Monday 29 April 2013

International Jazz Day 2013, April 30.

The year 2013 marks the beginning of the International Decade for People of African Descent, consecrated to the theme, “Recognition, justice and development for people of African heritage.” This constitutes yet another highlight of the event that the United Nations will surely support. Africa, whence jazz draws its origins, will thus be doubly honoured this year.


 Istanbul is the official host city for 2013. Turkey has an age-old tradition of jazz. Munir Ertegun, Turkish Republic’s first ambassador to Washington in the 1930s, opened his embassy’s parlors to African American jazz musicians, who gathered there to play freely in a socio-historical context which was deeply divided by racial segregation at the time. Inspired by this legacy, the ambassador’s sons, Ahmet and Nesuhi, went on to establish the United States’ first jazz and gospel label in 1947 - Atlantic Records - which was seminal in spreading the beauty of jazz music around the world.


 Video Message of Irina Bokova, UNESCO's Director General 




Video Message of Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador & Chairman of Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz(20 sec)


How you can participate to International Jazz Day ?

Culture-centered projects on cultural diversity, dialogue and exchange, cultural heritage, jazz in cultural and creative industries, status and social condition of jazz musicians. Musical events can be organized for the Day. The musical events already scheduled and taking place on 30 April could be occasions to remind and give visibility to the International Jazz Day.
  • Jazz-related themes could be discussed through round tables, publications, blogs, book fairs, exhibitions, happenings
  • The Ministry of Culture could organize a nation-wide forum on jazz on their website
  • A public radio discussion on the future of jazz music in your country
  • Record labels and publishing houses could organize a seminar on the business of jazz music
  • A seminar organized at music conservatories with music professionals
  • Small community jazz concerts organized by the municipalities
  • Youth clubs could hold a jazz concert or screen a jazz concert on DVD
  • Music schools could be encouraged to organize public concerts for schools
  • Music students might give demonstrations or convene discussion groups with students
  • The National Commission of your country might organize a concert in partnership with local conservatories



Educational initiatives promoting the history and presenting practices of jazz (origin and transformation, global spread, social inclusion, women’s empowerment, improving technique).
  • Teachers (primary and secondary level) may choose to center part of their classes on jazz. Jazz music and jazz videos (concerts, fiction, documentaries) could be discussed
  • Literary, artistic or video contests could be organized
  • Special scholarships for jazz or jazz-related studies could be offered on the occasion of the Day
  • Organize a classroom discussion on the origins of jazz
  • Organize a classroom listening session - teachers can bring in a CD, or can log into a UNESCO Jazz Day website for further information
  • Organize a classroom exchange/debate with other schools via the UNESCO associated schools network



Social and human sciences projects focusing on the links between jazz and human and cultural rights, social inclusion, communities, migration, urbanization and other social issues.
  • Seminars, university classes and round tables (in person or online) could be organized in this context
  • Publications (reviews, books, and blogs) can be dedicated to those issues
  • Organize a discussion/student presentation on liberation movements and the role of jazz music
  • Organize a discussion/student presentation on women's emancipation and jazz music



Communication and information initiatives that concentrate on the links between traditional and/or contemporary media, ICT and jazz.
  • Join UNESCO on Facebook  and Twitter to exchange with others about jazz’s impact. Make sure to use #JazzDay in your message!
  •  Upload your own jazz music or videos of jazz musicians you admire to Youtube, Facebook or Twitter
  • Start a blog about what jazz means to you


24 Apr 2013 - Concert in honour of the General Assembly Committee on Information



In Istanbul

ALL STARS JAZZ EVENING CONCERT IN ISTANBUL, APRIL 30, 2013
Hagia Irene church (Istanbul):Dating back to the 4th century, the Hagia Irene, located in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is regarded as an international treasure for music lovers.

In Paris with the Association Paris Jazz Clubs

Paris will bring jazz unto the streets from morning masterclasses up till  "nuit blanche" (overnight) jazz jams.
- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-jazz-day-2013/#sthash.NIbcPyk6.dpuf





Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2013, 29 April

 

 ° Día de Conmemoración de todas las víctimas de la guerra química, 29 de abril
° День памяти всех жертв применения химического оружия, 29 апреля 
° Journée du souvenir dédiée à toutes les victimes de la guerre chimique, 29 avril
° Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare, 29 April
° 化学战受害者纪念日, 4月29日
°يوم إحياء ذكرى جميع ضحايا الحرب الكيميائية مناسبة




Statements

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2013

This annual Day of Remembrance is designated by the international community to remember and pay respects to all victims of chemical warfare. 
This year’s observance is especially timely, as the spectre of chemical weapons is once again casting its ominous shadow.  Recent allegations of the use of these indiscriminate and morally repugnant weapons in Syria serve as a reminder of the continuing vital importance of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The Convention is both practical and aspirational.  It provides a framework for implementing chemical weapons disarmament and facilitating the peaceful uses of chemistry.  It is also a highly symbolic instrument -- representing a determined refusal of States Parties to allow the atrocities of the past to be repeated.
At the time of last year’s Day of Remembrance, nearly three-quarters of declared chemical warfare agents had been verifiably destroyed.  This year, the figure stands close to 80 per cent.  This continuing progress is a testament to the effectiveness of the Convention and the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
But, as current events attest, we must stay vigilant.  The threat of chemical weapons persists, and eight States remain outside the Convention.  Until the Convention is universal and the last stockpiles have been destroyed, our debt to the victims of chemical warfare will remain unpaid.
On this Remembrance Day, I urge the international community to intensify efforts to rid the world of chemical weapons, along with all other weapons of mass destruction.  Let us work together to bring all States under the Convention and promote its full implementation.  This is how we can best honour past victims and liberate future generations from the threat of chemical weapons.

Ban Ki-moon




 A commemoration of the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare. The event took place on 29 April 2013.


Sunday 28 April 2013

Asian Development Outlook 2013 Highlights

Economic Trends and Prospects in Developing Asia : 




Developing Asia is bouncing back from the slowdown of the previous year. Robust domestic demand and greater reliance on regional trade will accelerate growth from 6.1% in 2012 to 6.6% in 2013 and 6.7% in 2014. Though still relatively stable, inflation is forecast to pick up as regional economies return to their production potential in the midst of rising global liquidity from advanced economies. Consumer prices are expected to rise by 4.0% in 2013 and 4.2% in 2014, up from 3.7% last year.

Developing Asia’s recovery phase remains vulnerable to shocks. Strong capital inflows could feed asset bubbles. Political discord surrounding fiscal debates in the United States, austerity fatigue in the euro area, and border disputes in Asia could jeopardize macroeconomic stability.

The region needs an ample supply of clean, affordable energy to continue its rapid growth in the coming decades. To achieve energy security, developing Asia must actively contain its rising demand, aggressively explore new supply sources and technology, and progressively integrate regional energy markets and infrastructure.

Asian Development Outlook 2013 Official Launch



The annual ADO provides a comprehensive analysis of economic performance for the past year and offers forecasts for the next 2 years for the 45 economies in Asia and the Pacific that make up developing Asia.

Viet Nam; Vanuatu; Uzbekistan; Tuvalu; Turkmenistan; Tonga; Timor-Leste; Thailand; Tajikistan; Taipei,China; Sri Lanka; Solomon Islands; Singapore; Samoa; Philippines; Papua New Guinea; Palau; Pakistan; Nepal; Nauru; Myanmar; Mongolia; Micronesia, Federated States of; Marshall Islands; Maldives; Malaysia; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Kyrgyz Republic; Korea, Republic of; Kiribati; Kazakhstan; Indonesia; India; Hong Kong, China; Georgia; Fiji; Cook Islands; China, People's Republic of; Cambodia; Brunei Darussalam; Bhutan; Bangladesh; Azerbaijan; Armenia; Afghanistan.



Developing Asia - World's Largest Energy Consumer in Two Decades: Asian Development Outlook 2013

 

 


ADO 2013 features a special chapter on Asia's energy challenges. The region needs an ample supply of clean, affordable energy to continue its rapid growth in the coming decades. To achieve energy security, developing Asia must actively contain its rising demand, aggressively explore new supply sources and technology, and progressively integrate regional energy markets and infrastructure.



World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2013 theme is: "The Prevention of Occupational Diseases. "


 Health and safety at work: Facts and figures
  • 2.02 million people die each year from work-related diseases.
  • 321,000 people die each year from occupational accidents.
  • 160 million non-fatal work-related diseases per year.
  • 317 million non –fatal occupational accidents per year.
This means that:
  • Every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease.
  • Every 15 seconds, 151 workers have a work-related accident.
Deaths and injuries take a particularly heavy toll in developing countries, where a large part of the population is engaged in hazardous activities, such as agriculture, construction, fishing and mining.

ILO Director-General's statement on World Day for Safety and Health at Work


 Worldwide, occupational diseases continue to be the leading cause of work-related deaths. According to ILO estimates, out of 2.34 million occupational fatalities every year, only 321,000 are due to accidents. The remaining 2.02 million deaths are caused by various types of work-related diseases, which correspond to a daily average of more than 5,500 deaths. This is an unacceptable Decent Work deficit.

The inadequate prevention of occupational diseases has profound negative effects not only on workers and their families but also on society at large due to the tremendous costs that it generates; particularly, in terms of loss of productivity and burdening of social security systems.

As every year, the ILO Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment has prepared a report which calls on governments, employers, workers and their organizations to collaborate in the development and implementation of national policies and strategies aimed at preventing occupational and work-related diseases.

 Prevention is more effective and less costly than treatment and rehabilitation. All countries can take concrete steps now to improve their capacity for preventing occupational diseases.

Sources : 

Partners :
 Newsletter :
°African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety
°Asian-Pacific Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety

°Barents Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety 






Wednesday 24 April 2013

April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day. The 2013 year theme is Creativity – The Next Generation.

Message from Director General Francis Gurry.

World Intellectual Property Day - April 26, 2013

April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day. This year our theme is Creativity – The Next Generation.

Creativity is common to the whole of humanity.

Whoever we are, wherever we live, whatever our circumstances, we all have the capacity to create. And it is this human creativity and inventiveness that is responsible for improving our quality of life in every sphere: our medical care, our transport, our communication, our entertainment. The aim of intellectual property is to promote conditions that help this creativity and innovative capacity flourish across the world.

The way in which humanity expresses itself creatively has changed profoundly in the last 30 years. People are creating in ever more exciting ways. We have seen an explosion of user-generated content, and vast numbers of people coming together - through crowd-sourcing and open innovation platforms for example - to take part in collective creation. This creative collaboration is opening up rich new possibilities for humanity.

What will the next generation bring?

Director General Francis Gurry
While predicting the future is difficult, we do know that the speed of change has accelerated through recent generations. And now we see before us a whole range of new technologies with the potential to fundamentally change the way we live. That change is coming more and more quickly. The next generation will be here tomorrow.
The next developments in the life sciences, for instance, could transform our lives. Information technology, molecular biology, regenerative medicine, and even technologies such as 3D printing are coming together in and around the life sciences to generate extraordinary potential.
On World IP Day we encourage people to reflect about the role of intellectual property in our changing world. I believe there is a certain genius in intellectual property. What it does is create a unique incentive for investment in research and development, in innovation, and in cultural creation and production.
How does it do that? By creating a mechanism for buying, selling and sharing access to the benefits of innovation and cultural creation. Our challenge is to ensure that the conditions for access are fair and balanced, so that the benefits are widespread, and so that it fosters a truly dynamic, creative global society in which the next generation will thrive.
Young people have the capacity to dream in a way that far surpasses the capacity of older people. They are the future. So my message to the next generation on World IP Day is keep creating, keep innovating. And keep thinking about how IP should fulfill its role in the future social management of creativity and innovation.

Tuesday 23 April 2013

"Invest in the future: defeat malaria" is the chosen theme for World Malaria Day 2013 (25 April)

In Africa a child dies every minute from malaria...





World Malaria Day (25 April) is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.

Roll Back Malaria (RBM) World Malaria Day 2013 - What can it do for you? 

World Malaria Day is a chance to shine a spotlight on the global effort to control malaria. Each year, Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partner organisations unite around a common World Malaria Day theme. Invest in the future: defeat malaria is the theme partners chose for the next three years to call attention to #thebigpush needed to reach the 2015 Millennium Development Goals and defeat malaria in the future.

World Book and Copyright Day 2013, April 23


°Día Mundial del Libro y del Derecho de Autor, 23 de abril
° Всемирный день книги и авторского права, 23 апреля
° Journée Mondiale du livre et du droit d'auteur,  23 Avril
°World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April
° 世界书籍与版权日, 4月23日
° اليوم العالمي للكتاب وحقوق المؤلف

Message of Irina Bokova, Director General for World Book and Copyright Day 2013

 UNESCO has celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April for 17 years now. UNESCO Member States around the world celebrate the power of books to bring us together and transmit the culture of peoples and their dreams of a better future. This day provides an opportunity to reflect together on ways to better disseminate the culture of the written word and to allow all individuals, men, women and children to access it, through literacy programmes and support for careers in publishing, book shops, libraries and schools. Books are our allies in spreading education, science, culture and information worldwide. The city of Bangkok has been designated “World Book Capital 2013” in recognition of its programme to promote reading among young people and underprivileged sections of the population.

This is a source of inspiration in our collective efforts to promote editorial diversity, and to protect intellectual property and equitable access to the wealth of books. UNESCO is committed to this work in the spirit of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, along with all its partners, including the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers' Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. This day also calls us to reflect on the changes in books over the long term and the intangible values that should guide us. Digital books offer new opportunities for access to knowledge, at reduced costs and over wide geographical areas. Traditional books are still powerful technology: failsafe, portable and standing the test of time. All forms of books make a valuable contribution to education and the dissemination of culture and information. The diversity of books and editorial content is a source of enrichment that we must support through appropriate public policies and protect from uniformity. This bibliodiversity is our common wealth, making books much more than a physical object, for they are our most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of space and time.

SOURCE :   

UNESCO:
World Intellectual Property Organization
United Nations
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
The additional resources links on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not necessarily represent an endorsement by the United Nations.
 
Centro Regional para el Fomento del Libro en América Latina y el Caribe
Commonwealth of Learning
Copyright Research and Information Center (Japan)
EUCLID International
European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations
European Publishers Council
Intellectual Property Watch
International Board on Books for Young People
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
International ISBN Agency
International Publishers Association
International Reading Association
United States Copyright Office

This is a source of inspiration in our collective efforts to promote editorial diversity, and to protect intellectual property and equitable access to the wealth of books.
UNESCO is committed to this work in the spirit of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, along with all its partners, including the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers' Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
This day also calls us to reflect on the changes in books over the long term and the intangible values that should guide us. Digital books offer new opportunities for access to knowledge, at reduced costs and over wide geographical areas. Traditional books are still powerful technology: failsafe, portable and standing the test of time. All forms of books make a valuable contribution to education and the dissemination of culture and information. The diversity of books and editorial content is a source of enrichment that we must support through appropriate public policies and protect from uniformity. This bibliodiversity is our common wealth, making books much more than a physical object, for they are our most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of space and time.

 

Message of Irina Bokova, Director General for World Book and Copyright Day 2013

UNESCO has celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April for 17 years now. UNESCO Member States around the world celebrate the power of books to bring us together and transmit the culture of peoples and their dreams of a better future.
This day provides an opportunity to reflect together on ways to better disseminate the culture of the written word and to allow all individuals, men, women and children to access it, through literacy programmes and support for careers in publishing, book shops, libraries and schools. Books are our allies in spreading education, science, culture and information worldwide.
The city of Bangkok has been designated “World Book Capital 2013” in recognition of its programme to promote reading among young people and underprivileged sections of the population.
- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-book-and-copyright-day-2013/#sthash.NyV1vECK.dpuf

Message of Irina Bokova, Director General for World Book and Copyright Day 2013

UNESCO has celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April for 17 years now. UNESCO Member States around the world celebrate the power of books to bring us together and transmit the culture of peoples and their dreams of a better future.
This day provides an opportunity to reflect together on ways to better disseminate the culture of the written word and to allow all individuals, men, women and children to access it, through literacy programmes and support for careers in publishing, book shops, libraries and schools. Books are our allies in spreading education, science, culture and information worldwide.
The city of Bangkok has been designated “World Book Capital 2013” in recognition of its programme to promote reading among young people and underprivileged sections of the population.
Illustrated Book of Thai Poetry, World Digital Library
Thai manuscript, 19th century © Bavarian State Library in Munich, Germany
This is a source of inspiration in our collective efforts to promote editorial diversity, and to protect intellectual property and equitable access to the wealth of books.
UNESCO is committed to this work in the spirit of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, along with all its partners, including the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers' Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
This day also calls us to reflect on the changes in books over the long term and the intangible values that should guide us. Digital books offer new opportunities for access to knowledge, at reduced costs and over wide geographical areas. Traditional books are still powerful technology: failsafe, portable and standing the test of time. All forms of books make a valuable contribution to education and the dissemination of culture and information. The diversity of books and editorial content is a source of enrichment that we must support through appropriate public policies and protect from uniformity. This bibliodiversity is our common wealth, making books much more than a physical object, for they are our most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of space and time.

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-book-and-copyright-day-2013/#sthash.NyV1vECK.dpuf

Message of Irina Bokova, Director General for World Book and Copyright Day 2013

UNESCO has celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April for 17 years now. UNESCO Member States around the world celebrate the power of books to bring us together and transmit the culture of peoples and their dreams of a better future.
This day provides an opportunity to reflect together on ways to better disseminate the culture of the written word and to allow all individuals, men, women and children to access it, through literacy programmes and support for careers in publishing, book shops, libraries and schools. Books are our allies in spreading education, science, culture and information worldwide.
The city of Bangkok has been designated “World Book Capital 2013” in recognition of its programme to promote reading among young people and underprivileged sections of the population.
Illustrated Book of Thai Poetry, World Digital Library
Thai manuscript, 19th century © Bavarian State Library in Munich, Germany
This is a source of inspiration in our collective efforts to promote editorial diversity, and to protect intellectual property and equitable access to the wealth of books.
UNESCO is committed to this work in the spirit of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, along with all its partners, including the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers' Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
This day also calls us to reflect on the changes in books over the long term and the intangible values that should guide us. Digital books offer new opportunities for access to knowledge, at reduced costs and over wide geographical areas. Traditional books are still powerful technology: failsafe, portable and standing the test of time. All forms of books make a valuable contribution to education and the dissemination of culture and information. The diversity of books and editorial content is a source of enrichment that we must support through appropriate public policies and protect from uniformity. This bibliodiversity is our common wealth, making books much more than a physical object, for they are our most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of space and time.

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-book-and-copyright-day-2013/#sthash.NyV1vECK.dpuf

Message of Irina Bokova, Director General for World Book and Copyright Day 2013

UNESCO has celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April for 17 years now. UNESCO Member States around the world celebrate the power of books to bring us together and transmit the culture of peoples and their dreams of a better future.
This day provides an opportunity to reflect together on ways to better disseminate the culture of the written word and to allow all individuals, men, women and children to access it, through literacy programmes and support for careers in publishing, book shops, libraries and schools. Books are our allies in spreading education, science, culture and information worldwide.
The city of Bangkok has been designated “World Book Capital 2013” in recognition of its programme to promote reading among young people and underprivileged sections of the population.
Illustrated Book of Thai Poetry, World Digital Library
Thai manuscript, 19th century © Bavarian State Library in Munich, Germany
This is a source of inspiration in our collective efforts to promote editorial diversity, and to protect intellectual property and equitable access to the wealth of books.
UNESCO is committed to this work in the spirit of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, along with all its partners, including the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers' Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
This day also calls us to reflect on the changes in books over the long term and the intangible values that should guide us. Digital books offer new opportunities for access to knowledge, at reduced costs and over wide geographical areas. Traditional books are still powerful technology: failsafe, portable and standing the test of time. All forms of books make a valuable contribution to education and the dissemination of culture and information. The diversity of books and editorial content is a source of enrichment that we must support through appropriate public policies and protect from uniformity. This bibliodiversity is our common wealth, making books much more than a physical object, for they are our most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of space and time.

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-book-and-copyright-day-2013/#sthash.NyV1vECK.dpuf

Message of Irina Bokova, Director General for World Book and Copyright Day 2013

UNESCO has celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April for 17 years now. UNESCO Member States around the world celebrate the power of books to bring us together and transmit the culture of peoples and their dreams of a better future.
This day provides an opportunity to reflect together on ways to better disseminate the culture of the written word and to allow all individuals, men, women and children to access it, through literacy programmes and support for careers in publishing, book shops, libraries and schools. Books are our allies in spreading education, science, culture and information worldwide.
The city of Bangkok has been designated “World Book Capital 2013” in recognition of its programme to promote reading among young people and underprivileged sections of the population.
Illustrated Book of Thai Poetry, World Digital Library
Thai manuscript, 19th century © Bavarian State Library in Munich, Germany
This is a source of inspiration in our collective efforts to promote editorial diversity, and to protect intellectual property and equitable access to the wealth of books.
UNESCO is committed to this work in the spirit of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, along with all its partners, including the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers' Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
This day also calls us to reflect on the changes in books over the long term and the intangible values that should guide us. Digital books offer new opportunities for access to knowledge, at reduced costs and over wide geographical areas. Traditional books are still powerful technology: failsafe, portable and standing the test of time. All forms of books make a valuable contribution to education and the dissemination of culture and information. The diversity of books and editorial content is a source of enrichment that we must support through appropriate public policies and protect from uniformity. This bibliodiversity is our common wealth, making books much more than a physical object, for they are our most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of space and time.

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-book-and-copyright-day-2013/#sthash.NyV1vECK.dpuf
 
World Book and Copyright Day

23 April

23 April is a symbolic date for world literature for on this date in 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. 
It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. In this respect, UNESCO created both the World Book and Copyright Day and the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance.  

Links to UN and UN System sites:  UNESCO:
World Intellectual Property Organization
United Nations
The additional resources links on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not necessarily represent an endorsement by the United Nations.
Centro Regional para el Fomento del Libro en América Latina y el Caribe
Commonwealth of Learning
Copyright Research and Information Center (Japan)
EUCLID International
European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations
European Publishers Council
Intellectual Property Watch
International Board on Books for Young People
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
International ISBN Agency
International Publishers Association
International Reading Association
United States Copyright Office

Saturday 20 April 2013

" The Face of Climate Change" H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon on International Mother Earth Day 2013 , April 22


°Día Internacional de la Madre Tierra, 22 de abril
°Международный день Матери-Земли,22 апреля
°Journée internationale de la Terre nourricière, 22 avril
° International Mother Earth Day, 22 April
° 国际地球母亲日, 4月22日

 °اليوم الدولي لأمنا الأرض

 


Message of the United Nations Secretary-General for 2013

International Mother Earth Day is a chance to reaffirm our collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature at a time when our planet is under threat from climate change, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and other man-made problems.
When we threaten the planet, we undermine our only home – and our future survival. On this International Day, let us renew our Pledges to honour and respect Mother Earth. 

Ban Ki-moon


Resource : CNN meteorologist Jenny Harrison discusses how Climate change is disrupting Weather Patterns around the world.

Thursday 18 April 2013

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed the press at UN Headquarters.




17 Apr 2013 - Ahead of talks with the World Bank, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed the press at UN Headquarters.

Ahead of talks with World Bank, Ban briefs press at UN Headquarters

 

 

World Bank Headquarters, Washington DC. 
Photo: World Bank/Simone D. McCourte
 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed correspondents in New York today on a range of issues before beginning two days of top-level meetings in Washington tomorrow aimed at stepping up cooperation between the United Nations and the World Bank, the institution dedicated to providing financial and technical aid to developing countries around the world. The talks with the World Bank will focus on four main areas, he said – education, climate change and sustainable energy, poverty, and the role of development banks. “First is education: one of the smartest investments we can make in the world’s future well-being,” Mr. Ban said, while calling the second issue, climate change and sustainable energy, a crisis in the making, with sustainable energy a major part of any solution. On poverty, he noted that “remarkable progress” has been achieved towards attaining the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their target date of 2015 but much remains to do be done in the final 1,000-day lap “and we must make this period one of action.”

The MDGs, adopted by the UN Millennium Summit of 2000, seek to slash a host of social evils, including extreme poverty and hunger, diseases and lack of access to health care and universal primary education, all by 2015.
On the development, Mr. Ban noted that for the first time he will be meeting meet the heads of all the world’s leading development banks “to strengthen our partnership on financing and in the key area of statistics.”
He noted that his meetings will coincide with the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund with presidents, prime ministers, finance ministers and others in attendance “that we hope to turn into high-level political support for the Millennium Development Goals.”

Mr. Ban will be accompanied by Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson who “will use his time to highlight the crucial issues of sanitation and the rule of law.”

The 188-member country World Bank, established in 1944 and headquartered in Washington, comprises two institutions managed by 188 member countries: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).

The IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries, while IDA focuses exclusively on the world’s poorest countries.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2013 - Hope, Reality and Risks

World Economic and Financial Surveys :

World Economic Outlook (WEO) "Hopes, Realities, and Risks"

April 2013 : Global economic prospects have improved again, but the bumpy recovery and skewed macroeconomic policy mix in advanced economies are complicating policymaking in emerging market economies. 

Chapter 3 examines the prospects for inflation, particularly because inflation was remarkably stable in the wake of the Great Recession and, in fact, has become less responsive to cyclical conditions. 

Chapter 4 examines whether today’s fast-growing, dynamic low-income countries are likely to maintain their momentum and avoid the reversals that afflicted many such countries in the past.


Contents & Front Matter




Chapter 3: The Dog That Didn't Bark: Has Inflation Been Muzzled or Was It Just Sleeping?

 This chapter finds that inflation expectations have remained strongly anchored to inflation targets during the Great Recession and the sluggish recovery. Long-term inflation expectations in advanced economies remain close to targets despite wide variation in actual inflation rates. Even in Japan, expectations remain close to the 1 percent target announced in February 2012 despite a prolonged period of deflation. Furthermore, coincident with greater central bank credibility, this anchoring is found to have increased over time
The chapter compares this recent wave of dynamic LICs with the previous wave, primarily dynamic LICs in the 1960s and 1970s, and finds: Important similarities: Both achieved stronger investment rates and export growth than LICs that were unable to takeoff. Striking differences: Today’s dynamic LICs sustained growth with much lower economic vulnerabilities than dynamic LICs in the past. This reflects in part greater reliance on foreign direct investment than on debt-financed investment, as well as faster implementation of structural reforms.

Statistical Appendix  : Text (Download PDF)