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News Archive


Call for Applications: Voices of Our Future
Released: 2 Feb 2009
World Pulse, a global media organization covering world issues through the eyes of women, has announced a call for applications for Voices of Our Future, a new international women's correspondent network.
National Committee Association for UNIFEM Launched in Hungary
Released: 3 Feb 2009
Klára Dobrev, President of the Hungarian National Committee Association for UNIFEM. Budapest — The Hungarian National Committee Association (NCA) for UNIFEM was launched on 28 January in Budapest, becoming the 17th UNIFEM National Committee. The Hungarian NCA will raise awareness and seek support for gender equality issues among the general population, decision-makers and the private sector, through local advocacy initiatives
India’s first report on urban poverty launched
Released: 3 Feb 2009
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched India’s first-of-its-kind report on the nature and dynamics of urban poverty in the country, at an event in this capital city, today.
Asia-Pacific Statisticians Told to Improve Capacity for Timely Data in Response to Event
Released: 4 Feb 2009
More than 30 delegations attend meeting of ESCAP’s Committee on Statistics in Bangkok Bangkok (UN/ESCAP Information Services) – Official statistical systems in the Asia-Pacific region need to improve their preparedness to respond more quickly to sudden turns of events, such as in providing timely and accurate data on the current international financial and economic crisis.
For over two years, Commonwealth countries have received advice on loan agreements and litigation
Released: 4 Feb 2009
Indebted poor countries should not sign outdated and legally unsound loan agreements that put them at risk of litigation according to the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Resident Legal Adviser
Kamalesh Sharma to address four major conferences in India on the need for collective action to resolve global economic crisis
Released: 4 Feb 2009
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has arrived in India for a week-long visit from 4 to 11 February 2009 where he will address four international and local audiences, focusing on the current global economic situation, and the pressing need for reform of international institutions and collective action by all governments
New WTO publication sheds light on global trade in services
Released: 5 Feb 2009
Opening Markets for Trade in Services highlights the key challenges and opportunities for the services sector in a globalized economy. This new book — co-published by the World Trade Organization and Cambridge University Press — focuses on the unilateral action taken by countries across the world as well as the bilateral and multilateral liberalization of trade in services
Third Cambodia Economic Forum held
Released: 5 Feb 2009
Increasing Cambodia’s Competitiveness for Growth and Poverty Reduction in the Face of the Global Financial Crisis
Population Issues Are Critical to Meeting Development Goals, Asia and Pacific Experts Reaffirm
Released: 6 Feb 2009
Bangkok (ESCAP/UNFPA) – Reproductive health, gender equality and policies addressing population concerns remain central to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific, regional specialists agreed here this week.
Commonwealth Secretary-General urges young people to share their wisdom and skills to build networks of knowledge and bridges across divides
Released: 9 Feb 2009
Young people can offer valuable insights on issues when they are effectively engaged in the sharing of their wisdom, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has said.
Director-General Pascal Lamy “We must remain extremely vigilant”
Released: 9 Feb 2009
Director-General Pascal Lamy, in presenting his report on recent trade developments associated with the financial crisis to an informal meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body on 9 February 2009, warned that with trade growth already stalled “the fragile economic prospects of every WTO Member have become especially vulnerable to the introduction of any new measure that closes off market access or distorts competition”. “This is particularly the case for developing countries,” he said.
10 Feb 09 - UNCTAD to step up work on African food security
Released: 10 Feb 2009
UNCTAD's work on commodities this year will have to address the food security crisis, said UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi. "We believe that last year's food crisis was not a stand-alone event, but part of a much broader development crisis", he said
UNCTAD says that Organic agriculture could boost African food security
Released: 10 Feb 2009
Organic agriculture is a "good option for food security in Africa", UNCTAD says, citing a 116% rise in productivity on 114 African farms that converted to organic or near-organic production.
Report Released: International Investment rule-making: stocktaking, challenges and the way forward
Released: 10 Feb 2009
UNCTAD Series on International Investment Policies for Development
ILO European Regional Meeting opens amid calls for an urgent and coordinated response to the economic crisis
Released: 10 Feb 2009
The 8th European Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) opened here today with calls for an integrated approach to halt the spiraling economic slowdown and build a new, “stronger, cleaner and fairer” economy for the future.
What Impact Does Inflation Targeting Have on Unemployment?
Released: 10 Feb 2009
IPC One Pager 51 argued that inflation targeting has only slim prospects of success. This One Pager presents the findings of a recent empirical study of the impact of inflation targeting in a cross section of developing and emerging countries.
UNCTAD: Expert meeting on mainstreaming gender in trade policy 10 11 March 2009
Released: 16 Feb 2009
The topic of the expert meeting was approved by the extended Bureau of the Trade and Development Board on 29 August 2008. The Accra Accord requested UNCTAD to "strengthen its work on the linkages between trade and internationally agreed development goals and objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals, including poverty reduction and gender equality" (para. 96 (d)).
UN and ASEAN: Financial crisis will affect migration in Asia
Released: 17 Feb 2009
Bangkok – The global financial crisis may have a dramatic impact on the lives of migrant workers in South East Asia, according to officials at a recent meeting here on migration and HIV. As the crisis unfolds, a two-way increase is expected in the movement of people: overseas migrants returning home after losing their jobs, or those recently laid off at home moving overseas in search of work.
Science and technology must boost food security
Released: 18 Feb 2009
Science, technology and innovation must focus on raising agricultural production to ensure long-term food security, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.This was the focus of a conference held in Malaysia this week.
Economic crisis response must support jobs, SMEs, vulnerable sector, ILO meeting concludes
Released: 23 Feb 2009
MANILA (ILO News) - Delegates representing workers, employers and ministries of finance, planning and labour from Asia and the Pacific suggested policies and measures to be urgently put in place to mitigate the expected severe impact of the global financial and economic crisis on economies in the region, and to stimulate a more rapid, more equitable and sustainable recovery.
Agreed Conclusions on the Commission on the Status of Women, Fifty-third session
Released: 19 Feb 2009
Agreed conclusions The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS
Clearing a path for improved transport links in Africa to boost trade
Released: 19 Feb 2009
Trade routes across Africa could soon be revolutionised as a result of an ambitious transport initiative set out by International Development Minister Gareth Thomas today.
Eight UN Agencies Take Part in Gender Audit Exercise in Nigeria
Released: 20 Feb 2009
Abuja — UNIFEM, as Chair of the UN Team Group on Gender, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Nigeria, organized a Gender Audit Exercise for eight UN agencies and their partners, including government ministries, at the UN House in Abuja on 9-20 February.
Lamy urges governments to rebuild confidence and fight protectionism
Released: 23 Feb 2009
Confidence is key in time of crisis and to achieve this, governments should clean banks’ balance sheets, signal that individual stimulus packages are closely knitted together into a global joint effort, demonstrate that leaders of major economies can work together in full coordination and trust, and show that the world trade environment is not deteriorating, that isolationist pressures are contained. That was the message Director-General Pascal Lamy delivered to a conference in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 23 February 2009.
"We should have known better", UNCTAD SG Supachai told the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G7
Released: 23 Feb 2009
"We should have known better", UNCTAD SG Supachai told the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G7 in Rome on 13 February, referring to the causes of the financial crisis and how it might have been prevented.