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

UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) [to 16 April 2016]
http://unsdsn.org/news/

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April 11, 2016
Jeffrey Cheah Foundation’s $10 Million Gift Launches the “Jeffrey D. Sachs Center on Sustainable Development” in Kuala Lumpur
Gift by Malaysia-Based Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Supports the Establishment of New Center and Curriculum Focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
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April 7, 2016
Global Urban Networks endorse proposal for a new IPCC special edition on cities and climate change
Mayors, city networks and urban stakeholders worldwide call for an IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change during the IPCC 43rd Session on April 11-13.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

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16/04/2016
Green Finance Symposium Explores Financial Mechanisms to Promote Low-Carbon Global Economic Growth
Hank Paulson underscores need for green finance, technologies to achieve global climate targets
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UN Environment Programme and Partners Launch Sustainable Diving Guide to Protect Marine Assets
UNEP Video on Sustainable Dive Tourism Featuring Renowned Cartoonist Jim Toomey also Released
15/04/2016
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Harnessing Africa’s Rich Natural Capital Tops Agenda at High-level African Conference on the Environment
Sustainable use of Africa’s natural capital could result in savings of up to $103 billion every year and drive Africa’s economic growth.
15/04/2016
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New UN Web Tool Demonstrates Climate Benefits of Protecting Apes
Protecting great apes in Africa and Asia can help countries fight climate change.
14/04/2016
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07/04/2016
African Universities See Wealth in Waste
Interview with Professor David Mungai, Deputy Director of the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies and member of the First University Consortium to tackle Solid Waste Management.

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive

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12 Apr 2016
Private sector hammers out resilience plans
GENEVA,– An international business group working to reduce the impact of natural and man-made hazards has pledged to ensure that the private sector plays its part in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The UNISDR Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, or ARISE, today held a meeting to hammer out plans to help companies get involved in achieving the goals of the Sendai Framework, a 15-year agreement that seeks to curb disaster deaths and economic losses.
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Americas step up Sendai Framework drive
WASHINGTON, 11 April 2016 – Paraguay is set to host a key meeting to step up the Americas’ drive to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, a global agreement on saving lives and livelihoods from natural and man-made hazards.

The first Ministerial and High Level Authorities Meeting on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework in the Americas is scheduled to take place on 8-9 June in the Paraguayan capital Asunción, delegates heard at a session of the 35-country Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington.
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8 Apr 2016
Build better boost for Sendai Framework
GENEVA, April 8, 2016 – The World Bank Group has announced a major new building policy which should address concerns expressed in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global plan for reducing disaster risk and disaster losses.

The initiative has been launched weeks before the anniversary of the Nepal earthquake which cost 8,857 lives and US$10 billion or 50% of the impoverished country’s GDP. The April 25 earthquake was followed by another on May 12, strong reminders of how non-compliance with building codes can exact a high price.

The World Bank’s Building for Resilience program will leverage good practice in building regulation as part of a strategy to reduce both chronic risk and disaster risk. By avoiding the creation of new risk, it will help set developing countries on the path to effective reform and long-term resilience…

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 16 April 2016]
https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news.html

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15 April 2016, New York
Turning pledges into reality to finance sustainable development
“Let’s demonstrate our commitment to realizing the sustainable development goals through financing for development,” said Oh Joon, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), ahead of the inaugural ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum, which will be held in New York on 18-20 April under the theme “Financing for sustainable development: follow-up to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.”
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5 April 2016, New York
Redefining development cooperation within SDGs context
Gathering at this year’s Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) High-Level Symposium, stakeholders from both developed and developing countries will design a new path for how development cooperation should support developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, in view of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNESCO [to 16 April 2016]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases/News

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15 April 2016
Executive Board strengthens UNESCO to lead 2030 Agenda
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14 April 2016
New director for science policy and capacity building
Prof. Romain Murenzi (Rwanda) has been appointed to the post of Director of UNESCO’s Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building by the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova…

The Division leads UNESCO’s work in assisting its member states in the formulation and upgrading of their science policies, the strengthening of the science policy interface, the building of institutional and human capacities in science, innovation and engineering, in addition to mobilizing local and indigenous knowledge with the aim of contributing to the international sustainable development agenda and frameworks, at global, regional and national levels. It also focuses on small island developing states (SIDS) and implements its programmes through, among other means, cooperation with the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and TWAS. The Division is also responsible for the production of the flagship UNESCO Science Report, the UNESCO Engineering Report and the Global Science Policy Information Network (GO-SPIN)…
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12 April 2016
Cultural Heritage Preservation at the core of UN and Universities concerted efforts
On 11 April at Yale University, Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, gave a public lecture on “Culture in Crisis” on confronting significant threats to the world’s cultural heritage.

Her talk was part of the week long events being held on campus in conjunction with the Global Colloquium of University Presidents, including a series of workshops on “Culture in Crisis” by the Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage and the Victoria & Albert Museum as a follow up to joint colloquium they held in London in 2015 under the patronage of UNESCO.
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12 April 2016
Protecting cultural heritage in Syria
UNESCO reiterates call for unity and coordination to protect Syrian Cultural Heritage
In the context of the ongoing destruction and rapidly evolving situation of World Heritage sites in the Syrian Arab Republic, UNESCO held several information meetings in April to assess the situation and discuss the way forward…
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8 April 2016
Senegal Moves Towards Open access
Open access is the online availability of scholarly information to everyone, free of most licensing and copyright barriers to promote access to scientific knowledge. Open access helps to promote global knowledge exchange to contribute to scientific discoveries, innovation and socio-economic development.

In the framework of open access, a conference on the open access movement and the future of Africa’s knowledge economy took place in Dakar at the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) from 30 March to April 1, 2016. During this conference Senegal played a key role.

Aware of the lack of open access policies in African countries and the challenge of access to scientific and educational information on the Continent, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Senegal, in consultation with all national stakeholders concerned and with the technical support of UNESCO, has decided to begin the process to ensure the establishment of a national open access policy. The result of this policy will encourage the creation of open platforms free and accessible for all researchers, innovators, teachers, students, media professionals and the public and will encourage collaboration, production, dissemination, and knowledge economies.

Senegal will be the first African country to establish an open access policy, which represents an important lever for accelerated development in the country and positions Senegal as a leader in this domain.
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7 April 2016
UNESCO partners with Zhi Zheng Art Museum to organize a High Level Forum on Museums
The Zhi Zeng Art Museum, located in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China, recently announced its decision to support the organization of the first UNESCO High Level Forum on Museums, as part of a partnership agreement signed on 7 March by UNESCO and Mr. Wu Fuqing, the Museum’s Director-General.

Scheduled to be held this November in Shenzhen, a UNESCO Creative City of Design, the forum will bring together numerous ministers of culture and directors of the world’s leading museums to discuss the social, educational and economic value of museums, as well as their key role in promoting intercultural dialogue and sustainable development.

The forum will also represent a timely opportunity to discuss the implementation of UNESCO’s recently adopted 2015 Recommendation on the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society, which provides a set of innovative policy guidelines for strengthening and broadening the role of museums in a new era of social, economic and technological change. At a time when culture is increasingly facing new challenges and threats, UNESCO believes that the city of Shenzhen’s commitment to supporting the protection and promotion of museums can serve as a model for similar initiatives around the world.

UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/allpress.html?ref=fp

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11/04/2016
Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the World Drug Problem
The United Nations General Assembly will hold a Special Session on the World Drug Problem from 19 to 21 April 2016. The session will review progress and discuss challenges in countering the world drug problem and in implementing the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem, which defined actions to be taken by Member States as well as goals to be achieved by 2019. The event will consist of a plenary and multi-stakeholder roundtables…
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08/04/2016
Statement at the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 16 April 2016]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/

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Posted April 15, 2016
Record downloads of the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning
Nairobi 13 April 2016–The English version of the International Guidelines on Urban Territorial Planning (IG-UTP) has been downloaded over 100,000 times from the UN-Habitat website, making these Guidelines the most popular publications ever in less than a year of availability…
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Posted April 8, 2016
UN-Habitat unveils the first batch of Emerging Community Champions
Nairobi, 8 April 2016—UN-Habitat last month hosted and honored the first cohort of Emerging Community Champions.These are young people who have made remarkable achievements and continue to inspire hope, provide leadership both at the community level and…
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Campaign to improve the lives of slum dwellers launched in South Africa
Pretoria, 9 April 2016: UN-Habitat’s Participatory Slum Upgrading Progamme (PSUP) has launched the ‘Up for Slum Dwellers – Transforming a Billion Lives’ campaign.
Posted April 8, 2016
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UfM and UN-Habitat join forces to promote sustainable urban development in the Mediterranean
Barcelona, 6 April 2016. UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr Joan Clos and UfM Deputy Secretary General for Transport and Urban Development Ambassador Yigit Alpogan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to undertake joint actions for an integrated approach…
Posted April 6, 2016