Yemenis protesting against the
government in Sana’a.
(Photo: UN News Centre)

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and its partners in Yemen – the Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC, national focal point of Social Watch) and the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedom (HOOD) — call on the United States government to uphold its international responsibilities and open an investigation into torture against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is in the North American country now.

The Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND, member of Social Watch), together with 42 civil society organizations from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and other Arab countries, sent a letter to European Union institutions, concerning the EU trade and investment strategy for the Southern Mediterranean.

Oikos–Cooperação e Desenvolvimento, Terre des Hommes and The World Future Council launched this week an online petition for signatures demanding world leaders to support the call for Rio+20 to establish Ombudspersons for Future Generations. The form is available in five languages at http://bit.ly/xw1BQW.  

Ahafo Mine at Kenyasi, in Asutifi
District.
(Photo: Ghana’s Mining Portal)

Three months after the announcement of an increase in corporate tax for mining companies from 25 to 35 percent in Ghana, the raise is yet to be implemented. The tax may not be collected until 2013, according to TV3 television channel. “The attitude of government gives reasons to believe that it will yield to pressures from the industry,” wrote Alhassan Atta-Quayson, expert of Third World Network-Africa (TWN-A).

A slum in Nairobi, Kenia. (Photo:
khym54/Flickr/CC)

In spite of international commitments, 1,600 million people all over the world are living in deficient housing, and in the developing South 828 million lack adequate water and sanitation services. In the Social Watch Report 2012, experts warn that these problems are aggravated by inequalities between and within countries, privatization, the disappearance of communal property, migration, forced eviction, land speculation and climate change.  

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