21 May is International Day of Forests
The International Day of Forests and the Tree is held annually on 21 March to raise awareness of sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/67/200 of 21 December 2012, which declared that starting in 2013, 21 March of each year was to be observed as the International Day of Forests and the Tree.
The resolution encourages all Member States to organize activities relating to all types of forests, and trees outside forests, such as tree-planting campaigns.
More information:
The Situation in Syria
In an expression of grave concern at the continuing escalation of violence in Syria, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a fifth resolution A/RES/67/262 on the situation in Syria, reiterating its call for rapid progress on a political transition. The council expressed outrage at the “rapidly increasing death toll” in Syria, which the UN estimates to be in the tens of thousands.
The resolution also strongly condemns the Syrian Government’s increased use of heavy weapons, and also condemns ongoing “widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 107 in favour to 12 against, with 59 abstentions.
UN Resources
- Press Statement on Syria
- Previous Resolutions: A/RES/66/176, A/RES/66/253
- Security Council: S/RES/2042, S/RES/2043
WHO/UNICEF Progress Report on Sanitation & Drinking Water
Some 2.4 billion people will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015, according to a new joint WHO/UNICEF report.According to the report, the world remains off track to meet the Millennium Development goal (MDg) sanitation target.
Key findings
Among the key findings from the latest 2011 data, the report highlights:
- Almost two-thirds (64%) of the world’s population had access to improved sanitation facilities, an increase of almost 1.9 billion people since 1990.
- Approximately 2.5 billion people lacked access to an improved sanitation facility. Of these, 761 million use public or shared sanitation facilities and 693 million use facilities that do not meet minimum standards of hygiene.
- In 2011, one billion people still defecated in the open. 90% of all open defecation takes place in rural areas.
- By the end of 2011, 89% of the world population used an improved drinking-water source, and 55% had a piped supply on premises. This left an estimated 768 million people without improved sources for drinking water, of whom 185 million relied on surface water for their daily needs.
- There continues to be a striking disparity between those living in rural areas and those who live in cities. Urban dwellers make up three-quarters of those with access to piped water supplies at home. Rural communities comprise 83% of the global population without access to improved drinking water source and 71 per cent of those living without sanitation.
The report titled Progress on sanitation and drinking-water 2013 update is available here in english.
Resources
International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition
The International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition started today, and will run for 3 days. The conference proceeding are webcast live.
According to FAO , the conference will increase understanding of the crucial role that forests, trees on farms and agroforestry systems can play in improving the food security and nutrition of rural people, especially in developing countries. It will propose ways to integrate this knowledge in policy decisions at the national and international levels.
Resources
UNESCO REPORT 2012
The UNESCO 2012 report focused much of its energy on Education. Highlights in 2012 included the Shanghai International TVET Congress, the first Africa Forum on Science and Technology and Innovations in Nairobi, The celebration of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention.
Search UNESCO catalogue for Previous reports:
Economic Report on Africa 2013
This years report discussed amongst other topics , making the most of Africa’s commodities, industrializing for growth, jobs and economic transformation
Download in English- Fulltext PDF
New Report on Human Rights Violation in Kivu
Report of the UN Joint Human Rights Office on Human Rights Violations from 15 November to 2 December 2012
According to a new report by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic republic of the Congo, serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law were committed during November 2012 fighting.
The report details victim and witness accounts of mass rape, killings and arbitrary executions. Violations of Human Rights were perpetrated by Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and rebels of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23).
This report highlights human rights violation between 15 November to 2 December 2012. The Joint Human Rights Office previously released several reports on human rights violations in the DRC :
Resources
Security Council meetings on the Middle East today
Wednesday, May 8th 2013
The Security Council is meeting this morning in its 6962nd meeting, for a meeting on the situation in Libya.
This afternoon, there is a closed consultation on the seventeenth semi-annual report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004), (S/2013/234) related to Lebanon.
Additional resources:
- Reports of the Secretary-General (Libya)
- Resolutions/Decisions (Libya)
- Meeting Records (Libya)
- Semi-annual reports on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004)
Non-UN resources:
- What’s in blue: Insights on the Middle East
- Security Council Report: Libya
- Security Council Report: Lebanon
Photo: Security Council discusses situation in Libya. 03 May 2011. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras.
Security Council briefing by the OSCE
Tuesday, May 7th 2013
The Security Council is meeting this afternoon in its 6961st meeting, for a briefing by the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Additional resources:
- Reports of the Secretary-General on Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations
- Resolutions/Decisions (OSCE)
- Meeting Records (OSCE)
Non-UN resources:
- What’s in blue: article on today’s briefing
Photo: Security Council discusses UN Cooperation with Regional Organizations. 13 January 2010. UN Photo/Sophia Paris.
Progress report on peacebuilding in Liberia
A second progress report on peacebuilding in Liberia (PBC/7/LBR/1) has been issued today.
The present report, which reviews progress in the implementation of the
outcome document (PBC/6/LBR/2) and the priorities identified in it, covers the period from 1 August 2011 to 30 September 2012, and focuses on the main advancements and challenges that emerged during that period. Efforts to fulfill the commitments contained in the statement of mutual commitments on peacebuilding in Liberia (PBC/4/LBR/2) slowed during the presidential and legislative election process, and the subsequent formation of a new Government. However, during the first six months of 2012, there was a new focus in the efforts made by the Government of Liberia, in collaboration with civil society and the United Nations, to make consolidated progress in implementing the commitments.
UN Resources:
Non UN Resources:
- Security Council Report: Liberia
- What’s in Blue: Insights on Peacebuilding
Photo: Justice and Peace Hub under Construction in Gbarnga, Liberia. 13 April 2012. UN Photo/Staton Winter.
The situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Monday, May 6th 2013
The Security Council is meeting this morning in its 6960th meeting, to discuss the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Additional resources:
- Previous reports
- Security Council meeting records
- Security Council resolutions
Non-UN resource:
- What’s in blue: insights on the work of the Security Council on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Security Council Report: Monthly forecast, Democratic Republic of the Congo - May 2013
Photo: Security Council Meeting on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 19 October 2012. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Development Evaluation in Times of Turbulence : Dealing with Crises that Endanger Our Future
Development Evaluation in Times of Turbulence
The transformational nature of the ‘Arab Spring’ is just one arena in which it is clear that a business as usual approach to evaluation is entirely inappropriate. This book is a collection of papers from the 2011 Global Assembly of the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS). Nearly 350 development evaluators from eighty-five countries came together in Amman, Jordan to discuss and analyze the consequences of turbulence on evaluation. The intent of these papers is to systematically assess what changes have come during this time of turbulence and how these changes are impacting the craft of development evaluation. To be clear: this book is not about how to assess the impacts of crises on development and on people’s lives. It is about the meaning of a changed world and changed assumptions on the concepts and methods used in evaluation.
Resources
Global Monitoring Report 2013: Monitoring the MDGs
Global Monitoring Report 2013: Rural-Urban Dynamics and the Millennium Development Goals provides an in-depth analysis on urbanization as a force for poverty reduction and progress towards the MDGs in the developing world. With less than 1,000 days to go before the MDGs expire, the report highlights the need to accelerate efforts to improve the lives of the poor in both rural and urban areas.
The Global Monitoring Report (GMR), jointly produced by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), is an annual report card on the world’s progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Resources
UNHCR Position on Returns to the Central African Republic
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released a new Position on Returns to the Central African Republic. Conflict and insecurity have a grave impact on the civilian population. The humanitarian access is extremely limited. Targeted killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, recruitment of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence, disappearances and kidnappings, as well as extortion and looting in Bangui and other parts of the country have been reported.
Resources
- UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
New report on Prevention of Occupational Diseases
The Prevention of Occupational Diseases report released by International Labour Organization (ILO) highlights occupational safety and health (OSH) as an integral part of the promotion of the prevention of occupational diseases.
Occupational diseases cause huge suffering and loss in the world of work. With the collaborative effort of governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations, the fight against this hidden epidemic will have to feature prominently in new global and national agendas for safety and health. This report outlines the current situation concerning occupational diseases and presents proposals for addressing this serious Decent Work deficit.
The report is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian and Russian.
Resources
- International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS)
