ILO International Labour Organization [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/lang–en/index.htm

.
Refugee crisis
International community must help host countries meet challenge of Syria refugee crisis, says ILO Director-General
29 January 2016
As jobs and employment take centre stage in the global response to the Syria refugee crisis, ILO chief Guy Ryder visits Jordan to examine first-hand the effects of the massive refugee influx on the labour market, and to discuss employment options for refugees and the communities that host them.

.
Interview with Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of ITUC
What are the challenges and opportunities for Unions in 2016?
27 January 2016
The trade union movement faces significant challenges in 2016, in particular the respect of workers’ rights in many countries. Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) talks about the challenges and opportunities for unions in 2016.

.
Meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Labour and Employment
Labour and Employment Ministers of the BRICS countries adopted a joint declaration
26 January 2016
On 25–26 January, at the initiative of the Russian Federation, the first ever meeting of BRICS Ministers of Labour and Employment was held in the city of Ufa, in order to discuss the areas of cooperation in the field of labour relations and employment, social security and social integration in the group’s member states.

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 30 January 2016]
https://www.wmo.int/media/news

.
27 January 2016
WHO-WMO Brief on Health and ENSO
The joint World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Climate and Health Office has issued a briefing paper about health and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as part of a wider WHO effort to review the current health risks and responses of the El Nino event in high risk countries.

The ongoing El Niño event is one of the three strongest since 1950 and is the strongest since 1997-1998, according to WMO. It is contributing to extreme weather patterns around the world and combined with long-term climate change to fuel record global surface temperatures in 2015.

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.unido.org/news-centre/news.html
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Japan contributes JPY 300 million to further strengthen UNIDO’s low carbon technology transfer programme for Africa
VIENNA – The Government of Japan is expanding its contribution to the Low Carbon Low Emission Clean Energy Technology (LCET) Programme implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), specifically in Africa.

The programme aims to promote the rapid deployment and dissemination of new low carbon technologies across the world.

The second replenishment of JPY 300 million (around USD 2.5 million) will help further strengthen activities in Ethiopia and Kenya…

…The LCET programme focuses on fostering inclusive and sustainable industrial development through enhancing productivity, creating new jobs, boosting the use of clean and affordable energy, and providing training to the local communities. It offers new opportunities for introducing innovative financing mechanisms such as the Government of Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), which aims to facilitate the global diffusion of low-carbon technologies and products in developing countries…

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 30 January 2016]
http://media.unwto.org/news
28 January 2016
UNWTO Statement on the Zika Virus
UNWTO is closely monitoring the situation and in close contact with WHO and the relevant tourism authorities.

25 January 2016
Tourism Ministers discuss collaboration between tourism and security
Ministers of Tourism and High Level officials from 86 countries gathered in Madrid to discuss the development of closer collaboration mechanisms between tourism and security administrations to ensure a safe, secure and seamless travel framework (Madrid, 22 January 2016)

25 January 2016
Accessible tourism: a right and a business opportunity
With the objective of highlighting the best accessibility practices that the private sector has implemented, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) organized, in cooperation with the ONCE Foundation, an event on “Accessible Tourism as an Effective Business Strategy” held in the context of FITUR (Madrid, 22 January 2016).

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

.
28 January 2016
ITU’s 2nd Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications adopts ICT strategies to reduce impact of natural disasters
Forum recognizes the key role of information & communication technologies in preventing and mitigating disaster impact
Kuwait City, 28 January 2016 – Over 500 participants from 70 countries attending ITU’s 2nd Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications: Saving Lives (GET2016, Kuwait City, 26-28 January), underscored the importance of ICTs in disaster early warning and response through the launch of two important new global initiatives, the ITU Network of Volunteers for Emergency Telecommunications and the Global Emergency Fund for Rapid Response.

Held at Kuwait City’s Regency Hotel, the GET2016 forum discussed trends and emerging technological innovations, financing mechanisms, country case studies, challenges in deploying ICTs in disaster zones, climate change issues and the role of the private sector and other non-state stakeholders. It also featured a series of exhibits featuring solutions for the most effective use of ICT in emergencies.

ICTs play a critical role in disaster risk reduction. Paragraph 33 of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction emphasizes the importance of investing in, developing, maintaining and strengthening early warning systems, disaster risk and emergency communications, social technologies and hazard-monitoring telecommunication systems. It also stresses the importance of promoting the resilience of new ICT infrastructure…

USAID [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

.
January 28, 2016
Power Africa Launches Roadmap to 60 Million Connections and 30,000 MW by 2030
Today at the Powering Africa Summit, Power Africa partners launched a roadmap to meet President Obama’s goals of adding 30,000 megawatts and 60 million connections across sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.

.
USAID, Partners Announce Winners of Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge, Sourcing Science and Technology Solutions to Halt Illegal Wildlife Trade
January 27, 2016
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners have announced 16 prize winners under the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge. USAID will award $10,000 to each winner and provide technical support to help them advance their solutions to stamp out illegal trade in wildlife. Winners are eligible to compete for one of four Grand Prizes worth as much as $500,000. USAID will use Grand Prizes to target and invest in the most promising solutions.

African Union [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.au.int/en/

January 30, 2016 Press Releases
President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad has Been Elected New Chairperson of the African Union

January 30, 2016 Press Releases
26th African Union Assembly meeting opens with calls for human rights, particularly women’s rights under Agenda 2063, peace, and development

January 30, 2016 | Press Releases
Summit Recognises Winners of the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Awards 2015 Edition

January 29, 2016 | Press Releases
AU Commissioner Moustapha Sidiki Kaloko for Social Affairs brief the press on Migration, Campaign on Ending Child Marriage in Africa and ASEOWA

January 27, 2016 | Press Releases
5th Intergenerational Dialogue: voices of the youth and particularly young women need to be heard and their views incorporated in policy priorities

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.asean.org/news

Cambodia, Singapore Deposit Instrument of Ratification of the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons
JAKARTA, 25 January 2016 – Cambodia and Singapore have deposited their respective Instruments of Ratification for the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP) with H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN. The ACTIP, which was signed by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015…

European Union [to 30 January 2016]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1

Date: 28/01/2016
Trade policy promotes sustainability and human rights
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 28 January 2016 Report highlights progress and shortcomings in 14 countries that benefited from privileged conditions of access to the EU market. The European Commission and the EU High Representativepublished today the first report on the concrete effects of the GSP+, the EU trade..

Commission discusses draft Schengen Evaluation Report on Greece
Date: 27/01/2016
European – Press release Commission Brussels, 27 January 2016 Commission discusses draft Schengen Evaluation Report on Greece The College of Commissioners has today, in view of the findings and their significance, taken note and discussed a draft Schengen Evaluation Report on Greece.

State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis
Date: 25/01/2016
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 25 January 2016 State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis Updated on 25 January The European Agenda on Migration adopted by the Commission in May 2015 set out the need for a comprehensive approach to migration management.

OECD [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/

28-January-2016
OECD and UNHCR call for scaling up integration policies in favour of refugees
The heads of the OECD and UNHCR, at a joint high-level Conference on the integration of beneficiaries of international protection in Paris today, have called on governments to scale up their efforts to help refugees integrate and contribute to the societies and economies of Europe.

27-January-2016
A boost to transparency in international tax matters: 31 countries sign tax co-operation agreement to enable automatic sharing of country by country information
As part of continuing efforts to boost transparency by multinational enterprises (MNEs), 31 countries signed today the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) for the automatic exchange of Country-by-Country reports. The signing ceremony marks an important milestone towards implementation of the OECD/G20 BEPS Project and a significant increase in cross-border cooperation on tax matters.

Organization of American States (OAS) [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_releases.asp

.
January 27, 2016
OAS to Send Special Mission to Haiti to Assess Situation following Suspension of Elections
The Organization of American States (OAS) will send a Special Mission to assess the situation in Haiti in response to a request by Haitian President Michel Martelly, according to an agreement reached today by the Permanent Council of the institution.

The Chair of the Council and Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda, Ronald Sanders, specified that the Mission will be sent by the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, and that its work will include engaging in “a dialogue with all appropriate parties.” The Secretary General said that the “mandate and the limits” under which the Mission will act “must be set by the legitimate government of Haiti at this moment. Any other action beyond that would be an intervention that Haiti does not want, and that we want even less.”

Secretary General Almagro explained that the successful conclusion of the electoral process in Haiti is critically important, and therefore the dates for the second round of voting in the presidential elections should be set as soon as possible. “It is of fundamental importance that there be an election, and not a plebiscite or a referendum on a single candidate,” he said. Meanwhile, he added, “Haitians should agree on a mechanism for a clearly defined period of time, as short as possible,” within a plan endorsed by the Supreme Court of Justice.

For his part, the Permanent Representative of Haiti to the OAS, Bocchit Edmond, said the request by his government for a high level OAS mission was motivated by “the goal of helping the actors to get together to avoid the country falling into an institutional vacuum and chaos.”

World Trade Organisation [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm

28 January 2016
INTERNATIONAL TRADE STATISTICS
WTO releases new statistical profiles on global value chains
The WTO has released new statistical profiles on global value chains (GVCs) for 61 economies. These profiles, available on the WTO website, bring together a set of indicators on trade taking place within GVCs.

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

.
28 JANUARY 2016
Rwanda MPs urge action on civil registration
MPs in Rwanda have held a meeting with leaders of key government ministries as part of a drive to improve healthcare for women, children and adolescents. The country has made progress in cutting some maternal deaths, but more needs to be done in other areas such as reducing the number of children dying. The meeting discussed the urgent need for new and efficient systems to collect accurate information on births, marriages and deaths…

Mauritanian MPs create action plan for equality
28 JANUARY 2016
Women MPs in Mauritania have created an action plan to push forward work on gender equality. It followed training in Nouakchott on strategic planning on the work of the women’s caucus in parliament involving about 40 female MPs, civil society organizations and government officials…

Integrating gender into Ivorian parliamentary work
28 JANUARY 2016
Promoting gender equality in the work of Côte d’Ivoire’s Parliament has received a major boost, with the staging of a workshop for parliamentary staff. Fifty employees, including 18 women, took part in a three-day event, which equipped staff to integrate gender issues into the work of parliament. It focused on building a common understanding of what a gender perspective means for women and men, and devising ways to implement this approach in the day-to-day work of parliament…

Kenya community events boost gender equality target
28 JANUARY 2016
Hundreds of citizens and local leaders around Kenya have attended community outreach events to promote awareness and support for the constitutional requirement of women MPs accounting for at least one third of all MPs in the country, and proposals to achieve this…

Turkish Parliament launches equality “role model” mission
28 JANUARY 2016
A project to ensure gender equality is placed at the heart of Turkey’s parliamentary work has been launched. Working alongside IPU and UN Women, Turkey’s Grand National Assembly will support women’s leadership and ensure equality becomes a mainstream issue in all parliamentary business. Through the project, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Grand National Assembly is aiming to become a role model on gender equality, with changes benefiting not just female MPs but also their male counterparts, parliamentary staff and commissions…

Major health promotion role for IPU President
28 JANUARY 2016
IPU President Saber Chowdhury has accepted an invitation to join a high-level group on Every Woman Every Child, a global movement led by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Asian summit focuses on cutting tobacco deaths
28 JANUARY 2016
A summit of Speakers of Parliament from South Asia will explore practical ways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a particular focus on improving health by cutting tobacco use. The Speakers will aim to identify ways to cut deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from the current annual toll of 38 million people by one third by 2030…
….The event, in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on 30-31 January, is being organized by IPU and the Bangladeshi Parliament in cooperation with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an international non-profit organization.

World Bank [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

Agribusiness rules lag in agriculture dependent countries
WASHINGTON, January 28, 2016 – Countries where agriculture is a major economic activity have greater room for improving key regulations that govern the agribusiness sector, a new World Bank report finds….
Date: January 28, 2016 Type: Press Release

World Bank Lowers 2016 Forecasts for 37 of 46 Commodity Prices, Including Oil
Further economic slowdown in major emerging economies could push commodity markets lower
WASHINGTON, January 26, 2016— The World Bank is lowering its 2016 forecast for crude oil prices to $37 per barrel…
Date: January 26, 2016 Type: Press Release

PPP Knowledge Lab: MDBs’ Collaboration Brings You the First-ever Comprehensive Online Resource for Public-Private Partnerships
Multilateral development agencies from around the world have collaborated to produce the PPP Knowledge Lab, the first comprehensive online resource that pools the knowledge and experience of industry leaders…
Date: January 25, 2016 Type: Feature Story

IMF [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.imf.org/external/news/default.aspx

January 29, 2016
Press Release: Conference on Small Middle-Income Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Joint Statement by Deputy Managing Director Min Zhu and Governor Linah Mohohlo of the Bank of Botswana

… “We had a very productive set of discussions on the economic outlook and policy challenges facing small middle-income countries (SMICs) in sub-Saharan Africa. This group of countries has made significant progress in terms of maintaining macroeconomic stability and sustaining high growth over the past two decades. However, a number of challenges have recently emerged and, beyond the importance of maintaining their hard earned gains in terms of economic stability, there is scope to rethink their growth strategies and move forward with bold complementary reforms that could facilitate their transition to high-income status.

“For countries that depend heavily on commodity exports, the near-term environment has deteriorated as both global demand and prices have declined. And while some countries have previously built savings that can help them cushion the slowdown, other countries have seen their fiscal positions deteriorate rapidly at a time when external financing conditions have tightened. Notably, the slowdown of the South African economy could also adversely affect the countries in the region…

African Development Bank Group [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/

.
29/01/2016
Senior Management changes at the African Development Bank
As part of a refocusing of strategy, the African Development Bank has announced the departure of the following executives effective February 1, 2016: the Vice-President for Agriculture, Water, Human Development, Governance and Natural Resources, Aly Abou-Sabaa; the Secretary General and Vice-President, Cecilia Akintomide; the Vice-President for Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration, Solomon Asamoah; the General Counsel and Director of Legal Services, Kalidou Gadio; and the Director of Communications and External Relations, Joel Serunkuma Kibazo.

Burundian refugees to benefit from $1 million AfDB emergency assistance
29/01/2016 – The Government of Rwanda and the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, signed a US $1-million (RWF 753-million) emergency assistance grant to Burundian refugees in Rwanda.

AfDB launches project to strengthen the aviation sector in Central and West Africa
28/01/2016 – On January 26, 2016, the African Development Bank and representatives of the Central and West African economic communities inaugurated a major project to improve the safety, security and efficiency of air transport in the sub-region.

AfDB lends Morocco $112.3 million to improve the Tangier-Casablanca-Marrakech railway route
27/01/2016 – On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, in Abidjan, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a loan of US $112.3 million to Morocco for the improvement of infrastructure on the Tangier-Casablanca-Marrakech railway route.

Asian Development Bank [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.adb.org/news

.
25 Jan 2016 | News Release
ADB Private Sector Financing Tops $2.6 Billion in 2015, Up 37% Year-on-Year
ADB approved a record $2.6 billion of new financing and investments for the private sector in 2015, a 37% increase from a year earlier and 62% higher than in 2013.

25 Jan 2016 | News Release
Asia-Pacific PPP Project Preparation Facility Launches Operations
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asia-Pacific Project Preparation Facility (AP3F), a multi-donor trust fund managed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help developing Asia and the Pacific prepare, structure, and place bankable public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the market, launched its operations today.

CARE International [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

.
28 JANUARY 2016
El Niño: Urgent need for support as drought affects 14 million people in Southern Africa
MOZAMBIQUE
About 14 million people in Southern Africa are already facing hunger, and the situation is expected to deteriorate further as multiple countries in the region bear the impact of the El Niño weather system.

26 JANUARY 2016
CARE: Freezing temperatures and increased trafficking severely threaten safety of refugees along Balkan route
SERBIA
Biting winds and freezing temperatures of up to minus 10 degrees Celsius pose severe health risks for refugees in the Western Balkans. At the same time, increased activities by smugglers put those already exhausted from their journey at risk of being abused and injured.

25 JANUARY 2016
Snowstorms slam the Middle East, striking already vulnerable Syrians
SYRIA
Agencies warn that only a complete end to the six-month old siege and guarantees for sustained aid deliveries alongside humanitarian services will alleviate the crisis in these areas.

Clubhouse International  [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.clubhouse-intl.org/news.html

.
Posted on January 13, 2016
Meet Our New Executive Fellows
Fountain House is thrilled to welcome our three new Executive Fellows – Bethany Vukusic, Francesco Baglioni, and Jenny Erdman! The three fellows come from clubhouses in Michigan, Italy, and Iowa, respectively. The Executive Fellowship prepares new clubhouse directors to succeed anywhere in the world, and equips them with the requisite organizational and programmatic knowledge and skill sets.

HelpAge International [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/press-room/press-releases/
Posted: 26 January 2016
African leaders urged to adopt protocol on the rights of older people
African heads of state are being urged to adopt a protocol on older people’s rights by organisations representing older people across the continent, at the 26th Summit of the African Union meeting in Ethiopia this week.