UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water & Sanitation
A Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. This position is honorary and the expert is not United Nations staff nor paid for his/her work. The Special Rapporteurs are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
Introduction
Having access to safe drinking water and sanitation is central to living a life in dignity and upholding human rights. Yet billions of people still do not enjoy these fundamental rights.
Who decides what you see on television? Which issues are important, and who gets to speak their mind in the news? How are women and men featured in texts, photos, computer games, advertising and movies?
Questions like these are of great importance when it comes to gender equality in society, and therefore the media is a relevant sector to reach with gender mainstreaming efforts. The media can both hinder and accelerate the development towards gender equality. They can communicate results of gender equality efforts but can also contribute to the production of gender stereotypes. There is an increasing pressure on media to step up and take measures to ensure women’s access to the media industry and to combat gender stereotypes. The UN member states committed to this already in 1995 in the Beijing Platform for Action, but how gender equal is the media?
Direct Link to 2014 Publication
http://nordicom.gu.se/sites/default/files/publikationer-hela-pdf/making_change_2014.pdf
Gender Reference Example: Page 24 - Article 7, Point 5:
Parties acknowledge that adaptation action should follow a country-driven, gender-responsive, participatory and fully transparent approach, taking into consideration vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems, and should be based on and guided by the best available science and, as appropriate, traditional knowledge, knowledge of indigenous peoples and local knowledge systems, with a view to integrating adaptation into relevant socioeconomic and environmental policies and actions, where appropriate.
Prepared by UNRIC, IOM, UNHCR, UNDP and OHCHR in Brussels – 11/4/2015
- Is Migration good for the European economy and economies in origin countries?
The proven reality is that migration brings benefits, fuelling growth, innovation and entrepreneurship in both the countries people come from, and in those they move to, if managed smartly. Migrants and refugees contribute to the economy both as employees and as entrepreneurs, creating new firms and businesses. Migrant and refugee integration into labour markets and societies can be expensive at first, but is an investment with high return. Moreover, migrants contribute to their home countries through money sent back home: remittances now make up three times as much as Official Development Assistance and help foster growth, develop communities and increase access to schooling and health care. Migrants act as bridges between two places, transferring knowledge and skills, all of which can contribute to their home communities.
Women & Girls – Briefing – European Year for Development
Direct Link to 2015 Document
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2015/536437/EXPO_BRI(2015)536437_EN.pdf
