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- Ban looks to jump-start Mideast peace process
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is traveling in the Middle East in a bid to bring Israeli and Palestinian officials back to the negotiating table. Ban held meetings in the Jordanian capital Amman today and will travel to Jerusalem and the West Bank looking to build on unofficial talks hosted by Jordan this month. Google/Agence France-Presse (1/31)      - UN official urges change to food planning
Drought and famine are not unexpected events but rather a predictable result of a global food system riddled with inequality and imbalance, says Olivier De Schutter, United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food. Recalibrating how the world views such events is key to putting systems into place to act pre-emptively to avoid widespread health crises and death associated with food insecurity. AlertNet (1/30) - Mexico suffers from devastating drought
Some 2 million people in rural communities in 19 of Mexico's 31 states are in need of water and food assistance as a result of what the government is characterizing as the worst drought in the country's history. Already an estimated 7% of the farmland in the country's north and center has been wiped out, while land elsewhere is too dry to grow any crops, officials say. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/30) - Trading limits enhance southern Africa food woes
Export bans and infrastructure limitations are among the challenges to regional trade that are exacerbating food shortages in southern Africa, a report from the Southern Africa Regional Climate Change Programme warns. More liberal trading parameters would stabilize food supply across the region and help insulate farmers and the general population from some weather-related effects of climate change. AlertNet (1/30) - Drug trade threatens West Africa progress, Annan says
Gains in development, health and education across West Africa are being threatened by international drug trafficking, the trade in cocaine alone has an estimated street value of $6.8 billion, writes former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Specifically, Annan writes, young state institutions can be undermined by drug-funded corruption, traffickers can team up with terrorist groups, and drugs can tear apart the social and health fabric of communities. The Guardian (London) (1/28) - New Zealand rejects concerns on child marriage
Current laws in New Zealand are sufficient to discourage child marriage, the country's government has told UNICEF, despite reports of the forced marriage of a 17-year-old Pakistani girl, and appeals for help by girls as young as 13 and 14. Justice Minister Judith Collins said the government would continue to educate ethnic communities about existing law. International Business Times (1/31) - Rare earths are needed for clean energy
Growth of global clean-energy industries are at risk of a slowdown as a result of Chinese dominance of the market for rare minerals, which has led to soaring costs -- as much as 10 times the levels in 2010 -- for hard-to-find metals widely used in the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels, electric car batteries and energy-efficient light bulbs. "There are so far not many alternatives," said Rob Mathlener, author of a report urging companies to focus on recycling and reusing resources. The Guardian (London) (1/27) - Private-sector climate adaptation successes are highlighted by UN
More than 100 examples of businesses adapting to climate change -- including making drinking water safer and improving the yields of coffee beans in vulnerable regions -- are being showcased on a United Nations online database aimed at promoting climate resiliency by showing how companies can nevertheless generate profits, realize cost savings and prevent losses through investment in climate-friendly goods, services, infrastructure and supply chains. United Press International (1/30) - Fighting in Syria reaches Damascus
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced plans to join the French and British foreign ministers at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to express a message of firm support for the people of Syria and urge an end to a deadly government crackdown. Fighting between government forces and rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reached the suburbs of Damascus in recent days. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Associated Press (1/30), Reuters (1/31)  | - Everyone has a role to play in creating a safer, healthier and more prosperous world
United Nations Foundation President, Timothy E. Wirth, today issued the following statement on the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability report published today, Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing: "In a report published this week, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's 22-member High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability, including UN Foundation Board Member Gro Harlem Brundtland, provided recommendations for reducing poverty and creating a healthier planet for future generations. This report underscores the importance of a global approach to sustainable development based on three pillars -- economic growth, social equity, and the environment. Each of us desires similar things such as an education, a job, a clean and safe environment, affordable health care, and access to energy -- and each of us has a role to play in helping to make this a reality for people everywhere today and tomorrow." Read the full statement on the UN Foundation website. | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Africa Program Specialist | METI Inc., contractor for the USDA Forest Service Office of International Programs | Washington D.C., DC | | Program Director - Sustainable and Thriving Environments for West Africa Regional Development | METI Inc, contractor for the USDA Forest Service Office of International Programs | Freetown, Sierra Leone | | Program Officer, Adolescent Girls | United Nations Foundation | Washington DC, DC | | Senior Associate, Planning and Learning | United Nations Foundation | Washington DC, DC | | Administrative Assistant, shot@life | United Nations Foundation | Washington DC, DC | | Communications Officer, Nothing But Nets | United Nations Foundation | Washington DC, DC | | Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum Program Assistant/Coordinator | Social Science Research Council | Brooklyn , NY | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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