The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are failing the world's poorest people because governments are ignoring and abusing their human rights, Amnesty International said as heads of states prepare to meet to review progress on the MDGs at a United Nations (UN) summit in New York on 20-22 September. More than a billion people living in slums are not even included in MDG efforts because the MDG target on slums only commits to improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers.

Scientists in the UK say they have devised a new ultra-sensitive test which can diagnose the presence of the tuberculosis bacterium in one hour. The test has been developed by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Its developers claim the test can spot all strains of the disease and could reduce both the incidence and the consequences of the disease worldwide.

The heads of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have called for a broad global commitment to policies that focus on creating jobs to reverse the economic downturn be devilling the world. The call was made at a conference in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, hosted by the country's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and co-sponsored by the IMF and the ILO.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a mandate to work for the identification, prevention and reduction of statelessness worldwide as well as the protection of stateless persons. On the basis of this mandate, the UNHCR’s Regional Representation for Western Europe in Brussels plans to undertake an interdisciplinary research project covering the demographic, social and legal aspects of statelessness in Belgium. The goal is to provide an overview of the socio-demographic profile of stateless persons in Belgium and to examine the legal situation pertaining to such persons.

The IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) is pleased to announce a call for applications for threatened academics whose lives and work are in danger in their home countries. Fellowships support temporary academic positions at safe universities and colleges anywhere in the world. Professors, researchers, and lecturers from any country or field may apply. Please refer eligible candidates and forward this announcement to any academic colleagues who may be interested.

The Tipping Point Film Fund launches its very own Film Club at The Lexi Cinema in Kensal Rise on Monday 20 September with a screening of Stephanie Black’s award-winning ‘Life and Debt‘. The film, which starts at 7.15pm, will be followed by a panel discussion and includes guest speaker, broadcaster and academic, Dr Robert Beckford.

Transparency International (TI) has warned that the failure by governments to address corruption is threatening the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In a news release, TI called on governments, donors and non-governmental organizations to adopt anti-corruption measures in all their MDG action plans.

In this week's roundup of emerging powers news, a new centre offers sounding board for Chinese firms pursuing African investments, China holds workshop on investment in Africa, SA and India to team up for business into Africa, Biofuels companies buy African land, cause deforestation, and food-output loss, and the $400m Africa-Brazil cable is on its way.

The fight against HIV/AIDS in Kenya got a massive boost this week after the Global Fund released $60 million to help the East African country to combat the virus and malaria. The funds were part of the round seven HIV/AIDS funds of which the government had already received $18,343,450, officials said.

Human rights advocates have commended the stance taken by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), granting the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) a consultative status at its council stating it is as a milestone for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community. The decision made on 19 July 2010 saw IGLHRC become the tenth organisation working primarily for LGBTI human rights, gain such status at the United Nations following solidarity actions of over 200 NGOs from 59 countries who endorsed a letter to all United Nations member states, demanding fair and non-discriminatory treatment.

The XXV ILGA World Conference will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, between the 4 and 9 December 2010. The theme of the conference will be “Building the way forward in times of crisis”. In the last few years and since the last World Conference in Vienna in 2008, it has become even more evident that our movement can be very vulnerable to crises, them being political, social, or economic ones. However, unstable conditions can also represent turning points and opportunities for the movement to further the human rights agenda of LGBTI people.

Zimbabwe wants normal ties with Western powers critical of its policies but will press ahead with a plan to hand control of foreign companies to local blacks, President Robert Mugabe said in a rare interview. Mugabe told Reuters that his government was waiting for positive movement from the United States and European Union to mend ties soured over the last decade by rows over the seizures of white-owned farms for landless blacks and charges of rights abuses and election fraud.

African scholars interested in the growing relations between their continent and China will have a chance to debate this important topic at a meeting scheduled for 28-30 March 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The conference will focus on the theme: 'Towards a new Africa–China partnership'. It will include the formal launching of a Pan-African Forum for Research and Dialogue on Africa-China Relations, in collaboration with Chinese academic institutions. It will seek to build a strong knowledge base on Africa-China relations within Africa, in order to support African policymakers in their engagement with China and the FOCAC.

For further information about this event, please contact:

Ebrima Sall
Executive Secretary
Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop,
B.P. 3304 Dakar, Senegal
Tel : +221-33 824 03 74
Fax : +221-33 824 12 89
Email : [email][email protected]

Following a visit to the Shanghai Expo 2010, Kenneth King shares his insights into how 'the continent with the largest number of developing countries' represented itself to 'the largest developing country'.

On behalf of the Board of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), and our local partners Coletivo de Feministas Lésbicas, Grupo Dignidade, Grupo Arco-Íris, and Instituto Edson Néris, it is our pleasure to invite you to attend the XXV ILGA World Conference to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, between the 4 and 9 December 2010. As you may remember, Rio de Janeiro was the city voted for hosting the 2010 conference at the last world conference held in Vienna in 2008. However due to logistical problems the Executive Board of ILGA and the Brazilian organizers agreed on moving the conference location from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo.

August 12th marks the 25th International Youth Day, which is also the launch at the United Nations of the International Year of Youth. The year-long commemoration, whose theme is dialogue and mutual understanding, aims to encourage the full and effective participation of youth in all aspects of society. UNFPA is sponsoring activities throughout the year to ensure that young people's voices are heard at the highest levels, including at the September Millennium Development Goals Summit.

A new report by the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Thursday said global youth unemployment in 2009 soared to a record high and is expected to climb even higher as the year progresses. The report, entitled: 'ILO Global Employment Trends for Youth 2010', said that, 'of the world's 620 million economically-active youth, between the ages of 15 and 24, 81 million were out of work at the end of 2009, the highest number ever'.

In this week's roundup of emerging powers news, US goes high-end to boost export trade with Afric, China unveils proposals for agricultural cooperation with Africa, Bank of China marks 10 years in South Africa, India signs $42 mln loan with Congo following debt relief, and Brazil's electronics sector eyes Africa.

Aid agencies are still barred from Kalma, the largest settlement for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan’s Southern Darfur State, 10 days after the government blocked the UN and NGOs from distributing food and medical aid to an estimated 82,000 IDPs. Tensions in Kalma rose on 25 July, at the conclusion of the latest round of peace talks in Doha, Qatar, with some IDPs claiming they were not fully represented. Protests inside the camp pitted the detractors, mainly the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) of Abdul Wahid Mohamed el-Nur, against supporters of the negotiations.

Apeda has received an intimation from the Embassy of India in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), about investment opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs. DRC has 80 million hectares of rich arable soil with water resources and 1000 mm of annual rainfall. Maniac, maize, rice, groundnut, sugarcane, corn, sweet potatoes, bananas, yams, pineapples are the principal crops produced.