Dialogue with Islamic courts and compliance of L’Aquila Commitment for sustainable agricultural development essential to address drought in the Horn of Africa

Districts affected by

drought in 2011

On 25 July government and civil society representatives from around the globe gathered in Rome at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s headquarters to discuss emergency relief and funding gaps for the people affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa

According to government representatives, U.N. officials and nonprofit representatives the response was not activated too late to last year’s early warnings

Districts affected by
drought in 2006

While the distribution of food was guaranted in Ethiopia, in Kenya and in northern-central Somalia, a big challenge is in south Somalia, a region mainly controlled by the Islamic courts. In Somalia, a country affected by a constant conflict in the last 20 years; eight regions are in the hands of Al-Shabab, who forbid international organizations from operating with specialized staff coming from abroad. Therefore, by learning from the past it is essential not too repeat the error made with the drought in 2006 when the international community refused the dialogue with the Islamic courts. it is time to start a dialogue with Al-Shabab as it controls eight regions in central-southern Somalia.

Official Map Horn of Africa
 United Nations

Another issue of concern is the fact that the donor countries just respected only the 22 % of the pledges made for agriculture, for food security through the the L’Aquila commitment for sustainable agricultural development in 2009.

UN WOMEN launched report on the status of women around the world

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In doing so, UN Member States took an historic step in accelerating the Organization’s goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The creation of UN Women is part of the UN reform agenda, rationalizing resources and mandates for greater impact.

UN Women aims at:

• Support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms.
• Help Member States to implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to those countries that request it, and to forge effective partnerships with civil society.
• hold the UN system accountable for its own commitments on gender equality, including regular monitoring of system-wide progress.

2008/2009 edition of the Report

9 August 2011 - International Day of the World's Indigenous People

In 1994, the UN General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous People shall be observed on 9 August every year during the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (Resolution 49/214 of 23 December). The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

The UN General Assembly had proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World's Indigenous People, and the same year, the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, starting on 10 December 1994 (Resolution 48/163). The goal of the First Decade was to strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment, development, education and health.

In 2004, the UN General Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples through Resolution 59/174. The goal of the Second Decade is to further the "strengthening of international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development, by means of action-oriented programs and specific projects, increase technical assistance, and relevant standard-setting activities".

UN Permanent Forum
on Indigenous Issues

The theme of the 17th commemoration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples will focus on "Indigenous designs: celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own future.".
The event is organized by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues DSPD/DESA, the United Nations Department of Public Information, and the NGO Committee on the Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

Below you can see the video Kalimantan's Craft; Harmony of Culture and Nature  which will be screen on 9th July 2011 at the ECOSOC Chamber of the North Lawn Building (NLB) of UN Headquarters in New York



More info:
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Cultural survival