Brussels, 20 November 2009 - Today is the day that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child moves out of its teenage years and turns 20. For two decades now, the Convention has provided a legal framework within which governments around the world can address the rights of children. Symbolically, it was signed on 20 November – a full 30 years after the signing of the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959.

“The nomination of Herman Van Rompuy (current Belgian Prime Minister) and Baroness Catherine Ashton (current European Commissioner for Trade) as President of European Union and the High Representative of EU respectively mean the start of a new era. Nonetheless, let me express my deep disappointment because of the lack of liberals amongst the four top jobs” Annemie Neyts, President of the ELDR party said this morning at the press conference of the 30th Congress of European liberals in Barcelona.

Brussels, 20 November 2009 – BirdLife International [1] calls on EU Fisheries Ministers meeting today in Brussels to give a strong political signal that Europe will act now to prevent the world's seabirds from sliding towards extinction due to the impact of fisheries.

EurActiv, the independent media portal specialised in EU policies, will be running special coverage on Europe’s role in global food security from 23-27 November.

In the wake of the recent food price crisis in 2007-2008, the United Nations has warned that prices remain "stubbornly high in developing countries". It expects the number of hungry people in the world to increase to over one billion this year. The global economic crisis is further aggravating the situation by causing job losses and deepening poverty.

Copenhagen and Moscow, 19 November 2009 Two out of three road traffic deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new study from the WHO Regional Office for Europe published today. Further, the first comprehensive assessment of road safety in the WHO European Region finds that, of 120 000 people who die in road traffic crashes every year, almost 50 000 are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.