BACKGROUND RELEASE

26 May 2011

The Human Rights Council will hold its seventeenth regular session from 30 May to 17 June at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

On the morning of Monday, 30 May, the Council will hear an update by Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to be followed by a general debate.

Regional update - Africa

Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme

Sixty-first session

Geneva, 4-8 October 2010

This update presents some examples of challenges, progress and developments in the region since the last strategic overview presented to the 47th meeting of the Standing Committee in March 2010. A more comprehensive report will be provided in the forthcoming Global Appeal 2011 Update.

A. Major challenges and new developments

During the first eight months of 2010, Africa witnessed a number of complex humanitarian and emergency situations,

The Global Update provides food security information on trends on food access and utilization. Key food access indicators reported are food consumption, coping strategies and terms of trade. These indicators are proximate to nutritional status thus allow the early identification of potential increases in malnutrition.

This update provides information on 33 countries for the period: fourth quarter 2009 through February 2010. It reports on changes of a select set of indicators and makes conclusions about the food security situation. (See Annex 1 for details on the indicators).

Rome, 15 April 2009 - Belgium has agreed a $6.6 million programme for FAO to provide emergency assistance to poor farmers in Africa as part of an ongoing partnership that has totalled more than $80 million over the past twelve years.

Around $ 2.6 million of the latest contribution from the Belgian Development Cooperation will go to directly support farming households whose livelihoods have suffered from the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cassava and sweet potatoes cuttings as well as hand tools, vegetable and other crop seeds will be distributed to 25,000 farmers.

Provisional edition

P6_TA-PROV(2009)0151
A6-0079/2009
(2008/2318(INI))

The European Parliament ,

- having regard to the Joint Africa-EU Strategy ("Joint Strategy") and the first Action Plan (2008-2010) for the implementation of the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership, adopted by EU and African heads of state and government meeting in Lisbon on 8 and 9 December 2007,

- having regard to the Commission Communication entitled "One year after Lisbon: The Africa-EU partnership at work" (COM(2008)0617),

- having

MAIN MESSAGES

At the midway point between their adoption in 2000 and the 2015 target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, sub-Saharan Africa is not on track to achieve any of the Goals. Although there have been major gains in several areas and the Goals remain achievable in most African nations, even the best governed countries on the continent have not been able to make sufficient progress in reducing extreme poverty in its many forms.

POVERTY & HUNGER

The Global Appeal 2007

Introduction

UNHCR's Global Appeal is published yearly to alert governmental and private sector donors, Executive Committee (ExCom) members and Standing Committee observers, Governments and their Permanent Missions in Geneva, the UN Secretariat, UN agencies, intergovernmental agencies, NGOs, regional organizations and other institutions and interested individuals to the plight of millions of refugees and others of concern to UNHCR. This tenth Global Appeal outlines the Office's strategies and programmes for 2007, and will be launched officially at UNHCR's annual

(New York: 23 May 2006): The Advisory Group on the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) today held its inaugural session at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The twelve members of the Advisory Group, who serve in their individual, expert capacities, were appointed by the Secretary-General in conformity with General Assembly resolution 60/124 of 15 December 2005. The Advisory Group provides periodic policy guidance and expert advice on the use and impact of the CERF to the Secretary-General, through the Under-Secretary-General.