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MEDIA REPORTS
HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT
This page was updated
on: 01/26/10
2007
Human Development Media Report Archives:
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2009;
2008;
2006;
2005;
2004;
200 3;
2002
NOVEMBER 2007
2007 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT EXAMINES CLIMATE CHANGE
AND DEVELOPMENT
On 27 November 2007, the UN Development Programme's (UNDP)
Human Development Report on 'Fighting climate change:
Human solidarity in a divided world' was launched in Brasilia, Brazil,
with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as well as the
Spanish Minister for Development, Leire Pajin, on hand. Kemal Dervis,
UNDP Administrator, stressed that this year's Global Human Development
Report, a UNDP flagship publication, was being launched at a significant
time, as governments were preparing to gather in Bali to negotiate the
roadmap for further negotiations on commitments for the post-2012
period. He also noted that the Report will help galvanize action of UN
Country Teams working with national counterparts on climate change
adaptation and disaster preparedness. Kevin Watkins, UNDP's lead author
of the Report, stressed the threat of climate change to development
given that the world's poorest people are most vulnerable to its
consequences. He said the Report argues that, with the right reforms,
many of the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions can be reversed
without sacrificing economic growth. To achieve this goal, the Report
proposes a combination of carbon taxation, cap-and-trade programmes,
energy policies and technology transfers.
Links to further information
Human Development Report 2007/2008: Fighting Climate Change – Human
Solidarity in a Divided World
UNDP Newsroom
MDG achievement fund CRUCIAL TO
ANTI-POVERTY GOALS
At a special event on the Millennium Development Goals Achievement
Fund, held in New York, US, on 3 December 2007, Deputy Secretary-General
Asha-Rose Migiro hailed the Government of Spain for committing 528
million to the Fund since December 2006. She noted that, at the
mid-point toward the 2015 deadline, Spain's initiative to fulfill the
pledges it made in the Paris Millennium Declaration are crucial to the
lives of the most vulnerable. While referring to the MDGs as one of the
UN's greatest challenges, she stressed that achieving the MDGs is a
matter of political will.
Links to further information
UN News Story, 4 December 2007
Deputy Secretary-General Press Release, DSG/SM/356, 4 December 2007
UNDP-Spain MDG Achievement Fund
UNDP APPEALS FOR HELP TO WOMEN AND GIRLS AFFECTED
BY CONFLICT OR NATURAL DISASTERS
On 8 November 2007, the UN Development Programme (UNDP)
launched an appeal to raise US$10 million dollars to finance a two-year
initiative to help women and girls affected by conflicts or natural
disasters. The eight point agenda for women's empowerment and gender
equality in crisis prevention is based on the need to protect women from
violence in crisis; ensure access to justice; strengthen women's voices
and representation; build peace with and for women; promote gender
equality; put women's needs first in the recovery effort; and strengthen
women's networks in crisis.
Link to further information
UN News Centre, 8 November 2007
WORLD'S MOST COMPLETE URBAN ARCHIVE ESTABLISHED
On 6 November 2007, the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
announced a partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC) to
establish one of the world's most
complete online information archives on urban issues. The UBC/UN-HABITAT
Archive is expected to cover more than 30 years of print and electronic
material, stretching from the first UN conference in 1976 up to
the 2006 World Urban Forum III. According to the sponsors, the Archive
will cover issues raging from urban life, housing, transportation,
infrastructure, resources management, and land tenure to governance and
climate change.
Link to further information
UN-HABITAT News story, 5 November 2007
MDG MONITOR OFFERS NEW TOOL IN THE BATTLE AGAINST GLOBAL POVERTY
On 1 November 2007, at UN headquarters in New York, US, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in partnership with Google Earth and maps
and Cisco Systems, launched the MDG Monitor. MDG Monitor is a new UN
website that offers a tool for policymakers, development practitioners,
journalists, and students. It aims to track, in real time, efforts by
countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The site
includes interactive maps, country profiles, and RSS news fed. At the
launch of the site, the Secretary-General highlighted the importance for
strengthening monitoring of MDGs' achievement in order to identify areas
and countries that need further intervention.
Links to further information
UNDP Newsroom, 1 November 2007
MDG Monitor
UN News, 3 November 2007
Secretary-General Press Release, 1 November 2007
OCTOBER 2007
PEOPLE LIVING IN
POVERTY AS AGENTS OF CHANGE
On 17 October 2007, the UN celebrated
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty under the theme "People
Living in Poverty as Agents of Change." As part of the
global campaign Stand Up Against Poverty, from 16-17 October 2007, more
than 6,000 events were held in 110 countries led by the UN Millennium
Campaign. A record breaking 38.8 million people around the world joined
the campaign to call upon international leaders to deliver on their
promises to end poverty by 2015.
Links to further
information
Press Conference on International Day of Poverty,
17 October 2007
UN News, 18 October 2007
Press Conference, Stand up for Poverty,
18 October 2007
Secretary-General News Release,
10 October 2007
Stand Up Against Poverty website
IFAD TO provide microcredit IN Bangladesh
On 11 October 2007, the UN International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) launched a national development project in
Bangladesh. The project will target rural areas, particularly female
microentrepreneurs, to increase their economic opportunities. IFAD will
provide US$ 35 million of the approximately US$ 60 million for the
Finance for Enterprise Development and Employment Creation Project,
which is expected to help 120,000 microentrepreneurs and generate
200,000 jobs.
Link to further
information
UN News Centre, 11 October
ASIA-PACIFIC PROGRESS
REPORT OFFERS mixed picture FOR reaching mdgs
On 8 October 2007, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (UNESCAP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) launched the 2007 MDG Progress in Asia and
the Pacific report in Bangkok and Manila.
Among the report's findings is the
indication that Millennium Development Goal (MDG) achievements in Asia
and Pacific have been uneven across and within countries, with some
areas falling behind Latin America or even Sub-Saharan Africa for
certain targets. Asia-Pacific has demonstrated slow progress in reducing
child mortality and child hunger, with two-thirds of the world's
underweight children – a rate that exceeds Sub-Saharan Africa. Other
areas of slow progress in Asia-Pacific are in access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation, as well as mounting environmental pressure
from land degradation, poor water management, rising pollution and
climate change.
Links to further
information
UN News Centre, 8 October 2007
UNESCAP
News
Service Press Release,
8 October 2007
WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT CRITICAL FOR ACHIEVING UN GOALS
– SECRETARY-GENERAL
On 2 October 2007, at the Americas for the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) Gala for the Health and Dignity of Women, in New York, US,
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that the empowerment of women
is a fundamental condition in order to make progress towards peace and
security, improve living standards and respect for human rights. He
emphasized the need to understand the mandate of UNFPA, which provides
services to improve maternal health. The Secretary-General also
congratulated Ted Turner, founder and chairman of the UN Foundation, on
receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to the work
of the UN.
Links to further information
Secretary-General's Press release, 3 October 2007 (SG/SM/11201)
UN News Centre, 3 October 2007
WORLD HABITAT DAY HIGHLIGHTS THAT A SAFE CITY IS A
JUST CITY
On the occasion of the World Habitat
Day, a week of activities from 1-5 October 2007 was planned around the
theme "A safe city is a just city." The activities began in The Hague,
the Netherlands, and ended in Monterrey, Mexico. In The Hague, 40 young
council members presented a "Millennium Municipality Declaration" to
UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka,
pledging support to the Millennium Development Goals and referencing the role of local
governments to encourage citizen's initiatives. In Monterrey, the
celebrations were part of the concluding session of the UN-HABITAT's
International Conference on the State of Safety in World Cities.
Delegates at that conference recommended recognizing urban planning and
slum upgrading as mechanisms to build safer cities.
Also as part of the celebrations,
UN-HABITAT honored individuals and institutions with the Annual World
Habitat Award for their commitment in improving human settlements and
launched the Global Report on Human Settlements 2007, entitled Enhancing
Urban Safety and Security.
SEPTEMBER 2007
UN ANNOUNCES MDG FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN 2008
The UN announced that it will organize a MDG Festival in June
2008, which will feature high-profile international celebrities and
entertainers who will present awards for outstanding achievements to
promote the Millennium Development Goals.
Links to further information
UN News Centre, 12 September 2007
UNGA ADOPTS DECLARATION ON RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
On 13 September 2007, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. One hundred forty-three
member States voted in favor of the Declaration, while eleven abstained
and Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US voted against the
non-binding text, which addresses the individual and collective rights
of indigenous peoples, and their rights to culture, identity, language,
employment, health, education and other issues.
Link to further information
UNPFII website
AUGUST 2007
UN-HABITAT LAUNCHES GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF PUBLIC
WATER OPERATORS
On 15 August 2007, UN-HABITAT launched the Global Water Operators
Partnership Alliance, which aims to assist governments to strengthen the
capacities of the public water operators that provide 90 per cent of
water supply and sanitation service delivery in developing nations – in
accordance with the Millennium Project Task Force on Water. UN-HABITAT
Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka noted that the alliance is part of the
efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goal 7, Target 10,
to reduce by half the proportion of
people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015.
The
operational cost for this initiative is estimated to be US$7 million for
the initial three years. UN-HABITAT has committed to provide core staff
and office expenses, while Alliance partners – including several donor
governments - will contribute towards its substantive activities.
Links to
further information
UNHABITAT, 15 August 2007
UN News Centre, 16 August 2007
INTERNATIONAL DAY RECOGNIZES INDIGENOUS PEOPLES'
CONTRIBUTIONS
In his message marking International Day of the World's Indigenous
People, observed on 9 August, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recalled
the theme for the Second International Decade of World's Indigenous
People (2005-2015), "Partnership for action and dignity," and called for
effective participation of indigenous peoples in achieving the
international development agenda, respect for their human rights and
elimination of discrimination, marginalization and poverty.
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang,
noted that indigenous peoples are often located in biologically rich
areas and have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the functioning
of these environments, which can play a crucial role in adapting to and
redressing climate change impact.
Links to further information
UN News Centre, 9 August 2007
UN Secretary-General's Press Release, 3 August 2007
UN Press Release, 7 August 2007
YOUTHS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO MDGS HIGHLIGHTED
This year's International Youth Day, observed on 12 August, adopted
the theme "Be seen, be heard: youth participation for development."
UN-Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed the enthusiasm and energy of
youth women and men as committed partners towards the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), while calling upon governments to
meet their commitments made in the World Programme of Action for Youth.
Links to further information
Youth at the United Nations website
UN Secretary-General's Press Release
POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT
INITIATIVE LAUNCHES PORTAL
The launch of the portal UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI)
in July 2007 marked another milestone in the process of scaling-up the
UNDP-UNEP global partnership on PEI. The website will be gradually built
up as part of the knowledge management programme of the newly
established UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Facility in Nairobi. In early
September 2007, the
Division of Regional Cooperation
will share with partners and
stakeholders an overall update on the status of and future plans for PEI
scale-up and the Poverty-Environment Facility.
Link to further information
PEI website
JUNE 2007
LARGEST URBAN GROWTH
RATE IN HISTORY – UNFPA REPORT
According to the "State of the World's
Population Report: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth," released
on 27 June 2007 by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the population of
African and Asian cities will double by 2030, adding 1.7 billion people
globally. The report recommends that city authorities and urban planners
should offer secure tenure on land that has access to power, water and
sanitation services, and ensure that those living in poor communities
have access to education and health care, and be encouraged to build
their own homes. Commenting on the findings of the report, UNFPA
Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said "we must abandon a mindset
that resists urbanization and act now to begin a concerted global effort
to help cities unleash their potential to spur economic growth and solve
social problems."
Links to further information
UN News Centre, 27 June
State of the World's Population Report 2007
UN REFORM PILOTS
STARTING TO DEVELOP "ONE UN" PROGRAMMES
Several countries that are part of the "One
UN" pilot initiative, which will test how the UN family can deliver in a
more coordinated way at country level, have started to develop "One
Programmes" by translating their joint vision, detailed by their UN
Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), into a joint operational
document. Viet Nam, which started before the "One UN" pilot initiative,
has operationalized part of its UNDAF in a "One Plan" of six UN entities
that will be amended to include a further five UN agencies in 2008.
Mozambique has produced a common operational document and Rwanda just
finalized a draft outline of a similar document. Albania has been
drafting a "One Programme Framework," while Cape Verde is discussing how
other agencies can become involved in the Executive Committee agencies'
(i.e. UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and WFP) existing common operational document.
Link to further information
Formula One Newsletter, Issue 3, June 2007
MAY 2007
QATAR TO HOST FOLLOW-UP
TO UNGA DEBATE ON MDGs
In a letter dated 7 May 2007, UN General
Assembly (UNGA) President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa has informed UN
Member States about the meeting entitled "Financing Development to
achieve the MDGs" to take place in Doha, Qatar, from 17-18 June 2007,
which is a follow-up to the thematic debate "Partnerships to achieve the
MDGs," held in November 2006. The meeting will focus on translating
existing commitments into action, reviewing developing country efforts
to implement scaled up Millennium Development Goal (MDG) strategies, and
exploring innovative financing sources, and could serve as an input to
the preparatory process of the 'Follow-up International Conference on
Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey
Consensus,' which will convene in Doha in the second half of 2008.
Links to further information
UNGA President's letter, 7 May 2007
Draft programme
Africa's urban poor
get valuable lessons in farming
UN agencies, such as UNICEF, the World
Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization, and local NGOs
are looking to urban gardens as an alternative to feeding programs
targeted at poor city dwellers in developing countries. Urban gardens
have low start-up costs, and in some cases locals have scaled them up
into a full-fledged businesses. Examples of locals growing their own
food rather than relying on aid can be found from the slums of Kinshasa,
the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Accra, Ghana, to
Hyderabad, India.
Link to further information
Christian Science Monitor story, 9 May 2007
APRIL 2007
UN LAUNCHES
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY SCHEME FOR WORLD'S POOREST COUNTRIES
On 25 April 2007, the UN launched a programme to assist least
developed countries (LDCs) in developing their national leadership
capacity to address key development challenges, ranging from HIV/AIDS to
poverty reduction. The programme will initially pilot in nine countries,
including Cambodia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda,
Yemen and Zambia. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, UN High Representative for the
Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing States and Small Island
Developing States, has indicated that, if successful, the initiative
will be extend to 20 LDCs by the end of 2007 and will cover all 50 LDCs
by next year.
Links to further information
Zeenews.com, 28 April 2007
UN-Office of the
High Representative for the
Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing States and Small Island
Developing States
website
Commission on Population and Development
focusES ON
changing POPULATION age structures
At its fortieth session, the UN Commission on Population and Development
focused on how governments
can take advantage of the demographic dividend, or window of
opportunity, given changing population age structures and their
implications for development, such as labour shortages, higher costs for
social services and pensions. The
annual session convened from 9 to 13
April 2007, at UN Headquarters in New York, US,
during which it considered a report by the UN Secretary-General (E/CN.9/2007/3)
on world population monitoring, which indicated that the highest
ratio of potential workers to dependents is in Africa, with 5 percent of
the population being elderly, followed by Asia and Latin America and the
Caribbean. The Commission concluded by calling governments to offer
incentives for older persons to continue in the workforce and to invest
in young people to ensure the sustainability and solvency of pension
schemes.
Links to further information
UNDESA, Population Division
UN News Centre, 13 April 2007
UN News Centre, 9 April 2007
MARCH 2007
international women's day FOCUSES ON
"ending impunity for violence against women and girls"
On the occasion of International Woman's Day on 8 March 2007, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized that empowerment is a condition
for building better lives. Additional statements to mark the day
included UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour's reminder
that violence against women is the most common crime but often the least
to be punished.
Links to further information
UN News Centre, 8 March 2007
UN Secretary-General Press Release, 6 March 2007
UN Department of Public Information website for International Women's
Day
FEBRUARY 2007
E-DISCUSSION LAUNCHED IN PREPARATION FOR ECOSOC
MINISTERIAL
The UN Development Group's (UNDG's) is hosting a month-long e-discussion
on "Strengthening Efforts to Eradicate Poverty" in March 2007. This discussion will
feed into the Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) annual ministerial
substantive review (AMR), which was mandated by the 2005 World Summit to
assess progress made towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and
implementation of other goals and targets agreed at the major UN
conferences and summits over the past 15 years. The two-day AMR will
convene during ECOSOC's high-level segment in July 2007, with a number of
activities feeding into it. In addition to the e-discussion, a
global AMR preparatory event is planned to take place in New York in
March 2007 and three tentative country-led meetings are planned in
Mexico, Bangladesh and Morocco in the first half of 2007.
Link to further information
NGLS invitation to participate in e-discussion
UNDP AND UNEP
LAUNCH POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
On 6 February 2007 the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) fortified their partnership by launching a
joint Poverty and Environment Facility at the 24th session of UNEP
Governing Council in Nairobi, Kenya. The facility is one of the first
concrete examples of UN reform and will help developing countries
integrate sound environment management into their poverty reduction and
growth policies
Link to further information
UNDP press release, 6 February 2007
UN HABITAT AND THE NETHERLANDS LAUNCH WATER AND
SANITATION PROJECT IN LAKESIDE TOWNS IN EAST AFRICA
The UN Human Settlements Programme
(UN-HABITAT) has launched a joint project with Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda to improve the water and sanitation facilities of six towns
around Lake Victoria. The project is funded by the government of the
Netherlands and aims to help these countries achieve the Millennium
Development Goal of halving by 2015 the number of people without access
to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Link to further information
UN News Center, 9 February 2007
JANUARY 2007
DESPITE GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN, DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES EXPECTED TO GROW IN 2007 – UN REPORT
Jose Antonio
Ocampo, UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, has
highlighted a new UN report's finding that developing countries will
continue to grow despite a slow down in the world economy's growth. He
said the global economic slowdown should not jeopardize the attainment
of the Millennium Development Goals during the 10 January 2007 launch of
the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2007. He added that
the Report emphasizes that, after three consecutive years of high
economic growth, the global economy is expected to unwind due to the
cooling of the housing market in the US. The slow economic growth in the
US, projected to be 2.2 percent in 2007, followed by the protracted
economic recovery of Japan and Europe, will moderate consumer demand.
Nevertheless, the report points out that East Asian economies will
continue to lead economic growth, particularly the Chinese economy. The
report indicates that coordination of economic policies could build
greater confidence in the stability of financial and foreign-exchange
markets and help avoid negative growth effects.
Links to further
information
UN News Centre, 10 January 2007
World Economic Situation and Prospects 2007
UNDESA Press release, 11 January 2007
Launching of the Report –
webcast
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