We live in a data-driven world, in which decisions for businesses, governments, individuals, and families are made based on comparison of key statistics and analyses of information. But the world is missing the most basic information on far too many girls and women around the world, including where and when they were born, how many hours they work, whether they’ve experienced violence, or how they die. It is impossible to develop smart policies and make […]

Despite some critical words from observers, negotiators in Lima agreed Sunday on a “Call for Climate Action” that sets the stage for the decisive talks planned for Paris next year under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The process had gained significant momentum from the progress made over the past few months – particularly from the UN Climate Summit and People’s Climate March, successful IPCC report releases, the EU’s 2030 commitment, and, perhaps

Last week, business leaders, government officials, representatives from non-governmental groups, and national security and foreign policy experts came together at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s 2014 Tribute Dinner to recognize the importance of U.S. engagement in development and diplomacy. The USGLC brings together voices from across sectors and across the aisle, but the message is the same: Strong U.S. support for development and diplomacy is one of the smartest steps we can take to advance

Last week, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced that it will purchase millions of doses of an Ebola vaccine to support large-scale vaccination efforts. Gavi is ready to begin procurement as soon as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a safe, effective antidote. WHO, government representatives, and vaccine manufacturers have been pushing ahead with unprecedented speed to develop a vaccine to treat the virus and fight the outbreak. WHO Assistant Director-General Dr. Marie Paule Kieny recently stated,

Last week, more than 150 leaders from United Nations agencies and organizations, the private sector – including foundations of large corporations – and civil society convened at UN Headquarters to discuss current successes in UN-business collaboration for the global Ebola response, as well as to identify ways to enhance this collaboration going forward. It was a day of varied dialogue and viewpoints, which yielded some important takeaways that will inform the response effort as the

As the world’s attention began to focus more heavily on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa beginning in August 2014, global businesses also started taking note of the crisis and taking stock internally of what they could do to assist. According to the UN Global Compact, which has been tracking private sector donations for the past several months, businesses have contributed or pledged nearly $300 million to the global Ebola response. At a meeting last

November 25 was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and December 10 was Human Rights Day.  In a blog on November 25, I had commented on the impact on reproductive health of violence against women. If my piece had appeared on December 10, I would have added that violence against women is also a human rights violation and not just an assault on women’s reproductive health and rights. The WHO report

On December 14, negotiators from 196 countries – gathered in Lima, Peru, for the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – unanimously agreed on a pathway forward toward a new global agreement to be finalized next December in Paris. This unexpected success stemmed in large part from recent U.S. diplomacy with China. Every delegate in Peru saw a change of atmosphere and a new U.S. role. After

This is a guest post by Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO, Chobani Like many entrepreneurs, I am often asked for advice on building a successful career: “How did you create a food business that has grown faster than many of the world’s most famous tech start-ups?” I tell people that whether you’re in Silicon Valley creating apps, or in Unadilla Valley in upstate New York making yogurt, there’s many common ingredients in success. But everything starts