{UAH} FW: 175 steps closer to climate action: This week in development news

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Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2016 21:19:00 -0500
From: info@devex.com
To: georgeokello_8@hotmail.com
Subject: 175 steps closer to climate action: This week in development news

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To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add info@devex.com to your address book. April 28, 2016 THIS WEEK'S MUST-READ DEVELOPMENT STORIES 175 steps closer to climate action: This week in development news By Michael Igoe @AlterIgoe A historic agreement leads to a record-breaking signing ceremony. A tragedy in Bangladesh, and a renewed call for action to end a deadly disease. This week in development news: 175 countries signed the Paris climate agreement on Friday — Earth Day. The mass signing ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York served as a big show of support for climate action, and it set a new record for the number of countries to sign an agreement on the first day possible. Those countries that haven't signed the agreement yet can still do so in the next year. Signing is the second of three steps to bring the climate agreement into effect. The last is that 55 countries accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions have to ratify the agreement before the parts of the Paris agreement that are legally binding actually become so. A United States Agency for International Development employee and LGBT activist was brutally murdered in Bangladesh on Monday. Xulhaz Mannan was the editor of Roopbaan, the country's only LGBT magazine. He was also a project management assistant in USAID's Democracy and Governance office and a founding member of the U.S. Embassy Diversity Committee. In a statement, USAID Administrator Gayle Smith wrote: "A dedicated and courageous advocate for human rights, Xulhaz sought to shape a society that was more diverse and inclusive. He believed in the people of Bangladesh, and he strove to make the world a better place for everyone." A friend of Mannan's was also killed in the attack. Anxiety about Australia's foreign aid budget appears well founded. As a proportion of national income, funding is set to drop to its lowest level ever. About $224 million will be cut from the country's assistance coffers in the 2016-2017 fiscal year, bringing the total aid program budget to $3.8 billion. As Devex has reported, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has continued to emphasize the role of the private sector in international development. The new aid paradigm, launched by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in June 2014, stressed that the aid program would be "underpinned" by private sector support. Monday was World Malaria Day and global health experts and advocates took the opportunity to take stock of the effort to eradicate one of the world's deadliest diseases. Despite enormous gains against the disease in recent decades, malaria still kills close to half a million people every year; and growing resistance to front-line drugs threatens current treatment and control practices. Donors, health organizations, researchers, and technology developers are all engaged in finding solutions that can outpace this adaptable killer — and the U.S. president has their back. Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration is cracking down harder on Western nongovernmental organizations with a new law that requires them to find an official Chinese sponsor and register with the police. The law is consistent with Xi's effort "to impose greater control and limit Western influences on Chinese society," according to The New York Times. "Certain types of nongovernmental organizations — like groups that work with Chinese human rights activists or lawyers — will have little chance of finding an official partner or registering with the police," the Times reported. FROM THE EDITOR Top picks this week By Devex @devex The Asian Development Bank will celebrate its 50-year anniversary at the institution's annual meetings, which start Monday in Frankfurt, Germany. In one of this week's top stories, Devex shares what we can expect from the annual gathering. We also look into the challenges of doing business in Afghanistan, a farewell to ONE Campaign's CEO, ideas for a global tax authority following the Panama leaks, and a renewed call to a forgotten cause. What to expect at the ADB annual meeting in Frankfurt On Monday, the Asian Development Bank will hold its 49th annual meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, to map out the challenges, opportunities and the future for Asia-Pacific development. Here's an exclusive Devex look what you can expect to see at the Manila-based institution's annual event. The hidden costs of doing business in Afghanistan U.S. development contractors have complained for years about Afghan officials' heavy-handed tactics to collect illegitimate taxes on U.S. foreign assistance. Now they might be finding room for cooperation. Michael Elliott bids farewell to the ONE Campaign After five years at the helm of the 7 million member advocacy organization, CEO Michael Elliott is stepping down. An inside look at the legacy he leaves behind — and the work he hasn't finished yet. In the shuffle of the 'Panama Papers,' has a global tax body emerged? The follow-up meetings to the Addis Ababa Financing for Development Conference resurrected old ghosts, and thanks to the Panama leaks, the question of who should create a global tax authority — and how — is very much on the minds of leaders. From DC with love: A diaspora's fight to bring back the girls When the social media craze around #BringBackOurGirls died down, Omolola Adele-Oso found she needed to bring back the focus by trying a different approach. Devex caught up with the Act4Accountability founder to find out what's next for the advocacy organization. SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT Summer Human Rights Institute, New York City July 18 – 29, 2016 The Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School is pleased to announce the 2016 Summer Human Rights Institute, to be held July 18-29 in the heart of New York City, on Fordham Law's Lincoln Center campus. Designed for students and professionals from around the world, this two-week certificate program provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and application of international human rights law. Participants take part in daily lectures and workshops with Fordham Law professors, supplemented by field trips and discussions with members of New York's prominent human rights community. Early registration discounts are available and a limited number of spaces are available in Fordham's student-style dormitory on the Lincoln Center campus. Participants are also welcome to arrange their own accommodations elsewhere. Register by May 29 and save $250! For a full list of our summer offerings — including Legal English and Communications Skills and our Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership Course — please visit: Summer at the Leitner Center, Fordham Law School, NYC SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT Developing monitoring and evaluation capacity: A good solution David Hearle, a founding director of IMA and former director of effective development at GRM Futures, now focuses on developing M&E capacity among development practitioners. David launches a three-day "Key Principles: M&E for International Development Course" in Bangkok, Thailand, from June 1-3. The course assumes zero or limited skills and knowledge of monitoring and evaluation. Ideal for those working in M&E but with no formal training. A broad overview of M&E is covered through a series of lectures, exercises and discussions. Tools, templates and reference materials are provided in a USB flash drive. The course costs $490. David is also offering a one-day M&E Boot Camp on June 6 in Bangkok for $150. David is able to offer both courses for development organizations anywhere in the world at great rates. Slots are limited so register soon. A 10 percent discount will be given if you mention this post in your email. Contact: david.hearle@impactmanagementinternational.com Global Development Briefing - Your inside guide to the week's must-read development stories. Copyright 2016 Unauthorized commercial reapplication, reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Manage your newsletter subscriptions | Read the latest Devex News | RSS Feed Connect with us Devex is the media platform for the global development community. Corporate Headquarters: 1341 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA Main +1.202.249.9222  |  Fax +1.202.318.2456   www.devex.com

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