developed countries proposed extending their deadline for protecting and enforcing pharmaceutical patents and clinical data, and delegates exchanged information on their policies for boosting the role of women in innovation, when WTO members met as the intellectual property council on 24–25 February 2015.
The new deadline would exempt them from having to protect and enforce pharmaceutical patents and clinical data submitted to obtain marketing approval until they graduate from “least-developed” status. The proposal is being made now because a 2002 decision is due to expire at the end of 2015.
Least developed countries also benefit from a general extension of the deadline to protect intellectual property and implement other WTO intellectual property obligations, including for pharmaceuticals. This is now 1 July 2021 under a 2013 decision covering all intellectual property. Because the newly-tabled proposal was not on the meeting’s agenda, but was mentioned under “other business” the discussion was brief, with a more substantial debate likely at the next meeting in June…
OECD [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/
[We limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]
Ambitious reforms can create a growth path that is both strong and inclusive, OECD says
9 February 2015
Determined and systemic action to implement a comprehensive reform agenda across a wide range of policy areas offers governments the best chance to boost weak demand, restore healthy economic growth, create jobs and ensure that the gains are broadly shared across society, according to the OECD’s latest Going for Growth report.
World Bank [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]
World Bank Group and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Forge Partnership to Improve Delivery of Services to People in Poverty
THIMPHU, BHUTAN, February 27, 2015—The World Bank Group (WBG) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Development Fund (SDF) announced that they have forged a multi-year partnership to design and implement SDF’s Social Enterprise Development Program (SEDP) in eight SAARC countries. The partnership aims to improve the quality and delivery of basic services to the poorest and underserved populations across South Asia by combining finance, global knowledge, and capacity development support for 100 social enterprises that will receive grants of USD 100,000 to 250,000 per enterprise. Thereafter, SDF will provide finance to these enterprises to enable them to scale their impact….
Date: February 27, 2015
World Bank Group Forum Convenes Partners to Explore Implications of Latest Research on Microcredit
“Digital channels reduce the cost of delivering financial services to remote areas, and make it possible for financial service providers to offer a variety of services adapted to customers’ needs,” said Camille Busette, Lead Financial Sector Specialist at CGAP. “Taking a one-size-fits-all approach to microfinance and financial inclusion is no longer an option. Product design, technology, and delivery channels can all be optimized to achieve impact for the consumer and efficiency for providers. ”The research presented at the event is in an important contribution to the field of financial inclusion, and will help determine the path forward. “Evidence from these studies helps us to take stock of what microcredit can do, as well as its limitations as a development tool,” said economist Esther Duflo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a co-founder and co-director of J-PAL, and co-author of the India and Morocco studies.
Date: February 27, 2015
GE2P2 Global :: Knowledge Sharing; Ideas; Operations 