Women for Women International  [to 22 March 2014]
Women for Women International Announces Global Search for Next Chief Executive

Press Release
Afshan Khan to return to the United Nations. The Board of Directors of Women for Women International announced the search for its next chief executive in a statement released by Danuta Lockett, Chair of the Board of Directors.

March 19, 2014, Washington D.C. – A recognized leader in international development in conflict zones, Afshan Khan announced that she will be resigning from her post as President and Chief Executive Officer of Women for Women International in April to return to the United Nations from where she took leave in 2012.

We are grateful for Afshan’s leadership and contributions during a pivotal moment in our organization’s twenty-year history. In two years, Afshan positioned Women for Women International to have a greater impact, strengthening operations, engaging and diversifying the board, attracting a talented management team, investing in critical technology infrastructure and expanding global partnerships. She has made it possible for Women for Women International to build on our dynamic past to an even stronger future.

To ensure a seamless transition during the search process, we have appointed current board member and chair of the Program Committee Tony Gambino to serve as interim CEO to work with the global management team. Tony brings extensive development experience, a long career working in conflict zones including the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a commitment to creating economic, social and civic opportunities for women rebuilding their lives…

United Nations – Selected Meetings Coverage and Press Releases [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

UN Meetings
‘Robust’ Policies Needed to End Racism-driven Inequities, Say Speakers as General Assembly Marks Day for Elimination of Discrimination (21 March 2014)
As the General Assembly began a special commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today, United Nations officials and human rights experts alike called for robust strategies and policies to end socioeconomic disparities among racial groups as well as hate crimes and institutionalized discrimination, emphasizing that racism remained pervasive.
GA/11489

Many Women for ‘Cultural’ Reasons Sidelined From Systems Set Up to Help Them, Commission Told (20 March 2014)
Too many women and girls were forced to drop out of school, to toil in precarious jobs or to give up control over their own bodies, especially when harmful practices were carried out in unsafe and unhygienic conditions, sometimes in the name of culture, representatives of non-governmental groups told the Commission on the Status of Women today.
WOM/1986

Panellists in Women’s Commission Encourage Young Girls to Study Science, Technology, Change Perception of Pursuit as ‘Masculine’ (18 March 2014)
WOM/1985

United Nations Mission in South Sudan to Suspend Current Activities, Re-focus Priorities, Peacekeeping Chief Tells Security Council (18 March 2014)
SC/11323

Economic and Social Council Selects Theme for Second Meeting Of High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (18 March 2014)
ECOSOC/6603

Despite Notable Success in Levelling Gender Playing Field, Speakers in Women’s Commission Urge Stand-Alone Goal in New Development Framework (17 March 2014)
WOM/1984

Press Releases
Racial Discrimination Strikes at Dignity, Rights of Individuals, Stresses Deputy-Secretary-General at International Day Commemoration (21 March 2014)
DSG/SM/758-GA/11490-OBV/1314

Secretary-General Urges Global Community to Translate Concern into Action, in Message for Contact Group on Central African Republic (21 March 2014)
SG/SM/15724-AFR/2841

Secretary-General, on Observance, Says Permanent Memorial to Slavery’s Victims, Being Built at Headquarters, Will Be Source of Inspiration (21 March 2014)
SG/SM/15722-OBV/1313

Secretary-General, in Message, Says All Tuberculosis Sufferers Deserve Access to Treatment as Matter of Social Justice, Global Health Security (19 March 2014)
SG/SM/15719-OBV/1311

Secretary-General, in Message for World Observance, Urges Water, Energy Security ‘for the Many and Not Just the Few’ (19 March 2014)
SG/SM/15718-OBV/1310

Equal Access to Health Services Critical to Empowering Those with Down Syndrome, Secretary-General Says in Message for Observance (19 March 2014)
SG/SM/15717-OBV/1309

Secretary General Welcomes United States’ Intent to Transition Key Internet Functions to Global Multi-Stakeholder Community (18 March 2014)
SG/SM/15713-PI/2080

Translate Charter Pledge into Action to End Poverty, Build Inclusion, Harmony, Urges Secretary-General in Message for Day of Happiness (18 March 2014)
SG/SM/15712-OBV/1306

UNICEF [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_71508.html

Media Releases [selected]
World Water Day: World’s poorest have least access to safe water – UNICEF
NEW YORK, 21 March 2014 – Almost four years after the world met the global target set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for safe drinking water, and after the UN General Assembly declared that water was a human right, over three-quarters of a billion people, most of them poor, still do not have this basic necessity, UNICEF said to mark World Water Day.

Japanese Government supports UNICEF’s programmes in Yemen
SANA’A, Yemen, 20 March 2014 – The Government of Japan has announced significant new funding to support UNICEF’s programmes for women and children in Yemen.

Three years of Syria conflict have devastated lives of millions of children
BEIRUT, 15 March 2014 – As the crisis in Syria reaches the end of another year of brutal violence today, five of the world’s leading aid organizations say that the three-year old conflict has devastated the lives of millions of children and young people – and a generation is at risk of being lost forever.

UNICEF supplies 150,000 mosquito nets in Bangui as rainy season approaches
BANGUI, Central African Republic/DAKAR, Senegal, 14 March 2014 – Ahead of the rainy season due to start next month in the Central African Republic (CAR), UNICEF is providing 150,000 mosquito bed nets for 75,000 people displaced in the capital, who have lost their homes because of the conflict.

UNHCR [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

Press Releases and Latest News
21 March 2014
Industrialized countries see 28 per cent jump in asylum applications – UNHCR Report

Latest News from UNHCR
Food shortages in South Sudan force more people into exile, cause friction
Local residents in Maban County demand that 60,000 refugees in Yusuf Batil and Gendrassa camps leave within two months. Hostilities spread to Doro and Kaya camps.

On a high seas rescue mission with the Italian Navy
A flotilla of five navy vessels has saved more than 10,000 people from overcrowded boats on the Mediterranean under an operation launched last year.

UNHCR report shows leap in asylum applications for industrialized countries
The “Asylum Trends 2013” report says 612,700 people applied for asylum in North America, Europe, East Asia and the Pacific last year – the highest total for any year since 2001.

Syrian families struggle to cope outside the protective umbrella of camps in Jordan
A new report co-written by UNHCR finds that half of refugee dwellings in urban areas are inadequate, while hundreds of thousands of Syrians struggle to pay the rent

UNOCHA [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.unocha.org/

Press Releases
21 Mar 2014
Colombia: Comunidades indígenas del Chocó requieren acompañamiento en el retorno a su territorio
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Colombia Marzo, 2014 Desde 2003, más de 300 indígenas de la etnia Embera Katío se desplazaron de la remota población del Alto Andágueda en el Chocó. La comunidad llegó a Bogotá, buscando refugiarse de las frecuentes hostilidades, amenazas y el confinamiento que afectaban su territorio. Algunas familias permanecieron durante cerca de diez años en Bogotá, en condiciones dramáticas de pobreza y vulnerabilidad. En el marco…

20 Mar 2014
Syrian Arab Republic: Humanitarian aid crosses border from Nusaybin, Turkey to Qamishli, Syria
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey (Nusaybin, Turkey, 20 March 2014) The first eight trucks of a United Nations humanitarian convoy crossing into Syria from Turkey today through the Nusaybin-Qamishli border point have started to unload humanitarian supplies at UN warehouses in Qamishli, under the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2139. Four UN agencies are participating in the joint convoy, supported by the Office…

18 Mar 2014
Yemen: Humanitarian Organizations, Government of Yemen and League of Arab States agree to strengthen cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen [EN/AR]
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, League of Arab States Country: Yemen Cairo, 18 March 2014 – The League of Arab States, the Government of Yemen and representatives of the Humanitarian Country Team in Yemen met yesterday in Cairo for a regional presentation of the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan and to discuss future cooperation on humanitarian action. More attention and resources are needed to address the humanitarian situation, which globally, is one of the…

Latest Map: Haiti: Haiti: Presence of Humanitarian Partners – Who What Where (as of March…

WHO & Regionals [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.who.int/en/

PAHO
http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=466&Itemid=959&lang=en

WHO: Four Western Pacific countries and areas are the first in their Region to be measles-free
20 March 2014 — The WHO Western Pacific Region celebrated a milestone with the announcement of measles elimination by Australia, Macao (China), Mongolia and the Republic of Korea. They are the first countries or areas in the Region to receive this distinction… Fourteen countries and areas submitted reports to the Measles Regional Verification Commission appointed by WHO and made up of 14 international experts to determine if all verification criteria were met by each country and area . WHO defines that measles elimination can be verified when there is “documentation that shows interruption of endemic measles virus transmission for a period of at least 36 months” in the presence of a well-performing surveillance system and supportive genotyping evidence….

WHO: World TB Day 2014: Reach the 3 million
19 March 2014 – “World TB Day, 24 March, is an opportunity to raise awareness about the burden of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide and the status of TB prevention and control efforts.
TB is curable, but current efforts to find, treat and cure everyone who gets ill with the disease are not sufficient. Of the 9 million people a year who get sick with TB, 3 million of them are “missed” by health systems. World TB Day provides the opportunity to call for further action to reach the 3 million. All partners can help take forward innovative approaches to ensure that everyone suffering from TB has access to TB diagnosis, treatment and cure…”
–       World TB Day 2014 brochure

PAHO: Water and sanitation improvements remain key to defeating cholera in Haiti and the Dominican Republic (03/21/2014)
Three and a half years into a cholera epidemic that has claimed more than 8,500 lives, Haiti has made significant progress in slowing the spread of the disease. However, controlling and eventually eliminating cholera will require major improvements in water and sanitation infrastructure, said representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and its partner organizations in the Regional Coalition for Water and Sanitation to Eliminate Cholera from Hispaniola.

PAHO: Eight in 10 adolescent girls in the Americas have access to HPV vaccine, following its introduction in Brazil
03/20/2014
PAHO said that following its introduction in Brazil last week, HPV vaccine is now available to more than 80% of adolescent girls in the Americas…
…PAHO/WHO estimates that 68,818 women in the Americas developed cervical cancer and 28,565 died from the disease in 2012. In Brazil, the National Cancer Institute estimates 15,000 new cases and 4,800 deaths each year.

This year, Brazil plans to vaccinate 5.2 million adolescent girls ages 11 to 13, or more than 20% of all girls in this age group in the Americas. In 2015, Brazil plans to expand the target group to girls 9 to 11, and starting in 2016 to 9-year-old girls. The vaccinations are being given at public and private schools and in the 36,000 vaccination centers of the national health system…

…PAHO supports Brazil’s decision to provide the HPV vaccine free of charge to adolescent girls as part of an integrated approach to prevention and control of cervical cancer. “The universal introduction of the HPV vaccine shows the commitment of Brazilian officials and health workers,” said Cuauhtémoc Ruiz, head of PAHO/WHO’s Expanded Immunization Program…

UN Division for Sustainable Development [to 22 March 2014]
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.html

Meetings
Second meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development 30 Jun – 9 Jul 2014 –

Tenth session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
31 Mar 2014 – 4 Apr 2014

Outreach meeting in Helsinki for Intergovernmental committee of experts on sustainable development financing
3 Apr 2014 – 4 Apr 2014

UNDP  United Nations Development Program [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.us.undp.org/content/undp/en/home.html

22 Mar 2014
World Water Day 2014: Water and Energy – Twin benefits from UNDP/Coca-Cola projects
The concept of ‘water and energy’ – the theme of key water events in 2014 – can conjure up thoughts of large cooling towers in power stations and the hefty power needs of industrial-scale water-treatment plants. But on a much smaller scale, within communities, water and energy also go hand in hand – as is happening in the community water projects of ‘Every Drop Matters’, an innovative partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Coca-Cola Company.

21 Mar 2014
Putting an end to the racial divide
Around 20 to 30 percent of the Latin America and Caribbean population is of African descent. Even though citizens of African ancestry comprise more than half of the population in countries like Brazil, throughout the region they still face discrimination and experience disproportionate levels of poverty and social exclusion.

20 Mar 2014
International experts discuss the reduction of inequalities in middle-income countries in the Post-2015 Agenda
The Government of Spain, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), opened the workshop on “Development with equality: Reducing inequality in middle-income countries” in Salamanca.

19 Mar 2014
Helen Clark: Speech at the UN Security Council’s public briefing on Post-conflict Peacebuilding

19 Mar 2014
UNDP, Government of Japan Support to Improve Livelihoods of People in Tajikistan and Afghanistan
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Tajikistan signed today an Exchange of Note with the Government of Japan and Grant Agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to support the “ Project for Livelihood Improvement in Tajik-Afghan Cross-border Areas (LITACA)”.

UN Women  [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.unwomen.org/

22/03/2014
Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the outcome of the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women

21/03/2014
Collecting and carrying water, burdensome reality for women

19/03/2014
Interview with Osami Takeyama, Mayor of Sakai City, as it joins the UN Women Safe Cities Global Initiative

UNFPA  United Nations Population Fund [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.unfpa.org/public/

22 March 2014 – Statement
UNFPA Welcomes Outcome of the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
UNITED NATIONS, New York — UNFPA, The United Nations Population Fund, welcomes the agreement by the 58th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that clearly reaffirms the international community’s commitments to gender equality and the empowerment and human rights of women and girls. We also welcome the Commission’s reaffirmation of the importance of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. more

21 March 2014 – Press Release
Italian Priest and Medical Doctor, American NGO, Win 2014 United Nations Population Award
UNITED NATIONS, New York — A Catholic priest and a non-profit organization specializing in maternal health have been named the winners of the 2014 United Nations Population Award. The General Assembly established the award in 1981 to recognize outstanding achievement in the fields of population and health. more

20 March 2014 – In the News
Syria’s Refugees Meet Mama Munira
ZA’ATARI REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan — Over the past three years, Syria’s civil war has left more than 130,000 dead and forced millions to flee to neighbouring countries like Jordan. In the midst of this catastrophe, one extraordinary woman remains focused on her work: changing lives for the better. more

19 March 2014 – Press Release
An Estimated 200,000 Pregnant Women in Syria in Need of Urgent Care, Warns UNFPA
AMMAN, Jordan — As the conflict in Syria enters its fourth year, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is calling for urgent support to protect the lives of the country’s estimated 200,000 pregnant women, including an estimated 1,480 women who give birth in dire conditions every day. more

18 March 2014 – Dispatch
Engaging Adolescent Boys and Young Men for Gender Equality
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Adolescent boys and young men are critical allies in the battle for gender equality and must be proactively and positively engaged at an early stage. They can be educated to challenge gender stereotypes, promote positive constructions of masculinity, and practice attitudes and behaviours based on equality and respect for human rights. This was the focus of discussions at a side-event hosted by UNFPA during the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. more

17 March 2014 – Dispatch
Sound of Silence: Dealing with the Legacy of Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Women often suffer the worst consequences of armed conflict. As targets of sexual violence, they endure unspeakable atrocities on the margins of the world’s battlefields. As part of this year’s Commission on Status of Women, UNFPA co-hosted a high-level panel addressing sexual violence in conflict and the needs of victims and survivors, with a special emphasis on learning from the experiences of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda. The event was also the occasion to launch “Sound of Silence”, a book of photographs that portrays the lives of women survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.fao.org/home/en/

Audio
2nd International Day of Forests 2014
21 March 2014, Rome – Today marks the second annual International Day of Forests. FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, gave his address earlier today FAO headquarters in Rome, remarking on the importance of forests and the dangers of neglecting them and those who sustain them. Often those who benefit from the forestry sector are removed from the impact these natural resources have on our lives. From their role in maintaining global climatic equilibrium, protecting our soils, regulating the water cycle, preserving biodiversity, providing livelihoods and providing food for forest-dependent peoples, forests serve as a source for valuable, renewable (…)

Central African Republic: avoiding food crisis
19 March 2014, Rome – The World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Central African Republic (CAR) government are joining forces to help prevent a full-scale food and nutrition crisis in the conflict-stricken nation. The World Bank is funding the $8 million agreement with FAO as part of a comprehensive $20 million program that includes support to agriculture and food aid assistance. Most communities have reported to FAO that they do not have enough seeds to plant after widespread fighting in the country has resulted in the plunder and destruction of seed stocks (…)

Global view of planetary land cover
17 March 2014, Rome- A new FAO database collects previously scattered and unharmonized land cover information from around the globe into one centralized database. This marks a major improvement in information regarding the physical characteristics of the Earth’s surface. Getting a good global overview of land cover – such as, how much land is covered by croplands, tree covered areas, bare soils, etc. – has been a great challenge of experts in the field, until now. Generally speaking, different countries and organizations go about identifying, measuring and recording such data in diverse ways. For FAO’s new Global Land Cover SHARE (…)

UNESCO  [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/for-the-press/all-news//

23 March 2013
The Director-General Opens the 9th Meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development in Dublin

23 March 2013
South Sudanese youth document community voices on conflict and peace

20 March 2013
United Nations report warns rising energy demand will stress fresh water resources

20 March 2013
UNESCO and Uruguay Establish a Regional Centre for Groundwater Management for Latin America and the Caribbean

20 March 2013
Namibia developing national programme for research, science, technology and innovation

17 March 2013
UNESCO Director-General urges greater mobilization for girls’ education at Dubai Global Education and Skills Forum

16 March 2013
UNESCO and Samsung announce partnership

WIPO  (World Intellectual Property Organization) [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html

Expansion of Domain Name Space May Shift Trademark Protection Strategies
The unprecedented expansion of the Internet domain name space, until now dominated by .com and a handful of other generic top-level domains (gTLDs), is likely to disrupt existing strategies for trademark protection on the web.
Mar 17, 2014 PR/2014/756

USAID [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

Press Releases
USAID Announces Water Desalination Prize Competition
Friday, March 21, 2014
Today the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Agency, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of The Netherlands announced the launch of the Desal Prize for innovations in brackish water desalination.  The Desal Prize is part of the $32 million Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development. The U.S. Bureau for Reclamation is providing support in the design and implementation of the prize.

Impact Blog
Meeting Water, Food and Health Needs in Kenya
by Chris Holmes, Global Water Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Administrator on 21st March 2014
On this World Water Day 2014, I am encouraged by how USAID’s water programs around the world contribute to integrated
Read more »

Registering for Democracy in Yemen
by Elisabeth Kvitashvili, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Middle East on 20th March 2014
Yemen is poised to launch a high-tech Biometric Voter Registry (BVR) system representing a significant step forward in the development of a credible voter registry in that country.

Improving Agriculture to Help Lift Nigerian Families Out of Poverty
by Alex Thier, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Policy Planning and Learning on 19th March 2014
USAID/Nigeria has been investing in several agriculture activities such as Thai Farms to support local farmers. In fact, Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS II) is the Nigeria Mission’s flagship agriculture activity. This project seeks to connect local farmers to markets, introduce new technology and partnerships, and provide training to farmers to improve production capacity.

Building Skills and Promoting Collaboration among the Middle East and North Africa’s Budding Journalists
by Wafaa El Adawy on 19th March 2014
The success of the democratic transitions underway around the Middle East and North Africa will depend on well-informed voters educated by a professional and objective media.

Experts and Practitioners Discuss Global Trends in Civil Society
by Pamela Nwaoko and Kellie Burk, USAID Africa Bureau on 18th March 2014
USAID relies on local civil society organizations (CSOs) to play important roles in the development and humanitarian efforts that we support worldwide. However, current trends of governments placing restrictions on CSOs are requiring donors to find new and better ways to support civil society in difficult circumstances.

Maintaining Women’s Potential in Yemen
by Elisabeth Kvitashvili, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Middle East on 18th March 2014

ECHO  [to 22 March 2014]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

World Water Day, 2014: 2.5 billion people lack adequate access to sanitation
22/3/2014 – Water is an essential component for life, yet some 2.5 billion people around the world are still lacking sufficient access to it. Put in proportion, that is five times as many as the entire population of the EU.

Central African Republic: European Union airlifts emergency aid relief
17/03/2014 – For the third time, the European Commission is transporting urgently needed humanitarian assistance directly into the conflict-stricken Central African Republic (CAR). The aid is needed as the humanitarian situation in the country remains dramatic.

ODI   [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.odi.org.uk/

Humanitarian negotiations with armed non-state actors: key lessons from Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia
Publication – Briefing papers – 18 March 2014
HPG Policy Briefs
Ashley Jackson
Drawn from over 500 interviews with aid workers, members of armed groups (including the Taliban, Al-Shabaab and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North) and others, this policy brief highlights key lessons from a two-year research project on humanitarian negotiations with armed non-state actors in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan.
Report: http://www.odi.org.uk/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8847.pdf

Building natural capital: how REDD+ can support a Green Economy
Publication – Research reports and studies – 21 March 2014
UNEP
This report, on the current status and future potential of REDD+, describes the many benefits of forests and other ecosystems as a way of demonstrating that forests have multiple values beyond carbon sequestration and indeed are a foundation for sustainable societies. In doing so it provides a summary of the elements necessary for integrating REDD+ into a green economy, providing policymakers with innovative ideas for supporting economic development while maintaining or increasing forest cover.

Publication
Adaptation to Climate Change in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – assessing risks, appraising options in Africa
21 Mar 2014

Publication
Food prices update March 2014
21 Mar 2014

Publication
Building natural capital: how REDD+ can support a Green Economy
21 Mar 2014

Publication
The economics of climate change adaptation in Africa’s water sector: a review and a way forward
21 Mar 2014

OECD  [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.oecd.org/

REPORT | WELLBEING AND POLICY – 2014
OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being
Gus O’Donnell (Chair) and Angus Deaton, Martine Durand, David Halpern, Richard Layard
Commissioned by the Legatum Institute

PROLOGUE
The Legatum Institute established the Commission on Wellbeing and Policy to advance the policy debate on social wellbeing. This report aims to give policy makers a greater understanding of how wellbeing data can be used to improve public policy and advance prosperity.

The Legatum Institute is founded upon the principle that prosperity is a more capacious idea than can be expressed by a purely material measure such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Consequently the Institute’s own Prosperity Index is based on both wealth and wellbeing.

The Legatum Institute has sponsored the Commission on Wellbeing and Policy in order to help stimulate a debate as to if and how wellbeing analysis should influence government policy.

The Commission operated independently of the Legatum Institute and its views do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute.

CONCLUSION
This report reflects a widespread wish to reappraise the goals of our society. Organisations such as the EU and the OECD have for some years been discussing issues such as ‘What is progress?’ or ‘Beyond GDP’. We hope our report contributes to this debate, and shows how the lens of wellbeing can lead to concrete changes of direction. These changes include new ways of policy analysis and new policy priorities. Worldwide, people long for a more satisfying life. If leaders focus more on that objective, we could indeed have a better world.

IMF  [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm

Speech: China’s Youth: Global Leaders, Global Citizen, by Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund 
Tsinghua University, Beijing, March 23, 2014

Opening Remarks at the China Development Forum 
March 23, 2014

World Bank [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

New Field Guide Explores Open Data Innovations in Disaster Risk and Resilience
From Indonesia to Bangladesh to Nepal, community members armed with smartphones and GPS systems are contributing to some of the most extensive and versatile maps ever created, helping inform policy and better prepare their communities for disaster risk.In Jakarta, more than 500 community members have been trained to collect data on thousands of hospitals, schools, private buildings, and critical infrastructure. In Sri Lanka, government and academic volunteers mapped over 30,000 buildings and 450 km of roadways using a collaborative online resource called OpenStreetMaps.These are just a few of the projects that have been catalyzed by the Open Data for Resilience Initiative (OpenDRI), developed by the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Launched in 2011, OpenDRI is active in more than 20 countries today, mapping tens of thousands of buildings and urban infrastructure, providing more than 1,000 geospatial datasets to the public, and developing innovations…

The Sphere Project [to 22 March 2014]
http://www.sphereproject.org/news/

Alistair Dutton appointed Sphere Project Interim Manager
21 March 2014 | Sphere Project
The Sphere Project Board has appointed Alistair Dutton as the Project’s Interim Manager. Dutton will take over the position on April 1. Dutton brings over 15 years of experience managing and coordinating relief and development programmes in more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America to the Sphere Project.

For the past five years, Dutton has been the Humanitarian Director of Caritas Internationalis. Previously, he was Head of the Humanitarian Programmes Unit for Africa at Christian Aid. He also held humanitarian posts with CAFOD, Catholic Relief Services and the Jesuit Refugee Service. As Interim Manager, Dutton will be based at the Sphere Project office, which is hosted by the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) in Geneva, Switzerland…