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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Today October 17th we celebrate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed every year since 1993, when the General Assembly, by resolution 47/196, designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries, particularly in developing countries - a need that has become a development priority.

The first International Day of the Girl Child and The Global Launch of “Because I am a Girl” Campaign

On 11th October 2012, the first international day of the girl child was designated by the United Nations to encourage global action on girls’ rights. On this occasion, PLAN International (http://plan-international.org/) launched its global campaign “Because I am a Girl (BIAAG)” to ensure to millions of girls the access to education and other basic services, livelihood, participation and protection. The event “BIIAG” was sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Canada, Finland, Peru, Switzerland and Turkey. 

IIMA at the high-level panel on the occasion of the 10th International Day against the Death Penalty

On the 10^th of October, the European Union together with the delegations of Mexico, Mongolia and Switzerland organized at the UN in Geneva a high-level panel discussion gathering UN experts, activists, politicians, and members of victims' families from all over the world. The aim was to reflect together on the issue, highlighting the progresses made, the experience gained and the challenges remaining for abolition and restriction of the use of death penalty.

Conference on Female Genital Mutilation at the United Nations in Geneva.

On 10^th October IIMA participated in a panel organized by the Global Alliance against FGM on the most effective approaches for a successful fight against genital mutilation of babies, girls and women.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”. 

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women considers the report of Togo

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) discussed the situation of women in Togo during its fifty-third session (1 - 19 October 2012).

During the discussion with the national delegation of Togo, the Committee pointed out controversial subjects such as polygamy, the low rate of women’s political participation, early marriage, early pregnancy, the situation of women in rural area and women with disabilities. The delegation of Togo emphasized the efforts made by the government to promote the rights of women, including the adoption of a new legislation related to quotas for women’s participation in the field of agriculture and in security forces, as well as the improvement of health and education policies targeting women’s problems. It also asked the Committee for support and assistance.

Meeting with Patrizia Scannella from Amnesty International

On October 2^nd 2012, Ms. Patrizia Scannella from Amnesty International office in Geneva met the staff of IIMA Human Rights Office, in order to share best practices and main challenges experienced during her advocacy work in Geneva.  In particular, she presented Amnesty International and its commitment for the protection of human rights in 80 countries worldwide. She focused on the support offered to the Special Procedures, through the preparation of documentation, organization of meetings with NGOs in the field, and advocacy work to ensure that main concerns raised are included in the reports of the Special Rapporteurs.

International Day of Non-Violence

In 1869 was born Mahatma Gandhi. 

October 2 is the International Day of Non-Violence

The UN Human Right Council concludes the work of the 21st Ordinary Session

On 28th of September the Human Rights Council concluded the 21^st regular session adopting 33 resolutions on a wide range of issues of undeniable social, judicial and political relevance.

Under the Agenda Item 3 (on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Including the Right to Development) the Council adopted 20 Resolutions, among which the most important are on the protection of human rights of indigenous peoples, on the fight against maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights, on the implementation of the right to truth, on regulation of the use of mercenaries, on the dissemination of the Guiding Principles on transnational enterprises, on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, and human rights and international solidarity.