Full coverage: Governance

30.10.2004 Child care advocates were calling on social development minister Ken Dryden to move ahead with the promised national child care program, this week, but urged him to involve child care workers and the unions that represent them. CUPE has launched an online action to push Dryden into action on a national child care program. Join CUPE in this campaign.

29.10.2004 With political analysts agreeing that voter turnout, especially of minority and youth voters, will likely determine the outcome of next Tuesday’s presidential election, civil and human rights groups are pressing the Republican National Committee (RNC) to call off plans aimed at discouraging people from casting ballots.

29.10.2004 Indian ministers, including those from parties outside the ruling party, commit themselves to promote elementary education.

29.10.2004 Indian ministers, including those from parties outside the ruling party, commit themselves to promote elementary education.

29.10.2004

Armas en Irak © Radio Netherlands

New details emerging on missing weapons in Iraq reveal that coalition forces were made aware of unsecured weapons and explosives stockpiles after the fall of Baghdad but they did nothing about it. Researchers with the international group, Human Rights Watch, informed U.S. and British officers about stockpiles of munitions in Basra, Fallujah and along the Baquba-Baghdad road as early as May 2003 but they said they did not have enough troops to secure the sites.

29.10.2004

Coca-Cola

Across Europe, anger at the U.S.-led Iraq war and other unilateral foreign policy decisions is translating into a rejection of American consumer brands, says Lester Brown. With sales and earnings of Coca-cola, McDonald’s and Gap declining, the indirect effect of the Iraq war on the American economy should be a major concern because it “could be far greater than the cost of the war.”

28.10.2004 The United States turned its back on Europe since the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, says Charles Powell, analyst with the Spanish think-tank, Elcano Royal Institute. The outcome of next week’s election will not change the situation because the U.S. is now focusing on the threats generated by the 9/11 attacks and, on China which it regards as its major economic and, potentially, military rival.

28.10.2004

US elections © Guardian Unlimited

In a move that sends negative signals on electoral transparency, officials in Broward, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami-Dade counties in Florida and, Franklin and Cayuhoga counties in Ohio have denied a team of international observers access to polling sites in their locality. The team of 15 experts from 10 countries who are scheduled to observe the polls in Missouri, Ohio and Florida have been granted access to Boone County, Missouri, the City of St. Louis and Leon County also in Florida.

27.10.2004 Six months after CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ broadcast photos of abuses by U.S. soldiers of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, Amnesty International is renewing its call for Washington to launch a comprehensive, independent investigation of the use of torture by U.S. forces in the “war on terrorism.”

27.10.2004 Nonostante il parlamento israeliano abbia approvato con un voto contestato il ritiro da tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nella Striscia di Gaza e da tre in Cisgiordania, continuano le demolizioni di case per allontanare i Palestinesi dal confine tra Gaza ed Egitto e creare una "zona cuscinetto". Il rapporto di Human Right Watch chiede ai governi esteri di spingere su Israele a pagare le riparazioni alla vittime e richiama anche l’azienda Caterpillar Inc che vende i bulldozer D9 per le demolizioni. Intanto la costruzione del muro ha portato ad isolare Abu Dis da Gerusalemme con forti disagi per i palestinesi.

27.10.2004 MDGs are not only for the government and the civil society, but also for the business community. This was highlighted recently in a roundtable organised by the CII and the UNDP in New Delhi.

27.10.2004 Reiterating that the WTO July package was balanced, Indian commerce minister Kamal Nath said the agreement highlighted the “contours of way forward” as it provided the directions for future negotiations.

27.10.2004 The Civic Association MOST, under its referendum monitoring activities, concludes that there are possibilities for serious violations of procedure in the forthcoming referendum. The conclusions were reached based on the reports of activists and regional offices of the association, and were voiced with the goal to provide fair and democratic balloting process for all citizens of Macedonia.

27.10.2004 Poverty, which has been tormenting villagers in Uttaranchal, in the northern part of India, who were forcefully evicted in 1993, has worsened since the state authorities have ignored the order given by the apex court in their favour.

27.10.2004 For the first time in Macedonia, the right to access to information will be regulated by a Law which covers many aspects of the issue of access to information. The Law also provides for responsibility in cases of failure to provide the required information, says Zoran Jacev, President of Transparency Macedonia.

27.10.2004 Indian communications and information technology ministry has announced a new policy to create infrastructure needed to implement and promote e-governance in the nation.

27.10.2004 Pakistan’s women ministry has launched a women's political school project, in the wake of the upcoming local government elections in 2005, to educate and train female leaders in the political processes of the country.

26.10.2004 Providing information on websites is not enough for improving delivery of government services to the poor, points out a recent study on the usefulness of ICTs in improving governance. Citing the case of Mozambique, the report recommends integration of standardised information management practices in the government websites.

26.10.2004 The Network for Affirmation of Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) submitted the Civic Initiative for Suspension of all Activities for demolition of illegally constructed objects to the Municipality of Podgorica. The activities should be suspended until the new Law on Urban and Spatial Planning in adopted, together with the appropriate by-laws and act that will further regulate and define the procedures for illegal construction and development on the whole territory of Montenegro.

26.10.2004 UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Bill Rammell says that a fast-track counter-narcotics element in the judicial and criminal system is essential to tackle opium proliferation in Afghanistan.