MBN: The Monte Bubbles Network: United Nations News

June 27

UN STEPS UP EFFORTS TO DEPLOY HEAVY SUPPORT PACKAGE TO DARFUR New York, Jun 27 2007 7:00PM A senior United Nations peacekeeping official said today that the world body is stepping up its preparations for the heavy support package to the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan, while efforts are under way to establish a hybrid UN-African Union force. “We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Hédi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said to reporters after briefing the Security Council. The current focus is on expediting the deployment of the heavy support package, which is the second leg of the three-phase programme to support and enhance the under-resourced AU Mission in Darfur (AMIS), he said. “Most, if not all” the offers necessary have been received, he noted, and the next step will be for potential contributors to visit Darfur to assess the situation to determine equipment needs. Regarding the hybrid operation, the last phase of the programme, Mr. Annabi welcomed the Sudanese Government’s unconditional support of a joint AU-UN peacekeeping force in Darfur following talks with a Council delegation earlier this month. He added that the 15-member body will next adopt a resolution regarding the establishment of such a force, after which a budget must be prepared. A large troop contributors’ meeting will be held this Friday to discuss the “shape and form of this hybrid operation,” the official said. Mr. Annabi said that despite the challenges the new hybrid force – which will report to both the UN and the AU – could face, the two organizations are “committed to working together to coordinate their work so that the operation can work as smoothly as possible.” 2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

FORMER UK LEADER TONY BLAIR NAMED NEW QUARTET REPRESENTATIVE New York, Jun 27 2007 6:00PM Following discussions among the Principals, the Middle East diplomatic Quartet – comprising the United Nations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States – today announced the appointment of former United Kingdom leader Tony Blair as its Representative. Recent events in both Gaza and the West Bank “make it more urgent than ever that we advance the search for peace in the Middle East,” the Quartet said in a statement, reaffirming its objective to “promote an end to the conflict in conformity with the Roadmap.” The urgency of these events has “reinforced the need for the international community, bearing in mind the obligations of the parties, to help Palestinians as they build the institutions and economy of a viable state in Gaza and the West Bank, able to take its place as a peaceful and prosperous partner to Israel and its neighbours,” it added. To this end, Mr. Blair, who also stepped down as Prime Minister today, has been named Representative, a position in which he will “bring continuity and intensity of focus to the work of the Quartet in support of the Palestinians, within the broader framework of the Quartet’s efforts to promote an end to the conflict in conformity with the Roadmap.” His duties will include mobilizing international assistance to the Palestinians and working closely with donors and others, as well as helping to identify and securing support in addressing the Palestinian state’s institutional governance needs. In his new role, Mr. Blair – who be supported in his efforts by a small expert team based in Jerusalem – will also develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development and will communicate with other countries in support of agreed Quartet objectives. He will “spend significant time in the region working with the parties and others to help create viable and lasting government institutions representing all Palestinians, a robust economy, and a climate of law and order for the Palestinian people,” the Quartet said. The new Representative will report to and regularly consult with the Quartet, which “looks forward to welcoming Mr. Blair at its next meeting.” 2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

BUDGET COMMITTEE APPROVES STEPS TO BOOST UN PEACEKEEPING CAPACITY New York, Jun 27 2007 6:00PM The General Assembly’s budget committee has approved a set of proposals to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to mount and sustain peacekeeping operations at a time when the number of blue helmets deployed around the world is the highest in the world body’s history. The Administrative and Budgetary (Fifth) Committee today agreed on reforms proposed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this year to restructure the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the face of what he referred to as “explosive growth in demand for UN peacekeepers coupled with a “dramatically strained and overstretched system.” Among the proposals approved today – which will now go to the Assembly for adoption – is the establishment of a Department of Field Support, as well as a post of Under-Secretary-General to head the new Department – essential for managing the nearly 100,000 field personnel deployed worldwide. The resolution agreed on would also have the Assembly approve some $230.5 million for the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008, including 819 continuing and 284 new temporary posts. In addition, the Assembly would create two posts at the Assistant Secretary-General level – one to head the newly established Office of Military Affairs and the other to head the newly established Office of Rule of Law and Security, both in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, as well as the post of Chief of the Procurement Service in the Office of Central Support Services. When he first presented the proposals, Mr. Ban said that “taken together, these measures would bolster and improve the assistance that Headquarters provides top field missions and to field personnel contributed by Member States.” The Committee, which normally devotes its late spring session to the budgetary and administrative needs of peacekeeping for the coming financial year, which runs from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008, also approved some $5.25 billion for the 13 active peacekeeping operations today. 2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

CITIES IN AFRICA AND ASIA TO DOUBLE IN SIZE BY 2030: UN POPULATION FUND New York, Jun 27 2007 6:00PM The population of African and Asian cities will double by 2030, adding 1.7 billion people, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says in a new ">report which calls for addressing rising urbanization by helping the poor. Humanity will have to undergo a “revolution in thinking” to deal with the change, according to <i>State of World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth</i>, released today. “What happens in the cities of Africa and Asia and other regions will shape our common future,” said UNFPA Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. “We must abandon a mindset that resists urbanization and act now to begin a concerted global effort to help cities unleash their potential to spur economic growth and solve social problems.” To take advantage of potential opportunities, governments must prepare for the coming growth. “Leaders need to be proactive and take far-sighted action to fully exploit the opportunities that urbanization offers,” said Ms. Obaid. According to the report, as of 2008, more than half the world’s 6.7 billion people will live in cities. Though so-called mega-cities – those with more than 10 million people – will continue to grow, most will be living in cities of 500,000 or fewer. By 2030, the urban population will rise to 5 billion, or 60 per cent of world population. The report recommends that city authorities and urban planners make it a priority to provide for the shelter needs of the urban poor by offering secure tenure on land that is outfitted with power, water and sanitation services. Those living in poor communities should have access to education and health care and should be encouraged to build their own homes, the report says. “The battle for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to halve extreme poverty by 2015 will be won or lost in the cities of the developing world,” said Ms. Obaid of the global anti-poverty targets set at a 2000 UN summit. “This means accepting the rights of poor people to live in cities and working with their creativity to tackle potential problems and generate new solutions.” “The report says that policymakers should shift the emphasis from stemming migration to delivering social services and investing in women and cities,” UNFPA’s Ann Erb Leoncavallo told a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. “Investing in education and health, including reproductive health and voluntary family planning, is the best way to address urban population growth.” She cautioned that what happens in cities in the future in Africa and Asia effects all people. “Now is the time to begin a concerted international effort for unleashing the potential of urban growth of having people come together and find common solutions to these problems,” she said. 2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

TIME FOR UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION TO TURN PLANS INTO RESULTS – NEW CHAIR New York, Jun 27 2007 6:00PM The main challenge facing the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission in the next year is to transform its plans and strategies for Burundi and Sierra Leone into tangible results on the ground in the two countries, the incoming chair of the body said today. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima of Japan, who was elected today to succeed the outgoing chair, Ambassador Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins of Angola, told journalists that the Commission – set up to help fragile nations recover from the effects of conflict – had made impressive strides since it began a year ago. Burundi and Sierra Leone were chosen as the first two countries to receive assistance, and detailed strategies have been outlined for the two African States in consultation with their governments and with other international and national organizations. But now is the time to “get things done,” Mr. Oshima said. “We are not there yet but we are a good way to achieving those objectives.” While the Commission should continue to work aggressively in helping Burundi and Sierra Leone, it should also consider expanding its roster of countries receiving support, Mr. Oshima added, suggesting that other African countries may be chosen first. He also said the Commission should take up cross-border issues such as youth unemployment, the rule of law and security sector reform now that it is firmly established. In his address today to the conclusion of the Commission’s first session, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “proud to be associated with your first year, and your important achievements. The Peacebuilding Commission has a long and exciting future in front of it.” Mr. Ban stressed that any “efforts to consolidate peace and development must be based on the needs and perspectives of the countries themselves. The marriage of national ownership and international partnership is the key.” General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa congratulated the Commission for undertaking “its sensitive tasks with seriousness and perseverance. It has firmly established itself as an important new intergovernmental body with a membership that reflects key UN bodies and stakeholders.” Sheikha Haya called on the Commission to establish a closer working relationship with other parts of the UN system, particularly the General Assembly. 2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

June 26

GOVERNMENTS, UN AGREE ON ‘ROAD MAP’ TO TACKLE HUNGER IN HORN OF AFRICA New York, Jun 26 2007 1:00PM The United Nations agencies at the forefront of the battle against hunger announced today that six African Governments and the UN have agreed on a road map to tackle the root causes of rising hunger across the drought-plagued Horn of Africa, warning that the next major crisis could force more than 20 million people into needing emergency assistance. The agreement – the result of Government-led consultations, supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme includes a list of 170 successful projects that can be scaled up and expanded throughout the region, including growing trees, rehabilitating land, and digging water wells and irrigation systems. It caps off months of planning and two days of talks in Nairobi that ended today between officials from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, along with the UN, regional bodies, donors, international financial institutions, research organizations, the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “The hard work starts now,” said Kjell Magne Bondevik, UN Special Humanitarian Envoy to the Horn of Africa. “We have identified what works best and where. The biggest challenge is to scale up successes to extinguish hunger in the Horn rather than just fighting fires each time one breaks out.” More than 70 million people – 45 per cent of the total population – in the Horn live in abject poverty and face food shortages. In the past six years, four major droughts hit the region. “The Horn is hit by some of the world’s most severe food crises and they are coming faster and more furious because of climate change, environmental degradation, political and armed conflicts and a host of other factors,” he said. “We all now need to show the commitment to end this cycle of despair and disaster, which if not stopped could next see over 20 million people in need of assistance.” “In the Horn of Africa to end this scourge, we need to protect and rebuild the livelihoods of the food insecure and enhance their long-term resilience to shocks such as droughts. This is what we hope to do in this comprehensive partnership,” said FAO Assistant Director-General Tesfai Tecle. 2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

BAN URGES MEDIA SEMINAR TO FOCUS ON PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE IN MIDDLE EAST New York, Jun 26 2007 11:00AM Warning that recent violence has set back the Middle East peace process, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged media professionals and civil society representatives attending a United Nations-organized seminar in Tokyo to “explore creative approaches to spreading the message of peace and coexistence in these troubled times.” “You meet at a very critical time,” Mr. Ban said in a message delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka to the International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East. “After years of occupation, violence and mistrust, Israeli and Palestinian societies stand further apart than ever before,” the Secretary-General lamented, adding “alarming rifts have also surfaced in internal Palestinian politics, as armed clashes between rival factions spread death and destruction across the Gaza Strip.” The current outbreak of violence, while a cause for great dismay, should not lead to despair, Mr. Ban told some 100 participants attending the two-day event, organized by the UN in cooperation with Japan’s Foreign Ministry and the Tokyo-based UN University. Instead, it should serve to focus attention on finding a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. “We must take heart from the numerous opinion polls of recent years that point to consistently strong grassroots support in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories for peaceful coexistence within the framework of a two-State solution.” In his keynote address to the meeting, Michael Williams, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, urged participants not to despair amid the current state of affairs. “We must instead look at what can be done to change current dynamics and channel energies in a more positive direction.” To that end, the UN was working overtime to help address the serious humanitarian concerns emanating from the closure of the Gaza Strip, Mr. Williams added, in a message read out by UN University Rector Hans Van Ginkel. Reopening the crossings into Gaza required cooperation of all parties, and in that effort, the humanitarian imperative must be paramount, he stressed. The annual seminar focuses on ways to re-engage Israelis and Palestinians in the search for a comprehensive and lasting political settlement. Participating in this year’s gathering are two members of the Knesset, Ronit Tirosh and Avishai Braverman, the Mayors of Ashdod and Hadera and a former Mayor of Ashkelon. Palestinian participants include a former Minister of Culture, Almutawakel Nazzal, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, and the Mayor of Ramallah. 2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

UN-SPONSORED MEETING CALLS FOR MORE MALE FACILITATORS IN GENDER TRAINING New York, Jun 26 2007 8:00AM Increasing the number of qualified male trainers in gender training for security personnel is one of the key conclusions of an online expert-group discussion hosted by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and its partners in Santo Domingo. The e-discussion, supported also by the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, issued its recommendations today on the eve of a three-day "training of trainers" in gender equality for personnel from various UN peacekeeping missions at the Institute's headquarters in the Dominican Republic. During the three-week virtual discussion carried out in April, more than 140 specialists from around the globe exchanged field experiences and discussed how to make gender trainings more effective for security sector personnel such as military, police and prison staff, peacekeepers and the justice system, UN-INSTRAW said in a news release. With special attention given to UN peacekeepers, international gender experts representing academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, security forces and the UN have provided useful recommendations and practical tips on training delivery, for example on how to challenge gender stereotypes. "Many of the security institutions -- military, police, peacekeepers -- are dominated by men," said Carmen Moreno, UN-INSTRAW Director. "Knowing more about how differently men and women experience conflict helps security personnel respond better to gender-based violence and prevent sexual abuse," she added. "According to experts, having male and female trainers working together is very good practice," stressed Toiko Tõnisson Kleppe, UN-INSTRAW moderator of the e-discussion. "This way they can break the ice, question gender stereotypes and more easily get the message across to the mostly male participa is often listened to in a more attentive way," she observed. According to gender and security specialists, gender training is more effective when initiated at the early stage, integrated directly into other training programmes, and conducted with the involvement of senior management officials. The virtual discussion on gender training for security sector personnel took place as part of an on-going joint project which focuses on the development of a hands-on toolkit on how to integrate gender issues into security sector reforms. Based on a request from the experts, the organizing institutions are now considering setting up a permanent platform on gender training for security personnel in order to sustain the exchange of knowledge and practices, UN-INSTRAW said. 2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS PALESTINIANS WHO FLED IRAQ DESPERATELY NEED AID New York, Jun 26 2007 8:00AM Spotlighting the deteriorating conditions facing some 1,400 Palestinians who fled Baghdad and are stranded in camps on the Iraq-Syria border, the United Nations refugee agency today called for international assistance to alleviate their plight. "There is an urgent need for medical care as well as an immediate humanitarian solution and we urge countries in the region -- and further afield -- to help end their suffering," Jennifer Pagonis, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva. A UNHCR team visited Al Waleed camp -- home to over 1,000 Palestinians -- on the Iraqi side of the border last week and identified four children and one young man in urgent need of medical care. "UNHCR and ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] are trying everything to provide proper medical care but this is impossible in the snake- and scorpion-infested border camp without access to proper water, sanitation, care and shelter," said Ms. Pagonis. The agency is also concerned because the security situation is also rapidly deteriorating in the area. "The refugees are increasingly scared and frustrated, trapped in the middle of nowhere and unable to understand why nobody or no country can help them or give them access to safety," said the spokesperson. The refugees are themselves appealing for help. "Several refugees begged our team 'not to forget them and leave them in this hell.' No one wants to return to Baghdad." There are still an estimated 15,000 Palestinians remaining in Iraq -- less than half of the estimated figure in 2003, according to UNHCR, which has repeatedly called for international support to help them. "We continue to strongly urge the Iraqi authorities and multinational forces to provide protection to the extent possible to the Palestinian community in Baghdad and at the Iraq-Syria border," said Ms. Pagonis.

FRESH VIOLENCE FORCES LOCALS TO FLEE COLOMBIA'S ARAUCA REGION, UN REPORTS New York, Jun 26 2007 8:00AM Violence between guerilla groups in Colombia has forced approximately 1,000 people to flee the eastern Arauca region over the past year and a half, the United Nations refugee agency reports. The area has long been a stronghold of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) which started fighting each other last year, according to the Geneva-based UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has offices in Colombia. Some 1,000 people have come forward in the past 18 months and said violence had forced them out of their homes in a town that had previously counted only a few displaced families. UNHCR works in Arauca through a network of partners, including the Catholic Church and La Defensoria del Pueblo, Colombia's human rights network. In view of the serious humanitarian situation, the refugee agency is stepping up its presence on the ground and took part in a fact-finding mission earlier this month to help tailor its intervention to meet the needs on the ground. Describing insecurity in the area in a news release, UNHCR said a few days before its team visited, unidentified gunmen shot dead local right-wing councillor, Alejandrina Rincon, in broad daylight as she walked in the town with her eight-year-old son. She had been threatened and other local leaders have also received threats. In the past two years, 10 teachers have also been targeted by one or other group and five had to flee, according to UNHCR, which warned that with local elections coming up in October, many are scared that more violence is on its way. In the scores of small villages dotted along the vast plains of Arauca, the situation is worse, the agency pointed out, because there, the fighting between the rival guerrilla groups is "at its most intense," while locals report "the army and police are there only intermittently, if at all."

June 25

SECURITY COUNCIL, BAN KI-MOON CONDEMN DEADLY ATTACK ON UN PEACEKEEPERS New York, Jun 25 2007 1:00PM The Security Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have strongly condemned yesterday’s bomb attack in southern Lebanon that killed six UN peacekeepers and seriously wounded two others. The peacekeepers from Spain and Colombia were on a patrol about 5:30 yesterday afternoon near the town of Khiyam, located in the eastern sector of UNIFIL’s area of operation, when the explosion occurred. The mission has begun an investigation to determine exactly what happened. Condemning the attack “in the strongest terms,” the Council today reaffirmed its complete support of the Force in carrying out its mandate to help implement the UN resolution ending last year’s war between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah. Council members appealed to all sides in Lebanon “to abide scrupulously by their obligation to respect the safety of the UNIFIL and other United Nations personnel,” Ambassador Johan Verbeke of Belgium, which holds the rotating Council presidency, said in a statement. He added that this included “avoiding any course of action which endangers United Nations personnel and… ensuring UNIFIL is accorded full freedom of movement throughout its area of operations.” The presidential statement also noted that the Lebanese Government has condemned the bombing and welcomed the Government’s commitment to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice. In a statement issued by his spokesperson in Paris, where the Secretary-General is travelling, Mr. Ban said he was deeply saddened by the attack and called for a full investigation “into this very disturbing incident.” Mr. Ban “notes the fragility of the situation in Lebanon and reiterates the importance of UNIFIL’s mandate for stability in the area,” the statement added, describing the targeting of mission members as “in fact an attempt to undermine peace and security in the region and in particular the Lebanese and international efforts to stabilize the situation in southern Lebanon.” UNIFIL Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Claudio Graziano called the bombing “the most serious incident since the end of the war last summer” and joined others in extending condolences to the families of the victims. He stressed that all UNIFIL troops remained committed to carrying out their mission. 2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

GAZA: UN AID OFFICIAL CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK ON BORDER CROSSING WITH ISRAEL New York, Jun 25 2007 1:00PM The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory has condemned today’s rocket attacks that led to the closure of the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Kevin Kennedy said in a statement issued in Jerusalem that “such attacks are completely unacceptable and endanger the provision of vital humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of Gaza.” Kerem Shalom is one of the few crossings between Israel and Gaza, where UN relief officials have warned critical food shortages are looming because of restrictions or closures of crossings since deadly intra-Palestinian fighting erupted earlier this month. In his statement Mr. Kennedy called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, adding that he continued to work to ensure appropriate security and access conditions for the passage of humanitarian goods through the crossing points. 2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

UN’S TOP IRAQ ENVOY CONDEMNS DEADLY BAGHDAD HOTEL BOMBING New York, Jun 25 2007 12:00PM The top United Nations envoy to Iraq today condemned a suicide attack which killed a number of officials gathered at a central Baghdad hotel for a meeting seeking to chart a path to reconciliation in the strife-torn country. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for Iraq Ashraf Qazi called the attack at Al Mansour Melia Hotel “a deplorable crime” aimed at sabotaging efforts to resolve differences and promote the peace so urgently needed by Iraq’s citizens. Mr. Qazi called on the Iraqi authorities to pursue and bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack, which killed and injured dozens of Iraqi civilians, including former Anbar Governor Fasaal El Gawud, Iraqi Parliament member Al-Sheikh Hussein Al-Sha’alan and Iraqi poet Rahim Al Maliki. The hotel bombing is the latest attack in a wave of violence that the Special Representative has warned threatens to push the country further into a sectarian war. 2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

FLORIDA EVERGLADES AND RÍO PLÁTANO BIOSPHERE RESERVE OFF 'DANGER LIST' -- UNESCO New York, Jun 24 2007 11:00PM The Everglades National Park in the United States and Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras have been removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced today. The decision was taken by the World Heritage Committee, which is meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, to examine the state of conservation of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List and on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Inclusion on the Danger List is intended to mobilize support for sites whose outstanding universal value is under threat. The Committee commended the United States for its investment of scientific and financial resources to rehabilitate the Florida Everglades, which was inscribed on the Danger List in 1993. Described as a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea, the Everglades' "exceptional variety of water habitats has made it a sanctuary for a large number of birds and reptiles, including threatened species such as the manatee," UNESCO said in a news release. The site had been threatened by urban growth and pollution, as well as by the damage caused to Florida Bay in 1992 by Hurricane Andrew. The Committee also welcomed the corrective measures taken by the Honduran authorities to preserve the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982 and on the Danger List in 1996. These corrective measures were "destined to relieve the site -- one of the few remaining tropical rainforests in Central America, home to an abundant and varied plant and wildlife -- of encroachment by agriculture, timber trade and hunting," UNESCO said. In addition to reviewing the Danger List, the World Heritage Committee will examine requests to inscribe three dozen new nature and culture sites on the World Heritage List. 2007-06-24 00:00:00.000

IRAN AND IAEA AGREE TO DEVISE 'ACTION PLAN' ON NUCLEAR ISSUES New York, Jun 25 2007 8:00AM The International Atomic Energy Agency today announced that following talks in Vienna between its chief and a senior official from Tehran, the IAEA will send a team to Iran as part of efforts to resolve outstanding issues over the country's nuclear ambitions. The announcement followed a meeting on Sunday between IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and Dr. Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. "Dr. Larijani invited the IAEA to send a team to Tehran to develop an action plan for resolving outstanding issues related to Iran's past nuclear programme," said IAEA spokesperson Melissa Fleming in a statement, which added that the Agency "intends to send a team as early as practicable." The two officials had previously announced that Iran and the IAEA would start work on drafting a plan of action to address all outstanding issues regarding Iran's nuclear programme, which Tehran says is entirely peaceful but which other countries charge is driven by military ambitions. Earlier this month, Mr. ElBaradei told the IAEA Board of Directors that Iran "continues to perfect its knowledge relevant to enrichment, and to expand the capacity of its enrichment facility." He also noted that the Agency still lacks the capacity to verify the absence of undeclared nuclear activities. The new plan of action would be part of a broader political understanding that Mr. Larijani will discuss with the European Union negotiator Javier Solana, the IAEA said in a news release. "I hope that in the next few weeks we should be able to start drawing a plan of action which I hope we should be able to conclude within two months and then start with the implementation of such a plan," said Dr. ElBaradei. "I welcome this development because, as I have been saying for the last couple of years, this is key to our ability to be able to provide assurance about Iran's nuclear programme." At a press conference held at the IAEA's two-hour meeting on Friday, Dr. ElBaradei said that he and Mr. Larijani had a "good exchange" on how the negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany should be revived. "We will continue to work together on the two fronts of verification and diplomacy. Establishing the facts on the ground, which is our job, would enable the development of a diplomatic solution," he said. In December, 2006, the Security Council adopted a resolution banning trade with Iran in all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to the country's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems. It tightened the measures in March, banning arms sales and expanding the freeze on assets. 2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

June 22

UNESCO CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER POTENTIAL BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS New York, Jun 22 2007 2:00PM The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization today expressed concern over a threatened boycott of Israeli academic institutions by the British University and College Union, stressing that opportunities for peace and dialogue must be seized especially in conflict situations. “Academics are responsible for gathering, processing and distributing information, which are tasks necessary for building stable, prosperous and democratic societies,” said UNESCO’s Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. “We need to preserve the universality of research, exchange and learning, and support all joint academic activities that foster the sharing of experiences and expertise.” Academic work and institutions are centred on the free flow of ideas and knowledge, which is the core of all intellectual activity, he added. The request for the boycott is current being circulated to all local Union branches for discussion. “If we are serious about the need to promote sustained peace, democracy and development, I believe that we have the moral responsibility to share knowledge and promote understanding,” said the UNESCO chief, noting that cooperation among the world’s university is a necessity, not a luxury. “We must therefore continue to support all efforts within civil societies to nurture contacts in the spirit of respect and mutual understanding which characterize peaceful relations.” 2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

UN FOOD AGENCY MOVES FROM RELIEF TO RECOVERY IN DJIBOUTI New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM Aiming to help pastoralists hit by drought in Djibouti, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today it is gradually transitioning from emergency assistance to Food for Work projects in the country. "The shift aims at leaving permanent structures for pastoralists in most projects in partnership with the Government and other UN agencies," said WFP Djibouti Country Director Benoit Thiry. Food for Work projects involve WFP, other organizations and the Government contracting local communities to build lasting infrastructure such as gardens and wells that will help them cope with droughts. Some 5,600 Food for Work participants will receive a five-person family ration in exchange for their work, according to the agency. At the peak of the last lean season in September 2006, when food from the last harvest ran out, a fifth of the population of Djibouti lacked adequate food, WFP said. This year, without assistance, many people will be forced to move to Djibouti city, where they lose their pastoralist lifestyle and are often forced to dwell in the spreading slums on the outskirts of the capital. "We are trying to help those who want to stay in rural areas by improving water access and gardens," said Mr. Thiry. Despite shifting from free food distributions to Food For Work programmes, WFP will still maintain a contingency food stock in Djibouti to use in case of an emergency. Assistance to refugees from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, school feeding and food for nutritional centres will continue. 2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY HAILS PLANNED COOPERATION PACT WITH MOROCCO New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today welcomed Morocco's announced intention to sign a cooperation agreement with the agency, saying it would pave the way for improved coordination to help those who have fled to the North African country. The announcement, made on Wednesday to coincide with World Refugee Day June 20, will pave the way for upgrading the status of the UNHCR office in Rabat. "UNHCR staff in Morocco will benefit from open channels of communication with all relevant governmental departments, central and local authorities, and partner organizations," agency spokesman Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva. The imminent signature of the accord "is a clear expression of the expanding and deepening cooperation between the Moroccan authorities and UNHCR in the country," he said. "This cooperation is aimed at protecting refugees within broader migratory movements affecting the country, and at finding durable solutions for refugees, including voluntary return, self-reliance and targeted use of resettlement." Morocco was the first country on the African continent to receive UNHCR staff in 1959 and to allow UNHCR to open an honorary delegation in 1965. The agency's office in Rabat currently has registered some 600 refugees recognized under its mandate, while some 1,000 asylum applications are pending, mainly from nationals from sub-Saharan African countries. 2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

ONE IN FIVE TIMORESE NEEDS FOOD ASSISTANCE, UN REPORT SAYS New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM A new United Nations report says one in five people in East Timor needs food assistance, blaming crop losses on persistent drought and locust plagues. The report issued today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that to avert a major food crisis, up to 220,000 vulnerable people living in outlying areas across the country will require more than 15,000 tonnes of emergency food assistance, particularly during the six months of the coming 'lean season' starting in October. "A poor harvest this year has worsened the already fragile livelihoods of people all over Timor but especially among the poorest people living in rural and more remote districts," said Anthony Banbury, WFP's Regional Director for Asia. "And for many of those displaced by the conflict during last year's crisis, who continue to live outside of their communities, a restricted domestic food supply means they will continue to rely on food assistance." The new report, based on a joint assessment mission carried out by the two UN agencies in March and April, suggests substantial reductions in all of the country's crops due in large part to recurring drought, especially on the north coast, and an outbreak of locust infestations in the western regions. Production of maize, Timor's most important crop, declined by 30 per cent to 70,000 tonnes. Output of cereals, cassava and other tubers dropped by 25 30 per cent while rice production decreased by 20 per cent, the report says. "We need to continue to closely monitor the drought situation and any further locust infestations to help provide Timorese farmers with the best information and assistance," said Henri Josserand, Chief of FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System. The FAO/WFP report also noted that the severe food crisis earlier this year, with commodity price hikes and the virtual disappearance of rice from the market, highlighted the need strategies and implementation mechanisms. In addition to those affected by crop failure, Timor also has nearly 100,000 internally displaced people living in Dili or with relatives in the districts as a result of a political crisis that began in 2006 in the country, which the UN helped to shepherd to independence in 2002. 2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

UN APPEALS TO KENYA TO ALLOW FOOD INTO SOMALIA New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM The United Nations food relief agency today appealed to Kenyan authorities to allow assistance for more than 100,000 people to be trucked into Somalia, where piracy is hampering deliveries by sea. One hundred and forty WFP-contracted trucks carrying the food left the Kenyan port of Mombasa and were unexpectedly stopped at the Northeast Kenyan border crossing of El-Wak since they first started arriving there on 25 May. "The Kenyan overland route was chosen because of major problems with sea routes to Somalia plagued by pirate attacks," said WFP Somalia Country Director Peter Goossens. "Delays in distributing food this month to 108,000 people in Gedo district risks further aggravating the alarming rates of malnutrition that are already reported there," he warned. The supplies in the trucks are intended to last for three months. "We are in intense contacts with Kenyan authorities to facilitate the passage of this cargo into Somalia so that food distributions can urgently resume in southern Gedo," he said, recalling that Kenya had allowed the agency to use El-Wak since January "because it is the most direct route to southern Gedo, where food assistance is urgently needed." Many of the 140 WFP-contracted trucks had waited so long at El-Wak that they were unloaded in recent days and the food assistance moved to a local warehouse, the agency said. The Nairobi Government has closed its border with Somalia since January to people and commercial traffic, but humanitarian assistance was previously allowed across into the war-ravaged country, where fighting between the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and anti-TFG factions caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes earlier this year. In the coming days, a third round of WFP food distributions to people driven from their homes by fighting in Mogadishu is due to start, with a total of 150,000 people slated to receive food

CONCERNED AT ABUSE OF ORPHANS IN IRAQ, UNICEF URGES MEASURES IN RESPONSE New York, Jun 22 2007 2:00PM Reacting to broadcast images of children in a Baghdad orphanage suffering “horrific neglect and abuse,” the United Nations Children’s Fund today urged the Iraqi Government to assess conditions nationwide and take measures to address the problem. “Even in a country overshadowed by daily scenes of violence, these images are truly shocking,” said UNICEF Representative for Iraq, Roger Wright. “Making children suffer in this way is totally unacceptable.” The agency said all Iraqi children are at risk in the current conflict, but orphans – and those with special needs – are particularly vulnerable, while the plight of institutionalized children is exacerbated by the decline in qualified childcare workers. In a statement, UNICEF welcomed Prime Minister Nuri El Maliki’s call for a national enquiry into the conditions of children in orphanages, and urged the Iraqi Government “to enable a rapid assessment of all the country’s orphanages and juvenile centres as soon as possible.” UNICEF called for an open monitoring system for the management of children’s institutions and measures to improve the skills of caregivers and accelerating community-based childcare alternatives. At the same time, the agency paid tribute to the “tremendous determination of the majority of the Iraqi people to extend helping hands and to protect children” and urged that these efforts continue. “Caring for children is our primary responsibility as human beings, no matter what the circumstances,” said Mr. Wright. “I hope these terrible images from the Baghdad orphanage will spur us all on to do even more for Iraq’s children.” 2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

June 21

UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES DEATH OF IRAQI EDITOR New York, Jun 21 2007 3:00PM The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom worldwide today condemned the murder of the Iraqi journalist Filaih Wadi Mijthab, who was kidnapped on 13 June and then executed by his abductors. “His abduction and execution add yet another name to the long list of journalists and other media professionals who have been murdered,” Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Mr. Mijthab was the managing director of the daily newspaper al-Sabah, part of the Iraqi Government-owned media. Under the previous regime, he was a columnist for al-Thawra, a daily newspaper. He was abducted on 13 June while driving to his office in the Al-Habibiya district of Baghdad’s Sadr City neighbourhood, and his body was found on 15 June near a mosque in the same area. Journalism as a profession “is regularly targeted in Iraq, when it has a crucial role to play in the country’s reconstruction,” Mr. Matsuura noted. “It is in everyone’s interest, and in the interest of democracy, that the press be better protected.” The Director-General reiterated his appeal to both Iraqi and international authorities to bolster security for media professionals and those who work for them. The latest murder brings the total to 29 journalists who have been killed in Iraq in the last six months alone, averaging more than one weekly, according to the organization Reporters without Borders. Currently, 14 journalists are being held hostage, some having already spent months in captivity. In another development, a conference on the significance of cultural diversity up at UNESCO headquarters in Paris today. About 300 participants from 57 States Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, as well as observers and civil society representatives, attended the gathering. The aims to strengthen ties between culture and sustainable development, while respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms, equal dignity of cultures and cultural openness. It also recognises that nations have the sovereign right to determine policies to promote the diversity of cultural expressions within their borders. During the meeting, rules of procedure were adopted and 24 members of the Intergovernmental Committee were elected, with several seats having been reserved for developing countries. This Committee will be responsible for such matters as promoting the Convention’s objectives and ensuring its implementation. 2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

UN-ASSISTED MINE CLEARANCE ENABLES 1,000 AFGHAN FAMILIES TO RETURN HOME New York, Jun 21 2007 12:00PM Some 1,000 Afghan families can now return to their homes on a hilltop in downtown Kabul and live in a more secure environment thanks to the efforts of the United Nations-supported Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA). During a handover ceremony today, MAPA released 70,000 square meters of cleared residential area to 1,000 families on Kabul’s “TV Hill” – where a total of 103 anti-personnel mines and nearly 2,600 unexploded ordnance have been destroyed since December 2006. Following the ouster of the Taliban in 2001, some 500,000 square meters of land were found contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance on the TV Hill area. According to media reports, almost 1,000 people were killed or injured by such weapons in that area in 1998. Today more than 440,000 square meters have been cleared and nearly 2,000 anti-personnel mines and almost 7,400 unexploded ordnance destroyed. “Thanks to the work of manual clearance teams almost 7,000 families have already retuned to the Hill and rebuilt their houses. TV Hill is now one of the most populated areas in the centre of the city,” the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA), which coordinates MAPA’s activities in areas such as minefield clearance, mine risk education and support for mine victims, said in a press release. Afghanistan became a State party to the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention in March 2003 and is working towards clearing all minefields by 2013. Also in Kabul today, the UN Development Programme UNDP inaugurated the AliceGhan project, which will provide housing and support for livelihoods to 1,400 Afghan returnees and internally displaced persons ) in Qarabagh District. Those selected to participate in the project, which enjoys $7.3 million in funding from the Australian Government, will receive housing construction materials to build their own earthquake-resistant houses, as well as vocational training. The name “AliceGhan” is derived from the combination of Alice Springs – a town in Australia which has strong links with Afghan migrants to Australia – and Afghanistan, symbolising the partnership and commitment between the two countries. The project is implemented by UNDP in close partnership with several Afghan ministries, and with the support of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ) and the UN Human Settlements Programme 2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

SECURITY COUNCIL REQUESTS PANEL TO ASSESS SITUATION IN LIBERIA New York, Jun 20 2007 7:00PM The Security Council today called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to set up a panel of financial and diamond experts to renew investigations of whether UN sanctions against Liberia are being broken after learning of “credible allegations” that the notorious former president Charles Taylor may still have access to considerable wealth. In a unanimous resolution, the Council asked Mr. Ban to establish a panel of up to three members to carry out a follow-up assessment mission in Liberia and neighbouring countries to determine the effectiveness and impact of the measures introduced against Mr. Taylor and others. A Council resolution in 2004 ordered all governments to freeze the assets of Mr. Taylor and his immediate family and barred them from using “misappropriated funds and property” to obstruct the restoration of peace and stability in the region. The panel, which must be set up within a month, is expected to draw “as much as possible on the expertise” of the existing panel of experts, whose mandate expires today, which monitors Liberia. That group, in a report released earlier this month, found there are “credible allegations” that Mr. Taylor – who is facing war crimes charges before the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) – has investments in Nigeria that have been unfrozen. Mr. Taylor has called on the SCSL to cover his legal costs at his trial, claiming he is indigent. The panel report also noted allegations “of a large sum of money being with Charles Taylor at the time of his arrest in Nigeria” last year and his continuing ties to a cell phone company in Liberia. It added that the Nigerian Government had not allowed the panel to pursue the allegations and Liberia has not adopted laws authorizing a freeze. But in its resolution today, the Council lauded the “sustained progress” made by the Liberian Government since January 2006, when the inauguration of a democratically-elected president, Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, capped the peace process envisaged in a 2003 peace accord ending the country’s bloody civil war. The Government has made great strides “in rebuilding Liberia for the benefit of all Liberians, with the support of the international community,” the 15-member body noted. The new experts’ panel is also expected to probe the Government’s compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a mechanism introduced to prevent so-called “blood diamonds” from reaching international markets. Meanwhile, the Council extended the mandate of the Group of Experts monitoring the arms embargo in Côte d’Ivoire until 31 October, determining that the situation there still constitutes a threat to regional peace and security. This Group was created in early 2005 to gather and analyze information on arms caches and flows in the region, and was asked by the Council today to submit a written update before 15 October. 2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

DR CONGO FINAL STOP ON SECURITY COUNCIL’S WEEK-LONG AFRICA TRIP New York, Jun 20 2007 6:00PM Members of the Security Council wrapped up their week-long mission to Africa today, holding meetings with United Nations and Government officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The DRC was the last stop on the Council’s five-nation tour which also took the 15-member body to Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, in support of ongoing peace efforts on the continent. When the delegation arrived in Kinshasa yesterday, they received briefings from the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, William Swing, and other UN officials about the work of the UN Mission in that country a spokesperson for the world body said. With MONUC’s support, the country last year held its first fully democratic vote since independence, resulting in the election of President Joseph Kabila and a parliament. French Ambassador Jean Marc de la Sablière, the head of this leg of the Council trip, congratulated the Congolese people for “the political maturity which they showed at the crucial stage of the elections, which allowed them to finally emerge from crisis and the transition.” Speaking to reporters in Kinshasa, he added “there are now new challenges that are a matter for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to strengthen what has been made, to create a strong democratic society on the basis of these elections.” During their meeting with President Kabila today, Council members discussed the post-electoral situation in the DRC, security issues and the reform of the military. The President also brought up proposals for a Great Lakes security summit. The delegation also met with Acting Prime Minister Nzanga Mobutu and other Cabinet officials, along with members of the Senate and National Assembly and civil society and community leaders. Council members are scheduled to arrive back in New York tomorrow. 2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

June 19

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL AGREES TO DETAILS FOR REVIEWING COUNTRIES New York, Jun 19 2007 8:00PM The United Nations Human Rights Council wrapped up its fifth session today by agreeing to a package of new measures that includes how the “universal periodic review” mechanism – which allows the human rights records of every country to be scrutinized – will work. After marathon discussions ending late on Monday night, the Council agreed that each year 48 nations, comprising a mixture of Council members and observer States, will be reviewed to assess whether they have fulfilled their human rights obligations. Members serving one or two-year terms will be among the first to be evaluated. These evaluations will not only involve input from the individual governments under review, but also will include contributions from treaty bodies, special procedures and other relevant organizations, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Council also made decisions regarding its special procedures system, or the mechanisms, from rapporteurs and experts to working groups, which the Council can use to explore either specific country situations or thematic issues. The Special Rapporteurs will be reviewed and will continue to report the Council. To improve the performance of the special procedures, the Council determined by consensus to retain 39 of the 41 mandates the body previously had, dropping the mandates to scrutinize Belarus and Cuba. A new item – “human rights situations that require the Council’s attention” – was also added to the Council agenda. The Council’s outgoing President Luis Alfonso de Alba praised the results of the lengthy negotiations among the body’s 47 members before today’s decision. “They lived up to the challenges that they were facing and they went to a final agreement on the institution building which is going to be a decision with historical dimensions, because it is the beginning of a new era for the United Nations and a new culture in dealing with human rights.” He described the Universal Periodic Review mechanism as “a tool that will be, because of its dimension and because of its universal… character, what can make a difference in the way we deal with human rights with each other.” Mr. de Alba added that the introduction of a new mandate on “human rights situations that require the Council’s attention” meant that if any Member State wished to focus on a particular issue on which different views existed, then it was possible to examine that topic closely. Doru Romulus Costea of Romania, who assumed the role of Council President today, said the body would be judged by its willingness and ability to transform ideas into real action for the benefit of victims of human rights abuses all over the world. “Let us have no illusions,” he said. “We may adopt good decisions, but are they enough to change the situation of the women, children and men, young and old, who have their rights violated, who are victims of abuses, whose voices are not heard, nor heeded by those who were called to protect them in their countries?” The Council was established last year to replace the much-criticized Commission on Human Rights. 2007-06-19 00:00:00.000

UNITED STATES OFFICIAL CHOSEN FOR SENIOR POST AT UN ANTI-HUNGER AGENCY New York, Jun 19 2007 7:00PM The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today that James G. Butler of the United States has been appointed Deputy Director-General of the Rome-based anti-hunger agency. Mr. Butler, who is expected to assume his new post in January 2008, succeeds David Harcharik, who has held the number two position at the FAO since the start of 1998. In a statement announcing the appointment, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said Mr. Butler has worked at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture since December 2005 and before then served as a senior official with the US Department of Agriculture. 2007-06-19 00:00:00.000

SECURITY COUNCIL TEAM DISCUSSES IVORIAN ELECTIONS ON LATEST LEG OF AFRICAN TOUR New York, Jun 19 2007 7:00PM The Security Council delegation visiting Africa wrapped up its visit today to Côte d’Ivoire, where the role of the United Nations in staging elections scheduled for later this year was the focus of discussions with the leaders of the divided West African country. At a press conference in Abidjan, the Ivorian commercial capital, Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales of Peru said the group had held talks with President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro. Mr. Voto-Bernales said both leaders stressed that the UN – which operates a peacekeeping mission in Côte d’Ivoire known as UNOCI – should remain involved in the country, to certify the identification process, help in the organization of elections and to implement the peace agreement reached in March. That accord, known as the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement, sets out a series of measures to deal with the political divide in Côte d’Ivoire, which has been split between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north since 2002. Among other steps, the agreement calls for creating a new transitional government, organizing free and fair presidential elections, and merging the Forces Nouvelles and the national defence and security forces through the establishment of an integrated command centre. It also calls for dismantling the militias, disarming ex-combatants and enrolling them in civil services programmes, as well as replacing the so-called zone of confidence separating north and south with a green line to be monitored by UNOCI. Since the agreement was signed, Mr. Gbagbo and Mr. Soro of the Forces Nouvelles reached a separate pact designating Mr. Soro as the new Prime Minister, stipulating he will remain in office until presidential elections are held, and then barring him from running in that election. Mr. Voto-Bernales said the Council delegation and the Ivorian officials discussed the modalities of how the UN can assist the process leading up to elections scheduled for later this year, as well as the elections themselves. They also considered how to maintain the functions of the office of the UN High Representative for Elections, Gerard Stoudmann, and whether it would be included in the office of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative. During its stay in Côte d’Ivoire, the Council delegation also met Foreign Minister Michel Bassolet of Burkina Faso, which facilitated the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement. Earlier, while visiting neighbouring Ghana, the delegation held talks with that country’s President, John Kufuor, focusing on the planned hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force for Sudan’s violence-wracked Darfur region. The mission heads now to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the final stop on its five-nation tour in Africa, before returning to New York on Thursday. 2007-06-19 00:00:00.000

UNESCO ADDS 38 ITEMS TO GLOBAL REGISTER OF DOCUMENTARY HERITAGE New York, Jun 19 2007 7:00PM The world’s first feature-length film, the family archives of the Swedish industrialist and philanthropist Alfred Nobel and the proceedings of the trials of South African anti-apartheid figures such as Nelson Mandela are among 38 items of documentary heritage that have just been added to a United Nations register to help preserve them for posterity. The items have been included in the Memory of the World Register set up by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization bringing to 158 the total number of inscriptions on the Register so far. UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura announced today that he had approved the latest inscriptions, which were recommended by the International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Programme during a meeting last week in Pretoria, South Africa. The Programme, launched in 1992 to preserve and promote documentary heritage of global significance, much of which is endangered, helps networks of experts to exchange information and raise resources for preservation of, and access to, documentary material. This year’s additions include the relatively new, such as <i>The Story of the Kelly Gang</i>, an Australian film from 1906 that is the world’s first of feature length; the family archives of Mr. Nobel from 1840 to 1900; the personal archives of the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman; the proceedings of the trials of African National Congress (ANC) leaders, including Mr. Mandela; and the archives of the Red Cross from 1914 to 1923. They also include the not so modern, such as France’s Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidery depicting life in the 11th century; Hereford Mappa Mundi, the only complete example of a large medieval world map; Korean printing woodblocks of Buddhist texts dating from the 13th century; and 30 manuscripts of the Rigveda, ancient texts from India that are more than 3,000 years old. This year’s additions come from or relate to the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Venezuela. Mr. Matsuura also announced that the UNESCO/Jikji Prize, an award of $30,000, has been given to Austria’s Phonogrammarchiv, in recognition of its contribution to the advancement of audio and video preservation. Established in 1899, the sound archive is the oldest in the world and now houses more than 50,000 recordings. 2007-06-19 00:00:00.000

IRAQ CRISIS SPURS FIRST RISE IN GLOBAL REFUGEE NUMBERS IN FIVE YEARS – UN New York, Jun 19 2007 6:00PM The number of refugees worldwide has risen for the first time in five years, largely because of the crisis engulfing Iraq, while the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has nearly doubled as well, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today. About 9.9 million refugees received help from UNHCR last year, an annual increase of 14 per cent – or about 1.2 million – and the highest figure since 2002, according to data released in UNHCR’s latest Global Trends report on the eve of World Refugee Day. The key reason for the surge in numbers, the report’s authors stated, is the violence in Iraq, which has forced 1.2 million people to flee the country since the start of last year, predominantly to either Syria or Jordan. Overall, the biggest national group of refugees remain Afghans (2.1 million), followed by Iraqis (1.5 million), Sudanese (686,000) and Somalis (460,000), but UNHCR noted that thousands of Afghans and Sudanese – as well as Liberians, Burundians and Angolans – were among the 734,000 refugees who returned home voluntarily last year. The refugee figures do not include the estimated 4.3 million Palestinians living in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory who fall under the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The number of IDPs being assisted by UNHCR reached a record high of 12.9 million, a dramatic increase on the 2005 figure of 6.6 million. The report said this was driven mainly by improved registration systems, more accurate statistics and UNHCR taking up the lead role for IDP protection in some countries from other agencies. But persistent or fresh conflict in Colombia, Iraq, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste has also contributed to the jump. In total, UNHCR provided assistance last year to almost 33 million people, which includes asylum-seekers, returnees and people deemed stateless as well as refugees and IDPs. This represents a sharp increase on the previous year’s 21 million, but the leap is due partly to new methodologies for collecting and assessing data in some countries. Meanwhile, High Commissioner António Guterres joined more than 160 southern Sudanese refugees yesterday as they made their way home from exile in neighbouring Uganda, where some had been living for two decades. Mr. Guterres, who is on a three-day mission in Africa to coincide with tomorrow’s World Refugee Day, described the repatriation programme to southern Sudan as one of the few bright spots in the region. About 155,000 southern Sudanese have been returning home since the Government and rebels signed a comprehensive peace deal in 2005 ending the long-running north-south civil war. “Life will not be easy; you will face many difficulties,” Mr. Guterres told the returnees, who received a bundle of aid items, food stocks and information on landmines and HIV/AIDS prevention. 2007-06-19 00:00:00.000

June 18

UN-LED TALKS ON WESTERN SAHARA GET UNDERWAY New York, Jun 18 2007 6:00PM Talks carried out under United Nations auspices on Western Sahara began today outside of New York, with the participation of representatives of the parties – Morocco and the Frente Polisario – along with neighbours Algeria and Mauritania, a spokesperson for the world body announced. The talks, held at the invitation of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, are being facilitated by the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters. Addressing the opening session on behalf of Mr. Ban, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe that said today marked the beginning of a new phase in the search for a solution on Western Sahara. He urged the parties to proceed in good faith and to establish an atmosphere of mutual trust, and expressed the UN’s firm commitment to assist in the negotiations, Ms Montas said. Mr. Pascoe stressed that the stalemate is becoming “intolerable” and that the dispute over Western Sahara must be brought to a conclusion through “a mutually agreed solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara,” she added. The spokesperson quoted the political affairs chief as underscoring the importance of the meetings. “The Secretary General, the Security Council, and indeed the entire international community are deeply interested in events unfolding here today. The time has come for a solution. We wish you the best of luck, and reiterate our commitment to assist this process in every way possible.” The invitations to this month's talks follow a request from the Security Council in its latest resolution on Western Sahara, adopted in late April, that Morocco and the Polisario Front enter into negotiations without preconditions. The Secretary-General will report to the Council by 30 June with regard to the status and progress of negotiations. 2007-06-18 00:00:00.000

CENTRAL AFRICAN GOVERNMENT, REBELS SIGN UN DEAL ON REINTEGRATING CHILD SOLDIERS New York, Jun 18 2007 6:00PM The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Central African Republic (CAR) and the country’s major rebel group have signed an agreement that will allow some child soldiers in the northeast – the scene of fierce fighting in recent months – to return to their families and become reintegrated with their former communities. In an accord signed with UNICEF in the Central African town of Gordil on Saturday, the Government and the rebel Assembly of the Union of Democratic Forces (UFDR) agreed to allow the child soldiers in the local area to demobilize. UFDR has already agreed to release some 400 children from its ranks in the Vakaga region, while under the deal UNICEF will also help prevent the future recruitment of children into armed groups. Although the CAR is not one of the countries that endorsed the so-called Paris Principles in February, which call upon States to reintegrate all children enrolled in armed groups, UNICEF said the agreement indicated that the nation’s warring parties were making their own voluntary steps towards respecting children’s rights. “This important process will allow the restoration of children’s rights in Gordil,” said UNICEF representative Mahimbo Mdoe. “The demobilized will now be able to go to school and to take advantage of health-care facilities. UNICEF hopes to use Gordil as an example to renew such initiatives in other regions and do so on a larger scale.” The programme is set up to work at the community level, with UNICEF offering support to those communities accepting former child soldiers and also helping to re-establish social services after years of war or misrule. The deal comes as a UN team led by François Dureau, Director of the Situation Centre in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), conducts a three-day of the CAR and neighbouring Chad to help assess whether a mission of blue helmets should be established in the troubled countries. The 12-member team is expected to hold talks with authorities in both Chad and the CAR and with local representatives of the international community during the visit, which starts today. Meanwhile, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman voiced deep concern over the spate of deadly attacks in the past week against aid workers around the world, from Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the CAR. The attacks and threats “have a double impact,” Ms. Veneman said in a statement issued on Saturday. “People whose only motive is to help others are being killed and wounded. And, as a result, aid that is essential to the survival of millions of civilians, many of them women and children, is often scaled back in the wake of the attack.” She called for every effort to be made to ensure that relief workers can carry out their activities as safely as possible. 2007-06-18 00:00:00.000

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES PARTNERSHIP TO END POVERTY New York, Jun 18 2007 6:00PM Tackling global poverty requires a concerted effort by governments of developed and developing countries supported by the private sector, civic groups, the media and other players on the international scene, United Nations General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa has told a gathering on financing for development in Doha. The President said yesterday there is a “desperate need to accelerate progress” toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of anti-poverty targets to be reached by 2015. “Our ability to deliver on our promises – partner and donor countries – is also reflection of our commitment to effective multilateralism, and building greater trust among the global community,” she told the more than 90 participants attending the two-day meeting. She noted that foreign aid dropped from $106 billion in 2005 – a record high due to debt relief operation to Iraq and Nigeria – to $104 billion last year. Excluding debt relief, official development assistance (ODA) fell by 1.8 per cent in real terms, she said. Aid to sub-Saharan Africa, excluding debt relief, was static in 2006. “To meet existing commitments by the 2010 target aid will have to increase substantially in 2007 and 2008,” she said, adding that quality of aid is as important as quantity. “The true test of aid effectiveness is the improvement in people’s lives. And in this area there is much more to be done.” She cited statistics to illustrate the challenges ahead in a world where 270 million children worldwide have no access to health care, 4 million children die each year in the first month of life, more than half a million women die from complications in pregnancy or childbirth, malaria kills 1 million people, tuberculosis 2 million people and AIDS 3 million people. At the same time, she noted that there has been encouraging progress, evidenced by the increase in life expectancy in the developing world, reduced illiteracy rates and the almost complete eradication of polio. “In partnership, we have made progress in a number of areas,” she said. “The challenge for all of us is to make good on our commitments and work in closer partnership.” She said that civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the media and the private sector can all contribute to achieving the MDGs, but stressed that both developing and developed countries must “work to live up to their respective commitments.” “When poverty is so immediate and the suffering so intense, the world has a moral and strategic obligation, to address the concerns of the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly in Africa,” she said. “Each of us here today has a responsibility for delivering their share of the commitments we have promised, or holding others to account.” 2007-06-18 00:00:00.000

UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG AGENCY TEAM TO VISIT DPR KOREA New York, Jun 18 2007 6:00PM In response to an invitation from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to visit the country for talks, the head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA) said today that he is dispatching a team to Pyongyang next week. IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei received a letter dated 16 June from the Director General of the country’s General Department of Atomic Energy Ri Je Son, in which he asked for an IAEA delegation to visit the capital to discuss how the agency could verification and monitor the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear facility. In his letter to Mr. Ri today, Mr. ElBaradei said that an IAEA team headed by Olli Heinonen, the Deputy Director General for Safeguards, will travel to Pyongyang for talks. Mr. ElBaradei visited DRPK in March to discuss plans for the country to get rid of nuclear weapons in what he called “the first step in a long process” toward normalizing relations with a country that ordered UN inspectors out more than four years ago. Ever since the Asian country ordered IAEA inspectors out at the end of 2003 and formally withdrew from the NPT and its inspections and other safeguards of fuel diversion from energy generation to weapons production, top UN officials have repeatedly appealed to it to return to the fold. In October, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the DPRK as well as individuals supporting its military programme and demanded that it cease its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction after it claimed to have carried out a nuclear test. 2007-06-18 00:00:00.000

June 14

BAN KI-MOON VOICES SADNESS AT DEATH OF FORMER SECRETARY-GENERAL KURT WALDHEIM New York, Jun 14 2007 1:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced sadness today at the death of Kurt Waldheim, the former United Nations chief and Austrian President who has died at the age of 88. As the fourth Secretary-General of the world body, Mr. Waldheim “served the United Nations at a crucial period in the history of the Organization, from 1972 to 1981,” according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. The statement added that Mr. Ban extended his condolences to Mr. Waldheim’s family, as well as to Austria’s Government and its people. Before his appointment as Secretary-General, Mr. Waldheim served in numerous senior political and diplomatic posts for Austria, including as Foreign Minister and two stints as Permanent Representative to the UN. 2007-06-14 00:00:00.000

INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION THREATENS ANIMAL DIVERSITY – UN New York, Jun 14 2007 1:00PM The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organizations (FAO) warned today that the ramping up of large-scale industrial livestock production which focuses on a limited range of breeds is the single largest threat to global farm animal diversity, with one breed becoming extinct monthly. A new report entitled The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,” presented to the FAO at a meeting of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, said that skyrocketing global demand for meat, milk and eggs had led to the heavy reliance on animals which have been intensively bred. According to the study, based on information from 169 countries, the problem is further exacerbated by the fact that genetic material can be moved with ease around the world. FAO Assistant Director-General Alexander Muller characterized the report as a “wake-up call to the world,” and stressed the need to bolster the global food supply by maintaining and deploying a wide array of genetic resources, which are “vital and irreplaceable.” One breed of livestock has become extinct every month over the past seven years, and 20 per cent of the world’s cattle, goat, pig, horse and poultry breeds are in danger of annihilation, according to the report. The developing world will be the main site of breed diversity loss in this century, it cautioned. Among the most frequently used breeds of cattle, genetic diversity is being undercut by the use of only a few very popular sires for breeding. “Effective management of animal genetic diversity is essential to global food security, sustainable development and the livelihoods of millions of people,” said Irene Hoffman, Chief of FAO’s Animal Production Service. The report called for improved conservation programmes to prevent the crowding out of local breeds and for investments in personnel and technical facilities to effectively manage the problem. 2007-06-14 00:00:00.000

UN AGENCY RECEIVES MAJOR BOOST TO FEEDING PROGRAMME IN DPR KOREA New York, Jun 14 2007 12:00PM The United Nations food agency today welcomed a contribution in excess of $20 million from the Republic of Korea to provide food assistance to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), where a lack of funds has already led to cutbacks in critically needed feeding programmes. “This crucial and very generous donation will allow us to increase our response to the most pressing needs of the people of the DPRK,” said Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP). “The significant gap between food required and food available in the DPRK has led to growing hardship and suffering for millions. The situation calls for determined and timely action by the international community and we welcome the lead taken by the Republic of Korea,” she added. The contribution, a mix of commodities, comes in the middle of the “lean season” when household food stocks traditionally run low and when WFP has been forced to suspend school feeding during June for 400,000 children in 29 underserved, food-insecure counties in the DPRK. It will allow WFP to resume food assistance for children, pregnant women and families in food-insecure areas. WFP also hopes it will help it to reach more than double the number of present beneficiaries, from 700,000 to 1.9 million, in all 50 counties where the DPRK authorities have agreed to WFP food distributions. At the same time, the agency warned that millions in DPRK still face severe food shortages. Despite steady improvements in the country’s food situation after the famine years of the mid- to late 1990s, having enough to eat is still a struggle for one third of its population, notably those living in remote and mountainous regions. “With this donation, WFP can begin to meet the needs of a much larger number of North Koreans, especially those who need our help the most,” stated Tony Banbury, WFP’s Regional Director for Asia. 2007-06-14 00:00:00.000

IRAQ: UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS NEW ATTACK ON SAMARRA SHRINE New York, Jun 14 2007 10:00AM Joining a chorus of UN officials led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has decried the bombing of the al-Askari shrine in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra. "I strongly this new attack against Samarra and call on Iraq's highest religious leaders and national authorities for calm and restraint to avoid further acts of sectarian violence," said UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura. The holy Shi'a shrine had already been seriously damaged by a bombing on 22 February 2006, which set off a wave of sectarian violence that claimed the lives of thousands in Iraq. "Cultural and spiritual heritage is an irreplaceable source of life and inspiration and any attack against it is an attack against humanity and inter-religious understanding," said Mr. Matsuura. The Director-General reiterated UNESCO's commitment to work with the Government of Iraq to protect and restore the historical, spiritual and cultural heritage of the Samarra shrine. "UNESCO will continue to work closely with the Iraqi authorities to rebuild their country and pave the way for national reconciliation, based on respect for the different cultural and religious beliefs of the Iraqi population," he said. The Samarra shrine contains the tombs of the 10th and 11th imams - Ali al-Hadi who died in 868 AD and his son Hassan al-Askari, who died in 874 AD, UNESCO said in a news release. Previous attacks in Samarra caused severe destruction to the top section of the spiral minaret of the al-Mutawakkil Mosque, as well as the collapse of the 68-metre high Golden dome of Imam Ali-Hadi shrine. Wednesday's bomb blasts destroyed the al-Askari's two 36-metre high minarets. Yesterday, Mr. Ban, his envoy to Iraq Ashraf Qazi and members of the Security Council all denounced the bombing. 2007-06-14 00:00:00.000

UN FOOD AGENCY AIRLIFTS SUPPLIES TO SUDANESE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC New York, Jun 14 2007 10:00AM The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced the launch of an operation to airlift emergency food supplies to over 2,600 Sudanese refugees who recently crossed into the the Central African Republic (CAR). "Airlifts are an expensive last resort, but we have no other option," said WFP CAR Country Director Jean-Charles Dei. "These people are in one of the least accessible regions in the world, but they need help now." The refugees come from Sudan's troubled Darfur region, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2 million others forced to flee since fighting broke out in 2003. Mr. Dei put this in the broader geographical context, saying the recent outflow of refugees to the CAR "is just the latest example of how the conflict in Darfur is having a destabilizing effect across the region." Their living conditions near the CAR town of Sam Ouandja are very poor and deteriorating fast, according to WFP, which said people were surviving on little more than mangoes and limited supplies of manioc. Most have no shelter and there is no access to safe drinking water. A plane loaded with 15 metric tons of high-energy biscuits at WFP's Humanitarian Response Depot in Accra, Ghana is due in the CAR capital Bangui today, where the supplies will be transhipped onto a smaller plane and flown east to Bria in two rotations. There the biscuits will be transferred a final time for the flight to Sam Ouandja, which will require a further four rotations. WFP has already dispatched 35 tons of food to north-eastern CAR by road. The 12-truck convoy is also carrying seeds and agricultural equipment, water purification tablets and other emergency supplies from partner UN agencies. But the onset of the rainy season and the extremely poor road network means the trucks will take as long as ten days to reach their destination, said the agency, which is making plans for a second convoy in the coming days. Com recently the killing of a Médecins sans Frontières worker near Paoua which led to the temporary suspension of humanitarian work in the area. "It's hard enough getting vital supplies through without having to worry for our physical safety. If the situation gets any worse there could be disastrous consequences for people who need our help most," said Mr. Dei. WFP said it is still short $16 million for its operation in CAR. 2007-06-14 00:00:00.000

June 13

UN ENVOY CONDEMNS NEW ATTACK ON HOLY SHI'A SHRINES IN IRAQ New York, Jun 13 2007 8:00AM The senior United Nations envoy to Iraq today strongly condemned the attack against holy Shi'a shrines in Samarra, where a blast last February triggered a wave of deadly sectarian violence. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, "condemned in the strongest terms possible the sacrilegious attack on the holy Shrines of Imam Ali Al-Hadi and Imam Hassan Al-Askari in Samarra." In a statement calling the attack "atrocious," he said it was a "horrendous, sinister and unspeakable crime whose perpetrators once again intended to inflame sectarian passions, destroy efforts aimed at national reconciliation and undermine any prospect of peace and stability in Iraq." Urging Iraqis to exercise maximum restraint and recalling May's "horrible attack on the Shrine of Abdul-Qader Al-Gilani Mosque in Baghdad," a revered Sunni site, Mr. Qazi reaffirmed the UN's condemnation of the targeting of all places of worship. He called on all Iraqis to "close ranks more than ever before and demonstrate unity and resolve in the face of this menace that threatens Iraq national fabric." Doing so, he said, "will deny those behind such horrific acts the opportunity to undermine the ongoing efforts to consolidate peace and security in the country." Mr. Qazi also called on the Iraqi authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 730,000 Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes since the al-Askari shrine in Samarra was bombed last February 2007-06-13 00:00:00.000

UN WELCOMES CHILD RIGHTS BILL IN SIERRA LEONE New York, Jun 13 2007 8:00AM The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed new legislation protecting the rights of the young in Sierra Leone, where they suffer disproportionately from poverty and other social ills. The National Child Rights Bill, approved by the Sierra Leone Parliament last week, is a "huge step forward for children's rights," the agency said in a news release. Superseding all other existing national laws, the legislation offers an opportunity for aligning Sierra Leone with international rights standards for children, according to UNICEF. With non-discrimination as one of the guiding principles of the Bill, it provides the overall framework for ensuring adequate standards of care for all children in Sierra Leone. These include prohibition of early marriage, of conscription of children in to the armed forces, the right to a name and nationality, free and compulsory education, protection against domestic violence and child trafficking, structures and systems for the protection of children at village and chiefdom levels, as well as protection against harmful traditional practices affecting children including female genital mutilation. "The implementation of the Child Rights Bill provides us with an operational framework for the roll-out of child rights in Sierra Leone," said the UNICEF Representative Geert Cappelaere. The Bill "marks for all children in Sierra Leone one of the most significant events since the end of the war in 2002," said the Representative. "It is clear also from discussions in Parliament that many more efforts are needed to ensure a fully fledged culture of children's rights in all parts of society." Poverty is endemic in Sierra Leone, which was ranked 176 out of 177 countries listed in the UN's Human Development Index. Infant mortality is estimated at 158 per 1,000 live births, under-five mortality rate at 267 per 1,000 and maternal mortality rate at 1,077 per 100,000 live births -- all among the highest rates Children are exposed to violence, exploitation, abuse and deprivation. Almost one half of children aged 5-14 years are engaged in some form of child labour. About 11 per cent of children are orphans and 20 per cent do not live with their biological parents. UNICEF said despite this bleak picture, "much progress has been made," citing increased immunization coverage rates and the Government's commitment to give priority attention to cutting child and maternal mortality. 2007-06-13 00:00:00.000

HAITI: WANTED GANG MEMBER DIES AFTER OPENING FIRE DURING ATTEMPTED ARREST -- UN New York, Jun 13 2007 8:00AM An alleged leading gang member wanted by both the Haitian National Police and the French authorities for serious crimes died this morning after he opened fire on forces trying to detain him, according to the UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which participated in the operation. Charles Junior, also known as "Yoyo Piman," who was wanted on national and international warrants for murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy, resisted arrest during the early morning operation in the notorious Cité Soleil neighborhood of the capital, Port au Prince, the mission said in a news release. The suspect, alleged to be the second-in-command of the Amaral gang, opened fire on UN soldiers as UN police sought to detain him. The UN force called on him to cease firing and then fired in the air when he ignored their demand, before responding in legitimate self-defence. "Any loss of life is regrettable," said MINUSTAH Deputy Force Commander Raul Gloodtdofsky. "It is still our hope that while we continue our efforts towards stability and preventing gangs from regrouping, this process can be done peacefully." Soldiers transported Charles Junior to medical authorities where he was pronounced dead, the mission said. His body is being handed over to Haitian authorities. 2007-06-13 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY STARTS HELPING CONGOLESE RETURN FROM MOZAMBIQUE New York, Jun 13 2007 8:00AM The United Nations refugee agency has announced the start of its airlift of Congolese refugees from Mozambique, pledging to help all those who want to go back. Over 100 people headed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this week by air from the north of Mozambique via Kigoma in Tanzania, where they were scheduled to embark on a ship crossing Lake Tanganyika to their homeland, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which said talks are underway to facilitate direct flights to DRC for about 170 additional Congolese seeking to return home. "I am overjoyed that the registered refugees are finally able to return," said UNHCR Representative in Mozambique Victoria Akyeampong. "I hope this movement will encourage others in the camp to also register for voluntary repatriation. DRC needs her people to rebuild its economy and society." The repatriation was organized by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the cooperation of the various governments involved. The Congolese comprise about 3,500 out of the total refugee camp population of some 5,000 in Mozambique. Most of the refugees are from Africa's Great Lakes region, according to UNHCR, which said in a news release that its office in Mozambique "will continue to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of refugees wishing to return to their countries." 2007-06-13 00:00:00.000

CUTTING ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS CAN SAVE 13 MILLION LIVES EACH YEAR – UN New York, Jun 13 2007 11:00AM The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today that reducing environmental risks including pollution, unsafe water, ultraviolet radiation and climate change can save 13 million lives annually. Releasing its first ever country-by-country analysis of the impact of environmental factors on health, WHO said that in some countries, more than one third of the disease burden could be prevented through environmental improvements. The worst-affected countries include Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali and Afghanistan. “These country estimates are a first step towards assisting national decision-makers in the sectors of health and environment to set priorities for preventive action,” said Susanne Weber-Mosdorf, WHO Assistant Director-General for Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments. Quantifying the burden of disease from unhealthy environments is crucial because “this information is key to help countries select the appropriate interventions,” she added. WHO found that in 23 countries, more than 10 per cent of deaths are due to just two environmental risk factors: unsafe water, including poor sanitation and hygiene, and indoor air pollution due to solid fuel use for cooking. Around the world, children under five are the main victims and make up 74 per cent of deaths due to diarrhoeal disease and respiratory infections. The data showed that household interventions could dramatically reduce the death rate. Using cleaner fuel such as gas or electricity, using better cooking devices, improving ventilation or modifying people's behaviour – for example by keeping children away from smoke – could have a major impact on respiratory infections and diseases. While low-income countries suffer the most from environmental health factors, the data showed that no country is immune from the environmental impact on health, WHO said. Even in countries with better environmental conditions, almost one sixth of the disease burden could be prevented, and efficient environmental interventions could significantly reduce cardiovascular disease and road traffic injuries. 2007-06-13 00:00:00.000

June 12

NEPAL: UN TO START SECOND PHASE OF MONITORING MAOIST ARMY PERSONNEL New York, Jun 12 2007 1:00PM The senior United Nations envoy to Nepal today announced the planned start this week of the second phase of monitoring Maoist army personnel in the country to ensure that no minors are serving. “This is a crucial stage of the implementation of the Agreement on the Monitoring of Arms and Armies,” said Ian Martin, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative, announcing that the process will begin Thursday in Ilam, in Nepal’s east. Teams led by the UN Mission in Nepal will individually verify the details of each registered Maoist army member to ensure that they were over the age of 18 before 25 May 2006 and that they joined the Maoist army before this cut-off date. Child protection officers from the UN Children’s Fund and registration personnel from the UN Development Programme will participate in the effort. UNMIN teams completed the first phase of registering weapons and personnel in mid-February, when more than 30,850 Maoist personnel were registered and 2,855 weapons were stored under 24-hour UN monitoring. An equivalent number of weapons of the Nepal Army was also stored under UN-monitoring as part of this process. The verification process will be undertaken through individual interviews of each person registered as a Maoist combatant, and will be done in each of the seven main cantonment sites one after the other, the mission said. “As soon as the findings of verification at the first site are complete, they will be discussed with Maoist representatives so that the orderly discharge and reintegration of those who are to leave the cantonments can be carried out as soon as possible,” said Mr. Martin. “UNICEF and its partners will be making arrangements for the reintegration of those found to be minors.” In his first public statement since the eight parties agreed that the Constituent Assembly election should be held before mid-December, the envoy stated that “UNMIN’s presence in Nepal and all aspects of its work are for the purpose of assisting in creating a free and fair atmosphere for this election.” He emphasized that “the challenges involved in creating satisfactory conditions for a late November election are very considerable,” noting that “they require not just the fixing of a date, but a realistic plan and timetable to which all parties commit themselves, and which will ensure rapid progress on simultaneous fronts…encompassing not only the technical and logistical preparations but also political and security issues.” The major electoral issue currently before the Interim Legislature-Parliament is to determine the electoral system. Mr. Martin called for dialogue with traditionally marginalized groups – Madhesis, Janajatis, Dalits, women and others – so that they are able to gain a reasonable degree of assurance that their legitimate demands for representation are being met by the electoral system. “To ensure a successful election there is no substitute for a process which commands broad confidence,” he said. Mr. Martin also pressed for talks and cooperation between the Home Ministry, the police, the Maoists and others on how to achieve public security, especially in districts and villages, in order to allow all parties to conduct their activities without facing intimidation and violence. On the Young Communist League, the youth wing of the Maoist party, the envoy said he had had recent meetings with Maoist chairman Prachanda and that he has “urged that he make public the instructions under which the YCL operates, making clear that these are fully in accordance with the law and with human rights standards – in particular, that they must no use violence of any kind and must assist law enforcement only by acting as citizens cooperating with the police within the law.” Mr. Martin also referred to the first visit of the UN Electoral Expert Monitoring Team, which arrived in Nepal this week. The five-member team, led by Spanish expert Dr Rafael Lopez-Pintor, will make a series of visits to Nepal during electoral process in order to determine whether it is proceeding in a manner which will lead to a result that accurately reflects the will of the Nepalese people. The team reports to the Secretary-General who will make its findings available to the Government and the Election Commission. Separate to the Electoral Expert Monitoring Team, UNMIN provides technical assistance to Nepal’s Election Commission for the planning, preparation and conduct of the Constituent Assembly election. UNMIN is a special political mission established by the Security Council in January to support the peace process in Nepal, especially by assisting in the conduct of the Constituent Assembly election in a free and fair atmosphere. 2007-06-12 00:00:00.000

UN AGENCIES CALL FOR PUTTING END TO CHILD LABOUR IN AGRICULTURE New York, Jun 12 2007 1:00PM Three United Nations agencies have joined forces with key international agricultural groups to launch a new landmark global partnership to address the plight of children working in agriculture, on the occasion of the World Day against Child Labour. The initiative will focus on policies and activities to promote the application of laws on child labour in agriculture, mainstream child labour issues into national agricultural activities, and promote youth employment opportunities in rural areas. “It is only by mainstreaming child labour issues into mandates and policies and by working together that we can strengthen the worldwide movement to eliminate child labour,” International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Juan Somavia said, welcoming the new partnership. The World Day was launched in 2002 as a way to highlight the plight of working children. The ILO estimates that 218 million children worldwide, from 5 to 17 years old, are engaged in some kind of labour, with 126 million children engaged in the worst forms of child labour. The agency noted in a news release that worldwide, agriculture is where by far the largest number of working children can be found – an estimated 70 per cent, of whom 132 million are girls and boys aged 5-14, “who often work from dawn to dusk on farms and plantations, planting and harvesting crops, spraying pesticides, and tending livestock.” “These children are helping to produce the food and beverages we consume,” said ILO. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization stressed that putting an end to child labour in agriculture must become a political priority, saying it is “simply unacceptable” that 132 million children are forced to work the land under unhealthy and hazardous conditions. Most studies point to poverty as the root cause of child labour, with children working both for their own survival and for that of their families, according to an FAO news release. “The true winning strategy against child labour is to reduce poverty in rural areas of the developing world, offering income opportunities, addressing health and safety in agriculture, improving pesticide management, and ensuring sustainable development,” said José María Sumpsi, FAO’s Assistant Director-General for Agricultural and Consumer Protection. In addition to the ILO and FAO, members of the new partnership are the International Fund for Agricultural Development International Food Policy Research Institute of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, International Federation of Agricultural Producers, and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations. 2007-06-12 00:00:00.000

UN LAUNCHES LEGISLATIVE GUIDE ON CHILD RIGHTS TREATY New York, Jun 12 2007 8:00AM The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has launched a new publication which aims to serve as a research tool for children's rights advocates based on the major international treaty guiding their work. "This major study documents how the Convention on the Rights of the Child came to represent a sea change in the way the international community was prepared to address the rights of children," High Commissioner Louise Arbour writes in the book's preface. The two-volume Legislative History on the Convention on the Rights of the Child lists among the many major advances ushered in by the Convention recognition, for the first time in a human rights treaty, of the differential and often discriminatory impact that national legislation, policies, attitudes and cultural traditions can have on girls. The Legislative History on the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first comprehensive record of the drafting of the Convention, according to a news release from Ms. Arbour's office. Produced following 10 years of work by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Save the Children Sweden, the publication is available on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2007-06-12 00:00:00.000

BRAZILIAN STUDENTS WIN TOP PRIZE IN UN FILM COMPETITION New York, Jun 12 2007 8:00AM Nine Brazilian students have been recognized by the United Nations for a short film they produced on violence in their country and beyond. The UN Department of Public Information (DPI) awarded a prize to the film "Looks can be Deceiving" in the FYI - Film Your Issue competition, which encourages young people to add their voice to the public dialogue by producing 30 to 60 second films on social issues. The film addresses the issue of peace in areas of conflict around the world -- Palestine, Haiti and Iraq -- but shows scenes of military and police raids in the streets of the Brazilian metropolis. "Our main motivation in producing the movie was to show how serious violence in Rio has become," said Danilo Marcondes, one of the filmmakers. In creating the film, the students had access to film equipment from the UN Information Centre in the city. Runners-up in the category UN/Global Issues were the film "Stains," about the struggles over territory, and "The Terrorist" about the issue of tolerance from the perspective of a Muslim immigrant in the United States, DPI said in a news release. Both films were produced by US college students. DPI's Outreach Division partnered with FYI for this year's competition and extended it beyond the United States to allow students worldwide to focus on issues of importance to them. Through its network of United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) located around the world, DPI encouraged the participation of students especially from developing countries. 2007-06-12 00:00:00.000

June 11

UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF KICKS OFF FIRST-EVER VISIT TO ASIA New York, Jun 11 2007 1:00PM United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes today embarked on his first mission to Asia since taking office in March. Mr. Holmes, who also serves as UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, will stop in the Republic of Korea and Japan. Tomorrow in Seoul, Mr. Holmes will open the regional meeting of the Donor Support Group for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Also while in the Republic of Korea’s capital, he is scheduled to meet with Government authorities and representatives of Korean non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in emergency relief operations. He will also give a lecture at Kyung Hee University on 13 June. During a two-day visit to Tokyo from 14 to 15 June, Mr. Holmes will hold discussions with Japanese Government ministers and senior officials including Sadako Ogata, the former UN High Commissioner for Refugees and current President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency. He also plans to confer with a group of Japanese parliamentarians on diplomatic affairs and human security, and will also meet with UN representatives based in Japan. Also on his agenda is an address at the Japan Foundation to academics, students, NGOs and private sector representatives. The focus of Mr. Holmes’ trip will be on bolstering humanitarian partnerships and he will hold strategic and policy discussions in both countries on natural disaster management, climate change and its implications for humanitarian aid and disaster risk reductions, among other issues, according to OCHA. Both the Republic of Korea and Japan are important donors to humanitarian operations and in have contributed to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a landmark resource which rapidly provides funds following disasters and finances underfunded emergencies. 2007-06-11 00:00:00.000

NEW DONATIONS KEEP AID WORKERS AIRBORNE IN DARFUR - UN New York, Jun 11 2007 12:00PM A new infusion of $18 million in donations is enabling humanitarian workers to continue flying to remote locations in Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur region through October, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which runs the air operation, said today. A $5.5 million donation from the European Commission led the package of new financing for WFP’s Humanitarian Air Service, which also included $4.9 from the United States, $3 million from Denmark, $409,000 from Greece, and a combined contribution of $4.2 million from two UN funds – the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the Common Humanitarian Fund. “We’re very grateful for these generous donations,” said Kenro Oshidari, WFP’s Representative in Sudan. Flying in Sudan since 2004, the Humanitarian Air Service carries passengers and cargo throughout Darfur and is also used for medical evacuations. Without the service, “many of the 12,000 humanitarian workers in Darfur would not be able to get out to the field – and that’s especially true because carjackings have recently been on the rise,” Mr. Oshidari observed. The volatile security situation and lack of infrastructure, combined with the rainy season – which is beginning now and will run until October – means that helicopter travel is often the only way that humanitarian workers from UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can reach people affected by the Darfur conflict, according to WFP. The agency said the air service has proved particularly useful in recent months as a result of the alarming increase in attacks on humanitarian vehicles. To date this year, the UN says that some 70 cars, belonging to either international aid organizations or African Union peacekeeping troops, have been stopped on the roads by gunmen and frequently stolen. The number of carjackings this year is already 60 per cent of the total during 2006, when 118 vehicles were attacked. The Darfur region of Sudan, which is roughly the size of France, has been the scene of one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters since 2003, when fighting broke out between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups. Since then, more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others have fled their homes. 2007-06-11 00:00:00.000

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS MURDER OF TWO FEMALE AFGHAN JOURNALISTS New York, Jun 11 2007 8:00AM The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has condemned the brutal murder of two prominent female journalists in Afghanistan. Koïchiro Matsuura decried the "cold-blooded killing Zakia Zaki, founder of one of the first community radio stations run entirely by women in Afghanistan, radio Sada -- e -- Sulh (Peace) in Jabul Seraj." He noted that the murder followed the 1 June killing a few days ago of television journalist Shokiba Sanga Amaaj, in her home. "I am deeply saddened by the deaths of these pioneering women, and I vigorously condemn their murders," the Director-General said. "These crimes are all the more shocking because they not only undermine the basic human right of freedom of expression, but also the right of women to exercise a profession that is vital for the reconstruction of Afghanistan." Reports from Afghanistan indicate that Zakia Zaki was killed early during the night of 5-6 June in her home next to her infant son. Reports indicate also that a suspect has been arrested for the murder of the 22-year old journalist, Shokiba Sanga Amaaj, who is reported to have been shot dead in her home in Kabul. Ms Amaaj worked as a reporter and presenter for the Pashtu-language private television channel Shamshad TV. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), suggests that she may have been killed "for the simple reason that she was a prominent media figure in a milieu that remains hostile to working women." In the documentary film "If I stand up" produced in 2005 by a group of Afghan camera-women as part of a UNESCO supported project, Zakia Zaki said: " I created the first independent women's radio in Afghanistan . Every beginning is difficult, but I overcome the obstacles?It started broadcasting from Jabul Seraj during the Taliban?We work with men as well as women because if men respect women's sights, brothers to sisters, husband to wives, fathers to daug might become reality." 2007-06-11 00:00:00.000

UN LAUNCHES NEW PROJECT TO ADDRESS DROUGHT IN MOROCCO New York, Jun 11 2007 8:00AM The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today announced a new projected designed to help Morocco deal with a water shortage brought on by drought and the pressures of development. Mohamed Habib Halila, the agency's Representative in Morocco, said the project will enable us to make better use of water resources in the Doukkala region, 100 kilometres south of Casablanca, "working together with the local administrative authorities and the beneficiaries of this initiative." "This initiative is very important because it will enable us to achieve three objectives: significantly improve the food security situation, increase agricultural exports and boost farmers' revenues," said Mohand Laenser, Morocco's Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Marine Fisheries. The Spanish Government is contributing some $1.18 billion for the project, which FAO said will enable the agency to provide technical assistance and will pay for irrigation infrastructures to be modernized. 2007-06-11 00:00:00.000

AFGHANISTAN: UN, GOVERNMENT TO BOOST HELP FOR MINE VICTIMS New York, Jun 11 2007 8:00AM The United Nations Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA) today announced a new agreement with the Government paving the way for increased assistance to victims injured by the indiscriminate weapons. The 9 June pact signed with the Ministry of Public Health will boost support for the integration of disabilities issues into public health services, the UN said in a news release today. Under a separate agreement, UNMACA will support the Ministry of Education with an awareness raising strategy on landmines within schools and communities, including providing risk education information and promoting inclusive education for children with disabilities. Since 1989, UNMACA has been coordinating activities of the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA), including survey, mine clearance, battlefield clearance, mine awareness, and supporting mine victims throughout the country. The programme has cleared more than 1 billion square meters area, destroyed more than 323,000 anti-personnel, 18,500 antitank mines and more than 7 million pieces of unexploded ordnance. 2007-06-11 00:00:00.000

June 8

UN FORUM SPOTLIGHTS SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN 11 COUNTRIES New York, Jun 8 2007 7:00PM A United Nations expert body today urged 11 countries to take steps to improve the situation of children and young people, noting continued discrimination and violation of their rights. The Geneva-based Committee of the Rights of the Child monitors the implementation by States of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – the most widely ratified international human rights instrument, with 193 States parties. Composed of 18 independent human rights experts, the Committee also monitors implementation of two optional protocols to the Convention: one on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and the other on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. During its just-concluded three-week session, the Committee examined the situation of children in Slovakia, Maldives, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, the Sudan, Guatemala, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Monaco, Norway and Sweden, based on national reports submitted to it. In a set of conclusions issued today, experts expressed concern over several issues, including continued abductions of children for forced recruitment, forced labour and sexual exploitation in several countries, and especially in Darfur and South Sudan. Among the other issues of concern to the Committee were high levels of violence against children, discrimination against children born out of wedlock and the plight of refugee children. The Committee, which holds three sessions per year, will meet again in September to examine the situation of children in Sierra Leone, Venezuela, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Qatar and Syria. 2007-06-08 00:00:00.000

UN ENVOY LAYS OUT ROAD MAP TOWARDS PEACE IN DARFUR New York, Jun 8 2007 7:00PM The United Nations Special Envoy to Darfur today laid out “a road map towards peace” in the war-ravaged region of the Sudan, calling on all parties to cease hostilities and prepare for forthcoming negotiations. There are three stages of the road map for the coming months, Jan Eliasson told reporters after briefing the Security Council. Firstly, “there have been tendencies in the past of initiatives being conducted in parallel rather than in a converging pattern” so such efforts must be united, he said. The second phase entails pre-negotiation, which will involve “shuttle diplomacy” to both the Government in the capital Khartoum and to non-signatories to last year’s Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). Lastly, he said that he hoped invitations to peace negotiations will be issued “during the course of the summer.” Mr. Eliasson appealed to all sides to put an end to the fighting – including the cessation of bombings to create an atmosphere favourable to negotiations. He also urged the parties to ready themselves for discussions. On the Government side, he noted that authorities have already begun conferring on such issues as compensation and wealth-sharing. Other topics which are more sensitive but need to be considered are power-sharing and security, which deals with the disarming of the Janjaweed militia. Regarding the non-signatories, he observed that “they are fragmenting further,” with their number growing to 12. “That is of course a great difficulty, not only politically but also physically and logistically,” Mr. Eliasson said, underscoring the need for the non-signatories to coordinate their positions. “I was met with great understanding by the Security Council today,” he said to the press. He also thanked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for making Darfur a top priority. As a result, “we are now given the resources to beef up and strengthen our staff both in Khartoum and elsewhere to prepare for the negotiations.” He highlighted the importance of the political aspect of bringing peace to Darfur, noting “peacekeeping can never be effective if there is no peace to keep.” Mr. Eliasson welcomed recent regional initiatives to further the peace process, namely the efforts made by Eritrea, Chad and Libya, which will be converged with the UN-African Union (AU) effort. When asked about the likelihood of all 12 non-signatories attending the planned negotiations, he responded that the parties are aware of the realities on the ground. “There is a growing frustration, a growing weariness and tiredness for the situation,” he said. “The tribal leaders, the leaders in the camps are very, very vocal and make very strongly the point that this conflict must come to an end.” Mr. Eliasson voiced hope in the role the AU and UN can play in serving as “a catalyst for bringing everyone on-board.” Yesterday, at the Security Council, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) called for the arrest of the two suspects – a militia leader and the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs – wanted to stand trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The UN and AU are expected to meet with Sudanese authorities in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on 11 and 12 June regarding the planned hybrid force, and the Security Council will hear a briefing on the meeting’s outcome prior to its departure for Africa on 14 June. Last November, the Government, the UN and the AU agreed to the creation of a hybrid force in Darfur as the third phase of a three-step process to replace the existing but under-resourced AU Mission in the Sudan (AMIS), which has been unable to end the fighting. More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced from their homes since clashes erupted in 2003 between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups. 2007-06-08 00:00:00.000

UN-BACKED GLOBAL FUND LAUDS RICH NATIONS’ PLEDGE ON UNIVERSAL AIDS TREATMENT New York, Jun 8 2007 6:00PM The United Nations-backed Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today welcomed the recommitment of the “Group of Eight” leading industrialized nations to universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment. The endorsement by G8 leaders of $6 billion to $8 billion per year for the Global Fund, a three-fold increase from the current level as part of their recommitment to universal access to treatment is “very good news,” said Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, the Fund’s Executive Director. The main UN agency dealing with AIDS had called on the leaders attending three-day summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, to step up their response to the disease. In a statement released in advance of the summit, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS had warned that in 2006, resources available for AIDS fell “dramatically short of the estimated needs by $6 billion.” It also cautioned that the 11 million people projected to need antiretroviral treatment by 2010 “may be underestimated by up to 50 per cent.” As such, UNAIDS urged the leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States to translate their previous commitments on AIDS – including their 2005 pledge to provide $60 billion to fight HIV and other illnesses in Africa – into tangible action. “AIDS must be a top priority for the G8 this year and every year – in commitments and action,” the agency said. Set up in 2002 on the initiative of then Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Global Fund is a public-private partnership that has committed $7.6 billion so far to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in 136 countries. The three diseases kill more than 6 million people a year, and that number is growing. 2007-06-08 00:00:00.000

June 7

UN-BACKED FORUM AIMS TO SPREAD TECHNOLOGY KNOW-HOW IN AFRICA New York, Jun 7 2007 11:00AM A United Nations-backed forum aiming to spread the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in West and Central Africa kicked off today in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The two-day meeting, called the ICT Best Practices Forum, was organized by the UN Economic Commission for Africa the Government of Burkina Faso, the African Development Bank and Microsoft. This forum is an element of the African Information Society Initiative, and will allow Governments, donors, institutions and other groups from the region to share their experiences. Government leaders, as well as representatives from international financial organizations, donors, academia and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are expected to attend. According to a recent European Union meeting, if all of the innovations in ICT from all African countries were to be compiled in one country, it would be the 12th most technology advanced nation in the world. This finding highlights how African countries have much to learn from both each other and from nations worldwide. It is hoped that by providing an opportunity to exchange experiences and share successes, the high level of interest in technology in addressed development issues in African can be harnessed. The forum, which will be replicated in East and Southern Africa over a one-year period, also aims to enhance the effectiveness of Government institutions, as well as allow technology solutions to be diffused in the region. Microsoft, in concert with its partners, will create a ‘best practices’ website tailored to Africa to underscore issues discussed at the forums. 2007-06-07 00:00:00.000

ZIMBABWE: UN-BACKED DRIVE AIMS TO VACCINATE 2 MILLION CHILDREN AGAINST POLIO New York, Jun 7 2007 9:00AM The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are working to vaccinate 2 million children against polio in Zimbabwe, where most families are suffering from deteriorating economic conditions. The campaign, which was launched on Monday, is "on track to meet its bold targets and is vital for child survival amid the challenges in Zimbabwe today," said UNICEF's Representative in Zimbabwe, Dr. Fest Kavishe. Children will also receive Vitamin A supplements. UNICEF said in a news release that families in Zimbabwe "are under ever-greater pressure from record high inflation, unemployment and orphan numbers, and severe economic stresses." The country had been declared polio free in 1999 following a massive effort, but Dr. Kavishe warns that now, "the threat of polio remains very real, with recent cases in Botswana and Namibia." The agency's Head of Health in Zimbabwe, Dr. Colleta Kibassa, said nationwide immunization campaigns are the single most important support towards reducing child illnesses and deaths in Zimbabwe, but cautioned that "past successes have to be maintained and built upon. Our aim must remain to reach all of Zimbabwe's children." 2007-06-07 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY SPOTLIGHTS PLIGHT OF IRAQI CHRISTIAN COUPLE IN EUROPEAN LIMBO New York, Jun 7 2007 9:00AM The United Nations refugee agency is calling attention to the plight of an Iraqi Christian couple that has been bounced back and forth between European countries while trying to reconnect with their son and other relatives. While not releasing names in order to protect them, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a news release that the pair, who are members of Iraq's embattled Chaldean Christian community, have been in and out of detention centres in Greece and Belgium, where their relatives live with refugee status. "They are currently being held in the Steenokkerzeel Detention Centre 127-bis near Brussels Airport, unable to communicate with staff, confused about the reasons for their four-month detention and angry about their treatment as asylum seekers," the agency said. UNHCR, which has called on the Belgian authorities to allow the couple to remain, said their case reflects the problems that many asylum seekers, especially Iraqis, are facing under the European Union's (EU) 2003 Dublin Regulation, which identifies the EU member state responsible for examining an asylum claim. In practice, the clause often leads to people being held in detention in one European country prior to being sent to another European country considered responsible for their claim. The Iraqi couple have been going back and forth between Greece and Belgium at a time when returning home is not an option. Originally from Zakho in northern Iraq, the couple lived for 30 years in Baghdad, running a grocery store and raising their four children, according to UNHCR, which said Christians in the capital faced increasing difficulties after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The family fled after armed men raided their home in December 2004 and threatened to kill them if they did not produce $50,000 within 10 days. In Greece, they were detained for three months on the grounds of illegal entry. They applied for asylum during in the first instance decision -- as has been the case for the majority of asylum applicants in Greece in recent years, UNHCR said. Asylum seekers who are served with a negative first instance decision in Greece can usually appeal within 30 days, but this was not possible for the couple because the Mediterranean nation has suspended all decision-making on Iraqi cases at the appeal level since 2003. In November 2005, the couple paid a human trafficker to bring them to Belgium, where their son is about to become a Belgian citizen. On arrival, they asked for asylum. Again, they were detained and were sent back to Greece, where they were held for two weeks at the airport. Belgium argued that Greece was responsible for their asylum claim under the Dublin rule. But the regulation also states that a member state can take over processing of a case for humanitarian reasons, particularly those based on family considerations, the refugee agency said. The Greek authorities again issued an order for the couple to leave the territory -- on the grounds that their case had been ruled on and was now closed. With the help of a local priest, they tried to apply for asylum again. They were told they had only been freed because of their age and must leave the country immediately, even though they had nowhere to go. Earlier this year, they paid another "agent" to get them back into Belgium and they were detained on arrival at Brussels Airport on 7 February. "They are now hoping that a hearing into their case due on Thursday will end their ordeal and reunite the family," said UNHCR. The agency estimates that some 2.2 million Iraqis have fled their country since 2003, with most finding refuge in Syria, Jordan and elsewhere in the Middle East. A few have made their way to Europe. Last year, 20,000 Iraqis applied for asylum in EU countries, nearly half of them in Sweden. In Belgium, there were just 695 applications from Iraqis in 2006, and 233 during the first four months of this year.

June 6

UN, OTHER MEMBERS OF SOMALIA SUPPORT GROUP CALL FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES New York, Jun 6 2007 6:00PM The United Nations and other members of a group supporting peace and reconciliation efforts in Somalia today called on all parties to agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities and protect civilians in the war-ravaged country. In a communiqué released following talks in London, the International Contact Group expressed concerns about “continued sporadic violence” in Mogadishu and the resulting deaths and injuries. Representing the world body at the Group’s gathering in London was Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe, who is on his way to the region to discuss how to bring peace and reconciliation to Somalia. The Group strongly condemned “actions of extremists and terrorists and those looking to undermine the political and reconciliation process.” The communiqué welcomed the assurances given by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that a planned Reconciliation Congress “will be fully inclusive and that no clan or sub clan, or individual members of them who renounce violence and are selected by their clans, are excluded from the reconciliation process.” The Contact Group said it would fund the Congress, which “should lead to a process of genuine political reconciliation.” The Group agreed to continue to work with all parties to address the humanitarian needs of the Somali people and called on all parties to provide free and unhindered humanitarian access. According to UN figures, 340,000 people, roughly one third of the capital’s population, have fled the hostilities in Mogadishu since the start of February, while at least 1,000 have sustained injuries. The recent violence is some of the worst the country has seen in the 16 years it has gone without a functioning Government. The International Contact Group for Somalia includes Italy, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Tanzania, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, League of Arab States and the UN. Also attending today’s meeting were the leaders of the TFG, senior officials of the Group’s member States and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, François Lonsény Fall. 2007-06-06 00:00:00.000

AFRICA OFF-TRACK TO MEETING GLOBAL ANTI-POVERTY TARGETS, SAYS MIGIRO New York, Jun 6 2007 3:00PM Despite faster growth and strengthened institutions, Africa remains off-track to meeting the world’s shared goals for fighting poverty in all its forms, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today, urging international support for the continent. Presenting an update on sub-Saharan Africa’s progress towards obtaining the Millennium Development Goals – a set of global anti-poverty and development targets to be achieved by 2015 – Ms. Migiro said the summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, currently meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany, provides an opportunity for donor countries to lay out concrete timetables for how they will increase development assistance to African countries. Speaking to reporters in New York, she said the latest data compiled by the UN showed that “challenges remain daunting, yet progress is emerging.” The rise in extreme poverty – the number of people living on less than one dollar a day – has levelled off since 1999, primary school enrolment is increasing in countries like Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and malaria control has been achieved in Niger, Togo and Zambia, Ms. Migiro noted. Among the challenges, she cited “shockingly high” maternal mortality rates, and the fact that the number of new HIV/AIDS cases is still rising faster than the rate at which new treatment is being offered. All of the challenges, she said, can be addressed using resources, skills and technologies that the international community has at its disposal, based on the commitments made by African Governments and the donor community alike. She added that recent experience has demonstrated that large-scale progress towards reaching the MDGs is possible through strong government leadership combined with adequate financial and technical support and market access opportunities from international partners. “While money will not solve everything,” added Guido Schmidt-Traub, head of the MDG Support Team at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the lack of financing in Africa clearly contributes to a situation in which “the number of countries on track to achieving the MDGs is zero today.” 2007-06-06 00:00:00.000

YEMEN'S WORST LOCUST OUTBREAK IN YEARS THREATENS CROPS -- UN New York, Jun 6 2007 8:00AM Yemen faces its worst outbreak of crop-devouring locusts in nearly 15 years, a United Nations agency warned today, urging action to head off the damage. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) called in a news release for a helicopter survey and control campaign to avoid massive infestations and serious damage to food crops. "Widespread breeding is in progress within a large and remote area of an estimated 31,000 square kilometres in the interior of Yemen, where locust swarms are likely to form," said FAO expert Keith Cressman, who has just returned from a weeklong assessment mission to the country. He estimated that overall, between 50,000 and 75,000 hectares may have to be treated this summer. The situation could be exacerbated in the coming days by heavy rains and high winds associated with a very strong tropical cyclone over Oman, the agency warned. It noted that the Government of Yemen is mobilizing national funds to address the problem but international assistance will be necessary to support this effort. According to FAO, a "very small part" of an average locust swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about 2,500 people. 2007-06-06 00:00:00.000

RISK REDUCTION IS KEY TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE, BAN KI-MOON SAYS New York, Jun 6 2007 8:00AM Risk reduction is critical to addressing climate change and other hazards, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message to an expert meeting being held in Geneva to address the issue. "We must act with renewed commitment to save lives and livelihoods from the effects of natural hazards, particularly in developing nations, where the world's poorest are also the most vulnerable," Mr. Ban said in a video message to the first session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, which opened yesterday and runs through tomorrow. "And we must act with even greater urgency given the impact of climate change," he cautioned, pointing out that scientists predict more extreme weather, with rising sea levels and increasingly intense storms and droughts. "This could affect millions of people. Risk reduction is our front-line defence against these threats," said Mr. Ban, calling on those present "to act with common purpose" in addressing the problem. Representatives of more than 100 governments are attending the meeting, which is also attracting the participation of the UN and other specialized organizations, academic institutions, financial associations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society groups. They will review progress made in policies adopted since the January 2005 World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Japan, where countries adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action, a 10-year plan to bolster the ability of nations and communities to respond to disasters. 2007-06-06 00:00:00.000

UN UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO PUSH FOR EFFORTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE – BAN KI-MOON New York, Jun 6 2007 2:00PM As the only global forum, the United Nations is uniquely positioned to forge a common approach to combating climate change, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. “All of us are experiencing it, and all of us are becoming more conscious of the need to address this issue,” he said at a joint press conference in Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero following a meeting between the two men. “The time for action is now,” Mr. Ban stressed. The Secretary-General will travel next to the summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized countries in Heiligendamm, Germany, where climate change will feature prominently on the agenda. The topic will be discussed “at the highest level” during the General Assembly session later this year, he said. Mr. Ban also voiced concern regarding the recent announcement of the Basque organization ETA breaking the ceasefire. “Keeping the ceasefire would have ensured the security as well as the safety of many human lives,” he observed, urging a redoubling of efforts to keep the ceasefire alive. Despite differences of opinion, Mr. Ban said that issues must be resolved through peaceful means. “Terrorist attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances or pretexts,” he said, denouncing the violence unequivocally. “There cannot be dialogue when there is violence.” Regarding the Middle East, Mr. Ban said that a political solution is urgently needed to end the hardship and suffering there. “It is incumbent on the international community to help the peoples of the region find a political solution,” he said. Mr. Ban, who has called the Middle East a “priority” and has visited the region several times since assuming the role of Secretary-General this January, called for seizing opportunities posed by both the renewed efforts of the diplomatic Quartet – comprising the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States – as well as the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. He also said he would “make another visit later this month” to the Middle East. 2007-06-06 00:00:00.000

June 5

BAN KI-MOON URGES STUDENTS TO JOIN FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE New York, Jun 5 2007 11:00AM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on students around the globe to join the fight against climate change. “If we do not act, the true cost of our failure will be borne by succeeding generations, starting with yours,” Mr. Ban told young people gathered at Headquarters in New York, as well as those in Pakistan and Canada linked via video-conference, as part of the annual student observance of World Environment Day. “That would be an unconscionable legacy; one which we must all join hands to avert,” he stated. Warning that the world cannot continue with “business as usual,” he stressed the need for joint action on a global scale to address climate change. “There are many policy and technological options available to address the impending crisis, but we need the political will to seize them,” he stated. World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to raise worldwide awareness of the environment and boost political attention and action. 2007-06-01 00:00:00.000

MORE THAN 4 MILLION IRAQIS HAVE FLED HOME AS SITUATION WORSENS -- UN New York, Jun 5 2007 8:00AM More than 4 million Iraqis have fled their homes, seeking refuge either inside the country or beyond its borders as the situation deteriorates, the United Nations refugee agency said today, urging countries to do more to ease their plight. "The situation in Iraq continues to worsen, with more than 2 million Iraqis now believed to be displaced inside Iraq and another 2.2 million sheltering in neighbouring States," said Jennifer Pagonis a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today in Geneva. "UNHCR is rapidly expanding its operations and presence in the region, but the magnitude of the crisis is staggering," she said. Calls for increased international support for governments in the region have so far brought few results, and access to social services for Iraqis remains limited, according to the agency, which notes that most of the burden is being carried by Jordan and Syria. "Recognition rates of Iraqis in various countries outside the region, particularly in Europe, remain low. UNHCR repeats its call for all borders to remain open to those in need of protection." Inside Iraq, some 85 per cent of the displaced -- mostly from Baghdad and surrounding districts -- are in the central and southern regions. Since February last year, an estimated 820,000 people have been displaced, "including 15,000 Palestinians who have nowhere to go," Ms. Pagonis said. She said the governorates inside Iraq "are becoming overwhelmed by the needs of the displaced." At least 10 out of the 18 governorates have closed their borders or are restricting access to new arrivals. "UNHCR is receiving disturbing reports of regional authorities refusing to register new arrivals, including single women, and denying access to government services. Many displaced have been evicted from public buildings," she said. The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and WFP indicate that nearly half of the displaced have no ac channels and the number of impoverished shanty towns is increasing. According to government figures, some 1.4 million Iraqis are now displaced in Syria, up to 750,000 in Jordan, 80,000 in Egypt and some 200,000 in the Gulf region. Syria alone receives a minimum of 30,000 Iraqis a month. UNHCR has 300 staff based in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Geneva and in Iraq itself working full time the issue. "Since the beginning of the year, our offices in surrounding countries have registered more than 130,000 Iraqi refugees," Ms. Pagonis said, adding that by the end of May, UNHCR had interviewed some 7,000 of the most vulnerable Iraqis and sent their dossiers to potential resettlement countries for their further assessment and action. "We urge these countries to make rapid decisions and facilitate the departure of those most in need." UNHCR is racing to help the displaced but requirements far outstrip resources. "Our goal is to provide basic assistance and shelter to some 300,000 uprooted Iraqis inside the country by the end of this year. This, however, is just a fraction of the overall needs," Ms. Pagonis said. 2007-06-05 00:00:00.000

UN FUND'S $3 MILLION DONATION FACILITATES AID FLIGHTS IN SOMALIA New York, Jun 5 2007 8:00AM A $3 million contribution from a United Nations humanitarian fund will help facilitate the delivery of badly needed aid to Somalia, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said today. The contribution from the UN Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF) "means that agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be able to send more staff and more assistance by air -- something that is essential during the current long rains, especially with the recent increased needs arising from the fighting in Mogadishu," said WFP Somalia Country Director Peter Goossens in Nairobi. WFP manages the UN Common Air Service, which makes regular flights into and out of Somalia from neighbouring Kenya and internal flights within Somalia carrying both humanitarian workers and cargo. The new CERF funding will underwrite part of the costs for passengers and all the costs for cargo that until now have been paid in full by agencies and partner NGOs using the service. In addition, the CERF donation will pay for the emergency rehabilitation of the airstrip at Wajid in southwestern Somalia to avoid its imminent closure. Wajid is the only continuously accessible airstrip in south and central Somalia and is a vital hub for humanitarian assistance, WFP said. The United Nations estimates that nearly 400,000 people fled Mogadishu between 1 February and the end of April. In addition to the people forced to leave their homes in Mogadishu by fierce fighting, WFP aims to feed some 850,000 people in other parts of Somalia during 2007. 2007-06-05 00:00:00.000

June 4

MILLIONS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS NEED BETTER CARE, SAYS UN HEALTH AGENCY New York, Jun 4 2007 9:00AM The United Nations World Health Organization today called on countries to provide a network of community health services to alleviate the hardships faced by the nearly 54 million people around the world suffering from mental disorders as well as those caring for them. “Not only are community health services more accessible to people living with severe mental disabilities, these are also more effective in taking care of their needs compared to mental hospitals,” stated Benedetto Saraceno, WHO’s Director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. “Community mental health services are also likely to have less possibilities for neglect and violations of human rights, which are too often encountered in mental hospitals,” he added. The call for community mental health services came during WHO’s Global Forum for Community Mental Health, which concluded in Geneva yesterday and which, for the first time, included the participation of people living with mental disorders. In addition to the nearly 54 million people suffering severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder, WHO estimates that 154 million suffer from depression. “This topic should matter to everyone, because far too many people with mental disorders do not receive any care,” said Catherine Le Galès-Camus, Assistant Director-General of WHO’s cluster on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. According to WHO, mental disorders are increasingly prevalent in developing countries, the consequence of persistent poverty-driven conditions, the demographic transition, conflicts in fragile States and natural disasters. At the same time, more than 50 per cent of developing countries do not provide any care for persons with mental disorders in the community. “The challenge is to enhance systems of care by taking effective local models and disseminating them throughout a country. [The Forum] was about showcasing models which are proving effective in delivering mental health care in resource-challenged situations,” added Dr. Le Galès-Camus. 2007-06-01 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON TENSE MIDDLE EAST SITUATION New York, Jun 4 2007 9:00AM The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and tense, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the Security Council today, with fresh clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the resumption of fighting at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. Briefing Council members in a closed-door session after returning from Berlin, where he took part in a meeting of the principals of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East, Mr. Ban said he has spoken to several regional leaders to try to help alleviate the situation. He noted that the Quartet voiced support for the ongoing bilateral talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as regional efforts – particularly the Arab Peace Initiative – to find a solution to the conflict. The Quartet, which comprises the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States, decided to meet at an undetermined location in the Middle East on 26 June or the day after to continue the momentum of international peace efforts, Mr. Ban’s spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters. Quartet members will meet with Israelis and Palestinians and will then hold a separate meeting with members of the Arab League to follow up on the Arab Peace Initiative, Ms. Montas added. In northern Lebanon, fighting has again resumed between Lebanese army forces and Fatah al-Islam gunmen entrenched in the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp near the city of Tripoli. The shelling today has been heavier than on previous days, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported, and it has meant the agency is unable to obtain first-hand information on the latest conditions for civilians living in the camp. UNRWA estimates that about 5,000 people remain at Nahr el-Bared, less than two weeks after the deadly clashes erupted in a camp that was home to about 31,000 people. Most refugees fled to Tripoli or the nearby camp of Beddawi during lulls in the fighting. 2007-06-01 00:00:00.000

DPR KOREA: BAN KI-MOON SAYS AUDIT FINDS NO LARGE-SCALE DIVERSION OF FUNDS New York, Jun 4 2007 9:00AM An external audit of the United Nations’ activities in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has found there has been no large-scale or systematic diversion of UN funds provided by the world body’s agencies to help in humanitarian relief efforts, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. In a statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said the report by the independent UN Board of Auditors “does point to some of the difficulties” that UN agencies have had in operating in the DPRK. “On independence of staff hiring, foreign currency transactions and access to local projects, the report identifies practices not in keeping with how the UN operates elsewhere in the world,” the statement said, adding however that the allegations of large-scale diversion of funds by the Pyongyang Government were not confirmed. The Board’s report has been sent to Mr. Ban – who requested such a review after allegations of wrongdoing emerged in January – and to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), a UN budget watchdog. The statement from Mr. Ban’s spokesperson stressed that the Secretary-General expects the agencies involved – the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Office for Projects Services (UNOPS) – “to act upon the findings in the audit as quickly and as transparently as possible.” He also believed several areas require follow-up in a subsequent audit phase, and he plans to write to the Chairman of the ACABQ to ask that the committee consider requesting the Board of Auditors continue its work, including by visiting the DPRK. This audit was triggered by press reports alleging that UNDP’s own internal audits raised concerns about payments being channelled improperly to the Government of the DPRK, including to its nuclear programme. After the issue came to light, Mr. Ban promised an external, system-wide probe of UN activities in the field, calling first for a review of all UN activities, ranging from staff hiring to hard currency, in the DPRK from 1998 to the present. “Today’s report represents the first results of this ongoing effort” to systematically probe the world body’s activities in the field, the spokesperson’s statement said. Also responding today, UNDP said that in spite of the challenging conditions posed by the DPRK, the agency did not violate its own rules or regulations. “Overall, we believe that the audit report confirms what we have said all along, namely that UNDP had a relatively small programme in DPRK and certainly much smaller than the huge figures that have been circulating,” with a budget of only $2 million to $3 million annually as opposed to the hundreds of millions that have been reported, the agency’s Director of Communications, David Morrison, told journalists in New York. He said that over the past decade, UNDP funds have added up to less than 2 per cent of all development assistance that has gone into DPRK and only approximately 0.1 per cent of foreign currency inflows into the country. Mr. Morrison also stressed that any international operation in the DPRK involves payment either in hard currency or in local currency. UN agencies, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foreign diplomatic missions and tourists must pay in either hard currency or the DPRK won, in which case hard currency must be converted at a bank in the country, with currency entering the country either way. Although the audit report contained findings suggesting that UDNP had made certain payments directly in hard currency instead of converting it at the local bank and using DPRK currency, Mr. Morrison pointed out that there are no restrictions on utilization of foreign money in the agency’s financial rules and regulations. Another topic in the Board’s purview was the hiring of Pyongyang Government employees on secondment from national ministries as local staff, which, in the DPRK, has “always been of an exceptional nature” and not in strict adherence with its policies in other countries, Mr. Morrison said. But these hiring practices have been in use for the almost three decades the UNDP has been operational in the DPRK and thus the agency’s board was well aware of it. Other UN agencies, international NGOs and foreign diplomatic missions in the DPRK employed the same hiring procedures. Mr. Morrison also underscored how UNDP proactively undertook to reform their hiring and currency practices prior to today’s audit report. In January, the agency’s Executive Board adopted conditions to be implemented, including ending all hard currency payments and discontinuing the sub-contracting of national staff via Government recruitment as of 1 March. When the DPRK, which has been subject to Security Council sanctions since October following its proclaimed nuclear test, failed to meet these conditions, UNDP suspended its operations in the country on 2 March. “We are continuing to review the report and we’ll focus in particular on the useful suggestions for where our rules and procedures could be strengthened,” Mr. Morrison said, pledging UNDP’s continued cooperation with the Board. “This will be especially useful in clarifying the basis for our operations in complex situations like in DPRK.” 2007-06-01 00:00:00.000

MIGIRO SAYS AFRICA STRIVING TO BUILD PEACE BUT COMPLEX CHALLENGES REMAIN New York, Jun 4 2007 7:00PM Hailing the progress made in recent years to advance peace and security in Africa, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today said that equal attention must be devoted to development and human rights on the continent. “Africa’s progress disproves the distorted and widespread portrayal of the continent as a sea of conflict and undifferentiated poverty,” she said, noting the dramatic drop in violent conflicts in the last decade. Addressing the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on African Affairs, Ms. Migiro said that in many parts of the continent, remarkable advances have been made in ending armed conflict and consolidating peace, highlighting examples such as Liberia, where a landmark vote two years ago brought the first woman President of an African nation into office. At the same time, she recognized that Africa continues to grapple with immense challenges such as promoting human rights and the rule of law, and achieving the Millennium Development – a set of global anti-poverty targets to be achieved by 2015. “So much needs to be done before we can speak of a real improvement in Africa’s human rights situation,” she stated. Another major challenge is the violence that continues to have tragic consequences for civilians in Africa’s remaining conflict areas, she said, adding that “nowhere is the tragedy of conflict more evident than in Darfur.” The Deputy Secretary-General said that despite the joint efforts of the UN and the African Union (AU) to reinvigorate the peace process and strengthen peacekeeping, the violence in that war-torn region of Sudan is taking an “unacceptable toll” on human lives. “Today, there is no single issue to which the Secretary-General or his senior colleagues devote more efforts than Darfur,” she said. The UN has organized what is currently its largest humanitarian operation in the world in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced from their homes since clashes erupted in 2003 between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups. “The goal is to work out a negotiated solution and deploy a robust peacekeeping operation capable of supporting an enhanced peace agreement,” Ms. Migiro said. 2007-06-04 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON DISPATCHING UN POLITICAL CHIEF TO HORN OF AFRICA New York, Jun 4 2007 7:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today that he will dispatch the world body’s top political officer to the Horn of Africa to discuss how to bring peace and stabilization to troubled Somalia. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe will leave later this week for his trip, during which he plans to visit several countries, starting with Kenya. Some details of the itinerary have not yet been finalized. En route to Africa, Mr. Pascoe will participate in a London meeting on Wednesday of the International Contact Group for Somalia, whose members include Italy, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Tanzania, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the AU, European Union (EU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), League of Arab States and the UN. The meeting will also be attended by leaders of the East African country’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG), senior officials of the Group’s member states and the Secretary’s Special Representative for Somalia, François Lonsény Fall. Mr. Pascoe plans to brief the Security Council on his visit to the region upon his return to New York. According to UN figures, 340,000 people, or roughly one-third of the Somali capital’s population, fled the hostilities in Mogadishu since February, while at least 1,000 have sustained serious injuries. 2007-06-04 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES OPENING OF WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF CHARLES TAYLOR New York, Jun 4 2007 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed today’s start of the war crimes trial of the notorious former Liberian president Charles Taylor, calling it “a significant move towards peace and reconciliation” in West Africa. The trial adjourned this morning in The Hague after an initial hearing in which the Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone Stephen Rapp and trial attorney Mohamed Bangura presented the charges against Mr. Taylor and gave his opening statement. “The witnesses that we will call and the documents that we will present will prove that the Accused is responsible for the development and execution of a plan that caused the death and destruction in Sierra Leone,” Mr. Rapp and Mr. Bangura said in their statement. “The plan, formulated by the Accused and others, was to take over political and physical control of Sierra Leone in order to exploit its abundant natural resources and to establish a friendly or subordinate government there to facilitate this exploitation.” The prosecutors noted in their statement that Sierra Leoneans have high expectations for the trial. “They are the ones who still bear the scars of this brutal conflict and for whom this process of accountability, no matter what the eventual outcome, will have its greatest meaning.” Mr. Taylor did not attend but sent a lengthy statement challenging the competence of the SCSL and the charges against him. He also dismissed his SCSL-appointed legal defence team, electing to represent himself when the trial resumes on 12 March. Mr. Taylor is facing 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations of international humanitarian law, including mass murder, mutilations, rape, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers, for his role in the decade-long civil war that engulfed Sierra Leone, which borders Liberia. In a statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban thanked all States for their contributions towards the work of the SCSL and urged they continue their support until the Special Court can complete its mandate. “This is an important day for the international community, contributing to the fight against impunity and the strengthening of the rule of law, not only in West Africa, but in the world as a whole,” the statement said. The trial is expected to last until December 2008, with a judgement likely by mid-2009. Prosecutors have indicated they plan to call up to 139 core witnesses. A year ago the Security Council authorized the staging of Mr. Taylor’s trial at The Hague, citing reasons of security and expediency. Although the trial will be held at the premises of the International Criminal Court it will remain under the exclusive jurisdiction of the SCSL. The SCSL was established in January 2002 by an agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the UN and is mandated to try “those who bear greatest responsibility” for war crimes and crimes against community committed in the country after 30 November 1996. So far 11 people have been indicted. 2007-06-04 00:00:00.000

June 1

UN SAYS 10 SUSPECTS HELD FOLLOWING COCAINE SEIZURE IN HAITI New York, Jun 1 2007 8:00AM Working with the Haitian National Police, officers from the United Nations mission in the country have helped to seize 420 kilogrammes of cocaine and take in 10 suspects. Five Haitian policemen, three civilians and two Colombians were taken by UN military escort to a central judicial office in Port-au-Prince, the capital, during yesterday's operation, according to the UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Fourteen packages holding 420 kilogrammes of cocaine were taken from three vehicles headed to the capital from Petit Goâve, said MINUSTAH in a news release, adding that the substance will be sent to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The operation was carried out in the framework of fighting the illicit drug trade in Haiti, which has become a significant transit point, the mission said. 2007-06-01 00:00:00.000

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF ‘APPALLED’ BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN DR CONGO, BURUNDI New York, May 31 2007 7:00PM The top United Nations human rights official today said that she was appalled by the level of sexual and gender-based violence she found in Africa’s Great Lakes region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi. “I have to say the level of sexual violence and its intensity is pretty surprising and appalling,” High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour told reporters in New York after briefing the Security Council on her recent 12-day visit to the region, where she toured the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. “Gender-based violence is not just an affront to dignity; it is a form of torture and absolute brutal physical and mental assault on the victims,” she said. In a hospital Ms. Arbour visited in Kisangani in the northern DRC, one of the many she stopped at during her mission, she said that 60 per cent of the cases involved victims between the ages of 11 and 17. Providing medical assistance – such as major fistula surgery – to assist victims is key, Ms. Arbour said, but she observed that “what is required is so out of reach,” both in terms of resources and of manpower. She stressed that efforts targeting perpetrators and bring them to justice are also crucial. While women who have been victims of violence have been ostracized and stigmatized, those behind the crimes operate with impunity, she said. In some instances, women are teased by the very same people who attacked them. Deficits in the justice systems in the DRC and Burundi must be addressed to ensure that perpetrators of such crimes are prosecuted, she said. The system in the DRC is “so deficient,” she said, with informal settlements often taking place so those responsible are not charged. Meanwhile in Burundi, she said that magistrates themselves have commented on the corruption and interference thwarting the prosecution of cases. In the DRC, the High Commissioner said that she travelled to such areas as Kisangani as well as Bunia and Goma in the east, “where armed groups are still continuing their predatory practices.” One of the unfortunate effects in the DRC of the reintegration of militia leaders into the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) is that “they have been emboldened, further empowered and seem to be continuing exactly the same pattern of predatory practices against civilians in the region,” she noted, calling for a major reform of the security sector. 2007-05-31 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY MOBILIZES LAWYERS TO ADDRESS STATELESSNESS IN MONTENEGRO New York, Jun 1 2007 8:00AM Over one hundred people in Montenegro have recently received assistance from lawyers mobilized by the United Nations refugee agency as part of stepped-up efforts to fight statelessness in the Balkans country. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) legal aid implementing partners have assisted thousands of displaced persons in Montenegro since 1998, the agency said in a news release. "They are focusing increasingly on the issue of statelessness and, since November last year, have helped 146 people in Montenegro obtain proof of birth and/or nationality." The agency said it is working to better assess the number of people at risk of statelessness in Montenegro in order to develop a comprehensive and lasting solution to the problem. By some estimates, up to 6,500 members of the Roma, Ashkaelia, and Egyptian population may be at risk due to lack of documents. "Without proof of citizenship, people slip through the cracks in society and they are cut off from important rights," said Maja Lazic, coordinator for UNHCR's regional legal aid project. "Conversely, without registered, documented inhabitants, States are unable to effectively govern their populations." The agency said solving the problem will require continued legal assistance and outreach campaigns, as well as advocacy for a more active, open and transparent approach by the State bodies responsible for birth registration. It also called for improved access for displaced persons to documentation in Serbia. 2007-06-01 00:00:00.000

UN AND AU OUTLINE DETAILS OF PROPOSED HYBRID PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN DARFUR New York, May 31 2007 6:00PM The planned hybrid United Nations-African Union (AU) peacekeeping force in Darfur will only succeed if its unity and coherence of command are not compromised and the Sudanese Government consents and cooperates, according to a joint report issued by the UN and AU and released today. The report called the proposed force “an unprecedented undertaking” and outlines the mandate, structure, components and resource requirements. Written by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and AU Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konaré, it cautioned that a peacekeeping operation in Darfur would not restore stability to the violence-wracked region without an inclusive political process. “The operation’s success depends critically on whether the Government of the Sudan will come to see the United Nations and the hybrid operation as part of the solution to the conflict in Darfur,” the report said. Last November, the Government, the UN and the AU agreed to the creation of a hybrid force in Darfur as the third phase of a three-step process to replace the existing but under-resourced AU Mission in the Sudan (AMIS), which has been unable to end the fighting. More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced from their homes since clashes erupted in 2003 between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups. Since the November agreement was reached, the Sudanese Government has raised objections to the presence of the UN in Darfur, and the report stated that the hybrid force’s mandate must reflect the agreement of all the parties for it to succeed. The report detailed two options for the size of the force’s military component: under one plan, there would be 19,555 troops and under the other there would be 17,605 troops. The police component would require 3,772 officers. An overall mandate must be approved by both the UN Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, and is likely to focus on the protection of civilians, the facilitation of full humanitarian access, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the restoration of security through the enforcement of the Darfur Peace Agreement. Rodolphe Adada, the joint AU-UN Special Representative for Darfur appointed earlier this month, would head the operation and be responsible for its management and functioning. The Force Commander would be an African, in line with a previous agreement, while several other senior appointments would be made jointly. “All efforts will be made to ensure that the peacekeeping force will have a predominantly African character,” the report stated. Although the hybrid force would operate apart from the UN Mission in Sudan which is helping to enforce the peace in southern Sudan after a 2005 deal ended the country’s separate long-running north-south civil war, there would be a strong liaison arrangement between the two operations. Existing UN humanitarian operations in Darfur would also be managed separately to the hybrid force. Mr. Ban and Mr. Konaré make clear in the report that establishing such a multidimensional operation in Darfur presents particular challenges. “Darfur is a remote and arid region, with harsh environmental conditions, poor communications, underdeveloped, poor infrastructure and extremely long land transport and supply lines from Port Sudan,” they wrote. The report was sent to Security Council members last week but formally released today. 2007-05-31 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY TO AID NEWLY ARRIVED SUDANESE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC New York, Jun 1 2007 8:00AM The United Nations refugee agency has announced plans to delivery emergency aid to Sudanese refugees who have recently fled attacks in the Darfur region and crossed into the Central African Republic (CAR). The flow of refugees, which over the past two weeks has seen at least 1,500 Sudanese arrive in Sam Ouandja, is continuing, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which commissioned a registration team to travel to the area. The team will take down names and other details of new arrivals at a special site set aside by local authorities for the refugees, the agency said in a news release. UNHCR is preparing a first delivery of some 600 rolls of plastic sheeting -- enough for 3,000 people -- which the refugees will use to prepare temporary shelters. Other UN agencies are arranging the delivery of food, water and sanitation supplies. On Monday, a team of UNHCR staff and representatives of other UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reported from Sam Ouandja that most new arrivals were women and children who had walked for 10 days from the town of Dafak in Darfur -- a distance of some 200 kilometres. They had used paths which are accessible only on foot or by donkey. "I was touched by what I saw in Sam Ouandja," said Bruno Geddo, UNHCR's representative in CAR and leader of the inter-agency mission. "Women were collecting mangoes and the men were working on nearby farms to make some money. Many families had begun building makeshift houses. There was a spontaneous settlement coming up," he said, adding that some refugees were selling their livestock. Mr. Geddo said the refugees had described how their homes had been bombarded by an Antonov aircraft and helicopters and attacked on the ground by armed assailants whom they alleged were Arab janjaweed militiamen. The attacks, which took place between 12 and 18 May, drove people from Dafak, a town of some 15,000 inhabitants. there were more air attacks as they fled. Despite reports about the the presence of armed groups among the refugees, "The joint mission did not find evidence of the presence of armed or otherwise suspicious elements in the group," said Mr. Geddo. UNHCR has pledged to continue to monitor the situation closely. The refugees said they would not return to Darfur until their safety could be guaranteed, according to the agency. Many expressed fear of further attacks and asked the CAR authorities to provide added protection in Sam Ouandja, which was attacked earlier this year by CAR rebels. The town suffers from a shortage of food and medical supplies. Schools are closed as many of the teachers fled last year. CAR hosts some 8,200 refugees, mainly from the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad. There are also more than 200,000 internally displaced people in the country, UNHCR said. Meanwhile in Geneva, Elizabeth Byrs of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the CAR is one of the most forgotten countries in the world and its humanitarian crisis seemed to be ignored by donor countries. The Economy Minister of the Central African Republic, Sylvain Maliko, and the Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Toby Lanzer, are touring a number of European capitals to draw the attention of officials to the situation. On 30 per cent of the $80 million sought in the 2007 UN Appeal has been covered, Ms. Byrs said. Later this month, development partners will meet to address the situation ahead of a pledging conference planned for October. 2007-06-01 00:00:00.000

May 31

UN AGENCY HONOURS CHILDREN FOR ARTWORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE New York, May 31 2007 10:00AM Raising awareness of the dangers posed by climate change, the United Nations environment agency has recognized three children for their artistic depictions of the phenomenon. Eleven-year old Charlotte Sullivan of the United Kingdom took first prize in the UN Environment Programme’s International Children’s Painting Competition for her rendering of the world as an umbrella turned inside out by a powerful storm. Miss Sullivan will be joined by the joint second prize winners – 12-year old Ekaterina Nishchuk of Russia and 13-year old Petkova Polina Zdravkova of Bulgaria – at the main World Environment Day celebrations hosted close to the Arctic circle in the Tromso, Norway. Miss Nishchuk was chosen for her image of a polar bear standing under a hot sun, peeling off its white fur down to its trunks while atop a perilously small, wasted ice-berg. Miss Zdravkova’s painting is of a melting world, apparently dripping tears into the abyss of space. “I would urge political leaders to see the world through the brush, pen strokes and paintings of these gifted children to ensure that these young peoples’ fears are not realized and their hopes fulfilled,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, who will meet the contest’s three global and six regional winners at the Tromso Museum in Norway early next month. The competition, which was organized in cooperation with the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment, Bayer AG and the Nikon Corporation, received 14,000 entries from 104 countries this year. 2007-05-31 00:00:00.000

UN AGENCIES MAKE HOUSE CALLS TO VACCINATE AFGHAN NEWBORNS New York, May 31 2007 1:00PM Joining forces with the Afghan Government, two United Nations agencies are conducting their final round of house calls to vaccinate newborns and their mothers against tetanus in the capital, Kabul. The UN World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund are also participating in campaigns to immunize children between the ages of 59 months and six years in schools, mosques and other locations. This provides an opportunity for children who rarely visit clinics to receive free vaccinations in community centres. “We want all parents to take part in this valuable vaccination campaign,” said WHO’s Riyad Musa. “We are here to serve the families of our nation’s capital, to ensure the future health of our children, and therefore the future of Afghanistan.” Approximately 3,500 trained vaccinators and volunteers are involved in the campaign, which will continue to furnish vaccinations free of charge at local health clinics beyond this week. Neonatal tetanus can be fatal, and can be contracted if the birth process or the baby’s cord comes into contact with dirt. However, provided the mother has received at least two tetanus vaccinations before or during her pregnancy, her child will not contract it. While people of any age who have not been immunized can contract measles, young children are most at risk. Deaths from measles in Afghanistan have been slashed 90 per cent through two nationwide campaigns from 2001 to 2003 which were supported by WHO, UNICEF and their partners. In a related development, the UN World Food Programme said that in spite of obstacles posed by growing insecurity in the south and east of the country, it continues to operate in almost all parts of the war-torn country. Afghanistan poses extreme challenges for WFP, with the effects of two decades of war and unrest being exacerbated by natural disasters, such as floods, harsh winters and severe droughts. In a press release, WFP noted that is has distributed 10,000 metric tons of food for 350,000 people in Kandahar. This year, it plans to provide an additional 20,000 tons to feed 600,000 people, with assistance from the Canadian International Development, the agency’s largest donor in Kandahar. 2007-05-31 00:00:00.000

UN AGENCY URGES MEASURES TO PREVENT FOREST FIRES New York, May 31 2007 11:00AM A United Nations agency today urged countries to invest more in fire preparedness and prevention. “Countries need to enhance collaboration, share their knowledge and increasingly target people, who are the main cause of fires, through awareness-raising and education,” said Peter Holmgren, FAO’s Chief of the Forest Resources Development Service, in a news release. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization presented a global strategy to enhance international cooperation in fire management to a meeting earlier this month in Spain of some 1,500 fire experts and planners from more than 80 countries. The strategy includes a global assessment of fire management detailing incidence and impacts in all regions, a review of international cooperation, and the voluntary guidelines in fire management. In the year 2000 alone, an estimated 350 million hectares of forests and woodlands were destroyed by fire, with sub-Saharan Africa and Australasia accounting for 80 per cent of the total area burned, according to FAO. The agency acknowledged that fire is an important and widely used tool in agriculture and in maintaining ecosystems, but warned that wildfires, which are frequently the result of negligence or arson, destroy millions of hectares of forests and woodlands, resulting in loss of human and animal life and immense economic damage. 2007-05-31 00:00:00.000

LAND IN AFGHANISTAN DONATED TO MINE VICTIMS, UN REPORTS New York, May 31 2007 11:00AM Land in Afghanistan that is now free of mines has been donated to the brave workers who were injured while clearing those deadly weapons from the area, the United Nations said today. Giving the land to 87 individuals, Mohammad Housain Anwary, the Governor of the province of Herat, said he wanted to honor their important work of the deminers in Afghanistan, the UN Mine Action Centre there reported today. “Demining is really a continuation of Jihad,” he said. “Jihad doesn’t only mean fighting and having weapons. It means supporting human beings, stability and development.” The 87 deminers, who were all wounded in the Herat region during mine clearance activities, have since returned to their homes, but most are unemployed and face challenging living conditions, according to UNMACA, which oversees mine action on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan. “These deminers are really worthy of appreciation. Demining is the best support to the country,” said Mohammad Sediq, the UNMACA Chief of Operations. “It is our duty to look after them, especially ones who have become the victims of mines. We thank Governor Anwary, and we hope this action will be followed by other government authorities as a positive example throughout the country.” Two weeks ago, Rahmatullah Rahmat, the Governor of the province of Paktia, donated land to 26 deminers who were the victims of mine accidents in Paktia. The Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA), an umbrella organization comprised of partners that are coordinated by UNMACA, has cleared more than 1 billion square meters throughout Afghanistan since 1989 – destroying more than 323,000 anti-personnel mines, more than 18,500 anti-tank mines and almost seven million pieces of unexploded ordnance. 2007-05-31 00:00:00.000

May 30

SECURITY COUNCIL BACKS JOINT UN-HAITIAN EFFORTS AGAINST GANG VIOLENCE New York, May 30 2007 8:00PM Endorsing the recent efforts of the Haitian Government and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the impoverished Caribbean country to tackle gang violence and reform the national police, the Security Council today called for further measures to improve the justice system. Council members reiterated their strong support for the Government and the mission, known as MINUSTAH, “to maintain stability and achieve progress,” Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad of the United States, which holds the rotating presidency this month, said in a statement to the press. The press statement followed a briefing to the 15-member Council by Edmond Mulet, the head of MINUSTAH and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti. The Council voiced appreciation “for the ongoing efforts by MINUSTAH in supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP) in the fight against gang violence as well as the efforts to implement the HNP reform plan, in particular the beginning of the vetting process, and encouraged further efforts to advance the reform of the justice system.” In recent months, MINUSTAH has stepped up efforts to crack down on criminal gangs in violence-ridden Haiti; since the start of the year, more than 400 gang members have been arrested. The press statement also welcomed the efforts of MINUSTAH in facilitating last year’s successful election cycle across Haiti and said Council members looked forward to the Mission providing logistics support and security for the country’s senate elections during the latter part of this year. 2007-05-30 00:00:00.000

SECURITY COUNCIL VOTES TO ESTABLISH HARIRI ASSASSINATION TRIBUNAL New York, May 30 2007 8:00PM The Security Council agreed today that the special tribunal set up to try the suspected killers of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri will enter into force on 10 June unless Lebanon ratifies the tribunal itself before that date. A resolution endorsing the tribunal’s formal establishment was adopted after 10 Council members voted in favour and no members voted against. Five countries – China, Russia, Indonesia, Qatar and South Africa – abstained. The resolution was introduced after Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora sent a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this month asking for the Council to put the tribunal into effect as a matter of urgency. Mr. Ban told Council members in a subsequent letter that he concurred with Mr. Siniora “that, regrettably, all domestic options for the ratification of the Special Tribunal now appear to be exhausted, although it would have been preferable had the Lebanese parties been able to resolve the issue among themselves based on a national consensus.” The tribunal will be of “an international character” to deal with the assassination of Mr. Hariri, who was killed along with 22 others in a massive car bombing in downtown Beirut in February 2005. Once it is formally established, it will be up to the tribunal to determine whether other political killings in Lebanon since October 2004 were connected to Mr. Hariri’s assassination and could therefore be dealt with by the tribunal. In April 2005 the Security Council set up the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) after an earlier UN mission found that Lebanon’s own inquiry into the Hariri assassination was seriously flawed and that Syria was primarily responsible for the political tensions that preceded the attack. Serge Brammertz, the current head of the IIIC, told the Council last September that evidence obtained so far suggests that a young, male suicide bomber, probably non-Lebanese, detonated up to 1,800 kilograms of explosives inside a van to assassinate Mr. Hariri. 2007-05-30 00:00:00.000

TWO UN AGENCIES ISSUE NEW GUIDELINES TO BOOST HIV TESTING AND COUNSELLING New York, May 30 2007 3:00PM Aiming to boost access to much-needed HIV treatment, care and prevention services, two United Nations agencies today jointly issued new guidance on testing for and counselling about the virus. The UN World Health Organization and the Joint UN Programme Against HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) called for increased health care provider-initiated testing and counselling. The prevailing model now is voluntary testing and counselling, where individuals actively seek diagnosis. But experts say this system is impeded by the fear of stigma and discrimination, limited accessibility to services and the perception of many – even in areas with high rates of HIV infection – that they are not at risk. Roughly 80 per cent of people living with HIV in low and middle-income countries are unaware that they have been infected with the disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, recent surveys demonstrate that only 12 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women have been tested for HIV and have received their results. Increasing access to testing and counselling is crucial in encouraging earlier diagnosis of HIV infection, which could maximize the potential benefits of treatment and care and also arm those with HIV with information and tools to prevent transmission of the virus. “If we are going to get ahead of this epidemic, rapidly scaled up HIV treatment and prevention efforts are critical – and increased uptake of HIV testing will be fundamental to making this a reality,” said Paul De Lay, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at UNAIDS. The WHO/UNAIDS guidance recommends that in generalized HIV epidemics, HIV testing and counselling should be recommended to all patients in all health facilities, while in concentrated and low-level epidemics, countries should recommend testing to all patients seeking treatment in certain areas, such as antenatal care and tuberculosis. Other key recommendations of the two agencies include ensuring that all HIV testing is voluntary, confidential and undertaken with the patient’s consent; recognizing that patients have the right to decline tests; and linking testing to prevention, treatment, care and support. “We hope that the new guidance will provide an impetus to countries to greatly increase availability of HIV testing services in health care settings, through realistic approaches that both improve access to services and, at the same time, protect the rights of individuals,” said WHO HIV/AIDS Director Kevin De Cook. WHO and UNAIDS stressed that HIV testing and counselling initiated by health care providers is not, and should not be construed as, an endorsement of coercive or mandatory HIV testing. 2007-05-30 00:00:00.000

HUNDREDS OF SUDANESE FLEE TO TOWN IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, UN SAYS New York, May 30 2007 7:00PM Some 1,500 Sudanese refugees have sought refuge in a single town in the Central African Republic (CAR), claiming that Sudanese Government forces and armed militias attacked their town two weeks ago, a United Nations spokesperson said today. Several UN agencies have just completed an assessment mission to the town of Sam Ouandja, in northeastern CAR, the spokesperson, Michele Montas, said today in New York. “The agencies say the number of refugees continues to grow,” Ms. Montas said. “The majority of them are women and children, who have travelled the 200 kilometres between the two towns on foot.” The World Food Programme is providing a one-month initial food ration for the refugees who have already arrived in the town, and the UN High Commission for Refugees along with he UN Children’s Fund is providing non-food items, Ms. Montas added. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued a news release saying the influx of refugees is ongoing. “We did not find evidence of the presence of armed elements in the group and the refugees assured the mission that everyone originates from DaFak in Sudan and no Chadian nationals among them,” said Bruno Geddo, Representative of UNHCR. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the civilian and humanitarian character of the operation,” he added. “Considering that the majority of the refugees appear to be women and children, WFP will provide emergency food assistance, while at the same time carry out an assessment of the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable individuals among the local population in Sam Ouandja,” said that agency’s Representative in CAR, Jean-Charles Dei. “Beyond the need for humanitarian assistance, the United Nations remains highly concerned about the protection of civilians and calls for the national authorities to continue to facilitate humanitarian access to displaced populations in need,” said Jean-Sébastien Munié, OCHA chief in the country. UN officials have frequently warned that the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region is threatening to engulf the CAR as well as Chad – a caution Mr. Munié repeated today. “The arrival of these refugees from Sudan is another evidence of the spill-over effect and the regional dimension of the conflict in Darfur,” he concluded. 2007-05-30 00:00:00.000

May 24

DONORS NEED TO HELP SUSTAIN MOMENTUM OF PEACE IN BURUNDI -- BAN KI-MOON New York, May 24 2007 1:00PM United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today urged Burundi’s development partners to sustain the positive momentum in country as its Government and people struggle to emerge from devastating civil turmoil. “Your engagement will remain critical,” Mr. Ban told the Donor Roundtable Conference on Burundi, which is convening in the capital Bujumbura today and tomorrow. The country, which suffered decades of ethnic conflict pitting the Hutu majority against the Tutsi minority and has yet to implement its ceasefire with the last major active rebel group, has seen its economic and social infrastructure destroyed. At today’s conference, Mr. Ban urged support for the Priority Action Programme prepared by the Government of Burundi, prepared in consultation with its partners, to overcome a those challenges. Inclusive growth and employment generation, reforms in the security and justice systems, radical improvements in governance, transparency and human rights, were the priorities goals, he said. “It is imperative that the Government make every effort to advance these goals,” he maintained, while also noting the commitment of the international community to assist. Burundi is one of the first countries receiving support from the Peacebuilding Commission, the body set up by the United Nations in December 2005 to prevent countries emerging from conflict from falling back into chaos. Mr. Ban recalled that in January, he approved an allocation of $35 million from the Peacebuilding Fund to support critical peacebuilding projects in Burundi. “The United Nations is fully committed to helping the Government of Burundi develop national capacities to own, lead, manage, and account for the implementation of this Programme,” he confirmed, calling on donors to work within the Action Programme’s structure. “No development results are sustainable if they are not based on clearly identified priorities,” he said. “Only then will the hard-won peace in Burundi be irreversible.” UN efforts to help consolidate the peace in Burundi are coordinated by its Integrated Office in Burundi, known as BINUB, which replaced the peacekeeping operation in the country at the end of last year. 2007-05-24 00:00:00.000

AWARD-WINNING SINGER SHERYL CROW SUPPORTS UN FOOD AGENCY New York, May 24 2007 8:00AM Sheryl Crow, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter from the United States, is throwing her support behind the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) after watching its Ambassador, actress Drew Barrymore, discuss child hunger, the agency said today. "I was so struck by this story that our relationship with the WFP was born," the singer wrote on her blog, describing she and her newly adopted son Wyatt learned about "an amazing organization called the World Food Programme" after hearing Ms. Barrymore, who is also a movie producer, talk about her new role as a WFP Ambassador against Hunger on CNN. "Wyatt is now a humanitarian!" said Ms. Crow, whose hits include "All I Wanna Do," "Soak Up the Sun" and "If It Makes You Happy." In an exclusive interview published in this week's OK! Magazine, the 45-year-old singer praises the agency and its Ambassador. "It is absolutely amazing, the number of kids that they feed. They have an unbelievable spokesperson in Drew." During her CNN interview, Ms. Barrymore, appointed as Ambassador against Hunger earlier this month, gives a moving account of her recent visit to WFP-supported school feeding projects in Kenya. "In a nutshell, this United Nations non-profit organization feeds millions of starving children at schools in third world countries as an incentive for them to attend school, which in turn might better their futures," writes Ms. Crow. "They do so much more but I was so struck by this story." By providing nutritious meals to over 20 million school children in 71 countries, WFP's school feeding programme ensures a child's healthy development and education and gives hope for the future. Ms. Crow's blog encourages readers to visit the WFP website to make an online donation. For just $21, the agency said, it can feed a child in school for a year. 2007-05-24 00:00:00.000

UN OFFICIAL SAYS BHUTANESE REFUGEES IN NEPAL DESERVE OPTIONS New York, May 24 2007 8:00AM Bhutanese refugees who have been living in Nepal for some 16 years should have the freedom to make informed decisions about their future, a visiting United Nations official has said. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres told residents at Goldhap camp on Wednesday that there was more than one solution to the plight of over 100,000 Bhutanese who have been living in eastern Nepal for the last 16 years. The High Commissioner outlined the options during his first official visit to Nepal to focus on current efforts to alleviate the long-standing situation of some 107,000 refugees who have been living in seven camps since the early 1990s. Mr. Guterres said the agency is "very encouraged by recent interest in resettling some of the refugees," referring to an offer by the United States to accept some 60,000 of the Bhutanese in Nepal. Other countries that have expressed similar interest, UNHCR said. At the same time, he voiced hope that refugees who wish to return to Bhutan would be able to return home. "Despite 16 years with little success, we will continue to knock on Bhutan's door to seek a solution for those who want to go back." Mr. Guterres stressed that everyone must have the freedom to make his or her own informed decision. "The option of resettlement or voluntary repatriation is for them to choose and decide," he said, adding that UNHCR's job "is to open as many doors as possible so that they can leave the long years of exile behind them and start a new life as soon as possible." The UN refugee agency has started a mass information campaign to sensitize refugees in all seven camps on resettlement procedures and their individual right to decide for or against it. In the capital, Kathmandu, Mr. Guterres met with Nepal's Prime Minister Giriji Prasad Koirala and other senior officials to thank the country for its "very constructive and positive approach" to finding solutions for the refugees befo residents in Nepal. Myanmar refugees from Thai camp are being resettled, UN refugee agency says The second phase of a large-scale resettlement of ethnic Karen refugees from Myanmar has begun with a group of more than 30 leaving a camp in northern Thailand to start a new life in the United States, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today. "These refugees who fled fighting in eastern Myanmar have little realistic prospect of going home and they have been leading a very restricted life in the camp for more than a decade," said the UNHCR Representative in Thailand, Hasim Utkan, who was at the camp send-off. "So, while it's hard for them to leave a country just across the border from their homeland, they are excited about a new future in the US." Between May 16 and the first week of July, 404 refugees are scheduled to depart for the US, with an overall planning figure of nearly 10,000 refugees from Thailand to depart to America by September 30 this year. "The scale of the resettlement operation is really quite amazing," said Mr. Utkan. "This is something which has rarely been offered in a refugee situation." Nine Thai government-run refugee camps strung along the border with Myanmar shelter a total of 140,000 refugees. 2007-05-24 00:00:00.000

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS KILLING OF SOMALI RADIO JOURNALISTS New York, May 24 2007 8:00AM The Director-General of UNESCO, , today condemned the killing of two Somali radio journalists Abshir Ali Gabre and Ahmed Hassan Mahad in Middle Shabelle province on 16 May and called for improved safety of journalists in the country. "I condemn the killing of Abshir Ali Gabre and Ahmed Hassan Mahad," Koïchiro Matsuura said in a statement released in Paris, where UNESCO is headquartered. He called on "all responsible Somalis in a position of authority to be mindful of the safety of journalists whose professional activity is essential for dialogue and conflict resolution." Journalists, Mr. Matsuura said, "must be able to exercise their profession safely, in view of the fact that press freedom is an extension of the basic human right of freedom of expression and a pillar of democracy and good governance." Abshir Ali Gabre and Ahmed Hassan Mahad, who worked, respectively, as news editor and reporter for Radio Jowhar, were killed when gunmen opened fire on the motorcade of Mohammed Omar Deele, governor of the Middle Shabelle province. At least six people are reported to have been killed in the ensuing gun battle. They bring to 17 the number of journalists killed on duty in Somalia since 1992, according to the Committee for the Protection of Jounalists (CPJ), which ranks Somalia as the world's 12th most dangerous country for the press. 2007-05-24 00:00:00.000

TOP UN OFFICIAL OUTLINES STEPS TOWARDS GLOBAL ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS New York, May 24 2007 2:00PM The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency today called for the development of a new global security system in which nuclear weapons are obsolete. “The solution, in my view, lies in creating an environment in which nuclear weapons are universally banned, morally abhorred, and their futility unmasked,” Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency told an international conference in Luxembourg on the prevention of nuclear catastrophe. He noted that, of late, nuclear threats have become more dangerous, pronounced and immediate given the emergence of the illicit trade in nuclear technology, the development of clandestine programmes and the desire by extremist groups to obtain such weapons. Simultaneously, climate change and the desire for energy security are propelling many non-nuclear nations to consider nuclear power. However, nuclear material production is a dual-use technology that elevates the possibility of more countries becoming nuclear powers. In addition to these hazards, Mr. ElBaradei pointed out the risks posed by existing nuclear arsenals as non-nuclear countries are moved to emulate other nations with nuclear capability. “And of course, plans to replenish and modernize these weapons creates a pervasive sense of cynicism among many non-nuclear-weapon States – who perceive a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude,” he said. The solution to this spiralling problem lies in the implementation and development of a new worldwide security system where nuclear weapons play no role, he asserted. To achieve this, the Director General outlined four steps towards bolstering the movement towards eliminating the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Firstly, existing stockpiles must be secured and controls over the transfer and production of nuclear material must be tightened, he asserted. All information regarding the export of such materials and the technology involved should be reported to the IAEA. Secondly, he called for the IAEA’s authority and capability to verify the nuclear programmes of nations to be strengthened. At present, the agency is “forced to make do on a shoestring budget,” and thus is lagging behind in the state-of-the-art technology necessary to perform its function. Additionally, approaches to dealing with the spread of nuclear weapons must be made more effective, Mr. ElBaradei said, referring to the IAEA’s reliance on the Security Council to enforce non-proliferation obligations through such measures as dialogue and sanctions. However, he explained, “judging by our record in recent years, these measures – rather than being applied in a systematic manner to deal effectively with proliferation issues – are employed haphazardly, and too often with political overtones.” Lastly, disarmament must be taken more seriously, he stated. As nuclear weapon-possessing countries continue to expand and update their arsenals, non-nuclear nations are questioning why it is “OK for some to live under a nuclear threat, but not others.” “What the weapon States consistently fail to take into account is the impact of their actions,” Mr. ElBaradei stressed. “Whether they choose to continue their reliance on nuclear weapons, as the centrepiece of their security strategy, or to abandon that reliance, their choice will undoubtedly influence the actions of others.” Yesterday, he submitted his latest report regarding Iran’s nuclear programme to the Security Council. The report, entitled “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Resolutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” covers the period since Mr. ElBaradei’s previous report of 22 February. It was also circulated to the agency’s 35-member Board of Governors, which will consider the report at its next series of meetings in Vienna starting on 11 June. 2007-05-24 00:00:00.000

May 23

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION INCREASES IN UKRAINE DESPITE INTIMIDATION – UN EXPERT New York, May 23 2007 5:00PM While democracy and free expression have increased in Ukraine in the past few years, journalists are still subject to intimidation by individuals said to be linked to authorities, an independent United Nations expert said today. “Despite the ongoing political instability, the country is steadily progressing towards a democratic system based on the rule of law, good governance and human rights,” Ambeyi Ligabo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said after a visit to the east European country. “However, the current political situation, marked by a strong polarization of opinions, does not contribute to the full enjoyment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, especially for foreigners residing in the country, ethnic groups and migrants, who are often victims of discrimination,” he said. Mr. Ligabo, an unpaid expert who reports to the UN Human Rights Council, said that he met with a number of journalists who were victims of violence by various gangs and others allegedly linked to state security organs and an academic institution. In addition, he was told that many journalists, especially from the regions outside the capital, are under severe pressure and intimidation from local authorities while others are frequently harassed, arrested and framed on hollow court charges. He also noted that there is undue delay in the determination of cases of violence against journalists and many of the perpetrators have not been brought to justice. “This general situation of uncertainty, compounded by uncompromising struggle for power amongst competing political parties, has created considerable distress among ordinary citizens and, if not excised properly, may eventually undermine democratic achievements so far made.” He was pleased that many people in authority were willing to discuss the problem with him, but he stressed that all sides, particularly the Government, need to make more concerted efforts to protect human rights, including the passage of legislation on free expression that is in conformity with international standards. In addition, he said that much Ukrainian media was of low quality, increasing polarization in the country. This could be remedied by training and the appointment of the relevant officials in a democratic and transparent way, he said. “They should be allowed to run their mandates independently, without political interference,” he added. Mr. Ligabo said he would provide more concrete recommendations to the Government of Ukraine, media professionals, journalists, civil society organizations, and others in the near future. 2007-05-23 00:00:00.000

ESCALATING VIOLENCE IN GAZA ALARMS UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF New York, May 23 2007 5:00PM United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today condemned the recent escalation of violence across the Gaza Strip, calling on all sides to do their utmost to ensure that civilians are protected. In a statement, Ms. Arbour said the deadly intra-Palestinian violence was having a “devastating impact on an already vulnerable civilian population,” and she voiced hope that the ceasefire reached among Palestinian factions on Saturday would hold. The High Commissioner also deplored the ongoing rocket attacks by Palestinian militants against the Israeli town of Sderot. “Deliberate attacks against civilians, and the use of indiscriminate weapons, which I personally witnessed during my visit to Sderot a few months ago, are in flagrant violation of cardinal principles of international humanitarian law and must stop,” she said. Ms. Arbour also called on Israel to exercise restraint. “Extrajudicial killings are in breach of both international human rights and humanitarian law, and cannot be justified under any circumstance,” she said. 2007-05-23 00:00:00.000

UNICEF APPEALS FOR $42 MILLION TO HELP IRAQI CHILDREN New York, May 23 2007 5:00PM The United Nations Children’s Fund called for $42 million to help Iraqi children, who the agency said have reached a critical point due to violence and displacement. The appeal was launched in Amman, Jordan’s capital, by Queen Rania Al Abdullah, UNICEF’s first-ever Eminent Advocate for Children. “For many Iraqi children, the long-term future may be unclear, but their present needs – for education, for health care, for clean water and proper sanitation – are clear and must be met – now,” she said. Since the start of the war, close to 15 per cent of Iraq’s population or around 4 million people – half of whom are children – have fled their homes. Over the next six months, UNICEF seeks to provide critical relief for 1.6 million children who have been displaced and are living inside Iraq and in the neighbouring countries of Jordan and Syria, which are shouldering the burden of hosting Iraqi refugees who have left their homeland. “We believe that Iraq is at a watershed,” Daniel Toole, the agency’s Acting Deputy Executive Director and Director of Emergency Programmes, told reporters in New York. “Iraqi children need help now.” UNICEF has put $10 million of its own reserves towards jumpstarting relief activities, working closely with other UN agencies to organize immunization campaigns and provide clean water. Currently, less than one third of all Iraqi children have access to safe water, due to the breakdown of the country’s water and sanitation systems. As the summer approaches, fears of high levels of diarrhoea and dehydration are increasing. Last week, the first cases of cholera – all of them affecting children – were reported, raising concerns over a possible serious outbreak. Another key area to be targeted by the funds is education. Statistics from two years ago showed that 75 per cent of children regularly attended school, while enrolment has dropped to 30 per cent, which Mr. Toole, who recently returned from a visit to the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, blamed on the insecurity. Parents are afraid to send their children to school given the high levels of violence in Iraq, and the educational system is “missing teachers.” “If you travel around Iraq, you see schools that are empty and schools that are terribly overcrowded and so many, many children are no longer attending school,” he observed. Further exacerbating conditions is the exodus of professionals, including doctors and teachers, leaving Iraq. “Children will bear the brunt of the brain drain,” Mr. Toole said, since they are left with fewer adults to train them and ensure their health. He praised the efforts of the Governments of Jordan and Syria for welcoming the Iraqi refugees as guests, and also for pledging to assist Iraqi children in their countries by providing education and health services. At the same time, he stressed that the violence must cease immediately, while acknowledging that UNICEF is unable to bring about an end to the hostilities. “We cannot solve the problem of school attendance if parents are afraid to send their children to school,” he stated. Queen Rania also said what Iraqi children need, above all, is a resolution to the crisis. “That has to be our ultimate hope.” 2007-05-23 00:00:00.000

UN SECURITY COUNCIL CONGRATULATES TIMOR-LESTE ON ELECTION RESULTS New York, May 23 2007 3:00PM While expressing concerns over the still-volatile security situation in Timor-Leste, the United Nations Security Council today lauded the Timorese people for holding credible presidential elections and Jose Ramos-Horta for his victory. “The Security Council congratulates the Timorese people for demonstrating their strong commitment to peace and democracy, and commends the presidential candidates for the peaceful manner in which they conducted their campaigns,” the 15-member body said through a statement read out by, Jackie Sanders of the United States, which hold the presidency this month. Mr. Ramos-Horta was sworn in on Sunday following two rounds of elections in April and May, beating out seven other candidates vying to lead the country, which the UN ushered to independence in 2002. Looking forward to upcoming Parliamentary elections, the 15-member body pledged its continued support for the Government and people of Timor-Leste “as they embark on another step aimed at strengthening the foundations of democracy, and assume their rightful place in the community of nations,” the statement added. At the same time the Council called upon the international community to continue to assist the Government to confront the challenges facing the country, which they said were political and institutional in nature, but exacerbated by “poverty and its associated deprivations.” The UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), deployed following an outbreak of deadly violence last year, is helping with all aspects of the 2007 electoral processes, including technical and logistical support, electoral policy advice and verification. 2007-05-23 00:00:00.000

ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT NAMES TWO DIPLOMATS TO GUIDE SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM TALKS New York, May 23 2007 3:00PM General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa has appointed the ambassadors of Chile and Liechtenstein to conduct consultations with United Nations Member States on how to move forward on reform of the 15-member Security Council. Heraldo Muñoz of Chile and Christian Wenaweser of Liechtenstein will be expected to report back to Sheikha Haya on the outcome of their consultations by the end of next month, the President said in a letter sent to UN Member States yesterday. Sheikha Haya has asked Mr. Muñoz and Mr. Wenaweser to use last month’s report of the five facilitators on Council reform she appointed in January as the basis for their consultations. That report found that even though there is overwhelming support for Council reform, the world’s countries remain so divided on the details – from the question of expansion to the use of the veto to the categories of membership – that a transitional stage of reform may be necessary to break the deadlock. The report stated that a “significant number of Member States tend to agree that their ideal solution may not be possible at this stage, and believe that it may be more reasonable to consider the best possible solution for now.” It called on nations to “explore new and emerging ideas concerning a transitional approach” to Council reform, in which there would be an intermediate arrangement ending with a mandatory review at a pre-determined date to decide if that arrangement should continue. Member States would not have to give up their original position pending the mandatory review, according to the report, which proposed four possibilities for an intermediate category of Council seats. Mr. Muñoz is one of five facilitators who presented that report, with the others being the permanent representatives of Tunisia (Ali Hachani), Cyprus (Andreas D. Mavroyiannis), Croatia (Mirjana Mladineo) and the Netherlands (Frank Majoor). Sheikha Haya said in her letter that those facilitators would continue to advise her on the issue. 2007-05-23 00:00:00.000

TOP UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL TO VISIT RWANDA New York, May 23 2007 3:00PM The top United Nations human rights official is heading today to Rwanda on the final leg of her 12-day mission to Africa's Great Lakes Region, which previously took her to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi. In Rwanda, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour will meet with President Paul Kagame as well as human rights advocacy groups and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a UN spokesperson said today. The object of her visit, the spokesperson said, is to re-affirm the importance of protecting and promoting human rights in reconciliation and reconstruction efforts in the country, which was ravaged by a civil war and the genocide against some 800,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus in 1994. 2007-05-23 00:00:00.000

May 22

WINNERS OF UN-BACKED MEDIA PRIZE PERSONALIZE STRUGGLE TO MEET DEVELOPMENT GOALS New York, May 22 2007 1:00PM An indigenous group in Malaysia, nomadic children in China and an HIV-positive couple in India are the focus of stories that have won United Nations prizes for media that depicts the quest to meet UN-backed development goals in the Asia-Pacific region. The announcement of the first Asia-Pacific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Media Awards – for stories on the individual dimension of the international goals to cut extreme deprivation and boost basic services by 2015 – was made today in Almaty, Kazakhstan, during the annual session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). At a ceremony attended by representatives of the 62 member governments of UNESCAP, three top winners received the awards, each with a cash prize of $7,000, from Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP. “Through the powerful media of TV, radio, print and the internet, journalists can focus attention on the human face behind the MDGs,” said Mr. Kim. “They also have an important role in holding governments accountable to the pledges they made in the Millennium Declaration – the pledge to free the world from dehumanizing condition of poverty, hunger and illiteracy,” he added. Receiving the awards from Mr. Kim were top winners in the three media categories: Print: Chin Mui Yoon of Star Magazine of Malaysia, for an article examining the challenges in providing basic health services to an indigenous group in Malaysia. Radio: He Fei, Wu Jia, Guan Juanjuan and Jin Zhao of China Radio International, for a report on a girl who dropped out of school in rural China before finally managing to return to the classroomTelevision: Li Jiejun of China Central TV (CCTV) International for a feature exploring innovative solutions for delivering education facilities to nomadic children in remote western China.Three runner-up awards were handed out to journalists based in Bangladesh, India and the Philippines. The awards are jointly sponsored by UNESCAP, the UN Development Programme and the Asian Development Bank, and the competition was organized by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD). More than 100 entries from 23 countries were judged by an international panel of media professionals. 2007-05-22 00:00:00.000

IRAQ: UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES KILLING OF TWO JOURNALISTS New York, May 22 2007 1:00PM The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending freedom of the press has condemned the murder of two Iraqi news journalists who were ambushed and shot dead as they made their way home from work last week in Baghdad. Alaa Uldeen Aziz and Saif Laith Yousuf “paid with their life for our right to know what is happening in the country,” UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said in a issued today. Mr. Aziz, 33, and Mr. Yousuf, 26, worked as a cameraman and sound engineer respectively in the Baghdad bureau of ABC News of the United States until gunmen in two cars ambushed them on their way home last Thursday. At least 104 journalists and 39 media support staff have been killed in Iraq since the United States-led invasion in March 2003, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), with the overwhelming majority of victims being Iraqi nationals. Mr. Matsuura noted in his statement that Iraq has become the deadliest conflict for the press in recent history. “The horror I feel by the huge number of journalists and media workers killed in Iraq is only offset by my admiration for the professionals who continue risking life and limb to preserve the basic human right of freedom of expression in Iraq,” he said. “These brave people are carrying out a mission that is essential for the democratic future of Iraqi society as a whole.” UNESCO is the only UN agency which has a mandate to defend freedom of expression and freedom of the press. 2007-05-22 00:00:00.000

UN FORUM HEARS CALLS FOR HEALTH INVESTMENTS IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION New York, May 22 2007 8:00AM Ministers from across the Asia-Pacific region -- where relative wealth has not translated into health investments -- today heard calls at a United Nations meeting in Kazakhstan for more government spending on medical care in order to combat poverty. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), told delegates that putting both government and private expenditure together, South Asia spends only 4.4 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health, while East Asia and the Pacific is only slightly better at 5 per cent. In contrast, 6.1 per cent is spent by Sub-Sahara Africa and 6.8 per cent by Latin America and the Caribbean. Government spending on health was also lowest in the region, Mr. Kim told ESCAP's annual session in Almaty. South Asia governments spend only 1.1 per cent of GDP on health, and East Asia and the Pacific 1.9 per cent. The figures for Sub-Sahara African, and for Latin America and the Caribbean, are 2.4 per cent and 3.3 per cent respectively. "The high level of out-of-pocket expenditure by patients themselves had driven many people into poverty," Mr. Kim observed. In addition to more investment, governments must ensure that health systems are equitable and more accessible to the poor and the vulnerable, Mr. Kim said. "Countries that have come far towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are those which have ensured that all sections of the population have access to a minimum level of health care at an affordable cost," said Mr. Kim, referring to global antipoverty targets. For around 20 developing countries which spend less than $20 per person per year in health, an extra $25 billion a year is needed to enable them to meet the minimum requirement for basic health services, Mr Kim said. "Political commitment is essential," he stressed. 2007-05-22 00:00:00.000

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OPENS PROBE INTO CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC New York, May 22 2007 8:00AM Acting on a referral by the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR), the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) today announced an investigation into alleged crimes - especially widespread rape - committed there in 2002 and 2003, and voiced support for efforts by the United Nations to achieve a comprehensive solution to ongoing instability in the country. "My Office has carefully reviewed information from a range of sources. We believe that grave crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the Court were committed in the Central African Republic," said ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo in a news release. "We will conduct our own independent investigation, gather evidence, and prosecute the individuals who are most responsible." When the violence peaked during an armed conflict between the government and rebel forces in 2002 and 2003, civilians were killed and raped and homes and stores were looted, the ICC said, citing a preliminary analysis of alleged crimes. The conflict was characterized by widespread use of rape, and the investigation marks the first time the Prosecutor is examining a situation where allegations of sexual crimes far outnumber alleged killings. "The information we have now suggests that the rape of civilians was committed in numbers that cannot be ignored under international law," said Mr. Moreno-Ocampo. At least 600 rape victims were identified in period of 5 months, said the Court, while cautioning that the real numbers are likely higher as sexual violence is customarily underreported. Credible reports indicate that rape has been committed against civilians, including women, young girls and men. There were often aggravating aspects of cruelty such as rapes committed by multiple perpetrators, in front of third persons, with relatives sometimes forced to participate, the ICC said. Many victims suffered social stigmatization and a number of them were infected wit "These victims are calling for justice," Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said. The CAR's highest judicial body, the Cour de Cassation, said the national justice system was unable to carry out the complex proceedings necessary to investigate and prosecute the alleged crimes. Under the Rome Statute that created the ICC - and to which CAR is a party - the Court intervenes only when national judicial authorities are unable or unwilling to conduct genuine proceedings. Even while investigating crimes allegedly committed in 2002 and 2003, the Prosecutor said he will continue to monitor the current situation in the CAR, citing what the Court termed "worrying reports of violence and crimes being committed in the northern areas of the country bordering Chad and Sudan." The impact of the conflict in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur is widely feared to be spilling over and causing instability in neighbouring States. The launch of this criminal investigation occurs in the context of insecurity and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the country, in particular for displaced persons and children," the ICC said in a news release, voicing support for UN efforts to achieve a comprehensive solution where lasting security can be established, humanitarian assistance delivered, and development and education promoted. "In the interests of deterring future violence and promoting enduring peace in the region, we have a duty to show that massive crimes cannot be committed with impunity. We will do our part, working through our judicial mandate," Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo said. The CAR Government ratified the Rome Statute on 3 October 2001. The ICC has jurisdiction in CAR since the entry into force of the Rome Statute on 1st July 2002. The Government referred the situation to the Office of the Prosecutor in December, 2004. 2007-05-22 00:00:00.000

May 21

ZAMBIAN CHOSEN AS NEW UN ENVOY TO TACKLE HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA New York, May 21 2007 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed a Zambian policymaker and activist as his new Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa and renewed the terms of three other regional envoys. Elizabeth Mataka, currently Executive Director of the Zambian National AIDS Network and Vice-Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, was chosen to replace Stephen Lewis of the United States, whose contract expired at the end of last year. A social worker by training, Ms. Mataka has 16 years’ experience in the HIV/AIDS field, working in Government, the private sector and with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on HIV prevention programmes, clinical treatment for opportunistic infections and community and national schemes for the care and support of sufferers. Announcing the appointments today, the same day the General Assembly is holding a session reviewing implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, Mr. Ban thanked the Special Envoys for their work to advance the UN agenda on the issue in the regions they cover. “Working with a wide range of partners, including governments and civil society, they have helped mobilize and strengthen responses in many countries,” he said in a press statement accompanying the announcement. “In particular, they have been instrumental in advocacy on issues related to women and AIDS, championing the greater involvement of people living with AIDS in national responses, and promoting support from the private sector,” added Mr. Ban, who met today also with members of UN Positive, a group of staff members living with HIV. Mr. Ban’s Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, Nafis Sadik, served as Executive Director of the UN Population Fund from 1987 to 2000, while the Special Envoy for Latin America and the Caribbean, Sir George Alleyne, was Director of the Pan American Health Organization from 1995 to 2003. Lars Kallings, who is the Special Envoy for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, was Secretary-General of the International AIDS Society from 1994 to 2002. The appointments of the three envoys have been renewed until the end of 2008. 2007-05-21 00:00:00.000

PALESTINIAN CEASEFIRE IN GAZA MUST HOLD, BAN KI-MOON STRESSES New York, May 21 2007 2:00PM Voicing hope that the ceasefire reached by Palestinian factions operating in the Gaza Strip will hold after a week of deadly clashes, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all sides to abide by its terms and urged the Palestinian Authority to “take the necessary steps to restore law and order.” In a statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban thanked Egypt for its work in brokering the ceasefire, which took effect on Saturday after a week of fighting in which dozens of people have been killed in Gaza. The statement noted that Mr. Ban is deeply concerned about recent Palestinian rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians, calling them “completely unacceptable” and a violation of international law. “The Secretary-General is also deeply concerned by the mounting number of civilian casualties from Israeli military operations, especially the targeted attack on the home of a Hamas legislator in Gaza, which killed six members of one family,” the statement added. “While recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself, he calls on Israel to abide by international law and to ensure that its actions do not target civilians or put them at undue risk.” 2007-05-21 00:00:00.000

UN APPEALS FOR HALT TO ATTACKS ON FOOD CONVOYS IN AFGHANISTAN New York, May 21 2007 2:00PM The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today appealed for an end to the increasing attacks on food convoys in the southern part of the strife-torn country. “The UN has been working in Afghanistan for half a century to help people in need, and these food supplies are destined for some of the country’s most vulnerable people in some of the most vulnerable communities,” UNAMA spokesperson Adrian Edwards said in Kabul. Over the past 11 months there have been 16 incidents in which convoys of the UN World Food Programme have been attacked, and food and vehicles damaged or stolen, with seven of the attacks occurring since the start of April. “We call upon those responsible to immediately halt these acts, which are robbing Afghanistan of badly needed aid,” Mr. Edwards said. At his press conference today, Mr. Edwards also reported on the situation of Afghan migrants who have been deported from Iran, following an assessment mission conducted by UNAMA with other agencies to the transit centre in Farah province, where the returnees are being assisted before returning to their places of origin around the country. According to the latest figures, over 1,000 families have registered with the Farah authorities, while over 70,000 returnees have come through the transit centres in Herat, though the number of new returnees had fallen off in both locations. Mr. Edwards said that WFP has provided one month’s food rations for over 250 families in and around Farah and a food convoy is on its way this week to the on of the Herat centres. The UN continues to watch the situation, he said, and will decide later this week whether more food supplies are needed. 2007-05-21 00:00:00.000

ASIA-PACIFIC REGION CRUCIAL IN GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY: BAN KI-MOON New York, May 21 2007 1:00PM The Asia-Pacific region – with most of the world’s people and some of its fastest-growing economies – is crucial to meeting global anti-poverty targets, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today told regional leaders meeting in Kazakhstan. “With Asia-Pacific now home to two thirds of the world’s population, the level of progress achieved in your region will be a critical factor in determining whether our global efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will succeed or fail,” he said, in a message delivered by José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the annual meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Almaty. Officials from 62 UNESCAP member governments are in Almaty for the week-long meeting – 60 years after the body, then known as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, was founded in Shanghai. The MDGs, time-bound targets for slashing poverty and other ills by the year 2015, are at the top of the meeting’s agenda. “I am encouraged by the fact that, in recent decades, the countries of Asia and the Pacific have seen a record number of people lifted out of poverty,” Mr. Ban said. “Still, over 600 million fellow human beings who have not benefited from the region’s economic gains continue to face a daily struggle to survive,” he said. He urged redoubled efforts to fight extreme poverty within UNESCAP’s “Green Growth,” or environmentally sustainable approach. To help the countries which are lagging behind, Government ministers from across the region have expressed support for a “road map that aims to have all countries ‘marginally’ off-track to be back on-track towards reaching MDGs by 2009, those ‘moderately’ off-track to be in line by 2011, and those in the ‘severely’ off-track category on target by the end of 2013. At today’s meeting, Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, applauded the endorsement of the plan. “Your commitment is vital to the regional road map,” he told the ministers. “2007 marks the midway point to 2015. It is important that the countries come together to ensure the targets are met,” he said. The road-map is expected to be endorsed by the Commission session when it concludes on Wednesday, 23 May. 2007-05-21 00:00:00.000

MYANMAR: UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES RELEASE OF DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI New York, May 21 2007 1:00PM As Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s term of detention nears its end, the top United Nations human rights official today called on the Government of Myanmar to unconditionally release the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and other political prisoners in the South-East Asian country. “The release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners would demonstrate a willingness to abide by universally accepted human rights standards,” High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said in a statement released in Geneva. “It would also, I believe, facilitate national dialogue and free the Government and the people to focus on the need to unite the country and to allow the emergence of democratic structures to decide on the way forward.” The current detention term of Ms. Suu Kyi, the General-Secretary of the National League for Democracy, ends on 27 May. She has been held for 11 years without charge or trial since her party and its allies won the 1990 election with over 80 percent of the Parliamentary seats. She has been under house arrest for four years, and has spent 11 of the past 17 years in detention. Ms. Suu Kyi is one of over 1,000 known political prisoners held in prisons and labour camps across Myanmar. The High Commissioner also offered her Office’s support for the Government of Myanmar “in any efforts towards democratization by addressing the complex human rights crisis faced by the country, including the situation of political prisoners.” Earlier this month, over one dozen UN human rights experts joined their voices to urge Myanmar’s authorities to free Ms. Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners. “As of one of the world’s most acclaimed human rights defenders, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate is a major political and spiritual leader of Myanmar,” the experts said. “Her tireless commitment to non-violence, truth and human rights has made her a worthy symbol through whom the plight of all people in Myanmar may be recognized.” The stability of Myanmar, they said, “is not well served by the arrest and detention of several political leaders or by the severe and sustained restrictions on the exercise of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.” 2007-05-21 00:00:00.000

May 18

UN INCREASES FOOD DELIVERIES IN SOMALIA AMID PIRACY New York, May 18 2007 8:00AM The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today began a distribution of food to 122,500 Somalis affected by violence while warning that piracy is hampering its operations. "We are expanding our distributions to the displaced -- many of whom are women and children -- with this round of distributions, which means WFP should be reaching 80 per cent of the 150,000 we plan to feed," said Peter Goossens, the agency's Somalia Country Director in Nairobi. "But just when we are reaching more people, incidents of piracy against ships off Somalia are again on the rise and are threatening to cut the fastest and most efficient way -- by sea -- to move large amounts of food assistance to the needy in Somalia during this crisis," he said. Mr. Goossens charged that the pirates "are very cruelly playing with the lives of the most vulnerable women and children who had to leave their homes because of fighting" and appealed to the Somali authorities to act "before they cause more misery both to the crews of hijacked ships and to the people who rely on WFP food for their survival." The recent distribution follows aid deliveries in late April and early May to 114,000 displaced people and returnees. The United Nations estimates that between 300,000 and 400,000 people fled Mogadishu since 1 February. Somalia has recently experienced its worst fighting in 16 years between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), backed by Ethiopian forces, and anti-TFG factions. 2007-05-18 00:00:00.000

UN CONDEMNS MURDER OF HAITIAN JOURNALIST ALIX JOSEPH New York, May 18 2007 8:00AM The United Nations mission in Haiti today condemned the assassination of radio journalist Alix Joseph, vowing to help the authorities find the perpetrators. Mr. Joseph, the director of Radio Provinciale, was assassinated on 16 May in Gonaïves by armed men, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haïti (MINUSTAH) said in a news release deploring the crime. "This cruel and irresponsible act adds to the long list of crimes already committed against professionals of the Haitian press," MINUSTAH said, pledging to help the Haitian authorities in the investigation and prosecution of the assassins. The mission also voiced its solidarity with members of the Haitian media who continue to seek the end of the impunity for the killers of their murdered colleagues. 2007-05-18 00:00:00.000

UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR HONOURED FOR CHRONICLING STRUGGLE AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS New York, May 18 2007 8:00AM An Italian photojournalist who brings the work of the United Nations anti-drug unit before the public has been awarded a prestigious German publishing prize for a feature on the global struggle against illicit narcotics. Alessandro Scotti Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), captured the Henri Nannen Prize for his feature Weltmacht Drogen (Drugs, the global power) feature published in the German magazine GEO. The prize is awarded annually by Gruner + Jahr, publishers of Stern magazine. Mr. Scotti's powerful black and white images, which won the award in the Best Photographic Achievement section, chronicle the battle against the narcotics industry in Iran, Afghanistan, Latin America and Central Asia, UNODC said in a news release. "Scotti's talent has transformed the tragic plight of a few into a global campaign against narco-trafficking," UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said. "He shows us the face of addiction, exploitation, and physical suffering, and challenges us to respond." In its citation, the jury said that in documenting the drugs trade for more than five years, Scotti had succeeded in bringing his reportage vividly to life. "The photographer gets so close to the action that the viewer can sense the great demands his reporting is making on him." Mr. Scotti, one of 10 prizewinners selected from 863 submissions from 188 German-language publications, has worked as a professional photographer and writer for 10 years. Since 2005, he has travelled extensively in Afghanistan, Colombia, Iran, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand to represent UNODC. He is presently completing a trilogy of books for UNODC documenting the global drugs trade. Entitled De Narcoticis, the series explores all aspects of the narcotics trade, including cultivation, trafficking, prevention and addiction. Mr. Scotti's haunting images help the public to understand the complexity

TECH COMPANIES INCREASING LOOKING AT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, UN PANEL TOLD New York, May 18 2007 1:00PM The larger information technology corporations in Silicon Valley are undergoing a “significant mindset change” regarding emerging markets, a top executive has told a panel at the United Nations. Information technology (IT) companies were seizing the opportunity to think very differently about providing products that would be used in different ways than in developed nations, said Gary Bolles, President of Microcast Communications. But some companies were still reluctant to enter developing country markets for a variety of reasons. One problem, said Richard LeFave, Chief Information Officer of Sprint Nextel, was insufficient spectrum. Governments had a responsibility to manage the spectrum as a resource, just like water and electricity. “We would not be in India or Brazil if there was not a capability for us to operate there. And the intellectual capability available in a country makes a big difference, too.” Wireless, including broadband, was providing a new set of tools for deploying telecommunications capabilities, Mr. LeFave said. The number of accesses in the 14 Latin American countries where his company was present had tripled since 2002, mainly thanks to wireless technology. Developing countries that had introduced wireless had registered significant growth. Wireless was constantly achieving higher speed and lower costs: this would benefit developing countries and “bridge many gaps that seemed previously unbridgeable,” he added. The combination of wireless technologies with new capabilities and software tools would develop a new set of applications for countries in their quest for economic growth. To convince IT companies to enter developing markets, “you have to stimulate a need for technology, to create a demand for IT applications, as well as efficient markets,” said Antonio Castillo Holgado, Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs, Telefonica. The public and the private sectors should work together to create capability, focusing on all applications. “You can then sell technology as a tool -- for instance for disseminating health information.” The traditional way of thinking was that first research and development created products, then these would go into production, and finally they would be marketed. But in developing countries “first you create an attractive market, then production will come in, and finally R & D,” he said. “You have to live in a market, observe it, be there, study it before you introduce a product,” said Tero Ojanperä, Executive Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer of Nokia. “You don’t just push the technology.” The world had now 2.6 billion mobile users, Mr. Ojanperä said. Their number would increase to 4 billion by 2010 and to 5 billion by 2015, nearing universal connectivity. But first a number of steps were needed, and one of them was education. In China, Nokia was providing, together with other partners, English courses through mobile phones. African farmers were using Short Message Service (SMS) via mobile phones to find out prices for their crops and decide the best moment for selling. The Internet was not just available in advanced markets, he said, but was present in almost every network in the world. It provided unprecedented opportunities for small entrepreneurs, for software developers, for a host of small businesses. Handset-based technologies were progressing quickly, mobile phones were becoming more and more like personal computers, and this expansion of capabilities would benefit developing countries. People in developing countries were ready to spend 8 to 12 per cent of their income in phone calls, said Heather Hudson of University of San Francisco. “There is much more demand than we think: businesses, schools, institutions, are ready to pay.” What was needed was to bring down regulatory barriers and let in competitors, as countries with monopolies had a much lower mobile growth rate. The Internet worked out in rural areas just as well as it did in urban settings, said Jose Alberto Cuellar Alvarez, speaking via videoconference from the UN Information Centre in Mexico City. The Internet had improved market efficiency, speeded up information exchange and opened a host of new possibilities: for instance, agricultural producers in remote rural areas could now advertise and sell their products on a scale previously not possible. Governments should play a major role in devising strategies for using IT technologies, he said, linking the spread of IT to overall development plans. For instance, “public policies for roads should go hand in hand with IT policies,” he said. The meeting, “Tale of Two Worlds: Keeping Pace with a Moving Target”, which marked World Information Society Day, 17 May, was organized by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development and the United Nations Association Diaspora Network. 2007-05-18 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY BEGINS ASSISTING RESETTLEMENT OF BURUNDIANS IN US New York, May 18 2007 11:00AM With the assistance of the United Nations refugee agency, the first group of some 8,500 Burundians to be in the United States today left a refugee camp in Tanzania, where they had taken refuge after fleeing mass violence 35 years ago. The 88 who left today are part of 3,000 so-called ‘1972 Burundians’ – about 35 per cent of the number accepted for resettlement – who are expected to leave over the next 15 weeks for Nairobi and then travel on to various US cities, such as Atlanta and Phoenix, according to Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “The 1972 Burundians represent one of the world's most protracted refugee situations, and resettlement is the only viable durable solution for most of them,” Ms. Pagonis said in Geneva. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians fled to neighbouring countries that year to escape ethnic violence which killed an estimated 200,000 people, she said, adding that children of refugees born in exile were also considered for resettlement in the US. “While repatriation of Burundian refugees remains a priority, we believe that successful repatriation and reintegration of this particular group is not possible,” she commented. “After nearly 35 years in exile, they would face complex and unresolved land issues. Moreover, some refugees believe they are viewed as outsiders and would never be able to fully integrate in Burundi,” she said. She added that those born in exile identify closely with their host country, Tanzania, but it cannot offer them integration either. The resettlement operation is being organized by the US Government, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR. Before their departure from Nairobi, the refugees will undergo an orientation workshop organized by IOM. This will help prepare them for a new life in the US and ease their integration, UNHCR said. Tanzania still hosts some 276,000 refugees, mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 2007-05-18 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON URGES COMPROMISE ON IRAQ’S CONSTITUTION New York, May 18 2007 2:00PM United Nations Secretary-General today urged Iraqi leaders to compromise on the Constitution in the interests of the country as a whole. As Iraq’s Constitutional Review Committee prepares to submit the results of its deliberations to the full parliament, Mr. Ban’s spokesperson issued a statement emphasizing the importance of the process to achieve national reconciliation in Iraq. Core issues dealt with by the Committee lie at the heart of how Iraq’s system will function, involving a balanced division of powers between the federal government and the regions as well as a system for the fair distribution of oil revenues throughout the country. “Striking a compromise on the core constitutional issues at the heart of Iraq’s system of governance is essential for establishing stability in the country,” Michele Montas told reporters in New York. “The Secretary-General hopes that Iraqi leaders will embrace this opportunity by rising above narrow sectarian interests, remaining open to compromise, and fostering consensus,” she said, pledging the UN’s full commitment to a national dialogue towards a Constitution than can be supported by all Iraqis. The statement also lauded the Committee for carrying out its work “responsibly in an atmosphere of mutual respect.” On Monday, Mr. Ban’s top envoy to Iraq also called for compromise on the Constitution. In the absence of a conclusion, Special Representative Ashraf Qazi warned that “the review process has the potential to be extremely divisive exercise.” The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq said the process offers an opportunity to address the real gaps and problems in the current constitutional text, and that improving the system of governance would be beneficial to all. 2007-05-18 00:00:00.000

May 17

UN HEADQUARTERS REFURBISHMENT AIMS TO MEET ‘GREEN’ STANDARDS – OFFICIAL

New York, May 16 2007 6:00PM The senior United Nations management official today said a planned $1.9 billion refurbishment of the Organization’s dilapidated Headquarters complex will aim to meet or even exceed environmental standards. Reviewing the timetable for the overhaul, known as the “capital master plan,” Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, said parts of the Secretariat’s iconic building would be vacated and renovated while other parts would remain in use. Movement of staff would begin in 2008, with construction on a lawn on the UN’s premises to begin the same year so that the General Assembly could meet in the new space during the renovation. “We are taking this opportunity of the capital master plan to move ahead with the ‘greening of the UN,’” she said. “This is a very important opportunity for all of us and we’re going to take it to make sure the UN can become a model, if we can, on the environmental front.” She acknowledged that this is a tall order. “It is not going to be easy because this is an old building that we are renovating. If we start from scratch it would be easier,” she said. To guide its work, the UN was following the standards set by LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a group that provides certification to buildings in the United States when they accomplish certain measures. The UN was trying to achieve the group’s ‘silver rating,’” said Ms. Bárcena. “We are trying to go further if we can,” she added. Ms. Bárcena said top priority would be given to eliminating safety and health risks. “This is an old building, so as soon as you start renovating there might be the risk of certain substances that can appear in the construction, like asbestos,” she said, emphasizing that these factors would be fully taken into account. She said a recent fire inspection by the local New York City authorities revealed numerous flaws. “Others call them violations but we call them directives,” she said of the Fire Department’s findings. “They found 850 directives, of which we are taking care of them one by one,” she said, adding that a detailed plan of action has also been put into place to address each concern. “When the capital master plan is finished in 2014 we will not only meet the existing fire safety regulations in New York; we hope that we will exceed them,” she said. The main UN Headquarters buildings were constructed in 1949 and 1950 and have not been significantly improved or maintained since then. They are extremely energy inefficient, costing the UN more than $30 million a year in energy costs alone. The capital master plan is expected to save costs in the long run while saving energy. Ms. Bárcena also briefed correspondents on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s proposals on UN peacekeeping, which are now under consideration by the budget watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). Under the plan, the new Department of Peace Operations would consolidate all factors dealing with strategy, planning and deployment while the new Department of Field Support would take on the responsibility of what Mr. Ban has called the current “impossibly overstretched” management. Ms. Bárcena said the proposals as they relate to the regular UN budget are “cost neutral,” with increases being sought from the “support account,” a mechanism funded through the individual budgets of peacekeeping missions. The aim would be to reduce the current headquarters-to-field staff ratio from 1 for every 149 to 1 for every 106. An increase of $65 million is being sought. “Yes, it includes an increase in posts and yes, it includes an increase in money, but this increase in numbers and resources in a certain way was going to be there even if the restructuring was not proposed,” she said, explaining that the changes were long overdue. Of the 495 new posts being sought, not all were to be in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, she said, noting that some 80 would go to the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the UN’s investigative arm. Ms. Bárcena also reviewed progress in improving the UN’s internal justice system with steps being taken to start strengthening the Ombudsman and mediation capacity while bolstering formal judicial structures. On a more personal note, Ms. Bárcena said she would make her own financial disclosure form public. This follows the example of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro. Others would be made public on a voluntary basis. 2007-05-16 00:00:00.000

GOAL OF UNIFIED KOREAN PENINSULA ACHIEVABLE, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

New York, May 16 2007 7:00PM The dream of a reunified Korean Peninsula will come true, if the international community works in concert and all sides are willing to put aside their Cold War tensions, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a speech pledging renewed United Nations commitment towards resolving the outstanding issues in contention. “All of us should embrace the change coming to our part of the world,” Mr. Ban said in a speech last night in New York to a dinner marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Korea Society. He welcomed the recent advances in the multilateral negotiations on the nuclear activities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying he was heartened to see it was “back on track” and promising the UN would do all it could to support the process. In February, the participants in the six-party talks reached an accord on initial steps towards denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula in which the DPRK committed to dismantling its nuclear arms programme in return for international energy and other aid. “Beyond a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue with North Korea, we should aim to establish a peace mechanism, through transition from armistice to a permanent peace regimen,” he said. Mr. Ban stressed his view that if the international community works together, it “can help achieve a secure, prosperous and democratic Peninsula… It is time to set aside the divisions of the Cold War, and focus on the future.” The Secretary-General said he was equally concerned about ensuring those people most in need in the DPRK, especially children, the elderly and women, receive the aid they require. “I am determined, through dialogue and engagement with the DPRK and other countries, to mobilize international support for both humanitarian and longer-term development needs in the DPRK, as well as work for goodwill and mutual understanding in the region.” During his speech Mr. Ban also outlined the priorities of his agenda as Secretary-General and the steps he has undertaken so far to achieve those ends. He discussed the crisis in Darfur, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Lebanon’s political impasse, violence in Iraq, climate change, human rights, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the internal working culture of the UN. 2007-05-16 00:00:00.000

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS MURDER OF GUATEMALAN JOURNALIST

New York, May 17 2007 9:00AM The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has condemned the murder of Mario Rolando López Sánchez, a producer for the Guatemalan station Radio Sonora. The crime occurred on 3 May, which is commemorated as World Press Freedom Day, and UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said it was disturbing that this "should become a day of mourning due to another violent act by people who resort to guns to silence their critics." He voiced confidence that action would be taken in response, saying, "I trust that the Guatemalan authorities will do their utmost to arrest and bring to justice the culprits of this crime." The 64-year old journalist was hit by several gunshots a few metres from his home. Head producer for Radio Sonora, he also co-produced for the last 14 years a daily programme about politics, entitled Casos y Cosas de la Vida Nacional (Cases and things concerning the life of the nation). According to Arnulfo Agustín Guzmán, Director of Radio Sonora, the murder cannot be considered an ordinary crime as the victim's car and personal effects were not stolen. 2007-05-17 00:00:00.000

UN STUDY REVEALS LESS THAN HALF OF REGISTERED RETURNEES LIVE IN CROATIA

New York, May 17 2007 10:00AM Less than half of some 120,000 ethnic Serbs registered as returnees in Croatia actually live in the country, according to the findings of a just-released survey commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "We estimate that actual returnees account for about 43 percent of the total number of registered returnees," said the report's authors, Zagreb University academics Milan Mesic and Dragan Bagic, during a public presentation in the Croatian capital Tuesday attended by the country's President, Stjepan Mesic, and other dignitaries. The survey also found that 40 per cent of the registered Serb returnees had settled in the areas -- mainly in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina -- where they had sought refuge during the war in the 1990s, but visit Croatia at least once a year. Some 6 per cent reside sporadically in Croatia, while about 11 per cent of the registered returnees have died. Covering a representative selection of 1,450 registered returnees and conducted between September and December last year with the help of the Croatian Red Cross and the Serb Democratic Forum, the survey also found that some 43 per cent of returnees are aged over 60, while 46 percent are retired. The average age of all returnees is 51, compared to the Croatian average of 39 years. About a third of returnee Serbs were unemployed, compared to a countrywide average of 17 percent for Croatia. Only 8 per cent were employed or self-employed, while 11 per cent were dependent on humanitarian assistance. The authors concluded that the most effective way to ensure increased and sustainable return of the Serbs was to develop and implement programmes aimed at revitalizing the economy in areas of return and at tapping the labour and entrepreneurial resources of both the Serb returnees and the majority Croat population. Wilfried Buchhorn, the UNHCR representative in Croatia, endorsed these conclusions. "Stronger international level is required in order to create better living and employment conditions for the returnees," he said. The country's leadership, meanwhile, pledged to work for the continued return and reintegration of Croatia's Serb community. "The creation of conditions for the return of all, including the Serbs, is in the best national interest in the full sense of the word," President Mesic said at the presentation of the survey findings. "There is no alternative to the process of return, and there should not be any. There is no alternative to coexistence, tolerance and equality of all citizens of this country," he added. 2007-05-17 00:00:00.000

May 16

VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO HAMPER HUMANITARIAN AID IN SUDAN’S DARFUR, UN SAYS New York, May 16 2007 5:00PM Although many humanitarian activities, including a successful polio vaccination campaign, are currently being carried out in Sudan’s Darfur region, violence continues to threaten the operations, according to the United Nations Mission in Sudan “Incidents of road banditry and fighting between the warring factions continue to disrupt long-term planning,” spokesperson Radhia Achouri said today at the weekly UNMIS press conference in Khartoum. She said that in North Darfur state, a non-governmental organization (NGO) was forced to suspend its food distributions in the Dar Zaghawa area as a result of aerial bombings by the Government and the high risk of carjackings. “If the situation does not improve, the NGO’s suspension of activities could also affect the populations in Kutum Rural, thus leaving 165,000 people without food assistance at the beginning of the hungry season,” she added. She also said that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the continuous stream of new internally displaced persons (IDPs) is putting a serious strain on several camps, where services and space are running out. The fact that thousands of Chadian civilians are also streaming into West Darfur is a worrying development, according to OCHA, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is currently investigating the reasons behind this massive move. More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others forced to flee their homes in Darfur since 2003 when fighting flared between rebel forces, the Government and allied militias. In Southern Sudan, recovering from a separate long-term civil war, UNMIS reports that strong co-operation on returnees continues between the Government of National Unity (GNU), the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and the UN. During the past week returns have continued, with over 2,300 IDPs assisted in organized convoys, according to the mission. Over 34,000 Sudanese IDPs have taken advantage of the transport arranged by the three partners to Southern Sudan and its neighbouring areas since road convoys commenced in early February, the mission said. 2007-05-16 00:00:00.000

UN OFFICIALS PAY TRIBUTE TO UGANDAN PEACEKEEPERS AFTER 4 DIE IN SOMALIA New York, May 16 2007 5:00PM Top United Nations officials paid tribute to Ugandan troops from the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, after four of their number died and several others were injured in an attack today in the violence-torn capital, Mogadishu. The Special Representative of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for Somalia, François Lonsény Fall, strongly condemned the attack, reiterating his appreciation for the AU mission’s initiative to ease the suffering of the people of Somalia, where some of the worst fighting of 16 years of instability recently raged. “Mr. Fall regretted that such unjustified acts are carried out at a time when efforts are under way by all international partners to help Somalis engage in a genuine political dialogue,” the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) said in a press release. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said he was especially saddened by the losses since he had been personally protected by Ugandan peacekeepers during his recent visit to Somalia and had been impressed by their professionalism. Mr. Holmes was in Kampala, Uganda today, where he met with Government officials, donors and representatives of UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), after visiting refugee camps where hundreds of thousands have been displaced during a 21-year conflict between Government forces and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Continued UN support for the talks on that conflict taking place in Juba, South Sudan is already easing the humanitarian situation both there and in Northern Uganda, he said, but the humanitarian appeal for Uganda is still only half funded. Mr. Holmes noted that the international community now has many opportunities in the north of the country in providing aid for relief, recovery and development and increasing partnership with the Government. “We cannot afford to waste this opportunity,” Mr. Holmes said. “We have no excuse not to get it right in Uganda, because we can see recovery on the horizon. But it will require collective engagement for several years to come,” he cautioned. Mr. Holmes will return to New York tomorrow and is scheduled to brief the Security Council on his mission to Somalia and Uganda on Monday, 21 May. 2007-05-16 00:00:00.000

IRANIAN NEWS AGENCY JOINS UN IN FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER New York, May 16 2007 8:00AM The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced a new partnership with Iran's Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN) aimed at raising awareness and generating funding for relief operations. As part of an agreement signed last week, WFP and CHN launched a Tourism against Hunger campaign in which the news agency, whose 100 journalists and photographers specialize on covering issues related to Iran's cultural heritage and tourism, will provide news coverage of all relevant WFP activities throughout the country. CHN will also provide technical assistance to develop WFP's Farsi/English website, provide translation services as well as help develop a local advocacy strategy that will include the production of news packages, publications and advertisements. "The partnership between WFP and CHN is yet another sign of how WFP can work with the private sector in raising awareness," said Robert Hauser, WFP's Representative in Iran. WFP opened an office in Iran in 1971 and was active in several projects requiring food assistance until 1979. At the request of the Government, the agency resumed activities in 1987 and today provides food assistance to over 26,000 Afghan refugees and 4,800 Iraqi refugees in Iran. In addition, in 2003, WFP provided emergency food assistance to nearly 100,000 survivors of the Bam earthquake and who were gradually able to re-establish their livelihoods. 2007-05-16 00:00:00.000

UN SAYS IT WILL NOT TOLERATE VIOLENCE IN TIMOR-LESTE New York, May 16 2007 8:00AM The top United Nations envoy in Timor-Leste has expressed concern at signs of a resurgence of gang fighting and mob violence in the nation's capital, Dili, in the past 24 hours. The fighting, which included rock-throwing and arson, occurred yesterday evening between two groups of approximately 100 people in the Bairro Pite area of Dili, according to the UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), and continued this morning in the same area. Four small houses and a vehicle were burned. Malaysian and Portuguese Formed Police Units along with UN Police and the International Stabilization Force (ISF) brought the situation under control, the mission said in a news release. There were no injuries and 17 people were arrested. The Special Representative of the Secretary General in Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, visited the area this morning to talk with residents affected by the violence. "While the police, with the assistance of the ISF, took control of the situation very quickly I am concerned to see fighting between groups of young people," Mr Khare said. "People who commit criminal acts will be treated as criminals by the police," he added. "Claiming to act out of political motivation following last week's election will not be tolerated." Mr. Khare said he had communicated to all Timorese leaders "that violence justified as political is unacceptable." President-elect, Jose Ramos Horta, the Secretary-General of Fretilin, Mari Alkatiri and the President of the Democratic Party Fernando Araujo Lasama "all agreed that any persons committing criminal acts who claim to be party supporters should be put in jail," Mr Khare added. In another development, the envoy formally congratulated Mr. Ramos-Horta on his victory in the country's presidential election. "During both rounds of the presidential election, all candidates have conducted themselves with dignity and professionalism, and showed respect for democratic principles," Mr. Khare observed. president at a ceremony in Dili on Sunday. 2007-05-16 00:00:00.000

May 15

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN DR CONGO UNTIL YEAR’S END New York, May 15 2007 2:00PM Aiming to help the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) cement stability, the Security Council today extended the deployment of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there until the end of this year. Through a resolution adopted unanimously, the 15-member body agreed to maintain the personnel strength of the UN Organization Mission in the DRC whose mandate was due to expire today, at approximately 17,000 troops, 760 military observers, 400 police trainers and 750 personnel of formed police units. The resolution reaffirmed the importance of security sector reform and of the reintegration of Congolese and foreign armed groups for the long-term stabilization of the county, which is rebuilding following the end of a six-year civil war that cost 4 million lives due to fighting, hunger and disease. In March, hundreds of people were killed in the capital, Kinshasa, during fighting between Government forces and the guards of the former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba, who lost the run-off round of landmark presidential elections to Joseph Kabila last year. In January and February, in the country’s far west Bas-Congo province, violent clashes over closely contested local elections led to the deaths of more than 130 people. In the wake of those deadly clashes, the Council called on the DRC’s authorities and political parties to pursue national reconciliation and resolve their differences through dialogue, with respect to the constitutional framework and the law. 2007-05-15 00:00:00.000
New York, May 15 2007 2:00PM Aiming to help the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) cement stability, the Security Council today extended the deployment of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there until the end of this year. Through a resolution adopted unanimously, the 15-member body agreed to maintain the personnel strength of the UN Organization Mission in the DRC whose mandate was due to expire today, at approximately 17,000 troops, 760 military observers, 400 police trainers and 750 personnel of formed police units. The resolution reaffirmed the importance of security sector reform and of the reintegration of Congolese and foreign armed groups for the long-term stabilization of the county, which is rebuilding following the end of a six-year civil war that cost 4 million lives due to fighting, hunger and disease. In March, hundreds of people were killed in the capital, Kinshasa, during fighting between Government forces and the guards of the former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba, who lost the run-off round of landmark presidential elections to Joseph Kabila last year. In January and February, in the country’s far west Bas-Congo province, violent clashes over closely contested local elections led to the deaths of more than 130 people. In the wake of those deadly clashes, the Council called on the DRC’s authorities and political parties to pursue national reconciliation and resolve their differences through dialogue, with respect to the constitutional framework and the law. 2007-05-15 00:00:00.000
BAN KI-MOON VOWS TO BOOST COOPERATION WITH ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE New York, May 15 2007 2:00PM Praising the cooperative relationship between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today anticipated strengthening these ties in the years ahead. In a message to the OIC Ministerial Conference meeting in Islamabad, Mr. Ban said the gathering comes at a crucial juncture. “Instability in Islamic States – from Afghanistan and Iraq to Sudan and Somalia – carries profound implications for international peace and security,” he said, calling for a sustained and collective response. “The OIC, as a leading multilateral institution, is well placed to play a leading role in addressing all these challenges,” said Mr. Ban. “I would especially like to commend the excellent cooperation between the Untied Nations and the OIC.” The Secretary-General said engagement between the two on matters of peace and security “holds tremendous promise,” while joint UN-OIC economic, cultural and social projects are “already yielding significant dividends” in a number of countries. “I look forward to strengthening these ties even further in the months and years to come,” Mr. Ban said in the statement, which was delivered by his Special Adviser on the International Compact with Iraq and Other Political Issues, Ibrahim Gambari. 2007-05-15 00:00:00.000

SRI LANKA: UN REFUGEE AGENCY ASSISTS RETURN OF THOUSANDS WHO FLED CONFLICT ZONE New York, May 15 2007 11:00AM The United Nations refugee agency announced today that it had begun helping Sri Lanka return over 90,000 displaced civilians who had fled heavy fighting in February between Government and rebel troops. The return of the villagers, who left West Batticaloa in the eastern part of the island as the Government fought to dislodge the forces of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), appears to be voluntary, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “Our staff monitoring the situation on the ground say the majority of people are eager to return home, the returns are voluntary and in line with international protection standards,” UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis said in Geneva. However, she cautioned that attention must be given to people with special needs and urged the Government to continue the step-by-step phased approach, upholding international standards and ensuring that returns will continue to be voluntary under any circumstances and at all times. “UNHCR will continue to monitor the returns and report directly to the government on any problems regarding the voluntariness and any deviation from the civilian characteristics of the move,” she said, calling on the Government to speed up access for all international aid agencies to the region so they can carry out assistance programmes. Starting Wednesday, UN agencies will be given full access to West Batticaloa to provide support to the returnees, she noted, and the UNHCR representative is already on the ground to observe the first movements and speak with officials about reintegration plans. Local government officials are registering the returnees and issuing them with identity documents and are providing rations both at the point of departure and on return to the villages, according to UNHCR. Ms. Pagonis added that there is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of what kind of assistance is required in the return areas to help restore essential services and boost livelihood opportunities. “UNHCR together with its partners is looking at possible reintegration packages and is calling on the international community to help with assistance, as well as asking the government to expedite its own rehabilitation plan for the return areas,” she said. 2007-05-15 00:00:00.000
New York, May 15 2007 11:00AM The United Nations refugee agency announced today that it had begun helping Sri Lanka return over 90,000 displaced civilians who had fled heavy fighting in February between Government and rebel troops. The return of the villagers, who left West Batticaloa in the eastern part of the island as the Government fought to dislodge the forces of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), appears to be voluntary, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “Our staff monitoring the situation on the ground say the majority of people are eager to return home, the returns are voluntary and in line with international protection standards,” UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis said in Geneva. However, she cautioned that attention must be given to people with special needs and urged the Government to continue the step-by-step phased approach, upholding international standards and ensuring that returns will continue to be voluntary under any circumstances and at all times. “UNHCR will continue to monitor the returns and report directly to the government on any problems regarding the voluntariness and any deviation from the civilian characteristics of the move,” she said, calling on the Government to speed up access for all international aid agencies to the region so they can carry out assistance programmes. Starting Wednesday, UN agencies will be given full access to West Batticaloa to provide support to the returnees, she noted, and the UNHCR representative is already on the ground to observe the first movements and speak with officials about reintegration plans. Local government officials are registering the returnees and issuing them with identity documents and are providing rations both at the point of departure and on return to the villages, according to UNHCR. Ms. Pagonis added that there is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of what kind of assistance is required in the return areas to help restore essential services and boost livelihood opportunities. “UNHCR together with its partners is looking at possible reintegration packages and is calling on the international community to help with assistance, as well as asking the government to expedite its own rehabilitation plan for the return areas,” she said. 2007-05-15 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY SEEKS URGENT HEALTH CARE FOR PALESTINIANS AT IRAQ BORDER CAMP New York, May 15 2007 11:00AM The United Nations refugee agency said today it is “highly concerned” over living conditions for hundreds of Palestinians who fled their homes in Baghdad to a camp near Iraq’s Syrian border, which has no healthcare and is vulnerable to a harsh climate. “We are particularly worried about the lack of medical facilities – many of the camp's 942 residents need urgent medical attention, including a mother of seven who suffers from leukaemia and a teenage diabetic boy,” Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said of the Al Waleed facility. At least three people, including a six-month-old baby, have died from treatable illnesses since the camp opened last December, Ms. Pagonis said. A UNHCR team that visited this week found the tented camp overcrowded and many of its residents suffering from respiratory and other ailments, with the nearest hospital in Iraq four hours away by roads that pass through dangerous territory. Water is trucked to the camp daily, but this is rationed to less than one litre per person because of the increasing numbers of Palestinians fleeing Baghdad violence. International aid agencies, including UNHCR, are not allowed to maintain a presence in the camp due to security reasons and so they must visit during the day and only on an infrequent basis. The agency said that living conditions are only likely to get worse during the summer months, when temperatures soar and sandstorms threaten. A steady flow of Palestinians have fled Baghdad since March 2006, when intimidation, forced evictions and attacks against their community began mounting. According to UNHCR, an estimated 1,400 Palestinians are living in desperate conditions along the Iraq-Syria border, unable to cross the frontier into a country already straining to cope with hundreds of thousands of refugees from Iraq. “UNHCR has repeatedly called for international support, but with limited success,” Ms. Pagonis said. 2007-05-15 00:00:00.000
New York, May 15 2007 11:00AM The United Nations refugee agency said today it is “highly concerned” over living conditions for hundreds of Palestinians who fled their homes in Baghdad to a camp near Iraq’s Syrian border, which has no healthcare and is vulnerable to a harsh climate. “We are particularly worried about the lack of medical facilities – many of the camp's 942 residents need urgent medical attention, including a mother of seven who suffers from leukaemia and a teenage diabetic boy,” Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said of the Al Waleed facility. At least three people, including a six-month-old baby, have died from treatable illnesses since the camp opened last December, Ms. Pagonis said. A UNHCR team that visited this week found the tented camp overcrowded and many of its residents suffering from respiratory and other ailments, with the nearest hospital in Iraq four hours away by roads that pass through dangerous territory. Water is trucked to the camp daily, but this is rationed to less than one litre per person because of the increasing numbers of Palestinians fleeing Baghdad violence. International aid agencies, including UNHCR, are not allowed to maintain a presence in the camp due to security reasons and so they must visit during the day and only on an infrequent basis. The agency said that living conditions are only likely to get worse during the summer months, when temperatures soar and sandstorms threaten. A steady flow of Palestinians have fled Baghdad since March 2006, when intimidation, forced evictions and attacks against their community began mounting. According to UNHCR, an estimated 1,400 Palestinians are living in desperate conditions along the Iraq-Syria border, unable to cross the frontier into a country already straining to cope with hundreds of thousands of refugees from Iraq. “UNHCR has repeatedly called for international support, but with limited success,” Ms. Pagonis said. 2007-05-15 00:00:00.000

May 14

IRAQ: UN ENVOY URGES COMPROMISE IN CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW PROCESS
New York, May 14 2007 11:00AM On the eve of Iraq’s deadline for completing its Constitutional Review, the top United Nations envoy to the troubled country today called for action to build consensus and foster compromise among all political blocs, pledging the world body’s full support for this process. “For a successful constitutional review process, all groups will have to come to the table to make compromises, and the process will need to be kept alive until it reaches a conclusion,” Ashraf Qazi, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative, said in Baghdad. “If this does not occur, the review process has the potential to be extremely divisive exercise,” Mr. Qazi warned. He reiterated the determination of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq to assist the Constitutional Review Committee in its efforts to deal with the core issues at the heart of how Iraq’s federal system will function. Chief among those is the creation of a balanced division of powers between the federal government and the regions and a system for the fair distribution of oil revenues throughout Iraq. “UNAMI believes the constitutional review is an opportunity that should be seized to find an agreement that addresses the concerns and anxieties of all communities, and believes that such solutions exist and urges Iraqis to work together to find them,” the mission said in a press release. It is also an opportunity to address the real gaps and problems in the current constitutional text, the mission added, pointing out that properly addressing and improving the system of governance contained in the Constitution so that it functions more effectively is not a concession by any bloc or group. “Everyone would be a winner if this were to occur,” the mission concluded. 2007-05-14 00:00:00.000
New York, May 14 2007 11:00AM On the eve of Iraq’s deadline for completing its Constitutional Review, the top United Nations envoy to the troubled country today called for action to build consensus and foster compromise among all political blocs, pledging the world body’s full support for this process. “For a successful constitutional review process, all groups will have to come to the table to make compromises, and the process will need to be kept alive until it reaches a conclusion,” Ashraf Qazi, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative, said in Baghdad. “If this does not occur, the review process has the potential to be extremely divisive exercise,” Mr. Qazi warned. He reiterated the determination of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq to assist the Constitutional Review Committee in its efforts to deal with the core issues at the heart of how Iraq’s federal system will function. Chief among those is the creation of a balanced division of powers between the federal government and the regions and a system for the fair distribution of oil revenues throughout Iraq. “UNAMI believes the constitutional review is an opportunity that should be seized to find an agreement that addresses the concerns and anxieties of all communities, and believes that such solutions exist and urges Iraqis to work together to find them,” the mission said in a press release. It is also an opportunity to address the real gaps and problems in the current constitutional text, the mission added, pointing out that properly addressing and improving the system of governance contained in the Constitution so that it functions more effectively is not a concession by any bloc or group. “Everyone would be a winner if this were to occur,” the mission concluded. 2007-05-14 00:00:00.000

OPENING TWO-WEEK SESSION, UN INDIGENOUS FORUM TACKLES LAND, RESOURCE ISSUES
New York, May 14 2007 12:00AM More than 1,000 indigenous representatives from all regions of the world are gathering at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the two-week session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to focus on issues related to lands, territories and natural resources. These matters are widely viewed as central to indigenous peoples' efforts to gain recognition for their rights. "With the increasing desire of States for more economic growth, senseless exploitation of indigenous peoples' territories and resources continues unabated," said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum, which will meet from 14 to 25 May. The majority of the world's remaining natural resources -- minerals, freshwater, potential energy sources and more -- are found within indigenous peoples' territories, she said. Access to and ownership and development of these resources remain contentious. Recent decades have seen some progress in the area of legal recognition of indigenous peoples' rights to the protection and control of their lands, territories and natural resources, but in practical terms, this has not always translated into action. Threats to indigenous peoples' lands and territories include such things as mineral extraction, logging, environmental contamination, privatization and development projects, the classification of lands as protected areas or game reserves, the use of genetically modified seeds and technology, and monoculture cash crop production. Estimates point to more than 370 million indigenous peoples in some 70 countries worldwide. While they are from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds, they generally suffer from similar problems, such as lack of basic health care, limited access to education, loss of control over land, abject poverty, displacement, human rights violations and economic and social marginalization. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was established Economic and Social Council in July 2000. It is composed of 16 independent experts, functioning in their personal capacity. The Economic and Social Council appoints the members, eight of whom are nominated by Governments and eight nominated directly by indigenous organizations in their regions. Efforts to highlight indigenous issues at an international, intergovernmental level started in 1923 when Chief Deskaheh of the Cayuga Nation went to Geneva to speak to the League of Nations -- the UN's predecessor -- and defend the right of his nation to live on their land under their own laws and faith. Maori Leader Ratana made the same journey to Geneva in 1924 to plead the case of his peoples. Even though they were not allowed to speak at the League of Nations, their vision nourished the generations that followed. The participation of indigenous peoples in discussions and programmes that impact on them is a top priority of the Permanent Forum. A Trust Fund for the Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People has been established to fund small grants projects that focus on culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development by and for indigenous peoples. 2007-05-14 00:00:00.000
New York, May 14 2007 12:00AM More than 1,000 indigenous representatives from all regions of the world are gathering at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the two-week session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to focus on issues related to lands, territories and natural resources. These matters are widely viewed as central to indigenous peoples' efforts to gain recognition for their rights. "With the increasing desire of States for more economic growth, senseless exploitation of indigenous peoples' territories and resources continues unabated," said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum, which will meet from 14 to 25 May. The majority of the world's remaining natural resources -- minerals, freshwater, potential energy sources and more -- are found within indigenous peoples' territories, she said. Access to and ownership and development of these resources remain contentious. Recent decades have seen some progress in the area of legal recognition of indigenous peoples' rights to the protection and control of their lands, territories and natural resources, but in practical terms, this has not always translated into action. Threats to indigenous peoples' lands and territories include such things as mineral extraction, logging, environmental contamination, privatization and development projects, the classification of lands as protected areas or game reserves, the use of genetically modified seeds and technology, and monoculture cash crop production. Estimates point to more than 370 million indigenous peoples in some 70 countries worldwide. While they are from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds, they generally suffer from similar problems, such as lack of basic health care, limited access to education, loss of control over land, abject poverty, displacement, human rights violations and economic and social marginalization. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was established Economic and Social Council in July 2000. It is composed of 16 independent experts, functioning in their personal capacity. The Economic and Social Council appoints the members, eight of whom are nominated by Governments and eight nominated directly by indigenous organizations in their regions. Efforts to highlight indigenous issues at an international, intergovernmental level started in 1923 when Chief Deskaheh of the Cayuga Nation went to Geneva to speak to the League of Nations -- the UN's predecessor -- and defend the right of his nation to live on their land under their own laws and faith. Maori Leader Ratana made the same journey to Geneva in 1924 to plead the case of his peoples. Even though they were not allowed to speak at the League of Nations, their vision nourished the generations that followed. The participation of indigenous peoples in discussions and programmes that impact on them is a top priority of the Permanent Forum. A Trust Fund for the Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People has been established to fund small grants projects that focus on culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development by and for indigenous peoples. 2007-05-14 00:00:00.000

IN MOGADISHU, UN EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR URGES AID TO CIVILIANS
New York, May 13 2007 10:00AM The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator today became the highest-ranking UN official to visit Somalia's capital Mogadishu since the early 1990s, and amid continued violence called for increased relief aid to civilians there. John Holmes undertook the mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the areas affected by the recent fighting, to commit parties in Somalia to respect International Humanitarian Law, and to encourage authorities to allow full and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in dire need of assistance and protection. "It is the authorities' responsibility to look after civilians, to protect civilians and at the very least not to obstruct aid," Mr. Holmes said. He noted that access and insecurity have impeded the provision of humanitarian assistance commensurate with the needs of the population. During his visit, Mr. Holmes met President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi. The USG highlighted his concerns about the severity and magnitude of the crisis and stressed that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) must provide a more enabling operating environment for aid workers. On its part, the TFG noted its desire to cooperate with international organizations. Mr. Holmes also visited a cholera treatment centre which has admitted 308 patients just in the last month, as well as a former embassy now hosting 150 displaced families, some for as long as 17 years. Many are pastoralists and agro-pastoralists who have lost their livelihoods, who are unable to find work in the capital, and who lack the means to return to their former lives. In addition, he met with representatives of civil society in the capital, including elders and women's groups. Together, they discussed the dire situation that has prevailed in Mogadishu. "I feel enormous sympathy for the suffering that the Somali people have endured," Mr. Holmes said. "I am here to help, and I wi advocate tirelessly on their behalf," he concluded. A bomb exploded a few minutes after Mr. Holmes arrived in the Somali capital, and two other bombs went off within half an hour, all on the path of his itinerary. Personnel from the Africa Union Mission to Somalia defused a fourth explosive device, also on the route of his itinerary. Mr. Holmes returned to Nairobi today, and plans for a second day in Somalia were cancelled. Mr. Holmes will continue his mission, traveling to Uganda from 14 to 16 May, where he will conduct discussions in the capital, Kampala, and travel to new settlement sites and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kitgum District in northern Uganda. 2007-05-12 00:00:00.000
New York, May 13 2007 10:00AM The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator today became the highest-ranking UN official to visit Somalia's capital Mogadishu since the early 1990s, and amid continued violence called for increased relief aid to civilians there. John Holmes undertook the mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the areas affected by the recent fighting, to commit parties in Somalia to respect International Humanitarian Law, and to encourage authorities to allow full and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in dire need of assistance and protection. "It is the authorities' responsibility to look after civilians, to protect civilians and at the very least not to obstruct aid," Mr. Holmes said. He noted that access and insecurity have impeded the provision of humanitarian assistance commensurate with the needs of the population. During his visit, Mr. Holmes met President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi. The USG highlighted his concerns about the severity and magnitude of the crisis and stressed that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) must provide a more enabling operating environment for aid workers. On its part, the TFG noted its desire to cooperate with international organizations. Mr. Holmes also visited a cholera treatment centre which has admitted 308 patients just in the last month, as well as a former embassy now hosting 150 displaced families, some for as long as 17 years. Many are pastoralists and agro-pastoralists who have lost their livelihoods, who are unable to find work in the capital, and who lack the means to return to their former lives. In addition, he met with representatives of civil society in the capital, including elders and women's groups. Together, they discussed the dire situation that has prevailed in Mogadishu. "I feel enormous sympathy for the suffering that the Somali people have endured," Mr. Holmes said. "I am here to help, and I wi advocate tirelessly on their behalf," he concluded. A bomb exploded a few minutes after Mr. Holmes arrived in the Somali capital, and two other bombs went off within half an hour, all on the path of his itinerary. Personnel from the Africa Union Mission to Somalia defused a fourth explosive device, also on the route of his itinerary. Mr. Holmes returned to Nairobi today, and plans for a second day in Somalia were cancelled. Mr. Holmes will continue his mission, traveling to Uganda from 14 to 16 May, where he will conduct discussions in the capital, Kampala, and travel to new settlement sites and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kitgum District in northern Uganda. 2007-05-12 00:00:00.000

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES UNITY AMONG CULTURES
New York, May 11 2007 8:00PM Closing a major conference today at United Nations Headquarters in New York, General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa called on the peoples of the world to overcome their mutual indifference to each other to solve grave global problems. “As President of the General Assembly, I have the opportunity to closely observe the misery that millions of humans suffer from in the face of sometimes fatal indifference,” Sheikha Haya said at the end of a two-day programme on the co-existence of cultures. “I also had the opportunity to learn the means by which nations, if they unite as one, could overcome difficulties regardless of their size and type,” she added. Entitled Civilizations and the Challenges for Peace: Obstacles and Opportunities, the programme featured prominent academics, commentators and political leaders exploring causes and solutions for tensions between different groups. During the programme, four panel discussions took place, entitled: “Respect for cultural diversity is a prerequisite for dialogue,” “Religion in Contemporary Society,” “The responsibility of the media,” and “Civilizations and the challenge for global peace and security.” In addition, a roundtable on the arts asked the question, “How can the UN better use the arts in further developing strategies to bridge the gap between cultures?” During the discussions, most delegates agreed that current world tensions involved many more factors than religion, with many mentioning political and economic inequality in particular. Some of the panellists suggested ways that religion could help people solve their problems peacefully. Author Karen Armstrong, for example, proposed that religious leaders turn their focus to the core value of compassion, such as that expressed by the Golden Rule, which is common to major religions. Sheikha Haya and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the programme yesterday, with both officials calling on religious figures, the media, and individuals to promote respect for diversity. 2007-05-11 00:00:00.000
New York, May 11 2007 8:00PM Closing a major conference today at United Nations Headquarters in New York, General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa called on the peoples of the world to overcome their mutual indifference to each other to solve grave global problems. “As President of the General Assembly, I have the opportunity to closely observe the misery that millions of humans suffer from in the face of sometimes fatal indifference,” Sheikha Haya said at the end of a two-day programme on the co-existence of cultures. “I also had the opportunity to learn the means by which nations, if they unite as one, could overcome difficulties regardless of their size and type,” she added. Entitled Civilizations and the Challenges for Peace: Obstacles and Opportunities, the programme featured prominent academics, commentators and political leaders exploring causes and solutions for tensions between different groups. During the programme, four panel discussions took place, entitled: “Respect for cultural diversity is a prerequisite for dialogue,” “Religion in Contemporary Society,” “The responsibility of the media,” and “Civilizations and the challenge for global peace and security.” In addition, a roundtable on the arts asked the question, “How can the UN better use the arts in further developing strategies to bridge the gap between cultures?” During the discussions, most delegates agreed that current world tensions involved many more factors than religion, with many mentioning political and economic inequality in particular. Some of the panellists suggested ways that religion could help people solve their problems peacefully. Author Karen Armstrong, for example, proposed that religious leaders turn their focus to the core value of compassion, such as that expressed by the Golden Rule, which is common to major religions. Sheikha Haya and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the programme yesterday, with both officials calling on religious figures, the media, and individuals to promote respect for diversity. 2007-05-11 00:00:00.000

May 11

UN SEEKS ADDITIONAL $23 MILLION TO AID THOUSANDS MORE DISPLACED IN CHAD

New York, May 11 2007 2:00PM With the number of people displaced by violence in eastern Chad nearly tripling in the past half year, to some 140,000 from less than 50,000 in November, the United Nations today appealed for $23 million in supplementary funds to cover their basic needs for the next three months. “Not only has the growing displacement put pressure on already scarce natural resources in eastern Chad, it has stretched the humanitarian community’s ability to respond to needs within existing resources to the limit,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator Kingsley Amaning said. He said the additional funding is needed to provide drinking water, shelter, food, farming seeds and basic health services to internally displaced persons (IDPs), as part of a 90-day emergency assistance plan developed by the UN and its partners. “Time is of the essence,” Mr. Amaning stressed. “If we don’t act now it will be too late when the rains begin at the end of June; there will be limited access to the areas where most of the IDPs are.” The emergency appeal does not replace the 2007 Consolidated Appeal for Chad, but instead fills gaps that have arisen, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs emphasized. Displacement has been rising steadily in eastern Chad over the past year as fighting flares between the Government, militias and other armed groups, with much of the violence thought to be spilling over from the conflict in the neighbouring Darfur region of Sudan. On 31 March alone, an estimated 400 people were killed and 9,000 displaced from the villages of Tiero and Marena during one such militia confrontation. 2007-05-11 00:00:00.000

UN OFFICIAL URGES UGANDAN PARTIES TO PUT HUMAN RIGHTS AT CENTRE OF TALKS

New York, May 11 2007 2:00PM The top United Nations human rights official today urged the Government of Uganda and the insurgent Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to reject impunity and ensure respect for international standards during peace talks set to resume tomorrow in Juba, southern Sudan. “For a peace agreement to be durable it must be based on the principles of justice, accountability and the rule of law,” High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said in Geneva. “Any accord must reaffirm the commitment of both parties to the core principle of international law that there can be no amnesty for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and gross violations of human rights,” she said. Recalling that members of the LRA have been indicted by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes, the High Commissioner said, “Discussions concerning those persons should be focusing on the terms and circumstances of their surrender so they can go and address the charges against them before the ICC.” The High Commissioner also encouraged parties in Juba to commit to a national “victim-centered consultative process” aimed at gathering the views of all stakeholders on appropriate justice, accountability and reconciliation mechanisms. “The peace agreement should set a timeframe for the national dialogue and identify an independent institution to coordinate the process, so that past abuses and violations, as well as deep-seated social and economic inequalities, may be addressed comprehensively,” Ms. Arbour said. Since the LRA rebellion began in 1986, the rebel group has become notorious for abducting children and then using them as soldiers or porters, while subjecting some to torture and allocating many girls to senior officers in a form of institutional rape. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in October, 2005 issued its first-ever arrest warrants against Joseph Kony, the LRA leader, and four of the group’s commanders – Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen and Raska Lukwiya – on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 2007-05-11 00:00:00.000

UN COUNTER-TERRORISM BODY LAUNCHES ONLINE INFORMATION ASSISTANCE

New York, May 11 2007 1:00PM In its continuing bid to help countries bolster their ability to fight terrorism around the globe, the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) has launched an online database containing information about technical assistance both requested by and provided to States. The technical assistance matrix provides potential donors with a snapshot of where assistance is still needed by States in implementing Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the relevant provisions of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, according to the Executive Director of CTED, Assistant Secretary-General Javier Rupérez. Resolution 1373 (2001) was adopted in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., and calls on countries to adopt a series of counter-terrorism measures in their national legislation. The Global Strategy, meanwhile, was an initiative of the General Assembly that brings together the various counter-terrorism activities of the UN system under a common strategic approach. The matrix – accessible through the Committee’s website at www.un.org/sc/ctc – gives potential donors a comprehensive overview on a country-by-country basis, from a regional perspective or by technical assistance subject area. It also provides information about assistance either currently or previously provided by other international and regional organizations, the UN system and Member States. “We see the matrix as a valuable tool in helping donors to decide how best to develop their own counter-terrorism programmes and where it might be most useful to focus their efforts, in part to avoid duplication, since it highlights where assistance has already been matched and provided,” Mr. Rupérez added. As part of its work to facilitate technical assistant to States, CTED seeks to line up countries needing support with the various counter-terrorism programmes donors and organizations have available in such areas as drafting terrorism-related legislation, financial law and practice, training for law enforcement personnel, customs control and enhancing financial regulations. 2007-05-11 00:00:00.000

UN AGENCY ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS ON INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES IN EUROPE

New York, May 11 2007 9:00AM The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued a series of recommendations to help integrate refugees in Europe with the aim of enabling them to become productive members of society whether they stay or return home. The proposals came following assessments in several countries which revealed a number of obstacles, including insufficient knowledge of local languages and differing cultures, lack of understanding within host societies of the specific situation of refugees, and discrimination and unreceptive attitudes towards foreigners, as well as the psychological impact of protracted inactivity during asylum procedures, agency spokesman William Spindler told reporters in Geneva today. In response, he said, reception policies on asylum seekers "should be designed to minimize isolation and separation from host communities, as well as to provide for effective language and vocational skills development and assistance to pursue employment." The overall aim is to empower asylum seekers and refugees to become active members of society, as this will boost their chances of successful integration in the host country or reintegration in their own country upon return. "Detention, even if for a short period of time, can have lasting effects on individuals and on their ability to adjust to and integrate in the host society, particularly in the case of children and traumatized persons," Mr. Spindler said. The recommendations were released in conjunction with an informal meeting of European Union (EU) ministers responsible for integration organized by the German EU Presidency in Potsdam this week. 2007-05-11 00:00:00.000

JOLIE-PITT FOUNDATION DONATES $1 MILLION TO UN AND OTHER GROUPS WORKING IN DARFUR

New York, May 11 2007 9:00AM United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt have donated $1 million towards the humanitarian effort assisting millions of people affected by the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, the agency has announced. "The donation from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation will go to three agencies playing key roles in Darfur and neighbouring Chad: the UN refugee agency; the International Rescue Committee and the international non-governmental organization, SOS Children's Villages," UNHCR said in a press release issued on Thursday. All three agencies are active in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to the more than 2 million people displaced within Darfur and the 240,000 refugees from Darfur living in camps in eastern Chad. "This generous donation comes just months after Angelina Jolie made a personal visit to a refugee camp in Chad and it shows, once again, her and Brad Pitts' commitment to helping refugees and the displaced," said Michel Gabaudan, UNHCR's regional representative for the United States and the Caribbean. "As Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie's continued support of UNHCR and those we seek to help is a powerful force in ensuring they are not forgotten." In New York, George Rupp, president of the International Rescue Committee, said, "This donation will make a real difference in the lives of thousands of vulnerable people. We are grateful to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for remembering them." Ms. Jolie has visited the region three times. During her recent visit to the Oure-Cassoni camp she said she was struck by the sense of hope she encountered and by the widespread desire for peace-keepers to be deployed in eastern Chad. It was in Oure-Cassoni where the actress met staff working for SOS Children's Villages, who are providing psychological assistance to traumatized children. "The children benefit enormously from the therapy," said Yolan Broek, project leader of the Emergency Relief Programme of SOS Children's Villages in Chad. "Children who at first did not speak, did not eat and who were isolated in their own worlds, are now playing happily and are able to interact with others." 2007-05-11 00:00:00.000

May 10

MEDIA, RELIGION MUST OVERCOME RAMPANT MISTRUST BETWEEN CULTURES – BAN KI-MOON

New York, May 10 2007 3:00PM With an epidemic of mistrust of the “other,” along with rising terrorism and other inter-group violence, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the President of the General Assembly today called on the media, religions and individuals to work for mutual respect as a major conference on co-existence opened in New York. “In our age of satellite television and jet travel, distances have collapsed but divisions have not,” Mr. Ban at the start of the Assembly’s two-day programme entitled Civilizations and the Challenges for Peace: Obstacles and Opportunities, which will feature prominent academics, commentators and political leaders exploring causes and solutions to the problem. “Instead, our proximity has heightened longstanding suspicions of ‘the other’ – the other religion, the other ethnicity, the other nationality,” he noted. “In response, we need to reassert the truth that diversity is a virtue, not a threat,” maintained Mr. Ban, who recently named former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio as the first UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, the international initiative set up in 2005 to promote reconciliation between religions, cultures and nations. At today’s Assembly session, Mr. Ban said that the media can shape people's views and influence their actions, educating, informing and demystifying, even while it entertains. “It can promote the message that what unites humanity is much stronger than what superficially separates us,” he said. Similarly, he said that religion can have a tremendous positive influence if people of faith stress their common ideals – compassion, solidarity, respect for life and kindness towards others – and urge their fellow believers to treat others as they themselves would wish to be treated. In opening the programme, Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa agreed that religions were the key. “We must put a stop to the misuse of religion in contemporary society, and reject extremist ideologies that severely threaten peace and understanding among nations and peoples,” she said. In general, she said, “It is our obligation to act quickly to put an end to preconceived ideas and to mutual fears. Only then will we rise above our differences and together build a better future for all.” It is also necessary to acknowledge and act on the causes of instability in the world, she said, listing poverty, disease and armed conflict, as well as intolerance and cultural clashes. In a series of round-tables during the event, panellists will include Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and Ghassan Salame, Professor of International Relations at Sciences Po University and Former Minister of Culture of Lebanon. Karen Armstrong, a prominent author of texts on comparative religion, is also expected to participate, along with Mohamed Arkoun, Emeritus Professor of the History of Islamic Thought at the Sorbonne, Robert Thurman, Department of Religious Studies at Columbia University, Manish Kasliwal, National Chairman of the Young Jains of India, Karen Brooks Hopkins, President of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Paul LeClerc, President and CEO of the New York Public Library. 2007-05-10 00:00:00.000

UN HUMANITARIAN AGENCY RUSHES EMERGENCY AID TO FLOOD-RAVAGED URUGUAY

New York, May 10 2007 2:00PM The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced today that it is sending an emergency cash grant of $30,000 to Uruguay to aid victims of flooding, the worst the country has seen in half a century. Approximately 12,000 people have been forced from their homes and 110,000 people, the majority being the poor and vulnerable such as women, children and the elderly, have been affected by the heavy rains, reported. Seven of the country’s 19 departments have been affected, with three central ones – Durazno, Soriano and Treinta y Tres – suffering the worst. Most of the displaced are currently living in Council shelters and local sports clubs, and most schools in the affected areas have been shut down. Thousands of homes and much of the public infrastructure – such as the water supply, sewer and drainage systems, power and telephone lines, roads, agricultural land and municipal buildings – have been damaged. The OCHA grant, which comes after an official Government request for UN assistance, will be channelled through the world body’s Resident Coordinator in the South American country and will be utilized for the purchase of relief supplies and to provide logistical support for national and local authorities. Of particular concern is the water and sanitation situation in the areas affected by the flooding, with roughly 30,000 people having no access to clean drinking water. There is also an increased risk of waterborne disease spreading in vulnerable communities. Preliminary needs include food, blankets and mattresses for those driven from their homes, as well as chlorine, soap and other cleaning supplies to prevent the spread of disease. With adverse conditions expected to persist in the coming days, the number of people affected by heavy rains is expected to increase, especially as flood waters reach lower-lying areas. 2007-05-10 00:00:00.000

UN-BACKED FORUM LINKS ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

New York, May 10 2007 1:00PM The interconnections between education, scientific research and technological innovation and their part in sustainable development will be explored in Trieste, Italy, starting today by policy-makers and experts from the educational, scientific and business worlds, the United Nations’ educational agency said today. The World Forum on Education, Research and Innovation is sponsored by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the G-8 group of countries that includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. According to UNESCO, the Forum aims to identify opportunities, as well as risks, for both industrialized and developing countries in the pursuit of sustainable development through advanced knowledge and technologies, including special roundtables on Africa and the role of Government. The forum, which runs through 12 May, is being organized by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, an international scientific institution under the aegis of UNESCO and the International Atomic Energy Agency ). 2007-05-10 00:00:00.000

UN TEAMS WITH AMERICAN RED CROSS TO RESTORE FISHERIES IN TSUNAMI-DEVASTATED AREAS

New York, May 10 2007 1:00PM The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today that it has partnered with the American Red Cross to help fishing communities in Indonesia’s Aceh Province that were heavily impacted by the 2004 tsunami. The three-year project will assist in promoting the responsible and sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture that coastal communities rely on for food and employment. Enhanced supervision of these sectors is crucial to prevent overfishing and prevent any further damage to ecosystems still recovering from the tsunami, FAO said. Focusing on long-term planning, good management practices and improved handling and marketing practices, the scheme will target problems that existed prior to the devastating tsunami but were exacerbated by the disaster and its aftermath. “These capacity-building measures seek to foster sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in Aceh after the tsunami,” noted Ichiro Nomura, FAO’s Assistant Director-General of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. FAO will provide technical and planning help, as well as hold training sessions and will lead the project’s implementation, while the American Red Cross will foot the $7.5 million bill. Roughly 750 Indonesian Government officials at the national, provincial and local levels will participate in the scheme, along with 4,000 people in fishing communities. An additional 770,000 others will benefit indirectly through increased food supplies and employment opportunities. “We are excited to be working in partnership with FAO on a project that will have a significant impact in restoring these communities,” said Gerald Anderson, Senior Director of the Tsunami Recovery Program for the American Red Cross. “Not only will the project provide people with essential needs – like food and income – but it will also help them to develop the capacity to manage fisheries for the long-term.” 2007-05-10 00:00:00.000

May 9

ACTRESS DREW BARRYMORE BECOMES ADVOCATE FOR UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

New York, May 9 2007 6:00PM The American actress Drew Barrymore was named today as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and charged with the task of using her celebrity as a film star to advocate for school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest countries. Ms. Barrymore, 32, becomes the latest Ambassador for the WFP, joining Kenyan world marathon record-holder Paul Tergat, himself a former recipient of school feeding programmes, among others. Last year WFP fed 19.4 million children across 71 countries through such projects. “I can’t think of any issue that is more important than working to see that no schoolchild in this world goes hungry,” Ms. Barrymore said after today’s announcement in Washington. The actress recently visited WFP-supported school feeding projects in Kenya. “Feeding a child at school is such a simple thing – but it works miracles,” she said. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” adding that school feeding schemes have a proven record of boosting enrolment rates and academic performance. Ms. Barrymore, Mr. Tergat and senior WFP officials have been in Washington this week to raise awareness about school feeding programmes and to advocate for legislation that would expand and regularize United States funding for such activities. Currently WFP estimates that more than 112 million school-aged children around the world are undernourished and live in poor nations. WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran welcomed the announcement of Ms. Barrymore, who has been involved in the Artists for the UN initiative since 2004, as an Ambassador for the Programme. “Her passion and commitment to changing the world for the better – and of course the respect and admiration she commands – will make her a wonderful champion for school feeding,” Ms. Sheeran said. 2007-05-09 00:00:00.000

WORSENING TENSIONS IN PAKISTANI REGION PROMPT SUSPENSION OF UN ACTIVITIES

New York, May 9 2007 6:00PM The United Nations has suspended its operations and closed its offices in the Tehsil Bagh area of Pakistan for two weeks amid mounting concerns at a series of recent attacks against humanitarian workers operating in the region. In a statement released in the capital Islamabad, the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan said the decision had been taken “in view of the current security situation and the prevailing tensions.” Only emergency services will continue during the next two weeks, while UN officials will consult Government authorities and monitor the situation before announcing any resumption of activities. UN aid workers have been particularly active in Bagh district since the devastating earthquake struck the region in October 2005. Today’s statement added that the UN had decided to enhance its coordination and communication links with the rest of the humanitarian community and with Bagh civil authorities and local community leaders. A communication plan will also be developed to better inform the local community about the activities and policies of the world body. 2007-05-09 00:00:00.000

WITH UN-BACKED CD, SIERRA LEONEANS TO DANCE TO THE RHYTHMS OF RECONCILIATION

New York, May 9 2007 5:00PM The lilting messages of peace and civic engagement will be heard on sound systems across Sierra Leone, starting this week, with the release of a new CD produced by local musicians in collaboration with the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL). According to UNIOSIL, the CD will help amplify its efforts to broadcast the findings of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), meant to help heal rifts left by 14 years of bloody civil war, and to elicit greater citizen engagement in the country, where illiteracy rates remain high and where music plays an important role in social and cultural life. The 35 artists who contributed to the CD include such local stars as Zibo, Born Dada, Father T, Jonny Wisdom and Miriam. Topics of the 15 numbers, as indicated by their titles, include “Sierra Leone belongs to every citizen,” “Human Rights,” “Corruption” and “Women in Sierra Leone,” sung in English, Krio, Temne, and Mende. The album will be launched at a gala concert at the national stadium in the country’s capitol, Freetown, on 12 June, by Adisa Jelani Andwele, renowned musician and poet of Barbados and Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Development Programme In his letter of invitation to the concert, the Executive Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sierra Leone, Victor Angelo, noted that “the messages contained in the music CD are widely anticipated to create the opportunity for greater citizen engagement towards a further strengthening of the legal, judicial, institutional and administrative mechanisms, as well as cultural and democratic values.” 2007-05-09 00:00:00.000

NEW UN RURAL PROJECT SUPPORTS SRI LANKAN TEA AND RUBBER FARMERS

New York, May 9 2007 2:00PM The United Nations International Fund for Agriculture Development is supporting a new almost $40 million project in Sri Lanka that has the dual aims of bolstering incomes of 40,000 poor tea and rubber farmers and increasing their bargaining power. “The people targeted by the programme are among the very poorest in Sri Lanka,” said Sana Jatta, the agency’s programme manager for Sri Lanka. The Smallholder Plantations Entrepreneurship Development Programme will target small tea farmers in the Kandy, Kegalle and Matale districts, as well as food crop farmers in the Moneragala district who also wish to grow rubber. The project “will not only give poor people the tools to pull themselves out of poverty, it will also empower them through strengthened grassroots institutions that will eventually transform into farmers’ companies. This will give farmers increased bargaining power with private tea and rubber companies and private institutions,” Mr. Jatta noted. Under the scheme, the poor’s access to land will be improved, with the implementation of a mutually beneficial arrangement where small farmers will be directly linked to factories that will process their crops, allowing both producers and processors to benefit. Additionally, crop diversification and better access to markets for crops, including tea, rubber and spices, will be included. Financial services will also be provided to the project’s participants. Farmers will form small self-help groups to accumulate and manage their savings, supply credit and make collective decisions about such matters as investment. These groups will act collectively to increase their bargaining power with private companies, banks and public services, and ultimately function as their own private companies in accrue assets. More than two decades of conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have impeded rural development, particularly in the districts covered by the Programme. “By increasing equitable access to resources, services, technologies and markets, IFAD hopes the programme will contribute to conflict prevention and peace building in Sri Lanka,” said Matthew Wyatt, the agency’s Assistant President for External Affairs. The agreement was signed today in Rome by Mr. Wyatt and E. Rodney M. Perera, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Italy, where IFAD is headquartered. IFAD will furnish a loan of $22.5 million for the Programme, while the Sri Lankan Government will provide $3.8 million, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will contribute $5.5 million and the Sri Lankan Wellassa Rubber Company will donate $5.2 million. 2007-05-09 00:00:00.000

May 8

UN GEARS UP FOR TIMORESE ELECTIONS WITH SECURITY MEASURES TO ENSURE PEACE

New York, May 8 2007 9:00AM On the eve of the second round of presidential elections in Timor-Leste, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the small country is shoring up security measures with the expectation that the polls will be peaceful. UN police officers (UNPOL), which worked with the National Police of Timor-Leste to provide security during the campaigning, "will continue to provide a strong presence at polling stations tomorrow," the UN Mission (UNMIT) said in a news release. A strong security presence will also be provided across Timor-Leste during the counting and tabulation of votes. So far, the campaigning period for this second round "has been free of any serious incidents of violence and intimidation," UNMIT said. The mission's Deputy Special Representative in charge of security, Eric Tan, said lessons learned from the first round formed the basis for strengthening security for tomorrow's election. "UNPOL, through its National Investigation Department, will place teams in key locations to ensure prompt investigations into any allegations of irregularities, especially intimidation, during the elections," Mr Tan said. "This is a new addition to the security plan." In addition to this measure addressing intimidation, UNPol and the National Police will have a presence at every polling centre with mobile patrols stationed in each district. Formed Police Units (FPUs) will be on standby to quell any security incidents that may arise. UNMIT is mandated by the Security Council to "support Timor-Leste in all aspects of the 2007 presidential and parliamentary electoral process, including through technical and logistical support, electoral policy advice and verification or other means." The mission said it is "confident that the second round for the presidential election to be held tomorrow will be peaceful."

AFGHANISTAN: UN MOURNS DEATH OF MURDERED STAFF MEMBER, VOWS INVESTIGATION

New York, May 8 2007 9:00AM The senior United Nations envoy to Afghanistan today mourned the death of a murdered staff member, vowing to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Mr. Sadequllah, 38, a driver for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), was shot dead while on his way to work in Kandahar, apparently by men on a motorbike, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The victim, who had been with the UN for 15 years, "was a loyal and much respected colleague. I am greatly saddened by his death, which is a loss to all of us," said UNAMA chief Tom Koenigs in a statement. Mr. Koenigs, who also represents Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Afghanistan, noted that the motives have yet to be established. "We are working with the authorities in Kandahar to help the investigation," he said. "We will spare no effort to ensure that Sadequllah's murderers are found and properly brought to account." The envoy emphasized that the safety and well-being of the UN's Afghan and international staff are "a matter of paramount importance

ENERGY INDICATORS CAN HELP ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS -- UN REPORT New York, May 8 2007 9:00AM Energy indicators for sustainable development represent an important component in national planning, says a new report analyzing results in seven countries that was issued today by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The report, "Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development: Country Studies on Brazil, Cuba, Lithuania, Mexican, Russian Federation, Slovakia and Thailand," was launched in New York today at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development which is focusing on energy, climate change, air pollution and industrial development. The 463-page volume presents examples of how energy indicators -- such as energy use per capita, share of renewable energy, share of households without electricity, per-capita greenhouse-gas emissions from energy production and use -- are developed at the national level, how they can be used to assess national energy systems and how they assist in reviewing the effectiveness of policies undertaken or planned. Analytical tools such as energy indicators can be helpful in finding the best solutions in a menu of available options, the report says. Countries can adapt the indicators to suit national energy characteristics and use them as a versatile tool for analyzing different energy policies, with respect to their social, economic, environmental and institutional dimensions. In the Russian Federation, for example, an assessment using energy indicators revealed that the current energy situation and the effectiveness of energy policies in recent years are far from sustainable. The indicators highlighted the need for greater attention to environmental impacts and the needs of the poor, as well as necessary measures for the transport sector and for overcoming barriers impeding greater energy efficiency. In Thailand, the application of indicators proved to be a useful tool for analyzing energy efficiency Focusing on energy use by the poor, the indicators revealed that progress had been made in extending the electricity grid and encouraging more efficient cooking stoves. Energy continues to pose a fundamental dilemma for sustainable development: While energy production and use are necessary to alleviate poverty, promote economic growth and foster social development, they can place stress on human health, the atmosphere and the natural environment

UNITED NATIONS NEWS