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- U.S., others are looking for MDG strategy shift
World leaders need to adopt new poverty-reduction strategies if Millennium Development Goals are to be met, USAID head Rajiv Shah says. The U.S. will be looking for methods to assure greater accountability and a shift toward programs that build local capabilities rather than just provide funds, according to Shah. Development advocates hope this week's summit will result in firmer commitments on funding and a concrete action plan. Reuters (9/19) , The New York Times (free registration) (9/18)       - UN takes stock of MDG progress
Several countries are on track to meet reductions in the number of people living in extreme poverty, but Millennium Development Goals associated with primary education, maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS are likely out of reach for most countries ahead of the 2015 goal, United Nations figures show. Most of sub-Saharan Africa is struggling to reduce poverty levels, while across Africa, Asia and Latin America, countries have made scant progress on women's equality, maternal and child mortality and increasing access to sanitation. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders gathering in New York this week to recommit to following through and helping the poorest countries work toward the MDGs over the next five years. Google/The Associated Press (9/20) - UN descends upon Upper East Side
The next week will see delegations from 192 member nations assemble at the UN headquarters in New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting and the Millennium Development Goals Summit. There, leaders will review progress toward the MDGs agreed to by the world body in 2000. World leaders may also discuss the issue at the Waldorf-Astoria, the hotel where the U.S. president always stays and an unofficial UN annex during the assemblies. Google/The Associated Press (9/19) - UN nuclear panel is unlikely to make progress toward disarmament
Few people expect the assembly of the Conference on Disarmament during the UN General Assembly convention in New York to produce an actionable breakthrough on nuclear disarmament. Though the CD secured treaties banning biological and chemical weapons in the 1970s, over the past decade it has not been able to reach consensus on the direction of nuclear disarmament -- with Pakistan blocking an effort to stop the production of highly enriched uranium and plutonium, fissile materials used for nuclear weapons. Reuters (9/19)   | - Universal education is within reach
Efforts to provide universal access to primary education as a Millennium Development Goal have taken a hit as a result of the global economic crisis, but the target remains within reach, the Global Campaign for Education says in a report. Around the world, 69 million children are out of school, according to the report, with children in Somalia, Eritrea, Haiti and the Comoros Islands facing the most severe challenges to accessing education. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/20) - Bono: Build on MDG progress to deliver results
 The Millennium Development Goals are a noble undertaking and this week's summit is a chance for world leaders to deliver results after disappointing efforts on other issues such as climate change, international rock star and development advocate Bono writes. World leaders should look at where progress is being made and how to accelerate and replicate the successes, increase efforts to promote good governance and set up an accountability mechanism, the U2 frontman says. The New York Times (free registration) (9/18) - Indigenous tribes have yet to reap benefits of Venezuela programs
Despite inclusion programs Venezuelan authorities tout as a means to promote income distribution for the country's estimated half a million indigenous peoples, tribes such as the Warao continue to eke out a meager living through begging, menial work or scavenging. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has made empowerment of indigenous communities a priority of his tenure, and government officials said earlier this year that equality is a reality for indigenous peoples. The New York Times (free registration) (9/18) Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
- Can ancient seed secure Mexico's food future?
Mexican scientists are attempting to cross-pollinate ancient wheat varieties with modern strains to create plant seeds that can withstand climate change. The ancient seeds -- brought to Mexico by Spanish priests more than 500 years ago -- have longer roots and nutrient conservation capacity that helps make the crop more resistant to drought. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/17)  | - Kagame blasts UN, HRW over accusations
A report published by the UN alleges that Rwandan armed forces, including the Rwandan army, hunted down and killed tens of thousands of Rwandan Hutu refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 1990s -- a report strongly denied by Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Kagame has condemned the UN for releasing the report and blasted Human Rights Watch for the group's criticism of his conduct of the recent election -- in which he was re-elected with 93% of the vote and faced no real contest. Kagame has threatened to pull Rwandan peacekeepers out of the UN's mission in Congo over the UN's pursuit of the genocide claims. Reuters (9/17) , The Wall Street Journal (9/18) - Grisly weekend for Mexico's drug fighting authorities
Mexican authorities discovered the dismembered bodies of six missing police officers Sunday, a day after finding the bodies of two other slain officers. The nine were abducted by gunmen Friday while en route to investigate a murder associated with drug cartels operating in Guerrero. In both cases, notes accompanied the bodies -- apparent warnings for authorities to cease their anti-drug efforts. The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (9/19) - Electoral officials seek Nigeria presidential election delay
Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission has recommended delaying the country's scheduled Jan. 22 presidential election for several months so that officials can organize a voter registration drive. The commission, which made the request a day after President Goodluck Jonathan announced his candidacy, indicated it has not yet hired poll workers or purchased the computer equipment needed to register Nigeria's estimated 70 million voters. Google/The Associated Press (9/19)
- The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is launching this week, with the 2020 goal of making clean cooking stoves available to 100 million homes currently lacking access to modern energy sources. In which areas will a market for cleaner, more efficient cookstoves improve the developing world?
 | Climate and energy | | Health of mothers and children | | Gender equity | | All of the above |
- MDGs: Everyone has a role
This month, world leaders will convene in New York for a high-level summit to advance the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs offer a way to tackle the biggest problems facing the world today -- these include global poverty, women's and children's health, hunger and education. Everyone has a stake in advancing the MDGs by advocating for a world, free from extreme poverty and preventable disease. By coming together in partnership, we can make this happen. To find out how you can help, please visit www.unfoundation.org/mdgs. - Register now for the mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C.
The 2010 mHealth Summit brings together leaders in government, private sector/industry, academia and not-for-profit organizations to share information and experiences related to the intersection of mobile technology, health research and policy.Featured speakers include Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation; Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Dr. Julio Frenk Dean of Faculty, Harvard School of Public Health; and Ted Turner, Chairman, UN Foundation. The mHealth Summit takes place Nov. 8 to 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information and to register. |
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