UN Women [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

.
Date: 04 March 2016
UN Women strongly condemns the murder of human rights defender and Honduran indigenous leader Berta Cáceres
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, UN Women, strongly condemns the murder on 3 March of indigenous leader, environmentalist and defender of human rights, Berta Cáceres, who was shot in her home in the city of La Esperanza in western Honduras.

Message by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2016
Date: 03 March 2016
This year’s celebration of International Women’s Day is the first within the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are confidently asserted in that Agenda as intrinsic to progress. In her 2016 message, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says: “Each one of us is needed—in our countries, communities, organizations, governments and in the United Nations—to ensure decisive, visible and measurable actions are taken under the banner: Planet 50-50: Step It Up for Gender Equality.”

Landmark ruling in Guatemala a victory against sexual violence in armed conflict
Date: 03 March 2016
On 26 February, a Guatemalan court convicted two former military officers of crimes against humanity against 11 indigenous Q’eqchi’ women who were subjected to sexual violence, sexual and domestic slavery, the forced disappearance of their husbands, as well as the murder and cruel treatment of a woman and her two small daughters. The historic verdict is being hailed by human rights experts as a major victory in accountability for conflict-related sexual violence

Advocacy and laws confront trafficking across the Arab States
Date: 03 March 2016
A three-year anti-trafficking programme supported by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is boosting legal enforcement against the crime in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.

Women must be at the centre of the response to the Zika virus, says UN Women Executive Director
Date: 29 February 2016
In a statement, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says the public response to the Zika virus epidemic must recognize its impact on women’s lives, and ensure that their health and social needs are met. She stresses UN Women’s efforts to ensure that women are empowered, their contributions recognized, and their rights and health—including sexual and reproductive rights—kept firmly at the centre of the response.

WHO & Regionals [to 5 March 2016]

.
Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 4 March 2016, vol. 91, 9 (pp. 105–120)
Contents:
105 Progress towards measles elimination in Nepal, 2007–2014
112 Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response in Liberia: national expert group meeting, 15–19 September 2015

.
Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
:: Zika virus infection – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 March 2016
:: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia 29 February 2016
:: Zika virus infection – Trinidad and Tobago 29 February 2016

.
:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Moeti concludes official visit to Cote d’Ivoire
Abidjan, 3 March 2016 – The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti concluded a three day official visit to Cote d’Ivoire yesterday. The visit began on Monday 29 February and was aimed at further strengthening collaboration between WHO and the Government of Cote d’Ivoire…

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO/WHO calls on countries to strengthen surveillance of birth defects, including microcephaly (03/03/2016)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: Media Statement on World Birth Defects Day 03 March 2016

WHO European Region EURO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Countries urged to enhance preparedness and readiness measures for Zika virus infection in the Region 3 March 2016
:: Life-saving medical supplies reach besieged city in Syria
2 March 2016 – Today, WHO delivered urgently needed medicines, including antibiotics and painkillers, to the besieged city of Mouadamieh, 10 km south of Damascus. Since January 2016, WHO has delivered medicines, medical supplies and vaccines to a number of hard-to-reach areas in Syria, but at times has faced the challenge of having vital medicines removed from shipments depriving people of vital medical support.

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: WHO and partners reflect on the outcomes of the Conference of Parties on climate change
MANILA, 2 March 2016 – From 30 November to 11 December 2015, world leaders, climate change experts, representatives from the private sector and civil society organizations met in Paris to set a new standard for dealing with complex global problems posed by climate change. In all, 195 countries committed to limit the temperature increase to well below two degrees Celsius. This United Nations Conference of Parties on climate change, (COP 21) resulted in a major agreement and “a huge flame of hope.”

UNAIDS [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/

.
02 March 2016
Countdown to the 2016 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS
GENEVA, 2 March 2016—In just under 100 days’ time the 2016 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS will take place in New York, United States of America. The meeting, being held from 8 to 10 June, will focus attention on the importance of accelerating the response to HIV over the next five years to set the world on course to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals…

… “We are at a critical moment in the response to the AIDS epidemic,” said Mr Lykketoft. “All Member States must work together on a strong political declaration that will create the conditions needed to Fast-Track action and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

.
Mar 3, 2016
Helen Clark: 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in Fragile States European Parliament

UNDP supports Costa Rica’s pineapple sector to take critical steps towards sustainability
Mar 3, 2016 — One of the world’s biggest pineapple producing countries – Costa Rica – has officially adopted a widely endorsed action plan to tackle serious social and environmental concerns in this critical sector.

On World Wildlife Day UN Implores Urgent Action to End Poaching Crisis
Mar 3, 2016New York – As the world marks the third World Wildlife Day under the theme “The future of wildlife is in our hands”, the United Nations announced today plans for a Global Coalition campaign to end the illegal trade in wildlife.

Ending gender-based violence essential to achieving sustainable development
Mar 2, 2016 Ending violence against women requires the development of integrated approaches and new forms of collaboration, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today, calling it “one of the most pervasive human rights violations in the world”.

Helen Clark: Statement at High-Level Segment of the 31st Session of the Human Rights Council.
Feb 29, 2016 Palais des Nations – Geneva

Helen Clark: Speech at High-Level Panel Discussion at the UN Human Rights Council on human rights
Feb 29, 2016 Palais des Nations – Geneva

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

.
04/03/2016
Wangari Maathai’s Legacy Feted across Africa

03/03/2016
Boosting Women’s Access to Natural Resources Critical for Africa’s Development
On Africa Environment Day-Wangari Maathai Day, countries discuss ways to close the gender gap in natural resource management

03/03/2016
On World Wildlife Day UN Implores Urgent Action to End Poaching Crisis
Levels of elephant poaching in Africa remain alarmingly high, says CITES

UNESCO [to 5 March 2016]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases/News

.
3 March 2016
Women on the frontline, protecting World Heritage
n°78 – February 2016
World Heritage and gender equality
It is increasingly recognized that culture has an essential role to play as a driver of sustainable development, contributing to the eradication of poverty and enhancing social inclusion. Culture helps to define people’s identities and determines the way they shape their future. Gender equality, which is a UNESCO priority, refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women and gender dynamics within families, societies and cultures.

2 March 2016
New Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
The launch of an ambitious new three-year scientific assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services was announced on 28 February 2016 at the close of a week-long meeting of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The new global assessment, for completion by 2019, will measure progress towards meeting commitments under the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity of the United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity (the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, 2011-2020) and the recently adopted Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

29 February 2016
UNESCO and ICRC partner on the protection of culture heritage in the event of armed conflict
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, signed a partnership agreement paving the way for the two organizations to undertake joint projects to enhance the protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict.

UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/allpress.html?ref=fp

.
03/03/2016 –
On World Wildlife Day UN Implores Urgent Action to End Poaching Crisis
New York, 3 March 2016 – As the world marks the third World Wildlife Day under the theme “The future of wildlife is in our hands”, the United Nations announced today plans for a Global Coalition campaign to end the illegal trade in wildlife.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on UN agencies, CITES and partners to provide a coordinated response to wildlife crime and spread the message that there should be zero tolerance for poaching.
“Time is running out to save some of the world’s most iconic species,” he said. “Much more needs to be done by key actors on all continents and across sectors to combat poaching and address both the demand and supply of illegal wildlife products.”…

…The Global Coalition campaign announced today is a joint effort by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), CITES and other partners.
The campaign will call on individuals, businesses, civil society and academia to use their spheres of influence to end the illicit trade in wildlife and for governments to meet and scale up their recent commitments…

.
02/03/2016 –
Statement on World Wildlife Day

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 5 March 2016]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/

.
Posted March 2, 2016
Government of Japan gives USD 15 million to UN-Habitat projects in Iraq
Nairobi, 2 March 2016- United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has received USD 15 million from the Government of Japan to implement two projects in Iraq: “Gender-sensitive Durable Shelter Support for Internally Displaced Persons in Iraq” and “Promoting Urban Recovery in Newly Liberated Areas in Iraq.” The conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has had profound humanitarian consequences throughout Iraq. More than three million Iraqis have fled their homes and three million more are living under ISIL control…

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2016/en/

.
4-03-2016
Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirm their determination to fight hunger
Hunger eradication, climate change adaptation, and strengthening family farming are the three priorities set for FAO by governments of Latin America and the Caribbean, during the agency’s recent regional conference.

FAO Food Price Index steady in February, palm oil rises
The FAO Food Price Index was stable in February, as falling sugar and dairy prices offset a substantial jump in vegetable oil prices from the previous month. Averaging 150.2 points for the month, the FAO Food Price Index hit a new low since April 2009, down 14.5 percent from a year ago.
3-03-2016

Latin America and the Caribbean on track to eradicate hunger and poverty
“The world has entered a new era: the era of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said FAO’s Director General before representatives of the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean gathered here for the agency’s biennial regional conference.
1-03-2016

For families in Central African Republic, food situation dire
Three years of conflict and ongoing displacements in the Central African Republic (CAR) continue to disrupt agriculture and severely constrain people’s access to food, as they struggle with the effects of multiple poor harvests, disrupted markets and soaring prices, two UN agencies warned today.
29-02-2016

ILO International Labour Organization [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/lang–en/index.htm

.
Multilateral system
ILO Director-General welcomes the appointment of a High-level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth
04 March 2016
A new multilateral commission will address issues in global health labour markets. Among them, labour shortages and problems of access for populations in need.

.
International Women’s Day
ILO to issue new report on the status of women in the world of work
01 March 2016

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx

.
29/2/16
ICAO and ACI to Enhance Cooperation on Airport Security
MONTRÉAL, 29 February 2016 – ICAO and Airports Council International (ACI) have announced a new agreement aimed at reinforcing cooperation on airport security.

The new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will see the UN aviation agency working more closely with ACI towards the objectives of ACI’s Airport Excellence (APEX) in Security programme, including working together to deliver security reviews, technical assistance, programmes for airport personnel training and the enhancement of regional partnerships…

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 5 March 2016]
https://www.wmo.int/media/news

.
4 March 2016
League of Arab States addresses climate-related hazards
The countries of the League of Arab States face significant challenges due to a variety of disaster risks, in particular those related to drought, floods, sand and dust storms, heat waves and tropical cyclones. Concerned about these challenges, representatives of Arab governments met in Amman, Jordan, on 28-29 February to review the current situation and consider a way forward.

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.unido.org/news-centre/news.html

.
Monday, 29 February 2016
UNIDO supports creation of Mesoamerican Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
VIENNA, 29 February 2016 – The General Secretariat of the Central American Integration System (SG-SICA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) today announced a strategic partnership on the creation of a Mesoamerican Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (MCREEE)…

…Once established, the technical centre is expected to support the SICA Member States through targeted regional programmes and projects on sustainable energy in the areas of capacity development, knowledge management and exchange, technology innovation, policy and legislation, as well as investment and business promotion.

It will also contribute to better technical coordination, donor harmonisation, long-term sustainability of project interventions, as well as the documentation of lessons learned…

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 5 March 2016]
http://media.unwto.org/news

.
1 March 2016
UNWTO and China organize First World Conference on Tourism for Development
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China will organize the First World Conference on Tourism for Development in Beijing on 18-21 May 2016. Under the theme ‘Tourism for Peace and Development’, the event aims to kick start a high level debate on the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

.
1 March 2016
UNWTO activities at ITB Berlin 2016 to focus on the Silk Road and Child Protection
On the 50th anniversary of ITB Berlin, UNWTO’s activities at the fair will focus on the development of the Silk Road and the World Tourism Network on Child Protection. ITB will take place on 9-13 March.

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

.
2016-03-02
Message of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Braulio Ferreira De Souza Dias, on the occasion of Africa Environment Day/Wangari Maathai Day

2016-03-01
Message of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, on the occasion of World Wildlife Day

USAID [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

.
March 3, 2016
USAID Deploys Disaster Assistance Response Team to Ethiopia for Drought Response
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Gayle Smith announced today that the United States is dispatching a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Ethiopia to help avert a crisis triggered by El Niño. The drought follows successive poor rainy seasons and is one of the worst to hit the country in decades. The DART, an elite team of disaster experts, will provide technical assistance to the Government of Ethiopia, conduct humanitarian assessments, and coordinate with the Ethiopia Government and humanitarian organizations on the ground to bring vital humanitarian aid – including emergency food assistance, seeds to plant new crops, safe drinking water, and nutrition treatments – to those in need. Administrator Smith also announced $4 million in drought-tolerant seeds that will help ensure that over 226,000 households can grow additional life-saving food in the coming months.

.
United States Announces Additional $20 Million in Food Assistance for Iraq
February 29, 2016
The United States is providing an additional $20 million in emergency food assistance for Iraq to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing conflict, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart E. Jones announced today.

ECHO [to 5 March 2016]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

.
04/03/2016
EU activates ‘Refugee Facility’ to help more than 800,000 Syrians in Turkey
The European Commission has today announced the first funding allocation to activate the ‘Refugee Facility for Turkey’, a multi-billion fund which will support humanitarian aid and development projects for refugees residing in Turkey.Of the total €…

London hosts major European disaster training exercise
03/03/2016
Firefighters, police officers and ambulance personnel from across London, as well as emergency teams from Italy, Hungary and Cyprus, participated this week in a four-day-long exercise aimed at reinforcing civil protection teams’ preparedness for…

Commission proposes new Emergency Assistance instrument for faster crisis response within the EU
02/03/2016
Today the European Commission has proposed an ‘Emergency Assistance Instrument’ to be used within the European Union to provide a faster, more targeted response to major crises, including helping Member States cope with large numbers of refugees…

African Union [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.au.int/en/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
March 03, 2016
Benin makes the Declaration to allow NGOs and individuals to directly access the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights

March 03, 2016
The African Union Commission marks the Black History month

March 01, 2016
Africa stands with the Saharawi people until attainment of liberation and independence

European Union [to 5 March 2016]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives]

.
Back to Schengen: Commission proposes Roadmap for restoring fully functioning Schengen system
Date: 04/03/2016
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 4 March 2016 Back to Schengen: Commission proposes Roadmap for restoring fully functioning Schengen system The Commission today presented a detailed Roadmap of the concrete steps needed to return order to the management of the EU’s external and internal borders.

EU announces first projects under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey: €95 million to be provided for immediate educational and humanitarian assistance
Date: 04/03/2016
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 4 March 2016 Today the European Commission announced the first projects under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, pledging €55 million to address the immediate needs of Syrian school-children in Turkey for access to formal education, and €40 million in humanitarian aid through the…

Major increase in EU’s contribution to improve global health
Date: 03/03/2016
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 3 March 2016 EU increases its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, will today announce the EU’s contribution of €470 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria…

Commission proposes new Emergency Assistance instrument for faster crisis response within the EU
Date: 02/03/2016
European – Press release Commission Brussels, 2 March 2016 As the refugee crisis continues to put pressure on many European Member States, the Commission proposes a faster way for support to be provided to tackle wide-ranging humanitarian crises within the EU.

EU renews its support to Palestinian Authority and Palestinian refugees with a first 2016 assistance package totalling €252.5 million
Date: 01/03/2016
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 1 March 2016 Today, the European Commission has approved a €252.5 million assistance package supporting the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian refugees. It is the first part of the EU’s 2016 annual support package in favour of Palestine.

Commission launches Action Plan to crack down on wildlife trafficking
Date: 26/02/2016
European – Press release Commission Brussels, 26 February 2016 Today the European Commission adopted an EU Action Plan to tackle wildlife trafficking within the EU and to strengthen the EU’s role in the global fight against these illegal activities.

OECD [to 5 March 2016]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
4-March-2016
Spain needs to fulfil its commitment to reverse decline in development aid
Spain’s gradual economic recovery should enable it to start reversing the sharp decline in its development assistance since 2010 and focus more of its aid budget on the neediest countries, according to an OECD Review.

2-March-2016
Consumer Prices, OECD – Updated: 2 March 2016
OECD annual inflation up to 1.2% in January 2016

1-March-2016
Environment & trade: do stricter policies hurt export competitiveness? OECD Chief Economist Catherine Mann – Thursday 10 March 2016, London School of Economics

1-March-2016
International trade statistics: trends in fourth quarter 2015
Global trade slowdown continues in Q4 2015