European Union [to 19 December 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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Joint Statement on the International Migrants’ Day
Date: 18/12/2015
European Commission – Statement Brussels, 18 December 2015 Today the European Union recognises the 232 million international migrants worldwide. More people than at any other time have left their homes, either to seek refuge and safety from war and persecution or to escape poverty and find secure livelihoods elsewhere.

EU provides €5 million in humanitarian aid for the Burundian crisis
Date: 17/12/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 17 December 2015 Over 220 000 people are now estimated to have fled the country. The European Commission has today released €5 million in new humanitarian assistance to help the increasing number of Burundians affected by the ongoing instability in the country.

State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis
Date: 17/12/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 17 December 2015 State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis Updated on 17 December The European Agenda on Migration adopted by the Commission in May 2015 set out the need for a comprehensive approach to migration management.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/news/

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OIC Welcomes the Unveiling of an Islamic Alliance to Combat Terrorism
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has assured its support for all international and regional efforts aimed at combating terrorism, and renewed its solidarity with all initiatives aimed at achieving security and peace in the Member States and the entire world to serve the interests of the people and to support stability…

…Madani pointed out that the increase in terrorist crimes confers upon Member States a historic responsibility and makes it imperative to intensify joint action to deal with this phenomenon in all its dimensions.

In this regard, Madani welcomed the announcement of an Islamic Coalition to combat terrorism which brings together several OIC Member States. He underscored the unwavering position of the OIC that terrorism has no religion or identity, and must take into account, in addition to security and military considerations, the political, social and economic contexts that provide favorable conditions for the spread of terrorism and violent extremism such as economic deprivation, exclusion, devastation, marginalization, forced disintegration of political, legal, social and cultural institutions. It is also important to examine the underlying reasons behind sectarian violence and attempts to politicize denominational differences and to focus on sectarian affiliation as a core identity, as well as the infiltration by third parties into terrorist and extremist groups in order to serve their own political agendas, he added.
15/12/2015

UNCTAD [to 19 December 2015]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/AllPressRelease.aspx

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17 Dec 2015 – Business potential of smallholder farmers must be unleashed for sustainable development, report says

17 Dec 2015 – Technology is key driver of development, United Nations General Assembly hears at high-level meeting

16 Dec 2015 – African countries export just 0.3 per cent of world’s high-tech products

15 Dec 2015 – Expanded list of duty-free technology products to boost international trade and development, research reveals

World Trade Organisation [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
[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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Azevêdo welcomes efforts to help implement Trade Facilitation Agreement
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo welcomed on 17 December the pledges made by governments and private sector entities to help developing and least-developed countries implement the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), declaring efforts to provide support have “got off to a good start”.

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WTO trade facilitation in action — launch of Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation: Speech by Director-General Roberto Azevêdo
Speech

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WTO members conclude landmark $1.3 trillion IT trade deal
WTO members representing major exporters of information technology products agreed today (16 December) at the WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference, in Nairobi, on the timetable for implementing a landmark deal to eliminate tariffs on 201 IT products valued at over $1.3 trillion per year.

World Bank [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[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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International Migration at All-Time High
WASHINGTON, December 18, 2015 – The number of international migrants is expected to surpass 250 million this year, an all-time high, as people search for economic opportunity. And, fast growing developing…
Date: December 18, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

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Op-Ed by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim: Climate Action After Paris
At the United Nations climate conference in Paris, courageous and visionary leaders recognized that people rarely change the world when they work within the constraints of what they think is possible….
Date: December 17, 2015 Type: Opinion Language: English

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Uniting Behind Universal Health Coverage
Conference on Universal Health Coverage in the New Development Era:Toward Building Resilient Health SystemsWorld Bank Group President Jim Yong KimTokyo, Japan December 16, 2015 Good morning. I’m extremely…
Date: December 16, 2015 Type: Speeches and Transcripts Language: English

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Despite $28 Billion Drop in Global Private Infrastructure Investment in Energy, Transport, and Water, Strong Showing of Renewable Energy Projects
WASHINGTON, December 15, 2015—Despite a sharp decline in private investment in energy, transport, and water infrastructure in developing countries in the first six months of 2015, investment in renewable…
Date: December 15, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

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World Bank Approves US$1.5 Billion to Support India’s Universal Sanitation Initiatives
More than 500 million rural people to gain access to toilets and other sanitation facilities with a focus on behavior change
WASHINGTON, December 15, 2015 – The World Bank today approved a US$1.5 billion loan for the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Support Operation Project to support the Government of India in its efforts to ensure all citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation – such as a toilet or latrine with a focus on changing behaviors – in ending the practice of open defecation by 2019.
Specifically, this project will support the rural component, known as SBM – Gramin (SBM-G), over a five-year period using a new performance-based program which links funds directly to results, ensuring that benefits are delivered to the people in need – more than 60 percent of India’s rural population.
Today, of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation globally, more than 750 million live in India, with 80 percent living in rural areas. More than 500 million of the rural population in India continue to defecate in the open, suffering from preventable deaths, illness, stunting, harassment and economic losses.
The SBM-G program focuses on ensuring usage of toilets along with their construction. States and their implementing agencies will be given incentives for meeting performance standards. Performance will be measured against the states’ ability to reduce open defecation, sustaining their open defecation free (ODF) status and improving solid and liquid waste management in rural areas. The financing mechanism promotes the leadership of the states, which will have flexibility in innovating and adopting their own delivery models…
Date: December 15, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

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Call for Ideas to Improve Development Response for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
WASHINGTON, December 14, 2015 — As the number of refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing conflict, violence and persecution reaches historic highs, the World Bank’s Global Program on Forced Displacement (GPFD) is calling for proposals for innovative and transformational ideas that can improve the development response to forced displacement. Displacement tends to be protracted, and development programs in origin, host, transit, and destination countries are urgently needed to complement humanitarian assistance.

Innovative ideas may include analytical work, use of new technologies, or development projects. Many such ideas are often at the inception stage, requiring further work to be sufficiently detailed and specific for donors or investors to support them. GPFD will provide up to $40,000 for selected teams to develop their idea into a full concept note which would meet World Bank Group standards. The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest is January 24, 2016…
Date: December 14, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

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IPU gravely concerned over Burundi crisis
17 DECEMBER 2015
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is gravely concerned about the worsening violence in Burundi, which has left hundreds of people dead and has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. IPU is urging the authorities to do their duty to protect human life and prevent further bloodshed. The Organization has made clear its readiness to work with the Parliament of Burundi to foster inclusive dialogue. It has urged Parliament to ensure it is part of the solution and not part of the problem. IPU has been particularly concerned by reports of incitement to violence against the opposition, especially the bloody confrontation during the weekend of 12 – 13 December. IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said urgent work was needed to heal Burundi’s divisions before the situation deteriorated further.“It is not too late to prevent this unfolding tragedy becoming a catastrophe if all those in positions of leadership and authority commit themselves to a swift return to peace and security for all citizens,” he said. “We urge the Parliament of Burundi and its members to place themselves at the heart of this process of peacemaking and dialogue, and to lead by example at this critical point in their country’s history. “MPs have a unique position as influencers of opinion and representatives of all sectors of society, and that influence must be used for peace. The importance of finding a resolution to this crisis cannot be overstated,” Secretary General Chungong added.

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IPU hails progress on women Speakers
16 DECEMBER 2015
IPU has welcomed a series of breakthroughs for female MPs who have become Speakers or Deputy Speakers of parliament. Dr Amal Al Qubaisi is the first female Speaker of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Parliament and the first woman to hold the position in any Arab national parliament. Dr Al Qubaisi is a long-standing major contributor to IPU’s work, particularly on gender, youth and peace issues. In neighbouring Oman, another milestone was reached when Dr Suad Mohammed Al Lawatiar became the first female Deputy Speaker after a vote by members of the State Council. In another first, Margaret Mensah-Williams, President of IPU’s Coordinating Committee of Women MPs, was named as Speaker of Namibia’s upper house of parliament, the National Council. She is the first woman to hold the post. Her election takes the global total of women Speakers of Parliament in the world to 49, representing close to 18 per cent of all Speakers, according to IPU figures. Mensah-Williams has demonstrated strong leadership in combating violence against women, boosting women’s rights and empowering women, and has for many years played an active and leading role in IPU’s work.

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Burkina Faso law to tackle violence against women and girls
16 DECEMBER 2015
The brief coup in Burkina Faso has not halted progress to democracy and legal reforms, including the new law on violence against women. ©AFP/NurPhoto/Arne Gillis
IPU has welcomed a new law aimed at combating violence against women and girls, passed by the National Transitional Council in Burkina Faso before the recent crisis. The legislation outlaws all forms of violence against women, including physical, sexual, psychological, economic and cultural, and provides for systems to support and protect victims. Courts will have the power to jail or fine perpetrators. IPU has been working for a number of years to support MPs and civil society in Burkina Faso in their efforts to combat violence against women, including in raising awareness and providing expertise on legal reforms. More than a third of the country’s female population are believed to experience physical violence, most of it committed by spouses or other family members. Many girls are married before the age of 18, some still undergo FGM (female genital mutilation) and a significant number of elderly or widowed women are victims of mistreatment and exclusion.

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Uganda MPs focus on next steps on health
16 DECEMBER 2015
The Ugandan Parliament has begun setting its priorities for improving women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health after reviewing its 2012-2015 parliamentary advocacy strategy. The issues identified to carry forward include seeking a clause in the constitution on the right to healthcare for women, children and adolescents; tabling bills on health and a national health insurance scheme; taking more steps to improve birth registration; and trying to ensure the recruitment of extra health practitioners, especially in rural areas. Launching the review process, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga praised MPs and others who had contributed to the progress already made. “I want to thank the partners for all the support rendered to us for advocacy; I also thank the IPU for its support.” she said, adding that maternal health had been given the importance it deserved. Since the launch of the strategy, progress has been made on drafting bills on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) and national health insurance, birth registration and on efforts to ensure budgetary allocation for health is increased to 15 per cent. IPU has fully supported Uganda in its efforts to improve MNCH, including accelerating the reduction in maternal and newborn death rates. Uganda’s advocacy strategy was developed after the adoption of IPU’s landmark resolution on Access to Health as a basic Right: The role of parliaments in addressing key challenges to securing the health of women and children (PDF) at its 126th Assembly in Kampala in 2012.

Amref Health Africa [to 19 December 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

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Amref Health Africa and Busia Country Government sign agreement for Digital Health Villages
Published: 16 December 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
Amref Health Africa in Kenya and Samsung have launched a one-of-a-kind project in Busia County that will see the establishment and installation of a Digital Health Village – a solution that will use solar power to improve the lives of the county’s residents.

KISSMEE – Teaching Middle-Class Women How to Breastfeed
Published: 16 December 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
New programme seeks to improve nutrition of mothers and their babies through training and support.

Scholarships for the Midwifery Symposium 2016
Published: 14 December 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
UNFPA, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), WHO, Jhpiego, Johnson and Johnson, Laerdal Global Health, Amref Health Africa and other collaborating multilateral, civil society and private sector partners are now accepting applications for 30 scholarships for the upcoming Midwifery Symposium 2016; “Young Midwives in the Lead”, 14-16 May, 2016, and the Women Deliver conference 16-19 May 2016, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

CARE International [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

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Critical moment to avoid massive malnutrition in Ethiopia with more than 10 million people in need of food assistance
ETHIOPIA
14 DECEMBER 2015
“Right now families in drought-stricken areas are about to exhaust all available resources to cope with the scarcity of food and water. There is no time to lose in ensuring that they get the assistance they need before it is too late,” says Garth Van’t Hul, CARE’s country director in Ethiopia.

Danish Refugee Council [to 19 December 2015]
https://www.drc.dk/news

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Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Visits Kakuma Refugee Camp
17.12.15
The Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen visited Kakuma refugee camp on 16 December 2015. During the visit, the Minister and his delegation got an opportunity to visit a number of programmes being carried out by various humanitarian agencies including the Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) upcoming youth centre for refugees in Kakuma 4 camp.

Understanding and Addressing Root Causes of Displacement
15.12.15
This year’s High Commissioner (UNHCR) Dialogue on Protection Challenges seeks to better understand and address the root causes of forced displacement. The Danish Refugee Council is participating in the Protection Dialogue on root causes. Read our position paper towards this understanding here.
:: Read the DRC perspective here

ECPAT [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.ecpat.net/news

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NEW RESEARCH: Piracy Website Advertising in Brazil and its Linkages to Child Exploitation Material
Posted on 12/18/2015, 11:44
A study released today shows that piracy websites visited by Brazilian children and young people are filled with “high risk” advertisements marketing child pornography, prostitution, gambling and data theft.

The study was carried out for ECPAT International by Dr. Paul Watters, Professor of Information Technology at the University of Massey in New Zealand, an author of several studies on this topic in different parts of the world.

English: http://ecpat.net/sites/default/files/Piracy%20Website%20Advertising%20in%20Brazil_ENG.pdf
Portuguese: http://ecpat.net/sites/default/files/Piracy%20Website%20Advertising%20in%20Brazil_PORTUGUESE.pdf

HelpAge International [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/press-room/press-releases/

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New Tanzanian ministry for older people is a positive step, says HelpAge International
Older people in Tanzania are to have a specific ministry devoted to their welfare for the first time in the country’s history.
Posted: 16 December 2015

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index

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The difficult questions Syrian children ask their parents about the escape to Europe — latest Medium post
Posted by The IRC on December 17, 2015
Forcibly uprooted from their homes, millions of Syrian children are growing up knowing nothing but war and terror. The IRC spoke with six families on the Greek island of Lesbos about the difficult questions their children ask about their escape to Europe.

A warm, safe welcome for refugees landing on Lesbos
Posted by The IRC on December 17, 2015
The IRC is preparing to open a reception center in northern Lesbos, often the first stop for thousands of exhausted refugees seeking safety in Europe

ICRC [to 19 December 2015]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
New member of ICRC appointed
News release
17 December 2015
Geneva (ICRC) – The Assembly of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has appointed Laura Sadis as its newest member.
Ms Sadis, from Lugano in Switzerland, is a chartered tax adviser and holds a degree in political economy from the University of Zurich…

Strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations, 2015
United Nations, General Assembly, 70th session, Plenary, statement by the ICRC, New York, 10 December 2015. First, in an exceptional joint press conference held on 30 October, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and ICRC President Peter Mauer…
17-12-2015 | Statement

Syria: 60,000 people given aid in Homs after ceasefire agreement
The ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) have started to deliver food and other aid to thousands of people in the Al-Waer district of Homs after a ceasefire agreement was reached between the Government of Syria and armed opposition groups.
16-12-2015 | News release

Lebanon: ICRC and UNRWA join forces again to help Palestine refugees
Beirut – Particularly vulnerable Palestine refugees from Syria in Lebanon will receive assistance to cope with the coming winter through a programme launched by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Relief and Wor
16-12-2015 | News release

Report: Sexual violence in armed conflict: Underlying causes and prevention strategies
Building on the previous panel discussion “Responding to sexual violence in conflict: can we do better?”, the ICRC and the Geneva Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action (CERAH) convened a follow-up livestreamed conference on 12 November…
16-12-2015 | Report

Nagorny Karabakh: ICRC submits updated list of missing persons
More than 20 years after the ceasefire agreement, families still do not know what happened to relatives who went missing during the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.
15-12-2015 | News release

Islamic Relief [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

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Migrant: what’s in a name
December 18, 2015
There are many reasons for someone to leave their home.
It could be because of conflict, crippling economic poverty, wellbeing; perhaps the ground has become too dry to farm and they have nothing to eat, maybe a natural disaster has destroyed their home, possibly they are want a better life for their children.

A migrant is simply a person who moves from one place to another in order. Within the term ‘migrant’, are asylum seekers, refugees or internally-displaced people, as well as migrant workers. While Islam has no linguistic differentiation between these terms, international law makes the distinction. Those who flee their home country become refugees or asylum seekers, while those who stay in their country are referred to as internally-displaced people, or IDPs.

For International Migrants Day, Islamic Relief is examining the situation of people who remain within their country’s borders.
Currently, there are around 38 million IDPs in the world, compared to 19.8 million refugees…

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases

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Field news
Kenya: Cholera Outbreak Spreads to Dadaab Refugee Camp
December 17, 2015
A cholera epidemic that has been spreading in Kenya for over a year has now hit the Dadaab refugee camp complex, on the border with Somalia. So far around 541 people have reportedly been affected, the majority of whom are living in Dagahaley camp.

Field news
Deadly Shipwreck Highlights Need for Safe Passage Into Europe
December 17, 2015
A boat carrying about 85 people capsized off the northern coast of Lesvos, Greece, yesterday, causing at least two deaths, said the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which rescued survivors through a joint effort with Greenpeace.

OXFAM [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases

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Two years on: Flawed peace deal in South Sudan leads to continued suffering
14 December 2015
On the second anniversary of the start of the conflict in South Sudan, civilians are paying the price of the warring parties’ failure to implement the peace agreement signed in August. Two years on, out of 32 key requirements that should have already been implemented as part of the deal only three have been fully accomplished. Fighting continues despite the ceasefire, with civilians being targeted and new battle lines being drawn in less affected areas.

Norwegian Refugee Council [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.nrc.no/

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Ethiopia
Ethiopia hit by the worst drought in decades
Patrik Ekløf (18.12.2015)
“The longer it takes for the humanitarian assistance to reach the people in need, the larger the impact of the drought will have in the worst affected areas of Ethiopia and the region”, says Deputy Secretary General Geir Olav Lisle. He has just returned from a visit to the Sitti Zone in the north-eastern part of the Somali region of Ethiopia.
Key issues:
:: 10.2 million people in need of humanitarian food assistance
:: 435,000 children severely acute malnourished
:: 1.4 billion USD humanitarian appeal for 2016 launched

Pact [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.pactworld.org/press-releases
Selected Press Releases, Blog Posts

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December 18, 2015
Pact creates new unit to connect with social enterprise investments
Last month, Pact’s Board of Directors approved a strategic investment in innovative funding mechanisms through the creation of a new business unit called Pact Ventures.

Pact works in more than 30 countries around the world to help people and communities build their capacity to generate income, improve access to quality health services, and gain lasting benefit from the sustainable use of the natural resources around them.

To date, that work has been funded by international donors through grants and cooperative agreements. However, as traditional donor funding has stagnated, Pact, like many of its international NGO peers, has begun to look to the growth of impact investing, which seeks to create both social and financial returns, as a potential new way to further its work and increase its impact.

Pact created Pact Ventures as an intentional and strategic response to this emerging opportunity. Pact Ventures is charged with creating partnerships with the private sector, both traditional corporations and the fast-growing landscape of social enterprises and impact investors, to create new endeavors that connect the best contributions of cross-sector actors while advancing Pact’s social mission at scale. Pact Ventures will build on Pact’s global assets to add resources and innovative new business models in the geographies and technical areas where Pact is strongest…

Partners In Health [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.pih.org/blog

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Small Team, Big Impact: 15 Years of Better Care for Russian TB Patients
Posted on December 18, 2015

Plan International [to 19 December 2015]
http://plan-international.org/about-plan/resources/media-centre

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Plan International Begins Delivering Emergency Aid in Areas Hit By Typhoon Melor
16 December 2015
Humanitarian response teams from child rights organization Plan International have begun arriving in communities severely affected by this week’s Typhoon Melor in The Philippines and are preparing to distribute aid to families in urgent need.