WHO : Special World Health Assembly session proposed on "pandemic treaty" (PRIV)
(Nithin Ramakrishnan and K M Gopakumar, Kochi/New Delhi)
The new draft decision on a so-called "pandemic treaty" proposes a special session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in November to take a decision on the establishment of an intergovernmental process to negotiate a new agreement.

Trade : Caution needed on trade & environment agenda in UNCTAD (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Washington DC)
The WTO director-general Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, during her visit to Brussels last week, has praised the European Union for "its forward leaning attitude" on WTO deliverables and reforms, giving the impression that her priorities for the WTO's 12th ministerial conference (MC12) to be held in Geneva at end November appear to be in consonance with the EU's goals.

Q&A : Reflecting on five years of educating children (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund that brings teaching and learning to children in emergencies and protracted crises, is observing five years of reaching boys and girls in some of the world's hardest-hit conflict and disaster zones.