Sustainable agriculture project in Benin: the poorest people not allways enjoy the benefits. (Photo: Eskinder Debebe/UN)

"The MDGs have hardly induced changes and outcomes in Benin" concludes the report from the Social Watch coalition in this West African country, because "the current model based on economic growth at the top does not benefit the majority of the people".

Illustrationon the eight MDG created by students of Hollar Graphic School, Prague.

Achieving food security as a common responsibility of the South and North, promoting decent work and providing electrification for all by 2030 at the national level: those are the focuses of attention of a broad non-governmental alliance created in the Czech Republic against poverty. To achieve them, the Czech Social Watch coalition thinks it necessary to rebuild the financial architecture at the global level.

Photo: Alex E. Proimos (CC/Flickr)

Peru has made progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, but not enough to reach all the goals or to guarantee their sustainability. This is the conclusion of the Peruvian Social Watch coalition in its evaluation of public policies and international commitments for the Social Watch Report 2013.

Professor Cherif Bassiouni, chairperson of the BICI, handed the report to the Bahraini regime a year ago. (Photo: BNA)

“Bahrain stands still with its record of grave human rights violations” in spite of the warnings issued almost 365 days ago by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) appointed by the regime itself, stated twelve national, regional and global civil society organizations and networks, among them the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), Social Watch, the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) and the Egyptian Association for the Enhancement of Civic Participation (EACPE).

The European Union (EU) and African government must "seriously pursue alternatives” to the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) currently under negotiation, urged this week civil society organizations from both continents. The groups convened in Nairobi by the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Ngombe na Mahindi Foundation (NGOMA) and Ecofair Trade Dialog stated their “firm position” that trade must “serve sustainable development”, “uphold human rights”, and “cater for small-scale producers that form the backbone of African economies.”