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US Resists IP Flexibilities Statement in Tuberculosis Declaration
August 03, 2018
Intellectual Property Watch reports that, due to opposition from the US delegation, a recently finalized UN Political Declaration on the Fight Against Tuberculosis contains no operative statement encouraging countries to exercise WTO-recognized IP flexibilities in licensing the manufacture of low-cost drugs to combat the disease.
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Aramark Responds to NGO Pressure on Plastic Supplies
August 03, 2018
Environmental activist organization Greenpeace has applauded food service company Aramark for plans to phase out various single-use plastic items from its worldwide operations, calling on other food service companies to use Aramark as an example and take “immediate” action on plastics use.
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World Bank Succeeds in “Climate Mainstreaming” Efforts
August 02, 2018
The World Bank Group has announced that it set an annual record in fiscal year 2018 with $20.5 billion in global finance for projects related to combating or adapting to the impacts of climate change, as part of efforts across the institution “to mainstream climate considerations into all development projects.”
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UN Officials Promote Global Human Right to Abortion
August 02, 2018
Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family & Human Rights reports that the chiefs of the World Health Organization and the UN Population Fund recently published an article arguing that internationally agreed standards on the protection of “sexual and reproductive health rights” include a right to abortion access.
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UN Agent Warns of Israeli “War Crime” Against Bedouin Village
August 02, 2018
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Palestinian territories Michael Lynk has warned Israel that the planned demolition of a Palestinian Bedouin village near Jerusalem would amount to a “war crime” and called for Israeli leaders to be held “legally and diplomatically accountable” if it proceeds with these “clearly unjust” plans.