Co-chairs of Social Watch Tanya Dawkins and Emily Sikazwe, SW Philipines lead convenor Leonor Briones and convenor Marivic Raquiza, SW coordinator Roberto Bissio and vice president of the Philippines Jejomar Binay. (Photo: Social Watch)

Sources: Manila Bulletin, GMA News.

Philippine government has no reason to apologize for the persistent diaspora of workers, said Vice President Jejomar Binay in the opening session of the 5th Social Watch Global Assembly on Tuesday in Manila, according to Manila Bulletin newspaper.

Annual Report on Women

Source: Inesc (in Portuguese)

Brazil’s Annual Report on Women, released this month by the government, shows that 43.1 per cent of women have suffered some kind of violence in their own homes. The percentage falls to 12.3 per cent in the case of men. “The Annual Report is essential for the political struggle in favour of women’s rights”, said Eliana Gracia, expert of the Institute for Socioeconomic Studies (Inesc, one of the focal points of Social Watch in Brazil).

Roberto Bissio (Photo: Social Watch/Agustín Fernandez)

Source:InterAksion, news portal of TV5:

The principles of accountability are universal and  “the ‘naming and shaming’ mechanisms are essentially the same", but the means for attaining those principals vary from country to country, said Roberto Bissio, Social Watch coordinator, on Tuesday, the first day of the network's Global Assembly that is taking place in Manila, Philippines. 

Bissio explained, in short, that when "a situation of injustice or rights violation is detected, information is gathered, a demand is articulated, solutions are proposed and the authorities are engaged to solve the problem or remove the obstacles." 

Waiting in the Erez Crossing. (Photo: Rima Merriman/ Electronic Intifada)

Source: PressTV: http://bit.ly/mQW8F2 
and http://bit.ly/p3cJhc

The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO, focal point of Social Watch) warned about a rise in the number of residents in Gaza looking for medical treatment in the West Bank who are arrested by Israeli forces at the Erez crossing. 

Jejomar Binay. (Photo: Pilippine VP Office)

Sources: The Philippine Star, The Daily Tribune.

Leading Philippine newspapers and other media are paying attention to the Social Watch 2011 Global Assembly that will begin tomorrow in Manila. The participation of Vice President Jejomar Binay in the first session, where he will deliver the inaugural speech, was stressed by The Philippine Star, The Daily Tribune and InterAksion, news portal of TV5.