Australia has joined the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and over twenty other governments in a commitment to beat hunger and improve nutrition. Signed at a Summit in London on June 8, the Global Nutrition for Growth Compact will bind the international community in its efforts to make nutrition one of the world’s top development priorities.

Everyday more than 8,000 children across the world die from complications caused by a lack of nutrition. In some countries such as Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Cambodia and Laos, over 40 per cent of children are stunted.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, expressed grave concern today over the safety and security of nine North Koreans who were reportedly deported from Laos to China.

According to information shared with UNHCR, the group of nine - including five children - were arrested in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on 10 May and deported to the People’s Republic of China on 27 May. UNHCR is concerned that the deported individuals did not have a chance to have their asylum claims assessed.

A new road linking rural communities to a vital district centre has been completed thanks to a WFP food-for-work project in rural Laos. The project is part of WFP's Livelihood Initiatives for Nutrition (LIN) programme, designed to support remote communities in northern Laos with high rates of stunting (children too short for their age).

This report covers the period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012

Description

The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) was established in May 2000 and provides direct grant assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in developing member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) while fostering long-term socioeconomic development. The grants target poverty reduction initiatives with the direct participation of nongovernment organizations, community groups, and civil society.

FOREWORD BY THE DIRECTOR

In 2012, the GICHD’s work was guided by the new Strategy 2012-2014 and its two key objectives, which are to accelerate progress towards global clarity on the extent of contamination and to enhance the capacities of national authorities in mine-affected countries.

L’Allemagne, la République populaire démocratique lao et des représentants de la lutte antimines aux Nations Unies ont présenté, cet après-midi, à New York, plusieurs manifestations organisées dans le cadre de la Journée internationale pour la sensibilisation au problème des mines et l’assistance à la lutte antimines, observée chaque année le 4 avril.

Today mark’s International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action and is a reminder to the global community that landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war continue to maim and kill thousands of people around the world.

These explosive remnants of war are an enduring legacy of conflict, and contaminate more than 70 countries, and kill and injure more than 4,000 people each year, including children. They contaminate farmer’s fields, forests, roads, pathways depriving people of agricultural land and essential services.

Joint media release

• Senator the Hon. Bob Carr, Minister for Foreign Affairs

• The Hon. Stephen Smith MP, Minister for Defence

• The Hon. Mark Dreyfus QC MP, Special Minister of State, Attorney General, Minister for Emergency Management, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity

1 April 2013

Australia has become a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions with legislation commencing today (April 1, 2013) making it an offence in Australia to develop, keep or transfer land mines or cluster munitions.