EU States’ Dangerous Approach to Migration puts Asylum in Jeopardy Worldwide
June 16, 2016
MSF Will No Longer Accept Funds from EU Member States and Institutions

BRUSSELS, JUNE 17, 2016—The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today announced that it will no longer accept funds from the European Union and its member states, in opposition to their damaging migration deterrence policies and intensifying attempts to push people and their suffering away from European shores. This decision will take effect immediately and will apply to MSF’s projects worldwide.

Three months into an agreement struck between the EU and Turkey, which European governments are claiming as a success, people in need of protection are paying the true cost of the deal. On the Greek islands, more than 8,000 people, including hundreds of unaccompanied minors, have been stranded as a direct consequence of the EU-Turkey deal. They have been living in dire conditions in overcrowded camps, sometimes for months. While they fear a forced return to Turkey, they are deprived of essential legal aid, their one defense against collective expulsion. The majority of these families, whom Europe has legislated out of sight, have fled conflict in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

“For months MSF has spoken out about a shameful European response focused on deterrence rather than on providing people with the assistance and protection they need,” said Jerome Oberreit, MSF international secretary general. “The EU-Turkey deal goes one step further, placing the very concept of ‘refugee’ and the protection it offers in danger.”

Last week the European Commission unveiled a new proposal to replicate the EU-Turkey logic across more than 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East. These deals would impose trade and development aid cuts on countries that do not stem migration to Europe or facilitate forcible returns, and reward those that do. Among these potential partners are Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Afghanistan, four of the top 10 refugee generating countries, according to the United Nations.

“Is Europe’s only offer to refugees that they stay in countries they are desperate to flee? Once again, Europe’s main focus is not on how well people will be protected, but on how efficiently they are kept away,” said Oberreit.

The EU-Turkey deal sets a dangerous precedent for other countries hosting refugees, sending a message that caring for people forced from their homes is optional and that they can purchase their way out of providing asylum. Last month, the Kenyan government cited European migration policy to justify its decision to close the world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab, and send its residents back to Somalia. Likewise, the deal does nothing to encourage countries surrounding Syria, already hosting millions of refugees, to open their borders to those in need.
“Europe’s attempt to outsource migration control is having a domino effect, with closed borders stretching all the way back to Syria,” said Oberreit. “People increasingly have nowhere to turn. Will the situation in Azaz, Syria, where 100,000 people are blocked between closed borders and front lines, become the rule, rather than the deadly exception?”

The EU-Turkey deal’s financial package includes one billion euros in humanitarian aid. While there are undoubtedly needs in Turkey, which currently hosts close to three million Syrian refugees, this aid has been negotiated as a reward for border control promises, rather than being based solely on needs. This instrumentalization of humanitarian aid is unacceptable, MSF said.

“Deterrence policies sold to the public as humanitarian solutions have only exacerbated the suffering of people in need,” said Oberreit. “There is nothing remotely humanitarian about these policies, which cannot become the norm and must be challenged. MSF will not receive funding from institutions and governments whose policies do so much harm. We are calling on European governments to shift priorities. Rather than maximize the number of people they can push back, they must maximize the number they welcome and protect.”

MSF has been providing assistance to people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe since 2002. In the last 18 months alone, MSF medics have treated an estimated 200,000 men, women, and children in Europe and on the Mediterranean Sea. The organization currently cares for refugees and migrants in Greece, Serbia, France, and Italy and on the Mediterranean, as well as in countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

MSF’s activities are mainly (92 percent) privately funded. Nevertheless, the organization is also involved in some financial partnerships with institutional donors for specific programs. In 2015, funding from EU institutions represented 19 million euros, while funding from EU member states represented 37 million euros. MSF also used 6.8 million euros received from the Norwegian Government. In 2016, in addition to ECHO, MSF is involved in partnerships with nine European Union member states: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

“Neither safe nor sound”: Sexual exploitation, trafficking and abuse engulfing the lives of children in the camps of Calais and Dunkirk
LONDON/PARIS, 16 June 2016 – Children experience sexual exploitation, violence and forced labour on a daily basis in the camps of Northern France, according to the findings of Neither Safe Nor Sound, a new UNICEF France and UNICEF UK study.

The study looked at 60 children between the ages of 11-17 – from Afghanistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and Vietnam – living in seven camps along the coast of the English Channel between January and April 2016.

The children’s testimonies paint a picture of abuse and tragedy, with cases of debt slavery and forced criminal activity, such as assisting smugglers at ferry terminals.

Sexual violence is a constant threat, including the sexual exploitation and rape of boys, and rape and forced prostitution of girls.

Interviews with young women identified practices of exchanging sexual services for the promise of passage to the UK or to speed up their journey.

Many of these children have fled conflict and are now trapped in the camps, some desperately close to reaching family already living in the UK where a bed is waiting for them.

In most of the camps an “entry fee” is levied by the traffickers before the minors are allowed to stay there. The unaccompanied children who are unable to pay find themselves forced to agree to perform laborious tasks for the adults, such as selling food at the informal night-time market which operates in the so-called Calais Jungle.

Complaints of cold and fatigue are commonplace due to the dismal living conditions, with children constantly exposed to the elements.

There is no access to regular schooling despite the fact that this is a mandatory provision.

Some children have expressed their desire to be hospitalised in a psychiatric ward following instances of mental breakdowns and aggressive and violent episodes.

Traffickers are now charging between £4,000 and £5,500 (US$5,600-$7,000) per person to cross the English Channel – a higher price than ever before. And because of the increased security presence this situation has pushed children into the hands of those traffickers, or forced them to take even more significant risks in order to pass through without paying – in some cases by hiding themselves in refrigerated lorries….

The report estimates that, as at March 2016, there were 500 unaccompanied children living across the seven sites, including Calais and Dunkirk, and that around 2,000 unaccompanied children have passed through them since June 2015…

Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disaster
Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Initiative
Initiative website at: http://micicinitiative.iom.int/%5D
June 2016 :: 132 pages
[Selected overview text]
These Principles, Guidelines, and Practices apply to situations in which migrants are present in a country experiencing a conflict or natural disaster. They relate to crisis preparedness, emergency response, and post-crisis action.

For the purposes of these Principles, Guidelines, and Practices, the term ‘migrant’ means a non-citizen who is present in a country during a conflict or natural disaster regardless of: (a) the means of or reasons for entry; (b) immigration status; or (c) length of or reasons for stay. The term ‘migrant’ does not refer to refugees, asylum-seekers, and stateless persons, for whom specific protection regimes exist under international law, although these groups are addressed in certain places in the Principles, Guidelines, and Practices and referred to as such.

The Principles, Guidelines, and Practices provide practical, non-binding, voluntary guidance for States, private sector actors, international organizations, and civil society to protect migrants. In addition to these stakeholders, other actors may benefit from this guidance. These Principles, Guidelines, and Practices can be used to plan, prepare, and assess actions and to improve responses for the benefit of migrants, their families, and societies.

Each element of the Principles, Guidelines, and Practices serves a different purpose.
The Principles are fundamental, cross-cutting precepts, drawn, in some instances, from international law. The Principles are intended to inform, underpin, and guide actions to protect migrants.

The Guidelines are targeted suggestions, organized by theme, that identify in broad terms the actions needed to better protect migrants. Stakeholders can use the Guidelines to inform and shape crisis preparedness, emergency response, and post-crisis action.

The Practices are a non-exhaustive selection of examples that illustrate ways to implement the Guidelines and address the needs of migrants. They are based on existing practices as well as recommendations and can be adapted to suit particular contexts and priorities. Stakeholders can share actual practices through the MICIC Initiative website: http:// micicinitiative.iom.int/.

GUIDELINES
I. CRISIS PREPAREDNESS 1
GUIDELINE 1: Track information on conflicts and natural disasters, and the potential impact on migrants
GUIDELINE 2: Collect and share information on migrants, subject to privacy, confidentiality, and the security and safety of migrants
GUIDELINE 3: Empower migrants to help themselves, their families, and communities during and in the aftermath of crises
GUIDELINE 4: Incorporate migrants in prevention, preparedness, and emergency response systems
GUIDELINE 5: Involve migrants in contingency planning and integrate their needs and capacities
GUIDELINE 6: Communicate effectively with migrants
GUIDELINE 7: Establish coordination agreements in advance to leverage strengths and foster trust
GUIDELINE 8: Build capacity and learn lessons for emergency response and post-crisis action
II. EMERGENCY RESPONSE 28
GUIDELINE 9: Communicate widely, effectively, and often with migrants on evolving crises and how to access help
GUIDELINE 10: Facilitate migrants’ ability to move to safety
GUIDELINE 11: Provide humanitarian assistance to migrants without discrimination
GUIDELINE 12: Establish clear referral procedures among stakeholders
GUIDELINE 13: Relocate and evacuate migrants when needed

.

Press Release
IOM Welcomes Guidelines to Protect Migrants
Posted: 06/10/16
Switzerland – IOM today (10/6) welcomed the publication of the “Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disaster” by the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Initiative.

Almost all countries host a migrant population and no country is immune to conflict or natural disaster. IOM’s experience has shown that migrants were among those worst affected in every humanitarian crisis of the last decade.

“We have a collective responsibility to improve protection for vulnerable migrants in countries experiencing crisis,” said IOM Director General, William Lacy Swing. “States, international organizations, employers, recruiters and civil society all have a role to play in ensuring that migrants and their particular needs and vulnerabilities are taken into account in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from crisis.”

Before today, little guidance existed to clearly identify what States, international organizations and others should do to better protect migrants in crises.

Despite being resilient and resourceful in the face of crises, during emergency responses, migrants “often fall between the cracks,” explained Michele Klein-Solomon, Director of the MICIC Initiative Secretariat, which is based at IOM. “This should be a concern for all countries.”
The governments of the Philippines and the United States launched the MICIC Initiative in 2014 to develop voluntary, non-binding guidance on how to better protect and assist migrants in countries experiencing conflicts or natural disasters.

The MICIC Initiative is co-chaired by the Philippines and the United States, and supported by a Working Group comprised of Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, the European Commission, IOM, UNHCR, ICMPD, Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration, and the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for International Migration.

The European Commission funded the convening of six regional MICIC Initiative consultations, preceded by regional consultations organized by civil society groups. The governments of Australia and the United States funded consultations with international organizations, civil society and the private sector, and with members of the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees, and other States….

What Design Can Do Refugee Challenge receives over 600 entries from 69 countries
June 14, 2016
AMSTERDAM. More than 600 designers and creative thinkers have entered their concepts for the What Design Can Do Refugee Challenge…‘The great participation confirms that designers and creatives want to use their skills to create better everyday lives for refugee children and families,’ says Jonathan Spampinato of IKEA Foundation.

Corinne Gray, Acting Co-Lead of UNHCR’s Innovation Unit, said: ‘The largest refugee crisis since World War II requires new approaches. More than ever we need designers, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a commitment to change to work together with us to create the most dignified existence possible for those who are forcibly displaced.’

What Design Can Do initiator, Richard van der Laken, is equally bolstered by the result: ‘This response demonstrates a huge commitment of designers to urgent societal issues. Indifference and cynicism is not applicable to these people. They show us what design can do,’ he said. Refugee Challenge leader Dagan Cohen added: ‘The fact that we have received submissions from 69 countries proves that the Challenge really resonated with creative thinkers all over the world.’ He expects that selecting 20 to 30 concepts for a shortlist (published on 20 June) will be a ‘tough job’.

The five best concepts will be announced on 1 July by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders, during What Design Can Do Live in Amsterdam.

A LinkedIn network for refugees, access to knowledge and work, a photo agency for pictures taken by refugees and a coat that turns into a tent. These are just a few of the avalanche of ideas submitted to the What Design Can Do Refugee Challenge. Between now and 20 June, everybody can vote for one of the 600 entries. And the entry that receives most public votes will automatically make it onto the shortlist for the final round, to be announced on 21 June.

The UNCHR has set up a special innovation platform where experts can view and discuss the entries over the coming weeks. What Design Can Do has invited over thirty experts from various disciplines to provide feedback to participants, so that their definitive concepts are as strong as possible when the selection phase starts…
UNHCR Innovation Platform: https://refugeechallenge.unhcrideas.org/Page/Home

About ‘What Design Can Do’
What Design Can Do (WDCD) is an Amsterdam-based design platform that advocates the social impact of design. WDCD raises awareness among professionals and the public for the potential of creativity and calls on designers to take responsibility and consider how their work can benefit society. It does so by showcasing best practices, raising discussions and fostering collaboration. Since its launch in 2011, WDCD has hosted six successful international design conferences in Amsterdam and São Paulo. Learn more at http://www.whatdesigncando.com…

“Right to health in adolescence: the costs of failing are too high” – UN expert warns
GENEVA (15 June 2016) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Pūras, today called on States “to remove all legal barriers to access health facilities, goods and services that interfere with the rights of adolescents to be heard and to be taken seriously and that, ultimately, limit their right to make autonomous decisions.”

“Governments must strike a balance between adolescents’ emerging autonomy and their right to protection in particular when it comes to mental health, the rights to sexual and reproductive health, and substance use and drug control, given the specific challenges these issues pose,” the expert said after the presentation of his latest report* to the UN Human Rights Council.
“The foundations laid down during adolescence have profound implications for the social, economic and political development of society as a whole. Hence, the costs of failing adolescents are simply too high,” Mr. Pūras emphasised.

In his report, the human rights expert highlights that healthcare services should ensure respect for adolescents’ rights to privacy and confidentiality, address their different cultural needs and expectations, and comply with ethical standards.

“This is particularly important when it comes to providing mental health services for adolescents,” he said. “Psychosocial interventions should be provided at the community level in a manner that is ethical and consistent with adolescents’ rights, and on the basis of available evidence, with a view to avoid institutionalization and the excessive use of psychotropic medications.”

Moreover, “States should adopt or integrate a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health policy for all adolescents into national strategies and programmes to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services,” the expert said. In that regard, he makes a number of recommendations in his report, among them:
:: Abortion should not be criminalized, as this only leads to higher number of maternal deaths, and poor mental and physical health outcomes.
:: All adolescents should have access to confidential, adolescent-responsive and non-discriminatory sexual and reproductive health information, services and goods.
:: Age-appropriate, comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education, based on scientific evidence and human rights, should be part of the school curriculum.

The Special Rapporteur also called on States to seek alternatives to punitive or repressive drug control policies, including decriminalization and legal regulation and control, and foster the international debate on these issues with the right to health at the core. “All drug detention centres for adolescents should be closed, and the provision of prevention, harm reduction and dependence treatment services, without discrimination, should be ensured,” he said.

The expert noted that adolescents should be protected from violence and neglect, including in family settings, by the upholding of their right to confidential services and counselling without parental consent. He also called on States to support families to increase the abilities of parents to raise children and adolescents in a competent and confident manner, and reinforce skills to manage situations in a non-violent way.

“Policies designed to protect families and family values should avoid measures that undermine the human rights of individual family members, including women, adolescents and younger children,” he said.

“Such approaches can be detrimental as they may, in the name of traditional values, condone violence, reinforce unequal power relations within family settings and, therefore, deprive adolescents from the opportunity to exercise their basic rights,” Mr. Puras explained.

The Special Rapporteur urged States to meet their core obligation to recognize adolescents as rights holders by respecting their evolving capacities and their right to participate in the design, delivery and evaluation of policies and services that affect their health and well-being.
(*) Read the Special Rapporteur’s full report: http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/32/32

UNESCO Director-General and ICC President reaffirm joint commitment to end impunity for deliberate destruction of heritage
14.06.2016 – ODG
On an official visit to the International Criminal Court, the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, held a bilateral working meetings with President Ms Silvia Fernandez de Gurmandi, and deputy prosecutor James Stewart, to explore ways to deepen cooperation on the protection of cultural heritage and the fight against impunity of war crimes.

“UNESCO and ICC have come a long way together, to strengthen the rule of law, to change the mindset about the destruction of cultural heritage, and we are determined to go further, to end impunity for deliberate destruction of cultural heritage,” said Irina Bokova.

“The case of Mali is important in demonstrating that attacks on cultural heritage in conflict can be effectively investigated and prosecuted through judicial mechanisms.” said President Silvia Fernandez de Gurmand

Immediately after the deliberate attacks on the people and Heritage of Mali, UNESCO raised the issue of the destruction of the Mausoleums to the attention of the Court. On 1 July, 2012, Ms Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor, declared that this destruction constituted a war crime under the Rome Statute and then launched a preliminary examination into the violence that had been engulfing the country since January 2012. The first suspect, Mr Ahmed al-Faqi al-Mahdi, was transferred by the authorities of Mali and Niger to The Hague on 26 September, 2015.

The case of Mali is a historic precedent in the fight against impunity – recognizing the restoration of justice and the rule of law as an essential step of any recovery process. This sets a historic precedent for similar cases in the future, and that is why it is vital that all aspects of the trial are addressed with extreme care and a sense of justice.

It is in this spirit that UNESCO and the ICC are sharing expertise and information about the importance of the sites, about why they were inscribed on the World Heritage list, and the reason why their deliberate destruction can be considered a war crime.

“The destruction of culture is one element of a global strategy of hatred, and the fight against impunity and respect for the rule of law must must be part and parcel in a broader vision for peace.” Said the Directo-General. This calls for a stronger coordination among all partners working in different fields and between the security, humanitarian, and cultural domains. The cooperation between UNESCO and the ICC plays an important role in this regard.

Reaching the world’s two billion unbanked: ITU Focus Group makes steady progress
Group shares initial findings from Digital Financial Services Ecosystem and Consumer Experience and Protection working groups
Geneva, 16 June 2016

Today the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Focus Group on Digital Financial Services has published the first of a series of thematic reports on Digital Financial Services, or DFS. The DFS Focus Group is looking at helping local policy and decision makers to accelerate their work on financial inclusion by providing practical tools, guidelines and recommendations on issues that are currently preventing the DFS market to develop organically. This represents the first step in developing an international roadmap of best practice guidelines for regulators, operators and providers in the telecom and financial services sectors and serving the unbanked in a sustainable manner.

Specifically focused around two of the four working groups, DFS Ecosystem and Consumer Experience and Protection, the four background documents were endorsed at the Focus Group’s recent meeting in Washington DC…

Reports from the DFS Focus Group:
The Digital Financial Services Ecosystem:
Maps the overall ecosystem of DFS, identifying all key stakeholders, and looks at the critical elements necessary to make the ecosystem develop so that it encourages and enables financial inclusion policies.

Enabling Merchant Payments Acceptance in the Digital Financial Ecosystems:
Describes the merchant services value chain, develops a segmentation scheme for different types of payments acceptors, and identifies the payments-related attributes of each segment. It also develops suggestions on ways to accelerate the adoption of electronic payments acceptance.

Review of National Identity Programmes – A report from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance:
Looks at 48 national identify programmes in 43 developing countries. With identification systems becoming more common across Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, the report concludes that not only is penetration much higher than expected, but so are the number of biometric national ID programmes. It evaluates how these programmes are being used to drive provision of DFS services.

Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) aspects of Digital Financial Services:
This Report identifies and proposes Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to be considered for digital financial services…

‘Luxembourg Guidelines’ on terminology a step forward in the fight against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children
Posted on 14/06/2016
Geneva, Switzerland – A Global Interagency Working Group released the ‘Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse’ in Geneva Switzerland today, taking an important step in strengthening collaboration to address sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children.

Child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse are complex phenomena involving multiple actors, and requiring a multi-sectoral response. The absence of common language to describe conduct amounting to sexual exploitation and sexual abuse affects and undermines global efforts to protect children. “Even where the same terms are used, there is often disagreement concerning their actual meaning, resulting in confusion and challenges for law-makers, child protection agencies, media and civil society groups” explained Dorothy Rozga, Executive Director of ECPAT International. In the context of transnational child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, these difficulties are magnified.

The Terminology Guidelines, dubbed the ‘Luxembourg Guidelines’ after their adoption in the small country earlier this year, offer guidance on how to navigate the complex lexicon of terms commonly used relating to sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children. They aim to build consensus on key concepts in order to strengthen data collection and cooperation across agencies, sectors and countries. Today, the Guidelines are being made available to all major child protection agencies and organisations around the world, as well as to law-makers and the media.

The ‘Luxembourg Guidelines’ were developed under the guidance of a global Interagency Working Group, composed of 18 members, including the Special Representative to the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (see full list at the end).

“In these important guidelines, policy makers, professional associations and child rights defenders find a crucial resource to provide precision in terminology, enhance accuracy in the development of monitoring tools, and gain conceptual clarity to mobilise efforts for the safeguard of children’s freedom from sexual violence across regions,” said Marta Santos Pais, the Special Representative to the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children, and core member of the Interagency Working Group.

“In the fight against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, terminology is not just a matter of semantics: it determines the effectivity of responses,” said UN Special Rapporteur on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio. “The Luxembourg Guidelines will contribute not only to protecting children, but also in ending the impunity for these heinous crimes,” said the UN Special Rapporteur.

“Our hope is that the Guidelines will be widely disseminated and that all actors will familiarize themselves with the meaning and possible use of the terms and concepts presented in the Guidelines. We believe that by doing so they will contribute to a more effective protection of children from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse” said Professor Jaap Doek, Chairperson of the Interagency Working Group.

Initiated by ECPAT Luxembourg and ECPAT International in September 2014, the Interagency Working Group deliberated over the course of 18 months, bringing together experts and international actors in child protection to forge consensus on the terminology used in child protection on sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.

The Interagency Working Group is composed of representatives from the following organisations:
African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
Child Rights Connect
Council of Europe Secretariat
ECPAT
Europol
INHOPE – The International Association of Internet Hotlines
Instituto Interamericano del niño, la niña y adolescentes (OEA)
International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children
International Labour Office
International Telecommunication Organisation
INTERPOL
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Plan International
Save the Children International
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

The IWG also counted with two academic institutions, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Bedfordshire, The International Centre: Researching child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking, as well as the Oak Foundation as observers to project.

World Economic Forum and Inter-American Development Bank Join Forces to Close the Workforce Gender Gap in Latin America
Friday 17 June 2016
:: The World Economic Forum and Inter-American Development Bank announce partnership to advance gender parity in the workplace in Latin America, starting in Chile
:: Partnership will employ a model developed over three years through Gender Parity Taskforces in Mexico, Turkey, Japan and the Republic of Korea, catalysed by the Forum

Medellín, Colombia, 17 June 2016 – A three-year experiment in harnessing public-private collaboration to address the workforce gender gap has paved the way for a new partnership between the World Economic Forum and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) aimed at advancing greater workplace gender equality in Latin America.

The partnership between the Forum and IDB will first focus on Chile, where only about 60% of the country’s economic gender gap has been closed. Consequently, the potential for making economic and social gains from further improvements in workplace gender equality is considerable. In order to realize this goal, both partners will pool their respective gender and country expertise to share best practices with committed leaders from business and government, introduce new policies and initiatives, and track the impact of each action.

“With relatively high rates of female education, many Latin American countries stand to make significant economic gains from integrating more women into the workforce. The new partnership between the World Economic Forum and the Inter-American Development Bank will support public-private partnerships in the region, starting with a Gender Parity Taskforce in Chile,” said Richard Samans, Head of the Centre for the Global Agenda, World Economic Forum…

Judith Rodin, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, Pioneering Leader in Resilience Building and Impact Investing, Announces Departure
June 16, 2016
:: In 12-Year Tenure, Rodin Overhauled The Rockefeller Foundation, Ushering in a New Era of Strategic Philanthropy That Leveraged Cross-Sector Partnerships
:: Rodin Served as First Female President of The Rockefeller Foundation and of an Ivy League Institution at University of Pennsylvania

New York, NY—After nearly 12 years at the helm, Judith Rodin, the first female president of The Rockefeller Foundation, announced her decision to depart the institution once a new president is identified and takes office. Rodin’s leadership ushered The Rockefeller Foundation into a new era of strategic philanthropy that emphasized partnerships with business, government, and the philanthropic community to address and solve for the complex challenges of the 21st century. In her planned announcement to the board, Rodin and longtime colleague and Board Chair, Dick Parsons, committed to a seamless transition. Until a new president takes office, Rodin will continue to actively lead the Foundation as she has for the past 12 years.

As president, Rodin recognized that the Foundation’s funding alone was unable to spur the kind of systemic change necessary to solve the key challenges facing the world. Responding to that dynamic, Rodin led the Foundation in a sweeping transformation that modernized all operational and programmatic aspects of The Rockefeller Foundation. Rodin looked for new spaces where there was momentum for innovation, identified places where Rockefeller could use its influence to leverage additional financing and engage private and public sector partners to ensure impact continues after Rockefeller grantmaking ends. Building on the Foundation’s history of creating and developing the field of public health and the Green Revolution, under this new form of strategic philanthropy, Rodin championed two whole new fields that are now pervasive: resilience and impact investing.

“The Rockefeller Foundation has benefitted enormously from Judy Rodin’s tenure as our President and CEO. Over the last 12 years, she has lead the Foundation to embrace a new and cutting-edge approach to grantmaking and innovation, and she has positioned us as a global leader in the urgent dialogue regarding how to make ours a better, more just, and more sustainable world. As both a longtime friend and a colleague her presence will be missed, though her vision will continue to guide us,” said Dick Parsons, board chair of The Rockefeller Foundation.

“It has been thrilling to guide The Rockefeller Foundation’s evolution to face the complex challenges of the 21st century and develop innovative solutions. We worked to transform this organization into one that is fit to deliver rapid and scalable impact for the multitude of changes around the world, ” said Rodin. “Through this evolution, I have witnessed transformative impact on the lives of our beneficiaries; I have seen resilience progress from concept to global practice with 100 cities on six continents that are now better prepared to face global challenges and climate change; and the creation and growth of impact investing into a $60 billion industry embraced by major investors. I have also had the joy of watching the first group of 20,000 inner-city students, bursting with excitement and a newfound love of American history meet and work with the cast of HAMILTON, thanks to our partnership with the producers and cast of the transcendent musical. If these were the only successes I witnessed as president I would be humbled. As is always the case in philanthropy, our work is never done. I look forward to seeing the Foundation continue to grow, transform and affect change worldwide and am committed to working as hard as ever until the day a new president takes over this amazing organization.”

David Rockefeller, Jr., former Board Chair and great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. said, “I am so grateful to Judith for her leadership of The Rockefeller Foundation over 12 years. With Judith at the helm, The Rockefeller Foundation has charted a clear course through a rapidly changing world. She has truly been a transformative president who responded nimbly to global disruption and dynamism with a clear focus on fostering resilience among people, organizations and communities and building more inclusive economies. She achieved those goals by first strengthening the Foundation’s infrastructure, then reinventing the rules of philanthropic partnership, embracing strategic grantmaking and innovation, and deploying the power of The Rockefeller Foundation name and legacy. It was an enormous honor for me to be Chair of the Board as the Foundation marked its centennial in 2013. I was able to work with Judith as we celebrated the Foundation’s history of innovation and launched the Foundation’s second century. With Judith’s inspired leadership our future is bright.”

Resilience
The Foundation’s resilience focus was largely influenced by Rodin’s work to revitalize West Philadelphia while leading the University of Pennsylvania. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and watching cities worldwide struggle with the combined impacts of urbanization, globalization, and climate change, Rodin made it her mission to help cities build long-term resilience. In doing so, she ensured resilience was understood as a compendium of solutions that foster social cohesion, economic stability, and physical and environmental integrity.

Under her presidency, the Foundation invested more than half a billion dollars and leveraged billions more in resilience programs including: establishing 100 Resilient Cities, the creation and growth of the chief resilience officers around the globe, the Global Resilience Partnership, collaboration with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to support the National Disaster Resilience Competition and the Rebuild by Design competition, along with a decade of support for the City of New Orleans to help it become a model of resilience after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The Foundation’s resilience investments have leveraged billions of dollars from the public and private sectors, including commitments from an initial group of 10 cities in the 100 Resilient Cities network to direct $5.2 billion of their own budgets to address resilience challenges; billions from multinational organizations like the International Finance Corporation who committed $19 billion to resilience programs; and partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organizations giving communities access to hundreds of millions of dollars in innovative resilience services.

Impact Investing
Rodin’s efforts to incentivize private sector engagement in global problem-solving helped catalyze the growth of impact investing around the world. As part of an effort to significantly increase the amount of private sector funding available for social impact through investments that yield a financial and social return, the Foundation invested $50 million to support building the field of impact investing. The term “impact investing” was coined at an international conference the Foundation hosted at its Bellagio Conference Center in 2006. Four years later, despite the 2008-2009 worldwide financial meltdown, $6 billion of new investment capital had gone into impact investments. Three-quarters of that growth has been tied directly to Rockefeller’s efforts, leveraging the Foundation’s investment one hundred to one. The sector is now estimated at $60 billion. The Foundation has continued to build on its impact investing initiative through leading the development of the field of innovative finance. Rockefeller’s Zero Gap initiative sources and seed funds new and creative ways of mobilizing private capital to close the gap between development funding and global need.

HAMILTON
One of the most high-profile examples of the nimble and strategic approach Rodin brought to philanthropy was the partnership she developed with HAMILTON, The Musical. Under Rodin’s leadership, The Foundation leveraged a $1.5 million investment to provide 20,000 inner-city kids with access to see the musical and incorporate Alexander Hamilton and the Founding Fathers into their 11th-grade history curriculum, through an arts education program. The success of the New York program has inspired similar efforts in Chicago and other cities where HAMILTON will be performed.

Rodin is the longest serving president of The Rockefeller Foundation in the last 40 years and is its first female president. Prior to her tenure at the Foundation, she served as the first female president of an Ivy League university at the University of Pennsylvania after having served as provost of Yale University.

Rodin will remain as president of the Foundation until a successor is identified and a smooth and seamless transition can take place. The search for a new president will begin late this summer.

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/
Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage

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17 June 2016
SG/SM/17863-HR/5315-OBV/1629
Secretary-General Urges States to Stand by Victims of Torture, Support United Nations Fund, in Message for International Observance
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, observed on 26 June:
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

17 June 2016
GA/11794
General Assembly Approves Nearly $8 Billion for 15 Peacekeeping Missions in 2016/2017
Approving the appropriation of $7.86 billion for 15 peacekeeping operations for the 2016/2017 fiscal period, the General Assembly today adopted 25 resolutions and one decision contained in reports from its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).

15 June 2016
SC/12403
Security Council Presidential Statement Reaffirms Link between Women’s Involvement in Conflict Prevention Efforts, Calls for Increased Participation
Despite commitments of the international community, inconsistent levels of political will, resourcing, accountability and gender expertise had often hindered the full and meaningful inclusion of women in efforts to prevent conflict, the Security Council said in a statement issued this morning.

14 June 2016
SC/12401
Security Council Authorizes Inspection of Suspected Embargo-Breaking Vessels off Libya’s Coast, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2292 (2016)
In an effort to implement the arms embargo imposed on Libya, the Security Council today authorized Member States, acting nationally or through regional organizations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya believed to be in violation of the embargo.

13 June 2016
SC/12398
Security Council Extends Mandate of United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2291 (2016)
The Security Council today decided to extend until 15 December the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and in full accordance with the principles of national ownership.

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true

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Geneva, 13 June 2016
Hate is being mainstreamed – global update by the High Commissioner
In a wide-ranging update to the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner detailed concerns in more than 50 countries and situations, and outlined ways the Office can assist.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

Selected Press Releases – “TOP NEWS”
Zeid urges U.S. to adopt robust gun control measures to pre-empt further killings

Burundi: UN experts call for concrete steps to end crisis

Fundamentalist intolerance is degrading assembly and association rights worldwide – UN expert

Gender equality: Women’s health should not pay the price for discriminatory ideologies

Digital technology in education can impair the right to education and widen inequalities – New UN report warns

State-owned enterprises must lead by example on business and human rights – New UN report

UN expert launches initiative on private sector’s responsibility to ensure freedom online

Brazil must move forward on business and human rights – UN expert group

UN OCHA [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases
Press Releases

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17 Jun 2016
Central African Republic: Humanitarian Coordinator strongly condemns mounting violence against civilians in Ngaoundaye, north-west Central African Republic
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad
(Bangui, 17 June 2016): The Humanitarian Coordinator a.i., Dr. Michel Yao, and the entire humanitarian community in the Central African Republic (CAR), condemns a recent upsurge in violence against the civilian population in Ngaoundaye, Ouham-Pende Prefecture. Dr. Yao calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and ensure that they can…

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14 Jun 2016
Myanmar: Statement attributable to Ms Janet Jackson, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (a.i.) on floods in Myanmar [EN/MY]
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar Country: Myanmar
(YANGON: 14 June 2016): Heavy monsoon rains since the beginning of June have caused flooding in five states and regions of Myanmar. According to the initial reports from the Government Relief and Resettlement Department, at least 26,000 people are affected in Ayeyarwady, Bago and Sagaing regions as well as Chin and Rakhine states. A total of 14 deaths have been…

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13 Jun 2016
Sudan: South Sudanese Influx into East Darfur Fact Sheet Issue 3 | 13 June 2016
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: South Sudan, Sudan KEY FACTS Beginning in late January 2016, there was a surge of South Sudanese fleeing into Sudan, with about 500 households arriving per day until early April. New arrivals have since continued at a slower rate, and as of 11 June about 47,100 refugees had arrived in East Darfur, of whom 29,515 are in Khor Omer camp, Ed Daein locality. This includes 28,595 people…

UNICEF [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_89711.html
Selected Press Releases

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Lions Health and UNICEF announce DigitasLBi as the winner of global award for young creatives and marketers
NEW YORK/CANNES, France, 18 June 2016 – Lions Health, the Festival and Awards that celebrate life-changing creativity in healthcare communications, and UNICEF, have announced the winner of the 2016 Young Lions Health Award.

African youth to African leaders: “You must do more to end conflicts in Africa”
GAMBELLA, Ethiopia/DAKAR, Senegal/NAIROBI, Kenya 16 June 2016 – African leaders are not doing enough to stop conflicts in Africa, said two-thirds of the nearly 86,000 youth surveyed in a recent mobile-based poll conducted in nine African countries.

“Neither safe nor sound”: Sexual exploitation, trafficking and abuse engulfing the lives of children in the camps of Calais and Dunkirk
LONDON/PARIS, 16 June 2016 – Children experience sexual exploitation, violence and forced labour on a daily basis in the camps of Northern France, according to the findings of Neither Safe Nor Sound, a new UNICEF France and UNICEF UK study.

“If you try to run, they shoot you; if you stop working they beat you. It was just like the slave trade.”
GENEVA, 14 June 2016 – More than 9 out of 10 refugee and migrant children arriving in Europe this year through Italy are unaccompanied, prompting UNICEF to warn of the growing threats of abuse, exploitation and death facing them.

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40
Selected Press Releases

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13 Jun 2016
UNHCR report puts projected resettlement needs in 2017 at 1.19 million
With a multitude of conflicts and crises causing record displacement around the world, resettlement has become an increasingly vital part of UNHCR’s efforts to find solutions and advocate for fairer responsibility-sharing for refugees, a UNHCR report released today at an annual meeting in Geneva says.

While the UNHCR Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2017 report says that more than 1 million refugees were submitted by UNHCR to over 30 resettlement countries in the past decade, the number of people in need of resettlement far surpasses the opportunities for placement in a third country.

The report says that despite increased resettlement quotas from some countries, expansion in global resettlement capacity, and increases in submissions, the projected number of people in need of resettlement in 2017 will pass 1.19 million.

In response, UNHCR expects to submit 170,000 refugees for resettlement next year, based on the expected global quotas from resettlement states. This compares to a current target of some 143,000 in 2016 and more than 100,000 in each of 2015 and 2014 respectively. Despite the increase in quotas from states and submissions made, the gap in terms of needs remains great.

The 1.19 million forecast is up 72 per cent on the projected needs of 691,000 in 2014, before large-scale resettlement of Syrians began. In 2017, Syrians are projected to account for 40 per cent of needs, followed by Sudan (11 per cent), Afghanistan (10 per cent) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (9 per cent).

Projected Global Resettlement Needs also reports that 2015 was a record year for submissions with 134,044, up 29 percent from the 103,890 recorded in 2014…

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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06/17/16
Niger Deaths Add to Growing Toll of Migrant Fatalities within Africa
Niger – The discovery this week of the remains of 34 migrants near the Algeria-Niger border brings to 471 the number of deaths and disappearances recorded in Africa this year.

Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals in 2016: 213,581; Deaths: 2,859
06/17/16
Italy – IOM reports an estimated 213,581 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 15 June, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

IOM Calls for Cheaper, Transparent and More Accessible Remittances
06/17/16
United Kingdom – The International Day of Family Remittances recognises the financial contributions made by 250 million migrant workers to sustainable international development.

Northern Triangle: IOM Builds Capacity to Protect Child Migrants of Central America
06/17/16
El Salvador – Nearly three hundred representatives of civil society and the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras were trained by IOM on issues such as national policy and the international protection framework for migrant children and adolescents.

IOM Statement on the International Day of Family Remittances
06/16/16
Switzerland – The hard-earned money that migrants send every day to their loved ones back home represents a vital economic lifeline for millions of struggling families around the world.

Fatal Journeys, Vol. 2 – New Global Report from IOM
06/14/16
Germany – IOM reports that over 60,000 migrants are estimated to have died or gone missing on sea and land routes worldwide since 1996.

International Organization for Migration Welcomes China Application for IOM Membership
06/13/16
GENEVA – International Organization for Migration Director General William Lacy Swing on Monday met with People’s Republic of China Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao.

IOM Welcomes Guidelines to Protect Migrants
06/10/16
Switzerland – IOM today (10/6) welcomed the publication of the “Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disaster”.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

UN Women [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Date: 17 June 2016
Partnerships key to success of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Win-win partnerships are key to achieving women’s and girls’ economic empowerment and will lead the way towards sustainable development, according to Plan International, UNIDO, UN Women and the World Bank.

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UN Women statement on World Refugee Day (20 June)
Date: 17 June 2016
In a statement for World Refugee Day on 20 June, UN Women calls for urgent action to ensure refugee women and girls have access to secure transit routes, safe spaces and protection when they arrive in a host country, and resources and services that will help them to build a post-conflict life free from violence and poverty.

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UN Women statement for the first International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (19 June)
Date: 16 June 2016
In a statement for the first International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on 19 June, UN Women recounts the historic firsts this year in combatting sexual violence in conflict.

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Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the fifth anniversary of the Domestic Workers Convention
Date: 15 June 2016
On the fifth anniversary of the convention concerning decent work for domestic workers, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka highlights the importance of implementing the convention in reaching more equal, gender-responsive labour markets and societies.

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Joint statement on the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
Date: 15 June 2016
Four years after the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding in 2012, the European Union and UN Women recommitted to their partnership on 15 June with a joint statement signed at the European Commission by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica.

WHO & Regional Offices [to 18 June 2016]

Highlights
Launch of the 2016 Global Nutrition Report
June 2016 –The Global Nutrition Report examines the world’s nutrition and the efforts to improve it. It assesses progress in meeting Global Nutrition Targets established by the World Health Assembly, and provides current information from global, regional and country perspectives. WHO is a Global Nutrition Report Partner.

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Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
:: Chikungunya – United States of America 14 June 2016
:: Yellow fever – Angola 14 June 2016
:: Lassa Fever – Benin 13 June 2016

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:: WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Yellow fever global vaccine stockpile in emergencies – 17 June 2016
:: WHO African Region Programme Subcommittee meeting begins in Brazzaville, Congo – 14 June 2016

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

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO South-East Asia Region continues to be polio-free 18 June 2016

WHO European Region EURO
:: Celebrating 20 years of the Ljubljana Charter 16-06-2016
:: Slovenia’s substantial and sustained health gains revealed in new reports 16-06-2016
:: Conclusions of the third meeting of the Emergency Committee regarding microcephaly, other neurological disorders and Zika virus 15-06-2016
:: Blood connects us all – blood donation text message service in Sweden 14-06-2016

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO expresses concern over disease outbreaks in its response to Fallujah crisis
Baghdad, 16 June 2016: WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ala Alwan arrived in Baghdad yesterday to review firsthand WHO’s response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Fallujah city, where more than 42,000 Iraqis have been displaced since the beginning of the military operations in the city in May 2016. Tens of thousands of besieged and displaced men, women, children and older people face major health risks as they lack adequate access to health services.
:: Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations 14 June 2016
::: WHO reaches more people in need with lifesaving treatments in Duma 13 June 2016

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Tenofovir reduces mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B: new study
GENEVA, 16 JUNE 2016 – New study findings published today confirm that antiviral therapy with tenofovir in late pregnancy can result in a 3-fold reduction in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV), when used in combination with immunoglobulin and HBV vaccine at birth…

UNAIDS [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/

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15 June 2016
UNAIDS gala honours former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and raises more than US$ 1 million for UNAIDS
Supporters of UNAIDS attended its annual fundraising gala on 13 June. Held at Design Miami Basel on the eve of the Art Basel art festival, the gala raised more than US$ 1 million to support the work of UNAIDS to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment services worldwide,…

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 18 June 2016]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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Jun 17, 2016UN, New York
Magdy Martínez-Solimán: Statement at the Fourth Annual Seminar for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs): NHRI’s Role in Conflict and Fragile Contexts

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Helen Clark: Statement for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
Jun 15, 2016

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Millions of Latin American risk sliding back into poverty; new generation of public policies crucial to prevent setbacks: UNDP
Jun 14, 2016
Panama City – The main threat to progress in Latin America and the Caribbean is the relapse of millions of families back into poverty. The economic slowdown is part of the story, but not the only cause of such a setback, says the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report (HDR) for Latin America and the Caribbean, launched with more than 60 congresspersons at the regional parliament (Parlatino). To continue to advance and prevent reversals in the social, economic and environmental fronts, the report highlights key policy recommendations, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In the report titled Multidimensional Progress: Well-being beyond income, UNDP expresses particular concern over the 25 to 30 million people in the region—more than a third of those who left poverty since 2003 — who risk falling back into poverty. Many are youth and women, with precarious employment in the service sector. They are part of a larger group of over 220 million people (38% of the population, or almost two in every five in the region) who are vulnerable: officially they are not poor (living on less than US$4/day) but have been unable to rise to the middle class (living on more than $10/day)…

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UNDP takes part in the European Development Days on Agenda 2030 implementation
Jun 14, 2016
UNDP will participate in the European Development Days, Europe’s leading forum on development and cooperation, which will take place on 15-16 June in Brussels.

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UNDP, partners to chart roadmap for tackling violent extremism in Central Asia
Jun 13, 2016
Combatting the rise of violent extremism in Central Asia and beyond will require long-term measures that include creating life opportunities for young people and a chance to serve and shape the future of their communities, said experts at a conference on the phenomenon that opened here today.

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UNDP Film gives voice to Thirty Million
Jun 13, 2016
A UNDP supported documentary on the threat sea-level rise poses to 30 million Bangladeshis premiered in New York City on Monday.