New figures on growing inequality among children in high-income countries – UNICEF
FLORENCE/NEW YORK, 14 April 2016 – A new UNICEF report presents evidence on how inequality affects children in high-income countries.

Innocenti Report Card 13, Fairness for Children: A league table of inequality in child well-being in rich countries, ranks 41 EU and OECD countries according to how far children at the bottom of the distribution fall below their peers in the middle. The report looks at bottom end inequality of income, educational achievement, self-reported health and life satisfaction.

Denmark is at the top of the overall league table with the lowest inequality among children. Israel ranked lowest across all domains. In 19 out of 41 countries covered by the data, more than 10 per cent of children live in households with less than half the median income. While inequality in children’s self-reported health symptoms increased in almost all countries between 2002 and 2014, inequality in physical activity and poor diet decreased in a majority of countries. Bottom-end inequality has also narrowed in reading achievement in the majority of countries. When children rank their life satisfaction on a scale of 1 – 10 the median score is 8; however, children at the lower end of the distribution fall far behind their peers. In every country, girls aged 13 and 15 report lower life satisfaction than boys.

Innocenti Report Card 13 proposes the following key areas for government action to strengthen child well-being:
:: Protect the incomes of households with the poorest children.
:: Improve the educational achievements of disadvantaged learners.
:: Promote and support healthy lifestyles for all children.
:: Take subjective well-being seriously.
:: Place equity at the heart of child well-being agendas.

“The Report Card provides a clear reminder that the well-being of children in any country is not an inevitable outcome of individual circumstances or of the level of economic development but is shaped by policy choices,” said Dr. Sarah Cook, Director of the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti. “As our understanding of the long term impact of inequality grows, it becomes increasingly clear that governments must place priority on enhancing the well-being of all children today, and give them the opportunity to achieve their potential.”

Other significant findings include:
:: Two of the world’s wealthiest countries, Japan and the United States, were positioned in the bottom third of the league table for income inequality. In both countries, the household income of a child in the 10th percentile is roughly 40 per cent of that of a child in the middle of the income distribution.
:: Only Spain and the United States improved in all four health indicators since 2002.
:: Only four countries – Estonia, Ireland, Latvia and Poland – managed to lower education inequality while also allowing fewer children to fall below minimum proficiency standards.
:: Among 10 countries where data on country of birth was collected 7 showed lower life satisfaction among migrant children.

Protecting Cultural Heritage Threads through United Nations Peacekeeping Strategy, Secretary-General Tells Yale University Colloquium
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the Global Colloquium of University Presidents on the Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Strategies, at Yale University, in New Haven, United States, today.
12 April 2016
SG/SM/17664
[Excerpt]
…Cultural diversity, like biodiversity, plays a quantifiable and crucial part in the health of the human species. An attack on cultural heritage in one part of the world is an attack on us all.

But, cultural diversity is under grave threat around the globe. Who could fail to be outraged by the destruction of the magnificent Buddhas of Bamyan, the monuments of Palmyra, the mosques and cultural artefacts of northern Mali? This wanton vandalism is not collateral damage. It is part of a ruthless wave of cultural and ethnic cleansing, inseparable from the persecution of the communities that created these cultural gems. It is also part of a cycle of theft and profit that finances the activities of extremists and terrorists.

As a human family, we cannot let them erase our history and identity. Any loss of cultural heritage is a loss of our common memory. It impairs our ability to learn, to build experience and to apply the lessons of the past to the present and the future. Culture is also one of the strongest driving forces for building societies and imbuing them with values. It knits communities together with a sense of continuity.

Extremists and terrorists have known this throughout the ages. They have always understood that by attacking and destroying cultural artefacts, buildings and monuments, they can divide people, erase their common values, shred the social fabric and create greater fragility and vulnerability to their cynical ideology.

In our response, we must be even more determined to safeguard and preserve culture than the extremists are to destroy it. This must be central to our strategy for tackling violent extremism, building peace and restoring security.

The United Nations system is working to strengthen the links between the protection of cultural heritage, peacebuilding missions and humanitarian emergency response. In Mali, for example, I saw the destruction caused by extremist militants to mausoleums and manuscripts when they took over Timbuktu in 2012. It was not only about stones, buildings and papers. It was about identity and dignity.

I will never forget speaking to the Grand Imam, representatives from the Christian community, the local government, young people and women’s representatives. They all said they had lived together in a diverse community for years. They all wanted education, jobs and, above all, peace.

As soon as Timbuktu was liberated, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the Malian Government launched a restoration operation, with logistical support from the “blue helmets” of our United Nations peacekeeping mission. Like destruction, restoration is not only about buildings. It is about history, identity, culture and the promise of the future. I am proud to say that 14 mausoleums have now been completely restored. The town’s people talk of the rebirth of Timbuktu.

UNESCO stands ready to travel to Palmyra, which was liberated just weeks ago, to help evaluate the damage and protect the city’s priceless cultural heritage. I hope that one day, Palmyra, Aleppo, Nineveh and the other devastated cities of Syria and Iraq will again serve as symbols of unity and diversity.

The United Nations Security Council has recognized the important links between cultural heritage, peace and security in a landmark resolution passed last year. The Council condemned the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria and adopted legally binding measures to combat the illicit trafficking of antiquities and cultural artefacts from these countries. This was a rare show of unity from the Council, which had been in a deadly deadlock over Syria. Now we must build on these major steps, to advance the cause of peace…

Skoll, Ford and BRITDOC Launch Flex Fund to Expand Impact of Storytelling
News — 14 April 2016
Through the Flex Fund, the three foundations will provide second-stage funding for joint projects by social entrepreneurs and filmmakers.
At the Ford Foundation, we believe creative visual storytelling is vital to the pursuit of justice and equity in the 21st century. We have a long history of partnering with courageous visionaries, whose powerful stories inspire imaginations, disrupt stereotypes, and help transform attitudes that perpetuate injustice.

We’re pleased to announce a new collaboration with Skoll and the BRITDOC Foundation that will build upon this legacy.

Through the Flex Fund, the three foundations will provide second-stage funding for joint projects by social entrepreneurs and filmmakers. The fund is open to projects that are well positioned to further, widen, or deepen their impact, and projects that propose to explore new arenas of experimentation informed by rigorous data and evidence. The first funding round will be focused on Skoll and Ford’s common grantees, with the goal of giving promising storytelling projects a boost to the next level of impact.

Why do we need the Flex Fund? Storytelling for impact remains more art than science, with expertise fragmented across a small number of funders, artists, and impact producers. Like many in the not-for-profit world, filmmakers often must assemble a mosaic of funding from different sources, each with their own agenda and expectations. Knitting these together into a coherent whole is difficult enough. Actually leveraging the story and effecting change in the world is hardly a foregone conclusion.

But what if we could experiment with alignment, and do so with some of the smartest visual storytellers? Create a portfolio of promising storytelling projects, partnered with some of the most effective social entrepreneurs in the world, and give them not only funding but also access to the knowledge, experience, and contacts they need. What if we built on existing efforts, like Sundance Stories of Change, rather than competing with them? This is the promise of the Flex Fund.

For now, the Flex Fund is a pilot project that expects to make four to five grants in its first year, each ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. Ford and Skoll are funding the project equally. BRITDOC will bring its remarkable acumen and network to bear, providing direct management of the portfolio in consultation with Skoll and Ford…

World Bank Group Unveils New Climate Action Plan
Plan to Help Countries Meet Paris COP21 Pledges
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2016—The World Bank Group today announced plans to help developing countries add 30 gigawatts of renewable energy – enough to power 150 million homes – to the world’s energy capacity, bring early warning systems to 100 million people and develop climate-smart agriculture investment plans for at least 40 countries – all by 2020.

These are among a number of ambitious targets laid out in the World Bank Group’s new Climate Change Action Plan, approved today, which aims to accelerate efforts to tackle climate change over the next five years and help developing countries deliver on their national climate plans submitted for the historic climate agreement reached at COP21 in Paris in December last year.

The release of the Climate Change Action Plan comes just two weeks before world leaders officially sign the Paris Agreement in New York. As part of the Paris process, 140 countries working with the Bank Group lodged national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs.

“Following the Paris climate agreement, we must now take bold action to protect our planet for future generations,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “We are moving urgently to help countries make major transitions to increase sources of renewable energy, decrease high-carbon energy sources, develop green transport systems, and build sustainable, livable cities for growing urban populations. Developing countries want our help to implement their national climate plans, and we’ll do all we can to help them.”

To maximize impact, the Action Plan is focused on helping countries shape national policies and leverage private sector investment. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, aims to expand its climate investments from the current $2.2 billion a year to a goal of $3.5 billion a year, and lead on leveraging an additional $13 billion a year in private sector financing by 2020. As well its own financing, the World Bank also intends to mobilize $25 billion in commercial financing for clean energy over the next five years. The Bank Group will also continue to deepen its work to help countries to put a price on carbon pollution to create incentives for public and private sector decision makers to make the right climate choices…

Payment aspects of financial inclusion
Bank for International Settlements and World Bank Group//Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the World Bank Group
April 2016 :: 82 pages :: ISBN 978-92-9197-216-6 (online)
Pdf: http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/pubdocs/publicdoc/2016/4/963011459859364335/payment-systems-PAFI-Report2016.pdf

Executive summary
The CPMI-World Bank Group Task Force on the Payment Aspects of Financial Inclusion (PAFI) started its work in April 2014. The Task Force was mandated to examine demand and supply side factors affecting financial inclusion in the context of payment systems and services, and to suggest measures that could be taken to address these issues.

This report is premised on two key points: (i) efficient, accessible and safe retail payment systems and services are critical for greater financial inclusion; and (ii) a transaction account is an essential financial service in its own right and can also serve as a gateway to other financial services. For the purposes of this report, transaction accounts are defined as accounts (including e-money/prepaid accounts) held with banks or other authorised and/or regulated payment service providers (PSPs), which can be used to make and receive payments and to store value.

The report is structured into five chapters. The first chapter provides an introduction and general overview, including a description of the PAFI Task Force and its mandate, a brief discussion of transaction accounts, and the barriers to the access and usage of such accounts. The second chapter gives an overview of the retail payments landscape from a financial inclusion perspective. The third chapter forms the core analytical portion of the report and outlines a framework for enabling access and usage of payment services by the financially excluded. Each component of this framework is discussed in detail in the report.

The fourth chapter of the report describes the key policy objectives when looking at financial
inclusion from a payments perspective, and formulates a number of suggestions in the form of guiding principles and key actions for consideration.

In this context, financial inclusion efforts undertaken from a payments angle should be aimed at
achieving a number of objectives. Ideally, all individuals and businesses – in particular, micro-sized and small businesses – which are more likely to lack some of the basic financial services or be financially excluded than larger businesses – should be able to have access to and use at least one transaction account operated by a regulated payment service provider:
(i) to perform most, if not all, of their payment needs;
(ii) to safely store some value; and
(iii) to serve as a gateway to other financial services.

The guiding principles for achieving these objectives of improved access to and usage of transaction accounts are the following:
:: Commitment from public and private sector organisations to broaden financial inclusion is explicit, strong and sustained over time.
:: The legal and regulatory framework underpins financial inclusion by effectively addressing all relevant risks and by protecting consumers, while at the same time fostering innovation and competition.
:: Robust, safe, efficient and widely reachable financial and ICT infrastructures are effective for the provision of transaction accounts services, and also support the provision of broader financial services.
:: The transaction account and payment product offerings effectively meet a broad range of transaction needs of the target population, at little or no cost.
:: The usefulness of transaction accounts is augmented with a broad network of access points that also achieves wide geographical coverage, and by offering a variety of interoperable access channels.
:: Individuals gain knowledge, through awareness and financial literacy efforts, of the benefits of adopting transaction accounts, how to use those accounts effectively for payment and store-of-value purposes, and how to access other financial services.
:: Large-volume and recurrent payment streams, including remittances, are leveraged to advance financial inclusion objectives, namely by increasing the number of transaction accounts and stimulating the frequent usage of these accounts.
Finally, the fifth chapter of the report addresses a number of issues in connection with measuring the effectiveness of financial inclusion efforts in the context of payments and payment services, with a particular emphasis on transaction account adoption and usage.

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Press Release
Seven essential guiding principles to boost financial inclusion laid out in new report
Date: April 5, 2016
…A transaction account is an essential financial service that can serve as a gateway to other financial services such as savings, credit and insurance. However, nearly 40% of the world’s adult population – about 2 billion people – still have no account with a bank or authorised non-bank servicer provider.

In addition to outlining principles to help countries advance financial inclusion, the report suggests possible key actions, including providing basic accounts at little or no cost, stepping up efforts to increase financial literacy, and leveraging large-volume payment programmes, such as government payments, by adopting electronic payment services. Financial inclusion efforts are beneficial not only for those who will become financially included, but also for the national payments infrastructure and, ultimately, the economy.

The CPMI and the World Bank Group believe that the guidance developed in this report will be essential to helping central banks and other stakeholders achieve effective financial access and broader financial inclusion. Given that safe, efficient and accessible retail payment systems and services are critical for greater financial inclusion, the report will be instrumental in supporting the goal of achieving Universal Financial Access by 2020…

G20 Leaders Launch Global Partnership and Website to Help Advance Inclusive Business
Nanjing, China, April 6, 2016—The G20 officially launched the Global Platform on Inclusive Business (GPIB) today in Nanjing, China. The Platform is a global partnership that will provide support to policymakers and accelerate the adoption of inclusive business policies and programs globally.

The GPIB is being implemented under the Chinese 2016 G20 Presidency. The creation of the Platform was called for in the Leaders Call on Inclusive Business issued at the G20 Leaders Summit in November 2015 in Ankara, Turkey. During the Summit, leaders also endorsed the G20 Inclusive Business Framework. The GPIB will connect policymakers and businesses to better understand the role that governments can play in supporting inclusive companies more effectively.

“The Chinese G20 Presidency is happy to announce the launch of the Global Platform on Inclusive Business”, said Zhang Shaogang, Chair of the DWG meeting. “GPIB seeks to connect policy-makers and businesses. It is both pro-poor and pro-business and strives to better understand the role of governments in supporting inclusive business.”

Inclusive businesses provide low-income men and women with goods, services, and improved livelihoods by including them in their core business model. Inclusive businesses – by working directly with low-income people – have the potential to be a driving force for inclusion and sustainability. These are companies that extend last-mile water, power, and mobile phone service to customers in rural areas. They train and create markets for small farmers. They treat low-income patients and teach low-income students.

However, companies struggle with challenging operating environments and gaps in the institutional, informational, and infrastructural conditions that are required to make inclusive markets work. These issues prevent companies from reaching the 4.5 billion people who are considered to be living at the base of the economic pyramid.

Haiti: Launch of the Humanitarian Response Plan 2016: The Government of Haiti and the humanitarian community seek $193.8 million to meet the critical needs of 1.3 million people
UN OCHA Press Release
Port-au-Prince, April 7, 2016. The Government of Haiti and the Humanitarian Country Team launch today a call for funds of $ 193.8 million people to meet the critical humanitarian needs of 1.3 million people. This humanitarian planning document aims at ensuring protection and access to basic services to the most vulnerable people, and also strengthening the resilience of the population and the Haitian institutions.

Indeed, 2015 was marked by a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country due to multiple factors, including the persistence of cholera, the deterioration of the food insecurity context and the binational mixed migration issue with the Dominican Republic. The high vulnerability to natural disasters and the ongoing presence of about 62,000 people displaced from the 2010 earthquake in 36 camps, have also contributed to worsen this context.

“We appreciate this effort to put together priorities and coordinate the response between national authorities and members of the humanitarian community. The plight of thousands affected by these multiple factors, especially by food insecurity, requires a rapid and effective response to prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian context in a moment where we are laying the foundations of a sustainable development of the country “said Aviol Fleurant, Minister of Planification and External Cooperation.

The ultimate goal of the plan is to reduce the vulnerability of 1.3 million targeted people. Although the priority concerns the most basic humanitarian needs, the plan also anticipates the implementation of structural measures to reduce the vulnerability of the population in need, as well as to advance towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Structural problems associated with multiple emergencies continue to increase the vulnerability of millions of Haitians. We must act together to allow them to recover, said Mourad Wahba, Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Haiti.

To achieve this objective, the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan identifies a number of humanitarian needs that must be addressed. Thus, it aims to address the severe food insecurity that affects more than 1 million (U$ 105.5 million in needs expressed) and to ensure the protection and basic services to more than 120,000 deportees / returnees from the Dominican Republic (U$ 21.2 million) and to 62,000 IDPs living in post-earthquake camps (U$ 38.2 million). Moreover, the plan envisages providing a rapid and effective response to cholera epidemics and to counteract the vulnerability to cholera in high-risk areas (U$ 20 million). Lastly, funds will be mobilized to support the preparation for natural disasters (U$ 4.1 million) and strengthen the humanitarian coordination (2.9 millions). As part of this response, 100,000 people amongst the 500,000 that may be affected by natural disasters in 2016 are also targeted.

In a global context with increasingly large humanitarian crises, funding for humanitarian aid in Haiti risks to diminish. Hence, the humanitarian community calls for the strengthening of the commitment of partners. “We urge Haiti’s partners to have a sustained commitment to the country. This deepened commitment will help to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities and to maintain the progress achieved in the recent years. In addition, it will help to initiate a sustainable exit from the multiple humanitarian challenges while continuing the process of sustainable development for the country”, concluded Mr. Wahba.

Key Nuclear Security Agreement to Enter Into Force on 8 May
Anthony Wetherall, IAEA Office of Legal Affairs ; Vincent Fournier, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
8 April 2016 News Story
A nuclear security agreement that will take effect on 8 May will reduce the risk of a terrorist attack on a nuclear power plant and make it harder to smuggle nuclear material.

The entry into force of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) was secured today with the deposit of the instrument of ratification by Nicaragua, which brought the number of adherences to 102 States Parties to the CPPNM, the threshold required for the agreement to come into effect in 30 days. The Amendment, adopted more than a decade ago, will make it legally binding on countries to protect nuclear facilities. It will also extend the CPPNM’s application to nuclear material in domestic use, storage and transport.

“This is an important day for efforts to strengthen nuclear security around the world,” said IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano in a statement. The Amendment “will help reduce the risk of a terrorist attack involving nuclear material, which could have catastrophic consequences.”

The CPPNM, the only legally binding international undertaking in the area of physical protection of nuclear material, entered into force in 1987. It focuses on the physical protection of nuclear material used for peaceful purposes during international transport, but does not cover the protection of nuclear facilities or nuclear material in domestic use, storage and transport. In July 2005, the Parties to the CPPNM adopted the Amendment. The adherence of two-thirds of the States Parties to the CPPNM was required for entry into force of the Amendment. Currently, there are 152 State Parties to the Convention.

“The entry into force of the Amendment demonstrates the determination of the international community to act together to strengthen nuclear security globally,” Mr Amano said. He urged States Parties that have not yet done so to adhere to the Amendment.

What States have to do under the Amendment
The Amendment makes it legally binding for States to establish, implement and maintain an appropriate physical protection regime applicable to nuclear material and nuclear facilities under their jurisdiction. It provides for the criminalization of new and extended specified acts, and requires countries to put in place measures to protect nuclear material and nuclear facilities against sabotage.

The Amendment expands the existing offences identified in the CPPNM, including the theft and robbery of nuclear material, and establishes new ones, such as the smuggling of nuclear material and the actual or threatened sabotage of nuclear facilities. A number of the offences were also expanded to include substantial damage to the environment.

Read the full text of the Amendment here and a consolidated version of the Amendment and the CPPNM here…

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/
Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage

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15 April 2016
SC/12325
Special Envoy for Yemen Seeks Security Council’s Support for New Round of Face-to-Face Talks Aimed at Reviving Political Dialogue
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen asked the Security Council today for its support in the weeks and months ahead as parties to the conflict in that country prepared to embark on a fresh round of face-to-face negotiations, building on the cessation of hostilities that began on 10 April.
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15 April 2016
SC/12324
New Government of Central African Republic Must Capitalize on Positive Momentum Generated by Elections, Peacekeeping Chief Tells Security Council
Following peaceful elections bearing the promise of ushering stability and democracy into the Central African Republic, the Government must capitalize on the positive momentum by instituting key economic, judicial and security reforms, the head of United Nations peacekeeping told the Security Council this morning.
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12 April 2016
SG/SM/17664
Protecting Cultural Heritage Threads through United Nations Peacekeeping Strategy, Secretary-General Tells Yale University Colloquium
Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the Global Colloquium of University Presidents on the Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Strategies, at Yale University, in New Haven, United States, today.
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7 April 2016
GA/PAL/1360
Amid ‘Explosive’ Hostilities, Security Council Must Shoulder Responsibility to Protect in Occupied Territory, Palestinian Rights Committee Hears
The United Nations Security Council must shoulder its responsibility vis-à-vis international protection in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People heard during a brief meeting this afternoon.
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6 April 2016
SC/12317
Peacekeeping Chief, Briefing Security Council, Blames Intensified Fighting for Rapidly Deteriorating Situation, Large-scale Displacement in Darfur
Intensified fighting since January had resulted in a rapidly worsening security situation and large-scale displacement in Darfur, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the Security Council today.
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6 April 2016
SG/SM/17655-OBV/1603
Concerned about Rising Incidence of Diabetes, Secretary-General Calls for Joint Action to Halt Preventable, Treatable Disease in World Health Day Message
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4 April 2016
SG/SM/17648-IHA/1390
Secretary-General Calls World Humanitarian Summit Unique Chance to Show Solidarity with 125 Million People in Immediate Crisis

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true
Selected Press Releases

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Zeid calls for an end to executions for drug offences in Iran
GENEVA (14 April 2016) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Thursday appealed to Iran to halt executions for drug offences until Parliament debates a new law that would remove the mandatory death penalty for drug crimes…
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Alarming reports of human rights violations in the Republic of Congo – Zeid
GENEVA (13 April 2016) – Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on the situation in the Republic of Congo:
“Very alarming reports have been coming out of the Republic of Congo regarding an apparent Government security operation in an area of southern Brazzaville known as “the Pool”. Since the March 20 presidential election, there have been reports that security operations have been conducted against opposition leaders and supporters who allegedly attacked a police station and areas in the southern part of the capital on 4 April. The Government has announced that 17 people died in security operations, including three members of security forces, with several others wounded.

There have been reports of mass arrests and torture in detention, as well as the killing and displacement of people from the Pool. The reports have been difficult to verify, given a lack of access to the area by independent actors…
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Spotlight on mega sporting events
UN Asia Regional Forum on Business & Human Rights / 19-20 April 2016 – Qatar
GENEVA (14 April 2016) – The human rights issues associated with mega sporting events will be one of the topics discussed at the United Nations Asia Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights, from 19 to 20 April in Doha.

Professor John Ruggie, the author of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, will talk about his report, commissioned by FIFA, in which he makes recommendations on how FIFA can integrate human rights into its policies and practices.

“The scale of FIFA’s global activities and relationships means that acting on its commitments to respect human rights has the potential to be a landmark for advancing human dignity through sports around the world,” said John Ruggie, who is a Professor at Harvard University…
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8 April 2016
Press briefing notes on Bangladesh
We are concerned about the latest death sentences handed down against two men by the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal, particularly given continued concerns in relation to international due process and fair trial standards.
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Panama Papers: UN rights expert calls for the end of financial secrecy to halt flow of illicit funds
GENEVA (8 April 2016) – The United Nations Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, today called on the international community to urgently put an end to financial secrecy. He warned that tax evasion and the flow of funds of illicit origin undermine justice and deprive Governments of resources needed for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights.

The expert’s call comes as leaked documents have shown how corporations, wealthy individuals and politically exposed persons have systematically hidden assets in more than 21 offshore jurisdictions.
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Press briefing notes on Mob killings in Malawi
Date: 5 April 2016
We are concerned about the increasing number of people killed in mob attacks in Malawi. Over the past two months, at least nine separate incidents leading to the death of 16 people have been reported across the country.
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Tunisia torture prevention: UN body to make advisory visit
GENEVA (8 April 2016) –Tunisia’s efforts to establish a functioning independent body to monitor places of detention will be the focus of the first visit to the country by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) from 12 to 14 April.
Tunisia ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture in June 2011 and, as part of its treaty obligations, has to set up such a monitoring body, officially known as a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). Tunisia passed legislation in 2013 to establish the body and its 16 members were appointed in March this year.

“Tunisia is the first country in the region to establish, albeit with some delay, a national preventive mechanism. We see this as a hugely positive step and look forward to advising the Government, as well as other stakeholders, on the next steps to ensure the body is swiftly able to function effectively,” said Hans-Jörg Bannwart, who will head the three-member SPT delegation. “We are especially looking forward to meeting the newly elected members of the NPM in order to discuss with them the challenges they will face in setting up and starting work,” he added.
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UN human rights expert to assess freedom of expression situation in Japan
GENEVA (8 April 2016) – United Nations Special Rapporteur expert David Kaye will carry out his first visit to Japan, from 12 to 19 April 2016, to assess the situation of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the country.

“I look forward to visiting Japan and learning at first-hand about its norms and policies in the area of freedom of expression as well as the main challenges faced in the country today,” said the independent expert designated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on violations of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

“The independence and the freedom of the Japanese media, the space for protesting and the access of the public to information held by the State are among the issues I will study during my stay in Japan,” he noted.
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What is permissible and what is not when countering terrorism? UN experts welcome new African guidelines
GENEVA (7 April 2016) – A group of eighteen United Nations independent experts* has welcomed the new Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights while Countering Terrorism in Africa launched this year by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

Speaking ahead of an upcoming ACHPR’s panel discussion in Banjul, The Gambia (11 April), in which Member States will be briefed on the new Principles and Guidelines, the UN experts called on all African governments to fully implement the Commission’s recommendations in order to respect human rights in the context of fighting terrorism.

Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography [to 9 April 2016]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Children/Pages/ChildrenIndex.aspx

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7 April 2016
Sale and exploitation of children: UN rights expert launches official visit to Georgia
GENEVA / TBILISI – United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, will carry out a monitoring visit to Georgia from 11 to 18 April 2016.

“I look forward to evaluating the scope of sale and exploitation of children in the country, as well as the progress made and the challenges faced by Georgia to fight it,” said the independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to promote strategies to prevent and combat the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and to make recommendations for the care, recovery and reintegration of child victims.

“I will reach out to child victims of abuse, violence and exploitation, and to children in vulnerable situations, such as children placed in institutions and children living in settlements for the internally displaced, to take their opinions into account in my recommendations to the Government and other concerned parties,” said Ms. de Boer-Buquicchio, who visits the country at the invitation of the Government…

SRSG/CAAC Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict [to 16 April 2016]
https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/virtual-library/press-release-archive/

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13 Apr 2016
Bring Back Our Girls. Bring Back Our Children.
Statement by Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict on the two-year anniversary of the abduction of 276 girls in Chibok, Nigeria
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10 Apr 2016
STATEMENT attributable to Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and Dr. Peter Salama, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
NEW YORK/AMMAN- “The children of Yemen are bearing the brunt of a brutal conflict. The cessation of hostilities that has come into effect today is an opportunity for parties to take action to improve their protection.

“In the past year, the United Nations verified a significant increase in grave violations against children by all parties to the conflict in Yemen. According to recent figures, 900 children were killed, a seven fold increase compared with 2014. Child recruitment increased five times, with 848 cases verified. Meanwhile, attacks on schools and hospitals have doubled, bringing the total number to over 115. The disruption in the delivery of basic services has deprived thousands of children of their fundamental rights to education and health.

“The incidents that the United Nations was able to verify represent the tip of the iceberg, but they do reveal some very concerning trends. First, it is estimated that children represent around one-third of all civilians killed and close to a quarter of those injured. Second, attacks on civilian infrastructure, especially schools and health clinics, have become commonplace. Third, children are now playing a more active role in combat and manning checkpoints including on the front-lines.

“Taken together these data represent a disturbing pattern of flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law and the rights of children in Yemen. These patterns have far-reaching implications for the stability of Yemen and the future of its children…
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05 Apr 2016
Sudan Moving Forward to End and Prevent the Recruitment of Children in National Security Forces
New York- The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, is encouraged by the commitment expressed by Sudanese authorities following the signing of an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in the country’s national security forces.

“The Vice-President, the Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Social Affairs and other senior officials of the Sudanese Government expressed their intention to act quickly to enhance the protection of the country’s children. They have my support and I look forward to the Action Plan’s full implementation,” said Leila Zerrougui.

The Action Plan, signed on Sunday in a ceremony presided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, marked a new milestone in the campaign Children, Not Soldiers. Sudan already has laws that set the minimum age for recruitment at 18 and criminalize underage recruitment. The Action Plan details steps and measures to end and prevent underage recruitment, including strengthening age verification mechanisms and ensuring accountability for child recruiters…

UN OCHA [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases

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15 Apr 2016
Yemen: Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kyung-Wha Kang statement to the Security Council on the Humanitarian Situation in Yemen
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14 Apr 2016
Nigeria: 2 years on from Chibok abductions, huge numbers of women and girls still at risk in North-East Nigeria
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Nigeria
(Abuja, 14 April 2016) Two years on from their abduction, the fate of 219 of the Chibok schoolgirls is still unknown, but their plight is sadly all too common in the conflict-affected communities of the North-East. “Humanitarian agencies are concerned that two years have passed, and still the fate of the Chibok girls and the many, many other abductees is unknown,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria…
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13 Apr 2016
Malawi: Declaration of a State of National Disaster caused by prolonged dry spells during the 2015/2016 season by his Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi
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12 Apr 2016
Nigeria: Donors called on to support the United Nations as it reaches communities in rural Borno
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Nigeria
(Abuja and Dakar, 12 April 2016): UN agencies and non-governmental organisations are increasing their footprint in Nigeria’s Borno State, and the UN has now reached people struck by crisis in rural parts of the region.
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11 Apr 2016
occupied Palestinian territory: OCHA Flash Update: Gaza’s sole power plant shut down triggering up to 20 hours of outage a day
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory On 8 April, the Gaza Power Plant (GPP) was forced to shut down completely after exhausting its fuel reserves and being unable to replenish them due to a shortage of funds. This has triggered electricity blackouts of 18-20 hours per day, up from 12 hours previously, further undermining the delivery of basic services.
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07 Apr 2016
Haiti: Launch of the Humanitarian Response Plan 2016: The Government of Haiti and the humanitarian community seek $193.8 million to meet the critical needs of 1.3 million people

UNICEF [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_89711.html
Selected Press Releases
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Polio-Free World in Sight as Largest Vaccine Rollout in History Kicks Off
GENEVA, 14 April 2016 – Next week marks the beginning of the largest and fastest globally coordinated rollout of a vaccine into routine immunization programs in history. Between 17 April and 1 May, 155 countries and territories around the world will stop using the trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV), which protects against all three strains of wild poliovirus, and replace it with bivalent OPV (bOPV), which protects against the remaining two wild polio strains, types 1 and 3. This effort will provide better protection for children against polio, particularly those most vulnerable to infection.
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World Bank Group, UNICEF urge greater investment in early childhood development
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2016 – World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake today jointly urged global and national leaders to step up and accelerate action and investments in nutrition and early childhood development (ECD) programmes as a critical foundation for equitable development and economic growth.
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New figures on growing inequality among children in high-income countries – UNICEF
FLORENCE/NEW YORK, 14 April 2016 – A new UNICEF report presents evidence on how inequality affects children in high income countries.
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Nigeria regional conflict: 10-fold increase in number of children used in ‘suicide’ attacks
DAKAR, Senegal/NEW YORK/GENEVA, 12 April 2016 – The number of children involved in ‘suicide’ attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger has risen sharply over the past year, from 4 in 2014 to 44 in 2015, according to a UNICEF report released today. More than 75 per cent of the children involved in the attacks are girls.
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UNICEF and WFP respond to needs of drought-affected people in Somaliland and Puntland
NAIROBI, Kenya, 11 April 2016 – In northern Somalia, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) are stepping up efforts to help communities cope with a severe drought exacerbated by El Niño conditions in Somaliland and Puntland.
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Yemen children bearing the brunt of brutal conflict – UN
NEW YORK/AMMAN, Jordan, 10 April 2016 – “The children of Yemen are bearing the brunt of a brutal conflict. The cessation of hostilities that has come into effect today is an opportunity for parties to take action to improve their protection.
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UNICEF urges full hearings for refugee and migrant children stranded in Greece
GENEVA, 6 April 2016 – With the process of returning refugees and migrants from the Greek islands to Turkey underway as part of the EU-Turkey agreement, UNICEF reminds States of their duty to care and protect all children and give them a full and fair hearing when deciding on their future.

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40

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Press Releases
16 April 2016
UNHCR lauds Pope’s solidarity with refugees
UNHCR welcomes the Pope’s demonstration of solidarity with the world’s refugees today on his visit to the Greek island of Lesvos and by offering a home to three Syrian families.

Pope Francis travelled back to Rome from Lesvos today with 12 Syrians, including three women, three men and six children aged from four to 14 years of age. The Vatican is sponsoring the group’s move to Rome and ensuring a home for the refugees who had arrived on Lesvos on 18 March and had been waiting for relocation to another European country. The Syrian families (two from Damascus and one from Dier ez-Zor) arrived just before the EU-Turkey agreement came into force on 20 March.

Today, the Pope visited refugees and migrants at a centre in Moria, Lesvos, and greeted children, women, and men who have fled war and human rights violations. At least two refugees broke down in tears as they approached the Pontiff to get his blessing…
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15 April 2016
UNHCR and GPE Agree on Closer Collaboration to Ensure Children’s Education During Crisis
Washington, D.C., – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) signed a milestone agreement today that will strengthen their collaboration to support education for refugee children and youth
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11 April 2016
UNHCR statement on violence on the Greece-FYROM border on 10 April
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Press Releases
7 April 2016
UNHCR reopens Nansen Refugee Award nominations for 2016
The prestigious humanitarian award honors an individual or group who has gone beyond the call of duty to assist refugees, internally displaced or stateless persons. The award consists of a commemorative medal and a $100,000 monetary prize donated by the governments of Norway and Switzerland to support a project of the winner’s choice to benefit refugees.

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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04/15/16
Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals in 2016: 177, 207; Deaths: 732
Greece – IOM reports that an estimated 177,207 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea in 2016, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain, through April 13.
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“What is the Price of a Human Being?”: IOM Helsinki Campaign
04/15/16
Finland – IOM Helsinki has launched a new counter trafficking public information campaign: “What is the price of a human being?”
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IOM Highlights Humanitarian Needs of 2.4 Million Displaced in Northeast Nigeria
04/15/16
Nigeria – IOM is working with its partners to help the Nigerian government to support some 2.4 million people in the country’s northeastern states displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.
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IOM Targets Vulnerable Populations in Remote Areas of South Sudan
04/15/16
South Sudan – IOM rapid response teams are addressing the humanitarian needs of crisis-affected populations outside of displacement sites in South Sudan. Expanding the reach of lifesaving aid is crucial as the two-year conflict continues to increase vulnerability among internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities across the country.
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IOM’s Swing Visits Conflict-Scarred Syria, Calls for Humanitarian Access, Increased Aid
04/12/16
Syria – IOM’s Director General William Swing today concluded a three day visit to Syria calling for humanitarian access to all areas of conflict.
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Yemen Cease Fire, Upcoming Talks Offer Hope for Internally Displaced in Taizz
04/12/16
Yemen – Despite reports of renewed fighting in Yemen yesterday, hours after a ceasefire, IOM is responding to an influx of internally displaced people in Taizz governorate.
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Germany Funds IOM Cash Aid to Vulnerable Displaced in Ukraine
04/08/16
Ukraine – IOM reported that 4,350 internally displaced Ukrainians (IDPs) will benefit from a new IOM cash assistance project funded by the German government.
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IOM Resettles Syrian Refugees from Turkey to Europe Following “Swap” Deal
04/08/16
Turkey – Over the past week IOM Turkey has facilitated the resettlement of 109 Syrians to European Union (EU) countries.
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First of 10,000 Syrian Refugees Resettled to USA in “Surge” Operation
04/08/16
United States – Ahmad’s family were this week the first Syrian refugees to leave Amman, Jordan to be resettled in the United States as part of a three-month, US “surge” operation to process 10,000 refugees.
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Ghana Launches National Migration Policy
04/08/16
Ghana formally launched a National Policy on Migration and an implementation plan in Accra on 5 April 2016 with support from IOM.

The comprehensive policy will guide the management of the country’s internal, intra-regional and international migration flows. Its aim is to promote the benefits and minimize the costs of migration.

The development of the policy was supported by an IOM Development Fund (IDF)-backed project: “Developing a Migration Policy to integrate Migration into the National Development Framework for Ghana”.

IOM worked with the Migration Unit of the Ministry of the Interior and the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on Migration (IMSCM) throughout the development of the policy culminating in its validation and adoption.
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Japan Funds IOM Emergency Operations in Yemen
04/08/16
Yemen – IOM has received USD 2 million from the Government of Japan to continue to provide humanitarian assistance in Yemen, which now has an estimated 2.7 million people displaced by conflict in over 13 governorates.
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IOM, Ogilvy & Mather Launch Perception Change Campaign
04/05/16
Switzerland – IOM is partnering with Ogilvy & Mather, the international advertising, marketing and public relations agency, to run ‘Picture Perfect Europe,” a perception change campaign on the current migration and refugee emergency in Europe.

UN Women [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Date: 12 April 2016
Women police climb the ranks across Africa
Across the globe, women are still only a tiny portion of the security sector, but across Africa, some inroads are being made.
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Date: 07 April 2016
As World Health Day is commemorated globally, actions intensify in response to the Zika virus in Brazil
On World Health Day (7 April), UN Women and partners are beginning the second phase of targeted communication efforts around women’s rights in response to the Zika virus
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Date: 05 April 2016
UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women issues annual Call for Proposals
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women invites civil society organizations and governments to apply for funding through the 20th grant cycle (2016). The deadline for submitting concept notes is 4 May 2016, 23:59 EDT (GMT–4).

WHO & Regional Offices [to 16 April 2016]

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Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
:: 14 April 2016 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
:: 13 April 2016 Yellow fever – Angola
:: 12 April 2016 Zika virus infection – Viet Nam
:: 11 April 2016 Yellow Fever – Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: 9 April 2016 Microcephaly – France – Martinique

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Highlights
WHO and partners protect more than 1 million people from cholera
April 2016 — In 2015, more than 1 million people in 7 high-risk countries received the oral cholera vaccine. This extraordinary measure was taken to contain several cholera outbreaks from spreading further.

WHO scales up malaria response in Yemen
April 2016 — The risk of a malaria epidemic is high in Yemen, with high fuel costs, shortages of health workers, violence, and internal displacement preventing an effective and timely response. WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population to address these challenges.

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WHO fact sheets
:: Dengue and severe dengue 15 April 2016
:: Poliomyelitis 12 April 2016
:: Mental health: strengthening our response 11 April 2016
:: Dementia 11 April 2016
:: Headache disorders 11 April 2016
:: Echinococcosis 11 April 2016

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO regional office for Africa – Call for Nominations: Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG)
12 April 2016

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

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.

WHO European Region EURO
:: Health information at your fingertips 15-04-2016
:: Europe shapes new action plans on HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis 12-04-2016
:: European Health Information Initiative expands by 7 members at 4th Steering Group Meeting 12-04-2016

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Updated guidelines for chronic hepatitis C infection 14 April 2016
;; WHO scales up malaria response in Yemen 13 April 2016
:: Investing in treatment for depression and anxiety leads to fourfold return 13 April 2016

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/

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15 April 201
UNAIDS urges countries to adopt a people-, rights- and health-centred approach to reverse the HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs
A new UNAIDS report says insufficient coverage of harm reduction programmes and policies that criminalize and marginalize people who inject drugs are failing to reduce new HIV infections
GENEVA, 15 April 2016—Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem, which will take place from 19 to 21 April in New York, United States of America, UNAIDS has released a new report entitled Do no harm: health, human rights and people who use drugs.

The report shows that the failure of many countries to adopt health- and rights-based approaches resulted in no reduction in the global number of new HIV infections among people who inject drugs between 2010 and 2014. The world has missed the United Nations General Assembly’s target set in 2011 to reduce HIV transmission among people who inject drugs by 50% by 2015.
“Business as usual is clearly getting us nowhere,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The world must learn the lessons of the past 15 years, following the example of countries that have reversed their HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs by adopting harm reduction approaches that prioritize people’s health and human rights.”

The UNAIDS report presents the evidence base for five policy recommendations and 10 operational recommendations that countries should apply to turn around their HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs. These recommendations include the implementation of harm reduction programmes to scale and the decriminalization of the consumption and possession of drugs for personal use…
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06 April 201
Investing in community-led action will be critical to ending the AIDS epidemic
NEW YORK —At the Informal Interactive Civil Society Hearing on HIV, civil society organizations have called on United Nations Member States and partners to ensure that the response to HIV is fully funded and that financing for community-led action is increased significantly over the next few years. They also called for 30 million people to have access to life-saving HIV treatment by 2020 and for ambitious HIV prevention targets to be met…

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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UNDP and Japan agree to expand support for restoring access to electricity in Syria
Apr 15, 2016
The United Nations Development Programme’s Regional Bureau for Arab States and the Government of Japan signed today a US$11.5 million agreement to expand efforts to restore reliable electricity to Syrian communities affected by the crisis in Syria.
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Helen Clark: Keynote speech on Combating Inequalities and Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
Apr 13, 2016 United Nations – New York, USA
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UNDP tops global index for international aid transparency for second consecutive year
Apr 12, 2016
UNDP remains the most transparent aid organisation in the world, according to a leading global ranking released today.
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Helen Clark: Statement at the UN Inter-agency Taskforce Meeting on Chernobyl
Apr 11, 2016 New York, USA
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Apr 7, 2016
New Grant to Support Efforts to Prevent and Treat Malaria in Guinea-Bissau
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) today signed a EUR 16.4 million grant to prevent and treat malaria among the country’s most vulnerable populations, specifically pregnant women, children under five and health workers. The new grant will run until end of 2017 in partnership with the Government of Guinea Bissau.
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G20 leaders launch global partnership and website to help advance inclusive business
Apr 7, 2016
The G20 officially launched the Global Platform on Inclusive Business (GPIB) today in Nanjing, China. The Platform is a global partnership that will provide support to policymakers and accelerate the adoption of inclusive business policies and programs globally.
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New tool launched to improve HIV Prevention Programmes for Transgender People
Apr 6, 2016
A new UN publication was launched today to enable governments, public-health officials, programme managers, NGOs and health workers to create and improve HIV prevention programmes for transgender people.
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Helen Clark: Opening Remarks at Ministerial Conference on Implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in Arab Countries Social Dimensions
Apr 6, 2016
Cairo, Egypt