In the past, governments have been shielded by the distance between Geneva and their capitals, and the belief that few observers monitor the positions they take. But what happens in Geneva shouldn’t stay in Geneva. This website gives citizens and journalists access to monitor and act on their governments’ performance.

Julie de Rivero, Geneva director

(Geneva) – A new website, “Votes Count,” will shed much needed light on how member countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council respond to serious violations of human rights across the globe. The website will compile, analyze and expose the positions Human Rights Council members have taken on situations of human rights violations in particular countries.

“In the past, governments have been shielded by the distance between Geneva and their capitals, and the belief that few observers monitor the positions they take,” said Julie de Rivero, Geneva director at Human Rights Watch. “But what happens in Geneva shouldn’t stay in Geneva. This website gives citizens and journalists access to monitor and act on their governments’ performance.”

The UN Human Rights Council has the mandate to address situations of gross and systematic violations of human rights. Yet a few governments are unwilling to criticize even dire country situations, while others argue that the Council should only act with the concerned country’s consent.
This website is a tool that can help anyone assess whether countries are fulfilling the Council’s mandate fully and objectively.

The new website focuses on the Human Rights Council’s performance in addressing human rights violations in particular countries since 2012. During that time, the Council has made considerable progress in addressing country situations, Human Rights Watch said. Among the reasons for this improvement is the leadership shown by a small number of countries including the United States and Switzerland, strengthened engagement by countries such as Nigeria and Thailand, and the consistent support for Council’s action on country situations by Mexico, Brazil, and Chile, among others.
Despite this progress, the Council’s response to country situations remains flawed in significant ways, Human Rights Watch said. The Council devotes little attention to some situations with severe endemic human rights problems, such as Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and China, and responds timidly in other cases. The selectivity and double standards of member countries in their handling of situations of violations is also discussed in “Votes Count.”

The website, which will be regularly updated, was created on the Silk platform. It is being launched ahead of the Council’s votes on several closely watched resolutions, including on:
• Accountability for North Korea’s crimes against humanity;
• The establishment of an international investigation into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka; and
• The use of aerial drones and human rights.

“Keeping a running tally on how countries vote at the Human Rights Council exposes hypocrisy and underperformance – but also casts light on those countries pushing for positive change,” de Rivero said. “Armed with this information, those concerned about human rights can hold governments to account, and push for the Council live up to its mandate.”

Informa has acquired Brasil Trade Shows Partners Participacoes S.A. (BTS). BTS is a leading organiser of trade shows in the Food & Beverage Services, Furniture Manufacturing and Franchising sectors, with leading brands including Fispal, ABF and ForMobile.  BTS has been acquired from DLJ South American Partners LP.

In addition, Informa has acquired Ibratexpo Feiras e Eventos Ltda which includes Serigrafia, the largest sign, screen and digital imaging show in South America from the Alatzatianou family.

The combined maximum cash consideration payable is BRL 210m (£81m).  Informa expects these acquisitions to be earnings enhancing in 2011 and to enhance the Group’s return on capital in 2012.

These acquisitions will further strengthen Informa’s global exhibition operations.  Serigrafia enhances Informa’s leading position in the print sector alongside IPEX, one of the world’s largest print related exhibitions.

BTS provides a platform for growth in South America and strengthens Informa’s experience in the strategically important food sector.  Furthermore, the strength of its brands will provide Informa with attractive geo-cloning opportunities.

Commenting on the acquisitions Peter Rigby, Chief Executive, of Informa said the acquisitions are consistent with two of the company’s strategic goals; growing its trade show business and expanding its presence in emerging markets.

BTS is an exceptionally well-managed trade show organiser with an enviable reputation in one of the world’s most dynamic and fast growing regions.  Serigrafia provides the perfect platform on which to expand the company’s print portfolio in the emerging markets, said Rigby.

Informa was formed in December 1998 by the merger of IBC Group plc and LLP (Lloyd’s of London Press). Since then, the continual growth and vision of the company has been built around the supply of high quality, proprietary business-to-business knowledge through some of the longest-standing brands in the world of publishing, conferences, exhibitions and training.

Mergers with the Taylor & Francis Group, a world-leading academic publisher in 2004, plus the acquisition of IIR Holdings and Datamonitor in 2005 and 2007 respectively, have built on Informa’s strategy to expand its business through both acquisition and organic growth.

Today, Informa is a progressive and successful international business headquartered in Switzerland with many industry leading products and services in niche markets around the world.

Other than the ethanol manufacturing event, the Brazilian firm also organizes the co-located agri-industrial event Agrocana. The company also works with Unica (Brazil’s sugarcane industry association) to produce the Brasil Ethanol Tradeshow alongside the association’s ethanol conference in Sao Paulo. In the northeastern city of Pernambuco, Multiplus produces a third event related to sugar cane and ethanol, Sucronor.

According to the Brazil Ministry of Agriculture, as many as 100 new ethanol production plants will be built by 2014 to keep pace with demand. Nearly eight million hectares of sugar cane are under cultivation, but Unica expects this to increase to 14 million hectares by 2020.

Chet Burchett, President of Reed Exhibitions Americas said Multiplus marks an important step in securing the firm’s position in the broader energy market of Brazil and, just as important, it is a key strategic element in Reed’s global renewable energy strategy.  Burchett further commented that Multiplus also puts the firm into important markets in Brazil’s Northeast and the interior of Sao Paulo State, with management that has proven its ability to launch and manage brands across a variety of industry sectors. According to Burchett, that’s important in the firm’s long-term growth goals for Brazil.

Burchett reiterated that Reed’s goals for acquisition in Brazil are focused on strategic value, adding that the firm already has the scale necessary for market leadership. As it is, Reed is working on a long-term plan with a clear understanding of where it wants to play and how it intends to win, said Burchett.

Other events acquired as part of the deal include niche industrial services tradeshows (Forind and Forind Nordeste) in Sao Paulo and Recife, respectively, and a food service technology event (FFATIA) in Goiania, located in Brazil’s central western region.

Multiplus principals Augusto Balieiro and Fernando Barbosa will remain with the company and provide ongoing management of the existing events and new launches.

Headquarters for the operation and its 38 employees will remain in Ribeirao Preto.

Multiplus will report to Juan Pablo de Vera, who oversees RXAM as its president and is the senior executive for RX Brazil.

The investment is expected to reinforce the growth of Pearson’s fast burgeoning education business and will be undertaken in two parts. The first part of the deal will see Pearson remit about 70% of the 326 million pounds to the Zaher family, Sistema Educacional Brasileiro’s majority shareholder while the other 30% will go directly into paying for the publicly quoted shares of the Brazilian firm.

However, the gain for Pearson, according to the company, will come from an increased presence in the Brazilian market given the fact that Sistema is a leading industry player in the country in the provision of systems for the education industry. According to current estimates, Sistema provides learning systems that sustain about 450,000 primary and secondary school goers and teachers as well.

On the other hand, the Brazilian firm is expected to enhance its earnings one year after it joins the Pearson Company. Pearson’s international education company chief, John Fallon revealed the company had been considering investments in Brazil given the size and the growth potential of the Latin American country’s education sector. The company had focused on Brazil for quite some time and was awaiting an opportunity, Brazil is Latin America’s biggest economy and its fast growth offers potential for more business, said the chief executive.

He further added that the acquisition of Sistema’s learning systems business offers the company a dynamic partner, reiterating the Brazilian company’s effectiveness and expertise in the Brazilian education sector that has given it lots of reputation. Fallon said the acquisition would also offer a stage for the company to set up a more robust and considerable business in the Latin America content, subsequently enabling Pearson, in the long run provide a wider and incorporated education services.

Pearson is an international media as well as education company and has businesses in the information, education and consumer publishing markets. Its products and services are in the form of newspapers, books, online services e.g. the Financial Times and Pearson.

UBM acquired a 75% stake in Sienna Interlink; a Sao Paolo based Exhibition Company, and a 60% stake in Navalshore, a Brazilian shipbuilding industry tradeshow, and an additional 62.03% stake in PR Newswire Brazil. Sienna Interlink owns the largest concrete industry tradeshow in the region, Concrete Show South America, which serves suppliers of concrete and cement equipment, machinery, building systems, materials, additives, tools and other related services.

It is hoped that the 2010 show will attract about 20,000 professionals and over 400 exhibitors, to occupy over 33,000m² of exhibition space. Last year, Interlink’s show and Restaubar show, another of its shows, earned the company net revenues pegged at US$4 million.  The company said the acquisition gives it exposure to the concrete market, meant to ensure that it gains considerably from the significant construction activity currently underway ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the country and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Navalshore is a yearly tradeshow that targets the maritime industry in Brazil and is held in Rio de Janeiro. It gathers suppliers of marine and shipbuilding technology, products and services with ship builders, subcontractors and companies ordering new ships. Last year, there were over 250 exhibiting companies and more than 12,600 maritime engineering industry visitors at the show, giving the company about US$700,000 in revenues.

The event this year will complement UBM’s biggest Brazilian show, Intermodal, that has a strong maritime transport constituent. The company paid an estimated US$1.2 million and a performance related consideration of US0.2 million, payable over two years, for the investment that saw it acquire the remaining stakes in PR Newswire Brazil. The company also acquired the last remaining 10% stake in PR Newswire Argentina for an investment worth US$40,000.

United Business Media Limited is a global business media company. It is engaged in distributing of news and information from global companies, organizations and agencies. It serves professional and commercial communities of buyers and sellers with media products that integrate events, online, print and business information.