FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/
[Selected Announcements]

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New world agriculture census round to kick off in 2016
To support the process, FAO today published a set of updated guidelines to assist governments in carrying out their national-level agricultural censuses, tailored to various different country needs and capacities. This is the latest edition of guidelines which FAO provides every 10 years.
3-11-2015

FAO and WTO: Food safety and trade should improve nutrition and boost development
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva warned that failure to reach a balanced solution on issues relating to production and trade of agricultural products could derail the international community’s recently agreed sustainable development goal to eradicate world hunger.
2-11-2015

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/index.htm

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5 November 2015: Ethiopia and IFAD: An effective partnership for rural development

5 November 2015r: Transforming rural areas is key to reversing youth migration from East and Southern Africa

4 November 2015: UN agency to reduce poverty and increase incomes in rural China

3 November 2015: Burundi and IFAD to combat local food insecurity and malnutrition, and add value to smallholder farmers’ products

ILO International Labour Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

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Article
Global survey analyzes the use of information and communication technologies in labour administration
06 November 2015
Evidence discussed within the first GOVERNANCE Working Paper Series suggests that new technologies can significantly strengthen the capacity of governments to enhance compliance with labour laws and regulations. Comparing international practices in this area may present a new avenue for the ILO to provide technical cooperation and advisory services.

Sustainable Development Goals
Building a global alliance against child labour and forced labour
04 November 2015
Beate Andrees, Chief of the ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch explains how we can achieve target 8.7 of the United Nations’ SDGs which calls for an end to forced labour and child labour by 2025.

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 7 November 2015]
https://www.wmo.int/media/?q=news

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New Report on Extreme Events
6 November 2015
Human activities, such as greenhouse gas emissions and land use, influenced specific extreme weather and climate events in 2014, including tropical cyclones in the central Pacific, heavy rainfall in Europe, drought in East Africa, and stifling heat waves in Australia, Asia, and South America, according to a new report released today. The report, “Explaining Extreme Events of 2014 from a Climate Perspective” published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, addresses the natural and human causes of individual extreme events from around the world in 2014, including Antarctica. NOAA scientists served as three of the five lead editors on the report.

Workshop on air pollution and agriculture
5 November 2015
Air pollution has an impact on agriculture and agriculture contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. A group of experts in the field of atmospheric chemistry and agricultural meteorology discussed how to better measure theses emissions and impacts during an International Workshop held in Pune, India from 2-4 November 2015. The workshop specially examined the impacts of atmospheric chemistry which includes air pollution on agricultural production, the impacts of agriculture on the atmospheric composition including greenhouse gases, biomass burning, reactive gases and aerosols.

Africa/Middle East meeting on sand and dust storms
5 November 2015
The first Africa / Middle East Expert Meeting and Workshop on the health impact of airborne dust has been held in Amman, Jordan, 2-5 November 2015 to assess the state of knowledge and encourage countries’ actions with regard to impacts of airborne dust on public health in the region.
The Expert Meeting and Workshop will promote active communication among dust-related service providers, African/Middle-Eastern national meteorological and hydrological services and relevant national and international environment, air-quality and public health agencies.

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unido.org/en/news-centre/news.html

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Mobilizing the private sector to achieve Sustainable Development Goals
BRUSSELS, 4 November 2015 – The importance of mobilizing the private sector for achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was highlighted at a Brussels conference today.
The event was organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Union (EU DEVCO) on the occasion of the “2015 European Year for Development”, and attracted more than 80 participants.
The conference also showcased some of UNIDO’s flagship projects that aim to foster the sustainable transfer of environmentally sound technologies and innovative chemicals management methods. Implemented by UNIDO in cooperation with the EU and EU member states, such projects include Chemical Leasing, Greening economies in the European Union’s Eastern neighbourhood, Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production programme and SwitchMed.

Hungary to fund UNIDO project on regional social inclusion
VIENNA, 3 November 2015 – The Government of Hungary will fund a project which aims to foster social and economic inclusion of disadvantaged and marginalized population groups, including ethnic minorities…

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://media.unwto.org/news

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UNWTO and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) partner to foster inclusive and sustainable tourism
2 November 2015
UNWTO and the EBRD have signed an agreement to work jointly in promoting inclusive and sustainable tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth. Advancing resource efficiency and promoting youth inclusion are two of the major priorities of the agreement.

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

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ITU, United Arab Emirates sign new partnership framework
New initiative aims at boosting ICT connectivity across the Arab region
Geneva, 5 November 2015 – ITU has signed a new partnership initiative with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates aimed at providing a framework for increased cooperation to carry out joint projects in the area of ICT development in the Arab Region.
The new agreement was signed on 3 November in Geneva, with an initial contribution from TRA of CHF 150,000.
ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao welcomed the new partnership, commenting that “The UAE is a true global centre of innovation and is the ideal partner to work with ITU to spread access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ensure that all people, no matter where they live, can benefit from the opportunities offered by ICTs. We look forward very much to developing exciting new initiatives with the TRA team.”…

2015 World Radiocommunication Conference opens
Treaty-making Conference to allocate spectrum for rapidly evolving ICTs
Geneva, 2 November 2015 – The World Radiocommunication Conference, the international treaty-making Conference, opened in Geneva today. In session from 2 to 27 November, the Conference will review the international regulatory framework for radiocommunications – the Radio Regulations – and revise them as needed. This process will take into account the rapid evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT), ensuring the global management of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, and enabling people to live and travel safely while enjoying high performance radiocommunications…

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/

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African Leaders Launch High-Level Conference on Intellectual Property for an Emerging Continent
Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim and Senegal Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne joined WIPO Director General Francis Gurry in stressing the importance of intellectual property (IP) in incentivizing innovation and creativity to promote economic and social development across Africa.
Nov 3, 2015 PR/2015/784

US Department of State [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/index.htm
Selected Announcements

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11/03/15
Joint Statement Between the United States and France Regarding the Entry into Force of a Bilateral Agreement on the Establishment of a Compensation Fund for Holocaust Victims Deported From France;
Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC10/28/15

11/02/15
To Walk the Earth in Safety: New Report Showcases U.S. Global Leadership in Landmine Clearance and Conventional Weapons Destruction;
Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC
The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs has released the 14th Edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, a report summarizing the accomplishments of the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Program. For more than 20 years, the United States has led the international donor community in promoting peace and security worldwide by partnering with nations to address humanitarian hazards from landmines and unexploded ordnance in post-conflict countries, as well as to reduce the availability of excess, loosely-secured, or otherwise at-risk weapons and ordnance.

In fiscal year 2014, the Department of State provided approximately $140 million in conventional weapons destruction assistance in more than 40 countries. Among the report’s highlights are increased engagement in addressing U.S.-origin unexploded ordnance in Southeast Asia; the launch of the first-ever mine clearance operation in the West Bank; and efforts to help countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chad, and Niger secure military armaments and munitions inventories to reduce potential risks of illicit proliferation.

USAID [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases
Selected Announcements

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Feed the Future Announces Progress in Fight Against Global Hunger and Poverty
November 5, 2015
Today at an event on Capitol Hill, Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, announced that developing countries are making substantial progress against global hunger, poverty and malnutrition, thanks in part to U.S. Government support. In 2014 alone, Feed the Future reached nearly 19 million households and helped nearly 7 million farmers gain access to new tools and technologies.

Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development Announces 12 New Awardees
November 3, 2015
Innovations that improve water, food security and support gender equality receive up to $3 million in funding and acceleration support
Today at Amsterdam International Water Week Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development announced 12 new game-changing solutions that will increase water availability and promote efficient use of water in agriculture. The program also announced its partnership with the government of South Africa, which joins the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (MFA-NL) in this $34 million global effort.

DFID [to 7 November 2015]
https://www.gov.uk/government/latest?departments%5B%5D=department-for-international-development
Selected Announcements

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The end of Ebola in Sierra Leone
Updated 6 November 2015 News story DFID, DH, MOD and PHE

Launch of National Social Security Strategy in Bangladesh
Published 5 November 2015 Speech DFID

Iraq crisis: UK humanitarian response factsheet
Updated 3 November 2015 Promotional material DFID

Factsheet: The UK’s humanitarian aid response to the Syria crisis
Updated 3 November 2015 Official Statistics DFID

Extra UK help for refugees arriving in Western Balkans
Published 2 November 2015 News story DFID

DFID’s Conceptual Framework on Agriculture
Published 2 November 2015 Corporate report DFID
Agriculture is an important sector for many developing countries, both to drive economic development but also to support poverty reduction and boost food and nutrition security. Since DFID’s last paper on agriculture in 2005, the world has changed immensely. We have achieved significant successes in reducing poverty and hunger, and have boosted the incomes and livelihoods of many people, including in the poorest countries.

At the same time, new challenges and opportunities have presented themselves. For example, how will we ensure the food security of a rapidly growing global population in an era of climate change and increasing shocks and disasters? How to make agriculture more productive and food systems more sustainable and resilient? How to better benefit girls and women who make up the majority of people working in agriculture in developing countries, but who are not currently getting enough from their labours? How to adopt a new approach to agriculture in a context where more and more people migrate to towns and cities, and where plot sizes and climatic conditions make it less and less likely that future generations will be able to feed themselves and their families with their own agricultural production?

This publication presents the latest evidence and a conceptual framework to design agriculture policies and programmes, differentiated by context and responding to the new trends highlighted above, to make a meaningful contribution to the Global Goals.
DFID’s Conceptual Framework on Agriculture PDF, 2.52MB, 36 pages

ECHO [to 7 November 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

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European Commission supports UN Refugee Agency with resources for 200 000 refugees
03/11/2015
The European Commission has today unlocked financial support for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) providing €2 million to meet the basic needs of vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers currently in the Western Balkans.

European Commission steps up humanitarian aid to Syria
03/11/2015
The European Commission gives further €62 million in humanitarian aid to support Syrians displaced by the conflict inside the country.

The African Development Bank Group [to 7 November 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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Curtain falls on 10th African Economic Conference in Kinshasa
04/11/2015 – Leaving no one behind in the development agenda will require taking bold steps by African governments including strengthening the role of the state in economic transformation to address poverty and inequality on the continent.

Africa: Smart measures required to weather commodity boom-bust cycles
04/11/2015 – Governments in Africa should put into place fiscal rules, sovereign wealth funds and other mechanisms to buffer their economies from the commodities roller-coaster, according to a new report issued during the 10th African Economic Conference by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

African Economic Conference 2015: Tackling poverty and inequality to meet the Sustainable Development Goals
02/11/2015 – Following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by world leaders in September, policy-makers, development practitioners, and researchers are convening to lay out policy options to eradicate poverty and tackle inequality in Africa, in line with the new universal anti-poverty goals.

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations [to 7 November 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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ASEAN Services Integration Report
JAKARTA, 5 November 2015 – The ASEAN Services Integration Report (ASIR) is one of the key deliverables of the ASEAN Community Monitoring and Evaluation Program (AECMEP), a four-year collaborative program that concludes in 2015 between the ASEAN Secretariat and the World Bank with support from the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II.

ASEAN Secretaries-General Talk on Humanitarian Action and Building Disaster-Resilient ASEAN Community
SINGAPORE, 3 November 2015 – In a historical move, three Secretaries-General of ASEAN shared their perspectives and insights on the future contours of ASEAN cooperation on humanitarian action and building resilient and safer communities in the region. H.E. Le Luong Minh, current Secretary-General of ASEAN, was joined by former Secretaries-General H.E. Ambassador Ong Keng Yong (2003-2007) and H.E. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan (2008-2012) during the Post-2015 ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Strategic Policy Dialogue yesterday in Singapore.

European Union [to 7 November 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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Financial support for managing migration: European Commission awards €16.43 million in emergency funding to Croatia
Date: 06/11/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 6 November 2015 The European Commission has awarded an amount of €16.43 million in emergency funding to Croatia to support the country in managing the high influx of migrants and improve the situation on the ground.

State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis
Date: 06/11/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 6 November 2015 State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis The European Agenda on Migration adopted by the Commission in May 2015 set out the need for a comprehensive approach to migration management.

Financial support for managing migration: European Commission awards €10.17 million in emergency funding to Slovenia
Date: 06/11/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 6 November 2015 Financial support for managing migration: Commission awards €10.17 million in emergency funding to Slovenia The European Commission last night awarded €10.17 million in emergency funding to Slovenia to help the country to manage the exceptional migratory flows it is currently facing.

Refugee crisis: European Commission steps up humanitarian aid to Syria
Date: 03/11/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 3 November 2015 The European Commission will give €62 million in humanitarian aid to support Syrians displaced by the conflict inside their country. The European Commission will give €62 million in humanitarian aid to support Syrians displaced by the conflict inside the country. The funding allocation was announced today…

European Commission announces extra €43 million humanitarian aid to Lebanon for Syria crisis
Date: 02/11/2015
Press release European Commission Brussels, Beirut, 2 November 2015 The European Commission will give an additional €43 million in humanitarian aid to support Syrian refugees and their host communities in Lebanon. Announcing the new funding allocation on a visit today to Lebanon, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis…

Refugee crisis: European Commission to give €28 million in humanitarian aid to Jordan
Date: 01/11/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, Amman, 1 November 2015 The European Commission will give €28 million in humanitarian aid to support Syrians displaced by the conflict in their host communities in Jordan.

OECD [to 7 November 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]

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OECD delivers international standard for collection of VAT on cross-border sales
6-November-2015
Governments have taken an important step towards ensuring that consumption taxes on cross-border transactions are effectively paid in the jurisdiction where products are consumed, while minimizing the risks that uncoordinated tax rules distort international trade.

Healthcare improving too slowly to meet rising strain of chronic diseases
4-November-2015
Too many lives are still lost in OECD countries because healthcare quality is improving too slowly to cope with ageing populations and the growing number of people with one or more chronic diseases, according to a new OECD report.

Organization of American States (OAS) [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_releases.asp

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OAS Heard Claim for Native Genocide and African Slave Trade
E-334 November 6, 2015
The reparation claim against some European countries—mainly Great Britain, France, and the
Netherlands—for the native genocide and the African slave trade between the 17th and 19th centuries was presented this week at the OAS by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves.
At the OAS Permanent Council, Gonsalves asserted that “the quest for reparations is not conceived as a strategic confrontation against these European nations, although it is for us in the Caribbean a defining issue in the 21st century for justice, reconciliation, and the righting of historic wrongs.”

OAS and Pan American Development Foundation to Open Community Centers for At-Risk Youth in Colombia
E-330 November 5, 2015

OAS Secretary General Urges to Combat Violence against Journalists: “the Most Extreme Form of Censorship”
E-327 November 2, 2015

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/news/
Selected Press Releases

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Two-day meeting held at OIC General Secretariat on new steps to activate OIC Action Plan for the Advancement of Women
An “Intergovernmental Experts Group” meeting kicked off on Tuesday 3rd November 2015 at the OIC’s General Secretariat in Jeddah to assess the implementation of the “OIC Action Plan for the Advancement of Women” (OPAAW)…
03/11/2015

Secretary General Encourages More Cultural Exchanges among Member States
At the opening ceremony of the 9th Islamic Conference of Cultural Ministers (ICCM) that is being held at the Omani capital, Muscat, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, delivered a statement in which he, inter alia, encouraged Member States to be more active in implementing initiatives geared towards improved cultural exchanges among them. He also called for creation of stages, venues, and channels for more cultural interaction within the OIC, as well as how to make the current stages more known and with wider impact…
02/11/2015

World Trade Organisation [to 7 November 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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6 November 2015
TRIPS
WTO members agree to extend drug patent exemption for poorest members
Least-developed country (LDC) members of the WTO will be allowed to maintain maximum flexibility in their approach to patenting pharmaceutical products until at least 2033, following a decision taken by the WTO’s Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on 6 November.

The Council’s decision extends until January 2033 the period during which key provisions of the WTO’s intellectual property agreement, the TRIPS Agreement, do not apply to pharmaceutical products in LDCs. This means LDCs can choose whether or not to protect pharmaceutical patents and clinical trial data before 2033. The decision also keeps open the option for further extensions beyond that date.

The latest extension, the second specifically applied to pharmaceutical products for LDCs, is in line with directions set by WTO ministers in the 2001 Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. It also follows the adoption of the new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which affirm the right of developing countries to utilize TRIPS Agreement flexibilities to ensure access to medicines for all.

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo hailed the TRIPS Council’s decision.

“This decision by the TRIPS Council represents a clear and unambiguous signal that WTO members are committed to addressing the needs of the organization’s poorest members. With the concerns of least developed countries at centre stage next month at our Nairobi Ministerial Conference, now is the time for WTO to build upon this momentum in other areas of our work,” said Director-General Azevêdo.

WTO members, speaking in the TRIPS Council, unanimously welcomed the decision. A wide spectrum of members recalled the benefits of this extension for public health outcomes in LDCs, in light of the continuing challenges faced by these countries….

IMF [to 7 November 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]

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The Role of Personal Accountability in Reforming Culture and Behavior in the Financial Services Industry, By Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
November 05, 2015

… In conclusion: financial institutions, national authorities, and the international community have begun to respond to the issue of ethics in finance. Still, swifter action is needed to restore trust in the financial sector. The public needs reassurance that misconduct issues that caused the failures in institutions and markets in the past few years have been dealt with.

For our part, the IMF has supported this effort on several fronts, including through an incipient research agenda on ethics in finance. We have also leveraged the convening power of the Fund to shed new perspectives on this issue – bringing together policymakers, industry specialists, clergy and even young professionals to develop a shared understanding of how to instill ethical behavior at all levels in finance.

I started by arguing that the appropriate regulatory and governance framework must be in place to support the ethics of behavior of individuals. Yet the opposite is also true. Without individual integrity, even the best regulatory and governance structures can be gamed.
So let me leave you with this thought, from Warren Buffett: “In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.”…