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Home » E - Library » Subject Websites » Social policy

HelpAge International
"HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organisations with a mission to work with, and for, disadvantaged older people worldwide to achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives." Information on worldwide activities, research and policy, links to downloadable publications and links to other organisations' websites. Includes information on emergencies, social protection and pensions, rights, HIV/AIDS, and their impact on the elderly.

International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW)
"ICSW's basic mission is to promote forms of social and economic development which aim to reduce poverty, hardship and vulnerability throughout the world, especially amongst disadvantaged people. It strives for recognition and protection of fundamental rights to food, shelter, education, health care and security." Site contains downloadable publications, lists of members and links to their web sites, information on activities by region, and links to many UN and inter-govenmental agencies, NGOs, and research institutes.

International Social Security Association
Forum for cooperation between social security and social protection institutions worldwide. Details of the Association's work by "field of activity" (e.g. Prevention of occupational accidents and diseases, ISSA's research programme), lists of members, papers from meetings, conferences and workshops, details of publications and links to other web sites. Site provides details of Social Security Worldwide (SSW), a subscription database which contains:

• Outlines of social security systems in over 170 countries
• Descriptions of complementary and private pensions in over 50 countries
• Summaries of important reforms in social protection systems since 1995
• References to social security legislation, sometimes including full text
• Bibliography or items in the ISSA Documentation Centre
• Thesaurus

UNICEF
"Works for children's rights, their survival, development and protection, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child." Covers UNICEF work by programme and country, and contains sections targeted at young people. Includes:

• Monitoring and statistics
  Incluces Core indicators and Country statistics
• The State of the World's Children
  Annual report
• UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre
  The Centre investigates "ideas and issues that contribute to the implementation of child rights ... Research focuses on two main areas: child rights and socio-economic monitoring and policy analysis."

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Aims "to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all". Site includes details of Habitats's activities:

• Global campaigns, e.g.
• - Global Campaign on Urban Governance
• - Global Campaign for Secure Tenure
• Programmes, e.g.
• - Cities alliance
• - Housing rights programme
• - Safer cities programme
• - Urban management programme
• Area of work by topic, e.g.
• - Urban development and management
• - Water sanitation and infrastructure
• - Risk and disaster management
• - Social inclusion
• Information by country.

Also provides texts of statistics, reports, resolutions, declarations and training materials, a catalogue of publications, a list of resources for the press and media, and links to discussion fora.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
"The UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention web site provides information on drug control and crime prevention. Specific topics include drug abuse and demand reduction; drug supply reduction; crime prevention and criminal justice; treaty and legal affairs, analysis and statistics; news and publications; and links to 22 UNODC field offices." Also includes texts of United Nations Crime and Drug Conventions, and links to related UN and other websites. Downloadable documents include World Drug Report and Global Illicit Drug Trends.

UNRISD
"The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous UN agency engaging in multidisciplinary research on the social dimensions of contemporary problems affecting development." Searchable by Topic - e.g. Social movement, Social policy. Details of UNRISD's research (by Programmes and areas of research - e.g. Social policy and development - and by Projects - e.g. Social policy in a development context) and publications.