Honing in on issues surrounding the world's financial system, the 11th International CIFA Forum brought in hundreds of finance experts, officials from Monaco, UN representatives and the private sector to the beautiful and prosperous host city-state of Monaco to answer questions on financial sector reform, the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals and what is needed to ensure a future ...

Sustainable peace is a growing reality in all neighborhoods of Sri Lanka and the Peace Pad Yatra is testimony of it as more than 500 monks, nuns, and other peace activists from India, Bhutan, Nepal and 16 other countries walked across the nation for a month, reinforcing peace with each step and every person greeted increasing cooperation across all sectors and communities in Sri Lanka and the region.

Asian and African fashion designs were the stars of the runway at the annual World Fashion for Development (WF4D) Charity International Fashion Fair in Seoul, Korea on March 18 & 19. The event aimed to call attention to the power of the international fashion industry to strengthen the economy of developing countries. The fashion fundraiser featured a 2- day Giving Back Bazaar ...

Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide.

The Sixth World Urban Forum, themed "The Urban Future", is set to take place in Naples, Italy from September 1-7. Recognized as the premiere Conference on cities and urban issues, this year, the World Urban Forum is co-organized by The United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), the Government of Italy, the Campania Region and the City of Naples. More than 10,000 participants from across the globe are expected to come together to help ensure a more sustainable urban future- one that works better for people, the economy and the environment.

On August 1st, 2012 the annual Youth Assembly opened with a round of lectures in the General Assembly at the UN Headquarters. Young emerging leaders from all over the world gather at the in New York to attend this global conference, where through workshops, lectures and roundtable discussions, they will gain a deeper understanding of the United Nations and diplomacy. Inspirational speakers and dialogue with fellow Youth Assembly delegates will give participants a unique perspective on international relations.

Nelson Mandela International Day was observed around theglobe on Wednesday, marked by numerous campaigns to, in the spirit of Mr.Mandela’s commitment to peace and human rights, take measures to make the worlda better place for at least 67 minutes – one for each year Mr. Mandela spent inpublic service. Falling on the former South African President’s 94thbirthday, this is the third year that Mandela Day has been celebrated. The UNstaff used the occasion to volunteer at the Bowery Mission, where theydistributed food and drinks for some of New York City’s homeless, while theGeneral Assembly held an informal ...

The United Nations hosted the annual high-level meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at its headquarters in New York thisweek. With a special focus on solving the global unemployment epidemic, thisyear’s meeting brought experts and government officials together to discuss innovative ways to create and maintain sustainable jobs, especially among theworld’s young people. Discussions also centered on development cooperation,including the establishment of new partnerships and the strengthening of old ones. At a time of widespread economic uncertainty and social pressures, participants in this ...

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Division for Public Administration and Development Management organized the United Nations Public Service Awards on Friday, honoring 44 representatives from 29 countries around the world for providing leadership and innovative approaches to meeting the challenges of public administration. This award, which has been been given since 2003, is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service, and commended replicable projects that can be used to improved governance the world over. UN DESA also ...

Coverage of Vanda Pignato, First Lady and Secretary of Social Inclusion of El Salvador holds press conference at South-South News. The press conference focused on the Medal of Honor of Ellis Island the First Lady was awarded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations for her initiatives on Salvadorian women rights and for the contributions Salvadorians living in the United States make to this country. During the conference Mrs. Pignato addressed the challenges women face in El Salvador as well as the sustainable solutions the Secretary of Social Inclusion have developed such as "Ciudad Mujer" (Women City). After the press ...

The tourism Authority of Egypt partnered with the United Nations World Tourism Organization to host the 2nd UNWTO annual high-level conference on “Tourism and Media”. The event was hosted in or Egypt’s best kept treasures, MarsaAlam, Egypt. The official launch of the High Level conference was done by H.E. MounirFakhry Abdel-Nour, Minister of Tourism of Egypt, TalebRifai, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization and a video message from Mr. Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Created to protect the rights of the investor, the Convention of Independent Financial Advisors, better known as CIFA, held its Tenth International CIFA Forum from April 25-27 in Monaco bringing in hundreds of financial experts and top UN officials to focus on the 2012 Election Year with the theme: “What Challenges for the International Financial System? Ethics, politics and finance” The Forum's dynamic and honest-talk concluded with a call for global financial markets "to facilitate and encourage the movement of liquid funds into the productive sector of the economy" with the sustainable practice of financial intermediation exercised by moral ...

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, commonly referred to as Rio+20, is a meeting that will bring leaders from around the world together to discuss, and decide, on measures to ensure sustainable development and a green economy for the future. The historic meeting comes 20 years after the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, and looks to reinforce and build upon the decisions that were made at that meeting. While the world gears up for this extremely important meeting, South-South News is bringing you the inside perspective on preparations, negotiations and finally ...

The United Nations hosted the 56th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at its headquarters in New York from February 27 to March 9, aiming to promote women’s rights in the political, social, civil, and educational fields. This year’s CSW focused on improving the lives of rural women, through programs like microcredit and infrastructure development, to ensure that discrimination against women is reduced and that long term sustainability can take root.

Nearly one billion people go hungry in the world today warns the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). That means one out of six persons suffers from chronic hunger. Global food production has grown with our 7billion-strong population thanks to improved agricultural production technologies says the FAO, but the number of undernourished people has grown rather than diminished due new challenges such as climate change, recent food-price hikes and the global economic downturn. Tackling food insecurity head on, FAO and the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, a division of the United Nations Development Program, ...

In his tour through South Asia and South-East Asia, beginning with a 3 day-visit to Bangladesh on Sunday, November 13th, following with Thailand and Indonesia, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the United Nations wants to use Bangladesh's achievements in child and maternal health as a showcase to the world. Ban's stops took him from Bangladesh's health research institutes in the capital, Dhaka to women's community clinics and "courtyard meetings" located in remote parts of the nation. Among its achievements, Bangladesh has boosted its health workforce, doubling the number of babies ...

The Middle East has grabbed headlines around the world this year, as long standing political and social institutions are being challenged by new progressive ideas. One country in the heart of this story is Bahrain, an oil rich island nation off the coast of Saudi Arabia, which also serves as a financial hub of the region. South-South News visited Bahrain to get a firsthand look at this nation, which is trying to maintain traditions and customs while modernizing and providing for its people. We document the nation’s ongoing efforts to achieve the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals, especially in the fields of education and gender equality.

In many developing countries, the tourism industry can be an invaluable asset. It brings foreign money in, and creates whole new industries that can dramatically improve a local people’s quality of life. To promote regional tourism and ensure that it is sustainable, Panama City, the capital of Panama, is hosting the Central American Travel Market, where industry leaders meet to share best practices and ideas for tourism in the area. South-South News’s Mildred Espinoza made the trip down to Panama, to provide the latest updates on this important meeting.

ITU Telecom World 2011 is a unique gathering of leading industry players, government heads, digital innovators and technological talents – focused together on applying the power of connected technology to real-world issues.

Heads of state from all corners of the globe are coming together in New York this week, to commence the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Speakers at the GA, which is presided over by newly elected President Nassir Abdulaziz el-Nasser of Qatar, are focusing on the serious issues facing their nations, like poverty, unemployment, disease control, and climate change. High-level meetings on non-communicable diseases, desertification, and the upcoming Durban Conference complement a highly charged debate on the future status of Palestine, as it hopes to be recognized as a full member state. ...

The Society for International Development (SID) held its 2011 World Congress in Washington, D.C. The over 1,000 participants at the event, who represented governments, civil society, NGOs, and academia, focused their discussions on the establishment of South-South and triangular cooperation, designed to make developing countries self-sufficient and capable of withstanding economic crises like the ones currently gripping the United States and Europe. The highlight of the meeting came in the form of an informal conversation with World Bank President Robert Zoellick, who called ...

Innovation and the implementation of development programs were the themes at this year’s High Level Segment of the Substantive Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council in Geneva, Switzerland. Over 500 participants from governments, aid agencies, civil society, and the private sector participated in meetings, where experts shared views on how to make the goals agreed upon by international organizations a reality in developing countries. Education was also a key component of ...

OBJECTIVES OF THE REGIONAL WORKSHOP:The overall objective of the Central American workshop is to highlight knowledge about the opportunities offered by the UNWTO in the process of economic and social development, and to present and explore the possibilities that tourism can provide. Additionally, participants discussed opportunities to collaborate on projects in important fields like environment and climate change, gender equality and empowerment of women, poverty alleviation through tourism, culture and development, youth empowerment and the development of partnerships with the private sector.

OBJETIVOS DEL TALLER SOBRE EL TURISMO SOSTENIBLE: Este taller busca crear las condiciones para el desarrollo del empleo tanto directo como indirecto, la inversión en promoción y la buena gobernanza. La plataforma permitirá, así mismo, el intercambio de puntos de vista y experiencias en la integración regional y el uso de la tecnología com un medio para adquirir más eficiencia y efectividad. En el marco de este evento el Presidente de Honduras, Porfirio Lobo Sosa hizo la declaración de Roatán como Santuario de Tiburones, para motivar la preservación y protección de esta especie.

South-South News stopped by San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, to conduct and exclusive interview with First Lady Vanda Pignato. Mrs. Pignato described a new initiative that she is spearheading called Ciudad Mujer – or Women City – which aims to provide women with healthcare services, while empowering them politically, economically, and socially. Through Ciudad Mujer, women are offered a guarantee of a worthy lifestyle, with complete respect for their rights. The project is proving so popular...

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a rare official trip to Latin America this week, making stops in Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, and meeting with the heads of state of each country. He addressing a broad scope of issues important to South America ranging from humanitarian aid and relief after natural disasters, to accelerating the peace processes in countries long afflicted by war. South-South News made the trip with the SG to provide up to date reports on all the latest news as it happened.

This Conference, which also marks the 50th Anniversary of the birth of the NAM, was attended by numerous heads of state and high level officials from the 118 members of the NAM, along with UN officials and observing delegations. South-South News was in Bali to provide an in depth look at the proceedings.

Civil society actors have been present at all three (1980, 1990 and 2001) previous UN Conferences for LDCs. In the first two such conferences in Paris, those present were NGOs and associations that had consultative status with the UN. They were few in number, mostly representing NGOs from donor countries.

The Mobile Health Summit Kicked-off on November 8, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The three day conference brought together leaders in the field of technology and public health from all over the world to discuss new and emerging trends in mhealth. The summit was hosted by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, in partnership with the mHealth Alliance and the National Institutes of Health. There were close to 2500 participants from the U.S. and 48 countries as well as 100 exhibitors showcasing the latest technology trends and more than 150 health experts that shared insightful information about wireless technology improving ...