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International bodies

Displaying 1-16 of 16 links

Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS)

The Commission is an intergovernmental and international organisation aimed at the uplift of developing countries through applications of science and technology. Established in 1994 at the instigation of Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, it has 21 member countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It runs meetings and workshops as well as a network of centres of excellence in selected areas of science and technology.

Consortium on Science, Technology and Innovation for the South (COSTIS) (formerly Third World Network of Scientific Organisations (TWNSO))

An international NGO, TWNSO was founded at the initiative of the Third World Academy of Sciences by ministers of science and technology and higher education and heads of science academies and research councils in developing countries to promote science-based sustainable economic development.

Global Forum for Health Research

The Global Forum for Health Research provides evidence, tools and discussion forums for decision-makers in research funding and policy to improve the health of the poor. Although it covers issues for both infectious and non-communicable diseases, the agency recognises that mental health problems are severely neglected in developing countries. As well as links to various publications and reports, the website also hosts RealHealthNews, which aims to share news on research and interventions that can improve the health of those in developing countries.

ICSU – Science and Human Rights

The International Council for Science (ICSU) aims to protect the rights of scientists by working at the crossroads of the right to science and the protection of science as a right. ICSU's work, particularly through the Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the Conduct of Science, promotes human rights-based approaches to climate change research, and social and environmental well-being. The ICSU website contains a collection of key international charters and declarations relevant to human rights and science.

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

ICIMOD, based in Kathmandu, serves as a mountain learning and knowledge centre, committed to improving the sustainable livelihoods of mountain peoples in the extended Himalayan region. ICIMOD's strategy is based on working with its partners to identify, test, adapt and provide innovative solutions for overcoming mountain vulnerabilities. The centre builds institutional capacities and facilitates the development of mountain policy and regional cooperation, by serving as a multidisciplinary documentation centre and consultative centre on sustainable development in mountains.

International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research

The INCTR is dedicated to helping build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries in which such capacity is limited. The network, which has support from the US National Cancer Institute, aims to build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries with limited resources through long-term collaborative projects coupled to training and educational programmes. It also seeks to promote international collaboration on cancer control between developed and developing countries. The INCTR is located at the Institut Pasteur in Brussels but also has branches in the US, France, Brazil, Egypt and Nepal and offices in the UK, India and Tanzania. The website contains details of the network's activities in various countries.

OECD – Governance and Development: Human Rights and Development

This web portal publishes information and documents about emerging perspectives on human rights and development. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)  works to create links between human rights experts, policymakers, and development planners. It directs these efforts towards bringing rights-based development paradigms to contribute to poverty prevention, conflict eradication, and improved aid. The website provides a link to key human rights and development documents.

South–South Initiative for Tropical Diseases Research (SSI)

SSI was set up in 2001 to facilitate sharing of resources among research groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America in order to increase competitiveness and optimise scientific opportunities. It provides assistance for proposal development through annual workshops and helps organise annual training courses on leading-edge technology for tropical disease research application in disease endemic countries.

Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS)

TWOWS is an international forum aimed at uniting eminent women scientists from the South with the objective of strengthening their role in development and in scientific and technological leadership. An independent, non-profit, non-governmental body based at the offices of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World in Italy, its activities include providing fellowships and maintaining an inventory of women scientists in the South.

UNDP’s Special Unit for South–South Cooperation (SU/SSC)

Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1978 and hosted by the UN Development Programme, the unit’s primary mandate is to promote, coordinate and support South–South cooperation and cooperation with the UN. It focuses on policy dialogue and development, public–private partnership and southern development exchange.

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)

This is the official website of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio+20, taking place in Brazil on 20–22 June 2012.

The conference will bring together world leaders, governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental organisations to formulate a plan to reduce poverty, create social equity and protect the environment. It is organised around two themes: the green economy, and an institutional framework for sustainable development.

The website publishes information about the conference including background information, overviews and briefing papers on key themes, and other relevant publications. It lists all events and meetings relevant to the conference, and provides information about news and links to external sources as well as ways to connect with involved parties.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bhutan

UNDP activities in Bhutan fall within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. More specifically, UNDP's support in the area of energy and environment in Bhutan focuses on national conservation strategies and policies, local conservation initiatives that contribute to rural community development and poverty reduction, national capacity to address global environmental concerns, and natural disaster risk reduction.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

ESCWA is the United Nations' main economic and social development forum for the region. The commission formulates and promotes development assistance activities, and also runs the Research and Development Portal (ERDP) to make information available to, and promote research and development cooperation and activities in, its member states.

WHO Global Infobase Online

The WHO Global InfoBase has, for the first time, assembled in one place, country-level risk factor data stratified by age and sex, with complete source and survey information. The current version of the InfoBase contains over 130,000 data points from more than 2,800 sources. Currently the InfoBase contains reports on 180 out of 192 WHO Member States. A unique feature is that each record can be linked back to all its survey information, including the primary source.

The database is updated daily and provides users with comparable country-level mortality, mean systolic blood pressure, mean body mass index, and overweight/obesity data. A search function allows users to customise their data search based on specific criteria, and shows data in text tables and graphs.

World Diabetes Foundation

The foundation's aim is to raise awareness of diabetes worldwide, with a special emphasis on developing countries. A key activity is funding projects (142 so far) that raise awareness, improve education and build capacity at local, regional and global levels. The website contains details of all ongoing projects, including details of the project budgets and individuals responsible for running them, the expected impacts and results so far. Importantly, the foundation prioritises monitoring and evaluation of its projects to learn key lessons for the future and minimise the risk of project failure.

As with any disease, and particularly those in developing countries, the health economics are important. The website has a useful tool for calculating the economic cost of diabetes in a particular country that allows the user to change variables such as population, prevalence and so on.

World Health Organization: chronic diseases

This section of the WHO's website includes factsheets on chronic diseases, details of the agency's relevant activities and programmes, and detailed technical information about action plan that the agency backs.

Also included are links to key reports on chronic diseases (detailed in the Reports section of Key Documents)