Trade : GC chair to finalize process on appointment of Okonjo-Iweala as DG (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The chair of the WTO General Council (GC) on 8 February said that he will hold consultations with members to finalize the date for convening a special General Council meeting ostensibly for appointing Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria as the new director-general of the 164-member inter- governmental trade body.

Finance : Fiscal SOS via Special Drawing Rights sees growing momentum (PRIV)
(Bhumika Muchhala and Alexander Kozul-Wright, New York/Geneva)
Almost one year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, one of its striking revelations has been the disparity between the fiscal and monetary firepower available to developed compared to developing countries.

Q&A : Documenting COVID-19 effect on youth sexual & reproductive health (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
With the COVID-19 pandemic adding complex layers of challenges to the issue of sexual and reproductive health for the youth, governments should prioritize documenting these effects for data collection purposes, the co-founder and the team leader of the Youth Alliance for Reproductive Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, told IPS in an interview.

Pacific Islands : Inclusive and equitable education in the Pacific (PRIV)
(IPS, Noumea)
In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.