Mobilising people to seek economic and social justice has always been at the heart of our work. We believe that charity should never be a substitute for justice and every year we work to bring about a just world where people's dignity is guaranteed, their rights are respected and where they can meet their basic needs.

In the financial year from March 2006 to February 2007, we approved programmes to a value of €49.9m across six regions and 39 countries. In line with previous years, just over 50 per cent of funding went to Africa, with the remainder split between Asia

This report contains an overview of the thematic discussions, working groups and other reflections which occurred during the forum on children's involvement in armed groups held in Chateau de Bossey, Celigny, Switzerland in July 2006 by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (the Coalition).

Four key themes emerged from the forum (the legal framework that applies to armed groups and accountability; the challenges of engaging with armed groups; community engagement and mobilization; and international advocacy) and this report provides their overview, reflecting

People have gone missing as long as men have been fighting wars. The plight of people missing in armed conflict and the suffering of their families has been a consistent concern to the ICRC. This specially commissioned report, written by an independent journalist, turns the spotlight onto the plight of missing persons and their families.

Testimonies, stories and strong quotations have been compiled to produce an emotive portrayal of this silent tragedy. It is intended to highlight the human suffering that is faced by the families

While only a small percentage of refugees from around the world get resettled to a third country each year, much can be learned from them about the services that were available to them during displacement and how those services assisted or failed to assist with integration and adjustment to their new country. Many of the lessons learned and services provided as part of the resettlement and integration process may also be applicable in situations of displacement, as well as in cases of return/reintegration to the country of origin or local integration in the country of asylum.

At a time when the world faces many new and recurring threats, the ambitious aim of this year's world health report is to show how collective international public health action can build a safer future for humanity.

This is the overall goal of global public health security. For the purposes of this report, global public health security is defined as the activities required, both proactive and reactive, to minimize vulnerability to acute public health events that endanger the collective health of populations living across geographical regions and international boundaries.

The publication of the first ever White Paper on Irish Aid in September stands out as the major event of 2006. The White Paper was the result of wide public consultation. It explains in clear terms why we give aid and provides a blueprint for our development assistance and for new initiatives at a time of considerable expansion of the Irish Aid programme.

Ireland's official development aid reached €814 million in 2006, ensuring that we are firmly on course to reach the target of spending 0.7 percent of Gross National Income on overseas

The first issue of HREA's Research in Human Rights Education Papers Series has appeared. The paper is a comparative study on models of human rights training. "Human Rights Training for Adults: What Twenty-six Evaluation Studies Say About Design, Implementation and Follow-Up" examines trainings for human rights defenders, police officers, government officials and the general public. Among its main recommendations are:

1) programmes need to more consistently deliver the interactive, experiential and transformative adult education

By Ranga Sirilal

COLOMBO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Hundreds of relatives of Sri Lankan civilians who have disappeared amid renewed civil war between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government on Wednesday to find them.

Rights groups say hundreds of people, many of them minority ethnic Tamils, have been reported abducted or disappeared this year and 1,000 more in 2006. Rebels, paramilitaries, elements of the security forces, and underworld gangs have all been blamed.

Under international pressure to investigate

This report covers the period of 01/01/2007 to 31/05/2007 of the 2006-2007 appeal.

In a world of global challenges, continued poverty, inequity, and increasing vulnerability to disasters and disease, the International Federation with its global network, works to accomplish its Global Agenda, partnering with local community and civil society to prevent and alleviate human suffering from disasters, diseases and public health emergencies.

In brief

Programme Summary:

Most of the project activities mentioned in the revised appeal (Programme Update 2) are on track and proceeding