United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

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Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage
11 September 2015
GA/11677
Adopting Six Resolutions, General Assembly Supports Multilingualism, Bolsters Transparency in Selection of Secretary-General
Resolutions aimed at fostering greater transparency in the selection of the next Secretary-General and equitable use of all six official languages in the activities of the United Nations were among six texts adopted by the General Assembly today, one of which required a recorded vote.

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10 September 2015
GA/11676
State of Palestine Flag to Fly at United Nations Headquarters, Offices as General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Non-Member Observer States
Amidst heated debates about the political value of symbolic gestures, the General Assembly today adopted five resolutions on a wide range of topics, including the raising of flags by non-member observer States at the United Nations and debt restructuring.

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10 September 2015
SC/12038
Tackling Ebola, Post-Conflict Challenges, Liberia Poised to Resume Security Duties as Mission Readies Drawdown Plan, Top Peacekeeping Official Tells Security Council
With Liberia having turned a corner from its unprecedented Ebola health emergency, the people and Government now had the important work of continuing to build a unified and reconciled nation fully responsible for its own destiny, the top United Nations peacekeeping official told the Security Council today.

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10 September 2015
SG/SM/17064-SC/12040-DC/3582
Secretary-General Welcomes Security Council Follow-Up to Resolution 2235 (2015), Reiterating Call for Parties in Syria to Support Joint Investigative Body
The Secretary-General welcomes the authorisation by the Security Council of the Secretary-General’s recommendations to establish and operate the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons–United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism.
It underlines once again the importance of addressing the use of toxic chemicals as weapons, and the need for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
The Secretary-General, in close coordination with the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and all other relevant parties, shall, without delay, undertake all steps, measures and arrangements necessary for the speedy establishment and full functioning of the Joint Investigative Mechanism…

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9 September 2015
SG/SM/17062-OBV/1514
Tourism Now a ‘Transformative Force’, Secretary-General Says, in Message for International Day
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Tourism Day 2015 under the theme “One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities”, observed 27 September.

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8 September 2015
SG/SM/17055-REF/1211
In Phone Calls with European Heads of State, Secretary-General Stresses Collective Duty to Respond Humanely as Refugees Arrive, Many Fleeing War, Violence

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8 September 2015
SG/SM/17054-GA/11672
Secretary-General, Citing ‘Damning’ List of Humanitarian Crises, Calls for Renewed Action as General Assembly Holds Dialogue on ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Pledge

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true

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UN child rights committee urges EU Justice and Home Affairs Council to include child rights in migration response
11 September 2015

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Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers closes twenty-third session
09 September 2015

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Statement by the Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers on the global migration crisis
09 September 2015
As the Committee marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, we are witnessing a constantly worsening situation experienced by many migrants. These migrants are on the move due to various and interrelated reasons. Many are fleeing from their countries of origin due to extremely difficult circumstances, including violations of their human rights. As a group, they are already in a vulnerable situation, but this vulnerability dramatically increases during their transit as a result of inadequate regular migration channels, numerous and diverse migration control practices, xenophobic attitudes and the growing presence of organized criminal groups that take advantage of the structural character of irregular migration.

In this regard, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted that “[w]hen people are unable to use regular channels to escape oppression, violence and economic despair, they may attempt, in desperation, to find irregular ones. This does not make them criminals. It does not withdraw their right to be treated with dignity. On the contrary, their vulnerability cries out for humanity – an approach that is motivated by respect for their plight, and for their fundamental rights as human beings.” The Committee wholeheartedly shares this view.

All of these people, whether they can be considered migrants, asylum seekers or refugees, are entitled to a protection response based on international law, in particular, the human rights, humanitarian, and refugee law treaty framework. Policies and practices aimed at effectively tackling the root causes of this phenomenon of increasing mixed-migration flows, as well as to address the situation of migrants in transit and destination countries, must be fully in line with these norms and principles established by the international community. A comprehensive, rights-based short and long term response is critical and inevitable. States should also refrain from reacting to this multidimensional and complex issue through criminalization of irregular migration, building of fences and strengthening other border controls measures, including detention, push-back and deportation practices.

In the view of the Committee, it is high time to holistically address this complex and grave situation which affects every region of the world and calls upon the international community to rise to this challenge and respond in accordance with human rights norms and with compassion and humanity. Likewise, it is important to note that the Sustainable Development Goals will not be fully achieved unless this phenomenon is adequately addressed. Therefore, all Member States of the United Nations have a historic opportunity to revert this sad state of affairs through meeting the targets agreed to by the international community. In this context, the Committee is committed to maximizing its efforts to substantially and actively contribute to this process with the firm conviction that the human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families Convention of Migrant Workers, are critical tools for achieving this just goal.

The Committee also recognizes all of the initiatives undertaken to promote and protect the human rights of migrants and supports the organization of a global discussion, that is both constructive and practical, with a view to put in place measures, policies and actions so not to further prolong this human rights and humanitarian crisis.

Committee on the Rights of the Child [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRCIndex.aspx

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UN child rights committee urges EU Justice and Home Affairs Council to include child rights in migration response
11 September 2015
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child expresses its deep concern at the current migration crisis in Europe, and underscores that the continued shocking images that ricochet around the world do not tell the full extent of the devastating, and at times irreversible, impact the crisis continues to have on the rights and well-being of the children involved.

Ahead of the extraordinary “Justice and Home Affairs” Council taking place on 14 September in Brussels, dedicated to the situation of migration outside and inside the European Union, the Committee urges EU Ministers to adopt a child rights-based approach when planning, discussing, and implementing the measures designed to strengthen the European response.

“All European states have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and have committed to ensuring rights to all children that come under their jurisdiction irrespective of their legal status, and without discrimination of any kind,” said the Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Mr. Benyam Dawit Mezmur. “The majority of these children have already experienced human rights violations before leaving their countries of origin, and subjecting them to yet more violations within European borders through laws and treatment that are contrary to their rights constitutes an additional serious violation of Convention obligations.”

A number of these obligations are particularly relevant to the current situation. “The right of the child to have his or her best interests taken as a primary consideration should serve as the underlying obligation upon which all migration laws, policies, and services in countries of origin, transit, and destination must hinge,” the Chairperson said. “In addition, the obligation to respect and protect the right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence — physical or mental, intentional or non-intentional — needs to be upheld by all branches of Governments in all contexts, including migration,” Mr. Mezmur added, noting increasing visual evidence of police and other authorities acting in ways that may physically harm or traumatize migrant children.

The Convention obligations apply both in times of stability and crisis. And the Committee expects all Governments to fully commit to placing at the heart of their responses their legal obligations towards children in a migration situation.

“Since a response to the current migration crisis needs rights-based, serious, and collaborative efforts, the Committee stands ready to engage with all countries in Europe in their efforts to strengthen the protection of the rights of the child in their migration responses,” the Chairperson concluded.

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Committee on the Rights of the Child holds seventieth session in Geneva from 14 September to 2 October
9 September 2015

UN OCHA [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases

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11 Sep 2015
World: In Search of Humanitarian Leaders: Call for applications for the IASC Humanitarian Coordination Pool
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: World On 13 August, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, called on the Principals of Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) organizations to nominate candidates for inclusion in the Humanitarian Coordination (HC) Pool. The HC Pool is a roster of humanitarian leaders from the UN, Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, NGOs and other organizations who have been screened by the IASC as potential candidates…

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10 Sep 2015
Sudan: UN condemns fatal attack on humanitarians in W. Darfur, Sudan

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08 Sep 2015
Haiti: Les Nations Unies demandent aux bailleurs 25 millions pour des besoins humanitaires urgents en Haïti

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08 Sep 2015
Yemen: Yemen: An economy in free fall and livelihoods destroyed

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06 Sep 2015
Sudan: The United Kingdom contributes an additional US$10 million to the Sudan Common Humanitarian Fund for 2015

UNICEF [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html

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Selected press release and news notes
UNICEF urges European leaders to quickly turn new commitments for refugees and migrants into action for children
NEW YORK, 11 September 2015 – UNICEF welcomes increasing commitments by European leaders to support refugees and migrants – commitments that should now trigger urgent action by all EU Member States to fully protect children.

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Child refugee crisis in Europe will only grow if humanitarian needs in Syria and the region are not met, warns UNICEF
NEW YORK, 10 September 2015 – The refugee and migrant crisis in Europe will only worsen if greater efforts are not made to end the protracted conflict in Syria and address the humanitarian needs of the millions affected by the violence, says UNICEF today.

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UNICEF and WFP intensify efforts to defeat malnutrition in South Sudan
JUBA, South Sudan, 9 September 2015 – The World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF are intensifying their efforts to reverse the dire malnutrition situation in South Sudan, where a brutal conflict has displaced millions of people, destroyed basic services, increased disease and exacerbated hunger.

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Child mortality rates plunge by more than half since 1990 but global MDG target missed by wide margin
NEW YORK/GENEVA/WASHINGTON, 9 September 2015 – Child mortality rates have plummeted to less than half of what they were in 1990, according to a new report released today. Under-five deaths have dropped from 12.7 million per year in 1990 to 5.9 million in 2015. This is the first year the figure has gone below the 6 million mark.

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Rising numbers of women and children pass through the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia to seek refuge in Europe – UNICEF
SKOPJE/BELGRADE/GENEVA, 8 September 2015 – Women and children seeking refuge in Europe continue to pass through the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia in growing numbers. Nearly 10,000 people, approximately 40 per cent of whom were women and children, were registered crossing into the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at Gevgelija from Greece between 1 and 6 September. More than 7,720 people were also registered crossing into Serbia through Presevo over the same time period

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40

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Statement by Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR’s Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Refugee Crisis in Europe
8 September 2015
We have met the authorities here in Budapest and have offered UNHCR’s assistance to deal with the increasing number of refugees and migrants arriving in Hungary.

We have repeated our call for simplifying and streamlining registration, reception at the collection points, registration centres and reception centres and care for those who come to seek international protection.

Over 150,000 refugees and migrants have crossed into Hungary from Serbia since January this year. A majority of those are from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Some other nationalities include Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and people from Sub-Saharan Africa.

UNHCR expects more people to come during the coming months. The number of arrivals yesterday was over 2,700 people, as the daily average has remained around 2,000 since last month…

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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Selected Press Releases
IOM Supports Dominican Republic Government, Civil Society during Implementation of National Regularization Plan
09/11/15
Dominican Republic – Over 100,000 migrants have received a document proving their legal immigration status.

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Displacement in Iraq Reaches Nearly 3.2 Million: IOM
09/11/15
Iraq – IOM’s Iraq Displacement Tracking Matrix published this week identified 3,182,736 internally displaced Iraqis from January 2014 through 27 August 2015.

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IOM Helps Prevent Disease at UN Displacement Sites in South Sudan
09/11/15
South Sudan – To help stem the spread of disease in crowded displacement sites in South Sudan, IOM health teams are promoting preventative health care, including two cholera vaccination campaigns benefiting 113,600 internally displaced persons (IDPs).

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IOM Distributes Aid to Displaced Flood Victims in Ethiopia’s Afar State
09/11/15
Ethiopia – IOM Ethiopia is today distributing non-food aid to 90 households displaced by severe flooding in Aysaita woreda (district), Afar Regional State.

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Community Stabilization Project Launched in Central African Republic
09/11/15
Central African Republic – Following a series of meetings with local government leaders, IOM yesterday (10/9) launched the European Union-funded Community Stabilization for At-Risk Communities project (SIRIRI) in Boda, Central African Republic (CAR).

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IOM, Government Free Victims of Sex Trafficking in Papua New Guinea
09/11/15
Papua New Guinea – Following a call alerting the IOM mission in Port Moresby to the situation of potential victims of sexual slavery in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG), an IOM protection team, working with a specialized police squad, has completed a successful rescue operation.

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IOM Monitors Migrant Arrivals, Deaths in Italy, Greece and Spain
09/08/15
Italy – September continues to be a deadly month in the Mediterranean. IOM’s Missing Migrants Project recorded 58 new fatalities at sea since noon Friday (4/9).

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Typhoon Assistance to Micronesia Tops USD 10 Million
09/08/15
Federated States of Micronesia – Over USD 10 million – the lion’s share from USAID – has been allocated to support remote and delicate communities in Micronesia.

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IOM Empowers Communities Hosting Refugees in Mauritania
09/08/15
Mauritania – IOM has launched a project to boost community empowerment and self-reliance in communities hosting Malian refugees in southeast Mauritania.

UN Women [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Selected Press Releases
Building resilience against climate change: Women in Bangladesh lead the way
Date : September 11, 2015
In 10 of the most climate-vulnerable districts of Bangladesh, more than 19,100 women have built better systems of support and preparation for disasters, while livelihood skills training has enabled more than 1,600 women to expand their businesses.

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G20 leaders launch group to promote women’s economic empowerment
Date : September 8, 2015
Marking a historic step for women’s rights and gender equality, representatives of G20 countries, that constitute two-thirds of the world’s population and 85 per cent of GDP, launched a new engagement group to advance the economic empowerment of women.

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UN Women Executive Director announces collaborative study with Asian Development Bank during mission in the Philippines
Date : September 8, 2015
During a two-day Mission in the Philippines, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, addressed the Eminent Speakers’ Forum of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to promote gender equality and women’s rights within a regional context. ADB and UN Women will work together on a collaborative study announced during the Mission that will help Asia and the Pacific track its progress in realizing gender equality.

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“We must be diligent and vocal advocates” – Lakshmi Puri
Date : September 8, 2015
Remarks by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri at the W20 Official Launch Event in Ankara, Turkey

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 12 September 2015]

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New UNFPA Tool on Implementing HIV and STI Programmes with Men who have Sex with Men
8 September 2015 Press Release
A tool for implementing comprehensive programmes on HIV and sexually transmitted infections with men who have sex with men was released today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The publication, Implementing Comprehensive HIV and STI Programmes with Men Who Have Sex With Men: practical guidance for collaborative interventions, presents concrete steps that public-health officials, health workers and non-governmental organizations can use to implement HIV and STI programmes for men who have sex with men…

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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540,000 Malawians to be provided with safe, clean water by 2018
Sep 11, 2015
Basic Water Needs, a Dutch manufacturer and marketer of household water treatment and safe storage products, has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA), a global initiative supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other international organizations that encourages companies to fight poverty through innovative business models. As part of its commitment, Basic Water Needs plans to distribute its low-cost Tulip Table Top water filters to more than 540,000 Malawians by 2018, making safe and clean drinking water more available, easily accessible, and affordable.

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Rwanda launches the National Risk Atlas, first-ever comprehensive risk profile developed in Africa
Sep 10, 2015
The Government of Rwanda today launched its first National Risk Atlas, the first-ever comprehensive risk profile developed in Africa. In collaboration with UNDP, the World Bank and the European Union, the National Risk Atlas was developed through a comprehensive risk assessment to provide to the Government of Rwanda guidance in national planning and policy-making on disaster risk reduction.

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Faiths launch far-reaching action plans to help the world’s poorest people
Sep 9, 2015
Faith leaders have pledged far reaching practical action over the next 10 years to help the world’s poorest people at a meeting with senior UN officials in Bristol, UK, to discuss the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Sweden continues commitment to support UNDP by pledging $58.6m for 2015
Sep 3, 2015
The Swedish Government announced its continued commitment to the United Nations Development Programme by making a 2015 core contribution of $58.6m, or 495m Swedish Kroner, to help UNDP support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfill its coordination role for the UN system.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

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Selected Press Releases
Largest Brazilian Cosmetics Manufacturer Recognized with United Nation’s Top Environmental Award
Natura named Champion of the Earth for making sustainability their business
11/09/2015

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National Geographic Wins Top United Nations Environmental Prize for Science and Innovation
The Champions of the Earth Award recognizes outstanding visionaries and leaders in the fields of policy, science, entrepreneurship, and civil society
10/09/2015

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Demand for Wood in Africa Could Triple by 2050, Straining the Continent’s Dwindling Forest Resources, Warns UN Report
Integrating informal sectors into official economy could protect forests by promoting sustainable management and boosting productivity
Nairobi, 9 September 2015 – The demand for forest products and services in Africa is growing rapidly, fuelled by a growing population and an expanding economy. By 2050, domestic demand for industrial roundwood could double or even triple from the current annual level of 96.2 million m3 found a report released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Such pressure, coupled with the encroachment of other sectors on forests, could lead to unsustainable levels of exploitation and accelerating deforestation, resulting in loss of livelihoods and a decrease in biodiversity.

The report, entitled “The Role of Forests in a Green Economy Transformation in Africa”, calls for a stronger integration of the largely informal forest sector into national planning and accounting. This would boost the sector’s productivity, while promoting sustainable management of forest resources, helping to meet the growing demand for forest products.
Further Resources
Download Full Report in English

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The Mounting Problem: World’s Cities Produce up to 10 Billion Tonnes of Waste Each Year, UN Study Estimates
Holistic waste management could save countries hundreds of billions USD and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% annually
Antwerp, 7 September 2015 – Inadequate waste management has become a major public health, economic and environmental problem, with 7-10 billion tonnes of urban waste produced each year and 3 billion people worldwide lacking access to controlled waste disposal facilities.
Fuelled by population growth, urbanization and rising consumption, the volumes of waste are likely to even double in lower-income African and Asian cities by 2030, warns the Global Waste Management Outlook – launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) today.
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “An urgent response to the world’s mounting waste problem is not only a public health and environmental necessity, but also a sound economic investment. Inaction is costing countries 5-10 times more than investments in proper waste management. A greater commitment by nations to systematically apply the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – can transform the problem of waste into a resource for our economies…
Further Resources
Download Global Waste Management Outlook

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive

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Selected Press Releases
Making a resilient airport
NADI, Fiji, 9 September 2015 – When floods closed Fiji’s main international airport for the only time in its history, economic shockwaves rippled through the tourism-dependent country.

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Southern Africa moves on Sendai Framework
MAPUTO, 7 September 2015 – African leaders and experts on disaster risk are moving ahead on detailed planning of implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the new global agreement on reducing disaster losses and a key pillar of the post-2015 Development Agenda.

UNESCO [to 12 September 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/news

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International Literacy Day 2015: Literacy and Sustainable Societies
08 September 2015

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Informed citizens build sustainable societies says Dan Wagner, UNESCO Chair in Learning and Literacy
08.09.2015 – Education Sector
Mr Dan Wagner, UNESCO Chair in Learning and Literacy at the University of Pennsylvania, will make a keynote presentation on strengthening links between literacy and sustainable development as part of the UNESCO Global Meeting on “Literacy and Sustainable Societies”, which will be held at the Organization’s headquarters in Paris to celebrate International Literacy Day on 8 and 9 September.

Mr Wagner will present a paper on September 8 which discusses how nation-building and development, which depend on resources taken from the planet, must be rethought as those resources become depleted. He will highlight the disproportionate impact of environmental change on children, the poor, women and indigenous populations and the implications for education.

“A focus on literacy and sustainability in these marginalized groups is the most important thing we can do,” he said.

He says that while globalization brings with it threatening changes such as climate and environmental upheaval which will impact on education, social and political conflict, national and international migration, and employment, it also brings an increasingly connected global citizenry, greater access to new technologies and new respect for the world’s dwindling resources.

In relation to literacy he said: “UNESCO plays a very special and central role in the promotion of literacy worldwide. In the era of the Sustainable Development Goals, its role should be strengthened as this is a special time where sustainable development requires that science and culture be linked to education initiatives. It’s the combination of these three sectors that will be needed for success, and UNESCO is uniquely positioned to make that happen.”

He said literacy helps to empower people and create more informed citizens who are vital to address the problems associated with building more sustainable societies. Rural farmers are better farmers if they have been to school just as educated people are better able to understand key health messages and educated mothers pass on their health learning to their children.

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/

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World Forestry Congress sets out vision for future of forests
The largest gathering on forests this decade set out its vision of how forests and forestry should look in 2050, adopting the Durban Declaration after a week of debate. The vision calls for the forests of the future to be “fundamental” for food security and improved livelihoods.
11-09-2015

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FAO Food Price Index registers sharpest fall since December 2008
The index averaged 155.7 points in August 2015, down 5.2 percent from July, the steepest monthly drop since December 2008, with virtually all major food commodities registering marked dips.
10-09-2015

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Severe food insecurity on the rise in Afghanistan
The number of people in Afghanistan resorting to selling land or turning to friends or family for help because of food insecurity has doubled in the last year, says a new a joint report by UN and partner agencies.
10-09-2015

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Ugandan community leader receives top forestry prize
Ugandan forestry activist Gertrude Kabusimbi Kenyangi has been awarded the 2015 Wangari Maathai ‘Forest Champions’ Award in recognition of her efforts to promote the conservation and sustainable use of forest resources in Uganda.
10-09-2015

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World deforestation slows down as more forests are better managed
Some 129 million hectares of forest – an area almost equivalent in size to South Africa – have been lost since 1990, according to FAO’s most comprehensive forest review to date, The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015. It noted however, that an increasing amount of forest areas have come under protection while more countries are improving forest management.
7-09-2015

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FAO and Action Aid join forces to empower rural people
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and ActionAid International, a globe-spanning NGO, have agreed to embark on new joint program of work that will focus on empowering rural people.
6-09-2015

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/index.htm

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UN agriculture agencies to strengthen rural employment opportunities for Caribbean youth
Bridgetown, 7 September 2015 — The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD, or FIDA by its Spanish acronym) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have joined forces to tackle the growing level of youth unemployment in the Caribbean.

The US$2.7 million dollar programme “Strengthening decent rural employment opportunities for young women and men in the Caribbean” will be implemented in coordination with a number of Caribbean governments and key stakeholders in six countries: Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana and Haiti. Other countries in the region, including Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, are also expected to benefit from the programme’s regional activities…

IMO International Maritime Organization [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/Home.aspx

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IMO Member State audit details now online
10/09/2015
A new module containing information on audits carried out under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme has been launched.

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.unido.org/en/news-centre/news.html

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Food safety for social inclusiveness, sustainability and industrial development on agenda of Vienna forum
VIENNA, 11 September 2015 – Coordinated efforts in order to prevent, detect and respond to foodborne diseases, and the benefits of safe food for social inclusiveness, sustainability and industrial development were on the agenda…

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Japan’s assessment of international organizations ranks UNIDO among top performers
VIENNA, 10 September 2015 – The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has assessed and rated 64 international organizations, including UN organizations. Four of them, including the United Nations Industrial Development…

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UNIDO ready to help countries along maritime and land Silk Road accelerate sustainable industrialization, says Director General Li
XIAMEN, China, 8 September 2015 – Unlocking the potential for investments in infrastructure, industry, trade and services in the countries along the maritime and land Silk Road is crucial for the future of the region…

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BRICS to continue playing major role in global growth, says UNIDO Director General Li
Tuesday, 08 September 2015
XIAMEN, China, 8 September 2015 – BRICS, the five major emerging national economies that comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will continue to play a major role in global economic growth…

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 12 September 2015]
http://media.unwto.org/news

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21 million more international tourists in the first half of 2015
10 September 2015
The number of international tourist arrivals grew by 4% in the first half of 2015 according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Destinations worldwide received some 538 million international tourists between January and June 2015, an increase of 21 million compared to the same period of 2014.

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

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STATEMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY BRAULIO FERREIRA DE SOUZA DIAS on the occasion of the UNITED NATIONS DAY FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
12 SEPTEMBER 2015
… South-South and triangular cooperation are especially important as the overwhelming majority of the Earth’s biodiversity is found in developing countries. Biodiversity – and the many ecosystem services associated with it – form the foundation of the Earth’s life support systems and underpin human lives and well-being. Anchored in the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals is a clear objective to mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem services in key national priorities and help countries achieve the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), South-South cooperation has been identified as a key mechanism for scientific and technical cooperation in support of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Scientists and agencies based in the South are playing a major role in the implementation of the Convention. Working with the Secretariat of the CBD, for instance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has scaled up its support to South-South Cooperation and launched a South-South Cooperation Exchange Mechanism, linked to the Consortium of Scientific Partners on Biodiversity, and supporting the implementation of the Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development, adopted in parallel to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and recognized by the Parties.

An innovative agreement of collaboration signed in 2013 between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and the Brazilian Technical Cooperation Agency has enabled experts from Embrapa to provide technical expertise to developing countries. Among the 22 members of the Convention’s Consortium of Scientific Partners on Biodiversity are several global players from the South, such as the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), the Mexican National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), the Costa Rican National Biodiversity Institute (InBio) and the Colombian Humboldt Institute. The Secretariat also works with UNEP to support its network of universities, mostly from the South, through the Global Universities Partnership on Environment and Sustainability…