UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.unfpa.org/press/press-release

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17 October 2015
Statement
A New Era in the Fight against Poverty
To lift people out of poverty, countries will need stronger and better social protection systems. But to sustainably eradicate poverty, they will need to create many more jobs.

11 October 2015
Statement
The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030
Today, as we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, the world has an unprecedented opportunity to focus on the power of girls to drive progress and transform our world.

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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Helen Clark: Statement on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Oct 17, 2015

17 October : International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Oct 17, 2015
The theme of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2015 is “Building a sustainable future: Coming together to end poverty and discrimination”.

Helen Clark: Speech at the 2015 Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum
Oct 16, 2015
Beijing, People’s Republic of China

UNDP and partners support peaceful elections in Guinea
Oct 16, 2015
Millions of Guineans voted peacefully on Sunday in the country’s second democratic presidential ballot since independence. The vote was seen as an opportunity to consolidate cohesion and accelerate development as the country worked to recover from the Ebola crisis.

Equator Kenya uses climate smart-technologies to improve livelihoods for 8,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya:Training and improved market linkages drive new Business Call to Action member
Oct 13, 2015
Equator Kenya Ltd, a food-processing company that produces African Bird’s Eye Chilies for export, has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) to provide climate-smart technologies to 8,000 smallholder farmers along the Kenyan coast. The business will provide training to reduce the risks posed by climate change, increase the incomes of farmers – 6,000 of whom are women – and improve access to markets.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1
Selected Press Releases

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Environmental Rule of Law Critical to Achieving Inclusive, Sustainable Development in Africa, Concludes Regional Colloquium
1st Africa Colloquium on Environmental Rule of Law concludes today in Nairobi.
16/10/2015

Responsible Travel to Olympic Games in Rio Made Easier with the New Green Passport
With the number of potential visitors to Rio next year, it is important that we see travel attitudes and practices that simultaneously respect the environment and support social and economic development in Brazil
15/10/2015

With Around 40% of Resource Extraction and Use Linked to World Trade, New Policies Required to Address Environmental Impacts
IRP Report Finds Trade Shifting Burden of Environmental Impacts to Developing Economies
14/10/2015

Major Banks Launch ‘Positive Impact Manifesto’ for Transition to Inclusive Green Economy
Banks-members of the UNEP Finance Initiative proposes a ‘Roadmap’ to establishing a new, impact-based and market driven paradigm.
13/10/2015

Eye on Earth Summit Proposes Practical Solutions to Closing Data Gap
Capacity development and citizen engagement central to tracking progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
12/10/2015

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive
Selected Press Releases

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School and tourism safety are key priorities to rebuild a safer Nepal
16 Oct 2015
Retrofitting all schools and better protecting tourist infrastructure are two urgent priorities to rebuild a safer Nepal, according to a new report released today that evaluates the damage caused by the twin earthquakes that hit the Kathmandu Valley on 25 April 2015, killing 8,800 people and destroying half a million houses and 50,000 classrooms.

UN chooses eight communities as Champions of Disaster Risk Reduction
13 Oct 2015
Eight communities living with the threat of floods, storms, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions were today recognised as Champions of Disaster Risk Reduction by the UN Office for Disaster Risk

UNESCO [to 17 October 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases

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16 October 2015
Statement by the Director-General on violations of cultural heritage in the Middle East
The UNESCO Director-General expressed concern about escalating violence around and against cultural and religious heritage in the Middle East.
The Director-General condemned the arson committed against Joseph’s Tomb, located in the site inscribed on the World Heritage Tentative List of Palestine, the Old City of Nablus and its surroundings:
“Cultural and religious heritage embodies values that transcend the lines of culture and faith. Nothing can justify their violation. Violence around and against these places of worship further exacerbates already high tensions. I ask everyone to ensure that cultural heritage, including religious, is preserved, accessible to all parties concerned and kept beyond conflict and violence.

15 October 2015
A new approach to research for health to combat infectious diseases in Africa

12 October 2015
International Day for Disaster Reduction

12 October 2015
Winners of 2015 Research in the Life Sciences Prize
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced the names of the laureates of the UNESCO–Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences for 2015.
The prize-winners are:
:: Professor Manoel Barral-Netto (Brazil), Head of Research and Director of the Centro de Pesquisas Goncalo Moniz-FIOCRUZ-BA. He has dedicated most of his career to the study of Leishmaniasis and Malaria and has contributed to the development of science and control tools in the area of transmissible diseases and the neglected diseases of poverty.
:: Professor Balram Bhargava (India), Professor of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He is a cardiologist specializing in biomedical innovation, public health and medical education. His contribution in developing innovative, effective and affordable tools for the management of cardiovascular diseases has had a huge social impact in resource-poor environments.
:: Dr. Amadou Alpha Sall (Senegal), Head of the WHO collaborating Centre on Arboviruses and Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses in Dakar. He has made cutting-edge contributions in developing and disseminating diagnostic and control tools for viral diseases like Ebola, Chikungunya, Dengue and other vector borne diseases with potential global impact…

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 17 October 2015]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/

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Countries call for the tackling of the unfinished business on slums at historic SDG meeting
New York, 16 October 2015— A high level side event titled “One billion slum dwellers: Tackling the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goal on water, sanitation and slums” took place last month at the UN Headquarters…
Posted October 16, 2015

UN-Habitat hosts side event promoting youth peace building
New York, 15 October 2015— The Promoting Youth Peacebuilding in Conflict & Post Conflict Cities side event explored challenges faced by youth in conflict and post-conflict situations and showcased evidence based practice in youth engagement in conflict…
Posted October 15, 2015

UN-Habitat champions children and youth participation in New Urban Agenda
New York 15 October 2015—A side event by UN-Habitat at the United Nations General Assembly highlighted the key role of young people in sustainable urbanization, providing documented evidence of their leadership at the local, national and international…
Posted October 15, 2015

The World Bank Group and UN-Habitat re-affirm their commitment to sustainable urban development
Lima, Peru, October 12, 2015 – On the occasion of the “What Makes a Sustainable City?” event held on Saturday, 10th October, 2015, during the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings in Lima, Peru, the World Bank Group and UN-Habitat committed to their shared vision of sustainable urban development, and called upon national governments, local authorities, and stakeholders to be involved in the move to a New Urban Agenda that prioritizes ending poverty, sharing prosperity, and propelling environmental sustainability…

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/

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World Food Day: Building a movement to end hunger
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva thanked the world’s farmers, fishers, forest workers and other food and agriculture workers for their contribution to the “amazing achievement” of increasing sustenance from all even as the world population tripled since 1945.
16-10-2015

Feeding a growing world population requires investments in rural areas
Feeding the world’s growing population requires targeted investments to unleash the productive potential of millions living in rural areas, where nearly 80 percent of the world’s poor are found, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today.
16-10-2015

Urgent climate action key to food security in small island states
Urgent action is needed to secure the future and food security of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) against the disproportionate effects of climate change, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said at Expo Milan today.
15-10-2015

FAO hails pledge by more than 100 cities to fight hunger and improve nutrition
Milan Urban Food Policy Pact aims to build more resilient food systems and curb food waste
15 October 2015, Milan – Cities have a key role to play in ending hunger and improving nutrition, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today, welcoming a commitment by more than 100 cities from around the world to make food systems in urban areas more equitable and sustainable.
Addressing a mayors’ summit in Milan, Graziano da Silva said he applauded the city’s Mayor Giuliano Pisapia and his counterparts from other cities for signing the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.
Through the agreement, cities adhere to four principles: guaranteeing healthy food for all; promoting sustainability in the food system; educating the public about healthy eating, and; reducing waste…
15-10-2015

Global accord demands new approach to hunger and nutrition in protracted crises
Framework for Action seeks coherent humanitarian and development efforts
15 October 2015, Rome – The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has approved the world’s first global agreement involving all stakeholder groups on coordinated action to combat hunger and undernutrition among people living in protracted crises.
The Framework for Action on Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises is a voluntary agreement offering guidance to address food security and nutrition needs in these challenging contexts.

Expanding social protection offers a faster track to ending hunger
The State of Food and Agriculture 2015 published today finds that social protection schemes – such as cash transfers, school feeding and public works – offer an economical way to provide vulnerable people in poor countries with opportunities to move out of extreme poverty and hunger.
13-10-2015

ILO International Labour Organization [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

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World Poverty Day
An end to Poverty by 2030: It can be done
17 October 2015
The theme of this year’s World Poverty Day, “Building a sustainable future: Coming together to end poverty and discrimination”. Statement by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder on World Poverty Day 2015.

ILO assists Palestinians to finalize first social security law for private sector workers and their family members
14 October 2015

Local Economic Development
Local action is key to implement the 2030 Agenda
13 October 2015
The World Local Economic Development Forum opens in Turin on the 13th of October. This will be an opportunity to demonstrate that the sustainable development goals of inclusive growth and decent work for all are not just a job for nations and international organizations. Local and regional development can lead the way.

G7 Meeting of Employment and Development Ministers
ILO welcomes G7 steps to foster fair production in global supply chains
13 October 2015
Work related accidents and disease cost the world up to 4 per cent of GDP. The G7 moves forward in addressing the root causes in global supply chains.

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx

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ICAO Welcomes MH17 Accident Investigation Final Report
MONTRÉAL, 13 OCTOBER 2015 – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) today welcomed the Dutch Safety Board’s accident investigation Final Report for Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

Accident investigation Final Reports summarize findings and provide recommendations on the technical investigations conducted under the international requirements established by Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).

“ICAO and its Member States responded rapidly in the aftermath of MH17 to address some important immediate concerns,” commented ICAO’s Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. “Now that the Dutch Safety Board has issued its Final Report, ICAO will be reviewing its recommendations applicable to our Organization and responding as needed to ensure that air transport continues to be the safest way to travel.” …

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

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New Emerge Partnership launched to incentivize innovation
Government and industry seek to kick-start rapid growth
Budapest, 13 October 2015 – The new Emerge Partnership was launched today at ITU Telecom World 2015 in Budapest, bringing together a core group of stakeholders to provide thought-leadership and best-practice advice to help inform government policy-making.

Emerge Partners will be actively engaged in supporting innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems, and include representatives from the United Nations and other international organizations, the ICT industry, incubator/accelerator managers as well as development/innovation practitioners.

Business to government (B2G) dialogues took centre-stage today at ITU Telecom World 2015, where the Emerge Partnership was launched as a means of facilitating public-private collaboration. Large multinationals, start-ups and SMEs outlined key priorities and requirements for government policy-makers to provide a vital enabling environment for innovation and private enterprise.

A communiqué issued by the Emerge Partners focused on increasing the innovation capacity of small firms in the ICT sector, while encouraging the spread of digital social innovation (DSI) aimed at helping to improve people’s lives worldwide. The partnership also seeks to enable entrepreneurial ecosystems that leverage a multitude of local, national and regional stakeholders to provide the policies and necessary resources to create and sustain private-sector (and SME)-led innovation and economic growth…

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

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Message of the CBD Executive Secretary, Mr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17 OCTOBER 2015
2015-10-16

Message of the CBD Executive Secretary, Mr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, on the occasion of the World Food Day, 16 October 2015
2015-10-16

US Department of State [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/index.htm
Selected Announcements

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10/17/15
U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changing World; Secretary of State John Kerry; Medium

10/14/15
Remarks at the Release of the 2014 Report on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom David N. Saperstein; Washington, DC

Remarks at the Rollout of the 2014 Report on International Religious Freedom; Secretary of State John Kerry; Press Briefing Room; Washington, DC

USAID [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

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Selected Announcements
U.S. Announces Nearly $15 Million in new Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine
October 16, 2015
The United States today announced nearly $15 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict in Ukraine. This brings total U.S. humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the start of the crisis to nearly $84 million.

DFID [to 17 October 2015]
https://www.gov.uk/government/latest?departments%5B%5D=department-for-international-development
Selected Announcements

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The Political Economy of Education Systems in Conflict Contexts
Published 16 October 2015 Research and analysis DFID
Part of a collection: DFID Education Rigorous Literature Review

Early Childhood and Cognitive Development in Developing Countries
Published 16 October 2015 Research and analysis DFID
Part of a collection: DFID Education Rigorous Literature Review

Funding for development research
Updated 16 October 2015 Detailed guide DFID

Justine Greening: UK aid – why it’s the right thing and smart thing to do for Britain
Published 16 October 2015 Speech DFID

Justine Greening: Delivering better performance and better value for money in development
Published 14 October 2015 Speech DFID

International Day of the Girl 2015
Published 11 October 2015 News story DFID

ECHO [to 17 October 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

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World Food Day 2015: More effective EU food assistance with cash
15/10/2015
Around one in nine people in the world goes to bed hungry every day. Although the number of people suffering from hunger worldwide has fallen by around 20% over the last decade, the fight against food insecurity remains very high on the global agenda…

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015: Helping to save lives and livelihoods
13/10/2015
On 13 October each year, we observe the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR), a day to consider the importance of disaster preparedness that helps save lives and livelihoods.

African Union [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.au.int/en/
[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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Oct.17.2015
‘Forbes Africa Person of the Year’ and ANN7 ‘South African of the Year’ are among additional awards H.E. Dr. Dlamini Zuma is nominee for in 2015

Oct.16.2015
The Republic of Mali launches the AU Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa
Marriage in Africa
Bamako, Mali, 11th October 2015. Under the title campaign “Education for girls, a means to eliminating early child marriage”, the Republic of Mali launched on 11 October 2015 its national campaign to end child marriage in the village of Konobougou, 160 kilometers away from the capital Bamako. The campaign was spearheaded by, Mrs Maiga Aminata Keita, First lady of the Republic of Mali.

In her introductory remarks, First Lady Keita emphasized on retention of girls in school and the important role that education plays in strengthening the abilities and personalities of these little girls that embody the future of Mali. The First Lady expressed her commitment to eradicate school dropout rates for girls and her full engagement also in the fight against child marriage which undermines the socio-economic development of the country.

On behalf of the African Union Commission, the AU Special Rapporteur on Ending Child Marriage in Africa, Ms. Fatema Sebaa Delladge congratulated the Government of the Republic of Mali for taking the bold step to launch the campaign and called on all stakeholders to ensure the success of the campaign by harmonizing all laws that speak to the age of consent and ensuring that that are in line with that of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which sets the age of marriage at 18 years. She also called for the adoption of a national strategy to monitor and evaluate the campaign at the deferent levels of government. “These would greatly help to eradicate child marriage and demonstrate the commitment of the Government of Mali in promoting and safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of children in Mali.”

The launch event witnessed a march around Konobougou with musical slogans condemning any sort of violations against Malian girl child’s human right to education and prosperity. The call for child marriages to be eliminated was followed by drama performances played by young children – depicting social attitude towards the retention of girls in schools.

About the AU campaign to end child marriage in Africa
The campaign was launched at continental level in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 29th, 2014 during the Conference of Ministers of Social Development. It is aimed at ending child marriage by: (i) support legal and political actions in the protection and promotion of human rights, (ii) increased awareness of the continental socio-economic impact of negative child marriage, (iii) strengthening of social movements and social mobilization to peoples and national level; and (iv) an increase in the capacity of non-state actors to undertake advocacy policies based on evidence including youth leadership role among others through new media technologies, monitoring and evaluation.

The African Development Bank Group [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/
[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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AfDB high-level conference to catalyze Africa’s agricultural transformation
15/10/2015 – On October 21-23, Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economy, as well as Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Trade and Industry and Governors of Central Banks will join business leaders, academia, investment agencies, civil society and global experts in Dakar, Senegal, to discuss the future and transformation of agriculture in Africa.

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Creating the necessary framework to mobilize sustainable energy investment in Africa: SE4All Africa Hub Annual Report
13/10/2015 – The Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Africa Hub launched on Tuesday, October 13 in Abidjan its Annual Report for 2014-2015, which outlines the progress made to date in helping the 44 partner countries create strategic frameworks necessary to mobilize investment for realizing their long-term energy goals aligned with the SE4All initiative objectives: ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy in the global mix by 2030, enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 adopted end of September in New York.

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.asean.org/news
[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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Hungary to Further Enhance Ties and Practical Cooperation with ASEAN
JAKARTA, 13 October 2015 — Hungary expressed its strong desire and continued interest in enhancing ties and practical cooperation with ASEAN and ASEAN Member States (AMS) yesterday. This was conveyed by the new Hungarian Ambassador to ASEAN H.E. Mrs. Judith Németh-Pach who presented her credentials to Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Le Luong Minh.

European Union [to 17 October 2015]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives]

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EU-Turkey joint action plan
Date: 15/10/2015
European Commission – Fact Sheet Brussels, 15 October 2015 Challenges are common and responses need to be coordinated. Negotiating candidate country Turkey and the EU are determined to confront and surmount the existing challenges in a concerted manner. This joint action will render the message of Europe stronger and more visible. Human dignity is at the core of our common endeavour.
This Action Plan reflects the understanding between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Turkey to step up their cooperation on support of Syrians under temporary protection and migration management in a coordinated effort to address the crisis created by the situation in Syria…

Refugee Crisis: European Commission reports on progress in implementation of priority actions
Date: 14/10/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 14 October 2015 Refugee Crisis: European Commission reports on progress in implementation of priority actions Ahead of the European Council of 15 October, the Commission has today put on the table a Communication describing the State of Play of the implementation of the priority actions…

Commission invests €16 billion in funding for research and innovation over next two years
Date: 13/10/2015
European – Press release Commission Brussels, 13 October 2015 The European Commission will boost competitiveness by investing almost €16 billion in research and innovation in the next two years under Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation funding scheme.

Organization of American States (OAS) [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_releases.asp

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Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay Presented at the OAS Advances in Economic and Social Rights
October 17, 2015
The governments of Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay presented this week at the Organization of American States their advances in the areas of rights to health, education and social security. The reports were received by the Working Group of the Protocol of San Salvador during its meetings this week at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. The five reports were analyzed and will be published next year by the working group, which will also include the contributions made by other signatory countries to the Protocol.

“What happened this week is not a minor issue; it confirms the commitment of the States of the Americas to advance toward the full recognition of the economic, social and cultural rights of their citizens. This is giving more rights to more people,” said the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro. “We know that in the coming days more countries will present their reports and hopefully in the near future all member states of this Organization will do the same,” he said.

This week’s meeting was the first time in which the member states had a session with the working group to analyze and discuss the follow-up reports on the Protocol of San Salvador, which consecrates the economic, social and cultural rights of the Inter-American System of Human Rights.

The monitoring mechanism of the Protocol of San Salvador, designed at the OAS and approved by its member states, includes a pioneering system of indicators that allows for a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the progress made by countries. The mechanism divides the rights in two groups: first, rights to health, education and social security. In the second, rights to work, a clean environment, nutrition, the benefits of culture and trade union rights.

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OAS Electoral Observation Missions: Strengthening Democracy in the Americas
October 14, 2015
:: The OAS has carried out more than 200 electoral observation missions in which more than 5,000 international observers participated, thus promoting more inclusive, equitable and more transparent election.
:: Secretary General Luis Almagro: Missions are “a highly credible public good.”
:: OAS/EOMs’ technical expertise is recognized, including outside the Hemisphere. Eastern European countries and Africa have requested the assistance of the OAS in these matters.