The Open Forum of CSOs Development Effectiveness, an initiative led by an international consortium of 25 civil society organisations is coordinating a global consultation involving civil society organisations around the world. The aim of these consultations is to offer a platform for civil society organisations to discuss and agree on principles of development effectiveness and on minimum standards for the enabling environment as they pertain to their work. The results will feed into the fourth High Level Forum of Aid Effectiveness in Seoul 2011. More than 70 national consultations are taking place this year in different regions around the world. The Open Forum is also aiming at facilitating a dialogue with the international non-governmental sector (INGOs) in order to ensure that their feedback and contributions are incorporated into the Open Forum process and support current efforts in the sector around this agenda. For more details on this initiative and how to participate contact us at:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The One World Trust is recruiting an administrative assistant. We are looking for a motivated and organised individual to support our small team of researchers and the Director, organising all aspects of administration and communications to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. You will act as first contact point for inquiries about our work, callers and visitors, manage office logistics and processes, provide direct assistance to the Director, maintain our databases and filing, and keep our website up to date and manage our monthly e-newsletter to high standard.

More information about the One World Trust and this job is available on our web site www.oneworldtrust.org and the full job information pack. For further inquiries about the job, please contact Syed Alam or Michael Hammer at +44 (0) 20 7713 6790. Closing date is 21 June 2010 at 9 am.

US President Obama and Russian President Medvedev today signed in Prague a new Treaty measures for the further reduction reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms, building on the existing Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) of 1991, and the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions of 2002. The Treaty is widely regarded as a major step forward on nuclear disarmament and in the relationship between both countries.

The treaty reiterates the principle of indivisible security and the duties arising from the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and recognises the contribution made by former USSR Republics of Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine to nuclear disarmament. Recognising the interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms the Treaty emphasises that "... current strategic defensive arms do not undermine the viability and effectiveness of the strategic offensive arms of the parties." This formulation leaves open the way for expanded interactions on the development, deployment or indeed removal of defensive strategic arms.

In itself the Treaty focuses however on strategic offensive arms including Intercontinental Stratgic Missiles (ICBMs), Submarine Launched Strategic Missiles (SLBMs), their warheads and launchers, including heavy bombers and heavy bomber nuclear armaments. The accompanying Protocol to the Treaty sets out Terms and Definitions, Categories of Data Pertaining to Strategic Offensive Arms,  Conversion or Elimination Procedures, Notifications provided for in  Article VII of the Treaty, Inspection  Activities, the role and work of the Bilateral Consultative Commission, procedures associatred with the use and obligation of provision of Telemetric Information, Provisional Applications, Agreed Statements regarding the Treaty and the Protocol, and Final Provisions containing general provisions applicable to the Protocol.

The UK Parliament's Science and Technology Select Committee published a report concluding its inquiry into the disclosure of data by the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. In the report the Committee exonerates the CRU researchers including prof. Phil Jones from accusations of deliberately manipulating data, suppressing of contradictory analysis, and inappropriate handling of external requests for data. The Committee however emphasises that the University itself may not have done enough to support the CRU in the handling of external information requests. It urges academics and research institutions to become more aware of the importance of transparency and appropriate handling of information requests in areas of research that are of high public interests, such as climate change, and to ramp up their capacity to engage with this challenge. In December 2009 the One World Trust published first analysis on the differences of dealing and coping with uncertainty in the political and scientific spheres of work and discourse, which underlie some of the accountability challenges thar arise in global climate governance, and have been exploited by critics of the emerging global consensus on the human impact on global warming and public policy responses.