Asia Pacific

#VoicetoLead #IND2017 - PSI affiliates, organising nurses across the world, commemorate today International Nurses Day. 12 May, which is the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale - the founder of modern nursing, has been set aside since 1965 as “nurses day”. In 1975, it became “International Nurses Day” which is celebrated worldwide.

The 18th round of RCEP negotiations began yesterday in Manila as civil society organisations express deep concern about the mega trade agreement being negotiated secretly by 16 nations, including the 10 ASEAN members plus Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, China and India, spanning 50% of the world population and 29% of the world’s GDP.

Over the years, PSI has created a body of work on the series of reforms in the electricity sector in India and the role of International Financial Institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank.

The Peoples’ Forum on BRICS, a network of peoples' movements, trade unions, national networks and civil society organisations, gathered in Delhi, India on 30 March to raise deep concerns over the fact that the New development Bank promoted by BRICS is no different from other IFI's such as the World Bank or Asian Development Bank.

PSI affiliates in the health sector marked World Health Day with actions taken in different parts of the world as part of the PSI Human Right to Health global campaign. These involved collaborations with other civil society organisations illustrate the fight against the commodification of health in some countries and regions.

At a meeting organised by PSI, the Forum Against FTAs, La via Campesina and others, more than 100 representatives of people’s movements from southern Indian states discussed the implications of the proposed mega free trade agreement - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).