News Archive
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HSRC announces two significant national health surveys
27 January 2012
Two significant national surveys will be conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) this year.
The two studies will provide a comprehensive assessment of the health, behaviour, HIV, and nutritional status of the people of South Africa – information crucial to understanding the health of South Africans to date and to guide future strategies and programmes.
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World leaders to debate Sustainable Development Goals
26 January 2012
It is being reported that countries attending June’s Rio+20 environment conference will be asked to sign up for 10 new sustainable development goals, and promise to build green economies.
The exact content of the new global sustainable development goals (SDGs) will be decided by governments before the Rio meeting and will not be introduced until 2015. However, they are expected to cover “priority” areas such as oceans, food, energy, water, consumption and sustainable cities. They will also be asked to negotiate a new agreement to approve an annual state of the planet report, set up a major world agency for the environment, and appoint a global “ombudsperson”, or high commissioner, for future generations.
These goals would complement the poverty-reduction Millenium Development Goals set by 192 countries in 2000, due to hit their deadline in 2015.
A just-released summit draft is being met with a mixed welcome from environment and development groups.
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Human Rights Watch releases World Report 2012
24 January 2012
The just-released 22nd annual World Report summarises human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide in 2011.
It reflects extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch staff has undertaken during the year, often in close partnership with domestic human rights activists.
Unsurprisingly, events in the Middle East and North Africa receive much investigation and analysis in this edition, in addition to: violations of the laws of war in Libya and Afghanistan; the plight of political prisoners in Vietnam and Eritrea; the silencing of dissent in China and Cuba; internet crackdowns in Iran and Thailand; killings by security forces in India and Mexico; election-related problems in Russia and the Democratic Republic of Congo; mistreatment of migrants in Western Europe; neglectful maternal health policies in Haiti and South Africa; the suppression of religious freedom in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia; torture in Pakistan and Uzbekistan; discrimination against people with disabilities in Nepal and Peru; and detention without trial in Malaysia and by the United States.
The South African overview also reports on issues of freedom of expression, vulnerable workers, women’s rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, refugee rights and our international role.
You can download the full report on the Human Rights Watch website, and the South African chater here.
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Conserve biodiversity for economic development
According to a new study published in the journal BioScience, if poor people were paid for the services they provide in preserving some of the world’s key biodiversity hotspots, they could reap $500bn.
