Yearly Archives: 2009
Progress – and Gaps – in Women’s Health
The United Nations Population Fund organized a high-level meeting in Istanbul this week, calling attention to the economic benefit of supporting family planning and the rights of women. The meeting focused on the challenges that face Central Asia and Eastern Europe as the countries in the regions try to meet the Millennium Development goals that relate to maternal mortality.
Good news in the battle against hunger
In the wake of the financial crisis, the number of people worldwide who do not have enough to eat has topped a billion. However, a new report, Pathways to Success (pdf), by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggests that there is positive news in the battle against hunger.
In 31 of the 79 countries that the FAO monitors, there has been a “notable decline” in the number of undernourished people between 1991 and 2005. How? The report notes four trends:
Emma Thompson, Helen Bamber honored at UN
I headed up to the UN yesterday for the Dag Hammarskjold Scholarship Fund for Journalists and Inspiration Award luncheon. As the event’s name would suggest, the lunch served two purposes. First, it honored four recipients of the aforementioned fellowship, which is a program of the UN Correspondents Association that funds reporting projects for four journalists from the developing world during a ten week stint at the UN. (The UN Foundation is a sponsor).
Leaders Set Conditions for a Copenhagen Appearance
As the clock ticks down to next month’s Copenhagen climate conference, environmental activists have their eyes on key world leaders whose decisions on whether to attend the conference could make or break the prospects for a binding international treaty. This week, two of those leaders have provided insights into their intentions.
Veterans/Armistice Day
It’s Veterans’ Day here in the United States, and Armistice Day in much of Europe. This is a day to remember the human toll of war on those who fight it even as, in the words of the UN charter, we seek to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind.”
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The SC; HRC; DPRK; South Sudan
The SC: The Security Council today held its last consultations under the Council Presidency of ROK. Tomorrow, Russia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for March under Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
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The SG; Mali; Middle East; Palestine
The SG: At the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria today, the SG emphasized the role of youth in ensuring a “prosperous, equitable and peaceful future.”
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The SG; DRC; HRC; Palestinian Prisoner
The SG: In Ethiopia over the weekend, the SG is now in the United Arab Emirates. Today he met with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, where the two discussed developments in the region, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, and in the Middle East Peace Process.
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