UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 12 December 2015]
http://media.unwto.org/news

.
United Nations declares 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
7 December 2015
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has approved the adoption of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The resolution, adopted on 4 December, recognizes “the importance of international tourism, and particularly of the designation of an international year of sustainable tourism for development, in fostering better understanding among peoples everywhere, in leading to a greater awareness of the rich heritage of various civilizations and in bringing about a better appreciation of the inherent values of different cultures, thereby contributing to the strengthening of peace in the world”.

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

.
ITU Workshop on Digital Financial Services and Financial Inclusion to address needs of 2 billion ‘unbanked’ people
Mobile money experts to prioritize discussion of consumer protection
Geneva, 10 December 2015 – An ITU Workshop on Digital Financial Services and Financial Inclusion in Geneva, 14 December, will analyse the latest developments in the market for digital financial services (DFS), or ‘mobile money’. Topics for discussion will address consumer protection, with accompanying sessions exploring merchant payments, DFS market competition, and DFS interoperability.

The free-of-charge, open-to-all workshop will host representatives of the information and communication technology (ICT) and financial-services sectors to supplement the work of the ITU Focus Group on Digital Financial Services, which will meet at ITU, 15-16 December.

The Focus Group is developing a set of operational recommendations, tools and solutions to assist countries in establishing financial-inclusion strategies capable of promoting widespread adoption of DFS. The group’s upcoming meeting will advance key deliverables to improve the cooperation of ICT regulators and central banks, build greater understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders comprising the DFS ecosystem, and support DFS operators in their efforts to achieve service interoperability.

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.cbd.int/press-releases/

.
Governments encouraged to use biodiversity and ecosystem services as strategy for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
2015-12-09
Biodiversity and the ecosystem services it underpins can deliver benefits that will increase the resilience of people to the impacts of climate change, said current and former executives of major multilateral environmental agreements, at an event in the margins of the Paris Climate Change Conference.

.
Message of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias on the Occasion of International Mountain Day
2015-12-11

US Department of State [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/index.htm
Selected Announcements

.
12/12/15 White House Fact Sheet: U.S. Leadership and the Historic Paris Agreement to Combat Climate Change; Washington, DC

-12/10/15 International Human Rights Day 2015; Secretary of State John Kerry; Washington, DC

USAID [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

.
Power Africa Launches New Partnerships and Tools at Paris Climate Change Conference
December 8, 2015
As part of the U.S. Government’s approach to addressing the threat of climate change, Power Africa will forge several new partnerships and launch new tools during the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP 21) to support the development of renewable energy across sub-Saharan Africa. Scaling up access to cleaner electricity helps mitigate climate change and enhance resilience to climate shocks.

DFID [to 12 December 2015]

.
Hurd: Crisis in Ethiopia needs global response
Published 11 December 2015 Press release DFID

.
Britain and US unite to power up Africa
Published 7 December 2015 Press release DFID
Launch of new partnership between the UK’s Energy Africa and the US’s Power Africa Initiative.
A landmark partnership between the UK and US will help millions of people across Africa get access to clean energy, UK International Development Minister Nick Hurd and Associate Administrator of USAID Eric Postel have announced.
The new partnership between the UK’s Energy Africa campaign and the US’s Power Africa initiative will leverage much-needed private investment, develop networks to share power across borders and harness geothermal resources to boost access to electricity across the continent…

ECHO [to 12 December 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

.
EU strengthens humanitarian aid along Western Balkan migration route
10/12/2015
The European Commission is to release further emergency humanitarian aid of €13 million, aimed at supporting refugees along the Western Balkans route.

African Union [to 12 December 2015]
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]

.
Dec.10.2015 A Message by H.E. Dr. Aisha L. Abdullahi (Amb.), Commissioner for Political Affairs on the Occasion of the Commemoration of the International Human Rights Day

Dec.09.2015 | Press Releases
PAU introduces mechanisms on Communications and Gender Mainstreaming

Dec.09.2015 | Press Releases
Preparations for the Headquarters of the Africa Center for Disease Control Underway at the African Union

Dec.08.2015
4th Annual High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa: Trends, Challenges and Prospects

Dec.04.2015
Experts strive to jointly regulate medicines in Africa
Joint Press Release
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. December 4, 2015 – The experts have reiterated the urgent need for Africa to fast track the process of harmonizing medicines regulation on the Continent to guarantee access to quality medicines. The issue was front and center in the two-day event that brought together experts of the pharmaceutical sector in the framework of the 4th African Medicines Regulatory Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The experts considered recent advances in countries for regulation of medical devices, blood and blood products and in implementation of harmonization programmes in RECs. Moreover, they reviewed and adopted the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) Implementation Toolkit and the draft Regional strategy for strengthening regulatory systems in the Africa.

… The Meeting also underlined the need for Member States to increase national investments for strengthening the regulatory capacity of NMRAs as well as the necessity for partner organizations including the World Health Organization to provide countries with support to establish, assess and strengthen their regulatory systems taking the benefit of the WHO Global Assessment Tool….

The African Development Bank Group [to 12 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]

.
AfDB Lessons Learned Database made public
10/12/2015 – The Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) lessons learned database, a repository of findings, lessons and recommendations drawn from independent and self-evaluations of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has been updated, and is now easily accessible to both internal and external users.

Asian Development Bank [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.adb.org/news

.
10 December 2015
First ADB Policy-Based Loan to PRC Supports Air Pollution Control in Beijing Capital Region
ADB approved its first policy-based loan of $300 million to the People’s Republic of China to help address the longstanding air pollution problem of the greater Beijing capital region.

8 December 2015
New ADB Research Shows Design of Special Economic Zones Determines Success
Special economic zones can be a driving force for increased trade, investment, and economic reform in Asia provided the right business environments and policies are put in place, says a new ADB report.

7 December 2015
Financial Institutions Mainstream Climate Action
A coalition of the world’s leading financial institutions have today officially signed on to five voluntary Principles to Mainstream Climate Action into their operations.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.aiib.org/html/NEWS/

Managing Director of Kuwait Investment Authority signed the Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
12/08/2015

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations [to 12 December 2015]
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]

.
ASEAN to Convene Consumer Protection Conference
BANGKOK, 9 December 2015 – The 2nd ASEAN Consumer Protection Conference (ACPC) will be convened on 14-15 December in Bangkok as part of an ongoing effort to enhance awareness on consumer protection issues in ASEAN. The 2nd ACPC will discuss consumer product safety legislation, the use of warranties and guarantees, enforcement and remedies, recalls and redress, institutional design and effectiveness of consumer and competition agencies, and finally a look at future trends such as sustainable consumption and the modern ASEAN consumer.

European Union [to 12 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]

.
Refugee Crisis: New €13 million in humanitarian aid for refugees in Western Balkans
Date: 10/12/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 10 December 2015 The EU is to release further emergency humanitarian aid of €13 million, aimed at supporting refugees along the Western Balkans route.

.
Implementing the Common European Asylum System: Commission escalates 8 infringement proceedings
Date: 10/12/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 10 December 2015 Implementing the Common European Asylum System: Commission escalates 8 infringement proceedings The European Commission adopted today 8 infringement decisions for failing to fully transpose and implement the Common European Asylum System.

.
EU launches innovative new mechanism to help human rights defenders
Date: 09/12/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 9 December 2015
On the eve of Human Rights Day (on December 10) EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, announced the first ever EU comprehensive Human Rights Defenders Mechanism. The initiative is set to become one of Europe’s key tools to assist human rights defenders at high risk, including in remote areas, running until 2018.

Commissioner Mimica said: “Human rights are at the core of EU’s values. Therefore, it is only logical that those who risk their lives to defend them must be able to count on us for support. Thanks to this first-of-its-kind mechanism, we will provide them with essential help, from urgent relocation to legal advice”.
The mechanism counts on a budget of €15 million of EU funds until 2018. This funding is in addition to the continuous support to Human Rights Defenders already provided by the EU, including under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human rights (EIDHR). Since 2007, the EIDHR has allocated €200 million to Human Rights Defenders worldwide.
Through the new mechanism, the EU will provide human rights supporters at risk with:
:: Short-term support, including physical protection, legal and medical support, trial and prison monitoring, and urgent advocacy and relocation, among other actions;

:: Medium-term support, including monitoring of their situation, early warning of risks, training on risk prevention and security (including digital security), and international, regional and national advocacy.

:: Long-term support including support to national networks, advocacy, lobbying and development of strategies to counter restrictions and sanctions imposed on human rights defenders by states.

The mechanism is managed by a consortium of 12 independent international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)[1] who have practical experience of working to support human rights defenders at risk. The mechanism has worldwide coverage, with a specific focus on remote areas. The concrete initiatives to be supported under the mechanism are decided upon by the NGO consortium, against a number of criteria including identity, situation and needs…

[1] Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network (ESCR-Net), International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA), Urgent Action Fund for Women Human Rights Defenders (UAF), Protection International, Peace Brigades International (PBI), Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), Forum Asia and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP).

OECD [to 12 December 2015]
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]

.
The time is now for a new Latin America-China partnership to foster mutual development strategies, says the Latin American Economic Outlook 2016
11-December-2015
Latin America’s GDP growth slowdown deepened and is expected to be negative in 2015. For a second consecutive year, Latin America falls behind the average growth of OECD countries after a full decade of convergence with advanced economies, according to the Latin American Economic Outlook 2016.

International Anti-Corruption Day Statement by Drago Kos, Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery
9-December-2015
International Anti-Corruption Day provides us all with a unique opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made over the past year in the global fight against corruption, but also to think about the work that remains to be done in the years ahead.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/news/
Selected Press Releases

.
OIC Welcomes Declaration of Principles Agreement for ending Libyan Crisis
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the agreement by the delegations of the House of Representatives and the General National Congress in Libya on principles to end the conflict in Libya which was signed in Tunisia on 6 December 2015….
07/12/2015

UNCTAD [to 12 December 2015]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/AllPressRelease.aspx

.
08 Dec 2015 – International trade in services was main driver of growth in global trade in 2014
UNCTAD’s Handbook of Statistics 2015 reveals that global trade in services grew by 5 per cent as merchandise trade stagnates and foreign direct investment falls
UNCTAD/PRESS/PR/2015/045
Geneva, Switzerland, (08 December 2015)
International service exports accounted for 21 per cent of total global exports (valued at just over $5 trillion) in 2014, a growth of almost 5 per cent compared with the previous year, while merchandise exports (valued at $19 trillion), increased by only 0.3 per cent in the year, as measured in current prices, UNCTAD’s Handbook of Statistics 20151 reveals. Total global exports for 2014 were valued at $24 trillion, up by 1.2 per cent compared with the previous year.

Services exports from both developed and developing economies grew strongly in 2014, at 5.3 per cent and 4.8 per cent respectively. But services exports from the transition economies of South-East Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as Georgia, declined sharply in 2014, falling by almost $10 billion or 7 per cent compared with 2013…

World Bank [to 12 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]

.
New Report Highlights the World’s Most Competitive Cities
Increasing competitiveness key to more jobs and growth
WASHINGTON, December 10, 2015 – Improving the competitiveness of cities is a vital pathway to eliminating extreme poverty and promoting prosperity…
Date: December 9, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

.
The Right Mix of Labor Regulations Can Protect Workers While Maintaining Incentives to Create Jobs, Says New WBG/ILO Report
WASHINGTON, December 9, 2015— The World Bank Group (WBG) and International Labor Organization (ILO) today released a new report which shows how countries can reform labor regulations to protect their workers…
Date: December 9, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

.
Womb-to-Tomb Policies Needed to Tackle Labor Force Decline and Higher Public Spending in Rapidly Aging East Asia
BEIJING, December 9, 2015—East Asia is aging faster than any other region in history, and some middle-income and wealthier economies could lose as much as 15 percent of their working-age population by 2040, according to a new World Bank report.

The report, Live Long and Prosper: Aging in East Asia and Pacific, finds that 36 percent of the world’s population ages 65 and over, or 211 million people, live in East Asia, the largest share among all regions. By 2040, the graying of the population could shrink the number of working-age adults by more than 15 percent in Korea and more than 10 percent in China, Thailand and Japan. In China alone, that would translate into a net loss of 90 million workers….
Date: December 9, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

.
Speech by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim at the World Bank Group Tourism Forum 2015: Driving Development Through Tourism
Date: December 8, 2015 Type: Speeches and Transcripts Language: English

.
NEPAD Launches Initiative for the Resilience and Restoration of African Landscapes
PARIS, December 6, 2015 – The African Union New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) launched today the African Resilient Landscapes Initiative (ARLI). This initiative will be implemented through forest and ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, climate smart agriculture, and rangeland management. The World Bank Group and World Resources Institute will, as main partners, support the mobilization of financial and technical resources from multiple sources to design and implement country-specific strategies….
Date: December 6, 2015 Type: Press Release Language: English

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

.
Micronesia hands over funds to support work on migration
9 DECEMBER 2015
The Speaker of the Micronesian Congress Wesley W. Simina handed over a cheque of US$100,000 to IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong as a practical first step in his parliament’s support for IPU’s work on migration. The funds, which had been pledged during the recent 133rd IPU Assembly in Geneva, will help support implementation of IPU’s follow-up to a declaration on migration adopted at the Assembly.

International Criminal Court (ICC) [to 12 December 2015]
http://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/Pages/default.aspx

.
Statement of the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, on the Occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 December 2015
10/12/2015
On 10 December 2015, the International Criminal Court joins the rest of the world in marking Human Rights Day, which commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 67 years ago.

.
French Minister of Justice visits the ICC and announces a contribution of €750,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims
07/12/2015
On 7 December 2015, French Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira announced a voluntary contribution of €750,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The contribution is the single largest French donation to the TFV to date.

Amref Health Africa [to 12 December 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

.
Amref Health Africa Celebrates 29th Graduation Ceremony
Published: 11 December 2015 Carolyne Khamala
Joyful graduates celebrated their academic achievements with family and friends at Amref Health Africa’s 29th graduation ceremony in Nairobi on Wednesday this week.

.
Training Health Workers to Tackle ’Lifestyle Diseases’
Published: 10 December 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
GlaxoSmithKline and Amref Health Africa have launched a new programme to train health workers on management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The three-year programme will train 2,500 health workers including nurses, clinical officers, laboratory technicians,…

.
Amref Health Africa Statement of Business Ethics
Published: 09 December 2015 Carolyne Khamala
Message from the Group CEO This statement outlines the integrity and ethical standards expected of employees, partners, suppliers and service providers when doing business with and for Amref Health Africa.