Codex Alimentarius Adopts New Food Safety Recommendations
A joint United Nations commission on food safety this week has set several new standards on level of lead, arsenic and drugs appearing in food.
Intellectual Property Watch
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Category United Nations – other
UN Human Rights Report Finds Significant Harm, Possible Illegality, In Mass Surveillance
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay today released a report criticising government mass surveillance, including the coercion of companies to release individuals’ information without their knowledge or consent. This activity is “severely hindering” accountability in human rights violations, and that governments must prove the legality of their actions, she said.
With 51 Ratifications, Nagoya Protocol To Enter Into Force In October
The Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources will enter into force on 12 October, following the ratification of 12 more countries last week.
360 Applicants Bid For Top WIPO Posts; Selection Process Underway
The World Intellectual Property Organization is currently engaged in an unprecedented process for the selection of the new top management team to serve under recently re-elected Director General Francis Gurry. The open call for applicants resulted in some 360 applications from around the world, including from the upper echelons of WIPO itself, according to sources.
UN Human Rights Council Takes Actions On Internet Rights, Corporations
At its recent session, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the internet. It also addressed a legally binding instrument on corporations’ responsibility to ensure human rights.
WHO Report On NCDs Praises Efforts By Countries, But Not Enough
A World Health Organization report launched yesterday showed progress has been achieved in the fight against non-communicable diseases but it has been uneven, as some 38 million people die each year from those diseases.
Seed Treaty Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary; Focus On Funding, Collaborations
The International Seed Treaty held a celebratory high-level event recently to mark the tenth anniversary of its entry into force.
Hamamoto Is New US Ambassador To UN In Geneva
The United Nations Office in Geneva today announced the official arrival of the new ambassador of the United States to the UN in Geneva, Pamela Hamamoto.
Imbalances In Global Economy Have Not Improved In 50 Years, Developing Countries Say
To mark the 50th anniversary of the funding of the Group of 77 developing countries. the group published a declaration reaffirming the needs of developing countries. The group, they said, was established to address imbalances in the global economy which still prevail today.
New Corporate Governance Model From UNEP-Industry Partnership
A corporate sustainability-centred model of governance is the subject of a new report issued by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Finance Initiative, a UN-private sector initiative.
Looking Forward To Inclusion, 10 Years After World Summit On Information Society
This week, governments and stakeholders have been taking stock nearly 10 years after 2005 UN-led World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and working to set new goals for the future. One thing seems clear: a full information society has not been achieved yet, and these issues may form part of the post-2015 development agenda at the UN.
UN Advisor Denounces Junk Food As ‘Culprit’ In Rising NCDs, Calls For Change
Governments must assert the human right to health and take action against the massive rise in obesity globally, brought about by the widespread availability and pervasive marketing of unhealthy “junk” foods, Anand Grover, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, urged today.