UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

.
24 Apr 2015
US$81 million announced to fight malaria in Sudan
A new agreement reached in Sudan by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is set to provide a major boost in the fight against malaria in the country.

Italy increases funding to UNDP to €4.2m for 2015
The Italian Government announced that it will increase its 2015 core contribution to the United Nations Development Programme to €4.2m to help UNDP fulfill its coordination role for the UN

Brazil and UNDP announce the first “World Games of Indigenous Peoples” during the UN Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York
For the first time in history, nearly 50 ethnic groups from all regions will gather in October to celebrate their traditional sports, culture and diversity

22 Apr 2015
UN: Escalation of violence is holding back development in Central Africa
Continued violence in the Central African Republic, combined with the rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring countries may delay development for years to come.

21 Apr 2015
Post-2015 agenda much larger than aid from developed to developing countries, says UNDP’s Policy Head
A two-day high-level meeting on financing for sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda brought together experts from global financial institutions and development agencies, including UNDP. The annual meeting organized by the UN Economic and Social Council included a thematic debate on the renewed global partnership for development in the context of the post-2015 development agenda.

20 Apr 2015
UN partnership begins global search for local climate change solutions
A call for nominations opened today for the Equator Prize 2015, marking the beginning of a worldwide outreach effort designed to identify exceptional local efforts to reduce poverty, protect biodiversity, and address climate change.

Over 30,000 Soccer Fans Support the Fight Against Ebola at 12th Annual Match Against Poverty
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mobilized its team of top football players todayt to compete against a Saint Etienne All Stars, in France’s Ligue 1 club to raise both funds for and awareness to help West African nations recover from the Ebola virus crisis.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

.
Selected Press Releases
Establishing China’s Green Financial System – Report of the Green Finance Task Force
The report is the outcome of a Green Finance Task Force which was tasked to develop policy, regulatory and market-innovations to better align China’s financial system with the needs of green industry and sustainable development.
22/04/2015

Global Alliance Announces Goal to Eliminate Lead in Paint by 2020
UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, Don Cheadle, Urges Governments and Global Citizens to Commit to Tackle Climate Change, Protect the Environment and Eliminate Lead in Paint.
21/04/2015

UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/allpress.html?ref=fp

.
23/04/2015
– Terrorists profiting from drug trade, says UNODC Chief at Moscow conference on global security

ILO International Labour Organization [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

.
News
27 million Latin America and Caribbean youth in the informal economy
22 April 2015
The International Labour Organization (ILO) calls for urgent action to help youth in the region move from the informal to the formal economy.

Arab Labour Conference
ILO Director-General: Creating jobs key to stability in the Arab region
20 April 2015
In his address to the Arab Labour Organization’s 42nd Conference, International Labour Organization Director-General Guy Ryder urged the region’s leaders to tackle unemployment, respond to globalization challenges, strengthen the private sector and engage in effective social dialogue.

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 25 April 2015]
https://www.wmo.int/media/?q=news

.
Kampala Declaration calls for improved climate services
23 April 2015
Farmers and experts attending the Workshop on Improving Climate Services for Farmers in Africa and South Asia have adopted the Kampala Declaration on promoting cross-regional cooperation on the sharing and use of knowledge on climate products and services. The Declaration was inspired by the growing recognition that significant progress has been made in weather and climate forecasting. The Kampala Declaration is available here.

The Declaration established the Regional Network of Farmers of Africa and South Asia, or RENOFASA, to develop an implementation plan for promoting cooperation, disseminating weather and climate information and services to farmers in a timely manner through information and communications technologies, organizing training seminars, and establishing advisory teams to interact with farmers and improve the uptake of weather and climate services. The Government of Uganda has offered to support the establishment of an office to support RENOFASA.

Agriculture is one of the four priority areas of the WMO-led Global Framework on Climate Services (GFCS), which is promoting operational climate services at the national and regional levels. The Framework’s contribution to climate change adaptation and resilience has been recognized by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Kampala workshop was organized through the USAID-funded project “Laying the Foundation for Establishing Networks Linking Farmers in Africa and South Asia for Demand-driven Climate Services”. The workshop was co-sponsored by WMO, Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment and Ministry of Agriculture, and other partners.

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

.
Tech community gears up to celebrate ‘Girls in ICT Day’ around the globe, 23 April 2015
Annual day aims to attract women to field where strong demand is creating global skills shortfall
Geneva, 22 April 2015 – Every year on the fourth Thursday in April, ITU and the global technology community celebrate ‘Girls in ICT Day’, an awareness-raising initiative designed to promote tech careers and studies to a new generation of girls and young women.

Launched by ITU in 2010, the day is part of an international drive to encourage more female students to study STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and consider a career in information and communication technology (ICT).

It aims to counter the chronic global decline in the number of female ICT students, which is in turn contributing to a predicted global shortfall of at least two million ICT jobs which will not be able to be filled through lack of qualified staff.

In OECD countries, female students now account for fewer than 20% of tertiary ICT enrolments, down from nearly 40% back in the 1980s, when computer science courses first appeared on university curricula. Only around 3% of total female graduates study ICT fields, compared with around 10% of male graduates.

This academic gender gap is reflected in the number of female ICT professionals, now estimated at just 20% across the OECD. In Europe, only 9% of app developers are female, only 19% of European ICT managers are women (compared with 45% women managers in other service sectors), and only 19% of ICT entrepreneurs are women (compared with 54% women in other service sectors), according to figures released by the European Commission.

With strong backing from the tech sector and national governments, ‘Girls in ICT Day’ has rapidly grown into a global movement, with an estimated 3,500 events organized in over 140 countries, reaching 111,000 girls, since the event became a fixture on the UN calendar five years ago…

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/

.
World IP Day 2015: “Get Up, Stand Up. For Music” on April 26
In the early 1970s, fans of Bob Marley and the Wailers gathered around record players, 8-track tape decks and cassette players to listen to “Get Up, Stand Up”, which went on to become an international anthem for human rights.
Apr 23, 2015 PR/2015/776

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

.
Statements
Message of the CBD Executive Secretary, Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, on the occasion of the International Mother Earth Day, 22 April 2015

Press Releases
Comprehensive report on synthetic biology discusses impacts on biodiversity and reviews existing regulatory regimes
Montreal, 20 April 2015 – A new report from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity discusses the potential for synthetic biology to have both positive and negative impacts on biodiversity and looks at the role and adequacy of existing risk assessment and regulatory regimes to evaluate the impact of these technologies.
[see more extensive treatment in Week in Review above]

USAID [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

.
USAID Announces New Program to Empower Workers in Bangladesh
April 24, 2015
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today a three-year Worker Empowerment Program in Bangladesh to support labor rights, union organizing, and women’s empowerment in the ready-made garment sector. The announcement coincides with the second anniversary of the April 24, 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Dhaka that killed over 1,100 workers and injured over 2,500.

United States Pledges $16 Million in Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the People of South Sudan
April 24, 2015
The United States announced the commitment of more than $16 million in new humanitarian assistance for nutrition, shelter, water and health services for people suffering from the ongoing effects of the conflict that began in South Sudan in December 2013.

Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development Announces Winners of the Desal Prize
April 22, 2015
U.S. and international community awarded for groundbreaking desalination technologies
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, announced today the winners of the Desal Prize, the second call for Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development.

USAID Launches Technology Competition to Combat Wildlife Crime
April 22, 2015
Today, on the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge to combat illegal wildlife trade. USAID invites organizations and individuals to submit innovative science and technology solutions to help combat the illegal trade in marine and terrestrial wildlife. Successful applicants could win up to $500,000 as well as technical assistance and networking opportunities to scale their solutions.

USAID Announces $126 Million to Rebuild Life-Saving Health Services in Ebola-Affected Countries
April 18, 2015
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein announced plans to spend $126 million to help rebuild West African health systems impacted by the Ebola outbreak at the Global Citizen Concert on the National Mall. The funds will help Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea restart critical health services that stopped due to the Ebola outbreak, including vaccinations, water and sanitation services, prenatal and maternal health care and nutrition, and programs to prevent and treat malaria and other infectious diseases.

ECHO [to 25 April 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

.
€50 million proposed for vital support in South Sudan, says Commissioner Stylianides
25/04/2015
EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, who is currently visiting South Sudan, requested from the EU budgetary authorities to release €50 million for vital support to the victims of the humanitarian crisis…

EU Children of Peace: New education centre in Turkey for Syrian children
22/04/2015
A new education centre for Syrian children was officially opened today in Turkey with the financial support of the EU Children of Peace initiative. The education centre was built in the city of Kahramanmaraş by UNICEF…

EU supports the evacuation of European citizens from Yemen
18/04/2015
This year the European Commission has allocated €25 million for Yemen to assist the victims of conflict, forced displacement, and acute malnutrition. Moreover the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has now been activated upon the request of Germany…

African Union [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.au.int/en/

.
Apr.22.2015 ECOSOCC Condemns Xenophobic “Acrophobic” Attacks On African Citizens In South Africa

Apr.21.2015 The African Union releases the key findings and recommendations of the report of investigations on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Somalia

Apr.20.2015 The African Union strongly condemns the killing of African nationals by terrorist elements in Libya

Apr.20.2015 AUC Chairperson Approves the Deployment of African Union Long-Term Observers (LTOs) Mission to Ethiopia

The African Development Bank Group [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/

.
AfDB 2015 Annual Meetings – “Africa and the New Global Landscape”
25/05/2015 – To: 29/05/2015
Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
The 2015 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from May 25-29 with the election of the 8th President* of the Bank Group and commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the institution at the top of the agenda.

AfDB approves a US $40 million Risk Participation Agreement with Banco Santander S.A. (Spain) to support Trade Finance in Africa
23/04/2015 – The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 an unfunded US $40 million Risk Participation Agreement (RPA) with Banco Santander S.A. (Santander) to support issuing banks in Africa expand their trade finance operations. The facility will help address critical market demand for trade finance in Africa by providing support for trade in vital economic sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. It will also foster financial sector development and regional integration, and contribute to government revenue generation.

African Ministers unite in calling for strong universal climate agreement and sufficient finance to unlock Africa’s potential
20/04/2015 – Ministers from governments across Africa have renewed their call for a strong, new universal climate change agreement and increased flows of funds, including through market and finance opportunities, sufficient to fulfill Africa’s development aspirations.

OECD [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
OECD calls for common principles for developing and communicating scientific advice
23-April-2015
Governments would benefit from agreeing common principles for developing and communicating scientific advice, both in crisis situations and for long-term policymaking, according to a new OECD report.
[see more extensive treatment in Week in Review above]

Pensions At Risk for 80 Million People in Latin America and the Caribbean
20-April-2015
Experts and policy makers gathered today at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to discuss the future of pensions in Latin America and the Caribbean. A panel discussion moderated by CNN journalist Gabriela Frias explored different policy approaches to ensure greater coverage and sustainability of pension systems in the region.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/news/

.
OIC to hold extraordinary council of foreign ministers meeting on situation in Yemen
Considering the critical developments on the security and humanitarian fronts in Yemen, and following the announcement of the end of operation Decisive Storm and the start of operation Restoring Hope, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is planning to hold an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States…
24/04/2015

OIC Delegation Conducts Extensive Talks Over Situation of Muslims in China
The delegation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation conducted during the past two days extensive talks over the situation of Muslims in China with high officials in the Religious Affairs Administration at the central government of the People’s Republic of China in the capital Beijing and high government officials in the city of Urumqi of the autonomous Xingxiang region…
24/04/2015

Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) committed to strong action against Malaria
Leaders Gather in Jeddah for World Malaria Day; Call for Increased Investment to Save Lives & Advance Development Efforts…
23/04/2015

OIC Condemns the Massacre of Ethiopians by DAESH Terrorist Group in Libya
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the atrocious mass murder of thirty Ethiopian Christians by the affiliate of the DAESH terrorist group in Libya….
23/04/2015

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemns the holding of the so-called “Parliamentary Elections” in Occupied Nagorno-Karabakh
The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Iyad Ameen Madani condemns the “elections” to be held in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 3 May 2015. He states that these elections are illegal and in contravention of the resolutions of the UN Security Council, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Similarly, the OIC Secretary General calls on the international community to condemn this process and deem it illegitimate…
22/04/2015

OIC Welcomes Ending of Operation Decisive Storm and Launching the Process to Restore Hope in Yemen
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation welcomed the announcement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ending operation Decisive Storm and that a “Hope Phase” is now launched in Yemen…
22/04/2015

OIC Secretary General Condemns Attack on UN Staff in Somalia
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has condemned the bomb attack on 20th April 2015 in Garowe, the Puntland region of Somalia in which six UNICEF staff were killed and seven other injured…
21/04/2015

Iyad Madani Stresses the Importance of IPHRC’s Independence
The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held the official opening of the 7th session of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Council (IPHRC) on Tuesday 21 April 2015, under the theme Protecting Family Values…
21/04/2015

OIC observes Presidential and Legislative Elections in the Sudan
Upon the invitation of the National Elections Committee in the Sudan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) dispatched a team of observers from the OIC General Secretariat to monitor the legislative and presidential elections in the Republic of the Sudan, which lasted for four days from 13 to 16 April 2015. The members of the team conducted extensive field visits to many polling stations and monitored all voting stages, which took place in a peaceful environment free from any violations and breaches that affect the progress and results of the election process…
21/04/2015

OIC: Launch of the first round of extensive consultations to boost relations between the Muslim world and China
The first round of extensive political consultation between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the People’s Republic of China kicked off in the capital Beijing on Monday 20 April 2015…
20/04/2015

IMF [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.imf.org/external/news/default.aspx
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]
.
Reinvigorate Trade to Boost Global Economic Growth
By Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF Address at the U.S. Ex-Im Bank Conference
Washington, DC, April 23, 2015

Press Release: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) Enhance Cooperation
April 19, 2015

World Bank [to 25 April 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]

.
Nigeria: World Bank Approves US$500 Million to Improve Maternal and Child Health, Achieve the ‘Saving One Million Lives’ Goal
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2015 – The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors approved today a US$500 million International Development Association (IDA)* credit to significantly improve maternal, child, and nutrition health services for women and children.By improving access to higher quality health services, the new development financing will help Nigeria to achieve its “Saving One Million Lives (SOML) Initiative,” which was launched by the Federal Ministry of Health in October 2012 to save the lives of the more than 900,000 women and children who die every year in Nigeria from largely preventable causes.“Saving One Million Lives is a bold response from the Nigerian government to improve the health of the country’s mothers and children so they can survive illness and thrive. This, in turn, will also contribute to the social and economic development of Africa’s largest economy,” said Benjamin Loevinsohn, a Lead Health Specialist and Task Team Leader for the new project….
Date: April 23, 2015

Burkina Faso: World Bank Approves Additional Financing to Improve Reproductive Health and Education for Women and Girls in the Sixth African Sahel Country
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2015 – The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$23.2 credit and US$11.6 grant for women and adolescent girls’ empowerment to expand their access to reproductive, child, and maternal health services in Burkina Faso. It will also help promote regional knowledge and data on proven gender development programs. The additional financing will build on the original Sahel Women Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Regional Project and add Burkina Faso to be the sixth country supported by the project. It first included five countries in Africa’s Sahel region and the Economic Community of Western Africa States (ECOWAS) and now with the sixth the total financing for the project is US$205 million. “Adding Burkina Faso will enhance the regional impact,” says Mercy Tembon, the World Bank Country Manager for Burkina Faso. “Educating adolescent girls and improving health services for women will certainly reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity…
Date: April 23, 2015

Data and Analysis for More Secure Land Rights, Better Land Use, and Shared Prosperity
These innovations and new tools—along with the dialogue around the Sustainable Development Goals—will further increase demand for reliable data and good analysis. “We see enormous demand for a more evidence-based and output-driven approach to land that can provide a basis for enhanced World Bank engagement in this important sector. Responding to it in a smart way will require support to local capacity to generate and analyze administrative, spatial, and household data and to persistently feed results into ongoing policy debates to secure rights for those who have been excluded—and draw in an increasing number of partners to make the conference more exciting every year,” said Klaus Deininger, Lead Economist in the Research Department and, together with Thea Hilhorst and Nisma Elias of the Research Department, principal organizer of the event…
Date: April 23, 2015

Understanding the Drivers of Prosperity in Latin America and the Caribbean
New report analyzes eight countries to extract valuable lessons for the futureWASHINGTON, April 20, 2015—Latin America and the Caribbean have led the developing world in shared prosperity achievements in the last decade, and have seen impressive poverty reduction successes, driven by growth, labor incomes and effective safety net programs. The middle class has expanded and the socioeconomic makeup of the region has transformed as a result. As the region now faces an economic slowdown and stagnating inequality, understanding what helped drive these gains becomes particularly valuable.A new World Bank Group report, Shared Prosperity and Poverty Eradication in Latin America and the Caribbean, explores the performance of eight countries to understand what has driven progress, and what it will take to sustain it. Across the region, higher incomes, improved human capital, and mechanisms that enable the poor and vulnerable to persevere in the face of shocks will be important for safeguarding…
Date: April 20, 2015

Amref Health Africa [to 25 April 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

.
Invest in the Future and Defeat Malaria, urges Amref Health Africa
Published: 24 April 2015
World Malaria Day Statement [Excerpt]
…Amref Health Africa is implementing programs to contribute to the elimination of malaria in Africa and on this World Malaria Day, it renews its commitment to working hand in hand with governments, development partners and civil society organisations to:
:: Explore innovative ways of engaging communities to empower them to scale up malaria prevention strategies
:: Support countries to scale up the implementation of evidence-based, high impact interventions such as IPTp
:: Hold governments accountable to deliver their promises on combating malaria.

Amref Health Africa realizes that governments are responsible for ensuring the right to health for their citizenry and commits to supporting governments to meet this objective. To that extent, Amref Health Africa urges governments as well as their development partners to:
:: Ensure universal coverage of quality diagnostics and treatment services to those in need
:: Invest in routine monitoring of antimalarial drug resistance
:: Avail funds for the development of new, alternative insecticides for use on bed nets
:: Support acceleration of development of a malaria vaccine.

BRAC [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.brac.net/content/stay-informed-news#.VPstwC5nBhV

.
BRAC USA calls on donors to close Rana Plaza victims’ funding gap
24 April 2015 On the two-year anniversary of Rana Plaza, the fund for victims of the 2013 Bangladesh factory collapse is still $3 million short of what is needed for fair compensation BRAC USA, the North American affiliate of the Bangladesh-based anti-poverty organization BRAC, is calling on donors to close the $3 million dollar funding gap to reach the $30 million needed to compensate victims of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse…

More power for women- BRAC-Maya launched enhanced website and mobile app
[Undated] BRAC-Maya partnership launched their enhanced website and mobile app today at an official ceremony in Dhaka. maya.com.bd is the first website of its kind in Bangladesh with an aim to connect women with the information they are looking for, when they are looking for it. With the support of Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and UK Aid from the British Government, BRAC embarked on its collaborative work with Maya.

Training on Human Rights and Migrant Workers
[Undated] Migration Programme, BRAC started two national human rights and migrant workers training for the government officials specially the District Employment and Manpower Officials on 15 -16 April 2015 and on 19 – 20 April 2015 at the conference room of BRAC Centre Inn, Dhaka. The training participants are the representatives from concerned ministries and district employment and manpower officials. The training is covering the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)…

CARE International [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

.
As Airstrikes Declared Over, a Political Solution must be Reached to Prevent Humanitarian Catastrophe, Warns CARE
YEMEN
23 APRIL 2015
More must be done in Yemen to protect and access civilians with humanitarian assistance.

CARE Responding to the Influx of Burundi Refugees into Rwanda
RWANDA
22 APRIL 2015
CARE in Rwanda have mobilized to meet the humanitarian needs of thousands of refugees fleeing tensions related to presidential elections in Burundi.

Mediterranean Migrant Boat Tragedies Shows Syria Crisis Response Insufficient
SWITZERLAND
21 APRIL 2015
CARE is shocked by the recent tragedy in the Mediterranean, where hundreds of people have died trying to reach Europe across the Mediterranean Sea.

Handicap International [to 25 April 2015]
http://www.handicap-international.us/press_releases

.
Nepal Earthquake: Handicap International teams begin emergency response
Posted on April 25, 2015 5:17 PM