ENVIRONMENT-EUROPE: Education Ministers Step In

Representatives from 51 countries agreed at a three-day conference in Belgrade this week to undertake new environmental improvements to build sustainable development.

Q&A: "No Cookie-Cutter Solution to Sanitation Crisis"

As the United Nations finalises plans to launch the "International Year of Sanitation 2008" in mid-November, South Korea is leading a global campaign to help resolve one of the world's most neglected health issues.

DEVELOPMENT: World Losing Fight Against Hunger

At the midpoint between the Millennium Development Declaration in 2000 and the deadline of 2015, the majority of developing countries are failing to meet two key Millennium Development Goals, according to a report released here Friday by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

CUBA: Social Beefs, Proposals Voiced in Widespread Debates

Like Pandora’s box, the popular debates promoted by acting Cuban President Raúl Castro have brought to light countless problems that affect the daily lives of Cubans, who are now hoping to see their proposals for solutions on the official agenda in the short or medium term.

HEALTH-SWAZILAND: Septic Tanks Preferred to the Latest in Sewage Treatment

Located on the outskirts of Swaziland's commercial hub, the state of the art Manzini Waste Treatment Centre was built to end the city's sewage disposal problems. A World Bank loan was secured by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to construct the 16 million dollar facility: a spotless, landscaped plant which has a lifespan of 25 years.

MAURITIUS: ‘‘Exporting Monkeys for Research Helps Conservation’’

Some 10,000 macaque monkeys, considered a nuisance in Mauritius, were exported last year to the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan to be used in medical research.

EGYPT: After Summer Shortages, Promise of Water Runs Dry

This summer saw a spate of severe water shortages throughout the country, leading to numerous protests by frustrated - and thirsty - citizens. Egypt has seen its share of political demonstrations in recent years, but the latest water protests are the first time that ordinary people have taken to the streets to demand a basic service.

TRADE: Development Underlined in Doha Talks

Developing countries say they are committed to conclude the languishing Doha round of trade negotiations only on the basis of the "developmental" goals enshrined in the mandate, warning that they will not be cowed down by renewed efforts by the United States to shift the blame for raising constructive proposals.

COTE D’IVOIRE: Educating Children on the Job

Nibon Soro and Kartenin Silué, two children living in the Korhogo region of northern Côte d'Ivoire, should be in school. But, farm duties - and their family's poverty - stand in the way of education.

DEVELOPMENT: World Bank Chief Vows "Inclusive" Globalisation

Robert Zoellick, the World Bank president, pledged on Wednesday his agency would ensure that the world's poorest people share in the benefits of economic globalisation.

CHILE: International Campaign for a Dam-Free Patagonia

"Patagonia is THE symbol of nature in the world," says U.S. lawyer Aaron Sanger, who is leading an international campaign against Hidroaysén, a joint venture that is planning to build five huge hydroelectric stations in the south of Chile.

EUROPE: &#39Aid for Sexual Health Declining&#39

The European Union is "not delivering" on promises to increase aid for contraception and sex education in poor countries, family planning advocates have declared.

DEVELOPMENT-PAKISTAN: Monster Banner Against Poverty Coming Up

When Shareefan Bibi, who works as a labourer at a brick kiln in this town 70 km from Lahore city, heard of the monster banner against poverty being put together she wanted to sign on it.

CUBA: Ecomaterials for Low-Cost, Hurricane-Proof Housing

Low-income Cuban families now have a greater chance of having a home of their own thanks to a prize-winning construction method that uses strong, locally-produced alternative materials.

INDIA: Tribals Get an Education – Through Their Children

"I’d like to be a teacher to help educate our people," says Neeta Kantha, a 14-year-old student at the Gram Vikas (Village Development) high school here for adivasi (tribal) children. "I too want to be a teacher,’’ chimes in her classmate Vijayalakshmi.

ENVIRONMENT-PERU: Joining Forces to Save the Mantaro River

Social organisations in Peru have joined forces to save the Mantaro river, which is being killed by pesticides, untreated sewage, and the waste products dumped by the mining industry.

Q&A: &#39We Do Not Want to Halve Poverty: Eradicate It&#39

Sylvia Borren is one of the three co-chairs of GCAP, together with Kumi Naidoo (Secretary General of Civicus) and Ana Agostino (Member of GCAP's Feminist Taskforce).

ASIA-PACIFIC: MDGs Progress Unknown for Lack of Data

In a moment of rare candour, officials from a regional United Nations body and the Asia Development Bank (AsDB) admitted that studies to gauge progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are hampered by out-of-date information.

Q&A: &#39Listen to the Rural Poor&#39

The world's rural poor are hardest hit by climate change. But their concerns do not draw the focus of public debate, says Lennart Båge, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome.

LATIN AMERICA: The Rights of Native People Living in Nature Reserves

Far from being uninhabited places where nature holds sway, the vast majority of Latin America’s protected areas are places where people live, so a balance has to be found between conservation goals and the need to reduce poverty.

BRAZIL: Community Action Beats Back Adversity

When the town of Pintadas dared elect a mayor from the leftist Workers Party (PT) in 1996, the retaliation was immediate: the conservative government of the state of Bahia closed the only bank in this small, impoverished town in northeastern Brazil.