Posted 12 November 1998
This is the first multi-media presentation of FAO's efforts over the years to highlight and document rural women's contributions to food production and food security. The primary aim of this CD-ROM is to make available to a larger audience this rich collection of material on the multiple facets and technical areas of agricultural and rural development as they relate to the objective of the advancement of women and gender equality.
Secondly, it provides tools and examples of practical applications, which should be useful to a vast range of development agents. To assist them in their planning, research, or outreach/communication activities, they will find updated data, improved gender-sensitive development approaches or methodologies, graphic illustrations, a photo collection, digitized video material and more.
To obtain publications on Women/Gender and Food Security and to obtain a copy of the "Women Feed the World" CD-ROM, contact the Women and Population Division FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
Malnutrition is largely a silent and invisible emergency, exacting a terrible toll on children and their families. Malnutrition blunts intellects and saps the productivity and potential of entire societies. Poverty, one of the causes of malnutrition, is also a consequence, a tragic bequest by malnourished parents to the next generation. The State of the World's Children 1998 report details the scale of the loss and the steps being taken to stem it. Children have the right, recognized in international law, to good nutrition. The world has the obligation to protect that right, building on both the great experience gained and the scientific knowledge achieved. Action is both possible and imperative.
For hard copies of UNICEF publications, contact your nearest UNICEF Field Office (if you are in a developing country) or your National Committee for UNICEF (if you are in an industrialized country).
The book focuses on the nutritional and health consequences of inadequate food consumption. Each major nutritional disorder is described and factors contributing to malnutrition such as low food production, food insecurity, poor health status and social and cultural factors are reviewed. Finally, policies and programmes to alleviate malnutrition are identified, based on the framework set by the 1992 FAO/WHO International Conference on Nutrition and endorsed by the 1996 World Food Summit. Special emphasis is given to the nutritional needs of infants, children, mothers and the elderly and basic information about foods commonly found in the diets of Africans, Asians and Latin Americans is given.
For more information about publications contact: nutrition@fao.org To order, contact: Sales and Marketing Group, Food and Agriculture Organization Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, Italy; e-mail: publications-sales@fao.org
In the past few years UNDP has responded to the rapid changes to multi-lateral technical cooperation. Three important trends within UNDP are: greater focus on core goals for sustainable human development; decentralization of its services to be closer to its developing country clients; and, the move away from UN agency execution, to greater reliance on national and regional expertise for implementation of development programmes.
As a result, reliance on the technical expertise of specialized UN agencies has declined and the demand for quality and relevant expertise, experiences and best practices from other sources have increased. How to get access to these resources in a speedy and efficient manner? UNDP has decided to introduce sub-region-based resource facilities that take advantage of the latest telecommunication and Internet services to serve as brokers and "filters" of information and expertise. The SURF system is designed to promote and lead UNDP's evolution into a knowledge-based and learning organization.
The Sub-Regional Resource Facility (SURF) System links the Global Hub Unit in New York to Resource Facilities based at the sub-regional level who are in-turn linked to regional programmes and UNDP programme countries. While anyone in any location can go anywhere in the SURF System to seek information and support, the System is being designed to create common standards and approaches to ensure quality and timeliness of services. Presently, the primary users of the SURF System are UNDP country offices and programmes. However, it is planned to expand the System to serve national institutions in developing countries and other members of the UN family.
For more information contact: Global Hub/New York: Mr. John Lawrence Acting Coordinator
Fax: 212-906-5313
E-mail: john.lawrence@undp.org
The Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) is a catalytic initiative to kick-start networking in developing countries and help people share information, knowledge and expertise relevant to sustainable development to better their lives. Initially launched in 12 pilot countries in 1992 as a follow-up programme to UNCED/ Agenda 21 (chapter 40), the SDNP currently offers assistance in establishing connectivity to national networks and the Internet, content provision and aggregation, and user training in 40 developing nations and 36 small island developing states (SIDSnet). SDNP focuses on crosscutting issues. Information and Communication Technologies [ICTs] are now fundamental to dealing with all development issues in developing countries and cuts across UNDPs main areas of concentration. It is a core tool needed to achieve Sustainable Human Development (SHD) and one that can facilitate the 'leap-frogging' of developing countries into 21st century ICTs and SHD goals.
Thus, SDNP has been and should continue to be part of the process of exploring the interface between technology and sustainable development. The scope of the SDNP has grown significantly from pilot sites in 12 countries in 1992- 1993 to over 80 countries in 1998, the latter figure reflecting inclusion of the Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSnet). There is a reasonably good geographical balance, though with a focus on assisting the Least Developed Countries or LDCs. Africa has now emerged after a slow start, as the most important region. And increasingly we focus on those countries where programmes to introduce good governance and democratization will become more effective due to the sharing of information.
For more information, please contact: Sustainable Development Networking Programme,
Fax: (212) 906-6952,
E-mail: info@sdnp.undp.org