UNICEF [to 6 February 2016]

UNICEF [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_89711.html
Selected Press Releases

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New statistical report on female genital mutilation shows harmful practice is a global concern – UNICEF
NEW YORK, 5 February 2016 – At least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in 30 countries, according to a new statistical report published ahead of the United Nations’ International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation by 2030, say UNFPA and UNICEF
NEW YORK, 5 February 2016 – “FGM is a violent practice, scarring girls for life — endangering their health, depriving them of their rights, and denying them the chance to reach their full potential.

On articles in the Israeli press related to children and violence
NEW YORK, 5 February, 2016 – With regard to recent articles in the Israeli press quoting UNICEF National Committees about abuse and violence committed against and by children, our National Committees are legally independent non-governmental organizations.

As Zika spreads, UNICEF works to help keep communities safe
NEW YORK/PANAMA/GENEVA, 2 February 2016 – With the Zika virus now a public health emergency affecting more than 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNICEF is working with governments to mobilize communities to protect themselves from infection.

More children and women seek safety in Europe: UNICEF
GENEVA, 2 February 2016 – For the first time since the start of the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, there are more children and women on the move than adult males, says UNICEF.

US$1.4 billion needed to get every Syrian child back in school, say aid agencies
AMMAN, Jordan, 2 February 2016 – The future of a generation of Syrian children and youth is in jeopardy unless donors meeting in London this week prioritise the funding needed to get them back to school, say aid agencies leading the response to the brutal conflict ravaging the country.

UNICEF Innovation Fund to invest in open source technology start-ups
NEW YORK, 1 February 2016 – UNICEF is inviting technology start-ups developing solutions with the potential to improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children to apply for funding from its recently launched Innovation Fund.

Pneumonia kills half a million children under five in sub-Saharan Africa, UNICEF says as it launches campaign to curb the disease
NEW YORK/ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 31 January 2016 – UNICEF and global partners launched a campaign today urging African leaders to increase funding for pneumonia interventions and adopt policy changes to strengthen its treatment at the community level. More than 490,000 children under-five died from the disease last year in sub-Saharan Africa…

… Pneumonia kills nearly 1 million children under the age of five around the world, causing more deaths than HIV/AIDS, diarrhea and malaria combined. Progress in the fight against the disease has been slow compared to progress in other leading diseases. Childhood pneumonia deaths have fallen by just 50 per cent compared to an 85 per cent decline in measles deaths, and 60 per cent in deaths from malaria, AIDS and tetanus in the last 15 years. Funding has also remained low: For every global health dollar spent in 2011, only 2 cents went to pneumonia.

The campaign, Every Breath Counts, seeks to raise awareness among leaders, donors and policy makers of the need for increased funding and more adequate policies for pneumonia interventions. Such measures would help:
:: Prevent pneumonia by immunizing children, reducing household air pollution and improving hygiene practices;

:: Protect new born babies from pneumonia though exclusive breastfeeding;

:: Facilitate community access to effective and timely diagnosis and treatment with amoxicillin as well as oxygen for severe cases.

Every Breath Counts was launched during the African Union Summit at the General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA)…

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 6 February 2016]

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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02/05/16
Mediterranean Migrant Deaths Reach 374; Arrivals in Greece Top 68,000 in 2016
Greece – IOM estimates that Mediterranean migrant and refugee arrivals in Italy and Greece reached 74,676 through February 4th.

IOM: Migrants Must Be Included in Zika Virus Response Plans
02/05/16
Switzerland – IOM DG William Lacy Swing has called on governments to include migrants and mobile populations in Zika Virus preparedness and response plans.

IOM Guinea Supports Psychosocial, Socio-economic Recovery of Ebola Survivors
02/05/16
Guinea – IOM has launched a programme to distribute cash grants to Ebola survivors as part of community-led projects in Boke in the northwestern part of the country.

IOM Tracks New Displacement in Burundi
02/05/16
Burundi – IOM Burundi has released its second Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) report for three provinces – Makamba, Kirundo and Rutana. It shows a total of 25,081 internally displaced persons (IDPs), of whom 46 per cent are men and 54 per cent women.

IOM, Central American States Promote Regular Flights of Stranded Cuban Migrants
02/05/16

Migrant Deaths in January Top 360; Arrivals in Greece Top 62,000
02/02/16
Greece – Fatalities of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean in January topped 360 due to a particularly deadly final weekend of the month.

Resettlement of Syrians from Lebanon to Canada Passes 8,000
02/02/16
Lebanon – The ongoing resettlement operation has moved over 8,200 Syrian refugees to Canada.

IOM Helps Iraqi Migrants Voluntarily Return Home from Belgium
02/02/16
Iraq – On Monday, February 1, 106 Iraqi nationals departed voluntarily from Belgium to Baghdad under IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme.

IOM, UNDP Support Consolidation of Brazil’s Migration and Refugee Policy
02/02/16
Brazil- IOM and UNDP have signed an agreement to support the efforts of the Government of Brazil in consolidating its Refugee and Migration Policy, under a project agreed between the Brazilian National Secretariat of Justice and UNDP: Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Social Participation in the Justice Policy [Fortalecimento da Capacidade Institucional e da Participação Social na Política de Justiça].

UN Women [to 6 February 2016]

UN Women [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Date: 05 February 2016
Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka for International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
[see Week in Review above for more detail]

Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the establishment of the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board to contribute to peace talks
Date: 03 February 2016

A snapshot of UN Women’s work in response to the crisis in Syria
Date: 02 February 2016
During the ongoing conflict in Syria, UN Women has been actively working to highlight the distinct needs of women and girls, including protection and resilience, and promote their role as meaningful participants in conflict-resolution, peacebuilding and eventual recovery and development.

Ahead of CSW, Latin American and Caribbean countries prioritize gender equality goal
Date: 02 February 2016
Ministers, officials and authorities of national women’s machineries from Latin America and the Caribbean met from 26–28 January in Santiago, Chile, calling for full implementation of the commitments to gender equality and the empowerment of women within the Sustainable Development Goals.

WHO & Regionals [to 6 February 2016]

WHO & Regionals [to 6 February 2016]

Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation
February 2016 — More than 125 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of female genital mutilation. WHO opposes all forms of female genital mutilation, which can cause a wide range of both short- and long-term health risks, and which is a grave violation of the human rights of women and girls.

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Dr Moeti urges vigilance amid spread of Zika virus
Brazzaville, 4 February 2016 – Countries from the WHO African Region have been urged to be watchful and prepare to tackle any signs of the Zika virus disease. The call was made by Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa. “The most effective forms of prevention are reducing mosquito populations by eliminating their potential breeding sites, and using personal protection measures to prevent mosquito bites. I call upon countries in the Region to strengthen vector control, surveillance and laboratory detection of Zika virus disease and neurological complications, as well as public awareness”, said Dr Moeti..

:: Delegates adopted recommendations on Exchange of Best Practices to Reaching Every District/Community, equity and integration of child survival interventions in ESA –
Cape Town, 29 January 2016 – The first ever workshop on Exchange of Best Practices to Reaching Every District/Community (RED/REC), equity and integration of child survival interventions in East and Southern African (ESA) jointly organized by WHO, UNICEF and JSI, MCSP/USAID, ended with delegates agreeing on recommendations to address inequities in coverage of child survival interventions and make progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
One hundred forty six (146) delegates drawn from the Ministries of Health child health and immunization programmes, partner organizations namely, WHO, UNICEF, JSI/MCSP, CDC, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Gavi Alliance and PATH agreed for WHO and partners to develop a framework for integration of child survival interventions to address inequities and make progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. Additionally EPI managers were called upon to use findings and recommendations from the workshop to brief their respective ministers in preparation for the impending Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa scheduled to take place from February 24-25 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia…
…The meeting agreed on the following recommendations:
…Countries to further review the best practices identified, adapt and plan for use in the national context, and develop an operation framework based on the integrated RED/REC strategic approach
…The African Region and partners to adapt the current RED strategic approach guidelines to include the expansion of RED components with equity and integration
…EPI managers to brief their respective ministers on the need to capitalize on the gains and expand RED approach to address inequities before the ministerial meeting
…WHO and partners should develop a regional framework for equitable and integrated delivery of child survival interventions in order to address inequities and make progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage…

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO Director calls for political commitment and more resources to fight Zika in the Americas (02/03/2016)
:: PAHO Director to brief ministers of health on microcephaly/Zika in the Americas (02/03/2016)
:: Films with smoking scenes should be rated “R” to protect children from tobacco addiction (02/01/2016)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO calls for preventive measures against Zika virus disease
New Delhi, 02 February 2016: WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh is urging countries in the Region to strengthen surveillance and take preventive measures against the Zika Virus disease which is strongly suspected to have a causal relation with clusters of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities.
WHO has declared the recent clusters of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in the Americas region as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The Zika virus is of concern in the WHO South-East Asia Region as the Aedes aegyptii mosquito, responsible for its spread, is found in many areas and there is no evidence of immunity to the Zika virus in many populations of the Region.
In the past sporadic Zika virus cases were reported from Thailand and Maldives…

WHO European Region EURO
:: Preventing cancer – The European code against cancer 04-02-2016
:: Statement – WHO urges European countries to prevent Zika virus disease spread now 03-02-2016

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO calls on countries of the Region to take steps to prevent Zika virus
Cairo, 31 January 2016 — As the Zika virus outbreak continues to spread reaching 24 countries in the Americas (as of 27 January), WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ala Alwan is calling on governments to work together to keep the Region protected.

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 6 February 2016]

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.unfpa.org/press/press-release

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Press Release
3 February 2016
UNFPA to Strengthen Support for Health, Safety of Syrian Women, Girls
UNITED NATIONS, New York – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is seeking $107.1 million to meet the urgent needs of more than 5 million women and girls from Syria affected by the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. About $51.93 million of the sum is to keep women and girls inside Syria healthy and safe, while $55.17 million will be used to tackle the special needs of refugees in neighbouring countries…

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 6 February 2016]

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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Feb 4, 2016
Helen Clark: Statement at the Support Syria and the Region Conference
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center – London, United Kingdom

Strong Support for resilience at Syria pledging conference
Feb 4, 2016
UNDP welcomes the major pledges made for responses to the Syria crisis in London today at the conference co-hosted by UK, Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the UN.

Helen Clark: Closing Remarks to 2016 ECOSOC Youth Forum
Feb 2, 2016 United Nations – New York, USA

UNDP stands ready to act on Zika virus
Feb 2, 2016
UNDP stands ready to join an international response, led by the World Health Organization, to an outbreak of microcephaly and other severe neurological abnormalities, which may have been associated with the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 6 February 2016]

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

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05/02/2016
Kenya Green Universities Network Launched to Promote Sustainability Practices in Higher Education Institutions
With 70 public and private universities in Kenya, there is great potential to promote sustainability both through education and practice.

02/02/2016
More than a Billion People Depend on Wetlands for Livelihoods, Says Ramsar Convention Secretariat on World Wetlands Day
Today marks the 45th anniversary of signing the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 6 February 2016]

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html

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5 February 2016, New York
Young leaders brainstorm on SDG implementation at Youth Forum
More than 900 young leaders and Government representatives gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York this week for the annual ECOSOC Youth Forum. The meetings this year focused on the instrumental role that young people play in the implementation and realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

1 February 2016, New York
At opening of Youth Forum, UN launches new initiative to tackle employment crisis
As more than 800 young leaders gather in New York for the annual United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, UN officials today launched a new initiative to tackle youth unemployment, making it clear that success in fighting poverty and inequality will largely depend on them being a driving force.

UNESCO [to 6 February 2016]

UNESCO [to 6 February 2016]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases/News

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05 February 2016
Reporters Without Borders and UNESCO launch new edition of safety guide for journalists in high-risk environments

04 February 2016
Director-General advocates for increased investment in education at London Syria Conference

04 February 2016
900-year-old consecration ceremony held for the Timbuktu mausoleums
A consecration ceremony of the Timbuktu mausoleums, last held in the 11th century, was held today at the initiative of the local community. This is the final phase of the cultural rebirth of the Timbuktu mausoleums after their destruction by the armed groups who occupied the city in 2012.

02 February 2016
250 Syrian refugees to attend secondary school newly rehabilitated by UNESCO in Kawergosk Camp

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 6 February 2016]

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 6 February 2016]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/

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Posted February 5, 2016
Over 700 applicants to International Design Collaboration for Kenya Competition
– The application for the International Design Collaboration for Kenya Competition completed midnight Feb 1. The competition saw a large number of applicants (over 700) from all over the world.

Urban Youth Take Action to Implement the 2030 Agenda
New York, 04, February 2016 – Hundreds of young people gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York City for the 5th Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum on February 1-2.
Posted February 4, 2016

UN-Habitat to lead in planning Kenya’s first Integrated Settlement in Kalobeyei, Turkana County
Kenya, 04 February 2016 – UN-Habitat has joined in the implementation of Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Program (KISEDP), a Turkana-based initiative that seeks to facilitate collaboration and coordination between the Kenyan Government, UN agencies, development actors, NGOs,…
Posted February 4, 2016

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 6 February 2016]

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/

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4-02-2016
FAO Food Price Index starts 2016 dropping to nearly 7-year low
The FAO Food Price Index fell in January, slipping 1.9 percent below its level in the last month of 2015, as prices of all the commodities it tracks fell, sugar in particular.

Support for agriculture in Syria critical with massive food insecurity adding to suffering
As world leaders met in London today to raise funds in support of millions of people affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria, FAO stressed the urgent need to help farming families produce food to meet basic needs.
4-02-2016

UN initiative targets job creation and decent work conditions for young people
Under the lead of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Initiative was developed by 19 international organizations that are committed to increasing the impact of youth employment policies and expanding country-level action on decent jobs for young women and men.
1-02-2016

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 6 February 2016]

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/index.htm

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4 February 2016 –
17-18 February 2016: International leaders gather in Rome for annual IFAD event

3 February 2016 –
UN agency to build climate resilience among pastoralists in Tajikistan

1 February 2016 –
Benin and IFAD work together to boost food and nutrition security while creating jobs for young people

ILO International Labour Organization [to 6 February 2016]

ILO International Labour Organization [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/lang–en/index.htm

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Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth
Guy Ryder announces Global Youth Initiative
01 February 2016
…The Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth was launched at UN headquarters today by Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), at the opening of the UN’s annual Youth Forum.
In describing the Initiative, Ryder stated that it is a unique partnership with governments, the UN system, businesses, academic institutions, youth organizations and other groups to scale-up action to create new opportunities and avenues for quality employment in the global economy and “assist young people in developing the skills needed to compete in today’s job market”…

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Blog
How do we know if we’re really helping migrant workers?
05 February 2016
The ILO GMS Triangle project has provided counseling and support services to over 60,000 migrant workers across the Greater Mekong Subregion and Malaysia. But understanding if those services were really helping them to realize their rights proved easier said than done. In our latest blog post, researcher Ben Harkins explains his approach.

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 6 February 2016]

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 6 February 2016]
https://www.wmo.int/media/news

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1 February 2016
UAE Awards for Rain Enhancement Science
Research groups from Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Germany have won the US$5 million grant awarded by the inaugural edition of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science.

This research program was launched by the UAE’s Ministry of the Presidential Affairs (MOPA) and is managed by the UAE’s National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS). The program offers an annual grant of US$5 million to be shared among up to five winning proposals for a period of three years.

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 6 February 2016]

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

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2016-02-01
Statement by Mr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary, on the occasion of the Expert Group Meeting on Article 10 of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing, Montreal, Canada, 1 – 3 February 2016
…As you are all aware, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and
Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising entered into force just over one year ago, on 12 October
2014. The Protocol supports the further implementation of one of the three objectives of the Convention: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources.

In October 2014, when the Protocol entered into force, it had 51 Parties , but the number of
ratifications continues to grow, and the Protocol now has 70 Parties, with more ratifications expected in the coming months. Our objective is to reach 100 ratifications by the time of the second meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, which will be held in Cancun, Mexico, in December of this year.

The theme for the meetings in Mexico in December is “Integration of biodiversity for well-being”. This is linked to this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22nd when we will be celebrating biodiversity and its role in sustaining people and their livelihoods. ABS is an important component of this theme. Maintaining the diversity of our genetic resources and their associated traditional knowledge is critical to both the development of new products and services that can improve all our lives as well as to the people who already depend on genetic diversity and traditional knowledge for their day-to-day well-being. The equity dimension of access to genetic resources an d associated traditional knowledge in exchange for the sharing of benefits also holds great potential to contribute to sustainable development…

US Department of State [to 6 February 2016]

US Department of State [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/index.htm

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-02/05/16
Ambassador Jenkins Promotes Professional Exchange in Support of the Global Health Security Agenda;
Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC

02/04/16
New U.S. Assistance to Respond to Syria Crisis;
Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC

-02/04/16
Remarks at the Syria Donors Conference;
Secretary of State John Kerry; London, United Kingdom

USAID [to 6 February 2016]

USAID [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

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February 1, 2016
USAID Announces Awards to Support Schools and Hospitals Abroad
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAID/ASHA) announced $23 million in funding to U.S. organizations and their overseas partners to support construction projects and to purchase equipment for 15 hospitals and clinics, 6 secondary schools, 16 universities, and 1 library. This year’s projects, spanning 25 countries, are funded through a competitive annual award and directly support schools, libraries and medical centers outside the United States that advance innovation and best practices and build bridges between citizens of the United States and other countries.