Social Watch E-Newsletter - Issue 139 - July 26, 2013

A study released and authored by CCPA research associate and member of the Coordinating Committee of Social Watch Kate McInturff, says that progress on ending violence against women in Canada is stalled by the absence of a coherent national policy and consistent information about the levels of that violence.

“The difficulty of collecting data about violence against women has been a barrier to progress in ending that violence,” says the study’s author Kate McInturff. “However, the data that does exist tells us three things very clearly: this problem is big, it comes at a high cost, and we are making little or no progress in putting a stop to it.” Read more

"In the absence of widespread and sustained economic growth, unemployment remains at an unacceptably high level in many G20 countries," the International Labour Office (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have said.

In a joint statistical update for the meeting of G20 Labour and Employment Ministers, taking place in Moscow from 18-19 July, the ILO and OECD warned that persistently high and mainly cyclical unemployment in several G20 countries is heightening the risks of labour market exclusion and structural unemployment. Read more

The election of Roberto Azevêdo is a victory for the countries of the South, comments Isolda Agazzi, analist of Alliance Sud.

However, the Brazilian must demonstrate that he will work in favour of developing countries and their small farmers – something Brazil has not always done.

It is a first for the WTO: the industrialized countries' candidate, Herminio Blanco from Mexico, lost out to the developing countries' aspirant. Brazil and Mexico follow very different trade policies.

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The "Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND)", in partnership with the "CSOs Partnership for Development Effectiveness” and ”Iraqi Al-Amal Association”, and in collaboration with the Parliament of Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the ICNL, organised the Regional Conference for the Arab Region on the Effectiveness of Development, in Erbil.

The critical conditions, which the Arab region is going through from the Middle East to North Africa, and in the light of massive changes which were accelerated following the popular revolutions and uprisings, that are open to various scenarios combining opportunities and risks, impose on CSOs, as well as  the governments and the private sector, to be deeply aware of the importance of a commitment to development effectiveness, to respect its principles and mechanisms, and work to provide appropriate environment, through institutionalisation of multilateral dialogue, remove the restrictions on CSOs, work together to safeguard national sovereignty and the development of wealth, and equitable distribution of the achievements of joint action. The time has come to turn the right to development into a binding international convention. 

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