UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true
Selected Press Releases – “TOP NEWS”
UN rights experts urge Maldives to halt execution and maintain 60 year-old unofficial moratorium

“Who is it for?” – UN experts call for a New Urban Agenda based on human rights for every one

“Promotion of linguistic rights and strengthening unity are key for Moldova” – UN rights expert

LuxLeaks trial: UN human rights expert deplores conviction of tax whistleblowers

Arbitrary Detention: UN expert group releases 22 Opinions from 17 countries

UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issues findings on France, Sweden, Honduras, Burkina Faso, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Angola and the UK

“Homelessness, a human catastrophe” – UN Expert hails media push to spark debate in San Francisco

EU / Trade agreements: UN rights expert warns against bypassing national parliaments

Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Health/Pages/SRRightHealthIndex.aspx

.
29 June 2016
UN Experts Statement on Habitat III: New Urban Agenda Must be Based in Human Rights
As independent human rights experts1 appointed by the Human Rights Council, we call for a New Urban Agenda that embraces the transformative potential of human rights as a necessary framework for inclusive, vibrant and sustainable cities. At a time of unprecedented migration and urbanization, human rights are increasingly under threat and their protection is a central challenge of our time.

As the negotiations on the revised zero draft move forward in New York, this week (27 June-1 July) we appeal to Member States to ensure that human rights are placed at the centre of the agenda. This means including firm commitments to the realization of human rights in cities, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will require the full participation of civil society and marginalized groups, including women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities, the establishment of transparent mechanisms for monitoring, as well as the assurance of ensuring access to justice for all human rights…

UN OCHA [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases
Selected Press Releases

.
01 Jul 2016
Syrian Arab Republic: United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien Statement on the appointment of Yacoub El Hillo [EN/AR]

.

30 Jun 2016
Nigeria: UN and partners step up assistance in north-east Nigeria, urge for more action
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Nigeria
(ABUJA, 01 July 2016): United Nations agencies and partners in north-eastern Nigeria are reporting high levels of severe malnutrition and desperate conditions in areas that have recently opened up to humanitarian assistance. “Improving security has enabled humanitarians to access areas that were previously cut off. The conditions we are seeing there are devastating,” says acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator for…

.

29 Jun 2016
Chad: The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocates US$ 10 million for humanitarian assistance in Chad while the crisis remains greatly underfunded in a context of rising food insecurity
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Chad
(N’Djamena, 29 June, 2016): The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has approved, under the rapid response window, the allocation of US$ 10 million for the humanitarian response in Chad, to meet the most pressing needs of those affected by the crisis in the Lac region, and food insecurity and malnutrition in the Sahel belt. More than 110 000 people displaced in the Lac region due to the…

.

28 Jun 2016
World: Green Cross and United Nations call for nominations to 2017 environment and emergency awards
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Green Cross International Country: World Geneva – 28 June 2016: Nominations for the 2017 Green Star Awards, celebrating outstanding efforts to address the environmental and humanitarian impacts of disasters and conflicts, were called for today by the United Nations and the non-governmental organisation Green Cross International. The biennial Green Star Awards, first presented in 2009, are a collaborative initiative between the UN…

UNICEF [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_89711.html
Selected Press Releases

.
Iraq Crisis: 3.6 million children now at risk from increasing violence
BAGHDAD/AMMAN, 30 June 2016 – 3.6 million children in Iraq – one in five in the country – are at serious risk of death, injury, sexual violence, abduction and recruitment into armed groups, according to a new UNICEF report.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

.

Unprecedented level of food insecurity in South Sudan, UN agencies warn
JUBA, 29 June 2016 – Up to 4.8 million people in South Sudan – well over one-third of the population – will be facing severe food shortages over the coming months, and the risk of a hunger catastrophe continues to threaten parts of the country, three UN agencies warned today.

.

Poverty, illiteracy and early deaths await world’s most disadvantaged children: UNICEF
NEW YORK, 28 June 2016 – Based on current trends, 69 million children under five will die from mostly preventable causes, 167 million children will live in poverty, and 750 million women will have been married as children by 2030, the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals – unless the world focuses more on the plight of its most disadvantaged children, according to a UNICEF report released today.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

.

UNICEF Statement on the Killings of Children in Deir-ez-Zor, eastern Syria
AMMAN, 26 June 2016 – According to UNICEF’s local partners in Syria, 25 children were reportedly killed yesterday in air-strikes on al-Quriyah town, in the eastern countryside of Deir-ez-Zor.

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40
Selected Press Releases

.
30 June 2016
High-Level Roundtable 6-7 July 2016: “Call to Action: Protection Needs in the Northern Triangle of Central America”
On 6 and 7 July 2016, the Organization of American States and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, will convene in San José, Costa Rica, a high-level roundtable meeting on refugees and displaced people from the Northern Triangle of Central America and the urgent need to find solutions to this growing protection situation.

The two-day event in San José, the first international meeting of its kind focused on current forced displacement in Central America, will bring together government representatives from the United States to Panama, UN organizations and key actors from both the humanitarian and development sectors at the national and regional level, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and leading NGOs.

Hosted by the Government of Costa Rica with support from the Central America Integration System, the San José meeting comes two weeks after the UN Refugee Agency released its annual Global Trends report showing another big rise in forced displacement in the Americas last year.

The number of refugees and asylum-seekers from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras alone reached 109,800 in 2015 – a more than five-fold increase over three years – with most of them seeking safety in Mexico and the United States. Populations in those three countries, known collectively as the Northern Triangle of Central America, have been hard hit by widespread, life-threatening violence perpetrated by organized and well-armed transnational criminal groups…

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

.
07/01/16
IOM Member States Endorse Move to Join United Nations
Switzerland – Member States of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) decided that IOM should join the United Nations system as a related organization.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

.

Assisted Voluntary Returns Peaked at 70,000 in 2015: IOM
07/01/16
Switzerland – IOM assisted 69,540 migrants from 97 host and/or transit countries and 156 countries of origin in 2015.

.

Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals in 2016: 225,095; Deaths: 2,889
07/01/16
Italy – IOM reports an estimated 225,095 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 30 June, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

.

Yellow Fever Outbreak Confirmed in DR Congo: IOM Trains Border Health Officers
06/28/16
Democratic Republic of Congo – IOM has trained a first group of border health officials to combat an outbreak of yellow

WHO & Regional Offices [to 2 July 2016]

WHO announces head of new Health Emergencies Programme
WHO statement
28 June 2016
WHO has announced the appointment of Dr Peter Salama as the Executive Director of its new Health Emergencies Programme, at the level of Deputy Director-General. He takes up his new post on 27 July 2016.

Dr Salama is from Australia and is currently UNICEF Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa and Global Emergency Coordinator for the Crises in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. He has previously served with UNICEF as Country Representative in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, as Global Coordinator for Ebola, and as Chief of Global Health.

Prior to joining UNICEF in 2002, he worked with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), Concern Worldwide and MSF. Dr Salama is a medical epidemiologist who brings a wealth of experience in management of humanitarian crises and disease outbreaks. He has worked in public health for more than 20 years and published widely in the fields of maternal and child survival, refugee and forced migration and complex emergencies.
WHO’s new Health Emergencies Programme is designed to deliver rapid, predictable and comprehensive support to countries and communities as they prepare for, face or recover from emergencies caused by any type of hazard to human health, whether disease outbreaks, natural or man-made disasters or conflicts.

The development of the new Programme is the result of a reform effort, based on recommendations from a range of independent and expert external reports, involving all levels of WHO – country offices, regional offices and headquarters.

The new Programme unifies WHO’s standards and processes to strengthen the Organization’s response to health emergencies across the full risk management cycle of prevention, preparedness, response and early recovery.

.

New checklist to make health estimates more transparent, accurate and reliable
June 2016
…The Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting, or GATHER, is a checklist of 18 best practices that sets the standard for disclosing how health estimates are developed. The GATHER checklist was developed by WHO and researchers from around the world including the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle, and was published today in the Lancet and PLOS Medicine.

“When the health and well-being of millions of people is at stake you need to be sure you have the best possible information to make the best possible decisions,” said Dr Ties Boerma, Director of WHO’s Department of Information, Evidence and Research. “GATHER is a crucial step towards making sure health estimates can stand up to scrutiny.”

GATHER includes requirements for disclosing which data are used to calculate estimates, and for making them available to others. It also includes a requirement to disclose how the computer code used to crunch the numbers can be accessed, making it possible for others to reproduce estimates, making them more robust.

Both WHO and IHME have agreed to comply with GATHER when they publish new global health estimates. Journals including the Lancet, PLOS Medicine, the International Journal of Epidemiology and the Bulletin of the World Health Organization plan to ask authors to comply with GATHER, and it is expected that other journals to follow suit. Several estimates compiled by WHO already follow GATHER principles, including child mortality, childhood causes of death and maternal mortality.

Better transparency improves credibility
GATHER will also help researchers to be more efficient and make better use of research funds; greater transparency will enable researchers to build on the work done by others, instead of wasting months or even years of work trying to reproduce it.

“Transparency gets to the essence of credibility in health science,” said Dr Christopher Murray, Director of IHME. “If researchers are not willing to be completely open about their sources of information and methods used for analysis, the credibility of their findings may be questioned. Those who adhere to the guidelines will raise the bar in terms of research excellence. And all of us will benefit from that higher bar.”

The production of global health estimates has increased tremendously in the past years, driven mainly by an increasing global demand for data on key indicators, such as those used to measure progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Sustainable Development Goals, which are far broader in scope than the MDGs, will only increase the demand for more, better data. Through initiatives such as the Health Data Collaborative, WHO is working with countries and partners to meet that demand.

.

Global food safety standards body issues new guidance
28 June 2016 – The international food standards-setting body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is meeting to discuss guidelines and standards for a range of issues, including the control of Salmonella in beef and pork, food hygiene to control foodborne parasites, nutrient reference values for food package nutrition labels, safety of food additives, pesticide residues in food, and arsenic levels in rice. The Codex is also considering its future work on antimicrobial resistance

.

Highlights
WHO reaches 40 000 people with lifesaving treatments in Syria
June 2016 – As part of the United Nations interagency convoy on 29 June 2016, WHO delivered 43 000 lifesaving treatments to people in need in Arbeen and Zamalka, East Ghouta.

Improving access to quality medicines in Africa
June 2016 — WHO met with the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States recently to review a joint 4-year programme to improve access to quality medicines for 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The quality, safety, and pricing of medicines have been addressed by the programme.

Commitment to advancing global health security
June 2016 — WHO, governments, financial institutions, development partners, and health agencies from across the world have committed to accelerate strengthening and implementation of capacities required to cope with disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.

.

Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
:: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Qatar 29 June 2016
:: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia 22 June 2016

.

:: WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO, governments and health agencies commit to advancing global health security
Bali, Indonesia, 30 June 2016 – The World Health Organization (WHO), governments, financial institutions, development partners, and health agencies from across the world have committed to accelerate strengthening and implementation of capacities required to cope with disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.
:: Fifteen African Countries and Partners Take stock of Progress Made in Access to Medicines – 29 June 2016

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified.

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO, governments and health agencies commit to advancing global health security
30 June 2016

WHO European Region EURO
:: New course builds “soft skills” for greater health equity and well-being in policy 01-07-2016
:: New report calls for improved maternal nutrition to decrease children’s long-term risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity 29-06-2016
:: Fight against TB in focus during Regional Director’s visit to Slovakia 28-06-2016

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO, governments and health agencies commit to advancing global health security
30 June 2016

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Global Youth Tobacco Survey underscores urgent need to protect youth from tobacco harms
28 June 2016

UNAIDS [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/

.
01 July 2016
UNAIDS Board underlines the need for accelerated action and increased investment to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030
At its 38th meeting, the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board has stressed the need for accelerated action, increased investment, intensified partnerships and innovation in community-led service delivery to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Selected Press Releases/Announcements

.
Jun 29, 2016
Helen Clark: Keynote Address on “Strengthening the Rule of Law to Sustain Peace and Foster Development – Lessons Learned from Eight Years of Support”
UNDP’s Annual Meeting on Strengthening the Rule of Law in Crisis-Affected and Fragile Contexts – New York, USA

.

UNDP and the Global Fund sign US$8.7m grant to scale up HIV prevention measures in Afghanistan
Jun 27, 2016
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Fund signed a US$8.7 million grant to scale up HIV prevention measures and treatment for people most at risk of contracting the virus in Afghanistan, including injecting drugs users and prisoners.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1
Selected Press Releases/Announcements

.
01/07/2016
Climate Change Response Requires Finance, Cooperation and Participation
High-level session closes productive Africa Carbon Forum 2016

.

Green Climate Fund Injects over $20 Million into UNEP-Backed Efforts to Adapt to Climate Change in The Gambia
The unprecedented project will generate cash returns of at least $77.5 million
01/07/2016

.

Green Cross and United Nations call for nominations to 2017 environment and emergency awards
The Green Star Awards emphasize the nexus between the environment and the need to safeguard communities from the environmental impacts of emergencies.
28/06/2016

.

Former Norwegian Minister Erik Solheim Takes Reins at UN Environment Programme
Solheim pledges to tackle major environmental issues such as ocean and air pollution, climate change, and nexus between conflict, migration and the environment
27/06/2016

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive

.
1 Jul 2016
EU provides €6 million to make vulnerable cities resilient to disasters
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) aim to reduce disaster losses in some of the world’s most hazard prone cities with the initial aid of a €6 million grant from the EU, over the next three years.

.

28 Jun 2016
Easing impact of drought on the Panama Canal
In the midst of one of the worst droughts to affect Central America in decades, the expanded Panama Canal is a model for how to adapt to climate change and reduce disaster risk.

UNESCO [to 2 July 2016]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases/News

.
30 June 2016
Satellite Imagery helping to monitor cultural heritage sites under threat
Cultural heritage around the world suffers from intentional attacks, collateral damage, looting and the effects of natural disasters. Reaching affected sites and areas quickly to monitor the situation, plan for restoration and prevent further loss often proves very difficult.

Thanks to a partnership between UNESCO and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), satellite images developed through UNITAR’s UNOSAT programme in 2015 have been contributing to the work of UNESCO and heritage experts to evaluate and protect sites in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Nepal. A new UNESCO-UNITAR summary report demonstrates how satellite imagery analysis is an increasingly important tool for assessing potential damage to cultural heritage sites.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 2 July 2016]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/

.
Posted July 1, 2016
Microsoft dives in to quell crime in cities
Durban 01 July 2016—Technology giant Microsoft is keen on partnering with various stakeholders to ensure that cities are made safer for all inhabitants. At the same time a ground breaking ‘State of Urban Safety in South Africa Report…

.

Terrorism, threat to albinos and xenophobia biggest challenges to safety in urban Africa
Durban, 29 June 29, 2016—Terrorism by Boko Haram, Al Shabab, threat to albinos as xenophobic attacks and gender based violence remain some of the biggest challenges to safety and security in African urban centres, Director of Programmes…

.

Government of Japan offers Hope for Internally Displaced Students in Fallujah
28 June 2016 – With generous support from the Government of Japan, temporary premises providing 25 classrooms, 128 residential units with accommodation for 512 students, basic site infrastructure and an administration building have been constructed at Fallujah…

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2016/en/

.
30-06-2016
To reduce El Niño’s impact on Central America’s Dry Corridor, build resilience and invest in sustainable agriculture
To raise awareness and coordinate responses to both the protracted El Niño-related crises in the Dry Corridor and the possibility of a related La Niña event in the second half of 2016, UN agencies and other partners met today at FAO’s Rome headquarters with the aim of mobilizing the international community to support the efforts of governments, UN agencies and other partners.

.

29-06-2016
Unprecedented level of food insecurity in South Sudan, UN agencies warn
Up to 4.8 million people in South Sudan – well over one-third of the population – will be facing severe food shortages over the coming months, and the risk of a hunger catastrophe continues to threaten parts of the country.

ILO International Labour Organization [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/lang–en/index.htm

.
Inter-agency partnerships
UNHCR and ILO sign new agreement to help displaced people find work
01 July 2016
Agencies expand collaboration to find long-term solutions for refugees and others displaced by conflict and persecution.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

.

Blog
The call for adequate minimum wages is growing louder everywhere
30 June 2016
Dozens of countries have sought ILO’s assistance to set up minimum-wage policies over the past five years. According to our team of experts, the trend shows no signs of slowing.

.

Business and persons with disabilities
More major companies sign the Global Business and Disability Network Charter
29 June 2016
Launched last October, the Charter is a global tool for businesses to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the world of work.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

.

Blog
12 things we learned at the International Labour Conference
27 June 2016
As part of our coverage of the 105th Session of the International Labour Conference, we sat down with experts on a whole range of topics to look at some of the biggest issues facing the world of work. These talks were broadcast live to an audience of thousands of people worldwide, who shared their thoughts and questions with our experts. Here’s a short list of some of the things that we learned.

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx

.
29/6/16
ICAO Condemns Ataturk Airport Attacks

.

ICAO and AFRA Enhance Cooperation on Aircraft Recycling and Lifecycle Management
MONTRÉAL and LAS VEGAS, 28 JUNE 2016 – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) have announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at reinforcing cooperation on dismantling and recycling end-of-life aircraft.

Encouraging the development and international alignment of best practices for the management of aircraft end-of-life processing, including the optimization of the safe re-use and recycling of materials, will support ICAO and AFRA’s shared objective of facilitating the dismantlement of retired aircraft in ways that are environmentally sustainable, safe, and responsible…

IMO International Maritime Organization [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/Home.aspx

.
30/06/2016
Enclosed space ship safety rule enters into force
New SOLAS regulation requires ships to carry portable atmosphere testing equipment on board.

.

30/06/2016
New ship safety rule to prevent loss of containers enters into force
The gross mass of a container must be verified before it is loaded onto a ship, under new SOLAS regulation.

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 2 July 2016]
http://public.wmo.int/en/search?sort_by=changed&f[0]=type%3Anews

.
Publish Date: 30 June 2016
GFCS to strengthen climate services in Sahel
The Global Framework on Climate Services (GFCS) has received a pledge of USD 1 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen climate services in the Sahel region. WMO will work in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to coordinate this initiative. More specifically, this new project will develop the capabilities of the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) as a Regional Climate Center to better support Meteorological Services in the Sahel. It will also develop capacities in Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal…

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.unido.org/news-centre/news.html

.
Friday, 01 July 2016
Fourth Green Industry Conference concludes in Korea
ULSAN, Republic of Korea, 1 July 2016 – How to advance green industry in the context of sustainable cities was the theme of the fourth Green Industry Conference that took place in Ulsan, Republic of Korea, from 28 to 30..

.

Partnership with Republic of Korea’s National Research Council of Science and Technology to focus on scientific, technological research cooperation
ULSAN, Republic of Korea, 28 June 2016 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST) of the Republic of Korea will work together to…

.

New partnership sealed between UNIDO and the China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group
ULSAN, Republic of Korea, 28 June 2016 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group (CECEP) will join forces to promote inclusive and…

.

Enhanced Cooperation between UNIDO and the University of Ulsan for the Promotion of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development
ULSAN, Republic of Korea, 28 June 2016 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the University of Ulsan will enhance their past successful cooperation in the area of inclusive and sustainable…

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization [to 2 July 2016]
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/

.
Jun 30, 2016
Canada’s Accession to Marrakesh Treaty Brings Treaty into Force
Canada today became the key 20th nation to accede to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, which will bring the Treaty into force in three months on September 30, 2016.