Labour and social affair ministers from ten countries, the President of the EU Council, Richard Bruton, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor, and ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, discuss ways to support ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. GENEVA - An informal meeting of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs took place alongside the 102nd International Labour Conference in Geneva. At this meeting, jointly organized by the ILO and … [Read more...]
Lorre White celebrates more ‘Women Traveling Solo’
June 14, 2013 by
The number of females traveling alone, for both business and leisure travel, is on the rise according to recent figures released from Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH). With over 520 hotels in more than 70 countries, the company is reporting interesting trends in sole occupancy across its diverse portfolio. Between 2011 and 2012, SLH saw growth in single occupancy travel across the board in terms of both revenue and number of room nights, with the number of sole occupancy room nights … [Read more...]
Luxury goods in China Beyond bling, Lorre White
June 10, 2013 by
Luxury goods in China Beyond bling “IT WAS an amazing golden age,” reflects Guillaume Brochard of Qeelin, a Chinese jeweller. From 2007 to 2011 many luxury-goods firms enjoyed double-digit annual growth in China, which became their most important market. The first blows came last year, with an economic slowdown and jitters about the political transition. Now, a crackdown on corrupt gift-giving and a populist backlash against ostentation have added to the woes. The outlook for … [Read more...]
Resolute leadership to end malnutrition of mothers and children
June 9, 2013 by
June 2013 – With 165 million children around the world who are stunted as a result of undernutrition, the United Nations children’s agency has reiterated its calls to invest in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. “The battle against undernutrition is being won, but progress is too slow for too many,” said Werner Schultink, the head of nutrition at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Our message is clear – that the time is now for all of us to demonstrate resolute leadership and … [Read more...]
Lorre White, E-commerce of China, 2.8 Trillion RMB by 2016
June 7, 2013 by
E-COMMERCE IN CHINA WORTH 2.8 TRILLION RMB BY 2016 240,000 RMB (US$40,000) – this is how much Chinese online shoppers spend online per second. And this astronomical figure is still growing. More than any other country in the world, China has 242 million online shoppers already, or approximately 43% of total Internet users. This online consumer population is twice as big as that of Japan, and 75 million more than that of the US. Web agency Go-Global forecasts this population of … [Read more...]
“The Action Agenda for Sustainable Development”
June 7, 2013 by
“The Action Agenda for Sustainable Development” Under the leadership of Jeffrey Sachs (Director of the SDSN and head of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, which hosts the secretariat of the network), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has issued the report, entitled “The Action Agenda for Sustainable Development”. This report is the result of collaboration between top scientists, technologists, businesses, and development specialist and is a critical input … [Read more...]
Cyclone Mahasen evacuees still homeless, Take Action!
June 6, 2013 by
Cyclone Mahasen evacuees still homeless Several weeks ago, reports came in of a fearsome tropical cyclone poised to strike Myanmar and Bangladesh. Over 1 million people evacuated their homes. CARE's emergency teams sprang into action, coordinating with other groups and governmental agencies to be at the ready with crisis materials: 40,000 emergency family kits, including plastic sheeting for shelter, water purification tablets, and soap, to be distributed to families who lost their homes to … [Read more...]
Metta foot spa: Happy feet that empower
June 5, 2013 by
In the heart of posh Bandra is a unique social enterprise business – a spa that helps its visually impaired therapists stand on their feet even as yours get much needed rest. The fragrance of lemon grass and a gentle quiet greet my tired feet. I feel like I am miles away from the maddening city I have been commuting through all day. There is stillness around here, almost ashram-like. Tucked away in a quiet part of Bandra, one of Mumbai’s most ‘happening’ suburbs, is Metta Foot Spa, a … [Read more...]
Japan Taking Action to combat illicit drugs and human trafficking
June 4, 2013 by
June 2013 – The United Nations and the Government of Japan today agreed to enhance regional cooperation to fight the trade of illicit narcotics and human trafficking, as well as terrorism and cyber crime in Africa and Southeast Asia. The Joint Action Plan of Action between the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Japan was signed at the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V), which concluded earlier today in Yokohama, Japan. “The United Nations Office … [Read more...]
Breaking the Silence, Violence against Indigenous Girls
June 2, 2013 by
Joint UN statement read by John Hendra for the launch of the inter-agency study on breaking the silence on violence against indigenous girls Joint UN statement read by John Hendra, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director Policy and Programme, UN Women at the launch of the inter-agency study: “Breaking the Silence on Violence against Indigenous Girls, Adolescents and Young Women: A call to action based an overview of existing evidence from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin … [Read more...]
Bangladesh must address lack of protection for women from violence
May 31, 2013 by
Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjoo. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras May 2013 – A United Nations independent expert today called on Bangladesh to ensure the effective implementation of laws and measures that protect women from violence, stressing that in addition to the enforcement of policies, changes in attitudes need to occur regarding women’s role in society. “The absence of effective implementation of existing laws, the lack of responsive justice systems, and … [Read more...]
