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- Gay-lesbian rights group wins bid for UN status
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission succeeded Monday in a bid to gain "consultative status" at the United Nations' Economic and Social Council after the U.S., U.K. and other Western governments called for a vote. The group applied for status three years ago but was repeatedly blocked by objections from Russia, Egypt and other countries. AlertNet.org/Reuters (7/19)       - Exiting senior UN official condemns Ban's leadership
Inga-Britt Ahlenius, who resigned last week as the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services undersecretary general, issued a memo criticizing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's record on accountability, accusing him in unflinching terms of undermining her office and failing his obligations. Ahlenius's departure and report coincide with a period of poor performance for the Office of Internal Oversight Services, which has seen the departure of some of its top investigators and a failure to appoint a chief of the investigations division. Ban's chief of staff, Vijay Nambiar, responded with a statement asserting, "A look at his record shows that Secretary General Ban has provided genuine visionary leadership on important issues from climate change to development to women's empowerment." The Washington Post (7/20)   | - With HIV research breakthrough, Clinton urges renewed efforts
In the face of diminished aid as a result of the global financial crisis, former U.S. President Bill Clinton pleaded with donors at the International AIDS Conference to continue funding research and relief efforts. Clinton said that researchers were two to three months away from a potentially viable HIV vaccine, presuming that researchers could continue following through on new breakthroughs. Scientists hope to mass-produce so-called "broadly neutralizing" antibodies in order to prevent most strains of HIV altogether. CNN (7/20) - WFP: Niger food insecurity is growing
Millions in Niger face immediate food and aid needs as drought continues to destroy crops and kill livestock across the country, the World Food Programme warns. The UN agency issued a call for immediate donations to fund plans to scale up aid deliveries. Google/Agence France-Presse (7/20) - China's gated communities anger migrants
Chinese authorities have instituted a program of "sealed management" to cope with influxes of migrant workers and manage crime in China's cities. Around Beijing, tens of thousands of migrants live 16 gated communities, where authorities seal the gates at night and enforce a curfew. Residents complained when authorities installed the gates as emblematic of widespread discrimination against migrants. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (7/19)  | - Heat wave causes Russia crop destruction, deaths
A record-breaking heat wave in Russia has eradicated millions of acres of Russia's wheat crop and led to a high number of drownings -- typically among intoxicated Russians looking for relief from the heat in local waterways. More than 400 Russian people have died in July as a result of the heat wave, which led to 1,244 deaths in June. Russian agricultural authorities expect to harvest 85 million tons of grain this year, down from the 97 million tons Russia harvested last year. The heat wave and lack of rain have led 17 Russian regions to declare states of emergency. The New York Times (free registration) (7/19) - Rights groups: Protect women in Taliban deal
Any political agreement the Afghan government makes to reintegrate Taliban fighters into mainstream Afghan society should not come at the cost of women's rights, international human-rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch say. President Hamid Karzai has a track record of failing to adequately safeguard women's rights and ensure accountability for abuses, according to HRW. The Guardian (London) (7/19) - Karzai commits to security transition time frame
In a conference attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged that Afghan troops will be prepared to accept authority for national security and law enforcement by 2014. The U.S. has set a tentative date of July 2011 to begin the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, though some critics have questioned whether conditions in the war will allow it as a major operation in Kandahar has proceeded more slowly than expected. Los Angeles Times (7/20) - To deter North Korea, U.S. and South Korea to stage joint military exercises
The U.S. and South Korea will stage joint naval and air exercises in the Sea of Japan designed to send a message to North Korea that the nations will act to defend South Korea in the face of further hostilities. Large-scale ground maneuvers will also follow in the series of joint drills. Though U.S. authorities did not say whether military exercises were likely to deter the aggressive regime in Pyongyang, U.S. Pacific Command chief Adm. Robert Willard said that large maneuvers designed to deter hostility had not been tried in recent years in response to North Korea. Los Angeles Times (7/20) - Before U.S. summit, Cameron condemns release of Lockerbie bomber
Before his first visit to the U.S., U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron set the tone early by condemning the decision to release Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi from a Scottish prison last year, calling the release "completely and utterly wrong." BP -- which will be a focal point for conversations between the U.S. and U.K. leaders -- has come under scrutiny for its role in lobbying for the U.K. release of al-Megrahi to Libya in 2007. U.S. lawmakers may investigate the connections between BP and Libya's approval for an oil deal worth an estimated $20 billion. The New York Times (free registration) (7/19)  | |  | | | | | | |  |  MSH SEEKS STAFF FOR HEALTH PROJECT IN MALAWI | Management Sciences for Health | Lilongwe, Malawi | | Researcher, U.S. Immigration Policy/Criminal Justice | Human Rights Watch | New York, NY | | COUNTRY AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES, FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS | ARD, Inc. | Multiple Locations Worldwide, Guatemala | | Web Producer/Project Manager | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Director, Corporate Relations | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington , DC | | Director of Corporate Relations | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Communications Director, Global Health | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Deputy Executive Director, Communications and Public Affairs | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Executive Assistant, Energy Climate | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | | |  | |  | |
 | - The UN Secretary-General and his climate finance advisers are exploring private financing options to deliver resources to combat climate change. Developing countries pledged "fast-start" financing -- $10 billion per year for the next three years, growing to $100 billion annually by 2020 -- for those nations least responsible for, and most affected by, climate changes.
Should private donors contribute to aid to mitigate the effects of climate change in developing countries?
 | Yes -- it is everyone's responsibility | | No -- governments should find their own financing |
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