Journal of Medical Ethics
January 2016, Volume 42, Issue 1
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

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Viewpoint
To research (or not) that is the question: ethical issues in research when medical care is disrupted by political action: a case study from Eldoret, Kenya
Darlene R House1,2, Irene Marete2,3, Eric M Meslin2,3,4
Author Affiliations
1Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
2Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
3Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Moi University School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya
4Center for Bioethics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Correspondence to Dr Darlene R House, Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; dhouse@iupui.edu
Abstract
While considerable attention has been focused on understanding the myriad of ethical analysis in international research in low and middle income countries, new issues always arise that have not been anticipated in guidelines or studied extensively. The disruption of medical care arising as a direct result of political actions, including strikes, postelection violence and related activities, is one such issue that leaves physician-researchers struggling to manage often conflicting professional responsibilities. This paper discusses the ethical conflicts that arise for physician-researchers, particularly when disruption threatens the completion of a study or completion is possible but at the expense of not addressing unmet medical needs of patients. We review three pragmatic strategies and the ethical issues arising from each: not starting research, stopping research that has already started, and continuing research already initiated. We argue that during episodes of medical care disruption, research that has been started can be continued only if the ethical standards imposed at the beginning of the study can continue to be met; however, studies that have been approved but not yet started should not begin until the disruption has ended and ethical standards can again be assured.

The Lancet
Jan 16, 2016 Volume 387 Number 10015 p199-310
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

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Articles
Under-5 mortality in 2851 Chinese counties, 1996–2012: a subnational assessment of achieving MDG 4 goals in China
Yanping Wang, Xiaohong Li, Maigeng Zhou, Shusheng Luo, Juan Liang, Chelsea A Liddell, Matthew M Coates, Yanqiu Gao, Linhong Wang, Chunhua He, Chuyun Kang, Shiwei Liu, Li Dai, Austin E Schumacher, Maya S Fraser, Timothy M Wolock, Amanda Pain, Carly E Levitz, Lavanya Singh, Megan Coggeshall, Margaret Lind, Yichong Li, Qi Li, Kui Deng, Yi Mu, Changfei Deng, Ling Yi, Zheng Liu, Xia Ma, Hongtian Li, Dezhi Mu, Jun Zhu, Christopher J L Murray, Haidong Wang
Summary
Background
In the past two decades, the under-5 mortality rate in China has fallen substantially, but progress with regards to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 at the subnational level has not been quantified. We aimed to estimate under-5 mortality rates in mainland China for the years 1970 to 2012.
Methods
We estimated the under-5 mortality rate for 31 provinces in mainland China between 1970 and 2013 with data from censuses, surveys, surveillance sites, and disease surveillance points. We estimated under-5 mortality rates for 2851 counties in China from 1996 to 2012 with the reported child mortality numbers from the Annual Report System on Maternal and Child Health. We used a small area mortality estimation model, spatiotemporal smoothing, and Gaussian process regression to synthesise data and generate consistent provincial and county-level estimates. We compared progress at the county level with what was expected on the basis of income and educational attainment using an econometric model. We computed Gini coefficients to study the inequality of under-5 mortality rates across counties.
Findings
In 2012, the lowest provincial level under-5 mortality rate in China was about five per 1000 livebirths, lower than in Canada, New Zealand, and the USA. The highest provincial level under-5 mortality rate in China was higher than that of Bangladesh. 29 provinces achieved a decrease in under-5 mortality rates twice as fast as the MDG 4 target rate; only two provinces will not achieve MDG 4 by 2015. Although some counties in China have under-5 mortality rates similar to those in the most developed nations in 2012, some have similar rates to those recorded in Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Despite wide differences, the inter-county Gini coefficient has been decreasing. Improvement in maternal education and the economic boom have contributed to the fall in child mortality; more than 60% of the counties in China had rates of decline in under-5 mortality rates significantly faster than expected. Fast reduction in under-5 mortality rates have been recorded not only in the Han population, the dominant ethnic majority in China, but also in the minority populations. All top ten minority groups in terms of population sizes have experienced annual reductions in under-5 mortality rates faster than the MDG 4 target at 4·4%.
Interpretation
The reduction of under-5 mortality rates in China at the country, provincial, and county level is an extraordinary success story. Reductions of under-5 mortality rates faster than 8·8% (twice MDG 4 pace) are possible. Extremely rapid declines seem to be related to public policy in addition to socioeconomic progress. Lessons from successful counties should prove valuable for China to intensify efforts for those with unacceptably high under-5 mortality rates.
Funding
National “Twelfth Five-Year” Plan for Science and Technology Support, National Health and Family Planning Commission of The People’s Republic of China, Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University, the National Institute on Aging, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Series
Antimicrobials: access and sustainable effectiveness
Exploring the evidence base for national and regional policy interventions to combat resistance
Osman A Dar, Rumina Hasan, Jørgen Schlundt, Stephan Harbarth, Grazia Caleo, Fazal K Dar, Jasper Littmann, Mark Rweyemamu, Emmeline J Buckley, Mohammed Shahid, Richard Kock, Henry Lishi Li, Haydar Giha, Mishal Khan, Anthony D So, Khalid M Bindayna, Anthony Kessel, Hanne Bak Pedersen, Govin Permanand, Alimuddin Zumla, John-Arne Røttingen, David L Heymann

Antimicrobials: access and sustainable effectiveness
International cooperation to improve access to and sustain effectiveness of antimicrobials
Christine Årdal, Kevin Outterson, Steven J Hoffman, Abdul Ghafur, Mike Sharland, Nisha Ranganathan, Richard Smith, Anna Zorzet, Jennifer Cohn, Didier Pittet, Nils Daulaire, Chantal Morel, Zain Rizvi, Manica Balasegaram, Osman A Dar, David L Heymann, Alison H Holmes, Luke S P Moore, Ramanan Laxminarayan, Marc Mendelson, John-Arne Røttingen

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 16 January 2016]

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Spatiotemporal Evolution of Ebola Virus Disease at Sub-National Level during the 2014 West Africa Epidemic: Model Scrutiny and Data Meagreness
Eva Santermans, Emmanuel Robesyn, Tapiwa Ganyani, Bertrand Sudre, Christel Faes, Chantal Quinten, Wim Van Bortel, Tom Haber, Thomas Kovac, Frank Van Reeth, Marco Testa, Niel Hens, Diamantis Plachouras
Research Article | published 15 Jan 2016 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0147172

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 9 January 2016

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor &
Founding Managing Director
GE2P2 – Center for Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

pdf version: The Sentinel_ week ending 9 January 2016

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries  posted below on 10 January 2016

Press encounter with UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi [Video: 20:24]
UNHCR: 7 Jan 2016 – Press encounter in Geneva with new UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi.
[Editor’s Note: Informal and very useful reflections by the new UNHCR head just four days into his new role]

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Filippo Grandi takes helm as new UN High Commissioner for Refugees, speaks of focus on solutions
Press Releases, 4 January 2016
Filippo Grandi, a UN official who has worked in refugee and political affairs in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, began his 5-year term as UN High Commissioner for Refugees on 1 January, succeeding António Guterres whose more than 10 years in office ended last week.

High Commissioner Grandi, who arrived at UNHCR’s headquarters office in Geneva earlier today, takes up the position at a time of unprecedented displacement challenges. Record numbers of people globally are forced to flee war and persecution, including more than one million refugees and migrants who crossed the Mediterranean to Europe during the past year. Other challenges include critical shortfalls in humanitarian funding, fewer voluntary returns than at any time in more than three decades, people staying in exile for longer periods of time and increased politicization of refugee issues in many countries.

“UNHCR is navigating extraordinarily difficult waters,” Grandi said. “The combination of multiple conflicts and resulting mass displacement, fresh challenges to asylum, the funding gap between humanitarian needs and resources, and growing xenophobia is very dangerous. The road ahead is a challenging one, but I hope that – working with governments, civil society, and other partners – we will make progress in ensuring international protection and improved living conditions for millions of refugees, internally displaced and stateless people. I also hope that solutions to crises of displacement will be pursued with renewed determination by addressing their root causes and investing adequate political and material resources. UNHCR, whose mandate includes the search for solutions, stands ready to work with all those pursuing this goal.”

Mr. Grandi (58), who is from Italy, has worked in international affairs for over 30 years, 27 of them with the United Nations. Formerly head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), he worked prior to that for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as Deputy Special Representative, following a long career with UNHCR in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and at the organization’s Geneva headquarters.

UNHCR works worldwide to protect, assist and find solutions for refugees, internally displaced people and stateless populations. It has some 9,700 staff across 126 countries, many of them working in humanitarian emergencies and in close proximity to regions of conflict. In June 2015 it reported that worldwide forced displacement had reached a new post-World War II high of 59.5 million people. Displacement levels have continued to rise since, most visibly with the situation of more than one million refugees and migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe during 2015.

Briefing on the Humanitarian Consequences of El Niño and the Need for Urgent Action [Video: 1:47]
Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien
New York, 7 January 2016
Briefing Transcript: https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/USG%20OBrien%20Briefing%20to%20MS%207%20January%202016.pdf

Excerpt
I’m very grateful to you for being here today for the briefing on the humanitarian consequences of the El Nino phenomenon. As you know, El Nino is already having a devastating effect on many parts of the world.

We are here today to re-sound the alarm.

And we are here to spur a collective response to the humanitarian suffering caused by changes in weather patterns linked to El Niño, and to take action now to mitigate its effects.

If we act now, we will save lives and livelihoods, and prevent an even more serious humanitarian emergency from taking hold.

In some regions, millions of people are already facing food insecurity caused by drought related to El Niño. In other parts of the world, we have a short window of opportunity now to prepare for what we know will happen within months. In both cases, we must act together and we must act quickly.

As we will soon hear from our colleague from the World Meteorological Organization, the strength of the current El Niño has put our world into uncharted territory. El Niño itself is not caused by climate change, but the fact that it is taking place in a changed climate means that its impacts are less predictable, and could be more severe.

El Niño is likely to decline in strength in January 2016, but this does not mean that the danger has passed. El Niño and a possible subsequent La Niña event will continue to affect different parts of the world at different times with a mix of above- or below average rainfall. The impacts, especially on food insecurity, may last as long as two years.

I am particularly concerned about a number of countries spread across Central and South America, the Pacific region, and East and South Africa…

…By the nature of its scale, its slow onset and the early warning afforded to us by reliable scientific analysis, El Niño poses a critical test to our global humanitarian system in two fundamental areas.

Firstly, El Niño tests our commitment to early action, which was re-affirmed after the devastating Horn of Africa drought of 2011. The warning signs are there. Are we prepared to act on them? Do we collectively make the resources available now on the basis of these firm clues—known on scientific evidence and experience to be lead indicators—or do we wait for the proof of these facts of a crisis, of course then rapidly a humanitarian and massive crisis, and donors’ money coming to the rescue in the end? Are the politicians in donor countries prepared to risk their taxpayers cash before that proof? Can we make the investments in preparedness and early response that we know to be far less costly in human and economic terms than waiting until the full scale of disaster is upon us?

Secondly, El Niño challenges our commitment to joint action between humanitarian and development actors, and between the international community and national and local governments. Are we able to forge the partnerships necessary to focus development efforts on the most vulnerable? Can we work together to build the resilience of people and communities and prevent them from falling into humanitarian need? If we are to save lives and reduce suffering, of course we must answer ’yes’ to all of these questions…

AN UNCERTAIN PATH – Justice for Crimes and Human Rights Violations against Migrants and Refugees in Mexico
Research Report – NOVEMBER 2015 :: 60 pages
Washington Office on Latin America [WOLA} and several migrant rights organizations [listed at bottom]
Authors: José Knippen, Clay Boggs, and Maureen Meyer |
Pdf: http://www.wola.org/sites/default/files/Uncertain%20Path.pdf

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KEY FINDINGS
:: THE SOUTHERN BORDER PROGRAM HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED
MIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS MIGRANT DETENTIONS
AND DEPORTATIONS.
From July 2014 to June 2015, detentions of migrants rose 73 percent compared to the same period the year before; between July 2013 and June 2014, 97,245 migrants were detained, while 168,280 were detained between July 2014 and June 2015. Furthermore, government data indicates there has been an increase in migration enforcement operations; however, more reliable data is needed.

:: THIS INCREASED ENFORCEMENT HAS PROMPTED AN UPTICK IN HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST MIGRANTS.
Abuses have been documented in these migration operations, which are increasingly conducted in conjunction with security forces. Migrant shelters have documented kidnappings, extortions, robberies, and abuses throughout the country.

• GIVEN THIS CONTEXT, THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN ITS CAPACITY TO PROTECT MIGRANTS HAVE FALLEN SHORT OF WHAT IS NEEDED.
For example, the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comisión Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados, COMAR) only has 15 protection officers in the entire country to ensure access to international protection for the more than 100,000 migrants detained during the course of a year. Moreover, COMAR’s budget did not increase in real terms from 2014 to 2015.

:: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT VICTIMS OF CRIMES AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS HAVE EFFECTIVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE, DESPITE THE CREATION OF NEW SPECIALIZED PROSECUTORS’ OFFICES.
There is a lack of conclusive data regarding justice for migrants in Mexico. The most detailed data are from the specialized prosecutor’s office in Oaxaca, which reports that, of the 383 complaints received over four years, only 96 resulted in a preliminary investigation being opened and only four resulted in sentences for the perpetrators. Additionally, of the 1,617 complaints of human rights violations against migrants that the National Human Rights Commission (Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, CNDH) received from December 1, 2012 to June 15, 2015, only four resulted in a formal recommendation issued to the institution implicated in the complaint.

:: THE SOUTHERN BORDER PROGRAM HAS FOCUSED ON ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES AND THIS FOCUS IS REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET OF THE NATIONAL MIGRATION INSTITUTE (INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE MIGRACIÓN, INM). INDEED, IN 2014 THE INM SPENT THE LARGEST BUDGET IN ITS HISTORY.
For its part, the United States government has offered the Mexican government political and financial support for migration enforcement, especially following the drastic increase in the number of unaccompanied minors and migrant families—primarily from Central America—arriving at the United States’ southwest border.

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Sponsoring Organizations:
CASA DEL MIGRANTE DE SALTILLO “FRONTERA CON JUSTICIA”, AC, in Saltillo, Coahuila, provides comprehensive humanitarian assistance as well as case documentation and legal services.

FUNDAR, CENTRO DE ANÁLISIS E INVESTIGACIÓN, AC is a civil society organization based in Mexico City, Mexico that works toward a substantive democracy.

ALBERGUE DE MIGRANTES “HERMANOS EL CAMINO,” in Ixtepec, Oaxaca, provides comprehensive humanitarian assistance to migrants in transit in Mexico.

LA 72, HOGAR—REFUGIO PARA PERSONAS MIGRANTES, is a Franciscan project dedicated to providing comprehensive assistance to migrants and refugees traveling through Tenosique, Tabasco in Mexico.

WOLA (WASHINGTON OFFICE ON LATIN AMERICA) is a leading research and advocacy organization that promotes human rights in the Americas.

LA RED SONORA is a network of three organizations based in Sonora, Mexico dedicated to defending and providing humanitarian assistance to migrants in Mexico.

Centro Comunitario de Atención al Migrante y Necesitado, in Altar, is a migrant shelter run by the local Nuestra Señora de Guadelupe Church.

Centro de Recursos para Migrantes, in Agua Prieta, works to provide humanitarian assistance
to migrants and document abuses.

Kino Border Initiative is an organization based in Nogales, Sonora and Nogales, Arizona that works in support of migrants and refugees in the United States and Mexico.

UN MUNDO, UNA NACIÓN, AC is an organization dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance and promoting the human rights of migrants in Apizaco, Tlaxcala.

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Publication
Migrant Detentions, and Rights Abuses, Increase in Mexico
MacArthur Foundation
January 6, 2016
A report from the Washington Office on Latin America and several migrant rights organizations shows that about 168,000 migrants were detained in Mexico from July 2014 to June 2015 – a 73 percent increase from the previous year that has brought with it rising crimes and abuses against migrants. The MacArthur-supported report attributes the increase to the Southern Border Protection program, which increased security at the country’s southern border and caused migrants to take less-traveled, more dangerous routes that expose them to assault, rape, extortion, and other crimes.

The freedom ecosystem – How the power of partnership can help stop modern slavery
A report by Monitor – Deloitte/Deloitte Consulting LLP
October 23, 2015 :: 52 pages
PDF: http://dupress.com/articles/freedom-ecosystem-stop-modern-slavery/?id=us:2el:3dc:aht:awa:cons:102315

Executive Summary
…According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 21 million people are globally enslaved. These individuals are victims of the world’s fastest-growing illicit industry, generating an estimated $150 billion of illegal profits each year. From the overseas supply chains of our favorite products to domestic workers in our own neighborhoods, we all directly and indirectly touch slavery, and by working together can help abolish it.

While the problem of modern slavery is a persistent and hidden crime, those working to end it are crippled by three significant challenges: prevailing gaps in collecting and sharing data, limited resources to address slavery, and a challenging policy environment.

Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to addressing such a complex and resilient problem. Rather than seeking silver bullets, organizations looking to contribute to the eradication of slavery should aim to take incremental steps to improve the status quo. In that spirit, a community of cross-sector individuals and organizations has coalesced into a “freedom ecosystem.” The freedom ecosystem comprises a dynamic and diverse network of actors, with the shared goal of removing the conditions that allow slavery to persist and empowering slavery’s victims and survivors to own their personal path to freedom. Anti-slavery allies from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors converge to advance freedom in the face of predators and accomplices who engage in the illicit networks that allow slavery to persist.

Through collective action, these allies are working to confront the individuals and institutions that perpetuate slavery, liberate victims, support survivors, and educate the public. The very persistence and even growth of modern-day slavery indicates both the problem’s complexity and its resistance to many of the initiatives currently in place. It will likely take the entire freedom ecosystem—businesses, governments, NGOs, academia, multilateral organizations, private investors, civil-society groups, and consumers—working together to abolish practices that challenge the best intentions to promote a freer world.

Through a series of interviews with experts from across the freedom ecosystem, extensive
secondary research, and analysis of successful collective-action examples, we have identified three elements that allies should apply in collaborating for increased progress:
:: Align on common goals:
Allies develop a clear understanding of the question they are trying to solve and collectively determine how the issue fits within the larger effort to end slavery. A clearly defined and scoped problem translates into clear partnership goals and objectives that can drive and measure an initiative’s progress.
:: Build mutual ownership:
Allies often identify their optimal contribution and align roles accordingly. These roles include identifying ways to absorb the costs associated with launching and sustaining partnerships, which require investments of time, energy, and money. By committing to clear functional and investment-related responsibilities, allies develop the foundation needed for a successful partnership.
:: Create scalable solutions:
Allies often use a variety of means to encourage progress, including open-sourcing initiatives,
encouraging the formation of additional partnerships, and designing platforms that help amplify adoption of effective interventions.

All of these lead to sustained growth of initiatives beyond the initial program, ultimately benefiting the entire freedom ecosystem. By incorporating these elements of collective action, allies from across sectors can establish an infrastructure to help reinforce future change: creating a professional association for joint learning, mobilizing resources through strategic alliances, and uniting around a common policy agenda. By coming together and finding a collective voice, allies can energize the freedom ecosystem…

100 key research questions for the post-2015 development agenda
Development Policy Review
January 2016 Volume 34, Issue 1 Pages i–ii, 5–174
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dpr.2016.34.issue-1/issuetoc

Johan A. Oldekop, Lorenza B. Fontana, Jean Grugel, Nicole Roughton, Emmanuel A. Adu-Ampong, Gemma K. Bird, Alex Dorgan, Marcia A. Vera Espinoza, Sara Wallin, Daniel Hammett, Esther Agbarakwe, Arun Agrawal, Nurgul Asylbekova, Clarissa Azkoul, Craig Bardsley, Anthony J. Bebbington, Savio Carvalho, Deepta Chopra, Stamatios Christopoulos, Emma Crewe, Marie-Claude Dop, Joern Fischer, Daan Gerretsen, Jonathan Glennie, William Gois, Mtinkheni Gondwe, Lizz A. Harrison, Katja Hujo, Mark Keen, Roberto Laserna, Luca Miggiano, Sarah Mistry, Rosemary J. Morgan, Linda L. Raftree, Duncan Rhind, Thiago Rodrigues, Sonia Roschnik, Flavia Senkubuge, Ian Thornton, Simon Trace, Teresa Ore, René Mauricio Valdés, Bhaskar Vira, Nicola Yeates and William J. Sutherland

Article first published online: 13 DEC 2015 | DOI: 10.1111/dpr.12147
Open Access

Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) herald a new phase for international development. This article presents the results of a consultative exercise to collaboratively identify 100 research questions of critical importance for the post-2015 international development agenda. The final shortlist is grouped into nine thematic areas and was selected by 21 representatives of international and non-governmental organisations and consultancies, and 14 academics with diverse disciplinary expertise from an initial pool of 704 questions submitted by 110 organisations based in 34 countries. The shortlist includes questions addressing long-standing problems, new challenges and broader issues related to development policies, practices and institutions. Collectively, these questions are relevant for future development-related research priorities of governmental and non-governmental organisations worldwide and could act as focal points for transdisciplinary research collaborations.

[Excerpt from closing section]
Discussion
No shortlist can cover all possible development issues where further research is needed (nor could one expect full agreement on an exclusive list). The 100 questions presented here address a varied combination of long-standing problems that have hindered development for decades as well as newer challenges. For example, well-established concerns about the rights of women, and of vulnerable groups such as poor workers, small-scale farmers, people with disabilities, children and ethnic minorities feature alongside emerging issues, including the role of business in protecting human rights, and information and communication technologies as tools for empowerment and social integration. Similarly, traditional concerns linked to rural livelihoods, land tenure and agricultural production are presented together with environmental sustainability, natural resource extraction, urbanisation, food security and climate change adaptation and mitigation. The inclusion of longstanding questions in the shortlist highlights the intractability of certain issues and the necessity for them to remain central in future research agendas.

The shortlist also reflects a progressive shift from economic development towards a multifaceted and more complex way of understanding social change. While civil society and the empowerment of marginalised populations are recognised as key for development, questions on new actors, including the private sector and emerging economic powers, feature heavily in this shortlist: the complex and contested role of middle-income countries as donors and partners, as well as recipients of aid, is one such example (Alonso et al., 2014). Furthermore, the questions shortlisted also reflect the mainstreaming of gender perspectives into a wide range of development areas, helping to cement the view that gender should be considered central to future development initiatives.

Of particular importance is that a substantial number of the submitted questions (102) went beyond the initially prescribed themes and specifically challenged the appropriateness of current development institutions and policies, or the epistemological foundations of development itself. Collectively, these questions highlight a critical need for a deeper reflection on paradigms underpinning international development practices, the long-debated reform of global institutions and the significance of contemporary economic and political scenarios for the development agenda. In one sense, these questions constitute a key outcome of the consultation. Not only do these questions raise important issues in themselves but they also highlight a potential limitation of the many other post-2015 priority-setting exercises using pre-determined themes. Allowing participants to think outside of predetermined thematic boxes might raise issues that scrutinise broader concepts of development and their underlining assumptions…

The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene
Review
Colin N. Waters, et al
Science
8 January 2016: Vol. 351 no. 6269 DOI: 10.1126/science.aad2622

Editor’s Summary
Evidence of an Anthropocene epoch
Humans are undoubtedly altering many geological processes on Earth—and have been for some time. But what is the stratigraphic evidence for officially distinguishing this new human-dominated time period, termed the “Anthropocene,” from the preceding Holocene epoch? Waters et al. review climatic, biological, and geochemical signatures of human activity in sediments and ice cores. Combined with deposits of new materials and radionuclides, as well as human-caused modification of sedimentary processes, the Anthropocene stands alone stratigraphically as a new epoch beginning sometime in the mid–20th century

Structured Abstract
BACKGROUND
Humans are altering the planet, including long-term global geologic processes, at an increasing rate. Any formal recognition of an Anthropocene epoch in the geological time scale hinges on whether humans have changed the Earth system sufficiently to produce a stratigraphic signature in sediments and ice that is distinct from that of the Holocene epoch. Proposals for marking the start of the Anthropocene include an “early Anthropocene” beginning with the spread of agriculture and deforestation; the Columbian Exchange of Old World and New World species; the Industrial Revolution at ~1800 CE; and the mid-20th century “Great Acceleration” of population growth and industrialization.

ADVANCES
Recent anthropogenic deposits contain new minerals and rock types, reflecting rapid global dissemination of novel materials including elemental aluminum, concrete, and plastics that form abundant, rapidly evolving “technofossils.” Fossil fuel combustion has disseminated black carbon, inorganic ash spheres, and spherical carbonaceous particles worldwide, with a near-synchronous global increase around 1950. Anthropogenic sedimentary fluxes have intensified, including enhanced erosion caused by deforestation and road construction. Widespread sediment retention behind dams has amplified delta subsidence.

Geochemical signatures include elevated levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and pesticide residues, as well as increased 207/206Pb ratios from leaded gasoline, starting between ~1945 and 1950. Soil nitrogen and phosphorus inventories have doubled in the past century because of increased fertilizer use, generating widespread signatures in lake strata and nitrate levels in Greenland ice that are higher than at any time during the previous 100,000 years.

Detonation of the Trinity atomic device at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on 16 July 1945 initiated local nuclear fallout from 1945 to 1951, whereas thermonuclear weapons tests generated a clear global signal from 1952 to 1980, the so-called “bomb spike” of excess 14C, 239Pu, and other artificial radionuclides that peaks in 1964.

Atmospheric CO2 and CH4 concentrations depart from Holocene and even Quaternary patterns starting at ~1850, and more markedly at ~1950, with an associated steep fall in δ13C that is captured by tree rings and calcareous fossils. An average global temperature increase of 0.6o to 0.9oC from 1900 to the present, occurring predominantly in the past 50 years, is now rising beyond the Holocene variation of the past 14,000 years, accompanied by a modest enrichment of δ18O in Greenland ice starting at ~1900. Global sea levels increased at 3.2 ± 0.4 mm/year from 1993 to 2010 and are now rising above Late Holocene rates. Depending on the trajectory of future anthropogenic forcing, these trends may reach or exceed the envelope of Quaternary interglacial conditions.

Biologic changes also have been pronounced. Extinction rates have been far above background rates since 1500 and increased further in the 19th century and later; in addition, species assemblages have been altered worldwide by geologically unprecedented transglobal species invasions and changes associated with farming and fishing, permanently reconfiguring Earth’s biological trajectory.

OUTLOOK
These novel stratigraphic signatures support the formalization of the Anthropocene at the epoch level, with a lower boundary (still to be formally identified) suitably placed in the mid-20th century. Formalization is a complex question because, unlike with prior subdivisions of geological time, the potential utility of a formal Anthropocene reaches well beyond the geological community. It also expresses the extent to which humanity is driving rapid and widespread changes to the Earth system that will variously persist and potentially intensify into the future.

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/
Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage

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7 January 2016
SG/SM/17445-HR/5287
Secretary-General Condemns Government of Yemen for Expelling United Nations Human Rights Representative, Says Move Could Impede Return to Stability

6 January 2016
SC/12191-DC/3600
Security Council Press Statement on Nuclear Test Conducted by Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

6 January 2016
SG/SM/17443-DC/3599
Secretary-General ‘Unequivocally’ Condemns Nuclear Step Announced by Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Demands End to Tests

2 January 2016
SG/SM/17440-HR/5286
Deeply Dismayed by Executions in Saudi Arabia, Secretary-General Reiterates Strong Stance against Capital Punishment, Urges Government to Commute All Death Sentences

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 9 January 2016]
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1/8/2016
Zeid urges Yemen to reverse decision to expel top UN human rights official

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1/4/2016
Special Rapporteur on Occupied Palestinian Territory resigns due to continued lack of access to OPT
GENEVA (4 January 2016) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Makarim Wibisono, today submitted his resignation to the President of the Human Rights Council, effective as of 31 March 2016.

The independent expert expressed deep regret that, throughout his mandate, Israel failed to grant him access to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “Unfortunately, my efforts to help improve the lives of Palestinian victims of violations under the Israeli occupation have been frustrated every step of the way,” said Mr. Wibisono.

The Special Rapporteur stressed that upon taking up the mandate in June 2014, he was assured that he would have access to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “I took up this mandate with the understanding that Israel would grant me access, as an impartial and objective observer,” he said.

Repeated requests for access, both written and oral, have been unsuccessful. “With no reply from Israel to my latest request, in October 2015, to have access by the end of 2015, it is with deep regret that I accept the premise upon which I took up the mandate, which is to have direct access to the victims in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, will not be fulfilled,” the Special Rapporteur said.

Mr. Wibisono said that that throughout his tenure, the Government of the State of Palestine cooperated fully with the mandate.

The Special Rapporteur voiced deep concern at the lack of effective protection of Palestinian victims of continuing human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law…

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1/3/2016
Zeid deplores mass execution of 47 people in Saudi Arabia

Committee on the Rights of the Child [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRCIndex.aspx

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7 January 2016
Committee on the Rights of the Child holds seventy-first session in Geneva from 11 to 29 January 2016
The Committee on the Rights of the Child will meet at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 11 to 29 January 2016 to review the promotion and protection of children’s rights under the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols in Senegal, Iran, Latvia, Oman, Ireland, France, Haiti, Peru, Zimbabwe, Maldives, Zambia, Benin, Brunei Darussalam and Kenya. At the opening meeting, the Committee will adopt its agenda and programme of work…

UN OCHA [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases

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08 Jan 2016
Chad: The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) releases nearly US$ 7 million for humanitarian assistance in the Lac region of Chad
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Chad, Nigeria (N’Djamena, 8 January 2016): The Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC), Mr. Stephen O’Brien, has approved the allocation of US$ 7 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support humanitarian assistance in the Lac region of Chad. Prevailing violence and the socio-economic impact of insecurity in this area have incited over 50,000 Chadians to flee…

05 Jan 2016
occupied Palestinian territory: The Gaza Strip: The long term impact of the 2014 hostilities on women and girls
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory Key Facts: 299 women, of whom at least 16 were pregnant, and 197 girls were killed over the course of the 2014 summer hostilities in the Gaza Strip, and more than 2,000 women and hundreds of girls were injured (Protection Cluster and MoH). At least 790 women were widowed as a result of the 2014 hostilities (Ministry of Women’s Affairs, 2015)…

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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01/08/16
IOM Assists in Resettlement of over 5,200 Syrians to Canada during December 2015
Jordan – During the month of December 2015, IOM assisted the Government of Canada and partners in the resettlement of 5,226 Syrian refugees.

IOM Counts 3,771 Migrant Fatalities in Mediterranean in 2015
01/05/16
Greece – With 3,771 deaths, 2015 was the deadliest year on record for migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe.

IOM South Sudan Appeals for USD 80 Million to Address Mounting Humanitarian Needs
01/05/16
South Sudan – More than two years into the conflict, humanitarian needs remain immense in South Sudan.

IOM Launches Manual on Migrant Women and Gender Violence in Argentina
01/05/16
Argentina – IOM Argentina has launched the English version of the “Migrant Women and Gender Violence – Strategies and Perspectives for Interventions” manual.

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive
Selected Press Releases

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8 Jan 2016
Dr. Robert Glasser takes the helm at UNISDR
Dr. Robert Glasser, an experienced leader and thinker on development issues, took up his new role this week as head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). He was appointed as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, succeeding Ms. Margareta Wahlström who completed two terms at the end of 2015.

6 Jan 2016
Malawi pioneers peer review for disaster risk reduction in Africa
Africa has cleared a new milestone in its drive to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The pioneer is Malawi, which has undergone a peer review of its policies and actions…

UNESCO [to 9 January 2016]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases

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In 2016 we continue to ‪#‎Unite4Heritage – standing together for diversity, tolerance and respect for cultural heritage across the globe!‬
05 January 2016

Director-General condemns destruction of vestiges in the Ancient City of Bosra, a Syrian World Heritage
05 January 2016

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 9 January 2016]
https://www.wmo.int/media/?q=news

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Connecting Meteorological Services to Farmers: Success in West Africa
6 January 2016
WMO is evaluating the success of a four-year project to improve the provision and use of meteorological information and tools for farmers in West Africa where agriculture and food security is heavily dependent on the weather.
The MetAgri Operational Project embraced National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and farmers and agricultural extension workers in 17 West African countries. Between 2012 and 2015, there were a total of 260 roving seminars with over 10,600 farmers. Over 4,500 rain gauges were given to farmers to teach them basic weather principles and to start to develop a supplemental observation network.

WMO welcomes Petteri Taalas as new Secretary-General
4 January 2016
The World Meteorological Organization welcomes its new Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas, who will head the UN System’s authoritative voice on weather, climate and water for the next four years.
Mr Taalas, who was previously Director-General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, succeeds Michel Jarraud, who completed three terms of office on 31 December 2015.

WHO & Regionals [to 9 January 2016]
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Life-saving health supplies blocked in Yemen
7 January 2016 — WHO calls for immediate access to Taiz City for the delivery of life-saving health supplies. The health situation continues to deteriorate as more than 250 000 people have been living in a state of virtual siege since November 2015. All of the city’s 6 hospitals have been forced to partially close services and are overwhelmed with injured patients. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to deliver medical and surgical supplies due to the insecurity..

:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
No new digest content identified.

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
:: How can we best protect non-smokers from exposure to tobacco smoke?
05-01-2016

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO calls for immediate access to Taiz City for delivery of life-saving health supplies
7 January 2015, Sana’a, Yemen – The World Health Organization is concerned about the deteriorating health situation in Taiz, where more than 250 000 people have been living in a state of virtual siege since November 2015. All of city’s 6 hospitals have been forced to partially close some services, and are overwhelmed with injured patients. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to deliver medical and surgical supplies due to the insecurity…

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 9 January 2016]
http://media.unwto.org/news

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World Tourism Organization presents Global Report on Cultural Routes and Itineraries
21 December 2015
Developed in cooperation with the Tourism Agency of the Balearic Islands (ATB), the Global Report on Cultural Routes and Itineraries of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provides key information about current trends and presents case studies in the field of the development of cultural routes, with an emphasis on the importance of protecting, preserving and conserving these itineraries.

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UNWTO’s Ulysses Prize awarded to Doctor Richard Butler
21 December 2015
The 12th UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge in Tourism has been awarded to Dr Richard Butler, Emeritus Scholar of the Strathclyde Business School, in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The Prize recognizes the invaluable work of Dr Butler in areas of capacity building and sustainability in the tourism sector.