UN OCHA [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases
[We generally do not include OCHA Flash Updates on humanitarian crises in this digest]

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07 Nov 2015
Russian Federation: UN Humanitarian Chief encouraged by stronger aid partnership with Russia
(Moscow, 6 November 2015): Stephen O’Brien, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, today concluded his first official visit to the Russian Federation, with the aim of building on the strong partnership between Russia and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“We have an excellent partnership with the Russian Federation in humanitarian affairs, and this has a clear impact in our ability to respond to people’s needs around the world,” noted USG O’Brien. “Russia plays a vital and strategic role as a Member State actively engaged in global and multi-lateral humanitarian efforts, as well as a provider of considerable emergency expertise, assets and relief supplies, and as a generous donor to humanitarian funds.”…

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05 Nov 2015
Ukraine: UN Humanitarian chief calls for urgent, sustained access to vulnerable communities in Eastern Ukraine
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Ukraine
(Kyiv, 4 November 2015) UN Humanitarian Chief Stephen O’Brien concluded his three-day visit to Ukraine today, calling for sustained and unimpeded access to the vulnerable communities caught in the middle of the crisis and who urgently need humanitarian aid…
“As a result of my meetings and the welcome assurances I received, I have confidence that I can count upon all the parties to facilitate immediate, unimpeded and sustained aid delivery. We and our partners remain ready to scale up the delivery of vital aid and are activating our plan to commence the transport of some 500 metric tonnes of blankets, food, medical supplies and shelter repair materials for people in the Luhansk area in the next few days,” announced USG O’Brien. “As impartial, neutral and independent humanitarians, we will continue to coordinate with all parties so that we can get to the people who need help, urge all sides to allow free movement of civilians and aid workers, and to mobilize further funds to enable this critical work.” …

UNICEF [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html
Selected press releases

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UNICEF welcomes end of Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, calls for more support to 11,500+ affected children
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 7 November 2015 – The WHO declaration marking the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone today is welcomed by UNICEF as a major victory for the large-scale and coordinated 18-month response. But enhanced surveillance must continue so that the country is ready for any possible future outbreaks, and work must also intensify to support those affected by the outbreak and to build a resilient recovery.

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UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham visits children in Nepal six months after earthquake
KATHMANDU, Nepal/LONDON 6 November 2015 – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham today met children at a temporary learning centre established with support from UNICEF in Kathmandu after the earthquake hit.

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First Global Summit on Innovation for Children, Helsinki, 9-10 November
NEW YORK, 3 November 2015 – Although the world is now closer than ever to meeting its promises for children, the work for, with and on behalf of children is far from finished. The global summit seeks to look at ways to secure tangible innovations for children around the world.

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
Selected Press Releases

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Mediterranean Migrants and Refugees: Latest Arrivals and Fatalities
11/06/15
The first group of asylum applicants from Greece was assisted by IOM to leave for Luxembourg Wednesday morning.

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Stranded Ethiopian Child Migrants Return Home from Malawi
11/06/15
Malawi – IOM this week facilitated the return of 50 Ethiopian irregular migrants stranded in Malawi. Fifteen of the returnees were children.

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IOM Aids Earthquake-Hit Communities in Afghanistan
11/06/15
Afghanistan – IOM distributed vital relief supplies across northern, central and eastern Afghanistan this week, helping families affected by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck on 26 October.

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Mozambique Hosts Meeting to Facilitate South-South Labour Mobility
11/06/15
Mozambique – Delegates from the Labour Ministries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are meeting in Maputo today to launch an IOM Development Fund (IDF)-backed project: “Developing a Roadmap to Facilitate South-South Labour Mobility.”

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IOM Launches Gender-Based Migrants’ Rights Campaign in Argentina
11/06/15
Argentina – IOM has launched an awareness campaign in Argentina aimed at promoting migrants’ human rights, particularly women who are victims of gender-based violence.

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Switzerland, IOM Cambodia Sign Funding Agreement to Develop Regional Program on Skills Development and Safe Migration
11/06/15
Cambodia – The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and IOM today signed an agreement for an inception phase for a Regional program on poverty reduction through skills development to promote safe and regular migration in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

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UNAOC and IOM’s Global Youth Video Festival Featured during Times Square Event
11/06/15
On November 3, world-renowned athletes, Olympic gold medalists, musicians, members of the civil society and youth gathered in Times Square, New York, for Save the Dream – an unprecedented collective commitment to providing youth with access to opportunities through sport.
On this occasion, several videos addressing the impact of global conflicts on children were shown on Times Square’s big screens. Among the videos screened was a montage of previous winning films from PLURAL+ International Youth Film Festival depicting positive migration, social integration and youth opportunities despite displacement.

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Migrants Continue to Flow into Greece, Balkans
11/03/15
Greece – An estimated 28,000 migrants and refugees crossed into Greece from Friday (30/10) to Sunday (01/11), according to Hellenic Police figures.

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Assessment of Conflict-Affected Families Begins in Kunduz, Afghanistan
11/03/15
Afghanistan – Heavy fighting in Kunduz province in September and October displaced thousands of families and caused widespread damage.

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IOM Expands Drought Response in Papua New Guinea as El Niño Effects Deepen
11/03/15
Papua New Guinea – Almost 2.5 million people have been affected by the drought and cold attributed to the deepening El Niño phenomenon ravaging the highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG), according to the country’s National Disaster Centre. Deaths related to diseases and starvations have already been reported.

UN Women [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories
Selected Press Releases

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Orange the world to end violence against women
Date: 02 November 2015
This year, to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world, the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign aims to “Orange the world.” During the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, from International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November to Human Rights Day on 10 December, “Orange Events” will take place around the world.

WHO & Regionals [to 7 November 2015]

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Statement on the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone
Delivered by Dr Anders Nordström, WHO Representative in Sierra Leone. Today, 7 November 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Country efforts lead the way toward malaria elimination in the Americas (11/05/2015)
:: Regional Dengue Symposium Addresses Today’s Challenges in Dengue Control (11/03/2015)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.

WHO European Region EURO
:: Engaging people in every step: patients and carers explain the benefits of people-centred health care 05-11-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Health needs in conflict zones must be addressed by Dr Ala Alwan
5 November 2015
:: Inactivated polio vaccine introduced in routine immunization programme in Yemen
3 November 2015
:: WHO reaches besieged Dar’a and vulnerable Hama with 290 000 life-saving treatments
2 November 2015

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Selected Press Releases

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UNDP to address urgent climate change adaptation needs in Malawi and Maldives through Green Climate Fund support
Nov 6, 2015 Two UNDP projects, to address urgent climate change adaptation needs in Malawi and Maldives, received $35.9 million funding support from the Green Climate Fund this week.

Countries highlight the role of multiple policies in eradicating poverty and achieving the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean
Nov 5, 2015 Ministers wrap up social development meeting, jointly organized for the first time by ECLAC, the Government of Peru and UNDP.

Resilience Development Forum to propose a 10-point Action Agenda for a longer-term integrated response to the crisis in Syria and the sub-region
Nov 3, 2015

Ministers address challenges to reduce poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean in a sustainable development era
Nov 2, 2015Over 30 Social Development Ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered here today to discuss how to continue reducing poverty and inequality despite the region’s economic slowdown, as policymakers start putting in practice the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in September 2015.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1
Selected Press Releases

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Montreal Protocol Parties Devise Way Forward to Protect Climate Ahead of Paris COP21
At the 27th Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Dubai
06/11/2015

UNEP marks International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
In situations of war and armed conflict, the environment and natural resources can be used as weapons of war, suffer as collateral damage, or act as livelihood lifelines for affected populations.
06/11/2015

UN Environment Programme Statement on Southeast Asian Fires
UNEP stands ready to assist in the implementation of the ASEAN agreement on transboundary haze pollution and achieving the vision of Haze-free ASEAN by 2020 if not before.
06/11/2015

INDCS Signal Unprecedented Momentum for Climate Agreement in Paris, But Achieving 2 Degree Objective Contingent upon Enhanced Ambition in Future Years
INDCs Projected to Reduce Emissions in 2030 by up to 6 Gt But Additional 12 Gt Required to Close Gap
06/11/2015

Collated Research Reveals Full Scale of Montreal Protocol’s Ozone Layer Repair Work
The ozone layer will have recovered to pre-1980 levels by around 2060.
04/11/2015

Countries Agree on Actions to Help Save Saiga Antelopes
Saiga Range Countries and Experts Convene in Tashkent Following Saiga Mass Mortality Event
02/11/2015

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive
Selected Press Releases

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New private sector alliance gets down to business
LONDON, 6 November 2015 – The new UNISDR Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, or ARISE, got to work today as members set out their ambition to help the business world rein in the impact of natural and man-made hazards.

ARISE’s freshly-elected board co-chair Mr. Oz Ozturk said its members – 100 to date, and growing — aimed to play a key role in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, a wide-ranging, 15-year agreement adopted by the international community in March this year.

“There’s a real focus on programmatic outcomes. People really want to see projects being delivered, that are creating value both for the private and public sector,” said Mr. Ozturk, a partner at global consultancy PwC…

ARISE’s two-day founding meeting, which began on Thursday, drew dozens of delegates from companies, industry and business bodies, and research organizations from across the world. The alliance plans to set up regional and national chapters in order to drive action on the ground…

ARISE combines and consolidates two previous UNISDR programmes: the Private Sector Partnership, which was the main advocacy group highlighting solutions for resilience and disaster risk-sensitive investment, and the R!SE initiative, mainly oriented towards projects on making investment more resilient…

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html
Selected Press Releases

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Revitalizing global partnership for sustainable development
6 November 2015, Kampala, Uganda
Speaking at a symposium on the revitalization of a global partnership for sustainable development, top United Nations officials dealing with economic and social issues today stressed the importance of building trust, cultivating leadership and adjusting policies to achieve the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Kampala hosts international experts to revive development cooperation for SDGs
4 November 2015, New York
After the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), about 150 high-level representatives from governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations will gather in Kampala, Uganda to discuss concrete steps towards implementing the new agenda.

UNESCO [to 7 November 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases

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EU and UNESCO committed to work together to widen perspectives for a better life‎ for refugees and displaced
06 November 2015

UNESCO and United States promote education to prevent violent extremism
06 November 2015

UNESCO and the Caribbean Community joint efforts for deeper collaboration
06 November 2015

Director-General and the Minister of Education of Iraq call for increased support for Internally Displaced Populations and mobilization to combat Illicit Trafficking
05 November 2015

Director-General awards first UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development
04 November 2015

Addressing global challenges though science diplomacy and scientific excellence: the CERN model
03 November 2015

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 7 November 2015]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/
[Selected Announcements]

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The Future of the World lies within the Development of intermediate Cities
Montería Colombia 5 November 2015– UN- Habitat, United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), Andalucia Agency for Development International Cooperation, and Monteria City Council collaborated to organize the Expert Group Meeting (EGM)…
Posted November 4, 2015

UN-Habitat hosts meeting on urban regeneration in Mexico City
Mexico City, 4 November 2015 – UN-Habitat recently organized an Expert Group Meeting to provide concrete recommendations for the Urban Regeneration process of the City of Mexico. Posted November 4, 2015

El Salvador launches national policy on habitat and housing
El Salvador, 3 November 2015– During World Cities Day, the president of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Cerén, launched the National Housing and Habitat Policy (NHHP) that seeks to facilitate access to decent housing for families and opportunities…
Posted November 3, 2015

World Cities Day marked successfully across the globe
Nairobi/Milan 31 October 2015—Successful events were held across the globe to mark the second World Cities Day. Dubbed ‘Designed to live together’, the highlight of this year’s event was in Milan…
Posted November 2, 2015

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/
[Selected Announcements]

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New world agriculture census round to kick off in 2016
To support the process, FAO today published a set of updated guidelines to assist governments in carrying out their national-level agricultural censuses, tailored to various different country needs and capacities. This is the latest edition of guidelines which FAO provides every 10 years.
3-11-2015

FAO and WTO: Food safety and trade should improve nutrition and boost development
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva warned that failure to reach a balanced solution on issues relating to production and trade of agricultural products could derail the international community’s recently agreed sustainable development goal to eradicate world hunger.
2-11-2015

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/index.htm

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5 November 2015: Ethiopia and IFAD: An effective partnership for rural development

5 November 2015r: Transforming rural areas is key to reversing youth migration from East and Southern Africa

4 November 2015: UN agency to reduce poverty and increase incomes in rural China

3 November 2015: Burundi and IFAD to combat local food insecurity and malnutrition, and add value to smallholder farmers’ products

ILO International Labour Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

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Article
Global survey analyzes the use of information and communication technologies in labour administration
06 November 2015
Evidence discussed within the first GOVERNANCE Working Paper Series suggests that new technologies can significantly strengthen the capacity of governments to enhance compliance with labour laws and regulations. Comparing international practices in this area may present a new avenue for the ILO to provide technical cooperation and advisory services.

Sustainable Development Goals
Building a global alliance against child labour and forced labour
04 November 2015
Beate Andrees, Chief of the ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch explains how we can achieve target 8.7 of the United Nations’ SDGs which calls for an end to forced labour and child labour by 2025.

WMO World Meteorological Organization [to 7 November 2015]
https://www.wmo.int/media/?q=news

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New Report on Extreme Events
6 November 2015
Human activities, such as greenhouse gas emissions and land use, influenced specific extreme weather and climate events in 2014, including tropical cyclones in the central Pacific, heavy rainfall in Europe, drought in East Africa, and stifling heat waves in Australia, Asia, and South America, according to a new report released today. The report, “Explaining Extreme Events of 2014 from a Climate Perspective” published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, addresses the natural and human causes of individual extreme events from around the world in 2014, including Antarctica. NOAA scientists served as three of the five lead editors on the report.

Workshop on air pollution and agriculture
5 November 2015
Air pollution has an impact on agriculture and agriculture contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. A group of experts in the field of atmospheric chemistry and agricultural meteorology discussed how to better measure theses emissions and impacts during an International Workshop held in Pune, India from 2-4 November 2015. The workshop specially examined the impacts of atmospheric chemistry which includes air pollution on agricultural production, the impacts of agriculture on the atmospheric composition including greenhouse gases, biomass burning, reactive gases and aerosols.

Africa/Middle East meeting on sand and dust storms
5 November 2015
The first Africa / Middle East Expert Meeting and Workshop on the health impact of airborne dust has been held in Amman, Jordan, 2-5 November 2015 to assess the state of knowledge and encourage countries’ actions with regard to impacts of airborne dust on public health in the region.
The Expert Meeting and Workshop will promote active communication among dust-related service providers, African/Middle-Eastern national meteorological and hydrological services and relevant national and international environment, air-quality and public health agencies.

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unido.org/en/news-centre/news.html

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Mobilizing the private sector to achieve Sustainable Development Goals
BRUSSELS, 4 November 2015 – The importance of mobilizing the private sector for achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was highlighted at a Brussels conference today.
The event was organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Union (EU DEVCO) on the occasion of the “2015 European Year for Development”, and attracted more than 80 participants.
The conference also showcased some of UNIDO’s flagship projects that aim to foster the sustainable transfer of environmentally sound technologies and innovative chemicals management methods. Implemented by UNIDO in cooperation with the EU and EU member states, such projects include Chemical Leasing, Greening economies in the European Union’s Eastern neighbourhood, Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production programme and SwitchMed.

Hungary to fund UNIDO project on regional social inclusion
VIENNA, 3 November 2015 – The Government of Hungary will fund a project which aims to foster social and economic inclusion of disadvantaged and marginalized population groups, including ethnic minorities…

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://media.unwto.org/news

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UNWTO and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) partner to foster inclusive and sustainable tourism
2 November 2015
UNWTO and the EBRD have signed an agreement to work jointly in promoting inclusive and sustainable tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth. Advancing resource efficiency and promoting youth inclusion are two of the major priorities of the agreement.

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

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ITU, United Arab Emirates sign new partnership framework
New initiative aims at boosting ICT connectivity across the Arab region
Geneva, 5 November 2015 – ITU has signed a new partnership initiative with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates aimed at providing a framework for increased cooperation to carry out joint projects in the area of ICT development in the Arab Region.
The new agreement was signed on 3 November in Geneva, with an initial contribution from TRA of CHF 150,000.
ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao welcomed the new partnership, commenting that “The UAE is a true global centre of innovation and is the ideal partner to work with ITU to spread access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ensure that all people, no matter where they live, can benefit from the opportunities offered by ICTs. We look forward very much to developing exciting new initiatives with the TRA team.”…

2015 World Radiocommunication Conference opens
Treaty-making Conference to allocate spectrum for rapidly evolving ICTs
Geneva, 2 November 2015 – The World Radiocommunication Conference, the international treaty-making Conference, opened in Geneva today. In session from 2 to 27 November, the Conference will review the international regulatory framework for radiocommunications – the Radio Regulations – and revise them as needed. This process will take into account the rapid evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT), ensuring the global management of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, and enabling people to live and travel safely while enjoying high performance radiocommunications…

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/

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African Leaders Launch High-Level Conference on Intellectual Property for an Emerging Continent
Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim and Senegal Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne joined WIPO Director General Francis Gurry in stressing the importance of intellectual property (IP) in incentivizing innovation and creativity to promote economic and social development across Africa.
Nov 3, 2015 PR/2015/784

US Department of State [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/index.htm
Selected Announcements

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11/03/15
Joint Statement Between the United States and France Regarding the Entry into Force of a Bilateral Agreement on the Establishment of a Compensation Fund for Holocaust Victims Deported From France;
Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC10/28/15

11/02/15
To Walk the Earth in Safety: New Report Showcases U.S. Global Leadership in Landmine Clearance and Conventional Weapons Destruction;
Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC
The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs has released the 14th Edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, a report summarizing the accomplishments of the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Program. For more than 20 years, the United States has led the international donor community in promoting peace and security worldwide by partnering with nations to address humanitarian hazards from landmines and unexploded ordnance in post-conflict countries, as well as to reduce the availability of excess, loosely-secured, or otherwise at-risk weapons and ordnance.

In fiscal year 2014, the Department of State provided approximately $140 million in conventional weapons destruction assistance in more than 40 countries. Among the report’s highlights are increased engagement in addressing U.S.-origin unexploded ordnance in Southeast Asia; the launch of the first-ever mine clearance operation in the West Bank; and efforts to help countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chad, and Niger secure military armaments and munitions inventories to reduce potential risks of illicit proliferation.