On the road to Istanbul: how can the World Humanitarian Summit make humanitarian response more effective?
HUMANITARIAN ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
CHS Alliance
September 2015 :: 116 pages http://chsalliance.org/files/files/CHS-Alliance-HAR-2015.pdf
ISBN: 978-2-9701015-4-3

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Press Release
Launch of On the road to Istanbul – providing concrete solutions to issues of humanitarian effectiveness at the World Humanitarian Summit
01/09/2015
The Alliance’s first publication, On the road to Istanbul: how can the World Humanitarian Summit make humanitarian response more effective?, has been launched online.

Bringing together 13 leading humanitarian thinkers to discuss challenges to greater humanitarian effectiveness, this 2015 edition of the Humanitarian Accountability Report builds on the recommendations some of our members have made to the World Humanitarian Summit and offers concrete solutions to many of the issues raised during the global consultation for the WHS.

Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, the chief of the WHS secretariat, said: “We all want to ensure the World Humanitarian Summit is worth the climb. To do that, we need ambitious but actionable ideas such as those found in this timely report.” Written with the support of more than 30 peer reviewers, the report suggests that in order to improve effectiveness, the humanitarian sector should build upon and reinforce five key areas:
:: principled humanitarian response, which builds trust and facilitates access;
:: standards, which have shown to support appropriate, effective and timely aid;
:: national capacity, the strengthening of which is essential for effective and sustainable humanitarian response;
:: collective accountability, which requires inclusiveness, transparency and a common language;
:: good people management practices, which are paramount for effective aid.

The full report is free to download from the CHS Alliance website, and each chapter is also available individually. The report will be launched in Geneva, London, Washington, Nairobi, Bangkok, Bogota, Manchester, Lyon and Beirut. To engage on the conclusions of the report, for more information about the report, the launches and to download it in full, visit http://www.chsalliance.org/resources/publications/har.

The Elders urge world leaders to take bold and decisive action on climate in 2015
Press release 3 September 2015
Ahead of the UN Sustainable Development Goals summit, The Elders call on world leaders to agree on a common approach that yields a “radical and sustainable” plan to tackle climate change.
Read the statement [full text below]

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To Heads of State
London, 1 September 2015
Your Excellency,

2015 is the year in which the community of nations will conclude two of the most important international processes of our times. Together they hold the promise of improving the lives of billions of people over the coming decades, while preventing irreparable damage to our planet. You have a decisive role to play in charting the course of history.

In September in New York, governments will agree new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In December in Paris, nations will adopt a new universal agreement to address climate change. We are confident that governments will successfully conclude both the SDGs and the climate change agreement. The question remains: at what level of ambition will they be so concluded?

Incremental change is no longer enough. The world is already experiencing the damaging impact of climate change. If action is not taken immediately to stop and reverse current climate trends, we shall face a world with average global temperatures several degrees higher than when we were children.

The SDGs will be greatly reinforced by the approval at the Paris conference of a strong, ambitious and equitable agreement to address climate change. We do not face a choice between development and poverty reduction or addressing climate change. To the contrary: climate stability underpins prosperity, poverty alleviation and the rule of law.

Yet the negotiation of the new climate agreement is proceeding slowly and key issues remain unresolved with precious little time left. Thus we urge you to:

:: use the opportunity of the SDG Summit later this month to inject new urgency into the Paris negotiations. Give your negotiators the mandate to draft a binding international agreement under the UNFCCC which will limit the increase in average global temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius – the target that all nations already agreed to in 2010. Now is the time to move towards early implementation of a credible carbon pricing system, linked to carbon budgets. Accurately pricing carbon will accelerate development of alternative sources of energy;

:: establish in the Paris agreement an overarching goal for all nations to reach a state of carbon neutrality by 2050. Countries should agree a timetable for acting on their commitment to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies, with early action on coal. The science is clear and business, investors and consumers need strong signals that economies are clearly, firmly and steadily on the path to carbon neutrality;

:: commit now to the inclusion in the Paris agreement of mechanisms that will assess collective progress and ratchet up the commitment of all countries on mitigation and adaptation every five years. Mutual support and transparency to ensure our collective future wellbeing is the most effective – and morally just – way to proceed;

:: approve a financial package that will ramp up investment in clean energy and support adaptation by poor countries. Plainly, poor countries must grow in order to reduce poverty and meet the aspirations of their citizens, and growth requires energy. So developing countries must grow in a way the world’s industrialised societies did not: using clean energy that decouples economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.

Excellency, our future needs to be created by design rather than by happenstance. We urge you to seize the extraordinary opportunity at hand. Together Heads of State and Government can go far beyond business as usual. You can prove to be an historic generation of leaders who will have a profound and positive impact that echoes throughout the century.

This is the moment for you and all world leaders to be the architects of a new and better world. The courage and conviction you show will be remembered for decades to come.

Please accept, Your Excellency, assurances of our highest consideration and esteem.

Kofi Annan (Chair)
Martti Ahtisaari
Ela Bhat
Lakhdar Brahimi
Gro Brundtland (Deputy Chair)
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Jimmy Carter
Hina Jilani
Graça Machel
Mary Robinson
Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León

Cluster Munition Monitor 2015 – SPECIAL FIVE-YEAR REPORT
August 2015
International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC). Monitoring and Research Committee, ICBL-CMC Governance Board: DanChurchAid, Handicap International, Human Rights Watch, Mines Action Canada\
ISBN: 978-2-8399-1706-3 :: 94 pages
Pdf: http://www.the-monitor.org/media/2135498/2015_ClusterMunitionMonitor.pdf

Major Findings
Five-Year Review
Status of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions
:: Since the Convention on Cluster Munitions entered into force on 1 August 2010, becoming binding international law, another 46 signatories have ratified and nine countries have acceded, bringing the number of countries that are part of the convention to 93 States Parties and 24 signatories.
:: The Convention on Cluster Munitions remains the sole international instrument on cluster munitions following the 2011 failure by states at the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) to create a new protocol on cluster munitions. No state has proposed further CCW work on cluster munitions since 2011.

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Stockpile Destruction
:: Seven States Parties completed their stockpile destruction before the convention’s entry-into-force on 1 August 2010. Since then, States Parties have destroyed 532,938 cluster munitions and 85 million submunitions, while a dozen States Parties have completed their stockpile destruction.
:: In total, 27 States Parties have destroyed 1.3 million cluster munitions and 160 million submunitions. This represents the destruction of 88% of cluster munitions and 90% of submunitions declared as stockpiled by States Parties.
:: The Monitor estimates that prior to the start of the global effort to ban cluster munitions, 91 countries stockpiled millions of cluster munitions containing more than 1 billion submunitions. Currently, 47 states outside of the convention have cluster munition stockpiles.

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Use
::There have been no confirmed reports or allegations of new use of cluster munitions by any State Parties since the Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted in May 2008.
:: Cluster munitions have been used in seven non-signatories since the convention’s August 2010 entry-into-force, including into Cambodia from Thailand (2011), in Libya (2011 and 2015), in Syria (2012-present), in Sudan (2012 and 2015), in South Sudan (2014), in Ukraine (2014-2015), and in Yemen by Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces (2015).
:: At least 23 governments have used cluster munitions during conflict in 39 countries and four disputed territories since the end of World War II.

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Contamination
:: As of July 2015, a total of 25 countries and other areas were contaminated by cluster munition remnants: nine State Parties, two signatories, 11 non-signatories, and three other areas. It is unclear whether a further three State Parties, two signatories, and two non-signatories are contaminated.
:: New use since the Convention on Cluster Munitions came into force in August 2010 has resulted in further contamination in six non-signatories: Cambodia, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. In addition, non-signatory Ukraine became contaminated for the first time after the Convention entered into force.
:: The threat to civilians and the socio-economic impact is a particular cause for concern in: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Somalia, Vietnam, and Yemen, as well as Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Western Sahara.

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Press Release
September 03, 2015
Cluster munitions report tallies widespread use
Weapons used in five countries—a rate unseen since global ban entered into force
This is the sixth annual Cluster Munition Monitor report. It is the sister publication to the Landmine Monitor report, which has been issued annually since 1999.

Cluster Munition Monitor reviews every country in the world with respect to cluster munition ban policy as well as cluster munition use, production, trade, and stockpiling. It also contains information on cluster munition contamination and clearance activities, as well as casualties and victim assistance. Its principal frame of reference is the Convention on Cluster Munitions, although other relevant international law is reviewed, including the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

The report focuses provides a five-year overview (2010-2014) of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, with some information updated through July 2015 where possible…

G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance – OECD Report to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
OECD
September 2015 :: 66 pages
Pdf: http://www.oecd.org/g20/topics/financing-for-investment/Corporate-Governance-Principles-ENG.pdf

Note by the OECD Secretary-General
G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting
4-5 September 2015, Ankara
Good corporate governance is not an end in itself. It is a means to create market confidence and business integrity, which in turn is essential for companies that need access to equity capital for long term investment. Access to equity capital is particularly important for future oriented growth companies and to balance any increase in leveraging. The updated G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (the Principles) therefore provide a very timely and tangible contribution to the G20 priority in 2015 to support investment as a powerful driver of growth.

The Principles are also about inclusiveness. Today, millions of households around the world have their savings in the stock market, directly or indirectly. And publicly listed companies provide for more than 200 million jobs. The Principles also address the rights of these stakeholders and their ability to participate in corporate wealth creation.

Importantly, the Principles have a proven record as the international reference point and as an effective tool for implementation:
:: They have been adopted as one of the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) Key Standards for Sound Financial Systems serving FSB, G20 and OECD members.
:: They have also been used by the World Bank Group in more than 60 country reviews worldwide.
:: And they serve as the basis for the Guidelines on corporate governance of banks issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the OECD Guidelines on Insurer and Pension Fund Governance and as a reference for reform in individual countries…

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Press Release
New G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance will promote trust and improve functioning of financial markets
5/9/2015-
As part of continuing efforts to promote market confidence and business integrity, G20 Finance Ministers have endorsed a new set of G20/OECD corporate governance principles.

The G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance provide recommendations for national policymakers on shareholder rights, executive remuneration, financial disclosure, the behaviour of institutional investors and how stock markets should function. Sound corporate governance is seen as an essential element for promoting capital-market based financing and unlocking investment, which are keys to boosting long-term economic growth.

“In today’s global and highly interconnected world of business and finance, creating trust is something that we need to do together,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said during a presentation of the new Principles with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cevdet Yilmaz,‎ who chaired the G20 finance ministers meeting on 4-5 September in Ankara. “The new G20/OECD Principles represent a shared understanding of what constitutes good corporate governance. Now the priority is to put the Principles to good use and ensure better functioning financial markets.”

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yilmaz stressed that “the demands of investors on companies are quite rational: more transparency, more accountability and more effective corporate governance!” Mr. Yilmaz added, as the G20 Chair this year, “the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance will provide significant contribution to the G20 priority of facilitating companies’ access to finance through capital markets and thus supporting investment as a powerful driver of growth.”

Developed by the OECD in 1999, the Principles have become an international reference point. They have been adopted as one of the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) key standards for sound financial systems and serve as a standard for governments and regulators worldwide.

In 2013 the OECD launched an ambitious and inclusive review of the Principles, with all G20 countries invited to participate on an equal footing. The review also benefitted from extensive public consultations and the participation of key international institutions – notably the Basel Committee, the FSB and the World Bank, leading to the G20 agreement in Ankara.

G20 finance ministers also discussed the availability of finance for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, ways to improve their financing, as well as recommendations to ensure that tax policy supports, rather than hinders their growth. Ministers welcomed a Progress Report on proposed G20/OECD High-level Principles on SME Financing and a second OECD report on Taxation of SMEs.

The OECD also presented an update of its continuing work on the best strategies to ensure that investment becomes again a major driver of growth…

FAO and MasterCard announce new partnership
Effort will leverage global technology to drive development assistance, promote financial inclusion
2 September 2015, Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and MasterCard are joining forces to create an innovative new alliance against hunger.

A new partnership agreement, signed today by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Walt Macnee, Vice Chairman of MasterCard, at FAO headquarters, paves the way for a collaborative effort that will develop inclusive payment systems to support small-scale farmers and poor families.

Among other activities, the collaboration will explore ways to provide credit or money to households for purchases of basic needs and farming inputs on local markets, thereby supporting local economies and putting financial tools in the hands of economically marginalized communities.

The effort will benefit from the complementary strengths of each organization: MasterCard’s expertise in payments technology and FAO’s global reach and track record in combating hunger and malnutrition.

Kakuma refugee camp
The partners’ first joint effort will be in the Kakuma refugee camp, in Turkana County, Kenya, currently home to 170,000 refugees who have fled wars and violence in neighboring countries. Camp residents will be provided with prepaid cards that will permit them to buy charcoal produced locally by the host community – charcoal that has been certified as being produced in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way. The scheme is designed to improve incomes of Turkana residents, reduce social tensions between those residents and the refugees, and relieve pressure on the environment.

MasterCard will provide its technology expertise and a meaningful financial contribution, to kick-start the business chain by providing 1,240 host-community households with improved charcoal making kilns and 7,000 refugee households with energy efficient stoves and credit to purchase 25 percent of their annual charcoal needs.

Private sector ally in fighting hunger
“This partnership truly shows that the private sector is a key ally in global effort to build a world with zero hunger. FAO is extremely proud of this collaboration with MasterCard that will support small-scale farmers to become economically independent by advancing financial inclusion,” said FAO Director –General José Graziano da Silva…

Note to editors:
The Kakuma project will leverage the infrastructure of the recently launched MasterCard Huduma card program, sponsored by the Kenya Government and working with local banks to disburse funds to beneficiaries across Kenya. The effort also involves ECHO, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department, which will provide training to the 8,000 households on use of cooking stoves improved for energy saving and kilns for 20 groups for making sustainable sourced charcoal.

EBOLA/EVD [to 5 September 2015]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC); “Threat to international peace and security” (UN Security Council)

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Ebola Situation Report – 2 September 2015
[Excerpts]
SUMMARY
:: There were 3 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the week to 30 August: 2 in Guinea and 1 in Sierra Leone. The case in Sierra Leone is the first in the country for over 2 weeks. Overall case incidence has remained stable at 3 confirmed cases per week for 5 consecutive weeks…

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Ebola transmission in Liberia over. Nation enters 90-day intensive surveillance period
WHO statement
3 September 2015
Today, 3 September 2015, WHO declares Liberia free of Ebola virus transmission in the human population. Forty-two days have passed since the second negative test on 22 July 2015 of the last laboratory-confirmed case. Liberia now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance…

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Guinea Ring Vaccination trial extended to Sierra Leone to vaccinate contacts of new Ebola case
Freetown, Sierra Leone – 31 August 2015: Detection of a new case of Ebola virus disease in Kambia, Sierra Leone after the country had marked almost three weeks of zero cases has set in motion the first ‘ring vaccination’ use of the experimental Ebola vaccine in Sierra Leone.

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Sierra Leone village in quarantine after Ebola death
BBC 4 September 2015
Nearly 1,000 people in Sierra Leone have been put under quarantine following the death of a 67-year-old woman who tested positive for Ebola

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

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Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage
4 September 2015
SC/12036
Security Council Press Statement on Yemen

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4 September 2015
SG/SM/17049-OBV/1511
Literacy Essential to “Life of Dignity”, Secretary-General Says in Message for International Day

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2 September 2015
SC/12032
Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2237 (2015), Security Council Renews Arms Embargo on Non-State Actors in Liberia, Terminates Other Sanctions
The Security Council today renewed an arms embargo on non-State actors in Liberia for nine months while terminating other sanctions on the country, including a travel ban and asset freeze on those deemed a danger to its stability.

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2 September 2015
SG/SM/17046-OBV/1510
Secretary-General, in Message for International Charity Day, Encourages All to Help Ease Human Suffering, Build Peaceful, Sustainable Future

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1 September 2015
GA/11670
Setting Stage for Upcoming Session, General Assembly Transmits Text on Ambitious Post-2015 Development Agenda
In a historic move today, the General Assembly adopted a resolution transmitting to its seventieth session a sweeping post-2015 development agenda aimed at eliminating poverty and hunger, protecting the planet and fostering peace, to be acted on during a high-level summit later this month.

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1 September 2015
SG/SM/17044-GA/11671-ENV/DEV/1549
Secretary-General, Addressing General Assembly, Applauds ‘Agenda 2030’ as Mark of Global Commitment at Dawn of New Era for Sustainable Development

SRSG/CAAC Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict [to 5 September 2015]
https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/virtual-library/press-release-archive/

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04 Sep 15
Act in interests of children affected by armed conflict, Leila Zerrougui urges Member States through her report to General Assembly

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40

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UNHCR praises Austrian, German Leadership and Civil Society Response
5 September 2015

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Statement by UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres on refugee crisis in Europe
5 September 2015

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Chair of UNHCR Executive Committee visits Afghanistan to show solidarity and continued international commitment
5 September 2015

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UNHCR’s Guterres to step down at end of 2015
Reuters, GENEVA, Sept 4
Antonio Guterres will step down as head of the U.N. refugee agency at the end of this year and not seek a renewal of his mandate as the High Commissioner for Refugees, his spokeswoman said on Friday.
“He’s leaving. His terms ends at the end of December,” Melissa Fleming told Reuters. “He’s not reapplying.” (Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Alison Williams)

UN OCHA [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases

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Selected Press Releases
04 Sep 2015
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Democratic Republic of the Congo: “No Congolese left behind”
The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, ended today a 4-day mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where she said the world should not let it – one of the world’s most protracted crises – “fall off the humanitarian radar.”

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04 Sep 2015
Yemen: UN Emergency Fund releases $15 million for critical aid operations in Yemen

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03 Sep 2015
Yemen: Yemen: Taizz airstrikes – Crisis Update 43 | 2 September 2015
Escalated fighting in Taizz Governorate has destroyed critical civilian infrastructure and severely restricted access to basic services. The entire health system across the governorate has nearly collapsed due to violence and insecurity, lack of fuel to power health facilities and water plants, and lack of medicines and supplies to treat patients. Parties to the conflict continue to disregard…

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02 Sep 2015
Yemen: Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, condemns tragic killing of two ICRC staff

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02 Sep 2015
Central African Republic: Central African Republic: the humanitarian community is concerned about the government’s decision to close the M’Poko airport site for internally displaced persons on 15 September

UNICEF [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html

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Selected press release and news notes
United action needed now for child refugees: UNICEF
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 5 September 2015 – Europe has a brief window of opportunity, before winter approaches, to protect and care for the tens of thousands of children seeking refuge, UNICEF said today.

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Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake on the child migrant and refugee crisis in Europe
NEW YORK, 3 September 2015 – “Heart-breaking images of children’s bodies washing up on the shores of Europe … lying suffocated in the backs of trucks crossing borders … being passed over barbed wire fences by desperate parents.

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As Liberia marks end of Ebola transmission, UNICEF highlights need for better services for children
MONROVIA, Liberia, 3 September 2015 – UNICEF today welcomed the announcement that Liberia has once again achieved zero Ebola transmission, and expressed hope that the country will now be able to focus on recovering from the outbreak, which has taken a severe toll on the lives of thousands of children and their communities.

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Conflict drives 13 million children out of school in the Middle East and North Africa
AMMAN, Jordan, 3 September 2015- Surging conflict and political upheaval across the Middle East and North Africa are preventing more than 13 million children from going to school, according to a UNICEF report released today.

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Number of women and children passing through the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to seek refuge in Europe triples in three months
GENEVA/SKOPJE, 1 September, 2015 – The number of women and children fleeing violence in their countries of origin and passing through the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia seeking refuge in Europe has tripled in the past three months, UNICEF said today.

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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Selected Press Releases
Migrants, Refugees Continue to Stream into Greece, Italy
09/04/15
Greece – Over the past week, IOM Greece estimates that over 5,000 migrants and refugees a day have crossed the Aegean Sea into Greece.

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Confusion Surrounds Treatment of Migrants, Refugees in Hungary
09/04/15
Hungary – Scenes of chaos continue at train stations in Hungary as migrants and refugees try to leave the country and reach Germany via Austria.

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Over 2.1 Million Displaced in Nigeria: IOM
09/04/15
Nigeria – Over 2.1 million people or 300,000 households are now internally displaced in northern Nigeria, according to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

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IOM Evacuates Stranded Chadian Migrants from Cameroon
09/04/15
Cameroon – Two years since the conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) began, IOM is continuing to help Chadian migrants stranded in Cameroon to return home. The migrants were living in CAR and had to flee during the conflict.
Last weekend (29/8) IOM transported 121 Chadian migrants from Cameroon to Chad by road with funding from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

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IOM Ends Emergency Aid Operations in Northern Chile
09/04/15
Chile – IOM Chile is ending its emergency assistance to victims of floods that hit northern Chile in late March.
The emergency response, which was funded by a USD 338,220 grant from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), allowed IOM, with Caritas and Chilean Red Cross, to facilitate the return of displaced families in the municipalities of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Tierra Amarilla, Paipote and Copiapo.

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El Nino Affects a Million People in PNG Highlands
09/04/15
Papua New Guinea – A million people in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) are currently enduring severe drought and frost in what has been described as the worst El Niño weather system in living memory.

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Finalists for Migrant Smartphone Film Prize Announced
09/04/15
Republic of Korea – The finalists for the Migrant Heroes Prize in the 5th Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival (OISFF) have been announced. They address important migration issues in Nepal and Syria, according to IOM, official partner of OISFF this year.
Among 57 smartphone film submissions from 23 countries for the #MigrantHeroes Smartphone Film Competition – an IOM initiative to gather submissions for the Migration Heroes Prize – three films from Nepal, Jordan, and Syria were chosen as finalists after a vigorous selection process.

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Honduras Relaunches Migrant Call Centre
09/01/15
Honduras – IOM and Honduras’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs have relaunched the ALHO VOZ call centre, which this year is expected to help over 850,000 Honduran migrants.

UN Women [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Selected Press Releases
Global leadership meets to position UN Women on new global development agenda
Date : September 4, 2015
Strategically timed ahead of the high-level UN Summit later this month, when a new global development framework for the next 15 years will be adopted with a series of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Women leaders came together on 1–3 September 2015 in New York to discuss the positioning of UN Women within this context and calibrate the organization’s interventions for maximum impact.

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Blazing trails, first Roma women elected to local council in Moldova
Date : September 1, 2015
Overcoming barriers on account of both gender and ethnicity, two ethnic Roma women ran for local office for the first time – and won – after receiving campaign training supported by UN Women.

WHO & Regionals [to 5 September 2015]

Population movement is a challenge for refugees and migrants as well as for the receiving population
02-09-2015
Statement by Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe
The large influx of refugees and migrants to countries of the WHO European Region, which has escalated in the past few months, calls for an urgent response to their health needs. Actions are needed between and within countries as well as among sectors….

Refugees and migrants are not a homogeneous group, and we must ensure that our care systems respond to their diverse needs. This is particularly relevant for refugees and migrants who are exposed to violence, including gender-based violence, sexual violence and forced prostitution. It is also relevant for sexual reproductive health and rights, mother and child health, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, mental health, emergency care and protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.

A good response to the challenges of people on the move requires health system preparedness and capacity, including robust epidemiological data and migration intelligence, careful planning, training and, above all, adherence to the principles of equity and solidarity and to human rights and dignity.

High-quality care for refugee and migrant groups cannot be addressed by health systems alone. Social determinants of health cut across sectors such as education, employment, social security and housing. All these sectors have a considerable impact on the health of refugees and migrants.

Health issues related to population movement have been on the WHO agenda for many years, especially in the European Region. We must ensure that our health systems are adequately prepared to provide aid to refugees and migrants while at the same time protecting the health of the resident population. This requires cooperation among the countries of origin, transit and destination.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe is providing technical and on-site assistance to affected countries, with assessment of and support to their capacity to address the health needs of refugees and migrants. In addition, the Regional Office is providing policy advice on contingency planning, training of health personnel and delivery of emergency kits, each covering the needs of a population of 10 000 for 3 months.

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World Hepatitis Summit harnesses global momentum to eliminate viral hepatitis
WHO News release
2 September 2015 ¦ GLASGOW – Participants at the first-ever World Hepatitis Summit will urge countries to develop national programmes that can ultimately eliminate viral hepatitis as a problem of public health concern.

“We know how to prevent viral hepatitis, we have a safe and effective vaccine for hepatitis B, and we now have medicines that can cure people with hepatitis C and control hepatitis B infection,” said Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of the WHO’s Global Hepatitis Programme. “Yet access to diagnosis and treatment is still lacking or inaccessible in many parts of the world. This summit is a wake-up call to build momentum to prevent, diagnose, treat – and eventually eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health problem.”

Around 400 million people are currently living with viral hepatitis, and the disease claims an estimated 1.45 million lives each year, making it one of the world’s leading causes of death. Hepatitis B and C together cause approximately 80% of all liver cancer deaths, yet most people living with chronic viral hepatitis are unaware of their infection.

The summit, co-sponsored by WHO and the World Hepatitis Alliance, and hosted in Glasgow by the Scottish Government this week, is the first high-level global meeting to focus specifically on hepatitis, attracting delegates from more than 60 countries. The aim is to help countries enhance action to prevent viral hepatitis infection and ensure that people who are infected are diagnosed and offered treatment…

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Ebola transmission in Liberia over. Nation enters 90-day intensive surveillance period
3 September 2015
:: Message of Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, on the occasion of Women’s Health Day 2015
On 4 September 2015 we commemorate Women’s Health Day in the African Region under the theme: “Women’s Health in the Context of Humanitarian Emergencies”.
This year’s theme is especially pertinent in the African Region as it continues to be challenged by a multitude of humanitarian crises, notably: religious, political, and ethnic conflicts, natural disasters, and large-scale outbreaks and epidemics.
These crises frequently cause injuries, deaths, population displacements, destruction of health facilities and disruption of health care services. Statistics show that women are the most impacted or affected in the majority of these situations…

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO, OAS and ECLAC call on countries of the Americas to support convention to protect the rights of older adults (09/03/2015)
:: Countries of the Americas explore mechanisms to improve access to strategic and high-cost medicines (09/02/2015)
:: Ultra-processed foods are driving the obesity epidemic in Latin America, says new PAHO/WHO report (09/01/2015)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: Ministers from South-East Asia meet in Dili to set health priorities
01 September 2015

WHO European Region EURO
:: Population movement is a challenge for refugees and migrants as well as for the receiving population 02-09-2015
:: Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 confirmed in Ukraine 01-09-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO establishes mobile nutrition clinics in Aden, Lahj and Hadramout [Yemen]
Sana’a, 31 August 2015 — WHO and the Field Medical Foundation have set up mobile nutrition clinics to diagnose and treat children between 6 months and 5 years in Aden, Lahj and Hadramout. Ongoing conflict, disruption of health services and lack of safe water have worsened the general nutritional status of children and the population in Yemen. The clinics will operate for 5 months targeting around 23 000 children, in addition to providing services for mothers and pregnant women…

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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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.

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Youth project provides jobs to displaced people in Yemen
Sep 2, 2015
A community based project in Yemen provides jobs to displaced young people to help create awareness around water and sanitation.

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Satellite images show scale of destruction in Yemen
Sep 2, 2015
Satellite images released by UNDP and UNOSAT-UNITAR show the recent destruction of markets, buildings, roads and bridges, as well as private homes and businesses, as a result of the ongoing fighting in Yemen.

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Eight countries to sharpen long-term climate change adaptation strategies
Sep 1, 2015
FAO and UNDP join forces under German-funded initiative to raise profile of agriculture in climate change planning

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“UNDP deeply involved in visionary agenda for sustainable development” – UN Development Chief
Sep 1, 2015
The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will guide global development for a generation after they are formally adopted by Heads of States and Governments at the end of this month, the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark told the Organization’s governing body today at UN Headquarters.

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Faith leaders and senior UN officials to discuss working together to improve lives of millions of people worldwide
Sep 1, 2015

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Helen Clark: Statement to the Second Regular Session of the UNDP Executive Board
Sep 1, 2015United Nations – New York, USA

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Helen Clark: Speech to the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament
Aug 31, 2015United Nations – New York, USA

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

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Selected Press Releases
Government Subsidies for Agriculture May Exacerbate Deforestation, says new UN report
Outdated and incoherent fiscal incentives are often the key underlying drivers of forest loss worldwide.
Nairobi, 3 September 2015 – An estimated 80 per cent of global deforestation occurs as a direct result of agricultural practices. Government subsidies, estimated at $200 billion annually, are often the key underlying drivers of forest loss worldwide, with policy makers rarely recognizing their impact, says a new United Nations brief.

The report, entitled ‘Fiscal incentives for agricultural commodity production: Options to forge compatibility with REDD+’, explores ways of aligning government subsidies and other fiscal instruments with the objectives of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries).

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme said, “The negative impact of subsidies on forest cover is often caused by outdated and incoherent policies. Any government-led effort to bolster agricultural productivity should account for the broader implications of such schemes. This report demonstrates that policy that decouples economic growth from deforestation and land degradation is the clearest pathway toward an agricultural sector that realizes both sustainable land use and sustainable inclusive economic growth. I encourage policy makers to consider the case studies in this report as they work to orient agricultural policy toward green economy fundamentals.”
Download Full Report in English
Download Full Report in Spanish

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UNEP Announces European Winner of 24th International Children`s Painting Competition
Evdokia Bogacheva, aged 12 from Ukraine, wins first prize for the European Region.
01/09/2015

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Low-Cost Device Can Revolutionize Air Quality Monitoring and Help Countries Prevent Deaths from Outdoor Pollution
31/08/2015

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/

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Cameroon dedicates $20 million to support national agricultural development
Cameroon and FAO have agreed signed two new agreements: one creating a $20 million, five-year Partnership Programme aimed at promoting agricultural development in the Central African nation, the other establishing an expanded Partnership and Liaison office in the capital.
4-09-2015

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Myanmar floods deal major blow to country’s agriculture
Heavy storms, floods and landslides across nearly all provinces in Myanmar have dealt a major blow to the country’s agriculture and are expected to severely limit the availability of food if aid is not provided to farmers swiftly, FAO warned today.
3-09-2015

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FAO and MasterCard announce new partnership
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and MasterCard are joining forces to create an innovative new alliance against hunger. A new partnership agreement, signed by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Walt MacNee, Vice Chairman of MasterCard Worldwide, at FAO headquarters, paves the way for a collaborative effort that will develop inclusive payment systems to support small-scale farmers and poor families.
2-09-2015

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Eight countries to sharpen long-term climate change adaptation strategies
FAO and UNDP will work with ministries of agriculture in Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Uruguay, Viet Nam and Zambia to incorporate agricultural sectors into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in order to safeguard livelihoods, raise agricultural production and boost food security.
1-09-2015

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Sweden’s We Effect and FAO to support small-scale forest and farm producers
FAO and the Swedish-based development cooperation organization We Effect have agreed to work together to strengthen small-scale forest and farm producers’ organizations in developing countries so they can access land and markets and improve the livelihoods of their members.
31-08-2015

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In Somalia some 855,000 people face acute food insecurity
The number of acutely and severely malnourished children is likely to increase to 343,400 and 63,400, respectively, through the end of the year. The severely malnourished face a high risk of morbidity and death.
31-08-2015

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

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03.09.2015
ITU deploys emergency telecommunication equipment in Dominica
Relief coordination underway in aftermath of Tropical Storm Erika
Geneva, 3 September 2015 – ITU has deployed emergency telecommunication equipment in Dominica, which was hit by Tropical Storm Erika on 27 August. Heavy rains, severe flooding and landslides wreaked widespread damage across the island in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea.
The emergency telecommunication equipment includes satellite phones, Broadband Global Area Networks, solar chargers, laptops and accessories, which are being used to support relief and coordination efforts…

ECHO [to 5 September 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

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‘EUsaveLIVES/You save Lives’ at Expo Milan 2015
04/09/2015
Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management and Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, will open a series of events dedicated to raising awareness about refugees this weekend at Expo Milan….

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EU humanitarian relief to victims of Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica
02/09/2015
The European Commission is providing €300 000 in emergency humanitarian funding to assist people most affected by Tropical Storm Erika – one of the major storms of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.Dominica, a small island nation in the…

African Union [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.au.int/en/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Sep.03.2015 African Ministers on Communication and ICT pledge for a vibrant internet Ecosystem and innovative information technologies for sustainable development

Sep.01.2015 Report: Africa is projected to have just one low income country by 2050