AGRICULTURE: South-South Trade Set to Rise Over Next Decade

Over the next decade, South-South trade will account for an increasing share of global agricultural trade flows, according to a new report by FAO and the OECD released Tuesday.

LABOUR: ILO to Investigate Violations in Colombia

Trade unionists have secured a commitment from the Colombian government to invite an International Labour Organisation (ILO) mission to the country to investigate reports of violations of the freedom of association and assassinations of labour leaders and workers.

TRADE: Oxfam Accuses Wealthy Nations of Cheating

The industrialised world is acting with "duplicity" in the WTO Doha Round trade negotiations, which threatens to turn the whole round of development talks into a farce, according to the international humanitarian organisation Oxfam.

HEALTH: Teach What You Preach, WHO Tells Doctors on No Tobacco Day

The first battle in the war on tobacco needs to be fought among health care professionals, who are a trusted source of information and advice or their patients and are therefore uniquely qualified to encourage others to kick this deadly habit.

LABOUR: 26 Percent Unemployment in Palestinian Territories

The Palestinian National Authority, the Israeli government, and the international community must make every effort to help ensure decent jobs for the men and women in the occupied Arab territories, recommends a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

HEALTH: Activists Question True Magnitude of Bird Flu Threat

While a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report has sparked fears of a worldwide bird flu pandemic, civil society activists charge that these worries have been blown out of proportion.

UZBEKISTAN: Uprising Triggered by Rights Violations, Say Activists

The popular uprising and subsequent crackdown by government troops that left hundreds dead in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan confirm the international community's concern over human rights violations in this central Asian nation.

UZBEKISTAN: Uprising Triggered by Rights Violations, Say Activists

The popular uprising and subsequent crackdown by government troops that left hundreds dead in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan confirm the international community's concern over human rights violations in this central Asian nation.

TRADE: WTO Leadership Race Now a North-South Contest

The final stage in the process of appointing a new World Trade Organisation (WTO) chief kicked off Monday with two candidates virtually from opposite ends of the world, in terms of both geography and level of development: Uruguay's Carlos Pérez del Castillo and France's Pascal Lamy.

HEALTH: Despite Modest Advances, Malaria Still a Major Killer in Africa

Despite the promising advances made in the prevention and treatment of malaria around the world, the disease continues to represent a major challenge in Africa, where the overwhelming majority of deaths now take place.

TRADE: WTO Talks Threaten Health, Environmental Standards, Activists Warn

World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations on non-agricultural market access have already been bogged down by seemingly insurmountable obstacles to reaching a consensus on reducing or eliminating tariffs on the products encompassed, which are essentially industrial goods.

HUMAN RIGHTS: U.N. Commission Sets ‘Deadline’ for Colombian Gov’t

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights underlined on Friday the need for the Colombian government to present a timetable, by the middle of the year, for implementing the U.N. body's recommendations for putting an end to abuses against civilians committed in the context of the country's civil war.

HUMAN RIGHTS: UN Commission Recognises Caste Discrimination

The discrimination faced by over 260 million Dalits in South Asia and other - lower caste" communities elsewhere in the world has finally been acknowledged by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

HUMAN RIGHTS: Gay and Lesbian Rights Postponed Yet Again

For the third year in a row, discussion and voting on a Brazilian resolution addressing sexual diversity has been postponed at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which is wrapping up its 61st annual session this week.

CHILDREN: Educating Girls – A Wise Investment

If you truly want a significant return on your investment, first of all invest in education, and particularly invest in making sure girls obtain an education, recommends Carol Bellamy.

RIGHTS: UN Commission to Address Abuses in Guantanamo and ‘War on Terrorism’

During the last week of its 61st annual session, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights will have to deal with two of the touchiest issues on the international agenda today: the situation of the prisoners at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, and rights violations committed in the name of fighting terrorism.

RIGHTS: Vote Against Cuba in UN Commission Could Have Further Repercussions

The vote on Cuba in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights once more ended this year in a condemnation of the Caribbean nation's human rights record, a result that could have repercussions on the island's relations with the EU, and even on the OAS leadership race.

RIGHTS: Activists Expect Harsher Statement on Colombia, in UN Commission

Colombian activists believe that this year's session of the United Nation Commission on Human Rights will issue a more harshly worded declaration than ever on the atrocities being committed in their civil war-torn country.

HUMAN RIGHTS: Nepal Avoids Censure Resolution in UN Commission

By signing a last-minute agreement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Nepal avoided condemnation by the international community Monday for the abuses committed by government security forces.

HUMAN RIGHTS: Activists Call for Firm Action on Nepal

Leading civil society groups pressed the United Nations Commission on Human Rights this week to adopt a resolution condemning the regime in Nepal, where hundreds of protesters were arrested Friday.

HUMAN RIGHTS: UN Commission Must Get Tough on Colombia, Say Activists

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights must urgently shake itself from its slumber on Colombia, because "we are going to have a destroyed country on our hands," warn activists.