WHO & Regionals [to 27 June 2015]
.
A commentary on “Health and climate change: policy responses to protect public health”
June 2015 — Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, comments on 3 recommendations where WHO will make direct contributions: financing for climate-resilient health systems; policy recommendations on energy systems that contribute to cleaner air; and monitoring and assessing progress.

Striving to prevent collapse of Yemen’s health system during conflict
June 2015 — In Yemen, more than 15 million people are in dire need of health services. WHO and Health Cluster partners have been responding by providing supplies, services and support to national and regional authorities.

In public health emergencies, risk communication is essential
26 June 2015 — Risk communication is an integral part of any public health emergency response. In epidemics and pandemics, in humanitarian crises and natural disasters, risk communication allows people at risk to understand and adopt protective behaviours.
More on risk communication during emergencies

New film showcasing the Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC)
24 June 2015
The Controlled Temperature Chain, or CTC is an innovative approach to vaccine management and distribution which allows certain vaccines to be kept at ambient temperatures outside of the traditional vaccine cold chain.
The 3-episode film promotes the CTC approach. Episode 1 explains what is CTC, why it is useful and how it is feasible; episode 2 features a case study on CTC implementation; and episode 3 looks at the options for countries and what manufacturers can do to support countries.

.

The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 26 June 2015, vol. 90, 26 (pp. 321–336)
includes:
:: Index of countries/areas
:: Index, Volume 90, 2015, Nos. 1–26
:: Yellow fever in Africa and the Americas, 2014
:: Monthly report on dracunculiasis cases, January–May 2015
:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Strong partnerships needed to tackle health challenges faced by Small Island Developing States in the African Region
Mauritius, 24 June 2015 – Health Ministers from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the African Region have begun a meeting today in Mauritius to take stock of the health of their people and chart a way forward on possible approaches and actions that will promote sustainable health development. The meeting, organized by the World Health Organization is attended by Health Ministers from Cape Verde, Comoros, Seychelles, Sao Tome & Principe, Mauritius, high ranking officials of the health ministry, representatives of the Indian Ocean Commission and public health experts.In a message read on her behalf by Dr Francis Kasolo, Coordinator…
:: Staying at zero: Keeping Liberia Ebola free – 22 June 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Women’s health needs still not adequately met, according to new articles in the Pan American Journal of Public Health (06/24/2015)
:: Health Coverage Reaches 46 Million More in Latin America and the Caribbean, says new PAHO/WHO–World Bank report (06/22/2015)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO calls for stepping up vigil for MERS, Thailand confirms case  18 June 2015

WHO European Region EURO
:: Health ministers in South-eastern Europe commit to achieving universal health coverage 26-06-2015
:: Special report on Healthy Cities in Europe launched 22-06-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

UN Division for Sustainable Development [to 27 June 2015]
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

.
2015 edition of SD in Action Report –
SPECIAL REPORT ON VOLUNTARY MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMITMENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
UNDESA/DSD
25 Jun 2015
Full Report: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1855SD%20in%20Action%20Report%202015.pdf

INTRODUCTION
The United Nations (UN) is at a turning point. With the Millennium Development Goals reaching the finishing line this year, the global development community is looking for a new sustainability agenda to guide development efforts beyond 2015. Member states have agreed that the UN General Assembly Open Working Group proposal for 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be the main component of this new post-2015 development agenda, to be launched at a UN Summit in September 2015.

The importance of engaging stakeholders at all levels has been repeatedly recognized at past international conferences, and throughout global conversations on the preparations for the post-2015 development agenda. The Rio+20 Conference, as one example, showed enhanced inclusiveness in the deliberation at the United Nations with the presence of hundreds of thousands of participants from governments, the United Nations System, business, civil society groups, universities, as well as those virtually following the conference from a far.

In the post-2015 development era, multi-stakeholder partnerships are expected to play an increasingly important role in the implementation of sustainable development. The proposed Sustainable Development Goal 17, which reads “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”, recognizes multi-stakeholder partnerships as important vehicles for mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, particularly developing countries.

The effectiveness of multi-stakeholder partnerships, while dependent on many factors, will increasingly be tied to their ability to manage and share knowledge and expertise about the issues, processes, and solutions that they are promoting. The Sustainable Development Goals will be truly universal in nature – they will apply to all countries, and all sectors. This universality will require, inter alia, that the knowledge and expertise managed and possessed by multi-stakeholder partnerships need to be shared as widely as possible in order for it to reach beyond immediate constituencies and communities and to have an impact on a global scale.

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which was established following a mandate from the Rio+20 Conference, is the United Nations main platform on sustainable development – and with its full and effective participation of all States Members of the United Nations and States members of specialized agencies – the most inclusive forum at the UN. The Forum provides political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development, and follows up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments, and – as of 2016 – the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. As HLPF transitions into the post-2015 development era, it is expected to also review the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder partnerships and how they can most effectively support the achievement of the SDGs, as well be a place for sharing knowledge and expertise of all stakeholders.

This 2015 edition of the SD in Action Report reviews a numbers of action networks and multi-stakeholder partnerships with a particular focus on how knowledge and expertise is aggregated, managed and ultimately shared, in order to identify trends and challenges in this area, and to inform and prepare all stakeholders and partners as the world transitions into the post-2015 development era.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

.
Selected Press Releases
Western Indian Ocean’s Pristine Ecosystems, Valued at US $25 Billion Annually, Under Threat
Growing Urbanization, Unsustainable Fishing and Resource Extraction among Main Pressures on Ecosystems
23/06/2015

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) commissions MODUL University Vienna
Pioneering web intelligence technology for air quality, biodiversity and climate change
23/06/2015

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.unido.org/en/news-centre/news.html

.
Empowering women to become agents of sustainable energy will be key to achieving truly inclusive and sustainable development
Thursday, 25 June 2015
VIENNA, 25 June 2015 – A key message from the Vienna Energy Forum (VEF) 2015 is that sustainable energy and women’s empowerment are mutually reinforcing goals that are vital to truly inclusive and sustainable development….

CBD  Convention on Biological Diversity [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

2015 UEBT Biodiversity Barometer shows additional efforts needed to reach UN targets on biodiversity awareness
Montreal, 25 June 2015 – An average of 69% of respondents in nine countries say they have heard of biodiversity, but additional outreach efforts are needed for the world to reach global targets on biodiversity awareness set under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

DFID [to 27 June 2015]
https://www.gov.uk/government/latest?departments%5B%5D=department-for-international-development

.
Funding for development research
Updated 26 June 2015 Detailed guide DFID

Increased Income for Afghan Farm Owners
Published 23 June 2015 Case study DFID

Humanitarian Response Funding Guidelines for NGOs
Updated 22 June 2015 Detailed guide DFID

ECHO [to 27 June 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

.
EU Member States back cash-based humanitarian assistance
26/06/2015
Cash assistance is quick to deliver, cost-effective and provides people in need with greater choice and flexibility. This week, the Council of the EU adopted Conclusions on multi-purpose cash-based humanitarian assistance…
… The Council has reaffirmed its endorsement of the ten common principles for multi-purpose cash-based assistance and invited the EU and its Member States, as well as their humanitarian partners, to take the principles into account in designing and implementing responses to humanitarian crises.

Additional EU humanitarian support to Nepal
25/06/2015
The European Commission is releasing an additional €6 million of humanitarian assistance to Nepal. This support will contribute to the early recovery efforts and address unmet needs, mainly for shelter, livelihoods, health and logistics….

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/news/

.
OIC expresses concern over the situation of Muslim minority in China
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation follows with deep concern the reports by media and international organizations indicating violations of the human rights of the Muslim minority in Xinjiang region as they are denied the right to practice the fourth pillar of Islam (fasting the month of Ramadan) and the right to observe their religious rituals in this holy month….
25/06/2015

The Secretary General invites Member States and humanitarian organizations to celebrate the Day of Orphans
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on its Member States and their humanitarian organizations to hold the activities they deem appropriate to raise awareness of the issues and needs of orphans on the occasion of the Day of Orphans in the Muslim World, which falls on 15 Ramadan, proceeding from the principle of Islamic solidarity. …
25/06/2015

World Bank [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

.
World Bank Chief Economist Sets up New Commission on Global Poverty
June 22, 2015
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2015 – The World Bank’s Chief Economist today announced the launch of a new Commission on Global Poverty to report on the best ways to measure and monitor poverty around the world and help the World Bank Group achieve its twin goals and also track other forms of poverty and deprivation.

The new Commission, made up of 24 leading international economists, will be chaired by Sir Anthony Atkinson, a leading authority on the measurement of poverty and inequality, the Centennial Professor at London School of Economics, and a Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford University.

Announcing the new advisory body, the World Bank’s Chief Economist, Kaushik Basu, said he expects the Commission to also provide advice on how to adjust the measurement of extreme poverty as and when new Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and other price and exchange rate data become available.

PPP calculations allow economists to compare different global exchange rates to assess household consumption and real income in US dollars, since nominal exchange rates do not accurately capture differences in costs of living across countries.

“We want to hold the yardstick constant for measuring extreme poverty till 2030, our target year for bringing extreme and chronic poverty to an end, “ says Basu who will travel to Europe this week for the Commission’s inaugural meeting.

“Furthermore, poverty has many other dimensions and it is unacceptable in today’s prosperous world that so many people suffer such deprivations. The Global Commission will advise us on other dimensions of poverty that the Bank should collect data on, track, analyze and make available to policymakers for evidence-based decisions.”

In 2014, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim announced the Bank’s commitment to two goals that would direct its development work worldwide. The first was the eradication of chronic extreme poverty, defined as those extremely poor people living on less than $1.25 PPP-adjusted dollars a day, to less than 3% of the world population by 2030. The second is the boosting of shared prosperity, defined as promoting the growth of per capita real income of the poorest 40% of the population in each country.
This year, UN member nations are expected to agree in New York to a set of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the first and foremost of which is the eradication of extreme poverty everywhere, in all its forms.

The final report will be ready by end April 2016.

“We expect the Commission report to be influential not only for our own work on poverty but also in shaping global research and policymaking on this most important challenge of our times,” said Chief Economist Basu.

World Bank [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
World Bank Group Pledge Statement at the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction 2015
With the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment complete and the Government’s new budget cycle beginning in mid-July the World Bank Group is mobilizing resources to align budget support and investments with the recovery and reconstruction needs. The World Bank Group plans to provide up to half-a-billion dollars to finance the reconstruction of Nepal, of which $300 million is new funding from the International Development Association’s Crisis Response Window. The World Bank Group support will consist of:$100 million for budget support: to be considered by the World Bank Board on June 29. This IDA credit will provide the Government of Nepal with short-term financial support to accelerate and expand relief and recovery efforts. It will also support policy measures to strengthen the country’s financial sector as a vehicle that channels resources for reconstruction to the private sector and households.$200 million for housing reconstruction…
Date: June 25, 2015

World Bank Group to Provide up to Half-a-Billion Dollars for Nepal Earthquake Recovery
KATHMANDU, June 23, 2015—The World Bank Group today said it would provide up to half-a-billion dollars to finance the reconstruction of Nepal after devastating earthquakes in April and May killed almost 9,000 people and left many mountain districts of the country in ruins. Subject to the approval of the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, the financing will consist of $200 million for housing reconstruction in poor rural areas and another $100 million for the government’s budget and for strengthening the banking system, which has suffered with the economy. An additional $100 to $200 million will be redirected from existing World Bank projects in Nepal and invested in reconstruction efforts. Any reallocated money will be replaced with additional funds.“ The World Bank Group stands with the people of Nepal in their time of need,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim…
Date: June 23, 2015

Health Coverage Reaches 46 Million More in Latin America and the Caribbean, says new PAHO/WHO–World Bank report
Health system financing and efficiency remain top challenges to sustainability Since the early 2000s, Latin America and the Caribbean has seen meaningful progress toward universal health coverage with an additional 46 million people in nine countries having at least nominal guarantees of affordable health care, according to a new joint publication by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the World Bank, released here today.“ The region has increased its spending on health and narrowed the gap between rich and poor on a number of key outcomes: average life expectancy has risen significantly, more children live to see their first and fifth birthdays, and fewer mothers are dying from complications of childbirth,” said Jorge Familiar, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Date: June 22, 2015
Type: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
World Bank Group Statement on Policies, Accountability Mechanisms and Stakeholder Participation in WBG Projects
June 22, 2015
Around the world, including in the most difficult and challenging environments, our work aims to advance social and economic participation and rights – including in healthcare, education, social protection, key services and basic infrastructure. Many of the places we work in have complex political and social issues. Often, we work where others cannot or will not go. We do so because that is the only way to reach and help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
The success of our work depends on the ability of all affected parties to freely express their concerns. That is why we have high standards of stakeholder engagement—to ensure that our clients achieve the best possible development outcomes. All our country strategies and projects are based on dialogue with stakeholders, including civil society. World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim, has committed to incorporating beneficiary feedback in 100 percent of World Bank-financed projects by 2018.
Our ability to help eliminate poverty and improve livelihoods would be severely compromised without space for civil society to help shape development in their countries. Our environmental and social safeguard policies are designed to prevent and mitigate harm to people and the environment as a result of Bank Group-supported operations.
Those who feel they have been negatively affected by WBG projects have access to robust and independent grievance mechanisms and to bodies, such as the World Bank Inspection Panel and the IFC Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman, able to hold WBG institutions to account.
When allegations of reprisal are brought to our attention, we work—within the scope of our mandate—with appropriate parties to try to address them. Where links between reprisals and WBG-financed projects can be established, we have taken action as documented by past cases and we will continue to do so.
We have strong policies and mechanisms that address many concerns raised by human rights advocacy groups and civil society, and we are open to dialogue on improvements. We value the perspectives these groups bring. We will continue to work with them towards our shared goal of strengthening protections for people in the countries in which we work…

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

.
World Speakers to focus on democracy, peace and development
24 JUNE 2015
Preparations for the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, taking place at UN Headquarters in New York from 31 August-2 September, are being finalized with a focus on placing democracy at the service of peace and sustainable development.

The Conference Preparatory Committee, comprising some 25 Speakers, members of the IPU Executive Committee and the representative of the UN Secretary General, met in Geneva in June to agree to the agenda, format and main documents of the Conference. The meeting provided an opportunity for dialogue with Michael Møller, Acting Director General of the UN Office in Geneva, on avenues to further enhance the strategic partnership between the UN, parliaments and IPU.

The Conference is part of the series of high-level meetings leading up to the UN Summit in September, which is expected to adopt a new generation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to the role of parliaments in implementing the SDGs, the Speakers will also discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by parliaments in exercising their oversight role, as well as ongoing efforts to ensure that gender equality is placed at the heart of the work of parliaments.

The Conference, convened by IPU every five years, provides a unique global forum for dialogue and cooperation between parliaments at the highest level.

Amref Health Africa [to 27 June 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

.
South Sudan Refugee Camps in Uganda Receive Sanitation Facilities
25 June 2015
To reduce water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases among South Sudan refugees in Adjumani district, Amref Health Africa in Uganda has constructed 11 latrines, 10 communal bath shelters, drilled 11 boreholes, provided 50 sets of sanitation kits including latrine digging tools to empower refugees build more sanitation facilities on their own and provided 16 hand-washing facilities near latrines to promote hand washing.

The facilities were officially handed over to the beneficiaries on June 19,2015 at Bira Health Centre III in Adjumani district by the District resident Commission, Mrs. Agnes Akelo who represented Hon.Eng, Hillary Onek, Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees. In her closing remarks, she lauded Amref Health Africa for this support…

BRAC [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.brac.net/content/stay-informed-news#.VPstwC5nBhV

.
BRAC makes significant contributions to reach Millennium Development Goals
[undated]
BRAC has made significant contributions in attaining Millennium Development Goal (MDG) that have been set to achieve by 2015-said speakers at BRAC’s annual report 2014 launch. The event was held on 23 June 2015 at BRAC centre at Mohakhali. Bangladesh is on track in achieving the 5 of the 8 MDGs. The country has made remarkable progress in the areas of poverty alleviation, primary school enrolment, gender parity in primary education, lowering the infant and under-five mortality rate…

.
Dr Muhammad Musa appointed as the new executive director of BRAC
[undated]
Dr Muhammad Musa has been appointed as the new executive director of BRAC, the largest development organisation in the world. Dr Musa is a veteran development practitioner whose career spanned in different parts of the world in Asia, Africa and North America over a period of 32 years. Immediately prior to joining BRAC, he was the CEO of CARE India and represented the country at the global board of CARE International. Dr Musa has a masters in public health (MPH) from Johns Hopkins University, …

.
Allocation of GDP for education goes down by BDT 6162 crore for FY 2015-16 [Bangladesh]
[undated]
The education budget for the FY 2015-2016 stands at 1.8 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the last FY which was 2.2 per cent, said experts at a national seminar held today. The net worth of the reduced amount stands BDT 6162 crore. The national seminar titled “Quality Education for Next Generation” was jointly organised by BRAC and Institute for Informatics and Development (IID) at BRAC Centre Inn…

CARE International [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

.
Aid Agencies: Refugees Should be Protected Not Held at Bay
SYRIA
25 JUNE 2015
As EU leaders meet to endorse the European Agenda on Migration on 25 and 26 June, aid agencies today warn against merely focusing on preventing refugees from reaching Europe as it will only lead to further deaths at sea.

.
World Leaders Need to Harness Historic Opportunity for Humanity
GLOBAL
23 JUNE 2015
…In the joint report “Twin Tracks: Developing sustainably and equitably in a carbon-constrained world”, CARE International and WWF International lay out the mutually beneficial opportunities in both the Post-2015 Development and the UN Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) processes. The report outlines in detail the specific areas where both policy arenas can support delivering on key desired outcomes, such as overcoming poverty while phasing out fossil fuel emissions, or building resilience to climate change impacts for safeguarding development progress. It also identifies political gaps to be addressed for ambitious agreements, and institutional synergies.

IRC  International Rescue Committee [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index

.
Burundi: The IRC scales up support for thousands fleeing escalating political crisis
Posted by Tyler Jump on June 26, 2015
The IRC is ramping up its response in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo where thousands of Burundian refugees have sought shelter from political unrest.

Syria: Civilian Attacks – Press Statement from 81 Organizations
25 Jun 2015

David Miliband in Niger, parched refuge for Nigerians fleeing attacks by militants
Posted by Kulsoom Rizvi on June 23, 2015
Last weekend, IRC president David Miliband met with some of the 150,000 refugees from northeastern Nigeria who have fled to neighboring Niger to escape attacks by Boko Haram militants.

ICRC [to 27 June 2015]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new

.
Engaging with armed groups to protect health care
Article
26 June 2015
After a two-year long consultation process with 36 armed groups, the ICRC – as part of the Health Care in Danger initiative – has produced a publication addressing armed groups, calling on them to strengthen their commitment to protect health care.

Yemen: ICRC delivers aid, urges parties to minimize civilian casualties
Video
25 June 2015
The recent intensification of fighting in Yemen, with airstrikes day and night, brought increased suffering to the people of Yemen and required the ICRC to deliver emergency medical and food aid, explains Cédric Schweizer who has recently finished a two-year stint as head of the ICRC’s delegation in Yemen.

ICRC governing body appoints new member
News release
23 June 2015
Geneva (ICRC) – The Assembly of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has appointed Béatrice Speiser as its newest member. This brings the membership of the Committee to 19.

Ms Speiser, from Basel, Switzerland, is a doctor of law, with a degree from St Gallen Business School. She also studied in the United States and in France. A lawyer and independent entrepreneur, Ms Speiser is the founder and president of Crescenda, a Swiss-based organization that promotes entrepreneurship for immigrant women.

She will take up her duties on 1 October 2015…

Islamic Relief [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

.
The future of humanitarian intervention
June 27, 2015
Preparations are under way to identify the largest humanitarian needs across the world.
Ahead of the first ever World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, Islamic Relief Worldwide is taking part in national and regional consultations to collect evidence and opinions on the greatest strengths and weaknesses of current humanitarian work globally.

Eight regional consultations with national governments, humanitarian organisations, civil society and community responders have been organised between now and July 2016, when the summit will be held in Istanbul.

Islamic Relief Worldwide has co-hosted the Afghanistan National Consultation along with the Agency Coordinating Body of Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR) to bring together an array of perspectives from the country. The views from this consultation will be fed into the South and Central Asia regional consultation, due to be held in Tajikistan in July.

Main thematic areas discussed during the national consultation included humanitarian effectiveness, reducing vulnerability and managing risk, transformation through innovation, and serving the needs of people in conflict…

Norwegian Refugee Council [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.nrc.no/

.
Migration
Refugees should be protected, not held at bay
(25.06.2015)
As EU leaders meet to endorse the European Agenda on Migration on 25 and 26 June, aid agencies today warn against merely focusing on preventing refugees from reaching Europe as it will only lead to further deaths at sea.

Six aid agencies appealed to European leaders to urgently scale up efforts to address the root causes of forced displacement, step up resettlement of refugees and offer them safe alternatives to the deadly routes they are being forced to take.

Until now, the focus of EU Member States’ deliberations regarding the Mediterranean crisis has been largely on preventing refugees and migrants from reaching European shores. “We’ve already witnessed too many tragedies because Europe’s policies make it nearly impossible for desperate refugees to seek asylum,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “We crack down on smugglers and their boats, but where are the safe routes for a refugee in need of protection?”

Today, almost 60 million people are fleeing wars and persecution worldwide—more than ever recorded before—with a corresponding increase in the deadly Mediterranean crossings. The first six months of this year saw an increase in migrant boat crossings by 114% compared to last year .

The crisis in the Middle East and especially the Syrian conflict, at Europe’s doorstep, has largely contributed to this global refugee crisis -the majority of those crossing the Mediterranean are from Syria and Eritrea. In Syria alone, over twelve million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

The lack of political progress to end this horrific violence is terribly worrying; and more displacements are to be expected.

“European and world leaders must urgently intensify their diplomatic efforts to help define and facilitate a political process to end the war”, said Gareth Price-Jones, Senior Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for CARE International. “They must also invest much more in assistance to prevent and respond to devastating and often long-lasting crisis in refugees’ countries of origin and host countries”.

Syria’s neighbouring countries have shown outstanding hospitality and support to Syrian refugees, but are now kneeling under the pressure of four million Syrian refugees. With less than 25% of the regional refugee response plan currently being funded, many people are not receiving the support they need. The number of Syrian refugees in Jordan now equals to all of Denmark moving to the UK or France. In Lebanon, where one in four people are refugees from Syria, it is the equivalent of the US hosting the entire population of Germany. Only 6 % of the Syrian refugees have sought asylum in Europe.

“European Leaders must agree to scale up and share the responsibility to protect refugees and vulnerable migrants”, said Jan Egeland. “Europe gave birth to the refugee convention. We cannot oversee its slow death”. The number of resettlement places in the EU should be increased as proposed by the European Commission, and Member States must also consider increasing humanitarian admissions, family reunification places, offering temporary protection and other safe immigration options.

Signatories:
Norwegian Refugee Council
CARE International
Un ponte per…
Médecins du monde Grèce
British Refugee Council
Coordination SUD

Partners In Health [to 27 June 2015]
http://www.pih.org/blog

.
Jun 26, 2015
PIH Launches University in Rwanda
Partners In Health is launching a new initiative in Rwanda—the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE). A different kind of university, UGHE will harness the best ideas in higher education and integrate cutting-edge technology platforms with immersion in complex health care delivery systems.

Owned and operated by PIH, UGHE is a private institution that will leverage expertise and resources from the government of Rwanda, Harvard Medical School, and key partners to create a forum for delivery-focused teaching, research, clinical care, and implementation. Classes will be taught by local and international experts including Harvard Medical School faculty. Students will learn from a broad network of global policymakers, leading research scientists, community health workers, and social entrepreneurs. UGHE’s academic programs aim to cultivate global health leaders with the vision to tackle consequential challenges and the pragmatic leadership skills to effect transformational change…

The Elders [to 27 June 2015]
http://theelders.org/news-media

.
Press release
24 June 2015
The Elders call on EU leaders to unite in compassion to migrants
The Elders call on EU leaders meeting today and Friday to take a humane approach to the migrants crisis, arguing that member states should share the burden on an equal and fair basis.

As the leaders of the European Union meet in Brussels today and tomorrow to discuss among other issues the critical question of migration, The Elders urge them to uphold the legal and moral obligation of nations to assist people fleeing persecution, conflict and hardship.

EU member states should accept the principle of burden-sharing recommended by the European Commission, even if the modalities may require adjustments.

Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders and former UN Secretary-General, said:
“Neither border closures nor higher walls will provide durable solutions to the influx of migrants into Europe. The effective management of migration will require humane policies that afford legal pathways to entry.”

Compassion, solidarity and respect for the sanctity of life must be the guiding principles that inform the decisions of the European Union regarding migrants, whether legal or illegal. And the root causes that drive people to flee desperate circumstances must be addressed.

Fellow Elder Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland, said:
“As a European, I have to say that the EU response so far has been woefully inadequate. EU member states can honour their obligations to refugees and still respect the economic concerns of their citizens, if they share the costs and divide the burden.”

The Elders call on EU leaders to heed these principles as they formulate their response to the migrant crisis.