UNESCO [to 11 July 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/news

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Culture: Key to a successful transition towards the sustainable development goals
10 July 2015

UNESCO makes case for investing in education at 3rd Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa
10 July 2015

UNESCO and UNITAR-UNOSAT team up to protect cultural heritage with geo-spatial technologies
10 July 2015

World Heritage Committee inscribes 24 new sites in Bonn and announces 2016 meeting in Istanbul
09 July 2015

New initiative launched to better understand future learning needs of Syrian refugee youth
07 July 2015

New updates available at the Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger
06 July 2015

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx

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ICAO Council Adopts Core Principles on Consumer Protection and New Long-Term Vision for Air Transport Liberalization
MONTRÉAL, 9 July 2015 – The governing Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established new global core principles on air transport consumer protection. The principles cover three phases of a customer’s experience: before, during and after travel, and will now be considered by ICAO’s 191 Member States when they develop or review their applicable national regimes…

IMO International Maritime Organization [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/Home.aspx

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New platform set to improve information sharing on migrant smuggling by sea
06/07/2015 IMO/IOM/UNODC
A new inter-agency platform for information sharing on migrant smuggling by sea has been launched today (6 July) by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in order to better understand unsafe mixed migration by sea.
It is anticipated that the platform will assist in improved monitoring of incidents associated with unsafe and irregular mixed migration by sea, on a global basis, with a view to better analysis of trends.

The IMO/IOM/UNODC platform will include a joint database on migrant incidents and on suspected smugglers and vessels. A revised reporting format for States, international organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations to submit information to the database was recently agreed at IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 95)…

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 11 July 2015]
https://www.wmo.int/media/?q=news

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WMO welcomes new generation of meteorological satellites
9 July 2015
The Himawari-8 geostationary meteorological satellite managed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began operation at 02 UTC on 7 July 2015, replacing the previous MTSAT-2 operational satellite. The true-color composite imagery at 02 UTC captured three typhoons in the Pacific.
Himawari-8 was launched using H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 25 on 7 October 2014 from the Tanegashima Space Center, and JMA subsequently conducted testing and checking of the satellite and related systems. During the commissioning phase, Himawari-8’s capacity for superior earth monitoring with multi-band, high-resolution and high-frequency observation was verified.

“OUR COMMON FUTURE UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE”
7 July 2015
A major scientific conference “Our Common Future under Climate Change” opened on 7 July in Paris at the height of an intense, extensive and long-lasting European heatwave, which is consistent with the expected impacts of global warming.
The four-day conference is the largest scientific forum ahead of the climate change negotiations due to take place in Paris in December 2015. It addresses key issues concerning climate change in the broader context of global change and focusses on moving from present knowledge to future solutions.

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.unido.org/en/news-centre/news.html

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UNIDO and European Investment Bank to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Africa, other regions
LUXEMBOURG, 9 July 2015 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) will jointly promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development, particularly in Africa,…

New publication focuses on structural change and industrial development in the BRICS
VIENNA, 7 July 2015 – A new publication by Oxford University Press provides a unique and timely analysis of the role of structural change in the economic development of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) with…

UNIDO and Iran’s Supreme Council for Science, Research and Technology to jointly work on industrial policies in support of investments in education, research and technology
VIENNA, 6 July 2015 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Supreme Council for Science, Research and Technology (SCSRT) of the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to work together on formulating…

Reinforcing the role of women in the Middle East and North Africa
MILAN, 6 July 2015 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in cooperation with the international committee No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) today presented a new project that aims to reinforce the role of…

Addis Forum to focus on multi-stakeholder partnerships to finance inclusive and sustainable industrialization
Monday, 06 July 2015
VIENNA/ADDIS ABABA, 6 July 2015 – Ways to mobilize and scale up financing for industrial infrastructure, as well as for industrial projects, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to international large-scale…

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 11 July 2015]
http://media.unwto.org/news

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CEHAT commits to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
8 July 2015
The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations, CEHAT, has signed the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, pledging to uphold, promote and implement its values in their policies and operations (Madrid, Spain, 7 July 2015).

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

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ITU Telecom World 2015 in Budapest to prioritize economic development and expanding global connectivity
Forum to focus on accelerating ICT innovation for social impact
Geneva, 6 July 2015 – A range of hot topics, including the Internet of Things (IoT); 5G mobile technologies; fostering ICT start-ups, entrepreneurs and innovation; developing cloud infrastructure; attracting investment; and tackling questions around the creation of the European digital market, will feature at ITU Telecom World 2015, taking place in Budapest, Hungary, 12-15 October 2015.

ITU Telecom World 2015, the global ICT innovation event, is an Exhibition for digital solutions, a Forum for sharing knowledge and a Networking hub for governments, industry and academia. Its aim is to help ideas go further, faster and to promote the innovative, transformative ICT-enabled solutions that will make the world better, sooner.

Through an interactive programme of debates, the Forum will tackle central issues affecting the ICT ecosystem today, opening with a top-level Leadership Summit on accelerating digital innovation for social impact.

Discussions comprise panel debates, workshops, high-level round tables and keynotes, grouped around three main tracks:
:: Expanding access to digital opportunity – overcoming the digital divide in access, content and data through innovative connectivity solutions, new regulatory approaches, monetizing big data, creating the infrastructure for cloud and attracting investment.
:: Building trust for a connected future – establishing trust between consumers, industry and government to realize the potential of the digital economy, from the technological possibilities of security applications to consumer trust in services and applications, international collaboration to protect against cyber threats and innovative trust and security hubs.
:: Accelerating digital transformation – from new developments in 5G mobile or international standards and regulation in the Internet of Things to exploring how to bridge the innovation divide, how emerging markets can work to foster digital entrepreneurship, and establishing regional single digital markets…

USAID [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

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USAID Announces $266 Million to Support Recovery Efforts in Ebola-Affected Countries
July 10, 2015
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator Alfonso Lenhardt announced the U.S. Government’s plans to provide an additional $266 million to help West African countries address critical gaps caused by the Ebola outbreak at the International Ebola Recovery Conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York City. The funds will help Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea to address secondary impacts of the crisis.

DFID [to 11 July 2015]
https://www.gov.uk/government/latest?departments%5B%5D=department-for-international-development

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Changing world, changing aid: Where international development needs to go next
Updated 10 July 2015 Speech DFID

Violence against women and girls: Evidence digest summer 2015
Published 6 July 2015 Guidance DFID
Part of a collection: Violence against women and girls guidance notes

African Union [to 11 July 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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Positioning Africa in the Financing for Development Conference
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 10 July 2015: African Union Commission welcomes the holding of the upcoming Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3), to take place from 13-16 July 2015, here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and is convinced that its Member States will actively participate and promote the interest of Africa as a whole in line with its development framework as articulated in “Africa’s Agenda 2063”. The FfD3 Conference is organised by the United Nations, and hosted by the Government of Ethiopia; the first time in Africa…

The African Development Bank Group [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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AfDB Board approves African Natural Resources Center Strategy for 2015-2020
10/07/2015 – On July 10, 2015, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank approved the six-year Strategy of the African Natural Resources Center (ANRC). The Strategy is intended to operationalize the Center by spelling out the Center’s strategic approach to assisting governments in their management of the opportunities and challenges of natural resources management (NRM).

AfDB along with other MDBs and IDFC have developed common principles for adaptation finance tracking
10/07/2015 – The world’s leading development finance institutions have taken an important step forward in tracking more consistently the flows of finance that help countries and people deal with the effects of climate change.

International Financial Institutions announce $400 billion to achieve Sustainable Development Goals
10/07/2015 – The multilateral development banks (MDBs) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday, July 10 signaled plans to extend more than $400 billion in financing over the next three years and vowed to work more closely with private and public sector partners to help mobilize the resources needed to meet the historic challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

European Union [to 11 July 2015]
http://europa.eu/newsroom/index_en.htm.
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives]

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Statement by the Spokesperson on Thailand’s deportation of persons of Turkic origin
External relations and foreign affairs | 10/07/2015 20:40 | European External Action Service (EEAS)

EU response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa
External relations and foreign affairs | 10/07/2015 12:00 | European Commission

EU pledges €450 million to Ebola affected countries
External relations and foreign affairs | 10/07/2015 12:00 | European Commission

EU regions and cities call for more resources to handle reception of migrants
Regions and local development | 09/07/2015 02:00 | Committee of the Regions
With more and more migrants arriving to the European Union via the Mediterranean, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) stressed the crucial role of regions and cities in the integration process and urged all Member States to make more resources available to them. In a resolution approved on Wednesday by four of its five political groups, the CoR also called for greater solidarity among Member States to ensure the fair relocation of migrants across the EU.

Press release – Parliament approves an extra €69.6 million to help cope with migrants
Economy, finance, tax and competition | 07/07/2015 13:38 | European Parliament

OECD [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Jobs outlook improving slowly but millions risk being trapped at bottom of economic ladder
The jobs recovery is slowly gathering pace, but employment will remain well below pre-crisis levels in many countries, especially in Europe, through to the end of 2016, according to a new OECD report.
9-July-2015

Relaunch productivity to boost growth and well-being
The slowdown in productivity over the past decade has added to concerns about the long-term economic outlook. But new OECD research shows that policy reforms can revive the diffusion of innovation and make better use of human talent to clear the path for higher and more inclusive productivity growth.
6-July-2015

More effort needed on government integrity to help restore public trust
Countries need to do more to identify and reduce conflicts of interest and other breaches of integrity to help win back trust in national governments, which surveys suggest remains below pre-crisis levels, according to a new OECD report.
6-July-2015

UNCTAD [to 11 July 2015]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/AllPressRelease.aspx

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10 Jul 2015 – Online consumers to be better protected by new united nations guidelines monitored by UNCTAD

09 Jul 2015 – Aligning national and regional policies on services trade in Africa would yield employment and growth benefits, UNCTAD report argues

09 Jul 2015 – Improved infrastructure services regulation is needed to tap the potential of Africa’s services sector, UNCTAD report says

IMF [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.imf.org/external/news/default.aspx
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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IMF Executive Board Adopts Decisions to Enhance the Financial Safety Net for Developing Countries
Press Release No. 15/324
July 8, 2015
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on July 1, 2015, adopted a set of proposals to enhance the access of developing countries to IMF financial support. These proposals, and the case for adopting them, are contained in the staff paper “Financing for Development: Enhancing the Financial Safety Net for Developing Countries.”

The staff paper makes proposals to strengthen the financial safety net for developing countries by increasing access to concessional Fund resources for all Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT)-eligible countries and to fast-disbursing support under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) for all members when faced with urgent balance of payments needs. Developing countries’ efforts to achieve sustained and inclusive growth remain vulnerable to global volatility in the form of external shocks, unpredictable sudden stops and reversals of capital inflows, and significant commodity price volatility. Enhanced access to Fund financing provides countries with greater flexibility to meet balance of payments needs as they pursue inclusive growth and poverty reduction.

The proposals aim to provide developing countries with greater access to Fund resources while better targeting access to concessional resources towards the poorest and most vulnerable countries. The proposals include: i) increasing access to Fund concessional resources for all countries eligible for the Fund’s PRGT; ii) rebalancing the mix of concessional to non-concessional financing towards more use of non-concessional resources for better-off PRGT-eligible countries that currently receive “blended” financial support from the Fund; iii) increasing access to fast-disbursing concessional and non-concessional resources for countries in fragile situations, hit by conflict, or natural disasters, and (iv) setting the interest rate on loans under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) at zero percent…

World Bank [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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International Financial Institutions Announce $400 Billion to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2015 The multilateral development banks (MDBs) and IMF today signaled plans to extend more than $400 billion in financing over the next three years and vowed to work more closely with private and public sector partners to help mobilize the resources needed to meet the historic challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The institutions the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Group (referred to as the MDBs), and the International Monetary Fund announced their plans in the lead-up to the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, July 13-16.The SDGs are ambitious and demand equal ambition in using the billions of dollars in current flows of official development assistance (ODA) and all available resources to attract, leverage and mobilize trillions in investments of all kinds…
Date: July 10, 2015
Type: Press Release

World Bank and the IMF Launch Joint Initiative to Support Developing Countries in Strengthening Tax Systems
Will bring developing countries interests into international dialogue
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2015 ? The World Bank and IMF are launching a new initiative to help developing countries strengthen their tax systems. Analysis suggests that many lower-income countries have the potential to increase their tax ratios by at least 24 percent of GDP, without compromising fairness or growth. Raising additional revenues will allow developing countries to fill financing gaps and to promote development. The announcement comes ahead of the Financing for Development conference in Addis, Ethiopia next week, at which heads of state, CSOs, multilateral institutions and private sector representatives will discuss how to scale up finances to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A strong revenue base is imperative if developing countries are to be able to finance the spending they need on public services, social support and infrastructure, said IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde. Date: July 10, 2015
Type: Press Release

Disproportionate deaths among health care workers from Ebola could lead to sharp rise in maternal mortality last seen 20 years ago – World Bank report
WASHINGTON DC, July 8, 2015—The loss of health workers due to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa may result in an additional 4,022 deaths of women each year across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as a result of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. According to the new World Bank report Healthcare Worker Mortality and the Legacy of the Ebola Epidemic published in The Lancet Global Health today, the recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa could leave a legacy significantly beyond the deaths and disability caused directly by the disease itself.“ The loss of health workers to Ebola could increase maternal deaths up to rates last seen in these countries 15-20 years ago,” says Markus Goldstein, Lead Economist at the World Bank Group and a co-author of the report who heads the World Bank’s Africa Gender Innovation Lab.The paper estimates how the loss of health workers to Ebola will likely affect non-Ebola mortality even after the countries are declared Ebola-free.
Date: July 8, 2015
Type: Press Release

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

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China assures IPU of increased support
7 JULY 2015
The Chinese Parliament has committed to providing increased support to IPU as a sign of its greater engagement with the Organization. During high-level meetings last week between IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong and parliamentary and government leaders in Beijing, including Speaker of the National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang and deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, a commitment was made to provide additional financial resources for IPU’s work beyond the Asian country’s statutory membership contributions to the Organization. The four-day visit, the first to China by Secretary General Chungong since he took up his post a year ago, is part of his efforts to forge stronger ties between IPU and its Members. The visit similarly generated Chinese support for IPU’s campaign for stronger recognition of the crucial role that parliaments and IPU will play in the implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to be adopted in September, and for the Organization’s various peace initiatives on Syria, the Middle East and the Koreas. Speaker Zhang also confirmed his intention to participate actively in the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament organized by IPU at UN headquarters in New York from 31st August to 2nd September. There were discussions too on the possibility of China once again hosting an IPU assembly, which it last did in 1996.

Amref Health Africa [to 11 July 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

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Amref Health Africa Team Meets Uganda’s First Lady
Published: 06 July 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
On Friday July 3,2015, Officials from Amref Health Africa in Uganda, met the First Lady Hon. Janet Museveni to further discuss efforts towards reducing maternal and child mortality in Uganda.

BRAC [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.brac.net/content/stay-informed-news#.VPstwC5nBhV

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We mourn
08 July 2015, Dhaka. BRAC deeply mourns at the sad demise of Syed Humayun Kabir, a founding member and former chairperson of BRAC governing body. He passed away yesterday, July 7, 2015 at 6:36 PM, at Apollo Hospital, Dhaka at the age of 83. He was suffering from pneumonia. He was BRAC’s governing body member since 1972. He was the chairman of Renata Limited and trustee of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). He founded Sajida Foundation, an organisation to serve the poor in peri-urban areas…

CARE International [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

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CARE Calls for Regional Investment Plan to Break Cycle of Humanitarian Crises in the Sahel
NIGER
6 JULY 2015
CARE is gravely concerned by the increasing risk of hunger and vulnerability of millions of people in in the Sahel region of West Africa. The ability of communities in Mali, Niger, Chad and other countries to cope with chronic food insecurity has been severely weakened by erratic weather patterns, epidemics and conflicts.

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CARE Disaster Response Preparedness Enables Quick Response to Bangladesh Floods
BANGLADESH
6 JULY 2015
On 23rd June heavy rains in south east Bangladesh caused severe flash floods across three districts. With over half a million people affected, CARE is already on the ground ready to assist over 5,000 of the people worst affected by the floods.