International Day of Co-operatives 2013, July 6

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for 2013 :

We live in a time of global uncertainty.  Multiple crises and natural disasters are testing even the most robust economies and communities.  The International Day of Cooperatives is an annual opportunity to highlight how cooperatives can contribute to building resilience in all regions and all economic sectors.
Over the course of the ongoing global financial and economic crises, financial cooperatives have proven their strength and resilience, benefitting members, employees and customers.  They have maintained high credit ratings, increased assets and turnover, and expanded their membership and customer base.
After disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and floods, cooperatives have shown their ability to mobilize solidarity for reconstruction.  Agricultural cooperatives improve the productivity of farmers 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.  They also show considerable potential for empowering youth and alleviating the growing global youth jobs crisis. 
On this International Day of Cooperatives, I call on Governments to encourage policies to support and strengthen cooperatives so they can contribute fully to inclusive and sustainable development.

Ban Ki-moon

The aim of the day is to increase awareness of co-operatives and promote the movement's successes and ideals of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace.

ICA first celebrated the International Day in 1923. The International Day is now run in partnership with the UN and the UN asks all member governments to participate in the celebrations each year.
The International Day has a different theme each year. Themes in recent years have included 'Co-operative enterprises build a better world' in 2012, ‘Youth, the future of co-operative enterprise’ in 2011 and ‘Co-operative enterprise empowers women’ in 2010. Co-operatives around the world celebrate the Day in many different ways, seeking to gain media coverage and public awareness at a local and national level.
UN International Day of Co-operatives, 6 July 2013 "Cooperative enterprise remains strong in times of crisis" - "La coopérative une entreprise qui reste forte en temps de crise" - "La empresa cooperativa se mantiene fuerte en tiempos de crisis".


This year's theme links to the global economic crisis and how many co-operatives are resilient to the effects of the crisis compared to shareholder businesses.

File Attachments: 

91st ICA International Co-operative Day

91° Día Internacional del Cooperativismo de la ACI - ES.pdf

91ème Journée internationale des coopératives de l’ACI - FR.pdf

91º Dia Internacional da Cooperação da ACI 2013 - PORT.pdf

91st ICA International Co-operative Day 2013 - JAP.pdf

91st ICA International Co-operative Day 2013 - CHI.pdf

ICA flag for ICD.pdf

COOP Day 2013 ILO Message - EN.pdf

COOP Day 2013 FAO Message - EN.pdf

91st ICA International Co-operative Day 2013 - KOR.pdf

Champions of Change: Open Science

The White House honors 13 leaders and organizations for their work using and promoting open scientific data and publications to grow our economy and improve our world.

Champions of Change Blog

• Champions of Change: Young Entrepreneurs
• Champions of Change: Entrepreneurship Mentors
• Champions of Change: Disaster Preparedness
• Champions of Change: STEM Equality for People with Disabilities
• Champions of Change: Girls and Women in STEM
• Champions of Change: Working to End Domestic Violence
• Champions of Change: Closing the Justice Gap in America
• Champions of Change: Leaders in the Fight against Breast Cancer
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• Champions of Change: Educators

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2013, June 26

 ° Международный день в поддержку жертв пыток, 26 июня.
 ° Día Internacional de las Naciones Unidas en Apoyo de las Víctimas de la Tortura, 26 de junio. 
 °Journée internationale pour le soutien aux victimes de la torture, 26 juin.
 ° International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, 26 June.
 ° 支持酷刑受害者国际日, 6月26日
 ° اليوم الدولي لمساندة ضحايا التعذيب

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for 2013

As we mark International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, I call on Member States to step up efforts to assist all those who have suffered from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 
This year is also the 25th anniversary of the Committee against Torture. This body -- along with other UN human rights mechanisms such as the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and the Special Rapporteur on Torture -- is vital to strengthening a victim-oriented approach that also includes a gender perspective. This effort was further strengthened by the adoption this year of a UN Human Rights Council resolution focussing on the rehabilitation of torture victims.
I urge all Member States to accede to and fully implement the Convention against Torture and support the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.  Let us work together to end torture throughout the world and ensure that countries provide reparation for victims.

Ban Ki-moon

 

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

Resources : United Nations Radio

1. Security Council condemns cases of torture and mistreatment in illegal detention centres in Libya | 

2013-06-21 13:07:12
2. 93,000 people killed in Syria conflict | 2013-06-13 06:20:51
3. Syrian children pay high price for conflict, says UN official | 2013-06-12 16:54:18
4. Malian security forces and rebels committed gross human rights violations | 2013-06-12 09:21:23
5. 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli detention suffer inhuman and degrading treatment | 2013-06-10 08:52:27
6. UN rights experts seek assurances that Russian NGO's will not face reprisals | 2013-06-06 09:04:28
7. 4,000 Eritreans fleeing human rights violations every month | 2013-06-05 09:41:26
8. Syrian civilians continue to suffer from conflict, says head of UN panel |2013-06-04 10:04:31
9. China deports minors back to North Korea |2013-05-31 10:34:02
10. Bloodshed and suffering in Syria are intolerable, says UN human rights chief | 2013-05-27 08:53:14

11. End violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians |2013-05-17 08:2112. Human Rights chief urges an end to gross crimes in Syria |2013-05-14 16:18:06
13. ICC mandate still essential to ending impunity in Libya | 2013-05-08 12:51:21
14. UN to investigate possible crimes against humanity in DPRK | 2013-05-07 09:17:22
15. Insecurity hampering UN aid efforts in Central African Republic: Amos | 2013-05-06 12:25:42
16. UNHCR warns against forcible returns to CAR amid violence and abuses | 2013-04-30 09:01:31
17. Over 30,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Yemen this year |  2013-04-26 09:38:19

18. UN expert on torture disappointed after Bahrain visit postponed | 2013-04-24 11:14:12

19. Ethiopian migrants face hardships in Yemen | 2013-04-19 12:49:21
20. UN appeals to Iraq to halt prisoner executions | 2013-04-19 09:20:39
21. UN calls for an end to violations and lawlessness in Central African Republic | 2013-04-16

22. UN Observes International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade | 2013-04-05 09:15:48
23. Human Rights Council criticizes Sri Lanka's human rights record | 2013-03-21 09:54:19
24. UN human rights office shocked by video of torture in Fiji | 2013-03-15 15:11:31
25. Human rights experts express outrage at execution of seven men in Saudi Arabia | 2013-03-13 14:33:22
26. UN expert raises alarm over increased degree of seriousness of human rights violations | 2013-03-12

27. Inquiry needed into crimes against humanity in DPRK | 2013-03-11 11:12:19

28. Medical care in Syria used as 'tactic of war' says UN Commission of Inquiry | 2013-03-11 09:04:50

29. UN human rights office shocked by video of torture in Fiji | 2013-03-08 11:53:24

30. US to be called to account over Bush-era CIA terrorism programme | 2013-03-05 13:12:29

31. UN concerned about death of a Palestinian detainee | 2013-02-25 15:18:26

32. A growing trend of sorcery accusations in Papua New Guinea |  2013-02-21 17:53:03

33. Pillay urges justice for past rights abuses in Haiti |2013-02-21 10:20:43
34. All parties becoming increasingly reckless with human life, says Syria inquiry | 2013-02-18 12:06:06
35. On the ground mission to investigate human rights abuses in Mali | 2013-02-15 11:32:34
36. Atrocious rape and murder shows need for comprehensive approach to sexual violence in South Africa: Human Rights chief | 2013-02-08 13:30:21

37. A growing trend of sorcery accusations in Papua New Guinea | 2013-02-08 12:25:18

38. UN Human Rights Office calls for government intervention following Papua New Guinea sorcery killing | 2013-02-08 09:41:56

39. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for an end to the violence in Egypt | 2013-01-29 12:02:04

40. Refugee kidnappings on the rise in eastern Sudan | 2013-01-25 12:29:15

41. Detainees are tortured in Afghanistan, says UN report | United Nations Radio  2013-01-21 13:19:15

42. Report details human rights violations in Mali | United Nations Radio 2013-01-18 11:23:58

43. Terrorism under spotlight in Security Council | United Nations Radio 2013-01-18 00:22:23

44. Human Rights Commissioner calls for inquiry into North Korea abuses |2013-01-14 11:21:32

45. Call for international inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea | 2013-01-14 11:08:12

46. UN human rights office regrets decision of Bahrain's highest court | United Nations Radio

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2013, 26 June

 

° Día Internacional de la Lucha contra el Uso Indebido y el Tráfico Ilícito de Drogas, 26 de junio.
°  Международный день борьбы со злоупотреблением наркотическими средствами и их незаконным оборотом, 26 июня.
° Journée internationale contre l'abus et le trafic de drogues, 26 juin.
°International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,26 June.
°  禁止药物滥用和非法贩运国际日, 6月26日.
° 
بمناسبة اليوم الدولي لمكافحة إساءة استعمالالمخدرات والاتجار غير المشروع بها

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for 2013

This year I visited the San Patrignano drug rehabilitation centre in northern Italy where more than 1,200 young women and men from 28 countries are learning how to free themselves from the curse of addiction and enjoy dignified, productive lives. Their road is not easy.  It demands courage, commitment and the compassion of dedicated mentors.  But the members of this inspiring community understand that they are fortunate.  All over the world, drugs threaten the health and welfare of youth and children, families and communities, and the billions of dollars generated by the drugs trade feed corruption, enhance the power of criminal networks and create fear and instability. 

Illegal drug trafficking is a clear obstacle to development.  This cross-border problem requires a robust and coordinated law enforcement response within and among countries.  Tackling organized crime and the illicit drugs trade is a shared responsibility.  But the rule of law is only part of the equation. For instance, farmers dependent on the cultivation of illicit drugs such as coca, marijuana and opium must be offered alternative livelihoods, while drug users and addicts need help not stigmatization. 

A human rights and science-based public health approach is the only sound basis for preventing and treating addiction and related consequences such as HIV transmission through unsafe injecting practices.  We must also address threats such as the emerging problem of new psychoactive substances, many of which are not under international control.  Young people, in particular, must be made aware of the dangers of these drugs.

On this International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, I call on governments, the media and civil society to do everything possible to raise awareness of the harm caused by illicit drugs and to help prevent people profiting from their use.


 Events Organized for 2013

Sharing best practices in the implementation of the United Nations comprehensive framework on the world drug problem

Special event on “Sharing best practices in the implementation of the United Nations comprehensive framework on the world drug problem”, co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Italy, Qatar and Thailand and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Wednesday, 26 June 2013, from 11:00 to 13:00, in Conference Room 1 (CB).
[All are invited to attend. For further information, please contact Ms. Anne Beckmann,
UNODC (e-mail: beckmann@un.org; tel. 1 (212) 963-5635).]

 Radio series

UNODC has teamed up with a group of international teenagers to put their questions about drugs to the experts. In this series of interviews we put cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin under the spotlight. And talk frankly about the production, trafficking and damaging effects of these illicit drugs.
To download files to your computer, right-click on "download" and select "Save Target As..."

Intro	Promo	Cannabis	Ecstasy	Cocaine	Heroin
listen - download	listen - download	listen - download	listen - download	listen - download	listen - download

International Day of the Seafarer 2013, June 25

Day of the Seafarer is now being celebrated for the third time and we hope that you will participate in the campaign and publicly thank seafarers for their service and the sacrifices that they make.

The Day of the Seafarer is now being celebrated for third time , and our cause gathers greater support and grows in importance and relevance on each occasion.

This is reflected in the increasing number of people from the maritime sector, and beyond, that want to participate in the campaign and to publicly thank seafarers for their service and the sacrifices that they make.
2013 is a landmark year for the seafaring community, as the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC2006) enters into force in August. This marks significant progress in the recognition of seafarers’ roles and the need to safeguard their well-being and the working conditions.

For shipping companies, seafarers are the embodiment of their business and they are a critical asset. People within the maritime sector are familiar with the role of the seafarer. However, even they may not be completely aware of the sheer scale of effort that seafarers expend, and the physical and psychological challenges that they face. It is our responsibility ,as those that are working within this sector and close to the seafaring community, to lead the efforts to highlight seafarers’ importance and to thank them for what they do. Looking beyond the maritime sector, today’s consumers are increasingly demanding transparency across the supply chain. However, shipping’s role remains relatively hidden to consumers outside of the supply chain.

This year’s Day of the Seafarer campaign calls on all supply chain partners, including those beyond the maritime sector , to help highlight the sheer diversity and scale of products that travel by sea, which are used in everyday life, and to recognize the importance of the people that deliver them; more than 1.5 million seafarers.Seafarers operate on the ‘front line’ of the shipping industry, and this year’s campaign theme, Faces of the Sea, aims to highlight the individuals that are often unseen, but who work to deliver more than 90% of the world’s goods. We will ask the seafarers themselves to show us snapshots of their daily life at sea, to give them a voice and share their story on a global stage, via social media.


This year’s theme, Faces of the Sea, aims to ensure that the efforts and sacrifices made by seafarers, often in lonely conditions, are recognized by the general public. Establishing seafarers in the forefront of global awareness will take time and is a gradual process. But Day of the Seafarer aims to do just this, and to continue the proactive steps that are being taken by our progressive maritime partners to ensure that our seafarers receive the thanks, recognition and working standards that they truly deserve.

 

 

This year's theme for Day of the Seafarer is Faces of the Sea. It is a natural evolution from last yearʼs successful theme of ʻIt came by sea and I canʼt live without itʼ. Fundamentally it moves the theme to bringing the campaign back to the unsung heroes of shipping – the seafarers themselves and literally spotlights the human face of shipping and the sacrifices that seafarers make. Like in previous years, your participation will be key to the success of this campaign and we will invite you to voice your support using social media. For example, we will ask you to take a picture of yourself, or ask a colleague to take it, from a ship while working at sea or in port in a situation that surprises, or that inspires those that rarely consider what its like to be at sea. Post to any of the IMO’s social media channels, telling us how many days you have spent at sea this year and why you posted this picture. But this is just a small glimpse of what we have in store, so stay tuned for more information on how to get involved, our toolkits will be available in a few days. In the meantime, feel free to download our campaign's branding and start spreading the words.

The three objectives of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL)

A new multi-agency study, led by the World Bank and the International Energy Agency, was presented at the Vienna Energy Forum 2013. The Global Tracking Framework report charts the course to achieve universal energy access, double the use of renewable energy and improve energy efficiency.


"Methodological challenges in defining and measuring Energy access "

Global Tracking framework

 This report is the first of a series to monitor progress towards the three objectives of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. It puts numbers to each objective, identifies what needs to change, and outlines how progress can be made.

The UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative establishes three global objectives to be accomplished by 2030: to achieve universal access to modern energy services, to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and to double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Sustaining momentum for the achievement of the SE4ALL objectives will require a means of charting global progress over the years leading to 2030. This Global Tracking Framework establishes for the first time a methodology and data platform for regular global reporting against the three SE4ALL objectives. Construction of the necessary framework has been coordinated by the World Bank/Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), in collaboration with 13 other agencies. The process has benefited from public consultation with more than a hundred stakeholder groups.

Objective 1 : Providing universal acess to modern energy.

Objective 2 : Doubing the rate of improvement in global energy efficiency,

Objective 3 : Doubling the share if world's mix of Renewable energy.

Resources

• Download the Executive Summary of the Global Tracking Framework. (Vol 1) 
  • Executive Summary - Deutsch 
  • Executive Summary - العربية 
  • Executive Summary - 中文
  • Executive Summary - Français 
  • Executive Summary - Русский  
  • Executive Summary - Português 
  • Executive Summary - Español
    
• Download the Overview of the Global Tracking Framework. (Vol 2)
• Download the Global Tracking Framework. (Vol 3)
• Download presentation of key messages from the Global Tracking Framework.

Related :

FEATURE STORY

Global Tracking Framework Puts Numbers to Sustainable Energy Goals

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NEWS

Five Surprising Facts About Energy Poverty

SE4ALL DATABASE

Sustainable Energy for All

World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2013

Global economic activity is projected to slowly gain momentum, but growth will continue to be below potential and employment gains will remain weak, says the UN report, launched today. It notes that since late 2012, new policy initiatives in major developed economies have reduced systemic risks and helped stabilize consumer, business and investor confidence, but with very limited improvement on economic growth.

World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2013

World Economic Situation and Prospects 2013 - Update as of mid-2013 from Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

Regional press releases:

• Africa: English, French
• CIS: English, Russian
• East Asia: Chinese, English
• Europe: English, French
• Latin America and the Caribbean: English, Spanish
• South Asia: English
• Western Asia: Arabic, English

 World Economic Situation and Prospects : Regional Outlook for Developed Economies, Mr. Clive Altshuler, Economic Affairs Officer UN DESA

Global outlook : Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations.




Global Economy Risks Falling into Renewed Recession - WESP 2013

Developed economies outlook 

"We have identified three major economic risks," said Pingfan Hong, Director of the Global Economic Monitoring Unit of DESA's Development Policy and Analysis Division, as the World Economic Outlook for 2013 was revealed on 18 December 2012. Mr. Hong pointed to the deterioration of the euro crisis, the US fiscal cliff and a possible hard landing for some large developing countries.

"To mitigate these risks, policymakers worldwide are greatly challenged," underscored Mr. Hong, also describing how the world economy is still struggling to recover five years after the eruption of the global financial crisis.

The first chapter of the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2013 (WESP) just launched, outlines that growth of the world economy has weakened considerably during 2012 and is expected to remain restrained in the coming two years. "A number of developed economies in Europe and Japan have already fallen into a double-dip recession," explained Mr. Hong.

The report also predicts that global economy is expected to grow at 2.4 per cent in 2013 and 3.2 per cent in 2014, a significant downgrade from the forecast six months ago. This growth pace will not be enough to overcome the continued jobs crisis faced by many countries. With existing policies and growth trends, it may take at least another five years for Europe and the United States to make up for the job losses caused by the Great Recession of 2008-2009.

World Economic Situation and Prospects : Regional Outlook for Developing Economies
Mr. Ingo Pitterle, Economic Affairs Officer UN DESA

  Developing Economies Outlook
  



World Economic Situation and Prospects: Regional Outlook for Economies in Transition 
Mr. Grigor Agabekian, Economic Affairs Officer UN DESA

 Economies in transition outlook