International Affairs

Nonprofit leaders are heralding the United Nations adoption of a new 15-year global-development agenda even as they acknowledge a long, costly road ahead to deliver on its promises. After years of planning and negotiations, U.N. members formally adopted 17 sustainable-development goals (SDGs) on Friday during a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. The SDGs…

A Russian human rights group has been forced to shut down as a result of a new law which requires nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign funding and are engaged in "political activities" to register as "foreign agents," the Associated Press reports. The Committee Against Torture, which has documented torture in Russia for fifteen years and…

A preliminary list of 12 nongovernmental organizations that could be banned from working in Russia under a "patriotic stop list" includes a number of large U.S. foundations as well as smaller groups that would seem to be unlikely targets, the New York Times reports. Signed into law by Russian president Vladimir V. Putin in May,…

To kick off 2013, January's Mission of the Month is International Aid. There are countless charities worldwide that go across national boarders to address global issues and solicit funds, and with the economy affecting the entire globe, now's a great time to highlight those international aid missions.

Resource Alliance Chief Executive Neelam Makhijani shares some of the conversations that took place at the future philanthropy forum.

Eli Lilly and Co. announced a $30 million commitment over five years to fight the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in developing nations. Lilly is launching The Lilly NCD Partnership, which combines the company's unique resources with the expertise of leading global health organizations, to identify new models of patient care that increase treatment access and improve outcomes for underserved people. The partnership will initially focus on diabetes — a core business area in which Lilly has deep expertise.

The Institute of Development Studies, the Resource Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation have launched a global dialogue to foster innovative partnerships focused on the improvement of human well-being. The Bellagio Initiative brings together the world’s most respected and innovative thinkers in the fields of philanthropy and international development. Over the coming months they will consider the key issues likely to shape the future well-being of humanity and identify new opportunities for joint action by philanthropic and development organisations.

Japan has long been uneasy about nonprofit organizations. It lacks a tradition of private philanthropy. Support for the needy is often expected to come from the family. Officials tend to regard NPOs as meddlesome amateurs.

So, even though public attitudes are changing, the law and formal attitudes tend to lag. Qualifying for favorable tax treatment, for example is nearly impossible in Japan.

However, a law passed June 22 that goes into force in two stages, on June 30 and next April, will significantly ease the process of getting favorable tax status.

Kraft Foods, the U.S.-based food and beverage giant, has announced a $3.8 million initiative to help eradicate child malnutrition in Indonesia and Bangladesh in partnership with Helen Keller International.

Announced at a World Economic Forum meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, the program will fund 180 farming "centers of excellence" over the next four years in the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) region of Indonesia and the Satkhira district of Bangladesh.

The Nature Conservancy, FEMSA Foundation, Inter-American Development Bank, and Global Environment Facility have announced the launch of a $27 million initiative to capitalize the protection of threatened water resources across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The public-private partnership, which could benefit as many as fifty million people, will work to protect seven million acres of watershed across the region from pollution and development.