Copyright (c) UN. All rights reserved.http://social.un.org/index/Lastest News from Division for Social Policy and Development.en-US16 May 2012 15:07:06http://social.un.org/indexhttp://social.un.org/index/Home/tabid/40/news/254/Default.aspxWork-family balance lies at the core of the ability of the family to provide economically and emotionally for its members. A variety of strategies to help families cope with work and family responsibilities is being used around the world. In the majority of developing countries, however, reconciliation of work and family life policies competes with a large number of development priorities. Moreover, access to work-family balance support systems is chiefly in the formal and regulated labour markets while many workers in the informal sector face not only family-unfriendly but also dangerous work environments. Global employment protection is then needed to secure better working conditions, especially for poor working families.  Family-friendly strategies facilitating work-family balance have a key role in supporting parents to raise the next generation of children and ensure harmonious family relations. Work-family balance policies also demonstrate Governments commitment to the well-being of families and employers’ social responsibility and contribute to successful labour relations, employee health and well-being, gender equality and child welfare.  It is important to share knowledge  about good practices in work-family balance being implemented and advocated for by Governments, private sector, civil society and academic institutions. Promoting professional support and advice and efforts to create a more family-friendly culture in the workplace are equally important. Wide-ranging consultation and partnerships between employers, trade unions and employees to promote better understanding of the importance of work-family reconciliation is strongly encouraged to improve the well-being of families worldwide. The 2012 observance of the International Day of Families, with a theme on "Ensuring work family balance” will be organized by the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in cooperation with the New York NGO Committee on the Family.  A panel discussion will take place on 15 May (1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.) in Conference room 6 (NLB) at UN Headquarters in New York.  Mon, 14 May 2012 04:00:00 GMTDESANewshttp://social.un.org/indexhttp://social.un.org/index/IndigenousPeoples/NewsandMedia/tabid/1615/news/257/Default.aspxFive years after the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted, a great deal remains to be done to realize the objectives contained in that landmark document, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today. “We continue to hear stories of struggles and exploitation of indigenous peoples around the world. It is time for those stories to change,” Ms. Migiro said at the opening of the 11th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, at UN Headquarters in New York. “Let us instead move towards the day when indigenous peoples are heard, listened to and empowered.” Almost 2,000 indigenous participants from all regions of the world are taking part in the two-week session, engaging with members of the Forum, Member States and UN agencies on advancing the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples, who number some 370 million worldwide. Issues to be discussed during the session include the rights of indigenous peoples to food and food sovereignty, the situation of indigenous peoples in places such as Central and Eastern Europe, the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples slated for 2014, and the special theme of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ – the way courts justified the annexing of indigenous lands – and the right to redress for past conquests. “For 11 years, different voices and different languages have united in this Forum behind one, single demand: recognition and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples,” Ms. Migiro noted. “Together, we have worked to define priorities and programmes for sustainable and culturally appropriate development. We agree that there can be no development for indigenous peoples without the involvement of indigenous peoples in every step, and only with their free, prior and informed consent,” she added. While these are fundamental principles enshrined in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, one need not look far to find indigenous peoples facing discrimination, persecution, displacement – even extinction, the Deputy Secretary-General said. “There are indigenous communities that lack clean drinking water, whose children go hungry, whose women suffer gross abuses and never see the perpetrators brought to justice,” she stated. “A great deal remains to be done to see the objectives of the UN Declaration become a reality.” Adopted by the General Assembly in September 2007 after more than two decades of debate, the Declaration is a non-binding text that sets out the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, as well as their rights to culture, identity, language, employment, health, education and other issues. On 17 May, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will convene a high-level event to mark the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, reflect on good practices and assess the document’s role in fulfilling the rights of the world’s indigenous peoples. Ms. Migiro also pointed out that the theme of this year’s session, the ‘Doctrine of Discovery,’ highlights the roots of many egregious violations of indigenous peoples’ collective and individual rights. “We must acknowledge what has happened and recognize past abuses. We must remember in order to learn, understand and do better,” she said. “These are the foundations that will allow us to build a future based on mutual respect, equity and justice.” Addressing a news conference on the margins of the session, the Chairperson of the Permanent Forum, Grand Chief Edward John, discussed the doctrine of discovery as he recalled his experiences at an Indian residential school in Canada. “Those schools were premised on this idea that indigenous peoples were inferior to the general population; their cultures and civilizations were inferior; their languages were not to be spoken; children had to be taken from their families and communities and placed in these institutions to begin the gradual civilization and ‘Christianization’ of our peoples, as if our history and our culture and our languages were not important,” he said. Established by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2000, the Forum is comprised of 16 independent experts who provide advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the UN system, raises awareness and promotes integration within the UN system, and disseminates information on indigenous issues. Source: UN News Centre  Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:00 GMTDESANewshttp://social.un.org/indexhttp://social.un.org/index/Youth/NewsandEvents/tabid/146/news/256/Default.aspxIn both developed and developing countries, youth unemployment and underemployment rates have reached alarming levels.  According to the latest figures from the International Labour Organization, an unprecedented 81 million young people were unemployed and many more are underemployed and working in jobs of poor quality. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is holding a youth forum,“Creating a Sustainable Future: Empowering Youth with Better Job Opportunities” on 4 May 2012 at the United Nations Headquarters, New York City. This event is organized jointly by UN DESA and the Department of Public Information (DPI). In July 2012, Member States, policymakers, civil society organizations, and representatives of academia and the private sector will meet in New York during the high-level segment of the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council to address the challenge of increasing productive capacity and promoting employment and decent work.  This requires a comprehensive, inter-generational, cross-cultural, and cross-sectoral approach that is impossible without the participation of Governments, youth, and all segments of society. The 4 May Forum has been organized as a contribution to the Economic and Social Council high-level segment by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in the Department of Public Information and the Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination (OESC) in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.  . The outcome of the meeting will be shared with Member States at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development-Rio+20, to take place in Brazil, in June 2012, and also during the Economic and Social Council high-level session in July 2012. Building on the International Year of Youth, the Youth Forum will focus on addressing various challenges facing today’s youth, including the availability of jobs.  The foremost outcome of the Forum will be a list of recommended actions for Governments, the international community, civil society, the private sector, and youth to effectively address youth employment issues within the context of the current global economic and financial situation.  The forum will also be expected to provide a platform for youth to engage in dialogue with various stakeholders to explore possible solutions to create economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable jobs, which eventually will lead to the “Future We Want”. The Youth Forum will take the format of interactive dialogue sessions entitled “Training and Education to Facilitate Access to Job Market” and “Promoting Youth Employment — Creating Jobs for a More Sustainable Future”, tailored to accommodate lively discussions in which youth themselves are encouraged to freely participate.  Through the Forum, young people will have an opportunity not only to make their voice heard, but also exchange their views and ideas with multiple stakeholders.  Worldwide, youth representatives will attend the event via videolink and in person. The Forum will open with a welcoming address by Economic and Social Council President Miloš Koterec, followed by remarks by Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro.  Speakers and moderators will include Ronan Farrow, Special Adviser to the United States Secretary of State for Global Youth Issues, Rishi Jaitly, Program Director, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Dr. Gernot Wagner, from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, and Danielle Fong, Chief Science Officer and Co-founder, LightSail Energy.  Department of Economic and Social Affairs Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang and Department of Public Information Acting Head Maher Nasser will deliver closing remarks. Source: UN-DESAFri, 04 May 2012 04:00:00 GMTDESANewshttp://social.un.org/indexhttp://social.un.org/index/IndigenousPeoples/NewsandMedia/tabid/1615/news/255/Default.aspxWhere data exist, they show that levels of hunger and malnutrition among indigenous peoples are much higher than among the non-indigenous population. Indigenous peoples and their right to food and food sovereignty will be one of the focus of the Eleventh Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), to be held at UN Headquarters in New York from 7 to 18 May 2012.  Understanding what the right to food means to indigenous peoples goes beyond merely examining statistics on hunger, malnutrition or poverty. It encompasses indigenous peoples’ own particular conceptions of food, hunger, and subsistence. It has to be understood as a collective right, where food procurement and consumption of food are part of culture, as well as of social, economic and political organization. In addition, subsistence activities such as hunting, fishing and gathering are essential not only to their right to food, but to nurturing their cultures, languages, social life and identity. The few available data on indigenous peoples’ nutrition shows that inappropriate development efforts often intensify the marginalization, poverty and food insecurity of indigenous peoples. Addressing the lack of disaggregated data on the situation of indigenous peoples, including on the extent if hunger and malnutrition, has been indicated as a key priority by the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues. Traditional food jeopardized The realization of indigenous peoples’ right to food depends crucially on their access to and control over the natural resources in the land and territories they occupy or use. Industrial development, especially mining and logging, as well as urban sprawl have polluted land, water and air. The creation of reserves, national parks, private lands and over-fishing have further reduced the areas and resources available to indigenous hunters, fishers and gatherers. Changing environmental conditions due to climate change that jeopardize traditional food species further exacerbate food insecurity. Recent practices violating indigenous peoples’ intellectual property rights – such as “bioprospecting” or “biopiracy” – pose a threat to indigenous peoples’ genetic resources and traditional knowledge. Indigenous peoples want to be consulted about the ways their knowledge is used, and to equitably share in any benefits. Food as a social indicator of existence Over the years indigenous peoples have expressed deep concerns over the obstacles and challenges their communities face in fully enjoying their right to food. Indigenous peoples have urged the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food to address these issues as a separate question to his work. The Declaration of Atitlán drafted at the First Indigenous Peoples’ Global Consultation on the Right to Food in April 2002 in Guatemala stated that the denial of the Right to Food for Indigenous Peoples is a denial of their collective indigenous existence, because it not only denies their physical survival, but also their social organization, cultures, traditions, languages, spirituality, sovereignty, and total identity. Source: UNDESA NewsterTue, 01 May 2012 04:00:00 GMTDESANewshttp://social.un.org/indexhttp://social.un.org/index/Youth/NewsandEvents/tabid/146/news/253/Default.aspx The global employment situation is alarming, says a new United Nations report, which also warns that recovery is not expected any time soon. The World of Work Report 2012: Better Jobs for a Better Economy – published by the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) – says that around 50 million jobs are still missing compared to the situation that existed before the global economic crisis. It also warns that the global jobs crisis is likely to get worse due to several factors, including the fact that many governments, especially in advanced economies, have shifted their priority to a combination of fiscal austerity and tough labour market reforms. Such measures are having “devastating” consequences on labour markets in general and job creation in particular, ILO stated in a news release. “The narrow focus of many Eurozone countries on fiscal austerity is deepening the jobs crisis and could even lead to another recession in Europe,” said the Director of the ILO Institute for International Labour Studies and lead author of the report, Raymond Torres. “Countries that have chosen job-centred macroeconomic policies have achieved better economic and social outcomes,” he added. “Many of them have also become more competitive and have weathered the crisis better than those that followed the austerity path. We can look carefully at the experience of those countries and draw lessons.” Another factor leading to a worsening jobs crisis is that many jobseekers in advanced economies are demoralized and are losing skills, something which is affecting their chances of finding a new job. In addition, small companies have limited access to credit, which in turn is depressing investment and preventing employment creation. “In these countries, especially in Europe, job recovery is not expected before the end of 2016 – unless there is a dramatic shift in policy direction,” according to ILO. Other factors include the fact that, in most advanced economies, many of the new jobs are precarious and there exists the possibility of increased social unrest in many parts of the world. According to the report’s Social Unrest Index, 57 out of 106 countries with available information showed a risk of increased social unrest in 2011 compared to 2010. The regions with the largest increases are sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa. The report argues that if a job-friendly policy-mix of taxation and increased expenditure in public investment and social benefits is put in place, approximately two million jobs could be created over the next year in advanced economies. Among the other findings of the report is that employment rates have only increased in six of the 36 advanced economies since 2007 – Austria, Germany,Israel, Luxembourg, Malta and Poland – and that youth unemployment rates have increased in about 80 per cent of advanced countries and two-thirds of developing countries. Source: UN News Centre   Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMTDESANews