PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 1 August 2015]

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Investigation of a Measles Outbreak in China to Identify Gaps in Vaccination Coverage, Routes of Transmission, and Interventions
Xiang Zheng, Ningjing Zhang, Xiaoshu Zhang, Lixin Hao, Qiru Su, Haijun Wang, Kongyan Meng, Binglin Zhang, Jianfeng Liu, Huaqing Wang, Huiming Luo, Li Li, Hui Li, Chao Ma
Research Article | published 24 Jul 2015 | PLOS ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0133983

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Research Article
A Scoping Review of Empirical Research Relating to Quality and Effectiveness of Research Ethics Review
Stuart G. Nicholls, Tavis P. Hayes, Jamie C. Brehaut, Michael McDonald, Charles Weijer, Raphael Saginur, Dean Fergusson
Published: July 30, 2015
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133639
Abstract
Background
To date there is no established consensus of assessment criteria for evaluating research ethics review.
Methods
We conducted a scoping review of empirical research assessing ethics review processes in order to identify common elements assessed, research foci, and research gaps to aid in the development of assessment criteria. Electronic searches of Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, CMR, HTA, and NHSEED, were conducted. After de-duplication, 4234 titles and abstracts were reviewed. Altogether 4036 articles were excluded following screening of titles, abstracts and full text. A total of 198 articles included for final data extraction.
Results
Few studies originated from outside North America and Europe. No study reported using an underlying theory or framework of quality/effectiveness to guide study design or analyses. We did not identify any studies that had involved a controlled trial – randomised or otherwise – of ethics review procedures or processes. Studies varied substantially with respect to outcomes assessed, although tended to focus on structure and timeliness of ethics review.
Discussion
Our findings indicate a lack of consensus on appropriate assessment criteria, exemplified by the varied study outcomes identified, but also a fragmented body of research. To date research has been largely quantitative, with little attention given to stakeholder experiences, and is largely cross sectional. A lack of longitudinal research to date precludes analyses of change or assessment of quality improvement in ethics review.

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
(Accessed 1 August 2015)

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Systematic review of current efforts to quantify the impacts of climate change on undernutrition
Revati K. Phalkeya,b,1, Clara Aranda-Jana,c, Sabrina Marxd, Bernhard Höfled, and Rainer Sauerborna
Author Affiliations
Edited by Kristie L. Ebi, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, and accepted by the Editorial Board June 21, 2015 (received for review May 27, 2014)
Significance
The World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change propose undernutrition as the most significant impact of climate change on child health. The question then arises: Where does the empirical evidence to back this claim come from? Current evidence for the impacts of climate on childhood undernutrition draws on a limited number of heterogeneous studies with methodological limitations and is based predominantly on secondary data. Establishing and validating causal pathways among complex confounding factors remain the main challenge in quantifying the climate-attributable fraction of undernutrition. Systematically generating evidence from long-term, high-quality primary data on a range of factors (agricultural, environmental, socioeconomic, and health) at the household level is critical for designing adaptation strategies, particularly for subsistence farmers.

Abstract
Malnutrition is a challenge to the health and productivity of populations and is viewed as one of the five largest adverse health impacts of climate change. Nonetheless, systematic evidence quantifying these impacts is currently limited. Our aim was to assess the scientific evidence base for the impact of climate change on childhood undernutrition (particularly stunting) in subsistence farmers in low- and middle-income countries. A systematic review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed and gray full-text documents in English with no limits for year of publication or study design. Fifteen manuscripts were reviewed. Few studies use primary data to investigate the proportion of stunting that can be attributed to climate/weather variability. Although scattered and limited, current evidence suggests a significant but variable link between weather variables, e.g., rainfall, extreme weather events (floods/droughts), seasonality, and temperature, and childhood stunting at the household level (12 of 15 studies, 80%). In addition, we note that agricultural, socioeconomic, and demographic factors at the household and individual levels also play substantial roles in mediating the nutritional impacts. Comparable interdisciplinary studies based on primary data at a household level are urgently required to guide effective adaptation, particularly for rural subsistence farmers. Systemization of data collection at the global level is indispensable and urgent. We need to assimilate data from long-term, high-quality agricultural, environmental, socioeconomic, health, and demographic surveillance systems and develop robust statistical methods to establish and validate causal links, quantify impacts, and make reliable predictions that can guide evidence-based health interventions in the future.

Sustainability
Volume 7, Issue 7 (July 2015), Pages 8051-9752
http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/7

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Article: Effects of Large-Scale Acquisition on Food Insecurity in Sierra Leone
by Genesis Tambang Yengoh and Frederick Ato Armah
Sustainability 2015, 7(7), 9505-9539; doi:10.3390/su7079505
Published: 17 July 2015
Abstract:
The recent phenomenon of large-scale acquisition of land for a variety of investment purposes has raised deep concerns over the food security, livelihood and socio-economic development of communities in many regions of the developing world. This study set out to investigate the food security outcomes of land acquisitions in northern Sierra Leone. Using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the study measures the severity of food insecurity and hunger, compares the situation of food security before and after the onset of operations of a land investing company, analyzes the food security implications of producing own food versus depending on wage labour for household food needs, and evaluates initiatives put in place by the land investing company to mitigate its food insecurity footprint. Results show an increase in the severity of food insecurity and hunger. Household income from agricultural production has fallen. Employment by the land investing company is limited in terms of the number of people it employs relative to the population of communities in which it operates. Also, wages from employment by the company cannot meet the staple food needs of its employees. The programme that has been put in place by the company to mitigate its food insecurity footprint is failing because of a host of reasons that relate to organization and power relations. In conclusion, rural people are better off producing their own food than depending on the corporate structure of land investment companies. Governments should provide an enabling framework to accommodate this food security need, both in land investment operations that are ongoing and in those that are yet to operate.

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 1 August 2015

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor &
Founding Managing Director
GE2P2 – Center for Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

pdf version: The Sentinel_ week ending 1 August 2015

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries to be posted below on 2 August 2015

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 25 July 2015

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor &
Founding Managing Director
GE2P2 – Center for Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

pdf version: The Sentinel_ week ending 25 July 2015

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries to be posted below on 26-27 July 2015

Violence involving children in conflicts has taken a darker turn — UNICEF
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake on 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1612

NEW YORK, 24 July 2015 – “Millions of children around the world today are caught up in adults’ wars – deliberately killed, injured, raped, abducted. Their schools and homes are being destroyed; they are being denied food, water and health care. Tens of thousands are forced to join armed forces and groups.

“Ten years ago the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1612, to better protect children affected by conflict. Today, enormous efforts are being made to protect children in countries at war. Last year, more than 10,000 children were released from armed forces and groups worldwide, and received support returning to their communities.
“But violence involving children in conflicts has taken a darker turn.

“Reports from Iraq, Nigeria and Syria have shown us how children are being used by adults as perpetrators of extreme violence – children who have been forced to observe and participate in executions, encouraged to believe that violence is normal, their young and impressionable minds exposed to senseless brutality, in total disregard of the sanctity of childhood.

“Every child in a conflict who is killed or forced to kill, or who has witnessed the brutality of war, is a victim. An innocent who has borne the cost of conflict not of her or his making.
“We should be outraged that such suffering continues and that more is not being done to end these horrors and to hold those responsible to account.”

Statement of MacArthur President Julia Stasch on the Foundation’s Russia Office
MacArthur Foundation July 21, 2015

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It is with regret, but with confidence that it is the right decision, that we share the news that the MacArthur Foundation will close its branch office in Moscow.

The recent passage and implementation of several laws in Russia make it all but impossible for international foundations to operate effectively and support worthy civil society organizations in that country. These measures include a law requiring Russian non-governmental organizations to register as foreign agents if they receive foreign funding and engage in “political activities.” The most recent such measure is a law allowing authorities to declare the activities of international organizations “undesirable” if they present “a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state.”

These laws, public statements by Russian legislators, and the vote by the Federation Council to include MacArthur on a “patriotic stop-list” of organizations recommended for designation as “undesirable” make it clear that the Russian government regards MacArthur’s continued presence as unwelcome.

Contrary to the premise underlying the Federation Council’s vote, our activities in Russia, at all times, have been to further charitable purposes and benefit Russian citizens and society. We are entirely independent of the United States government and receive no funding from it. We have never supported political activities or other actions that could reasonably be construed as meeting the definition of “undesirable.”

There may be risk for the Russian civil society organizations that seek and receive our funding and to the dedicated Russian citizens that work for us in Moscow. In the process of closing our office, we will take all reasonable steps in accordance with law to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and to work with our grantees to minimize disruption and harm to them.

Since we established our office in 1992, we have awarded more than $173 million in grants to further higher education in Russia, advance human rights, and limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We are proud of our engagement in Russia and have deep respect for the many individuals and organizations we have supported.

The MacArthur Foundation is committed to helping to make truly substantial progress on some of the world’s most profound problems. We are saddened that it is not possible to do so in Russia at this time.

A U.S. Humanitarian, Development and Peacebuilding Statement on the U.S. Global Countering Violent Extremism Agenda
July 20, 2015 :: 4 pages
20July2015_NR_CVECivilSocietyResponse.pdf
Mercy Corps and 40 colleague agencies express concern that the Obama administration’s new nine-point Action Agenda to counter violent extremism will repeat the same mistakes as post-9/11 stabilization initiatives, mainly prioritizing military funding over investments in solutions addressing the root causes of instability. The coalition urges the administration to modify the strategy ahead of September’s global summit on countering violent extremism.

Action for Community Development
Alliance for Peacebuilding
Association Femmes Sans Limites (Women Without Limits)
American Friends Service Committee
CARE USA
The Carter Center
CDA Collaborative Learning Projects
Charity & Security Network
Church of the Brethren, Office of Public Witness
Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM)
Cure Violence
Facilitating Peace
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Humanity United
International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
International Rescue Committee
Islamic Relief USA
Jewish World Watch
KinderUSA
Life for Relief and Development
Mercy Corps
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Nonviolence International
Nonviolent Peaceforce
Oxfam America
Partners for Democratic Change
Pax Christi International
Peace Alliance
Peace Direct
Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED)
Relief International
Saferworld
Salam Institute for Peace and Justice
Save the Children USA
Search for Common Ground
The Shift Network
Student Peace Alliance
Syria Relief and Development
United to End Genocide
World Vision

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Press Release
Invest in Non-Military Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism
July 20, 2015
Civil society coalition urges governments to prioritize prevention, peacebuilding and political solutions
Washington, DC — A coalition of U.S. civil society organizations, led by the global humanitarian organization Mercy Corps, is calling on the Obama administration to address the drivers of community grievances before violent extremism takes root, rather than relying primarily on militarized counter-terrorism responses.

“Billions spent on security operations are coupled with relatively minor investments in development, governance or humanitarian activities,” reads the coalition statement. “We urge that any strategy to address today’s complex threats focus on supporting communities and states to build safe, just, and resilient societies and addressing the core grievances fueling global radicalization.”

Mercy Corps and 40 colleague agencies express concern that the Obama administration’s new nine-point Action Agenda to counter violent extremism will repeat the same mistakes as post-9/11 stabilization initiatives, mainly prioritizing military funding over investments in solutions addressing the root causes of instability.

The coalition urges the administration to modify the strategy ahead of September’s global summit on countering violent extremism by:
:: Increasing investments in underfunded civilian-led prevention and peacebuilding programs.
:: Ensuring that security operations run by the Departments of Defense or State do not work at cross-purposes with development and peacebuilding efforts.
:: Reforming counterterrorism laws and regulations that prevent U.S. humanitarian organizations from working with communities affected by violent extremism.

“To have any hope of long-term success, a strategy to counter violent extremism must target the drivers of grievances, not just the symptoms,” says Andrea Koppel, vice president of Global Engagement and Policy at Mercy Corps. “Prevention and peacebuilding activities are chronically underfunded by the U.S. and other major government donors.”

A recent Mercy Corps study of key contributors to youth engagement in conflict found that experiences of injustice and abuse, not just unemployment or poverty, propel young people to take up arms. Mercy Corps believes that any initiatives to prevent violent extremism must address the root causes compelling young people to join.

Refugee Innovation: Humanitarian Innovation that Starts with Communities
Refugee Studies Centre (RSC); University of Oxford.
17 July 2015 :: 52 pages
Alexander Betts, Director Refugee Studies Centre and Humanitarian Innovation Project;
Louise Bloom, Research Officer, Humanitarian Innovation Project; Nina Weaver, Research Coordinator, Humanitarian Innovation Project
pdf: http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/refugee-innovation-humanitarian-innovation-that-starts-with-communities/refugee-innovation-web-5-3mb-1.pdf

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About the report
Even under the most challenging constraints, people find ways to engage in creative problem-solving. Refugees, displaced persons, and others caught in crisis often have skills, talents, and aspirations that they draw upon to adapt to difficult circumstances.

On July 17th, we launched the report “Refugee Innovation: Humanitarian Innovation that Starts with Communities” which focuses on examples and case studies of ‘bottom-up innovation’ among different refugee populations. This report takes you on a journey – from Jordan to South Africa to Uganda to Kenya to the United States. We look at a range of refugee situations, drawing upon examples from different stages of the ‘refugee cycle’: recent mass influx, protracted situations, and resettled refugee populations.

Understanding the processes of refugee innovation and the constraints and opportunities experienced in ‘bottom-up’ problem-solving also has far-reaching implications for humanitarian practice.

Conference: Religion and sustainable development
July 24, 2015
Islamic Relief http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/
Islamic Relief co-sponsored a highly significant conference, which brought together 130 attendees to discuss Religion and Sustainable Development earlier this month.

The ‘Religion & Sustainable Development: Building Partnerships to End Extreme Poverty’ conference was convened and co-hosted by the World Bank Group, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (implemented by GIZ), U.S. Agency for International Development, UK Department For International Development, GHR Foundation, World Vision and the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities, a coalition of faith-based organisations and academic institutions.

Co-sponsors included the Catholic Medical Mission Board, Catholic Relief Services, Islamic Relief USA, Tearfund, American Jewish World Service, IMA World Health and McKinsey & Company.

From July 7-9, the conference attracted a unique combination of policy makers, multilateral and bilateral agencies, religious leaders, development professionals from faith-based organisations and academics.

The goals of the conference were to connect frontline policy makers to the evidence base and expertise to support more effective partnerships with religious and faith-based groups in the common cause of ending extreme poverty and promoting sustainable development.

The conference process focused on reviewing the evidence base and developing specific recommendations for action to strengthen effective partnerships between religious and faith-based groups and the public sector. It sought to obtain leadership commitments to follow-on activities and to establish specific next steps.

In his opening remarks, World Bank President Dr. Jim Kim cited the Catholic social teaching for “a preferential option for the poor.” He said that every religion shared this fundamental commitment to the poorest and most vulnerable and that this provided a common platform with the international development community aim to end extreme poverty.

“We are the first generation in history that can say we can end extreme poverty in our lifetime,” Dr. Kim said. “We can’t get there without all of you,” he added, addressing the faith communities. “We need prophetic voices to inspire us and evidence to lead the way.”
The conference was set up to resource an open and vigorous discussion about the potential and challenges of faith partnerships with the public sector. It started with the launch of The Lancet medical journal’s series on ‘Faith-based Health Care.’

The issues of religion and sustainable development were debated from the perspectives of public sector leadership and religious and faith-based communities. Sessions also drilled down into the evidence base and key learning in relation to health systems strengthening, Ebola and HIV, sexual- and gender-based violence, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The issues of religion and politics were also debated along with approaches to scaling up faith partnerships for development outcomes.

The participants considered these topics through the lens of the conference’s overarching themes: how to frame and communicate the case; how to build on a common foundation; how to overcome complexity in the plurality of faith actors, potentially through the role of intermediary entities; and how to strengthen the evidence…

WTO members reach landmark $1.3 trillion IT trade deal
24 July 2015
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT – World Trade Organization
WTO members representing major exporters of information technology products agreed today (24 July) to eliminate tariffs on more than 200 such products.

In a meeting this afternoon at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, a tentative accord reached by 54 WTO members on 18 July was confirmed as the basis for implementation work to begin. Ministers from the participating members will now work to conclude their implementation plans in time for the WTO’s 10th Ministerial Conference which will be held in Nairobi this December.

“Today’s agreement is a landmark,” said WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. “Annual trade in these 201 products is valued at over $1.3 trillion per year, and accounts for approximately 7% of total global trade today. This is larger than global trade in automotive products — or trade in textiles, clothing, iron and steel combined.

“Eliminating tariffs on trade of this magnitude will have a huge impact. It will support lower prices — including in many other sectors that use IT products as inputs — it will create jobs and it will help to boost GDP growth around the world.

“This is the first major tariff-cutting deal at the WTO in 18 years. Coming so soon on the heels of the historic Bali Package which members agreed in 2013, it shows that the multilateral trading system can deliver. The WTO has now negotiated two deals in the space of two years which deliver real, economically significant results. I hope that this success will inspire members in other areas of our negotiations.”

The Director-General added that no other negotiating forum could include so many countries. He pointed out, as well, that all 161 WTO members will benefit from this WTO agreement, as they will all enjoy duty-free market access in the markets of those members who are eliminating tariffs on these products. The terms of the agreement will be formally circulated to the full membership at a meeting of the WTO General Council on 28 July…

EBOLA/EVD [to 25 July 2015]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC); “Threat to international peace and security” (UN Security Council)

Ebola Situation Report – 22 July 2015
[Excerpts]
SUMMARY
:: There were 26 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the week to 19 July: 22 in Guinea and 4 in Sierra Leone. Liberia reported no new cases. For the second consecutive week more than half of all cases were reported from the capitals of Guinea and Sierra Leone, Conakry and Freetown. By contrast, other recent hotspots of transmission such as Boke in Guinea and Kambia in Sierra Leone have now reported no cases for 18 and 9 days, respectively. There are also indications of a continuation of the improvements in contact tracing and case investigation seen in recent weeks, with all but 2 cases arising among registered contacts of previous cases, including all 13 of the cases reported from the Guinean capital Conakry. This is the highest proportion of cases to arise among contacts since the beginning of the outbreak. However, one of the 2 cases reported from Freetown arose from an unknown source of infection, and is considered to represent a high risk of further transmission. In addition, 2 cases, both from Guinea, were identified as EVD-positive only after post-mortem testing of community deaths….

COUNTRIES WITH WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE TRANSMISSION
:: There have been a total of 27 705 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of EVD in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone (figure 1, table 1) up to 19 July, with 11 269 reported deaths (this total includes reported deaths among probable and suspected cases, although outcomes for many cases are unknown). A total of 22 new confirmed cases were reported in Guinea and 4 in Sierra Leone in the week to 19 July…

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Malaria

European Medicines Agency [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/

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First malaria vaccine receives positive scientific opinion from EMA
Mosquirix to be used for vaccination of young children, together with established antimalarial interventions
The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive scientific opinion for Mosquirix (Plasmodium falciparum and hepatitis B vaccine), for use outside the European Union (EU).

The malaria vaccine Mosquirix, also known as RTS,S/AS01, was submitted to EMA under a regulatory procedure (Article 58) that allows EMA to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of a medicine or vaccine and its benefit-risk balance, although it will not be marketed in the EU. This means that EMA can help facilitate access to new medicines for people living outside the EU.

Mosquirix is intended for use in areas where malaria is regularly found, for the active immunisation of children aged 6 weeks to 17 months against malaria caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, and against hepatitis B. After decades of research into malaria vaccinations, Mosquirix is the first vaccine for the disease to be assessed by a regulatory agency.

The CHMP highlighted in its opinion that Mosquirix is for use in line with official recommendations that take into account the risk of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in different geographical areas and available malaria control interventions. These recommendations will be defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and regulatory authorities in the non-EU countries where the vaccine would be used.

As in all Article 58 procedures, the CHMP worked closely with other experts, including from WHO and regulatory authorities from the relevant countries. In its assessment, the CHMP applied the same rigorous standards as for medicines to be marketed within the EU…

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

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Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage
24 July 2015
ECOSOC/6720
Opening 2016 Session, Economic and Social Council Adopts Agenda Prioritizing Theme of ‘Moving from Commitments to Results’
Opening the first meeting of its 2016 session today, the Economic and Social Council elected, by acclamation, Oh Joon (Republic of Korea) as its new President and adopted the provisional agenda and working arrangements for its upcoming session.

23 July 2015
SC/11980
‘A Thousand Cuts’ Destroying Two-State Solution, Top United Nations Middle East Envoy Tells Security Council during Quarterly Debate
Calling for decisive action to reverse the growing perception that the two-State solution was dying a death “by a thousand cuts”, the top United Nations Middle East envoy today urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to engage in a broad political framework with the goal of achieving a final status agreement, during the Security Council’s quarterly open debate on the subject.

21 July 2015
ECOSOC/6717
Adopting 8 Resolutions, 9 Decisions, Economic and Social Council, Continuing Coordination, Management Session, Considers Range of Humanitarian Concerns
The Economic and Social Council continued its coordination and management session today, dealing with a diverse line-up of coordination issues — from support to African countries emerging from conflict, to crime prevention and criminal justice, to broad questions of economic, social and cultural rights, including those for prisoners — and adopting 8 resolutions and 9 decisions, including one text that extended the mandate of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti until the conclusion of the 2016 session, in order to promote the Caribbean island’s socioeconomic recovery, reconstruction and stability.

23 July 2015
Note No. 6450
United Nations Awards First-Ever Mandela Prize, Marking Commemorative Day
The United Nations General Assembly will mark Nelson Mandela International Day (18 July) with an informal meeting at Headquarters, including the award of the first-ever UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, on 24 July, recognizing the South African leader’s contributions to democracy, justice and reconciliation and his dedication to the service of humanity.
The two laureates, Dr. Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Fernando Branco Sampaio of Portugal, were officially announced on 22 June by the President of the General Assembly and will be attending the General Assembly meeting on 24 July to receive the Prize. Speakers at the meeting will include the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, Ruhakana Rugunda; General Assembly President Sam Kahamba Kutesa; the United Nations Secretary-General’s Chef de Cabinet, Susana Malcorra; the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, Kingsley Mamabolo; and the Reverend Jesse Jackson…

21 July 2015
SG/SM/16958-HR/5263-OBV/1496
Secretary-General, in Message for World Day against Trafficking, Calls on Countries to Fight ‘People for Profit’ Crime

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true

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UN rights experts hail Zambia’s move away from death penalty, but warn of “areas of concern” in Africa
Press Releases 7/22/2015

Opening of Hissène Habré trial a milestone for justice in Africa – Zeid
GENEVA (20 July 2015) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Monday welcomed the opening of the trial of Hissène Habré, the former President of Chad, before a special court in Senegal, calling it “a milestone for justice in Africa.”…

UN OCHA [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases

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25 Jul 2015
South Sudan: UN Humanitarian Chief calls for end to fighting in South Sudan
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: South Sudan (Juba, 25 July 2015) – The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, concluded a four-day visit to South Sudan today, calling on all parties to lay down their arms and commit to sustainable peace to halt the rapidly spiralling humanitarian crisis…

24 Jul 2015
Nepal: Three months on many humanitarian needs and challenges remain in Nepal
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Nepal (Kathmandu/Bangkok, 24 July 2015) Three months after the first of the devastating earthquakes hit Nepal, hundreds of thousands of survivors continue to require and rely on urgent humanitarian assistance. Shelter, food and livelihoods support, water and sanitation, medical and psychosocial care, and protection remain top priorities. The cold and damp monsoon weather exposes those affected to further hazards…

23 Jul 2015
occupied Palestinian territory: Humanitarian Coordinator calls on Israel to halt demolition plans in Susiya

22 Jul 2015
Central African Republic: Central African Republic: Humanitarian Coordinator strongly condemns attack against a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Baboua

20 Jul 2015
Somalia: Somalia Humanitarian Key Messages July 2015

UNICEF [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html

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Selected press release and news notes
Three months on from first Nepal quake, children still at risk
KATHMANDU, Nepal, 25 July 2015 – Three months after Nepal’s April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks, children continue to face multiple risks as their families have been pushed deeper into poverty and they remain in need of aid.

Violence involving children in conflicts has taken a darker turn — UNICEF
NEW YORK, 24 July 2015 – “Millions of children around the world today are caught up in adults’ wars – deliberately killed, injured, raped, abducted. Their schools and homes are being destroyed; they are being denied food, water and health care. Tens of thousands are forced to join armed forces and groups.

Amid conflict in Yemen, UNICEF helps get children back to learning
SANA’A Yemen/GENEVA, July 24, 2015- The ongoing conflict in Yemen is having a devastating impact on the country’s education system – and on the chances of millions of children to access learning.

Water cuts in Aleppo threaten children amid intense heat wave
DAMASCUS, Syria, 22 July 2015 – The restoration of water supplies to the war-torn city of Aleppo has come as a welcome relief to residents whose taps have run dry in recent weeks due to the fighting and frequent power cuts. The disruption to piped water supplies – which in some cases was deliberately implemented by parties to the conflict – increased the risk of water-borne disease especially among children.

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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Selected Press Releases
Displaced Nepal Quake Survivors Move to Larger Sites, But Aid Gaps, Insecurity Persist
07/24/15
Nepal – A new IOM report shows that internally displaced people (IDPs) are consolidating in fewer, larger sites, but important service and security gaps remain.

Aden Displacement Escalates as Yemen Conflict Intensifies
07/24/15
Yemen – As the conflict in the Yemeni seaport of Aden escalates, the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) has increased rapidly during the last three days.

EU, Norway, Germany Back IOM Cash Aid to 16,000 Displaced in Ukraine
07/24/15
Ukraine – IOM is expanding its donor-funded cash assistance programmes in the country to help some of the most vulnerable IDPs.

Iraq Displacement Passes 3.1 Million
07/21/15
Iraq – The latest IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) has identified more than 3.1 million Iraqis displaced by conflict since the beginning of 2014.

IOM Evacuates Ethiopian Trafficking Victims from Yemen
07/21/15
Ethiopia – IOM has helped 3,478 vulnerable Ethiopian migrants stranded by the conflict in Yemen, including 229 medical cases, to return home.

IOM, Partners Assess Efforts to Combat New Ebola Cases in Sierra Leone
07/21/15
Sierra Leone – Ebola cases have been falling sharply since the start of the year, but the decline has now stalled in Sierra Leone.

Southern Africa Addresses Protection of Unaccompanied Child Migrants
07/21/15
Zimbabwe – IOM, in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, UNHCR and UNODC, met in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe earlier this month for a ministerial Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA) meeting on mixed and irregular migration, with a special focus on the protection of unaccompanied migrant children.

IOM Colombia, Partners Discuss Risks Faced by Child Migrants
07/21/15
Colombia – National and international experts from the Colombian government, international organizations, academia and civil society have met in Bogota to discuss the risks faced by child migrants.

Papua New Guinea, IOM Sign Climate Change and Migration Pact
07/21/15
Papua New Guinea – The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly evident in the Pacific Region and especially in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Migration caused by changes in the environment is prevalent, but often overlooked. Climate driven migration and resettlement are also emerging as catalysts of tension and conflict with host communities.

IOM Supports CAR Peace Campaign In Bangui
07/21/15
Central African Republic – Since 15 July IOM has been supporting local artists in the Central African Republic (CAR) to kick off a campaign called “Peace Comes from You”. The campaign was rolled out in the conflict-affected 5th District of the capital Bangui and is part of IOM’s European Union-funded Community Stabilization Programme’s social cohesion activities.

UN Women [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Selected Press Releases
Financing for development outcome bolsters gender equality
Date : July 24, 2015
At the first of three international meetings which will shape international development, world leaders acknowledged the key role of gender equality in development at the recent Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa. At the conference, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda endorsed a global framework that will shape the development cooperation agenda for the next 15 years and provide financing for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including the standalone, comprehensive and transformative goal on achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.

UN Women Executive Director: As we move forward, we will seek opportunities to win traction for, and achieve, the deep changes in the global financial architecture
Date : July 23, 2015
Statement by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, on the financing for development outcome document following the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 13-16 July 2015.

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 25 July 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive

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Selected Press Releases
Paris call to conscience on climate
23 Jul 2015
UNISDR’s Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia, Senator Loren Legarda, declared the willingness of the Philippines to lead the fight to combat climate change during this week’s Summit of the Consciences for the Climate in Paris, France.

Africa aims for substantial reductions in disaster losses
23 Jul 2015
Representatives of 37 African governments today agreed to work together to achieve substantial reductions in disaster losses over the next 15 years, including reductions in mortality, the numbers of people affected and the economic damage caused by natural and human-induced hazards.

Tackling poverty and drought in Uganda
22 Jul 2015
A five-year initiative to tackle endemic poverty in Uganda’s northern region of Karamoja is expected to boost resilience to natural hazards, especially the recurrent droughts which can decimate livelihoods.