UN Wire September 5, 2013

September 5, 2013 FOLLOW THE UN FOUNDATION   News covering the UN and the world SIGN UP | FORWARD | ADVERTISE | DONATE Top Story Annan: G20 must offer global tax reforms for Africa to prosper The Group of 20 needs to address tax reform on a worldwide scale if Africa is to benefit from its natural resources, writes Kofi Annan, former United Nations secretary-general. Key elements of tax reform include transfer mispricing, transparent beneficial ownership and bringing African tax authorities into alignment with reforms. "Africa has lost its tolerance for exploitation by the rest of the world. Africa's people expect a fair share of the wealth beneath their soil and territorial waters," Annan writes. The Guardian (London) (9/5) Share: Above the Fold UN's Brahimi to push for conference on Syria as G20 convenes Removing innovation bottlenecks will help achieve MDGs Gender issues are becoming part of NATO's peace, security initiatives Access to energy is cited as a driver of MDG success Syrian conflict tops agenda at G20 summit UN Radio Quote of the Day @UNFoundation: "What is one thing we must do differently or better to achieve MDGs 4, 5 and/or 6 by 2015?" See what the experts say: trib.al/chJQYx2 Share: UN Dispatch "[A]s we are having this debate about potential American military intervention in Syria -- ostensibly to help Syrians -- we are hearing very little about marshaling resources to provide for humanitarian assistance of Syrians affected by war." UN Dispatch (9/4) Share: United Nations UN's Brahimi to push for conference on Syria as G20 convenes Lakhdar Brahimi, United Nations special envoy for Syria, will meet with Group of 20 attendees to solidify plans for an international peace conference on Syria. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, "While the world is focused on concerns about the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria, we must push even harder for the International Conference on Syria to take place in Geneva." Reuters (9/5), RawStory.com/Agence France-Presse (9/5), The Guardian (London) (9/4) Share: U.K. is warned about suppressing press freedoms by UN officials MediaGuardian (9/4) Share: FAO: Better grain harvest is forecast for 2013-14 Reuters (9/5) Share: ICC won't cancel Kenya trials Reuters (9/5) Share: Health & Development Removing innovation bottlenecks will help achieve MDGs Barriers to innovation must be overcome if Millennium Development Goals are to be reached, writes Steve Davis of PATH, a U.S.-based nonprofit. "We must cut through the bottlenecks to take innovation to scale, paving the way for the most promising ideas to reach the most vulnerable and disrupt the status quo of poor health and poverty," he argues. Skoll World Forum (9/4) Share: Malaria cases are rising at "alarming" rate in Chad, group says BBC (9/4) Share: FAO: Somalia's displaced need food assistance until year's end IRINNews.org (9/4) Share: Women & Girls Gender issues are becoming part of NATO's peace, security initiatives Gender issues are increasingly being included in NATO's peace and security planning, but "[t]here's still a long way to go before women will have fully assumed their rightful place in matters of peace and security," says Mari Skare, the NATO secretary-general's special representative for women, peace and security. More cooperation is need to produce "sustained results," she says. Devex.com (free registration) (9/4) Share: Climate and Energy Access to energy is cited as a driver of MDG success Insufficient access to energy is keeping countries from achieving Millennium Development Goals related to reduced child mortality and improved maternal health, writes Kandeh Yumkella, United Nations special representative on Sustainable Energy for All. Providing access to energy sources will boost development and help address these two MDGs "in a tangible, scalable, and sustainable way," he argues. Skoll World Forum (9/4) Share: Does the IPCC need to change how it does climate reports? The Guardian (London) (9/4) Share: Peacekeeping and Security Syrian conflict tops agenda at G20 summit The Group of 20 meeting begins today with the Syrian conflict slated to be discussed. Meanwhile, Syria's neighbors worry that the country could use biological weapons again. The Guardian (London) (9/4), The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/5), The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (9/4), BBC (9/5) Share: Central African Republic seeks to collect weapons from rebels Voice of America (9/4) Share: African leaders meet about DR Congo conflict Voice of America (9/4) Share: UN nuclear talks won't focus on Iran Reuters (9/5) Share: Egypt's interior minister survives bombing Reuters (9/5) Share: Position Title Company Name Location Program Manager Social Science Research Council Brooklyn, NY Associate Producer, Digital Media, Climate and Energy Initiatives United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Communications Associate, Women, Girls & Population United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Click here to view more job listings.