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United Nations “seized by corporate power”
In the eve of Rio2012, civil society organizations all over the world are warning against the “growing influence of major corporations and business lobby groups within the UN”. Those concerns became also apparent in the thirteenth session of the UNCTAD in Doha, where the rich countries were trying to minimize the role of that agency, whose reports have consistently criticized the politics of deregulation, liberalization and privatization that benefit the private sector.
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UNCTAD maintains its “clear mandate” to analyze the global economic crisis
In the thirteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII), civil society representatives “witnessed outrageous attempts by developed countries to change the policy basis and mandate” of that UN agency, that reflected their corporations and investors’ interests “rather than maintaining historical policy commitments to assist developing countries”.
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AWID Forum: Women’s rights in the Arab world and gender budgeting on focus
The uncertain fate of women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa region was one of the most relevant concerns at the 12th International Forum of the Association for Women’s Rights In Development (AWID), held last week in Istanbul. After the Forum, Canadian activist Kate McInturff called on feminists “working at the international level” and those “working at the community level” to break the isolation between both groups, and to engage themselves “in a meaningful dialogue”.
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Civil society organizations want to invigorate the Green Climate Fund
Some 115 non-governmental organizations have urged governments to “sunset” the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds and instead, redirect their reserves to the new Green Climate Fund established within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to make it fully functional as soon as possible, reported journalist Kanaga Raja, of the South-North Development Monitor (SUNS).
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Ziad Abdel-Samad: Arab civil society should help to build the Palestinian state
The “Arab Uprisings” and the civil society in the Arab region have a relevant role on campaigning and advocating the end of the Israeli occupation and on building an independent Palestinian state, said Ziad Abdel-Samad, director of the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), a member organization of Social Watch.
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Zambia: Arresting sex workers will not end prostitution, warn NGOs
Sex workers who parade the streets of Zambia at night will suffer harsh jail terms or fines in a crackdown that shall commence soon, according to the inspector-general of Police Stella Libongani. The Non-Governmental Organization Coordinating Council said the arrests will not solve the problem.
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