The Elders conclude three-day visit to Moscow
From Ukraine to Syria and Iran, The Elders held talks on geopolitical issues with Russian officials, including President Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
29 April 2015 – Press Release [Full text]
Six members of The Elders, led by the organisation’s Chair, Kofi Annan, today concluded a successful visit to Moscow with a meeting with President Vladimir Putin at his residence.

The Elders, concerned about increasing international confrontations and geopolitical tensions, held constructive and open talks with President Putin. The Elders intend to continue their discussions on these deeply worrisome developments with other governments.

Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General said: “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to discuss Russia’s role in international affairs with the President. To be successful in defusing conflicts and building trust, high-level dialogue and effective action are essential.”

Apart from President Putin, the Elders held in-depth discussions with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, as well as the heads of leading Moscow-based think tanks.

As this was the first visit by The Elders as an organisation to Moscow, the delegation was keen to listen to their Russian interlocutors. The Elders wanted to hear how the Government views current geopolitical crises around the world, in particular the situation in Ukraine and prospects for implementation of the Minsk II agreement. The Elders emphasised the importance of the urgent implementation of the agreement.

A recurrent topic of discussion was the complex and dangerous situation in the Middle East today. The Elders agreed with their Russian hosts on the dangers posed by the rise of terrorism and extremism in Syria and Iraq, and the worrying spread of its influence to other regions.

They also spoke with their interlocutors in Moscow about the need to bring the Iranian nuclear discussions with the “P5+1” group of major states, including Russia, to a successful conclusion by the end of June, and then to make sure the agreement is fully implemented.

As an independent organisation dedicated to the pursuit of peace worldwide, The Elders are keen to encourage steps by all concerned that can help de-escalate global tensions and the risk of further conflict.

Those Elders who participated in the mission to Russia were: Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish President; Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General; Lakhdar Brahimi, former Algerian Foreign Minister; Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Norwegian Prime Minister; Jimmy Carter, former US President; and Ernesto Zedillo, former Mexican President.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Fund Disease Surveillance Network in Africa and Asia to Prevent Childhood Mortality and Help Prepare for the Next Epidemic

SEATTLE (May 6, 2015) – At its Global Partners Forum, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will announce the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Network (CHAMPS), a network of disease surveillance sites in developing countries. These sites will help gather better data, faster, about how, where and why children are getting sick and dying. This data will help the global health community get the right interventions to the right children in the right place to save lives. The network will also be invaluable in providing capacity and training in the event of an epidemic, such as Ebola or SARS. The Gates Foundation plans an initial commitment of up to $75 million on the effort.

“The world needs better, more timely public health data not only to prepare for the next epidemic, but to save children’s lives now,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Over the past 15 years, deaths of children in developing countries have been dramatically reduced, but to continue that trend for the next 15 years, we need more definitive data about where and why children are dying. This will also better position us to respond to other diseases that may turn into an epidemic.”

This network of disease surveillance sites in areas with high childhood mortality rates in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia will offer a long-term approach to information management, laboratory infrastructure and workforce capacity – vital resources in geographies lacking sufficient public health infrastructure. This network could be repurposed quickly in the event of an epidemic, as in Nigeria where the national polio program’s Emergency Operations Center was mobilized to fight Ebola.

A lead partner in the effort will be the Emory Global Health Institute, which houses the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide technical assistance with laboratory infrastructure. Each site will have trained staff and technology capabilities.

“We are excited by and committed to this extraordinary opportunity to make a major contribution to children’s health,” said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, vice president for Global Health at Emory University.

“A disease threat anywhere is a threat everywhere,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Strong networks such as CHAMPS will help us find, stop, and prevent outbreaks and will not only save children in Africa and Asia, but will help to make the world a safer, healthier place for everyone.”

CHAMPS is a minimum twenty-year project to gather more accurate data about how, where and why children are dying in developing countries. It will help ensure that the right vaccines and treatments are delivered to the people who need them most and that the global health community invests in crucial new drugs and health tools.

The announcement will be made at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Partners Forum held in Seattle. The forum is a one-time event taking place in a milestone year for global health and development. Research and development, delivery, and advocacy partners are meeting to exchange perspectives on major global health challenges facing the world over the next 15 years. The event is expected to draw more than 1000 attendees including partners, high-level representatives from governments and organizations across the globe.

Global Overview 2015 – People internally displaced by conflict and violence
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre www.internal-displacement.org
Norwegian Refugee Council
May 2015 :: 99 pages
Authors: Alexandra Bilak, Martina Caterina, Guillaume Charron, Sophie Crozet, Laura Rubio Díaz-Leal, Florence Foster, Justin Ginnetti, Jacopo Giorgi, Anne-Kathrin Glatz, Kristel Guyon, Caroline Howard, Melanie Kesmaecker-Wissing, Sarah Kilany, Johanna Klos, Frederik Kok, Barbara McCallin, Anaïs Pagot, Elizabeth Rushing, Clare Spurrell, Marita Swain, Wesli Turner, Nadine Walicki, Michelle Yonetani

About this report
The Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) has monitored internal displacement since 1998. Our annual Global Overview covers people forced to flee their homes by international or internal armed conflict as well as generalised violence – be it communal, ethnic, political or criminal. This report is based on data and analysis gathered between January and December 2014 in 60 countries and territories across the world.

Our research shows that the causes and impacts of displacement are multiple and often overlapping, including those related to disasters induced by natural hazards, which we report on separately….

…The report also includes a table of figures for each of the countries and territories monitored. These figures estimate the total number of people living in internal displacement as of December 2014. This includes both the number of people newly displaced and people displaced in previous years. Estimates of new displacement in 2014 and of reported returns of IDPs to their homes are also provided in separate columns in the table.

…To produce our Global Overview, we compiled and analysed the best data available from national governments, the UN and other international agencies, national and international NGOs, human rights organisations, media reports and IDPs themselves. We also undertook field missions to 29 countries during 2014. The availability of better data may have contributed to changes in figures for 2014 compared with previous years, alongside actual increases or decreases in the scale of displacement. We also report for the first time on four countries where new displacement took place or where data on internal displacement became available: Cameroon, El Salvador, Papua New Guinea and Ukraine.

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Press release
A record 38 million internally displaced worldwide, as 30,000 people fled their homes each day in 2014
GENEVA 6 MAY 2015: A record-breaking 38 million people have been displaced within their own country by conflict or violence. This is the equivalent of the total populations of London, New York and Beijing combined. “These are the worst figures for forced displacement in a generation, signalling our complete failure to protect innocent civilians” said Jan Egeland, secretary general at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Today, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), part of NRC, launched its Global Overview 2015: People internally displaced by conflict and violence at the United Nations in Geneva. With internal displacement figures reaching a record high for the third year in a row, the report also documents how 11 million people were newly displaced by violent events in 2014 alone…

UNESCO – Riga Declaration reaffirms importance of freedom of expression and press freedom for sustainable development
Celebrations marking this year’s World Press Freedom Day ended today in Riga with the adoption of the Riga Declaration, a non-binding statement expressing the commitment of over 500 participants to promote the significance of independent journalism for sustainable development.
04.05.2015

The Declaration aims to improve the quality of journalism, enhance gender equality in the newsroom and promote safety of journalists, and links this to the United Nations negotiations for a new package of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will be adopted next autumn.

In the Declaration, participants state that “freedom of expression, press freedom and the right of access to information are fundamental rights and enable the enjoyment of all other human rights and the goals of sustainable development.”

Particular reference is made to Sustainable Development Goal 16 on the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies with access to justice for all. The Riga Declaration reiterates the essential contribution of journalists to the realization of this objective and insists on the need to end impunity for crimes against journalists and media workers.

The Declaration was adopted at the close of a two-day UNESCO conference in Riga which brought together media professionals and decision-makers on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. The Conference focused on quality in journalism, gender equality and media safety in the digital age.

Meanwhile representatives of the Organization of American States, the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights and the African Union, adopted a declaration on Freedom of Expression and Responses to Conflict Situations.

Also on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, the Director-General of UNESCO awarded the 2015 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to imprisoned Syrian journalist and press freedom activist Mazen Darwish. The event took place with the participation of the President of Latvia, Andris Bērziņš, Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs and Culture Minister Dace Melbārde…

…World Press Freedom Day this year was celebrated in more than 80 countries around the world by both official bodies and civil society and profession organizations.

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Riga Declaration
World Press Freedom Day International Conference, 2-4 May 2015
“Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, and Media Safety in the Digital Age”
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We, the participants at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day International Conference held at the National Library in Riga, Latvia from 2-4 May 2015 and on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the founding of UNESCO

:: Recalling Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”;

:: Recognising that freedom of expression across all media platforms is an enabler of sustainable human development, including a culture of peace;

:: Believing that freedom of expression, which underpins press freedom and the right to access information, applies online and offline and is central to democracy, social equality, the enjoyment of other human rights as well as economic growth and welfare;

:: Honoring all those who work in media, in whatever context, who often risk their personal security in service of the public’s right to information;

:: Further noting that 2015 is the 20th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which calls on the international community to “increase the participation and access of women to expression and decision making in and through the media and new technologies of communication” and to “promote a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women in the media”;

:: Recognising that everyone’s right to freedom of expression depends upon the safety of journalists and an end to impunity for crimes against them, as reflected in UN Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/27/5, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/69/185, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738, UNESCO’s Executive Board Decision 196 EX/Decision 31 as well as the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which UNESCO is co-ordinating through various activities including the Journalist Safety Indicators;

:: Emphasising that international organisations, governments, media and other actors should work together to strengthen the safety of journalists and hold accountable those who attack them;

:: Acknowledging the principles and recommendations of the previous World Press Freedom Day Declarations, in particular the Washington Declaration on 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers and the Paris Declaration on Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the Post-2015 Development Agenda;

:: Noting that the 2015 World Press Freedom Day takes place at an important juncture, with the opportunity to rally attention to the importance of freedom of expression in the final processes of the global post-2015 development agenda negotiations;

We accordingly affirm that:
1. Freedom of expression, press freedom and the right of access to information are fundamental rights and enable the enjoyment of all other human rights and the goals of sustainable development;
2. The safety of journalists and the issue of impunity are directly relevant to implementing the proposed Sustainable Development Goal 16, particularly the targets on fundamental freedoms, access to information and the rule of law;
3. Journalism contributes to the rule of law, vigilance against corruption, the promotion of policy debates, the deepening of transparency in society, and the ability of citizens to make informed decisions, and thus enables them to actively participate in public affairs.
4. Overcoming poverty, social inequality and advancing sustainable development requires that citizens have access to reliable and quality information and inclusive platforms for public voice and different opinions;
5. Women and men have the right to equal access, expression and participation in decision-making in and through the media, as well as to balanced and non-stereotypical presentation;
6. Competency in media and information literacy as well as open-minded and critical thinking skills are essential to ensuring that everyone is empowered in seeking, receiving, and imparting information and ideas, regardless of frontiers;

We therefore:
Call on UNESCO Member States to:
1. Reaffirm the important roles that freedom of expression and a free, independent and pluralistic news media play in the advancement of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights;
2. Take positive measures, such as adopting and investing in gender-responsive initiatives to improve the gender representativeness of media content and services, as well as ensuring equal pay and decent work conditions for men and women;
3. Reaffirm their commitment to promote a legal and institutional environment which ensures the safety of journalists;
4. Condemn all attacks on journalists and ensure that such crimes are subject to independent, speedy and effective investigations and prosecutions, and to provide voluntarily comprehensive and timely responses to the call by the UNESCO Director-General for information about investigations into killings of journalists, in line with the decisions of the Organization’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC);
5. Ensure a diversity of independent media whose ownership and financing are transparent to the public.
6. Support frameworks that can ensure greater independence of journalists and editorial boards from economic, political and other pressures that constrain their work;
7. Support the provision of quality training and education for journalists, as well as promote media and information literacy, as part of long-term efforts to promote media sustainability and professionalisation;
8. Ensure that surveillance and data collection regimes show respect for the privacy of journalists and protect the confidentiality of sources.

Call on journalists, professional and support associations, media outlets, internet intermediaries and social media practitioners:
1. To share good practices on the safety of journalists, particularly as implemented by the decision-makers of news organizations from all regions, including community media and small media outlets;
2. To support the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity with complementary or joint actions, and to enhance cooperation with each other;
3. To consider using Journalist Safety Indicators as a measurement and evaluation tool in their own activities.
4. To apply the same principles of protection to staff journalists and freelancers and favorably consider applying the Global Safety Principles and Practices adopted by dozens of organizations in February 2015.
5. To encourage journalism that seeks out voices and opinions from communities often excluded from public space, harassed online, or subject to other forms of official and unofficial abuse.
6. Take corrective action in support of gender equality in the newsroom and in news coverage, such as through adopting policies for gender-sensitive training and reporting, increased focus on women as newsmakers and news sources, and the provision of work conditions for men and women which allow the balancing of work and family responsibilities.

Call on UNESCO to:
1. Continue highlighting the importance of freedom of expression, public access to information and the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity within the post-2015 development agenda processes;
2. Promote the importance of free, independent and pluralistic media as an essential prerequisite for good governance and the rule of law;
3. Continue monitoring the safety of journalists and state of impunity, and submit reports about this on a regular basis;
4. Strengthen the implementation of the UN Plan of Action to further interested countries, and to continue coordinating the implementation of the UN Plan of Action throughout the UN system, in particular at country level;
5. Continue encouraging governments to harness the support of the UN Plan of Action on Safety and the Issue of Impunity, and to implement various UN resolutions mentioned in the Preamble above;
6. Strengthen cooperation with professional organizations and other actors in addressing the safety of journalists, with a specific focus on women journalists;
7. Make all appropriate efforts to strengthen and promote UNESCO’s model curricula for journalism education, including safety of journalists, and to enhance the development of UNESCO’s programmes on Media and Information Literacy;
8. Promote further application of the Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media and the Journalist Safety Indicators;
9. Facilitate capacity-building in Member States, including through IPDC projects and South-South and North-South cooperation.
10. Respond to the issue of hate speech by promoting media and information literacy and fact-based counter-speech, and by highlighting that any limitations on expression have to be necessary, proportionate and for reasons of preventing advocacy of incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

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Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Responses to Conflict Situations
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
4 May 2015
Joint declaration by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, presented at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event, May 4 2015.

[Excerpt; Text bolding by Editor]
1. Scope of the Joint Declaration
This Joint Declaration addresses systematic or targeted attacks on freedom of expression which are aimed at silencing certain perspectives or voices, whether internationally, nationally or locally, and State responses to such attacks. Such attacks are perpetrated in different contexts, including of international and non-international armed conflicts, terrorist attacks and widespread organised crime.

2. General Principles
a. States have a direct responsibility under international human rights law to respect freedom of expression and they are also under a positive obligation to take effective measures to protect freedom of expression against attacks by third parties, including by ensuring accountability for any attacks on those exercising their right to freedom of expression and by raising awareness about the importance of freedom of expression.
b. States should not respond to crisis situations by adopting additional restrictions on freedom of expression, except as strictly justified by the situation and international human rights law.
c. Any restriction on freedom of expression must meet the three-part test under international human rights law, namely that it is provided for by law, it serves to protect a legitimate interest recognised under international law and it is necessary to protect that interest.
d. In the context of systematic attacks on freedom of expression, non-State actors bear direct responsibility for their actions where these represent breaches of domestic law, or of international humanitarian or criminal law.

3. Criminal Restrictions on Content
a. All criminal restrictions on content – including those relating to hate speech, national security, public order and terrorism/extremism – should conform strictly to international standards, including by not providing special protection to officials and by not employing vague or unduly broad terms.
b. In particular, States should refrain from applying restrictions relating to “terrorism’ in an unduly broad manner. Criminal responsibility for expression relating to terrorism should be limited to those who incite others to terrorism; vague concepts such as glorifying’, ‘justifying’ or ‘encouraging’ terrorism should not be used…

ILO: Mothers and children need more – not less – social protection
As several countries around the world prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, two new ILO studies provide new global and country data that point to the urgent need to increase social protection for mothers and children.
News | 07 May 2015
GENEVA (ILO News) – The lack of access to social protection* is still a reality for a large number of mothers and children worldwide, according to two studies released by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The Social protection for maternity: Key policy trends and statistics report shows that only 36 per cent of employed women are legally entitled to cash benefits during their maternity leave. In practice, however, maternity leave legislation is not implemented effectively, so only 28 per cent of working women are covered in case of maternity.

The study, Social protection for children: key policy trends and statistics, also paints a worrying picture. It shows that while there has been an explosion of small cash transfer schemes in recent years, there is also a considerable gap with regard to the availability of adequate child and family benefits. According to the study, 108 countries have specific child and family benefit programmes rooted in legislation, but they often cover small groups.

“Around 800 women die from childbirth every day. In addition, 18,000 children also pass away daily. The sad reality is that despite efforts carried out as part of the Millennium Development Goals process, maternal and child mortality rates in developing countries are still very high,” says Isabel Ortiz, Director of the ILO Social Protection Department.

“Most of these deaths are preventable with adequate social protection. Universal maternal and child health care is key to reducing high mortality rates, together with cash transfers to ensure adequate food, clothing, and access to social services,” she adds.

Fiscal adjustment reducing social protection for mothers and children
A worrying trend is that in some countries the levels of maternity and child protection benefits have dropped as a result of fiscal consolidation policies.

For example, several European countries have reduced the level of maternity and child benefits or have limited the level of coverage.

“Fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures threaten progress on social protection for children and their families,” says Ortiz. “Child poverty increased in 18 of the 28 countries of the European Union between 2008 and 2013.”

Universal coverage: How much does it cost?
On the other hand, several low- and middle-income countries have either extended the duration of paid maternity leave or introduced cash benefits for mothers and children. However, large coverage gaps remain.

The reports look at a sample of 57 low- and lower middle-income countries and show that introducing a basic universal maternity cash benefit would require, on average, 0.41 per cent of national gross domestic product (GDP).

Meanwhile, having universal child benefits would, on average, require 1.9 per cent of national GDP. The projected costs for a basic universal child benefit vary greatly between countries, ranging from 5.2 per cent of GDP for Niger to 0.2 per cent of GDP for Guyana, considering that children constitute a large proportion of the population in these countries.

The same variation applies to basic universal maternity protection, where it ranges from less than 0.1 per cent of GDP in Bhutan, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam to 1.1 per cent of GDP in Niger.

“At a time when the world is discussing a post-2015 development agenda, it is essential that the international community identifies financing sources for social protection,” says Ortiz, recalling the ILO Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) .

“It is a question of choosing the right priorities: the total cost of universal benefits to all pregnant women and all children in 57 lower income countries is just 0.6 per cent of what G20 countries used to bail out the financial sector in 2009,” concludes Ortiz.

The ILO Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) reflects a consensus among governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations from 185 countries on the need to extend social security.

Both studies include detailed national data on maternity protection and child and family benefits for 188 countries surveyed.

* Social protection is defined by the ILO as the set of public measures that a society provides for its members to protect them against economic distress and hardship caused by the absence or a substantial reduction of income from work because of illness, maternity, lack of employment, disability, old age and others; access to health care; and the provision of benefits for families with children. This concept of social protection (or social security guarantees) aimed at reducing/preventing poverty and vulnerability is reflected in various ILO standards, approved by countries.

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Social protection for children: Key policy trends and statistics
ILO – Social Protection Policy Paper. Paper 14
08 December 2014 :: 60 pages
ISBN: 9789221298557
PDF: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_protect/—soc_sec/documents/publication/wcms_366592.pdf
Abstract
This policy paper: (i) provides a global overview of the organization of child and family benefits in maternity cash benefits and maternity care in 183 countries; (ii) presents the negative impacts of fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures in a number of higher income economies; (iii) analyses trends and recent policies, e.g. extension of child and family benefit coverage in a large number of low- and middle-income countries; (iv) presents the costs of basic universal child and orphan benefits in 57 low and lower middle income countries; and (v) calls for the expansion of social protection for children and families in pursuit of crisis recovery, inclusive development and social justice.

Executive summary
:: Social protection policies are an essential element of realizing children’s rights, ensuring their well-being, breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and vulnerability, preventing child labour, and helping all children realize their full potential.

:: Despite a large expansion of schemes in developing countries, existing social protection policies do not sufficiently address the income security needs of children, particularly in low and middle-income countries with a large child population. About 18,000 children die every day, mainly from preventable causes; many of these deaths could be avoided through adequate social protection.

:: More efforts are needed to step up measures to ensure income security for children and families. Specific child and family benefit programmes rooted in legislation exist in 108 countries, yet often cover only small groups of the population.

:: On average, governments allocate 0.4 per cent of GDP to child benefits, ranging from 2.2 per cent in Western Europe to 0.2 per cent in Africa, and in Asia and the Pacific. Underinvestment in children jeopardizes their rights and their future, as well as the economic and social development prospects of the countries in which they live.

:: Fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures in higher-income economies threaten progress on social protection for children and their families. Child poverty increased in 18 of the 28 countries of the European Union between 2008 and 2013.

:: Guaranteeing income security for all children, at least at a basic level, can be achieved by nearly all countries around the world. Even low income countries can make great strides in ensuring at least a basic level of income security for children and families anchored in national legislation. ILO estimates demonstrate that a universal child benefit would on average require 1.9 per cent of national GDP in 57 low income countries and lower middle income countries.

:: The case for social protection for children is compelling in our times. Social protection is both a human right and a sound economic policy. Social protection powerfully contributes to reducing poverty, exclusion, and inequality – while enhancing political stability and social cohesion. Social protection also contributes to economic growth by supporting household income and thus domestic consumption; this is particularly important during this time of slow recovery and depressed global demand. Further, social protection enhances human capital and productivity, so it has become a critical policy tool for transformative national development.

:: Social protection floors for children and their families are essential for global recovery, inclusive development and social justice, and therefore must be an integral part of the post-2015 development agenda.

Putting science into practice for early child development
Anthony Lake, Margaret Chan
The Lancet
May 09, 2015 Volume 385 Number 9980 p1803-1916 e45-e46
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61680-9
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The debate between nature and nurture as determinants of early child development is over. Today, we understand that the two are inextricably linked. The degree of their interdependence—and the impact of this interplay on the developing brains of children—is even greater than we previously imagined.1 This knowledge has tremendous implications for how we design and deliver early child development interventions.

During the past 24 years, the united efforts and shared goals of the global community have achieved substantial progress in child survival, and child mortality worldwide has declined by 49%.2 We can build on those gains by focusing new effort and attention not only on saving children’s lives, but also on supporting the healthy development of their brains. This is especially important for the millions of children growing up in the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities and countries, who already face multiple adversities and whose societies also suffer the consequences of those deprivations.

We already know that the brain develops most rapidly in the first few years of a child’s life. During these critical years, neuroplasticity is at a peak—neurons form new connections at the astounding rate of up to 1000 per second.3 These synaptic connections are the foundation of a child’s physical and mental health, affecting everything from longevity to the lifelong capacity to learn, from the ability to adapt to change to the capacity for resilience.

New lines of research are expanding our understanding of the part environment plays in the formation of these neural connections. If children fail to get what they need—enough nutrition, nurturing, stimulation, and a sense of security—during the most critical years of early childhood, the impact on their lives and futures is enormous. For example, inadequate nutrition in the early years of childhood can result in stunting, which can cause diminished physical and cognitive development that undermine a child’s ability to learn and earn later in life. Similarly, inadequate stimulation during the same critical period of earliest childhood can reduce learning capacity and ability to form social and emotional attachments.4

The impact of such deprivations can intensify in situations that produce toxic stress in children, including chronic deprivation and prolonged hunger, domestic violence and abuse, and the effects of living through violent conflicts and other catastrophes. Toxic stress increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that can disrupt the healthy development of the brain, affecting health, learning, and behaviour. Toxic stress also undermines the ability of the body to absorb nutrients, so potentially exacerbating malnutrition.5
We are just beginning to understand how environmental factors—including the quality of parenting—might modify the expression of genes, and possibly affect not just one, but multiple, generations.6, 7 This growing area of inquiry is beginning to change the way we think about development in early childhood and early childhood development interventions. As separate fields of study begin to come together to translate scientific evidence into practical action, some key recommendations are emerging.

First, early intervention is essential. Neuroplasticity begins to decline after early childhood. It becomes progressively harder to offset the effects of early childhood deprivation on the brain. Interventions are most effective during the period of most dynamic growth, and what happens in these early years affects a child for life.

Second, to be most effective, interventions must be intersectoral, going beyond education to encompass health, nutrition, and protection. The healthy development of a child’s brain depends on multiple positive experiences. Nutrition feeds the brain; stimulation sparks the mind; love and protection buffer the negative impact of stress and adversity. And distinct interventions are mutually supportive, achieving the strongest results when delivered together. One example is Care for Child Development,8 an intervention jointly developed by WHO and UNICEF that instructs mothers and caregivers to stimulate language and learning in young children using everyday objects and activities. This intervention is designed to be delivered with instruction on the importance of improving nutrition for young children. Better nutrition, in turn, supports a child’s ability to benefit from cognitive stimulation. By increasing the quantity and quality of caregiving, these interventions also strengthen affectionate bonds between children and parents. In doing so, this approach effectively reinforces a sense of responsibility to continue the interventions: a virtuous cycle.

Intersectoral interventions in early childhood are also important because of the complex interactions of toxic stress, nutrition, and brain development. Studies show that nutritional supplements alone will not fully alleviate the effects of malnutrition in children who also experience high levels of toxic stress.9 Similarly, failing to provide adequate nutrition undermines the development of neural connections: a vicious cycle. This knowledge has special significance in the context of humanitarian emergencies, and underlines the need to minimise the negative impact of toxic stress and inadequate nutrition in the lives of the most vulnerable of all children.

Third, designing interventions to optimise brain development must also take into account the entire lifecycle, beginning with maternal health and prenatal care. This means investing more in interventions to support mothers before conception, during pregnancy and childbirth, and beyond. Similarly, we must also focus attention and resources on adolescence, the period during which the developing brain consolidates the neural connections formed in the early years. We now understand that such interventions could help offset, although not fully ameliorate, the effects of earlier deprivation.

Today, 200 million children younger than 5 years are not achieving their developmental potential.10 Most of these children are growing up in the poorest households of their respective societies. They are the children living in remote rural communities and urban slums; children living through emergencies and chronic conflicts; children from minorities; and children with disabilities. This loss of potential for these children is a personal tragedy; but more broadly, it helps perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality in their societies and undermines stability and prosperity. But investing in early interventions timed to take advantage of crucial phases of brain development can improve the lives of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children and their societies.

The long-term benefits of doing so are potentially great. Studies of children in Guatemala and Jamaica who participated in learning and nutrition programmes in their first 2–3 years of life showed dramatic differences in earning capacity later in life. The interventions included a protein supplement for infants, and home visits by community health workers to guide mothers in the importance of early stimulation. The cost of delivering these interventions is exceeded by the short-term and long-term benefits: children who benefited from these interventions earned between 20% and 40% more in adulthood than those who did not.11

As the Millennium Development Goal period comes to a close and the post-2015 development agenda takes shape, the global community has an opportunity to assess its progress in reducing poverty, and in expanding growth, prosperity, and sustainable development. Even more, it has the responsibility to address the barriers that remain. We have an opportunity now to do just that, by translating scientific knowledge into practical solutions to change the lives of millions of children.

Forests, Trees and Landscapes for Food Security and Nutrition – A Global Assessment Report
International Union of Forest Research Organizations – IUFRO World Series Vol. 33
Editors: Bhaskar Vira, Christoph Wildburger, Stephanie Mansourian
ISBN 978-3-902762-40-5 :: 172 pages
Download full report (PDF, 4.7 MB)
Abstract
This report presents the results of the fourth global scientific assessment undertaken so far in the framework of GFEP. It reflects the importance of policy coherence and integration more than any previous GFEP assessment. It comes at a time when the United Nations General Assembly seeks to adopt a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and converge with the post-2015 development agenda. In this context, the eradication of hunger, realisation of food security and the improvement of nutrition are of particular relevance. By 2050, the international community will face the challenge of providing 9 billion people with food, shelter and energy. Despite impressive productivity increases, there is growing evidence that conventional agricultural strategies will fall short of eliminating global hunger and malnutrition. The assessment report in hand provides comprehensive scientific evidence on how forests, trees and landscapes can be – and must be – an integral part of the solution to this global problem. In other words, we must connect the dots and see the bigger picture.

Policy Brief
Forests, Trees and Landscapes for Food Security and Nutrition – Contributing to the “Zero Hunger Challenge”
International Unionof Forest Research Organizations
ISBN 978-3-902762-41-2 :: 16 pages
Download Policy Brief (PDF, 1.5 MB)

Press Release
New UN-backed report emphasizes possible contribution of forests to ending hunger
6 May 2015, New York
A new United Nations-backed report on the link between forests and food production and nutrition says that woodlands could be the key to ending hunger and will be intimately linked to the global fight against climate change.
Launched today at UN Headquarters in New York, where the 11th session of the UN Forum on Forests, the Forests, Trees and Landscapes for Food Security and Nutrition report outlines the potential of forests to improve food security and nutrition, and to ensure the livelihoods of the world’s most vulnerable people.

“What the report is trying to get us to focus on is the relatively neglected contribution that forests and trees make to food security and nutrition,” said Bhaskar Vira, who serves as Chair of the Expert Panel on Forests and Food Security. “Not necessarily neglected by the people who actually consume them but possibly neglected in some of the policy discourses.”

He stressed that it was understood in the report that conventional agriculture would remain the major source of people’s nutrition needs but underlined the complementary role that forests and tree-based systems would also play in feeding the world. “We’re not trying to suggest that forests and tree-based systems will replace agricultural in relation the critical relationship between crops and food,” said Mr. Vira. “But what we document in extensive detail is the role that forests and tree-based systems already play in supplementing people’s diets and the important roles they play in supplying people with a nutritionally balanced diet.”

Apart from the importance of forests and trees to food security and nutrition, the report’s other key messages are that integrated governance is important in the interaction between different areas of land-use, that local control of forests are vital to their well-being and to food security as a whole, and that there is a need going forward to reimagine forests and food security.

The report, which is based on existing knowledge, was put together by more than 60 renowned scientists who are part of the Global Forest Expert Panel (GFEP) on Forests and Food Security. The initiative was led by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) – a world-wide organization devoted to forest research and related sciences, and a member of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), which is an informal arrangement among 14 international organizations and secretariats with substantial programmes on forests.

The current session of the Forest Forum is trying to forge an international forest policy for the next 15 years that will be aligned with the new sustainable development agenda expected to be adopted in September. The current integration of forests into the new agenda demonstrates the increasing recognition of the critical role forests play in eradicating poverty, as well as addressing climate change.

“Conservation of forests and arresting deforestation remains the most affordable and most interesting and valuable cost-benefit option to decrease carbon emissions,” said Manoel Sobral Filho, Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, who also stressed the how crucial the current year was as the international community discussed a new development agenda and he noted that forests were to be included in two of the proposed new sustainable development goals.

EBOLA/EVD [to 9 May 2015]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC); “Threat to international peace and security” (UN Security Council)

WHO: Ebola Situation Report – 6 May 2015
[Excerpts]
SUMMARY
:: A total of 18 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was reported in the week to 3 May: Guinea and Sierra Leone each reported 9 cases. This is the lowest weekly total this year, and comes after a month-long period during which case incidence fluctuated between 30 and 37 confirmed cases per week. That both countries have each reported fewer than 10 cases is encouraging, but it is important to guard against complacency. Liberia has reported fewer than 10 cases per week since the start of January this year, but the outbreak will be declared to have ended only if no new cases are reported up to 9 May, which marks 42 complete days since the burial of the last confirmed case…

COUNTRIES WITH WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE TRANSMISSION
:: There have been a total of 26,593 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of EVD in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone (figure 1, table 1), with 11,005 reported deaths (outcomes for many cases are unknown). A total of 9 new confirmed cases were reported in Guinea, 0 in Liberia, and 9 in Sierra Leone in the 7 days to 3 May.
The Ebola outbreak in Liberia is over
WHO statement
9 May 2015
Today, 9 May 2015, WHO declares Liberia free of Ebola virus transmission. Forty-two days have passed since the last laboratory-confirmed case was buried on 28 March 2015. The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia is over.

Interruption of transmission is a monumental achievement for a country that reported the highest number of deaths in the largest, longest, and most complex outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976. At the peak of transmission, which occurred during August and September 2014, the country was reporting from 300 to 400 new cases every week…

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

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Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage
6 May 2015
SC/11883-AFR/3130-PKO/482
Security Council Press Statement on MONUSCO Peacekeepers
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Raimonda Murmokaitė (Lithuania):
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack against United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) peacekeepers in Beni territory on 5 May 2015, in which two Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed and others injured.
The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers killed, as well as to the Government and people of the United Republic of Tanzania, and to MONUSCO. The members of the Security Council also wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
The members of the Security Council called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice and stressed that those responsible for the attack shall be held accountable. The members of the Security Council underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law…

6 May 2015
ENV/DEV/1516
Forest Forum Heads into Negotiations on Draft Declaration, Resolution Setting Out Elements for Post-2015 Arrangement, Possible Global Fund, Technical Advice Body
The Chair of the United Nations Forum on Forests today described the contours of the draft ministerial declaration and draft resolution that the policy body planned to send to the Economic and Social Council for adoption, following the close of its eleventh session on 15 May.

5 May 2015
GA/11641
Lessons of Second World War Must Continue to Guide United Nations Work, General Assembly Told During Meeting Marking Seventieth Anniversary
The lessons of World War II — on whose ashes the United Nations was founded — must continue to guide the Organization’s work, even as it adapted to meet the evolving challenges of the modern world, delegates commemorating the seventieth anniversary of the end of the war told the General Assembly today.

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true

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UN rights experts condemn recent upsurge in executions in Iran, many of them unreported
Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Sp. Rapporteur on summary executions
5/8/2015

Enforced disappearances: UN expert group examines almost 400 cases from 30 countries
WG on Disappearances
5/6/2015

Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and responses to conflict situations
Sp. Rapporteur on freedom of expression
5/4/2015

UN and international experts release key declaration on Freedom of Expression in Conflict Situations
Sp. Rapporteur on freedom of expression
5/4/2015

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40

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UNHCR calls on Hungary to protect, not persecute, refugees
8 May 2015
BUDAPEST (UNHCR) – The UN Refugee Agency on Friday spoke out against a growing expression of xenophobia in Hungary. It raised concerns over efforts by the Hungarian government to paint refugees as a threat to the country in leading questions being asked during a so-called national consultation.
“We are deeply concerned by the way the government increasingly vilifies people who have fled from war zones like Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq and who desperately need safety and protection in Hungary,” said Montserrat Feixas Vihé, UNHCR Regional Representative for Central Europe based in Budapest…

UNHCR calls for joint response in wake of “Rohingya mass grave” in Thailand
6 May 2015
BANGKOK, May 6 – The UN refugee agency is deeply concerned at this week’s discovery of dozens of bodies in smugglers’ camps in southern Thailand. The agency calls on countries in the region to strengthen cooperation on counter-smuggling and counter-trafficking measures while ensuring the protection of victims…

UNICEF [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html

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Selected press release and news notes
Nepal Earthquake: Education for nearly 1 million children in jeopardy – UNICEF
KATHMANDU, 7 May 2015 – At least 950,000 children in Nepal will not be able to return to school, unless urgent action is taken to provide temporary learning spaces and repair damaged school buildings following the 25 April earthquake – according to UNICEF.

UNICEF Innovation adopts new models of investment to give poorest children better opportunities
NEW YORK, 7 May 2015 – UNICEF today launched a Global Innovation Centre and Innovation Fund to bring to scale creative and cost-reducing approaches to better the lives of the poorest children.

Media Advisory: J7 International Youth Summit
NEW YORK, 6 May 2015 – J7 International Youth Summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and UNICEF Germany, ahead of the G7 Summit in Germany.

South Sudan: Put child rights first, UNICEF says
JUBA, South Sudan, May 5, 2015 – UNICEF today welcomed South Sudan’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and urged the Government to make child rights the cornerstone of the world’s youngest nation.

Armed groups in Central African Republic agree to release thousands of children
BANGUI, Central African Republic, 5 May 2015 – Leaders of armed groups in the Central African Republic agreed today to release all children associated with their forces and to immediately end any new child recruitment.

Nepal Earthquake: UNICEF-EU partnership airlifts emergency supplies
BRUSSELS/KATHMANDU, Nepal, 4 May 2015 – A cargo plane carrying 40 metric tons of life-saving supplies just landed in Kathmandu to provide assistance to some of the 1.7 million children affected by the April 25 earthquake.

Nepal earthquake: Emergency immunisation campaign for hundreds of thousands of children – UNICEF
KATHMANDU, Nepal, 4 May 2015 – More than half a million children are being targeted in an emergency vaccination drive in Nepal – as fears grow of measles outbreaks in the informal camps that have sprung up since the earthquake on 25 April.

UN Women [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/

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Selected Press Releases
Press release: UN Women announces bold commitments to gender equality from 10 partners across the world
Date : May 5, 2015
UN Women’s HeForShe campaign today announced 10 bold commitments from its IMPACT Champions, demonstrating strong leadership to advance women’s rights and empowerment.
The HeForShe IMPACT 10X10X10 is an initiative that aims to engage an initial 10 governments, corporations and universities around the world in activities to achieve gender equality….
Corporate Champions:
:: Sébastien Bazin, Chair and CEO, Accor
:: Mustafa Koç, Chair, Koç Holding
:: Dennis Nally, Chair, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd:
:: Rick Goings, Chair and CEO, Tupperware Brands
:: Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever
University Champions:
:: Peter Mathieson, President and Vice-Chancellor, the University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
:: Paul Boyle, President and Vice-Chancellor, Leicester University (UK)
:: Seiichi Matsuo, President, Nagoya University (Japan)
:: Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor, the University of Waterloo (Canada)
:: Adam Habib, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)

WHO & Regionals [to 9 May 2015]
:: Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly – 18–26 May 2015

:: Improving access to lifesaving medicines for hepatitis C, drug-resistant TB and cancers
8 May 2015 — WHO today published the new edition of its Model List of Essential Medicines which includes ground-breaking new treatments for hepatitis C, a variety of cancers (including breast cancer and leukaemia) and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB), among others. The move opens the way to improve access to innovative medicines that show clear clinical benefits and could have enormous public health impact globally.
Press release on the new edition of the Essential Medicines list

:: WHO issues best practices for naming new human infectious diseases
May 2015 — WHO today called on scientists, national authorities and the media to follow best practices in naming new human infectious diseases to minimize unnecessary negative effects on nations, economies and people

:: A commitment to improve global health information
May 2015 — WHO and the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) signed a Memorandum of Understanding defining areas where they will work together to improve the quality and use of global health estimates to measure the world’s health challenges.
Stories from countries
Nepali and international medical teams join forces to fill health care gaps in quake-ravaged Sindhupalchok
6 May 2015
“Sin Tax” expands health coverage in the Philippines
6 May 2015
Syrian Arab Republic builds capacity for mental health care during conflict
5 May 2015
Mobile health clinics help tackle post-earthquake mental health problems in Nepal
5 May 2015
Sierra Leone: Helping health workers protect patients with clean hands
4 May 2015
:: The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 8 May 2015, vol. 90, 19 (pp. 201–216) includes:
..Dracunculiasis eradication: global surveillance summary, 2014
..Monthly report on dracunculiasis cases, January– February 2015

:: Global Alert and Response (GAR) – Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
..8 May 2015 – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Iran
..8 May 2015 – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

:: Global Immunization Meeting: “Protect, Innovate, Accelerate”
23-25 June 2015, Sitges/Barcelona, Spain.
Agenda pdf, 499kb
:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO calls Experts’ Meeting to promote responsible use of antimicrobials and combat antimicrobial resistance in the African Region
Brazzaville, 8 May 2015 – The African Region is facing an increasing risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. AMR and its spread will compromise health security in the Region as many standard medical treatments will fail or turn into high-risk procedures causing prolonged illnesses, high health care expenditures, and greater risks of death.
:: African Public Health Leaders Unite to End Preventable Deaths and Improve Health of Women, Children and Adolescents by 2030 – 06 May 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Ten key actions by PAHO member countries that led to elimination of rubella (05/04/2015)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO committed to helping Nepal deliver health care to its citizens, says WHO South-East Asia Regional Director 07 May 2015
:: WHO setting up Gorkha field office to extend health-care reach in Nepal 03 May 2015

WHO European Region EURO
:: Health financing course on universal health coverage another success 05-05-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO pushes health diplomacy agenda forward in fourth high-level seminar in Cairo
Cairo, 2 May 2015 – The WHO Regional Office held the fourth seminar on health diplomacy in Cairo, Egypt, from 2 to 4 May 2015. Senior officials from ministries of health and foreign affairs, ministers and permanent missions at the United Nations in Geneva, ambassadors, heads of parliamentary health committees and public health institutes attended the meeting and discussed priority issues, such as: noncommunicable diseases; the post-2015 development agenda; health security; and crises and humanitarian response.
:: Syrian Arab Republic builds capacity for mental health care during conflict May 2015
:: WHO/UNHCR issue new guide on mental health in humanitarian emergencies 5 May 2015

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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03 May 2015
UNDP assists 84 developing countries safely manage Persistent Organic Pollutants to protect human health, livelihoods and environment
Geneva – At the 7th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-7) in Geneva this week, UNDP will be reporting its contribution to the global effort to reduce the risks of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). As of May 2015, UNDP is supporting 84 countries implement POPs-related projects, amounting to US $156 million in Global Environment Facility (GEF) grants and US $392 million in co-financing. Consequently, 9,500 tonnes of POPs have been safely disposed and 335,000 tonnes of contaminated wastes have been safeguarded.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemicals that negatively affect health and environment through air, water and soil, causing nervous system damage, immune system breakdown, reproductive system disorder and cancer. To help reduce the vulnerability, especially of the poor, to health and environmental hazards, UNDP helps countries meet the objectives of the Stockholm Convention with financial support from GEF and other co-financing partners. To ensure sustainability 300,000 people have been trained globally on POPs management and 65 national regulations on safe management of POPS have been adopted with UNDP support. These efforts have helped 220,000 people reduce their high-risk exposure to POPs….

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/index.htm

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6 May: IFAD’s new financing framework means more investment in poor rural communities
Arabic | French | English | Spanish
Rome, 6 May 2015 – The Executive Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently approved the Sovereign Borrowing Framework, a unique and innovative financial policy tool created to meet the increased need for investing in the Fund’s agricultural development projects.

“This framework provides the means to leverage additional funding for our work in remote areas where few others venture,” said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD. “As we look to how we will finance the post-2015 agenda, IFAD believes that financing tools like this one are essential to transforming rural areas into vibrant places where women and men can thrive.”

Meeting the ambition of the new Sustainable Development Goals that will be adopted in September will require a substantial range of domestic and international investments from both the public and private sectors. Development institutions need to broaden their financing instruments in order to attract additional finance and support their partners in making the best use of these resources.

The framework focuses on the parameters within which IFAD may borrow from sovereign states and state-supported institutions. IFAD’s goal is to support rural people so they can improve their food and nutrition security, increase their incomes and strengthen their resilience by investing in agricultural development projects that bring about rural transformation. In order to reach more rural people and increase its impact, IFAD will continue to expand its funding base by leveraging additional resources. As a first step in this direction late last year, the Fund signed a framework agreement with Germany’s KfW Development Bank for up to EUR 400 million and a first loan of EUR 100 million.

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx.

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ICAO Wraps up Successful Multi-Region Outreach Effort on Global MBM for International Air Transport
MONTRÉAL, 1 May 2015 – The International Civil Aviation Organization successfully concluded its first round of Global Aviation Dialogues (GLADs) on Market-based Measures (MBMs) during April 2015, covering all ICAO regions. The two-day GLADs sessions were designed to share information on MBMs and their potential role in mitigating CO2 emissions from international aviation, update ICAO’s progress on the development of its global MBM scheme, and provide an important opportunity for feedback and discussion amongst Member States and relevant organizations…

IMO International Maritime Organization [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/Pages/Home.aspx

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Polar Code environmental provisions set for adoption at MEPC
06/05/2015 IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee meets 11-15 May.
…Polar Code environmental provisions set for adoption
The MEPC is expected to adopt the environmental requirements of the mandatory International Code for ships operating in polar waters (Polar Code), and the associated MARPOL amendments to make the Code mandatory. This follows the adoption, by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) in December 2014 of the Polar Code and related amendments to make it mandatory under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The Polar Code is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2017.

The Polar Code covers the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters relevant to ships operating in waters surrounding the two poles.
Draft environmental provisions cover:
:: Prevention of pollution by oil: discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixtures from any ship is prohibited. Oil fuel tanks must be separated from outer shell;
:: Prevention of pollution by noxious liquid substances: discharge into the sea of noxious liquid substances, or mixtures containing such substances is prohibited;
:: Prevention of pollution by sewage; discharge of sewage is prohibited unless performed in line with MARPOL Annex IV and requirements in the Polar Code; and
:: Prevention of pollution by garbage: discharge of garbage is restricted and only permitted in accordance with MARPOL Annex V and requirements in the Polar Code
The adoption of the Polar Code and associated MARPOL amendments at MEPC 68 will complete the process to make the Code mandatory under both the SOLAS and MARPOL treaties…

Group of 77 [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.g77.org/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China by the Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations, at the eleventh session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (New York, 4 May 2015)
[Excerpts]
… The Group of 77 and China acknowledges the achievements of the current International Arrangement on Forests and is of the view that it must be strengthened for it to make a real impact, catalyse the implementation and facilitate the mobilisation of increased, predictable and sustainable financing for the implementation of sustainable forest management…
…Informed by the need to assist developing countries and to strengthen the financing of sustainable forest management, the group will engage in the informal consultations seeking to fulfil its call for the establishment of a dedicated Global Forest Fund. The Fund shall aim to provide new and additional financial resources to developing countries to continuously promote sustainable forest management and to ensure full implementation of the forest instrument, the Global Objectives on Forests and all goals and targets that relate to forests…

Danish Refugee Council [to 9 May 2015]
http://drc.dk/news/archive/

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Life-saving assistance at risk of collapsing in Yemen (06.05.15)
A group of 22 major aid agencies said their operations risk coming to an abrupt end within a week unless land, sea and air routes are opened immediately for the importation of fuel.
Yemen’s INGO Forum
Danish Refugee Council
Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development
ZOA
Islamic Relief
Norwegian Refugee Council
INTERSOS
ACTED
CARE
Mercy Corps
Handicap International
Action Contre la Faim
World Relief
Médecins du Monde
Oxfam
International Medical Corps
Relief International
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Save the Children
Progressio
Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale
Islamic Help
Amideast