Values, Policies and Rights

UN adopts convention on rights of people with disabilities
UN Secretary General, 13 December 2006

This Convention is a remarkable and forward-looking document. While it focuses on the rights and development of people with disabilities, it also speaks about our societies as a whole -- and about the need to enable every person to contribute to the best of their abilities and potential.

Global Fund: Civil society's triumph over Minister Muhwezi and Company
Medicine Access Digest 2 (2) June 2006

The June newsletter of HEPS Uganda outlines civil society poitions on HIV and AIDS fundings, on health rights and on public health policy regarding counterfeit medicines.

Health consequences of child marriage in Africa
Nour NM: Emerging infectious diseases 12 (11) 1644-1649, 2006

Despite international agreements and national laws, marriage of girls under 18 years of age is common worldwide and affects millions. Child marriage is a human rights violation that prevents girls from obtaining an education, enjoying optimal health, bonding with others their own age, maturing, and ultimately choosing their own life partners. Child marriage is driven by poverty and has many effects on girls' health: increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer, malaria, death during childbirth, and obstetric fistulas. To stop child marriage, policies and programs must educate communities, raise awareness, engage local and religious leaders, involve parents, and empower girls through education and employment.

Muslim clerics hold meeting on gender violence, HIV/AIDS
IRIN News, 14 November 2006

Muslim clerics from 25 African countries held a five-day population and development meeting in Tanzania's semiautonomous island of Zanzibar, focusing on issues such as HIV/AIDS and gender violence from an Islamic point of view. The participants, from member countries of the Network of African Islamic Faith-based Organisations, are also focusing on social and development problems.

Statement on the creation of a new international agency for women
Office of the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, 9 November 2006

A giant step towards equality for women was recently taken at the United Nations when a High-Level Panel on UN reform recommended to the Secretary General the creation of the world body’s first full-fledged agency for women. The panel, appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan earlier this year, recommends “an enhanced and independent” policy, advocacy and operational agency for women’s empowerment and gender equality, to be headed by an Under Secretary-General; and is an inspired and entirely welcome remedy. If implemented and funded as recommended, the new organization will begin to correct over six decades of UN neglect and indifference toward women.

2006 WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopts seven resolutions
World Health Organisation Regional Committee for Africa, 1 September 2006

The fifty-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ended with the adoption of seven resolutions aimed at scaling up action in critical areas that are key to improving the health and socio-economic situation in Africa. Three of the resolutions endorsed three health strategy documents developed by the Brazzaville-based WHO Africa Regional Office on health financing, the renewal and acceleration of HIV prevention, and the optimal survival, growth and development of African children.

Brochures on critical analysis of right to health
People\'s Health Association (PHA)

The CETIM (Europe-Third World Centre) has just published the fourth number of its series of didactic brochures and critical analysis about the Right to Health. This brochure is available for free in French, English and Spanish and can be downloaded/printed from the CETIM website.

Compass - HLSP newsletter
HLSP, October 2006

HLSP is a professional services firm specialising in the health sector both in the UK and globally. Compass newsletter aims to promote debate in the development world and to keep our staff, colleagues and clients in touch with changes and advances in HLSP’s work. The latest edition includes articles on rights based approaches to Maternal Health, the official launch of HLSP’s Kenya office, the case for Sector Wide Approaches, and an interview with HLSP Institute director Dr Ken Grant.

Efforts of Iran, Sudan and Uganda global rights defenders recognised
Human Rights Watch, 19 October 2006

Human Rights Watch will present its highest honors, the Human Rights Defender Awards, to three courageous human rights activists from Iran, Sudan and Uganda on November 7. This year’s three honorees challenged the limits of freedom of expression in the Middle East, the massive 'ethnic cleansing' and injustice in Darfur, Sudan, and the treatment of HIV/AIDS affected women in Africa. Human Rights Watch staff work closely with the Human Rights Defenders as part of our human rights investigations in more than 70 countries around the world. The 2006 Human Rights Watch Annual Dinners where the defenders will be honored will take place in London, Munich, Zurich and Geneva.

Human trafficking on the rise
Msosa PS: Southern Africa Social Forum, 15 October 2006

A Malawian human rights organization has disclosed that human trafficking has drastically increased following high demand of prostitutes in European countries. Radek Malonwski, project officer for Centre for Social Concern said the recent estimates indicate that four million people are being traficked from Africa to Europe annually on pretext that they would find them jobs by the foreigners, describing the figure as worse than the times of slavery. The article further describes human rights violations in the handling of these individuals.

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