In advance of the 21st Summit of African Union, to be held in Addis Ababa on 19-27 May 2013, the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, presents her congratulations to all African women and men on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the African Union.© African Union -African Union 50th anniversary logo “The African Union is a force for solidarity and for peace across the continent,” said Irina Bokova. “For fifty years, it has promoted a more integrated and prosperous Africa -- this … [Read more...]
Jamaica is Taking Action to stop Human Trafficking!
May 18, 2013 by
Jamaica reiterates its fight against human trafficking The Government of Jamaica accords the highest level of political commitment to the fight against human trafficking and unequivocally denounces the scourge of Trafficking in Persons. Ms. Crystall Powell-Britton told the High-level meeting on the Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons that Jamaica reaffirms its determination to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, protect and assist victims, … [Read more...]
MEN, Step Up on Family Planning
May 15, 2013 by
A woman holds her baby in a village in southern Niger, where progress in women's access to family planning is being made. Our failure to give women in certain parts of the world the ability to decide the timing and number of their children is deeply damaging — not just for the women themselves but for societies, too. Lifting the obstacles is not something that can be tackled half-heartedly. Modern family planning programs were introduced widely in the developed world decades ago. Providing … [Read more...]
Fiji, UNFPA Chief Stresses Women’s Empowerment, Girls Education
May 14, 2013 by
Following the formal opening of the G77 High-Level Panel of Eminent Personalities of the South, UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin posed along with other eminent figures, including Heads of State of the Pacific Island Nations. SUVA, Fiji — If alarming rates of Violence Against Women are to be effectively addressed, the status of women needs to be elevated. UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin emphasized the fundamental, often unacknowledged, contributions of … [Read more...]
UN General Assembly – What, Who, Why and When?
May 14, 2013 by
The sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly will open in September 2013. The President of the United Nations General Assembly was chosen from the GRULAC with Antigua and Barbuda's John William Ashe being the consensus candidate, thus bypassing the need for an election. The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 193 Members of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral … [Read more...]
“Building on Progress in Afghanistan: 2014 and Beyond”
May 14, 2013 by
Washington, D.C. – A discussion on "Building on Progress in Afghanistan: 2014 and Beyond” was held in Washington today at an event organized in partnership between the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), offering a big picture of the country’s current situation and development challenges. A similar briefing with Afghanistan partners was organized on 9 May in New York, co-hosted by the Afghan Mission to the United Nations and the … [Read more...]
Helen Clark: Speech at the 34th Kirchentag 2013
May 12, 2013 by
“Making development work for people and the planet” Hamburg, Germany, 3 May 2013 It is indeed a very great pleasure to join Chancellor Merkel on this panel at the 34th Kirchentag here in Hamburg. This great event, drawing many tens of thousands of people from across Germany and around the world, is truly a festival of ideas. It provides a place and space for questioning, reflection, and challenging the way things are and the way things could … [Read more...]
Celebrating Africa’s Wealth: Building Businesses for Shared Prosperity
May 12, 2013 by
FACILITATING BUSINESS AND MARKET CREATION NOT ONLY GENERATES INCOME, BUT ALSO BASIC GOODS, SERVICES AND CHOICES, WITH IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR EACH OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS. (PHOTO: UNDP BURUNDI) Cape Town – Involving low-income communities in markets and businesses across Africa is essential for economic growth to translate into sustainable development, according to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report released today. “Realizing Africa's Wealth - Building … [Read more...]
Stopping violence against women | Marta Vieira da Silva
April 29, 2013 by
Life isn’t easy for women – anywhere in the world. I grew up in Dois Riachos – a poor, remote town in the north-east of Brazil. Our family didn’t have much money; my mother worked hard to raise me and my two brothers and sister by herself. We couldn’t even afford a football – if we had bought one, we would have gone without food. At the age of 7, I knew I wanted to play football for the rest of my life. But being a girl, the path wasn’t straightforward. Everyone from my brothers to the … [Read more...]
