WHO & Regionals [to 27 February 2016]

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Commentary
Africa: Now is the time to reach every child with life-saving vaccines
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa
Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
22 February 2016
[Excerpts]
Africa has an incredible opportunity to provide a better life for each and every child – and we know exactly how to seize it: provide universal acces0s to immunization across the continent to protect them from vaccine preventable diseases. We have seen the transformative impact of efforts to reach more children with life-saving vaccines. Child deaths in Africa fell by half over the past generation, in large part due to the use of high impact interventions such as immunization…

Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa
To galvanize action, WHO’s offices for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, in conjunction with the African Union and other partners, are hosting the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa, in Addis Ababa from 24–25 February 2016.

This conference will represent a remarkable moment. For the first time ministers of health, finance and other sectors from across the continent will come together to declare their commitment to strengthening immunization services, and put universal access to immunization at the forefront of efforts to improve health and drive sustainable development. These leaders are taking action now because they know that vaccines are a smart investment and that their countries can and must do more.
:: website – Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa

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WHO “Highlights”
Updated guidance on the care of critically ill children
February 2016 — Children admitted to hospital often die within 24 hours of admission. Many of these deaths can be prevented if treatment is started immediately after their arrival. Updated guidance covers the most common emergency conditions in children arriving at a health facility.

Health Infographics
February 2016 — WHO launches an infographics page to display what effects your health in a clear and concise format. View, download, and share infographics and key messages on diverse health topics.

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO ::
:: Ministers pledge to improve access to vaccines at first-ever Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (25 February 2016)
:: Meningitis A nearly eliminated in Africa through vaccination, reaching more than 235 million people – 23 February 2016

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO experts visit Colombia to support the response to Zika virus (02/23/2016)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: Take concrete steps to fight antibiotic resistance, turn pledges into action: WHO
23 February 2016

WHO European Region EURO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Health at your fingertips: Using mobiles to help diabetics in Egypt
24 February 2016
:: Africa: Now is the time to reach every child with life-saving vaccines
22 February 2016

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: WHO supports Fiji’s health needs caused by Tropical Cyclone Winston
SUVA, 26 February 2016 – In response to Fiji’s call for international assistance in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston, the World Health Organization (WHO) is providing emergency medical supplies and additional personnel to support Fiji as it organizes relief efforts for the survivors. Fiji has declared a State of Emergency.

UNAIDS [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/

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25 February 2016
Celebrate individuality and stand out on Zero Discrimination Day

23 February 2016
More investment needed in developing female-controlled HIV prevention options
Results from two recent studies of a monthly vaginal ring show modest protection from HIV infection for women
GENEVA, 23 February 2016—Results from two large-scale studies of a vaginal ring that releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine to prevent HIV among women have shown protection of around 30% against HIV. The results are encouraging and show the urgent need to expand investment in research and development for female-controlled methods of HIV prevention…

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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Feb 24, 2016
UNDP at 50: An investment in UN’s key role in development
As it marks 50 years at the frontlines of international development, UNDP should be seen as an investment in the UN’s critical role in helping to build a world free of poverty and inequality.

Helen Clark: Statement at ECOSOC on “Integration of development, humanitarian and peace pillars in the work of the UN system”
Feb 23, 2016
ECOSOC Chamber – New York, USA
The scale of today’s humanitarian crises, with their profound impacts on peoples’ lives and on the development trajectory of countries, calls for integrated responses from the international community, including from the United Nations.
Increasingly in the UN system we see new ways of working together across the traditional silos to help build resilience, reduce disaster risk, support recovery from crises of whatever kind, and to deliver together, even during protracted crises…

UNDP at 50: World must step up to beat poverty by 2030
Feb 23, 2016
Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals is only possible with a broad coalition of leaders from government, civil society, multilaterals and the private sector, said Helen Clark.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

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27/02/2016
G20 Financial Leaders Commit to Exploring Green Finance Options

Pollinators Vital to Our Food Supply Under Threat
Assessment Details Options for Safeguarding Pollinators
26/02/2016

Op-Ed: Year of green finance nurturing economy
by Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director
26/02/2016

UNEP Executive Director Accepts Appointment to Lead Oxford Martin School
25/02/2016

Strengthened Integration Needed for Effective Action on Air Pollution, Sustainable Consumption, Green Economy
Gearing up for the 2nd UN Environment Assembly, countries define an integrated approach to implementing environmental dimension of Sustainable Development Goals
25/02/2016

UN Development Programme Celebrates 50 Years of Work to End Poverty
24/02/2016

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html

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25 February 2016, New York
Getting ready to implement the 2030 Agenda
The 2016 ECOSOC operational activities for development segment took place on 22-24 February to examine longer-term positioning of the UN development in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event also reviewed the progress in the implementation of General Assembly resolution on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR), which is the mechanism through which coherence, effectiveness and funding of the United Nations 27 programmes, funds and specialized agencies for development is evaluated.

UNESCO [to 27 February 2016]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases/News

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26 February 2016
UNESCO launches new Competency Framework
In April 2015 UNESCO launched a house-wide project with the participation of staff both at headquarters and in the field, to elaborate a new comprehensive competency framework for the Organization. This new framework seeks to clearly articulate the expected behavioral standards required of UNESCO staff and to provide renewed clarity on the core values that should permeate those behavioral standards. By incorporating both values and competencies in one single framework, a ‘common language’ will be adopted that will facilitate dialogue and link most of our Human Resources processes…

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26 February 2016
UNESCO presented findings of study on web-radios in Morocco
…This study, conducted by Sebastien Negre, a consultant specialized in community radios, is an in depth investigation of 19 of the web radios of the 68 identified in the country. This initiative is part of the Maghreb bureau effort to promote freedom of speech both on and offline as well as media diversity and pluralism.

More than 40 participants from the different Moroccan Web radios answered our invitation. Among the attendees: Radio Campus Marrakech, Radio Ajial in Agadir, Darblanca in Casablanca, Mothers on Line in Tangiers, Sawte in Ouarzazate, e-Joussour in Rabat and Women of the South in Agadir.

In Morocco, the current legal framework of the media sector does not allow the web radios to have a presence on the airwaves. According to Sebastien Negre “Internet is the only media that allows the associations to promote their actions and principles to a wider audience.” This study also analyzed the various economical and editorial characteristics of these online medias. As a community media, they mainly raise issues surrounding youths, sex, employment, equality and citizenship…

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25 February 2016
Repositioning literacy to meet the 2030 Education Agenda targets
Literacy and numeracy are key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development yet estimates show that there are 757 million adults, including 115 million youth, who cannot read or write a simple sentence and two-thirds of them are women.

UNESCO and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) is holding a consultation meeting at the Organization’s Headquarters in Paris on 25 February, 2016 to discuss the establishment of a Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) within the framework of lifelong learning.

‘The Global Alliance for Literacy is an ambitious attempt to make the major stakeholders work together to pull in the same direction to better support countries to achieve better,’ said Arne Carlsen, Director UIL…

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25 February 2016
UNESCO calls for research proposals: Social media and youth radicalization in the digital age
UNESCO launches a call for research proposals to provide a global mapping of research into the assumed roles played by social media in radicalization processes in all regions. The research should also examine ongoing steps being taken to counter radicalization, and provide an in-depth analysis on their potential impact on online and offline freedoms. Building on these empirical findings, the study should also include recommendations for various actors including state actors, Internet companies, news media, civil society and researchers.

UNESCO, therefore, invites interested researchers, institutions, research consortiums and organizations to submit their proposals, according to the General Terms of Reference and Background note by email to internetstudy(at)unesco.org before noon (CET), 24 March 2016. Proposals should include a detailed description of the research methodology, research outline, timeline and the requested funding in US$ with a budget breakdown…

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 27 February 2016]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/

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Posted February 26, 2016
UN-Habitat and partners complete Pakistani project
Islamabad, 26 February 2016, – UN-Habitat and Muslim Hands International (MHI), in close collaboration with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) and funding from Government of Japan, jointly held the Project Completion Ceremony for the “Shelter and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) support for the Temporarily Dislocated People (TDPs) from North Waziristan Agency living among host communities in 3 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan”…

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UN-Habitat hosts youth discussion on urban youth and equity in Asia-Pacific
Medan, Indonesia, 23 February 2016 – Around 70 young people gathered in Medan, Indonesia on Saturday for a focus group discussion and survey research on urban youth and equity in Asia-Pacific.
Posted February 23, 2016

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2016/en/

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27-02-2016
Governments from Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen their fight against hunger at the FAO Regional Conference
Government representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean will meet in Mexico City from the 29th of February to the 3rd of March at the Regional Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, to deepen their joint efforts to eradicate hunger and malnutrition.

Pollinators vital to our food supply under threat
The assessment, titled Thematic Assessment of Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production is a groundbreaking effort to better understand and manage a critical element of the global ecosystem.
26-02-2016

Community-based forestry can be a driving force in boosting sustainability and people’s livelihoods
Community-based forestry has shown itself to be a potent vehicle for promoting sustainable forest management, reducing poverty and generating jobs and income for rural communities, but unlocking its true potential will require greater support by governments through policy reforms and other measures.
23-02-2016

FAO puts sustainability on the menu in the world’s fastest-growing food sector: fish
High-level delegations of fisheries ministries from more than 50 countries are gathering in Agadir with industry players to discuss a sector that provides the world with 17 percent of its animal protein and developing countries with more export revenue than meat, tobacco, rice and sugar combined.
22-02-2016

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/index.htm

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22 February –
Two IFAD-supported projects contribute to post-Ebola recovery in Liberia
Rome, 22 February 2016 –The Republic of Liberia and the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed two agreements today to finance the Tree Crops Extension Project (TCEP) and the Rural Community Finance Project (RCFP), initiatives that will boost farmers’ income, generate much needed foreign exchange, and contribute more broadly to the country’s post-Ebola recovery. The two projects will directly target 35,000 smallholder farmers.

The total investment for the two projects amounts to US $41.6 million, which includes two IFAD loans totalling $18.5 million, both granted on highly concessional terms, and a $5 million IFAD grant. The government of Liberia will contribute $2.4 million while the local population and private sector will contribute an additional $6.7 million. The government of Liberia is seeking co-financing of $9 million from other donors to fund the remainder…

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21 February –
IFAD links research to development for impact in the Near East, North Africa and Europe region

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 27 February 2016]
https://www.wmo.int/media/news

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WCRP calls for strengthening ocean observations
25 February 2016
The World Climate Research Programme’s ocean observations community has contributed a commentary to Nature Climate Change warning that the ocean observing system is showing signs of degradation. The observing system that has been built up over the past several decades has made possible an unprecedented database of ocean observations. This has enabled scientists for the first time to measure deep ocean heat content, which is a critical part of the global energy budget, as well as pan-oceanic salinity, which is a critical part of the global water budget. Unfortunately, just as this observing system has started to generate this invaluable data it is starting to suffer from a lack of new investment.

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Tropical Cyclone Winston causes devastation in Fiji
22 February 2016
Severe tropical cyclone Winston caused widespread damage and destruction as it hit the Fiji islands on 20 and 21 February as a Category 5 intensity storm, the highest category of cyclones, with winds averaging 220 kilometers per hour and gusts of 315 kilometers per hour.
The Fiji National Disaster Management Office is coordinating the response and has activated the National Emergency Operation Center. A 30-day state of natural disaster has been declared. Reports of casualties are rising.

Winston was one of the strongest cyclones ever to hit Fiji, with wind speeds more than enough to lift an airplane. Its intensity is comparable to that of Tropical Cyclone Pam, which caused devastation in Vanuatu on 14 March 2015. In addition to the high winds, storm surge, heavy swells and torrential rains led to serious flooding.

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 27 February 2016]
http://media.unwto.org/news

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26 February 2016
UNWTO confident in Egypt’s tourism recovery
UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has expressed the Organizations’ full confidence in the recovery of tourism in Egypt during a recent visit to the country. On the occasion, Mr. Rifai met with Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in the presence of the Egyptian Minister of Tourism, Hisham Zaazou. The President reiterated his full support to the tourism sector and its utmost determination in ensuring that Egypt is a safe, attractive and leading tourism destination saying “if tourism recovers, Egypt will recover”.

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

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2016-02-26
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing edges closer to reaching goal of 100 ratifications by year’s end
Montreal, 26 February 2016 – Ratifications by Togo and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has brought the total number of ratifications to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to 72.

USAID [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

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February 22, 2016
New Antiretroviral Ring Safely Reduces HIV Infection by 31 Percent
A new vaginal ring providing sustained release of the antiretroviral (ARV) dapivirine was shown to help reduce the chance of HIV infection during vaginal sex among women ages 18 and older. USAID, through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, provided $25 million in support for the trial and ring licensure.

DFID [to 27 February 2016]
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development

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23 February 2016
UK and GSMA partner on mobile technology to fight global poverty
DFID Press release
Innovative mobile technology will provide life-enhancing services to millions of people in poverty as part of a new partnership between the UK government, the GSMA Foundation, and the GSMA, the organisation that represents mobile operators worldwide.

The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) will provide financial support to develop and roll out new technologies that can improve response to natural disasters, help women obtain financial services and boost access to safe water and clean energy across the developing world.

The partnership will make significant contributions to nine of the Global Goals including ending extreme poverty, promoting decent work and economic growth, innovation and infrastructure, affordable and clean energy, clean water and sanitation and addressing gender inequality…

African Union [to 27 February 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]

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February 26, 2016
AU delegation arrives Saharawi Refugee Camps to celebrate 40th anniversary of Saharawi Republic proclamation
Saharawi Republic – 25 February 2016: An African Union delegation, led by the Commissioner for Social Affairs, Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, has arrived in the Saharawi refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria, ahead of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

The Commissioner is due to deliver a solidarity message on behalf of the AU Commission Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, during a solemn ceremony planned for 27 February 2016, in Dakhla Refugee Camp in Tindouf…

…The SADR, also known as Western Sahara, is Africa’s last colony, which has been under Morocco’s occupation since 1975. For forty years, most Saharawis have been living in exile in refugee camps in Southwest Algeria. The SADR, however, controls the eastern third of the country.

At the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly, AU Heads of State and Government reiterated their call on the United Nations to set a date for the organisation of the referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

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February 24, 2016 | Press Releases
African ministers and leaders are discussing progress toward expanding immunization coverage at the African Union
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 24 February 2016 – African leaders, including ministers of health, finance, and other line ministries, have gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa – the first-ever ministerial-level convening with a singular focus on ensuring that people across the continent can get access to life-saving vaccines.

The conference – hosted by the World Health Organization Regional Offices for Africa (AFRO) and the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) in conjunction with the African Union Commission – will provide a powerful platform for African policymakers and advocates to celebrate progress toward expanding immunization coverage; discuss strategies for tackling the biggest challenges facing vaccine efforts; foster country ownership for sustainable financing for immunization; and advocate for greater engagement with all stakeholders to ensure sustainable demand for immunization…

…In her remarks, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said for Africa to achieve its full potential and secure a bright future, “we must unite to ensure that every child on the continent receives the vaccines he or she needs to survive” adding that “It is unacceptable that one in five African children lack access to lifesaving vaccines”…

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.asean.org/news
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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February 24th, 2016|ASEAN Secretariat News, Press Release
ASEAN Ramps Up Regional Cooperation in Higher Education
BANGKOK, 24 February 2016 – Today, ASEAN and the European Union (EU) Support to Higher Education in ASEAN Region (SHARE) Programme commenced their second in a series of SHARE policy dialogues. In cooperation with the ASEAN University Network (AUN) and hosted by Chulalongkorn University, this two-day event brings together more than 150 high-level education officials, academics and students from ASEAN Member States and the EU.

The policy dialogue focuses on students’ learning outcomes in the context of the various degree structures across ASEAN universities and is an important stepping-stone on ASEAN’s path towards a more connected regional higher education system. “Building a regional higher education system with an effective and sustainable scholarship scheme at its core will not only benefit students and universities, but will form a cornerstone of a truly people-centred ASEAN community and contribute significantly to the competitiveness of ASEAN Member States as well as ASEAN as a whole,” said H.E. Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community…

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February 22nd, 2016|ASEAN Secretariat News, Press Release
Press Release of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC)
JAKARTA, 22 February 2016 – The Twelfth Meeting of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) was convened on 16-19 February 2016 at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Meeting reviewed the status of projects and activities under the ACWC Work Plan 2012-2016. The Meeting finalised the ASEAN Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE) Quality Standards particularly for childcare services (birth to 4 years of age) and pre-school services (4-6 years of age). The ECCDE Quality Standards was developed under the coordination of Malaysia. The Meeting also finalised the ASEAN Guideline for a Non-Violent Approach to Nurture, Care, and Development of Children, in All Settings which was developed under the coordination of Thailand.

Another four draft outcome documents of the ACWC’s projects were reviewed by the Meeting, notably: a) draft Progress Report on Women’s Rights, Empowerment and Gender Equality led by the Philippines; b) draft Regional Review of the Laws, Policies and Practices within ASEAN Member States Relating to the Identification and Treatment of Victims of Trafficking, especially Women and Children led by Lao PDR; c) outline of the Baseline Study on Child Protection Systems in ASEAN Member States led by Indonesia; and d) outline of the Report on the ACWC Institutional Strengthening led by the Philippines. These four projects would be further discussed at the Special Meeting of ACWC on 31 March – 3 April 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the view of finalising them…

European Union [to 27 February 2016]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives]

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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.

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What is the Digital Economy and Society Index?
Date: 25/02/2016
European Commission – Fact Sheet Brussels, 25 February 2016 What is the Digital Economy and Society Index?

The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) is an online tool to measure the progress of EU Member States towards a digital economy and society. As such, it brings together a set of relevant indicators on Europe’s current digital policy mix.

The DESI is composed of five principal policy areas which represent overall more than 30 indicators:
:: Connectivity: how widespread, fast and affordable broadband is,
:: Human Capital/Digital Skills: the digital skills of the population and workforce,
:: Use of Internet: the use of online activities from news to banking or shopping,
:: Integration of Digital Technology: how businesses integrate key digital technologies, such as e-invoices, cloud services, e-commerce, etc. and
:: Digital Public Services: such as e-government and e-health.

To calculate a country’s overall score, each set and subset of indicators were given a specific weighting by European Commission experts. Connectivity and digital skills (‘human capital’), considered as foundations of the digital economy and society, each contribute 25% to the total score (maximum digital performance score is 1). Integration of digital technology accounts for 20%, since the use of ICT by the business sector is one of the most important drivers of growth. Finally, online activities (‘use of Internet’) and digital public services each contribute 15%.

The DESI online tool is flexible and allows users to experiment with different weightings for each indicator and see how this impacts overall rankings…

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Remarks by Commissioner Avramopoulos at the launch of the European Migrant Smuggling Centre
Date: 22/02/2016
European Commission – Speech – [Check Against Delivery] The Hague, 22 February 2016
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered at a critical moment here today. It is already commonly known that more than a million desperate people have entered in the EU in 2015 – risking their lives throughout the entire itinerary of the process.
Many of those have used smuggling networks to come here…

…Migrant smuggling is a phenomenon that transcends national borders – and can therefore only be eradicated effectively through a joint approach.

That is why today is a more than timely occasion for the launch of the European Migrant Smuggling Centre, at the 2nd Europol and Interpol Operational Forum on migrant smuggling.

The EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling, adopted in May last year, set the goal to turn this crime from a low risk, high profit business, into a high risk, low profit one.

The European Migrant Smuggling Centre should boost the fight against ruthless migrant smuggling networks all across Europe.
:: It builds upon analytical and operational expertise developed within Europol over the years.
:: It also builds on the Joint Operation Team focused on the Mediterranean so called JOT MARE, which was officially launched in March 2015.

With the European Migrant Smuggling Centre, we want to go beyond the Mediterranean to cover the whole of the EU, and all forms of smuggling and routes
The Centre will be the European information hub to combat migrant smuggling.
:: It will provide support through analysis, cross-matching of data as well as through deployment of experts, operational meetings and joint actions.
:: It will enable Europol to be more operational on the ground.
:: Its presence in the hotspots will be strengthened through the deployment of EU Mobile Investigation Support Teams…

OECD [to 27 February 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]

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22-February-2016
Global economy urgently needs a stronger and more coherent policy response to promote robust and inclusive growth
Policymakers need to deploy broad-based reform plans that incorporate monetary, fiscal, and structural policies to stimulate persistently weak demand, re-launch productivity growth, create jobs and build a more inclusive global economy, according to the OECD’s annual Going for Growth report.

22-February-2016
All interested countries and jurisdictions to be invited to join global efforts led by the OECD and G20 to close international tax loopholes
The OECD today agreed a new framework that would allow all interested countries and jurisdictions to join in efforts to update international tax rules for the 21st Century. The proposal for broadening participation in the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project will be presented to G20 Finance Ministers at their next meeting on 26-27 February in Shanghai, China.

22-February-2016
Urgent research needed into risks from nanomaterials in household waste
Urgent research is needed to assess the possible risks to human health and ecosystems from the ever-increasing amounts of engineered nanomaterials going into household waste and ending up in the environment, according to a new OECD report.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/news/

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26/02/2016
OIC Cosponsors Central African Republic Intra-Muslim Dialogue Conference at KAICIID
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation cosponsored and supported the Central African Republic Intra-Muslim Dialogue and Capacity Building Conference being hosted by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna on 25-26 February 2016…
23/02/2016
The OIC Welcomes US-Russia Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities in Syria
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the agreement reached by US President Barak Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin to impose a cessation of hostilities in Syria to be respected by all parties involved in military and paramilitary operations as of 27-2-2016. Such an agreement should contribute to the resumption of UN-sponsored Geneva negotiations to reach a political settlement for the Syrian crises, bring an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and the killings as well as the forced displacement to which they have been subjected for the last five years…

23/02/2016
OIC Calls Upon Afghani Ulama to Play their Role in the Efforts to Eradicate Polio from Afghanistan
An International Ulama Conference on Eradication of Polio was opened in Kabul, Afghanistan on 22 February 2016. The Conference has attracted over 100 Ulama (Islamic Scholars) from all parts of Afghanistan and beyond…

Group of 77 [to 27 February 2016]
http://www.g77.org/

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25 February 2016
Remarks on behalf of the Group of 77 and China by Ms. Pilanya Niyomthai, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations, at informal meeting on the ECOSOC Dialogue on Longer-term Positioning of the UN Development System in the context of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (New York, 25 February 2016)