UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development (UN Focal Point on Ageing) will convene an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Neglect, Abuse and Violence of Older Women on 5-7 November 2013 in New York. 

One of the key areas for further action identified by Member States in the recent review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2012 was violence and abuse against older persons.  While this issue affects all older persons, the particular vulnerability of older women is apparent in prevalence rates.  Indeed, research paints a bleak global picture on the human rights of older women, who suffer from multiple discrimination based on age and gender. In addition, research points to inadequate legal protections at both the national and international levels where older women are often invisible and hence, overlooked.

In this context, the meeting aims to inform the debate on neglect, abuse and violence against older women by addressing urgent and relevant issues in assessment and current prevention measures, as well as consideration of possible new identification and prevention measures.

The EGM will also explore the various definitions, forms, prevalence and risk factors of neglect, abuse and violence against older women and explore the institutional and societal attitudes that lead to the lack of inclusion of older women in policies, programmes and debates on violence against women.

For more information: http://undesadspd.org/Ageing/RightsofOlderPersons/EGMonNeglectAbuseandViolenceofOlderWomen.aspx

The Office of National Statistics and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom will host the 19th meeting of the London Group on Environmental Economic Accounting  on 12-14 November in London, UK.

Experts in environmental economic accounts and supporting statistics from countries and international/regional organizations will review and discuss training and compilation materials for the implementation of the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). Topics to be discussed include, among others, water accounts, energy accounts, air emission accounts, forest accounts and, land and ecosystem accounts.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm#12-14Nov2013

UN DESA’s Statistics Division will convene an Expert Group Meeting on Modelling Approaches and Tools for Testing of the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting from 18 to 20 November in New York City. 

During the meeting experts in measuring, modeling and mapping characteristics of ecosystem condition as well as ecosystem services will discuss models and tools to be used in pilot research and testing of the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (EEA) framework. The meeting is aimed to bring together technical experts, pilot country representatives from national statistical offices and environmental agencies as well as international agencies to discuss the approaches available for quantifying ecosystem condition and ecosystem services at a national level. It will focus on models and tools for accounting for biodiversity, carbon, and water ecosystems (quality characteristics as well as quantity considerations). Tools and models will be reviewed based on criteria for their applicability in the context of national policy priorities and the SEEA EEA, with the objective of selecting some of these models for use in the pilot country research and testing.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm

UN DESA’s Statistics Division will convene an Expert Group Meeting on the Guidelines for the Compilation of Water Accounts and Statistics from 20 to 22 November in New York. 

Experts in environmental-economic accounts for water and water statistics from countries and international/regional organizations will meet to review and discuss the guidelines, which will provide country experts and trainers with a comprehensive and reliable set of materials for assisting the staff of national statistics offices, water ministries, and agencies and other stakeholders in countries, with the process of implementation of water accounts and statistics for developing a monitoring system for water policies.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm#20-22Nov2013