India's Puri says: "Poverty should be the focus of all UNDP agendas"

Click here for this in full @: http://www.newkerala.com/news/newsplus/worldnews-130051.html#.UQvDn7bTroA

''For the UN development system to be successful globally, it needs to be firmly rooted in its core focus area, which has primarily to be development related only, and that the 'D' in UNDP should stand for decimating poverty,''

Ban Ki-Moon launches Aakash 2 at UN (An Indian tablet - made in China)

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Who are the main players in global climate negotiations

Click here for this story in full at philStar.com: http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/11/25/873333/main-players-global-climate-negotiations

DOHA (Xinhua) - A new round of UN climate change conference slated for Nov. 26-Dec. 7 will be held in Doha, Qatar where negotiators are expected to push ahead what was achieved in Durban last year and work out the details of the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol.
In climate change talks, parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) mainly group under three contending forces, namely the Umbrella Group, the European Union(EU) and the G77 and China.

UMBRELLA GROUP

The umbrella group mainly consists of the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, whose stance regarding climate change is less enthusiastic than most of the developed signatories to the Kyoto Protocol. Particularly, in 2001, the United States withdrew from the Protocol, and in 2011, Canada followed its step.
The Umbrella Group insists that developing countries should undertake quantified emission reduction commitments along with the developed countries, regardless of the fact that rich nations are responsible for 80 percent of the existing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere due to their unsustainable way of industrialization in the past.

EU

The EU is more active in fighting climate change than the Umbrella Group and supports a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol being negotiated.
Nevertheless, the EU sees the second commitment period only as a transition phase, following which a new treaty should be implemented in its stead to assign all major economies mandatory emission cut targets.
These economies that the EU has in mind include the United States, who has so far showed no interest in the second commitment period, as well as the emerging economies, mainly include China and India.
Again, the EU is aiming to discard the core principle of the UNFCCC, "common but differentiated responsibilities," and tries to blur the distinction between the duties of developed and developing countries.

G77 AND CHINA

The G77 and China represent the interests of the developing countries in the climate negotiations.
An important player under this bloc is the BASIC nations, which encompass China, India, Brazil and South Africa. The BASIC group often meets to coordinate their positions ahead of major climate talks.
The G77 and China advocate respecting the UNFCCC and the Bali Roadmap, which set a double-track process for climate negotiations and differentiates the duties of the rich and poor countries.
They argue that the developed countries should make greater commitment to cutting carbon emissions, citing their historical discharge, while the developing countries, aided by financial and technical support, should also make efforts to cut their emissions on a voluntary basis.

Click here for this story in full at philStar.com: http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/11/25/873333/main-players-global-climate-negotiations

Is United Nations becoming a operation arm of BRICS ? (Brazil, India and China)

Click here for full read @ Whale Cottage:  http://www.whalecottage.com/blog/tag/united-nations-procurement-programme/


  

More than 1000 jobs were created in the same period.  The dominant export markets for the Western Cape remain the UK, France and Germany, but the West Africa Trade Corridor is gaining importance, in particular Nigeria, Angola, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Angola has taken over from Mozambique as the province’s largest trade partner in Africa, said Nils Flaatten, Wesgro CEO.

Brazil, India and China, all BRICS countries, are important for partnerships to promote the economy of the Western Cape.

The United Nations Procurement Programme, incorporating our province as one of only three developing areas, is a bonus for the Western Cape.

Click here for full read @ Whale Cottage:  http://www.whalecottage.com/blog/tag/united-nations-procurement-programme/

SCANDAL: UNDP assures preferencial business access for Japan's UNICHARM CORP - claiming their products "are better and cheeper for African poor"

Click here to read this in full @ 4-traders.com: http://www.4-traders.com/news/UNDP-United-Nations-Development-Programme-Japan-s-Unicharm-Corp-to-bring-affordable-hygiene-pro--15324979/

UNDP - United Nations Development Programme : Japan’s Unicharm Corp. to bring affordable hygiene products to 36 million low-income women

10/11/2012| 06:23pm US/Eastern
11 October 2012

New York/Tokyo -Japanese consumer products giant Unicharm Corp. has pledged to bring affordable diapers and sanitary products to 36 million low-income women in the Middle East/North Africa and Asian regions as part of the Business Call to Action (BCTA), a global initiative to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development through the development of inclusive business models.
Unicharm's international expansion is expected to more than triple the company's annual production of diapers and feminine napkins from 10 billion and 12 billion by the year 2020. Forty percent of Unicharm's total hygiene products are expected to be manufactured and sold to low-income consumers in the Middle East/North Africa and Asia.
As part of its localization strategy, the company will also employ an additional 8,000 underemployed women throughout Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt-nearly doubling its female workforce in these countries.
"Through this initiative, we will expand our reach while alleviating poverty and supporting and empowering millions of women across the Middle East/North Africa and Asia," Unicharm Corp. CEO Takahisa Takahara said. "We are delighted to contribute in this way to sustainable and inclusive development, and to further demonstrate that good business practices and good global citizenship complement each other." 
By localizing production, streamlining manufacturing, and simplifying packaging, Unicharm will offer feminine napkins and diapers to low-income consumers previously unable to afford them. Access to sanitary napkins will allow women to remain active throughout their menstrual cycles.
"This is a great example of a company proactively contributing to the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG), promoting gender equality and empowering women," Sahba Sobhani, BCtA Acting Program Manager, said. "By creating hygiene products that are affordable to the poor and employing women in areas where full-time jobs are scarce, Unicharm is both expanding its business and enhancing quality of life for women in the Middle East/North Africa and Asia."
The 50-year-old company makes personal care products for the disposable diaper, feminine hygiene, and adult incontinence markets. Other divisions include health, wet tissues products, pet care, and household cleaning products, as well as food packaging, with most of its business in Asia. As of March 31, Unicharm owned 40 consolidated subsidiaries and two associated companies, with nearly 10,300 employees.
BCtA is a global initiative that encourages companies to develop innovative business models that combine commercial success and sustainable development. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is one of its supporters and hosts the Secretariat of the Initiative.

Click here to read this in full @ 4-traders.com: http://www.4-traders.com/news/UNDP-United-Nations-Development-Programme-Japan-s-Unicharm-Corp-to-bring-affordable-hygiene-pro--15324979/

IKEA and UNDP partnership: a love story worth looking in to.

Click here to read more about IKEA & UNDP: http://pages.ikeafoundation.org/United-Nations-Development-Programme-UNDP

Projects we fund

The IKEA Foundation funds an innovative new project run by UNDP to help women earn a sustainable income and become catalysts of change, helping themselves and their children have more opportunities to break the cycle of poverty.

The project, Swaayam (Sanskrit for ‘self reliance’), will reach 2.2 million women over five years in 20,000 of India’s poorest villages.

The project helps women participate in a diverse array of businesses, from dairies to craft production. It also provides training on financial literacy and business management, and allows women to have a greater say in their homes and communities.

The project has already created its first company, the Swaayam Ksheer Dairy Company, which sees 12,000 women involved in producing 24,000 litres of milk a day. Like the other businesses which will be set up by the programme, the Ksheer Dairy Company is an equity share holding company – so as well as having the resources to produce and distribute the milk, the women also have ownership of the company. You can read more about it on our blog.

The IKEA Foundation is funding UNDP because we believe that by empowering women through education, employment and having a greater say in their communities, you can ensure children have more opportunities to create a better life for themselves and others.

There is only only one question for IKEA: 

- Why not publish full details of funds transferred and managed by UNDP ?