Wednesday, 13 July 2016

World Youth Skills Day 2016, July 15

 
 
 
 
2016年的主題：“技能發展, 提高青年就業..”


 
 
 Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on World Youth Skills Day 2016, July 15th.

Today’s world has the largest generation of youth in history. Their needs and potential are increasingly recognized in the international community. I am proud to have made youth issues a priority, including by appointing the first-ever Youth Envoy to serve as a liaison between the United Nations and the world’s young people.
 
This elevation on the global agenda comes at a critical time. Young people hold the key to society’s future advancement, yet too often they face barriers to their personal progress. More than 73 million are unemployed, making youth three times more likely than adults to be out of work.
The turmoil prevailing in many societies today adds to the urgency of addressing youth unemployment. Too many youth in developing countries are trapped into working poverty stemming from the irregularity of jobs. They toil without formal employment or social protection. Jobs creation is not keeping up with new entrants to the labour market. Young people are understandably searching for the financial security, personal satisfaction and sense of purpose that come from meaningful employment. Leaders have pledged to assist them in this effort.
 
The visionary 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for substantially increasing the number of youth with the skills they need for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. Empowering young people through skills development strengthens their capacity to help address the many challenges facing society, including poverty, injustice and violent conflict. There is no better investment than helping a young person to develop their abilities. Successful skills programmes link young people with opportunities to gain experience and jobs. It is especially critical to cultivate girls and young women with skills in science, technology and innovation. 
  
The United Nations Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth is bringing together the UN system, governments, businesses, academic institutions, youth organizations and other partners to scale up action and impact in this area. On this World Youth Skills Day, let us renew our resolve to invest more in empowering young people. When we do, they can better advance the broader mission of the United Nations for lasting peace, sustainable development and human rights for all.
 
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

 
 
 

Forum : World Youth Skills Day -15 July
 Join  #WYSD conversations on Twitter.



World Youth Skills Day (15 July) serves as an opportunity to highlight the importance of youth skills development. The UNCCD and its partners recognize and support projects and initiatives that seek to equip young people with tools and resources that will develop their capacity in sustainable land management (SLM). This will enable them to obtain decent work in a sustainable low carbon world and help to address global challenges in particular, poverty eradication and the issue of migration. Seeing the opportunities generated from sustainable land management and land restorations activities and the needs to engage young people in green sectors actively, the secretariat organizes an E-Forum Discussion “Empowering Youth through Green Jobs” aiming to promote and engage youth participation in green industries.

LIVE BROADCASTING
Date and Time: 15 July 2016                 
 14:00 CET (UTC+2)
Venue: Live Google+ Hangout
Target Group: Youth global and public interested in green sector
 
Topics of Discussion:

- What are the needs of youth? How do they relate to SLM and green sector?
- Why green jobs for youth?
- Green job and green entrepreneurship opportunities?
- Which skills are needed for green jobs?
- What are the available resources for youth to access this sector? 

E- Forum "Empowering Youth through Green Jobs" Panelists:

° Young expert in green entrepreneurship: Dr. Jin Hooi Chan
°Young expert in sustainable land management: Mr. Maximillian Abouleish-Boes
° Young expert in accessing grants and funding for green jobs: Ms. Jelena Petrov
° Young expert in mobilizing and empowering youth in agriculture sector: Ms. Zrinka Dermit
° Young expert in mobilizing youth –African perspective: Mr. Abraham Nida
° Expert in Capacity Building and Market Resources: Dr. Richard Byran-Cox
° Moderator: Ms. Louise Baker
 
Language: English

We invite all participants to send questions related to green jobs in UN Languages i.e. English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Arabic and Russian  to L4L@unccd.int before 8 July 2016.
 

 
Are Traditional Teaching Methods Right for Today's Students?


Launch of the World Youth Report on Youth Civic Engagement
 
The UN World Youth Report, prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, explores young people's participation in economic, political and community life, responding to growing interest in, and an increased policy focus on, youth civic engagement in recent years among Governments, young people and researchers.

The Report provides thematic insights on economic, political and community engagement, coupled with expert opinion pieces so as to provide robust and varied perspectives into youth engagement.




Events : World Skills Day Events around the World.

 
 
Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment
 
This year the United Nations is observing the international day with a special event on the theme of “Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment.” Understanding what works to support young people in today’s and tomorrow’s labor market through training and skills development will be key to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, and will be at the center of this high-level event.


The event will be facilitated by the UN Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi, and will feature opening remarks from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The event is co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka to the United Nations, UNESCO, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Mogens Lykketoft (General Assembly President) on Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment (15 Jul 2016).

 Remarks by H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly, at the event untitled: Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment (on the occasion of the World Youth Skills Day).

 
 
World Youth Skills Day 2016 and the International Labour Organization (ILO) - Press Conference
 
International Labour Organization (ILO) on the occasion of the World Youth Skills Day announced an innovative internship programme.

Speakers: Gilbert Houngbo, Deputy Director-General of the ILO on Field Operations and Partnerships, Beth Comstock, Vice Chair, Innovations, GE; and Deb Elam, President, GE Foundation and Chief Diversity Officer, GE

 
 
 Official Event Programme.

 The 2016 World Youth Skills Day event will also be streamed LIVE on UN Web TV, starting at 10:00 a.m. EDT:

Event Facilitator: Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary-General’s UN Youth Envoy.
OPENING SESSION – 10:05 am

° H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly.
° H.E. Mr. Amrith Rohan Perera, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
° H.E. Mr. Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, United Nations Mission to Portugal
° Message of the Secretary-General, Presented by Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi
° Mr. Gilbert Houngbo, Deputy Director-General, Field Operations and Partnerships, International Labour Organization
° Mr. Jorge Sequeira, Director, Oficina Regional de Educación de la UNESCO para América Latina y el Caribe, UNESCO
° Ms. Beth Comstock, Vice Chair, Business Innovations, GE
° Ms. Annisa Triyanti, Representative, UN Major Group for Children and Youth.

INTERACTIVE PANEL DISCUSSION – PARTNERSHIP DIALOGUE - 10:45 am

° Senator Dr. the Hon. Esther Byer Suckoo, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development – Ministry of Labour (Barbados)
 ° Mr. Wellington Chibebe, Deputy General-Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
° Mr. Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Global Foundation for Management Education and Dean, IE Business School
° Mr. Ronald Bruder, Founder and Chair of the Board, Education For Employment(EFE)
° Mr. William S. Reese, President and CEO, The International Youth Foundation(IYF)
° Ms. Kelli Wells, Executive Director, Education, Ge Foundation
° Ms. Melissa Garcia Velez, Fellow, Immigrant Justice Corps

MODERATED OPEN FLOOR Q&A SESSION – 12:00 pm
KEY POINTS AND CLOSING REMARKS – 12:50



 


WORLDSKILLS Campaign


#SkillsRuleTheWorld


WYSD is now officially recognized by the United Nations, and WorldSkills will join the organizations of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, to raise awareness of the importance of acquiring skills as a means to address the challenges of unemployment and under employment, and as a way to achieve better socio-economic conditions for all youth

WorldSkills has started a campaign called #SkillsRuleTheWorld, asking supporters to show how they develop and use their skills



UNESCO-UNEVOC World Youth Skills Day 2016: "Looking ahead: Inspiring and Empowering Youth through Skills Development"
15 July 2016
Bonn, Germany



World Youth Skills Day 2016 will coincide with the launching of the newly adopted UNESCO Strategy for TVET (2016-2021). The Strategy will guide UNESCO’s activities with regard to TVET and has some important implications for youth skills development. The Strategy has three priority areas:
  • fostering youth employment and entrepreneurship
  • promoting equity and gender equality
  • facilitating transition to green economies and sustainable societies
At the United Nations in Bonn, The live webcast on World Youth Skills Day 2016 will be available in English and French on 15 July, all times below are CEST/GMT+2 (Bonn, Germany).

09:00 - Opening programme
09:30-11:00 - Transforming TVET for sustainable development
11:30-12:30 – Leveraging youth engagement in TVET
12:30-13:00 – Launching of TVET Strategy


OTHER EVENTS :

SOUTH AFRICA

Community Plumbing Challenge
9-15 July 2016
Diepsloot, South Africa
ZAMBIA

TVET Conference
15 July 2016
Lusaka, Zambia

Try-a-Skill and Career Exploration Carnival
11-15 July 2016
Multiple locations across Zambia
JAMAICA

Mini Skills Competition
15 July 2016
Jamaica
SINGAPORE

WorldSkills Singapore National Competition
7-9 July 2016
Closing Ceremony
15 July 2016
Singapore
INDIA

Journey & Future of Skill Development
15-17 July 2016
New Delhi, India
 ASEAN COMMUNITY
 
 11th Asean Skills Competition,
19 - 29 September 2016
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
AUSTRALIA
 
Australia National Skills Week 2016
From August 29th to 4th September, 2016
Box Hill Institute
 CANADA
 
1 to 7th October, 2016
Join us in October for the 2016 WorldSkills General Assembly in beautiful Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The GA is the global platform for structured meetings around skilled trades and technology strategic planning. For the first time, this event will be co-hosted by two countries, led by SkillsUSA and Skills/Compétences Canada.
 
 
 
PUBLICATIONS :
 
The World Employment and Social Outlook is the ILO’s flagship report on world of Work issues. Exploring the inter-connected nature of macroeconomic policies on the one hand, and employment and social outcomes on the other, it analyses which policy combinations are most effective in delivering high Employment and balanced Incomes. The publication also provides readers with the most up-to-date global as well as regional Labour market and social indicators.
 
World Employment and Social Outlook Trends for 2016 - Interactive charts and maps
WORLD EMPLOYMENT SOCIAL OUTLOOK Trends 2016
OECD Skills Outlook 2015 ''Youth, Skills and Employability''
 
Young people around the world are struggling to enter the labour market. In some OECD countries, one in four 16-29 year-olds is neither employed nor in education or training. The OECD Skills Outlook 2015 shows how improving the employability of youth requires a comprehensive approach. While education , social, and labour market policies have key roles to play, co-ordination between public policies and the private sector is also crucial. The publication, which builds on the results of the 2012 Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) presented in the first edition of the Skills Outlook, also presents examples of successful policies in selected countries.
 

OECD Centre for Skills
REPORT: Developing the Creative Thinking and Innovative potential of young people through Nonformal learning in ways that are relevant to employability. European Commission




Creative and Innovative Potential




Resources :

 United Nations resolution on WYSD
 UNESCO-UNEVOC Youth and Skills
Coding Bootcamps: A strategy for Youth employment. ITU

Infographics :


Top 5 reasons students like e-textbook
How can educator give the right course materials at a price they can afford?
More students want etextbooks than you may think.
Global Youth Well-being Rankings

 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Sunday, 10 July 2016

World Population Day 2016, July 11

世界人口日，7月11日.
Всемирный день народонаселения, 11 июля.
World Population Day, July 11.
اليوم العالمي للسكان، 11 يوليو.
Journée mondiale de la population, le 11 Juillet.
Día Mundial de la Población, 11 de Julio.




Theme 2016 : Investing in Teenage girls.
Tema 2016: Invertir en las niñas adolescentes.
Тема 2016: Инвестиции в девочек-подростков.
2016年主題：投資於少年女孩。
Thème 2016: Investir dans les filles adolescentes.
موضوع 2016: الاستثمار في الفتيات في سن المراهقة.


Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on World Population Day 2016, July 11.

The international community has committed to a new sustainable development agenda built on the principles of equity and human rights. A central objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to leave no one behind.

Despite significant gains made in reducing poverty and improving opportunity and well-being for many people around the world, hundreds of millions remain desperate for a chance of a better future,  Among those least served by previous development initiatives are girls, particularly those in their formative teenage years.

Just when girls should be in school and imagining the possibilities ahead, too many are held back from pursuing their ambitions by social and cultural traps. While a boy’s options and opportunities tend to expand when he becomes an adolescent, those of a girl too often shrink.  Half of all sexual assaults worldwide are committed against girls aged 15 or younger. In developing countries, one in three girls is married before she reaches 18.  And teenage girls are less likely than teenage boys to start or finish secondary school.

Rectifying these inequalities is critical for the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. That is why it includes the specific Goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.  On this World Population Day, I urge all Governments, businesses and civil society to support and invest in teenage girls.  Everyone deserves the benefits of economic growth and social progress.  Let us work together to ensure a life of security, dignity and opportunity for all.

 
Ban Ki-moon


Statement by Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA. World Population Day 2016, July 11th.

A recent United Nations report warns that the number of forcibly displaced people has risen to a record number – almost 60 million at the end of 2014. Among these, most women and adolescent girls face particular threats as a result of the absence of health and other essential services that they need.
Even under normal conditions, reproductive health complications are a leading cause of death and illness among women of childbearing age. In humanitarian situations, an estimated one in five women and adolescent girls are likely to be pregnant. As skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care often become unavailable, pregnant women’s and girls’ vulnerability to death and injury is further exacerbated.
Women and adolescent girls also face much greater risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, violence and forced marriage during conflicts and natural disasters. In addition, many women who survive a crisis become heads of household, with the sole responsibility of caring for their children. They often have to overcome immense obstacles to provide health and care for children, the sick, the injured and the elderly, and bear the heaviest burden of relief and reconstruction. As a result, they may neglect their own needs as they care for others.
The complex emergencies we are responding to include protracted conflicts, made worse by poor or failed governance, the consequences of climate change, and the engagement of extremist groups claiming territory, resources and power.
That is why the theme of this World Population Day, “Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies”, is intended to highlight the special needs of women and adolescent girls during conflicts and humanitarian disasters.
One of the priorities of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is to empower and safeguard the well-being of women, adolescent girls, and young people and address their specific needs and concerns. We work closely with governments, the United Nations system, local partners and others on disaster preparedness to ensure that reproductive health is integrated into emergency responses.
UNFPA deploys hygiene kits, obstetric and contraceptive supplies, trained personnel and other support to vulnerable populations.  It also works to ensure the needs of women, adolescent girls and young people are served through both an emergency and the reconstruction phase. Our aim is to ensure that women’s and adolescent girls’ right to sexual and reproductive health is protected and their safety is ensured.
On this World Population Day, we call on the international community to redouble efforts to protect the health and rights of women and girls. We must enable women, adolescent girls and young people to play their full role in peace talks, peace building and recovery, and to ensure that governments comply with international law and bring perpetrators of sexual violence to justice.  By prioritizing health, rights and the full participation of women, adolescent girls and young people in public life, we increase our prospects for a more just, stable and peaceful world.

Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA

FORUM : World Population Day - 11 July

In 1989, in its decision 89/46, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP recommended that, in order to focus attention on the urgency and importance of Population issues in the context of overall development plans and programmes and the need to find solutions for these issues, July 11 should be observed by the International community as World Population Day. The General Assembly has asked the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to undertake activities aimed at building better awareness of population issues, including their relation to environment and development issues and World Population Day.
 





NEWS :

PUBLICATIONS
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adolescence is a key period where individuals of all gender identities form attitudes, opinions and beliefs – about themselves, about their sexuality and about their place in the world. It is a period when ideas about equality can become ingrained. The study emphasizes that a holistic approach to advancing gender equality and sexual and reproductive health must include both adolescent girls and boys. It highlights the need to engage adolescent boys and young men as allies to achieve gender equality and as supporters of women’s empowerment, as well as the importance of addressing the specific health and social development needs of boys themselves.

Adolescent Boys and Young Men - UNFPA

 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Friday, 1 July 2016

International Day of Co-operatives 2016, July 2nd.

International Day of Co-operatives 2016, July 2.
合作社國際日, 7月2日.
Международный день кооперативов, 2 июля.
Día Internacional de las Cooperativas, 2 de Julio.
Journée internationale des coopératives, 2 Juillet.
.اليوم الدولي للتعاونيات، 2 يوليو


Cooperative artisanal, industrial and producers services


Theme 2016: “Cooperatives: The power to act for a sustainable future”.

Statement by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the International Day of Cooperatives 2016, July 2nd.

Cooperative endeavour is about empowerment, inclusion and sustainability. It is designed to uphold the principles of equality and democratic participation. It embodies the principle of the Sustainable Development Goals that no one should be left behind. Cooperatives play an important role in many societies.
The United Nations estimates that one person in every six is either a member or a client of a cooperative. Worldwide, some 2.6 million cooperatives employ 12.6 million people. Their assets are worth about $20 trillion and they generate about $3 trillion in annual revenue. Like the Sustainable Development Goals themselves, cooperatives are people-centred. Owned and run by their members, cooperatives are strongly committed to the communities they serve. Agricultural cooperatives help to improve the productivity of small producers by facilitating access to markets, credit, insurance and technology.
Social cooperatives can provide an important safety net in the face of declining or minimal public welfare. In the financial sector, cooperatives serve more than 857 million people, including tens of millions of people who live in poverty. Since the 2007-2008 global financial and economic crisis, financial cooperatives have proven their strength and value. They have maintained good credit ratings, increased their assets and turnover, and experienced growth in membership and customer base. With their offer of economic, social and environmental resilience, the potential contribution of cooperatives to sustainable development is clear.
This year, we celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives under the theme “Cooperatives: The power to act for a sustainable future”. We believe cooperatives can make significant contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals on employment, poverty, hunger, and equality. On this International Day of Cooperatives, I urge Governments to create an enabling environment for cooperatives to thrive and grow. Let us harness the power of cooperatives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and create a world of dignity and opportunity for all.
 
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General








Statement by the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder on the occasion of International Day of Cooperatives 2016.

“Cooperatives: The power to act for a sustainable future”,
I am pleased to join the cooperative movement around the world in celebrating this International Day of Cooperatives.
The theme for this year’s international day, “Cooperatives: The power to act for a sustainable future”, is not only timely following the unanimous adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015. It also offers an important opportunity to highlight the outstanding work of cooperatives, and their major contribution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Cooperatives are not a new idea, but are more relevant than ever if we look at the development challenges and opportunities the world faces over the coming decades.
Today, the world of work is at a crossroads, with the need to create over 600 million new jobs globally by 2030 to keep pace with the growth of the working population. What is more, the quality of jobs will need to be improved in order to enable women and men to lift themselves out of poverty and informality.
Many cooperatives worldwide have shown their capacity to provide quality jobs and thus support sustainable development. They contribute to SDG 8 , as livelihoods of millions of people around the world depend on cooperatives, but also to a number of other goals, including those related to poverty reduction, zero hunger, gender equality, and peace and justice. Over decades, cooperatives have offered a resilient, democratic, sustainable and economically viable model of doing business in all sectors of the economy.
To highlight these achievements, and in collaboration with the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) , the ILO issued a study in 2014 showing examples of how cooperatives help achieve sustainable development
. This research contributed to the discussion leading to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Cooperatives, together with other micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, will continue to play a key role in providing decent jobs for all, including young people.
 
They offer a low-barrier entry to the world of entrepreneurship, and play a key role in formalizing work in the informal economy. This leads to better working conditions and enhanced livelihoods for millions of workers and their families around the globe. For these and other reasons, the ILO recognizes the role of cooperatives as drivers of sustainable development, and remains a strong supporter of the cooperative enterprise model.

We look forward to continue working with the cooperative movement in making sustainable development and decent work a reality for all women and men.

Guy Rider, ILO Director-General.
 
 
 


 
Distinguished guests,
Dear co-operators, dear partners,
It is a great honor for me to be here at the United Nations in New York as we celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives.

Today, by our presence at the United Nations, the cooperative movement is taking a pledge to contribute actively in reaching the UN’s goal to ensure a sustainable future for all of us.
With our values and principles of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, co-operatives are strong and lasting businesses that bring communities together.
Cooperatives are created from a collective need making them true builders of sustainability as they help people reaching their aspirations and offer access to goods or services without exploitation.
 
Cooperatives are significant economic and social actors.
 
Across the world, there are more than:
 
- 1 billion members of cooperatives.
- 2.6 million cooperatives businesses that generate more than 3 trillion USD in annual revenues and creating more than 250 million jobs.
 
In Canada, my home country, there is more than 18 million co-operative members and we count close to 155 000 jobs in Canada’s co-operative movement. According to the Financial Post magazine, La Coop fédérée based in Quebec is the 2nd most important agri-food business in Canada with more than 18 000 employees with 7,4 billion USD in annual revenues. The Desjardins Group, also based in Quebec, is the leading financial cooperative in Canada with more than 7 million members and clients, recognized by Bloomberg as being the most solid banking institution in North America.
 
  • In Mongolia, agricultural cooperatives are a fundamental structure to ensure revenues for rural communities.
  • In Brazil, agricultural cooperatives are involved in 50% of all agricultural trade and export 5.3 billion USD of their products to 143 countries. Also, 35% of all Brazilians with a health plan are served by health cooperatives.
  • In Germany, 65% of the population is member of a cooperative, getting financial services, consumer goods and energy.
  • In Sweden, cooperative members represent almost half of the population and the 100 largest cooperatives have annual revenues of more than 40 billion USD with more than 70 000 employees. Cooperatives have been at the center of economic and social development for many years providing food, housing, financial services and jobs to a large part of the Swedish population.
  • In China, the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing to Farmers, represents and provides services to more than 85 million members and jobs to over 2 million employees.
 
I could go on with more examples of the cooperative contributions to the economic and social growth in different countries and all of them are builders of sustainability.
 
The slogan of the 2016 International Day of Cooperatives is “Cooperatives: The Power to Act for a Sustainable Future”, was chosen to emphasize the cooperative contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
As we celebrate the International Day of Co-operatives, let’s put the spotlight on the co-operative business model and explain how co-operative businesses are able to use their power to act to build a better living for all.
 
Here are some examples:
 
  • Cooperative economic success and democratic governance ensures that no one is left behind and therefore contributes to eradicating poverty.
  • Cooperatives are instrumental to achieve food security and help end hunger by allowing farmers to produce more and better quality food through the power of the collective.
  • Cooperatives help to empower women in the world, especially in countries where they are vulnerable. In particular, cooperatives provide women with employment opportunities, and contribute to financial inclusion and literacy efforts.
  • Another example in the insurance sector is the project 5-5-5 launched by the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation. This global cooperative initiative aims to reach 5 million people in 5 countries for a total of 25 million uninsured low-income households that will be covered with micro-insurance plans for risk and resilience.
 
And, of course, sustainability is also one of the five priorities of the Blueprint for a co-operative decade, the global strategy for cooperatives by 2020 where the movement has given itself a vision in order to reach their full potential.
On that matter, the International cooperative alliance is working with the FAO and the ILO to identify concrete targets and indicators for cooperatives to better evaluate our contribution to the SDGs. The outcome of this collaboration among many others with FAO and ILO and our work with the Blueprint will be shared with the UN.
 
In addition, in order to showcase our commitment, we are launching the “Coops for 2030” platform that will gather the pledges of cooperatives all over the world towards the implementation of the SDGs. We are asking all cooperatives to come together, share their targets and experiences and unite in a common framework that will show our power to act.
 
On the 11th of July, in collaboration with the Committee for the Promotion and advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) we will be hosting a side event at the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and cooperative solution initiatives.
Finally, the International Summit of Cooperatives, the world's leading event for business development in the cooperative and mutual community, has a rich program based on the theme: “Cooperatives: The Power to Act”.
 
 
The 2016 Summit will allocate a full day on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals while engaging cooperative leaders, global agencies, and world-renowned experts, towards resolving these global issues.
 
Together, they will focus on providing concrete solutions regarding food security, employment, access to health care and social service, poverty and financial inclusion and climate change and sustainable development.
 
You are all invited to come and join us next October in Quebec City to experience this unique opportunity of discussion and concertation, from which we hope to draw an action plan for the coming years. More than 3 000 cooperators from 100 countries are expected to participate.
I strongly believe in a plural economy, supported by a strong and efficient public sector, growing innovative companies and dynamic cooperatives.
Cooperatives are important for the people and communities they serve but are also a crucial pillar of the economy.
I believe that the cooperative business model is not sufficiently understood by policy makers, regulators and commentators.
As president of Alliance, I call for a formal recognition of the values that cooperatives and mutuals add to the global economy and society.
It is a call for action to translate this recognition into meaningful improvements to regulatory, legal and business support structures, both globally and at the level of national governance.
I am so please that we have today this opportunity for constructive dialogue.

On the International Day of Cooperatives, I encourage all cooperators in the world to share how we contribute to the Goals by making a pledge on our Coops for 2030 platform.
 
More than ever, the world needs cooperation.
 
Cooperatives are there to support people and communities.
Cooperatives are true builders of sustainable development.
I wish you a happy International Day of Cooperatives!
 
Monique Leroux'
Presidente of the International Coperative Alliance - ICA



The 2016 International Day of Co-opératives.


FORUM : International Day of Co-operatives - July 2.
" Cooperative enterprises are committed to the Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations. "

Celebration of the 94th International Day of Cooperatives of the International Cooperative Alliance and the 22 th International Day of Cooperatives Nations,
 
This year celebrations will be dedicated to the contribution cooperatives provide to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.


EVENTS :

The Power to act for a sustainable future: International Day of Co- operatives 2016.
Friday, 1 July 2016 - 12pm
 
 
 
On 2nd July we will be celebrating Interantional Day of Co-operatives. This year celebrations will be dedicated to the contribution cooperatives provide to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The International Co-operative Alliance invites cooperators from all around the world to join the international campaign #coopsday. You can visit the website www.coopsday.coop to find useful information and resources to make the best of this day. 
 
Additionally, on July 2nd  www.coopsfor2030.coop will be launched, an online platform for cooperatives to learn about the SDGs, explore how co-operatives can help achieve them and make pledges to contribute to the SDGs. 


Decent Work & the Global Goals. International Labour Organization.

The ILO's Kevin Cassidy discusses goal 8 of the the 2030 sustainable development goals with Stephen Pursey, ILO Senior Policy Adviser and G20 Coordinator, and how we can achieve a fair globalization.


 
 
 
 

- Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
- Hungary Bankers Slam Government Savings Cooperatives Policy - Bloomberg
- The Green Movement and its Inconvenient Truths - Podcast Foreign Policy
- Wyoming Searches for the Technology to Save Coal, Can new technology clean up the dirtiest fossil fuel?
- Australia's regions already have an energy crisis – and a climate of investment is the answer
- Japan’s Prime minister also plans accelerated railway construction to boost economy - WSJ
- Track climate pledges of cities and companies. Nature Research Journal
 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2016, June 26.

اليوم الدولي لمساندة ضحايا التعذيب، 26 حزيران.
Journée internationale pour le soutien aux victimes de la torture, 26 juin.
Международный день в поддержку жертв пыток, 26 июня.
支持酷刑受害者國際日, 6月26日。
Día Internacional en Apoyo de las Víctimas de la Tortura, 26 de junio.
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2016, June 26.



Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General for the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2016, June 26th.

Around the world, in every region, men, women and children are still being tortured by non-State actors and under direct State policy. Despite its absolute prohibition under international law, this dehumanizing practice remains pervasive and, most disturbingly, is even gaining acceptance.
  
The law is crystal clear: torture can never be used at any time or under any circumstances, including during conflict or when national security is under threat. On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we express our solidarity with and support for the hundreds of thousands of victims of torture and their family members throughout the world.
 
The Convention Against Torture, ratified to date by 159 UN State Parties, stipulates that States have to ensure that a victim of torture under their jurisdiction obtains redress, including the means for as full rehabilitation as is possible. When States neglect their obligation to prevent torture, and fail to provide torture victims with effective and prompt redress, compensation and appropriate forms of rehabilitation, the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture is a lifeline of last resort.
 
Established by the UN General Assembly 35 years ago, the Fund supports hundreds of organizations that provide legal, social, psychological and medical assistance to some 50,000 victims every year.
The Fund requires a minimum of US $12 million in annual voluntary contributions. I strongly urge States to stand by victims by supporting this UN Fund, and to remain fully engaged in the fight against torture and impunity. Assisting victims of torture and stopping this crime will benefit whole societies and help provide a future of safety and dignity for all.
  
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General.
 



A life-saving journet supported by the UN Fund For Victims of Torture



Statement by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Intl. Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2016.



Victims of torture come from many walks of life. They are in all countries. They may be human rights defenders, migrants, journalists, persons with disabilities, indigenous people or members of minority groups or people from the LGBT community. Children, too, may be tortured – whether to obtain information, or to put pressure on their parents and communities.
The work of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture indicates that today the number of children victim of torture is rising. In 2016, 5,279 child and adolescent victims of torture are estimated to be given assistance by organizations funded by the UN Fund, which represents a 35% increase compared to 2015. In addition, a shockingly high number of child migrants and refugees suffer detention at borders, and may suffer very harsh physical and psychological abuse in detention by agents of the State.
Twenty-nine years ago, the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment became law. Today, it is ratified by 159 States. It prohibits unreservedly the intentional infliction of severe pain, physical or mental, to obtain information, to punish for perceived crimes, or to put pressure on the victim or other parties.
Torture is a severe violation of human rights that can never be justified – even during wartime, or when national security is under threat. Article 14 of the Convention further commits States to ensuring that all victims of torture under their jurisdiction obtain redress, and to the extent possible, rehabilitation. When States fail to care adequately for these and other victims, the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture steps in to help them obtain rehabilitation and redress.
The Fund, which is operated by my Office and this year marks its 35th year of helping victims, has provided over US$ 180 million to more than 630 organizations worldwide. In 2016 alone the Fund will finance 178 projects with US $7.1 million, helping more than 47,000 victims in over 81 countries regain their dignity. Every victim matters. Helping the Fund provide specialized rehabilitation to these men, women and children is one very real way that each of us can make a difference. And it is a concrete manifestation of the commitment towards the elimination of torture.
 
Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.


 
Statement by Mr. Mikolaj Pietrzak, Trustee of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture 2016, June 26th.

In 2016, the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture marks its 35th anniversary of supporting victims of torture worldwide. It was in 1981 that the General Assembly agreed to establish this innovative victim-focused mandate to provide direct assistance to victims of torture “wherever torture occurred” (GA resolution 36/151). This was at the time when the world was faced with the horror accounts from torture victims from Chile and Argentina. Three decades on, much has been achieved towards the building of a solid UN anti-torture architecture, grounded on the 1984 Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol. The absolute prohibition of torture is now enshrined both in customary international law and constitutes jus cogens.
Torture is defined as a crime, in all circumstances, without exception. Yet, three decades on, the world continues to be faced with the plight of thousands of victims, now from Syria, Afghanistan and many other countries. As a matter of fact, victims of torture are in all regions and they come from all walks of life. They include human rights defenders, women and children, victims of enforced disappearances and their families, people with disabilities, indigenous people and minority groups, people from the LGBT community. They may be tortured in detention or in other places of deprivation of liberty; they may be asylum-seekers, undocumented migrants, internally displaced people, or victims of sexual violence in armed conflict. Three decades on, torture is very much a current, not historical, reality. From the unique observatory viewpoint of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, the number of victims is regrettably far from decreasing, with torture occurring in growingly complex contexts, including migration, protracted conflicts and extremist violence by non-State actors. Torture is still endemic, and there appears to be a growing ‘social acceptance’ of torture practices. In 2016 alone, the Fund is channelling 7,1 million US$ for the provision of direct assistance to some 47,000 victims and their families in 81 countries in the world. As long as victims are out there, assistance needs to be provided. As so clearly put by the organizers of this important commemorative event, the provision of such assistance is not charity. It is a legal obligation of States under international law, enshrined in article 14 of the Convention against Torture).
The reparative concept of assistance to victims is very comprehensive, as recently clarified by the CAT in its General Comment nr. 3. Victims may seek redress, encompassing both rehabilitation (medical and psychological) and legal remedy and satisfaction in the context of the right to truth. In most cases, assisting a victim results to restoring his/her physical and psychological well-being, accompanying her/him to re-integrate into the society and enable his/her access to justice. Every victim matters and is entitled to redress. Moreover, evidence and experience gathered by the Fund and its partners over the last thirty years show that the long-lasting effects of rehabilitation are felt beyond the individual - onto the community and society. As stated so clearly by a leading psychiatrist working in northern Iraq with the support of the UN Fund: “Take one member of society, torture him, send him back to society, it is as if you have torture the entire society”. The successful provision of redress may also have a long-term preventive effect towards the non-recurrence of atrocious human rights violations and the affirmation of the rule of law. For example, organizations awarded in the past by the Torture Fund worked on the documentation of torture cases committed during the military rule in the 1970s and 1980s in Argentina and Chile, which later proved essential in the prosecution and conviction of perpetrators. Rehabilitation may therefore occupy a central role in the cycle of prevention.
Rehabilitation work is also critical in the current high migration flows, since it is known that among asylum-seekers about 1 out of 3 is a victim of torture – not to mention other human rights violations. Structures and procedures need to be strengthened to identify victims of torture and to provide them with specialized assistance for two reasons:
- Victims of torture are entitled to special protection under international law, including the right to non-refoulement;
- The earlier the survivors have access to treatment, the higher their chances of full recovery are. Early identification and assistance increases the chances of a refugee to successfully integrate in a new community.
The importance of promptly identifying and assisting victims of torture where torture takes place as well as when they arrive in a new place, is well recognized by the Fund. Our universal and neutral mandate enables us to work in all settings. We strive to support organizations in all regions of the world in order to be present where conflicts and torture take place as well as to support the safe haven that some victims may manage to reach. Despite the legal, moral and social arguments in support of the provision of redress to victims of torture, most States have yet to put in practice the right to rehabilitation for victims of torture and their families. In most countries, civil society initiatives continue to fill a critical gap left by States, and often with the sole support of the UN Fund for Victims of Torture. In all regions of the world, there are doctors, lawyers, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers that dedicate their lives to victims. Many of them are present in this room today. In situations where the State is particularly omissive and/or repressive, they are to be saluted as Human Rights Defenders.
Specialized rehabilitation is neither an easy gain nor an easy fix. It takes specific skills and resources to establish well-functioning rehabilitation centres, providing a variety of services including medical, psychological, social and legal. And the positive long-term consequences may not be easily identified nor quantified. This is why the UN Fund is increasingly setting aside resources for both emergency interventions as well as longer-term capacity-building and knowledge-sharing. The work of the Fund and its partners show that life after torture is possible. This year’s expert workshop convened by the UN Fund last April brought together practitioners dealing on a daily basis with children and adolescents that have endured torture. The workshop brought to life the growing scientific evidence on the damage caused by torture to children and adolescents in terms of physical, psychological, social and developmental challenges. This may have life-long consequences in a child’s future, unless rehabilitation and redress is timely and adequately provided. All experts dealing with victims of torture concur that assisted healing after torture has a greater potential for the non-recurrence of violence and abuse.
While we continue to invest in preventing and eradicating torture altogether, it is important to reiterate its absolute prohibition under all circumstances, including within the context of public responses to security threats. It is equally important to respond adequately to victims and their families. Breaking the silence and acknowledging the plight of victims may contribute to the prevention of the intergenerational transmission of trauma and the victim’s stigmatisation. Before concluding, let us commit to a victim-centred approach, beyond this important commemorative day. Let us also continue to support the UN Fund for Victims of Torture in its unique work in support of the implementation of victims’ rights. Its role will continue to be necessary until no victim is left behind.
 
Mr. Mikolaj Pietrzak, Trustee of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture




FORUM :  International Day in Support of Victims of Torture -26 June

Key messages on UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.


 

EVENTS :
Geneva, Switzerland :
High-level Panel on World Drug Day 2016 organized by EU Delegation to the UN, South Africa and Denmark with UNVFVT support (Room XXV, Palais des Nations, 16 June, 2-3:30 pm) UN Geneva

Copenhagen, Denmark : Regional meeting held by CTI in partnership with the German Chairmanship of the OSCE – and with DIGNITY - Danish Institute Against Torture.
  (Copenhagen, Denmark, 23-24 June)
- Rehabilitation for victims of torture in OSCE participating States 


NEWS :  Torture victims’ right to rehabilitation “often neglected”. UN Radio
The UN Fund stands with victims of torture on 26 June.
A story of resilience: From torture victim to therapist - OHCHR.
 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)