Is corruption different for men and women? For decades, gender sensitivity has been part of project design in a range of international development and assistance programmes, including anti-corruption efforts. The concept simply acknowledges that different policies and programmes have differing impacts on men and on women. But has enough been done to make programme design practices gender-sensitive? And do we need women-specific anti-corruption projects? The UN Development Programme … [Read more...]
Millennium Development Goals, for people of all ‘abilities’
December 2, 2013 by
Opening the door for people of all abilities The global community took a giant step forward during the High-level Meeting on Disability and Development in September to break down barriers for the more than 1 billion persons living with some form of disability. With a historic outcome document adopted, this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, aims to kick-off an action-filled course towards an inclusive society, embracing all human beings. 'About 15 … [Read more...]
December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 2, 2013 by
Over one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability! Around the world, persons with disabilities face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that exclude them from participating fully and effectively as equal members of society. They are disproportionately represented among the world’s poorest, and lack equal access to basic resources, such as education, employment, healthcare and social and legal support systems, as … [Read more...]
‘One Life – One Heart’, International Volunteer Day (Dec 5)
November 30, 2013 by
International Volunteer Day (IVD)- (December 5) is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make visible their contributions - at local, national and international levels - to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The International Volunteer Day is marked by many non-governmental organizations, including Red Cross, scouts and others. It is also marked and … [Read more...]
Universal Children’s Day celebrated Nov 20
November 20, 2013 by
On Universal Children’s Day, UN says violence against young hobbles development 20 November 2013 – Drawing a direct link between violence against children and poverty, United Nations officials marked Universal Children’s Day with a call to make child protection a priority in the global development agenda for the decades to come. “Violence against children does more than harm individual children, it undermines the fabric of society, affecting productivity, well-being, and prosperity,” UN … [Read more...]
Call to Action: UN Women pledges to protect Women and Girls
November 15, 2013 by
Call to Action: Executive Director pledges UN Women commitment to protect women and girls in emergencies Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka pledged the strong commitment of UN Women to protect women and girls in emergencies at an international meeting on 13 November in London. At the Call to Action event, “Keep Her Safe”, organized by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), she pledged that UN Women would work with partners to ensure that women’s rights and needs are … [Read more...]
UN WOMEN: Post-2015 Development Agenda and SDGs
November 15, 2013 by
Reminder @ UN WOMEN As the 2015 target date for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, a wide range of activities are being undertaken by UN Member States, the UN system, civil society organizations, academia, research institutions and others on identifying the shape and priorities of a post-2015 development agenda. The MDGs encapsulate eight globally agreed concrete goals, with time-bound targets and indicators for measuring progress in the areas of: poverty … [Read more...]
Securing financing for sustainable development, Shari Spiegel
November 2, 2013 by
“We have to create an inclusive financing system that would work for everybody around the globe.” ~ Shari Spiegel Securing financing for sustainable development New and innovative sources of financing are needed to supplement decreasing Official Development Assistance, but these should be additional to traditional assistance and not a substitute for it: this is one of the conclusions of the 6th High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. In this video interview, Shari Spiegel, … [Read more...]
7 Million Girls in Poor Countries Give Birth Before 18
October 31, 2013 by
LONDON/UNITED NATIONS, New York — Motherhood in childhood is a huge global problem, especially in developing countries, where every year 7.3 million girls under 18 give birth, according to The State of World Population 2013 , released today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Of these 7.3 million births, 2 million are to girls 14 or younger, who suffer the gravest long-term health and social consequences from pregnancy, including high rates of maternal death and obstetric fistula, … [Read more...]
“The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage!”
October 2, 2013 by
“I will draw upon my background in sustainable development” Right before the opening of the 68th session of General Assembly, its President, John W. Ashe, gave a special interview to DESA News. He points out how his background may help him promote the building of Sustainable Development Goals among Member States. He also explains why he is the first PGA to extensively use social media and online communication. On 18 September 2013, John W. Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda took … [Read more...]
