ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx

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ICAO Welcomes COP21 Agreement, Will Continue to Provide Leadership and Coordinate Action on International Aviation’s Environmental Goals
15/12/15

IMO International Maritime Organization [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/Home.aspx

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Full speed ahead with climate-change measures at IMO following Paris Agreement
14/12/2015
IMO welcomes historic achievement of the 2015 Paris Climate Change conference.

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 19 December 2015]
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WMO applauds Paris Agreement
15 December 2015
The World Meteorological Organization strongly commends the world’s Governments for adopting the Paris Agreement last Saturday – and salutes the scientists whose work convinced the international community of the need for urgent action on climate change.

“The Paris Agreement is a diplomatic triumph that reconfirms the invaluable role played by the United Nations in promoting global cooperation and action on humanity’s most pressing challenges,” said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud. “This Agreement will serve as an essential tool for guiding and motivating action by local and national Governments, businesses, and civil society. The hard work of translating the written text into real actions begins now.”

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Historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change
14 December 2015
An historic agreement to combat climate change and unleash actions and investment towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future was agreed by 195 nations in Paris today.

The Paris Agreement for the first time brings all nations into a common cause based on their historic, current and future responsibilities.
The universal agreement’s main aim is to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

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ITU members agree international standard for Big Data
Building on cloud computing to provide Big Data services
Geneva, 18 December 2015 – ITU members have approved the first ITU standard on Big Data. The international standard details the requirements, capabilities and use cases of cloud-based Big Data as well a high-level ‘system context’ view and its relationships with other entities. The Big Data paradigm provides an effective, scalable solution to deal with growing volumes of data and uncover patterns or other information capable of making data manageable and profitable.

Advances in information and communication technology (ICT) are enabling masses of data to be generated, transmitted and stored, and this explosive growth is increasing in pace. Datasets have become so large and complex, and are generated so fast, that traditional approaches to data processing are proving inadequate. Achieving efficient analysis of data within required timeframes is a significant challenge, one that industry will address using technologies in the field of Big Data.

The new standard, Recommendation ITU-T Y.3600 “Big data – cloud computing based requirements and capabilities”, was developed by ITU-T’s expert group responsible for future networks, cloud computing and network aspects of mobile communications, ITU-T Study Group 13.

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Expert group identifies emerging demands of ‘5G’ to fuel ITU standardization
Open-source communities to join ITU study of networking innovations
Geneva, 17 December – The ITU-T Focus Group on network aspects of IMT-2020 (‘5G’) has received an extension to its lifetime, with a mandate to undertake in-depth studies into areas such as ‘network softwarization’ and slicing, emerging networking technologies, mobile backhaul and fronthaul, and end-to-end quality of service (QoS). New Terms of Reference call for the group to engage open-source communities, influencing and taking advantage of their work by introducing them to the challenges that telecoms players must overcome in the development of the 5G ecosystem.

The Focus Group’s vision of the 5G era is of a highly dynamic information and communication technology (ICT) industry characterized by the entrance of new players to the networking business and new opportunities for telecoms companies. The approach to year 2020 will play host to the emergence of new business models capitalizing on the transformative effects of softwarization and the associated convergence of open-source and telecoms communities…

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Partners launch action plan to close digital gender gap
Women’s participation in digital society integral to achieving Agenda 2030
New York, 15 December 2015 – An ‘Action Plan to Close the Digital Gender Gap’ was launched today at a side event on “Women’s Empowerment in the Digital Age” during the High-Level Meeting of the World Summit of the Information Society currently taking place in New York (WSIS+10). It was co-organized by ITU and the governments of Costa Rica, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia and the United States, together with UN Women, Microsoft, Mozilla and the Association for Progressive Communication.

The Action Plan sets out a framework for critical actions to foster and accelerate inclusive and sustainable development by closing the digital gender gap and harness the transformative potential of ICTs for women’s empowerment. Women’s equal and meaningful participation in the digital society is seen as both integral to the realization of women’s rights in the 21st century, as well as the realization of a just, inclusive and rights-based information society aimed at achieving global objectives around gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2030…

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Top UN Board supports ongoing implementation of World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process
Role of ICTs seen as critical in achieving sustainable development goals
New York, 15 December 2015 – The United Nations Chief Executives Board (CEB), comprising of heads of UN agencies, today issued its resounding support for the WSIS process. In particular, they endorsed the pivotal role of ICTs in driving progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a joint statement to the United Nations General Assembly on the overall review of the implementation of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+10), the CEB drew a direct relationship between the WSIS process and the “momentous” adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It reaffirmed the important role of information and communication technologies (ICT) as a critical enabler for advancing the globally agreed development goals…

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/

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Global Patent Filings Rise in 2014 for Fifth Straight Year; China Driving Growth
Innovators filed some 2.7 million patent applications to mark another worldwide annual rise in 2014, as application activity in China outstripped the combined total in its next-closest followers, the United States and Japan.
Dec 14, 2015 PR/2015/786

US Department of State [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/index.htm
Selected Announcements

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12/18/15
International Migrants Day; Secretary of State John Kerry; Washington, DC

12/18/15
Remarks at the United Nations Security Council Meeting on Syria; Secretary of State John Kerry; New York, NY

12/16/15
U.S. Department of State Partners With International Council of Museums To Fight Illicit Traffic of Libyan Cultural Heritage; Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC

USAID [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

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United States Announces $88 Million in Humanitarian Aid for Ethiopia
December 18, 2015
New aid will address the humanitarian crisis and the impact of El Niño
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced an additional $88 million in humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia today to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon. The additional aid brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia to more than $435 million since the start of fiscal year 2015 and increases funding for nutrition, water, food, sanitation, and hygiene support.

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USAID Awards $5 Million to Off Grid Electric
December 17, 2015
Funding Will Help Start-Up Reach One Million Homes in Tanzania
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s U.S. Global Development Lab today announced $5 million in follow-on funding to Off Grid Electric. The award, funded through the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program, will allow Off Grid Electric to test its model at scale and catalyze additional investments to reach more than one million households.

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The U.S. Announces $173 Million in Additional Emergency Food Assistance for South Sudan
December 15, 2015
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing an additional $173 million in lifesaving emergency food assistance for those suffering from hunger as a result of the conflict that broke out in South Sudan two years ago.

DFID [to 19 December 2015]
https://www.gov.uk/government/announcements

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PM: Government has met commitment to resettle 1,000 refugees by Christmas
16 December 2015 DFID and Number 10 Press release

“80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries. And the barriers that people face aren’t just physical”
15 December 2015 DFID Speech

“By working together will we be able to ensure that we leave no one behind”
15 December 2015 DFID Speech

Integrating East Africa: progress, challenges and future prospects.
15 December 2015 DFID and FCO Speech

ECHO [to 19 December 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

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EU provides €5 million in humanitarian aid for the Burundian crisis
17/12/2015
The European Commission has today released €5 million in new humanitarian assistance to help the increasing number of Burundians affected by the ongoing instability in the country.

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Commission adopts record humanitarian budget amid increasing global needs
16/12/2015
The European Commission has adopted its humanitarian aid budget for 2016. With nearly €1.1 billion as an initial allocation, it is the highest budget for life-saving relief in man-made and natural disasters to date.

The African Development Bank Group [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/
[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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Egypt, the new chair of the ADEA steering committee and STC-EST bureau for the next 2 years
18/12/2015 – Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Ashraf El-Shihy, has been elected, Chair of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Steering Committee (SC). He replaces the former Chairperson, Cameroon’s Minister of Education Alim Youssouf Hadidja.

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AfDB approves regional hydropower PPP to increase electricity supply and integration in Burundi, DRC, Rwanda
18/12/2015 – The African Development Bank Group approved today USD 138 million of loans and grants toward a project which will help develop the energy sector in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda through the construction of the Ruzizi III Hydropower Plant and associated transmission line. The project is expected to increase electricity trading between the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (ECGLC) through the supply of reliable and sustainable clean energy.

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The African Development Fund Board injects USD 21 million to finance Mozambique’s economic governance and inclusive growth program Phase II
18/12/2015 – The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) on 15th December 2015 approved a grant worth USD 21 million to finance Mozambique’s Economic Governance and Inclusive Growth Program Phase II (EGIGP).

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AfDB invests in Women-owned SMEs in Africa through Alitheia Identity Fund (AIF)
18/12/2015 – The Bank Group’s (AfDB) Board of Directors, met on December 17, 2015 in Abidjan, and approved USD 12.5 million equity investment in Alitheia Identity Fund (AIF or the Fund).

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Inaugural conference discusses the role of research in transforming Africa’s agriculture
17/12/2015 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) with its partners held an inaugural two-day conference to discuss the continent’s agricultural potential and how to address constraints that continue to hamper the sector’s performance.

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AfDB, Egypt ink US $500-million loan agreement to support the country’s ongoing reforms
17/12/2015 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Egypt have signed on Thursday, December 17 a loan agreement of US $500 million aimed at supporting the Government’s ongoing bold economic reform program and sustaining strong economic growth.

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COP21: AfDB joins Inclusive Green Growth Partnership to accelerate financing of green growth projects
17/12/2015 – The African Development Bank announced on Thursday, December 17 that it has joined the Inclusive Green Growth Partnership, a new collaboration between the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), multilateral development banks and United Nations agencies to address policy barriers and promote social inclusion at the country level to accelerate financing for green growth projects. The Partnership was launched during the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris (COP21).

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Egypt: AfDB Board approves 2015/16-2019/20 Country Strategy Paper and US $500-million loan for Economic Governance and Energy Support Program
17/12/2015 – The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approved on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 in Abidjan the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) of the Arab Republic of Egypt for 2015/16-2019/20. The Board also approved a US $500 million loan entitled the Economic Governance and Energy Support Program (EGESP).

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“Violence against women and girls harms the development of Africa”: AfDB concludes 16 days of activism
17/12/2015 – The Office of the Special Envoy on Gender of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) concluded its campaign to mark 16 days of activism in solidarity with the UN’s UNiTE “Orange the World: End all Violence against Women and Girls”. From November 25 to December 10, the AfDB ran a sensitization campaign at its headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and across its 35 field offices in Africa.

Asian Development Bank [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.adb.org/news

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16 Dec 2015 | News Release
ADB Approves Reforms Package to Speed Loan Delivery, Enhance Operational Efficiency

15 Dec 2015 | News Release
TAPI Shareholders Agreement Signed at Groundbreaking Ceremony
MARY, TURKMENISTAN – The shareholders of TAPI Pipeline Company Limited have signed the Shareholders Agreement at a groundbreaking ceremony here to commemorate the beginning of construction of the Turkmen portion of the planned 1,800 km Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project.

14 Dec 2015 | News Release
Statement by ADB President Takehiko Nakao Following the Conclusion of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP21 Meeting in Paris

European Union [to 19 December 2015]
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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Joint Statement on the International Migrants’ Day
Date: 18/12/2015
European Commission – Statement Brussels, 18 December 2015 Today the European Union recognises the 232 million international migrants worldwide. More people than at any other time have left their homes, either to seek refuge and safety from war and persecution or to escape poverty and find secure livelihoods elsewhere.

EU provides €5 million in humanitarian aid for the Burundian crisis
Date: 17/12/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 17 December 2015 Over 220 000 people are now estimated to have fled the country. The European Commission has today released €5 million in new humanitarian assistance to help the increasing number of Burundians affected by the ongoing instability in the country.

State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis
Date: 17/12/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 17 December 2015 State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis Updated on 17 December The European Agenda on Migration adopted by the Commission in May 2015 set out the need for a comprehensive approach to migration management.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/news/

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OIC Welcomes the Unveiling of an Islamic Alliance to Combat Terrorism
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has assured its support for all international and regional efforts aimed at combating terrorism, and renewed its solidarity with all initiatives aimed at achieving security and peace in the Member States and the entire world to serve the interests of the people and to support stability…

…Madani pointed out that the increase in terrorist crimes confers upon Member States a historic responsibility and makes it imperative to intensify joint action to deal with this phenomenon in all its dimensions.

In this regard, Madani welcomed the announcement of an Islamic Coalition to combat terrorism which brings together several OIC Member States. He underscored the unwavering position of the OIC that terrorism has no religion or identity, and must take into account, in addition to security and military considerations, the political, social and economic contexts that provide favorable conditions for the spread of terrorism and violent extremism such as economic deprivation, exclusion, devastation, marginalization, forced disintegration of political, legal, social and cultural institutions. It is also important to examine the underlying reasons behind sectarian violence and attempts to politicize denominational differences and to focus on sectarian affiliation as a core identity, as well as the infiltration by third parties into terrorist and extremist groups in order to serve their own political agendas, he added.
15/12/2015

UNCTAD [to 19 December 2015]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/AllPressRelease.aspx

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17 Dec 2015 – Business potential of smallholder farmers must be unleashed for sustainable development, report says

17 Dec 2015 – Technology is key driver of development, United Nations General Assembly hears at high-level meeting

16 Dec 2015 – African countries export just 0.3 per cent of world’s high-tech products

15 Dec 2015 – Expanded list of duty-free technology products to boost international trade and development, research reveals

World Trade Organisation [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
[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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Azevêdo welcomes efforts to help implement Trade Facilitation Agreement
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo welcomed on 17 December the pledges made by governments and private sector entities to help developing and least-developed countries implement the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), declaring efforts to provide support have “got off to a good start”.

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WTO trade facilitation in action — launch of Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation: Speech by Director-General Roberto Azevêdo
Speech

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WTO members conclude landmark $1.3 trillion IT trade deal
WTO members representing major exporters of information technology products agreed today (16 December) at the WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference, in Nairobi, on the timetable for implementing a landmark deal to eliminate tariffs on 201 IT products valued at over $1.3 trillion per year.

World Bank [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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International Migration at All-Time High
WASHINGTON, December 18, 2015 – The number of international migrants is expected to surpass 250 million this year, an all-time high, as people search for economic opportunity. And, fast growing developing…
Date: December 18, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

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Op-Ed by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim: Climate Action After Paris
At the United Nations climate conference in Paris, courageous and visionary leaders recognized that people rarely change the world when they work within the constraints of what they think is possible….
Date: December 17, 2015 Type: Opinion Language: English

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Uniting Behind Universal Health Coverage
Conference on Universal Health Coverage in the New Development Era:Toward Building Resilient Health SystemsWorld Bank Group President Jim Yong KimTokyo, Japan December 16, 2015 Good morning. I’m extremely…
Date: December 16, 2015 Type: Speeches and Transcripts Language: English

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Despite $28 Billion Drop in Global Private Infrastructure Investment in Energy, Transport, and Water, Strong Showing of Renewable Energy Projects
WASHINGTON, December 15, 2015—Despite a sharp decline in private investment in energy, transport, and water infrastructure in developing countries in the first six months of 2015, investment in renewable…
Date: December 15, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

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World Bank Approves US$1.5 Billion to Support India’s Universal Sanitation Initiatives
More than 500 million rural people to gain access to toilets and other sanitation facilities with a focus on behavior change
WASHINGTON, December 15, 2015 – The World Bank today approved a US$1.5 billion loan for the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Support Operation Project to support the Government of India in its efforts to ensure all citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation – such as a toilet or latrine with a focus on changing behaviors – in ending the practice of open defecation by 2019.
Specifically, this project will support the rural component, known as SBM – Gramin (SBM-G), over a five-year period using a new performance-based program which links funds directly to results, ensuring that benefits are delivered to the people in need – more than 60 percent of India’s rural population.
Today, of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation globally, more than 750 million live in India, with 80 percent living in rural areas. More than 500 million of the rural population in India continue to defecate in the open, suffering from preventable deaths, illness, stunting, harassment and economic losses.
The SBM-G program focuses on ensuring usage of toilets along with their construction. States and their implementing agencies will be given incentives for meeting performance standards. Performance will be measured against the states’ ability to reduce open defecation, sustaining their open defecation free (ODF) status and improving solid and liquid waste management in rural areas. The financing mechanism promotes the leadership of the states, which will have flexibility in innovating and adopting their own delivery models…
Date: December 15, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

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Call for Ideas to Improve Development Response for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
WASHINGTON, December 14, 2015 — As the number of refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing conflict, violence and persecution reaches historic highs, the World Bank’s Global Program on Forced Displacement (GPFD) is calling for proposals for innovative and transformational ideas that can improve the development response to forced displacement. Displacement tends to be protracted, and development programs in origin, host, transit, and destination countries are urgently needed to complement humanitarian assistance.

Innovative ideas may include analytical work, use of new technologies, or development projects. Many such ideas are often at the inception stage, requiring further work to be sufficiently detailed and specific for donors or investors to support them. GPFD will provide up to $40,000 for selected teams to develop their idea into a full concept note which would meet World Bank Group standards. The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest is January 24, 2016…
Date: December 14, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

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IPU gravely concerned over Burundi crisis
17 DECEMBER 2015
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is gravely concerned about the worsening violence in Burundi, which has left hundreds of people dead and has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. IPU is urging the authorities to do their duty to protect human life and prevent further bloodshed. The Organization has made clear its readiness to work with the Parliament of Burundi to foster inclusive dialogue. It has urged Parliament to ensure it is part of the solution and not part of the problem. IPU has been particularly concerned by reports of incitement to violence against the opposition, especially the bloody confrontation during the weekend of 12 – 13 December. IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said urgent work was needed to heal Burundi’s divisions before the situation deteriorated further.“It is not too late to prevent this unfolding tragedy becoming a catastrophe if all those in positions of leadership and authority commit themselves to a swift return to peace and security for all citizens,” he said. “We urge the Parliament of Burundi and its members to place themselves at the heart of this process of peacemaking and dialogue, and to lead by example at this critical point in their country’s history. “MPs have a unique position as influencers of opinion and representatives of all sectors of society, and that influence must be used for peace. The importance of finding a resolution to this crisis cannot be overstated,” Secretary General Chungong added.

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IPU hails progress on women Speakers
16 DECEMBER 2015
IPU has welcomed a series of breakthroughs for female MPs who have become Speakers or Deputy Speakers of parliament. Dr Amal Al Qubaisi is the first female Speaker of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Parliament and the first woman to hold the position in any Arab national parliament. Dr Al Qubaisi is a long-standing major contributor to IPU’s work, particularly on gender, youth and peace issues. In neighbouring Oman, another milestone was reached when Dr Suad Mohammed Al Lawatiar became the first female Deputy Speaker after a vote by members of the State Council. In another first, Margaret Mensah-Williams, President of IPU’s Coordinating Committee of Women MPs, was named as Speaker of Namibia’s upper house of parliament, the National Council. She is the first woman to hold the post. Her election takes the global total of women Speakers of Parliament in the world to 49, representing close to 18 per cent of all Speakers, according to IPU figures. Mensah-Williams has demonstrated strong leadership in combating violence against women, boosting women’s rights and empowering women, and has for many years played an active and leading role in IPU’s work.

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Burkina Faso law to tackle violence against women and girls
16 DECEMBER 2015
The brief coup in Burkina Faso has not halted progress to democracy and legal reforms, including the new law on violence against women. ©AFP/NurPhoto/Arne Gillis
IPU has welcomed a new law aimed at combating violence against women and girls, passed by the National Transitional Council in Burkina Faso before the recent crisis. The legislation outlaws all forms of violence against women, including physical, sexual, psychological, economic and cultural, and provides for systems to support and protect victims. Courts will have the power to jail or fine perpetrators. IPU has been working for a number of years to support MPs and civil society in Burkina Faso in their efforts to combat violence against women, including in raising awareness and providing expertise on legal reforms. More than a third of the country’s female population are believed to experience physical violence, most of it committed by spouses or other family members. Many girls are married before the age of 18, some still undergo FGM (female genital mutilation) and a significant number of elderly or widowed women are victims of mistreatment and exclusion.

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Uganda MPs focus on next steps on health
16 DECEMBER 2015
The Ugandan Parliament has begun setting its priorities for improving women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health after reviewing its 2012-2015 parliamentary advocacy strategy. The issues identified to carry forward include seeking a clause in the constitution on the right to healthcare for women, children and adolescents; tabling bills on health and a national health insurance scheme; taking more steps to improve birth registration; and trying to ensure the recruitment of extra health practitioners, especially in rural areas. Launching the review process, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga praised MPs and others who had contributed to the progress already made. “I want to thank the partners for all the support rendered to us for advocacy; I also thank the IPU for its support.” she said, adding that maternal health had been given the importance it deserved. Since the launch of the strategy, progress has been made on drafting bills on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) and national health insurance, birth registration and on efforts to ensure budgetary allocation for health is increased to 15 per cent. IPU has fully supported Uganda in its efforts to improve MNCH, including accelerating the reduction in maternal and newborn death rates. Uganda’s advocacy strategy was developed after the adoption of IPU’s landmark resolution on Access to Health as a basic Right: The role of parliaments in addressing key challenges to securing the health of women and children (PDF) at its 126th Assembly in Kampala in 2012.

Amref Health Africa [to 19 December 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

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Amref Health Africa and Busia Country Government sign agreement for Digital Health Villages
Published: 16 December 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
Amref Health Africa in Kenya and Samsung have launched a one-of-a-kind project in Busia County that will see the establishment and installation of a Digital Health Village – a solution that will use solar power to improve the lives of the county’s residents.

KISSMEE – Teaching Middle-Class Women How to Breastfeed
Published: 16 December 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
New programme seeks to improve nutrition of mothers and their babies through training and support.

Scholarships for the Midwifery Symposium 2016
Published: 14 December 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
UNFPA, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), WHO, Jhpiego, Johnson and Johnson, Laerdal Global Health, Amref Health Africa and other collaborating multilateral, civil society and private sector partners are now accepting applications for 30 scholarships for the upcoming Midwifery Symposium 2016; “Young Midwives in the Lead”, 14-16 May, 2016, and the Women Deliver conference 16-19 May 2016, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

CARE International [to 19 December 2015]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

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Critical moment to avoid massive malnutrition in Ethiopia with more than 10 million people in need of food assistance
ETHIOPIA
14 DECEMBER 2015
“Right now families in drought-stricken areas are about to exhaust all available resources to cope with the scarcity of food and water. There is no time to lose in ensuring that they get the assistance they need before it is too late,” says Garth Van’t Hul, CARE’s country director in Ethiopia.

Danish Refugee Council [to 19 December 2015]
https://www.drc.dk/news

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Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Visits Kakuma Refugee Camp
17.12.15
The Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen visited Kakuma refugee camp on 16 December 2015. During the visit, the Minister and his delegation got an opportunity to visit a number of programmes being carried out by various humanitarian agencies including the Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) upcoming youth centre for refugees in Kakuma 4 camp.

Understanding and Addressing Root Causes of Displacement
15.12.15
This year’s High Commissioner (UNHCR) Dialogue on Protection Challenges seeks to better understand and address the root causes of forced displacement. The Danish Refugee Council is participating in the Protection Dialogue on root causes. Read our position paper towards this understanding here.
:: Read the DRC perspective here