MORE CHILDREN DRAFTED BY ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN DR CONGO, UNICEF FINDS

MORE CHILDREN DRAFTED BY ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN DR CONGO, UNICEF FINDS
New York, Dec 2 2008 3:10PM
Children continue to be enlisted by armed groups in the war-ravaged eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations reported today.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) said at least five youngsters were recently drafted in the town of Kitshanga in North Kivu province, where fighting has recently flared between the Government army, the Congress in Defence of the People (CNDP) led by rebel general Laurent Nkunda, and the Mayi Mayi militia.

UNICEF also expressed concerns that the majority of schools in the Rutshuru area remained closed to some 150,000 students despite promises by Mr. Nkunda's rebels to reopen them. It called for all armed groups to create a safe environment for children to resume their education.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency today continued the voluntary transfer of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the precarious Kibati camps on the northern outskirts of Goma, North Kivu's capital, to four existing camps away from the frontline to the west of the city.

"Our efforts had to be suspended on Sunday afternoon due to shooting, which also continued through the night," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva. "Altogether, four IDPs were wounded and taken to a local hospital."

Fighting in North Kivu intensified at the end of 2006. By January 2008, it had brought the total number of IDPs in the region to more than 800,000. Since fighting resumed in August, some 250,000 civilians have fled, many of them previously displaced.

Some 65,000 Congolese civilians in the two Kibati camps are in a precarious situation as the warring parties remain in close proximity. "We fear that the civilian population could be caught in the crossfire should the fighting resume in this area," Mr. Redmond said.

Today's transfer is scheduled to take 140 vulnerable families (500 people) from the Kibati I camp to the Mugunga I camp. By the time of Sunday's suspension, more than 140 families had already been relocated to Mugunga I. Further transfers will target IDPs currently sheltered in school blocks and portable tent warehouses that UNHCR has made available at Kibati.

Five truckloads of aid items from UNHCR's regional emergency stockpile in Ngara, Tanzania, arrived in Goma over the weekend with 30,000 blankets, 15,000 sleeping mats and 4,160 kitchen sets.

Meanwhile, local UNHCR partners in Kanyabayonga, 150 kilometres north of Goma, said 40,000 IDPs have managed to return home – or about 80 per cent of those estimated to have been uprooted there over the past weeks. Many returning families are finding their home looted or destroyed.

Reports suggest that fighting further up north around Ishasha has abated after the visit there of the UN Special Envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Fighting around Ishasha, a town on the DRC-Uganda border, began on 22 November, forcing at least 13,000 Congolese to seek refuge in Uganda during the past week alone. The flow has now stopped.
Dec 2 2008 3:10PM
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IN WAKE OF MUMBAI ATTACKS, BAN REAFFIRMS ROLE OF UN IN COUNTERING TERRORISM

IN WAKE OF MUMBAI ATTACKS, BAN REAFFIRMS ROLE OF UN IN COUNTERING TERRORISM
New York, Dec 2 2008 2:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reaffirmed his determination for the United Nations to play a lead role in dealing with the menace of terrorism as he stressed the need to bring the perpetrators of last week's coordinated deadly attacks in Mumbai to justice.

Mr. Ban spoke by telephone this morning with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, conveying his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and the wounded in the Mumbai attacks.

Media reports say at least 172 people died in the attacks in India's commercial capital and largest city, which began on the evening of 26 November. The terrorists struck a series of sites across the city, including a major railway station, two luxury hotels, a café, a cinema and a Jewish centre.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3585">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said that he and Mr. Singh agreed it was critical to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice and "that all should fully cooperate in this effort."

Mr. Ban and the Security Council both issued statements last week in the immediate wake of the attacks condemning the events.

Today's statement noted that "while commending the courage and resilience shown by the Government and people of India, the Secretary-General reaffirmed his condemnation of terrorism and his determination to provide a lead role for the United Nations in dealing with this global menace."
Dec 2 2008 2:10PM
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CYPRIOT LEADERS HOLD FURTHER TALKS IN UN-BACKED REUNIFICATION PROCESS

CYPRIOT LEADERS HOLD FURTHER TALKS IN UN-BACKED REUNIFICATION PROCESS
New York, Dec 2 2008 2:10PM
Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders held further talks today as part of United Nations-sponsored negotiations aimed at reunifying the Mediterranean island, focusing their discussions this time on a federal public service.

"The leaders has a good meeting in a friendly atmosphere," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Tayé-Brook Zerihoun said of the latest in a series of talks between Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat since the most recent effort to resolve the decades-old Cyprus problem was launched in the northern spring.

"They began with a one-hour tête-à-tête. They then resumed their discussions on governance, focusing this time on the federal public service on which they identified a number of convergences," he told reporters after the meeting in the UN Protected Area in Nicosia.

In a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/744">report released today Mr. Ban said he was encouraged by the latest talks, and called for a six-month extension, till 15 June 2009, of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/index.html">UNFICYP) that has been in place on the island since 1964 after the outbreak of intercommunal violence.

"The decision on 3 September 2008 by Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat to resume formal negotiations towards a comprehensive settlement on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality was encouraging," he tells the Security Council. "It reflected political courage, vision and commitment, which both leaders clearly share…

"My assessment is that, on the whole, negotiations are moving ahead well, with both parties presenting their respective positions and engaging with each other in a constructive and open manner."

Mr. Ban notes that the issues to be addressed are difficult, and differences along the way will naturally appear, but he adds: "I am confident that both leaders will remain engaged through regular meetings and committed to seeing the process through. A further reason for optimism is the excellent personal chemistry that the leaders enjoy. Their sensitivity to each other's needs and political constraints are unique assets in helping them move forward together with determination and confidence."

But he stresses that both leaders will to "actively explain to their respective communities that compromise is indispensable if a solution is to be reached, and to explain and promote the benefits of a win-win solution in the economic, political, security-related and other fields."

Representatives of the leaders are to meet tomorrow to carry forward discussions on some aspects of governance and the two will hold further discussions on 16 December, when they will take up the issue of external relations.

In his report Mr. Ban notes that the situation in the buffer zone has remained stable, apart from minor incidents of low-level irritants or intimidation, with UNFICYP focusing on maintaining stability and pursuing military confidence-building measures.
Dec 2 2008 2:10PM
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SRI LANKA: UN AGENCIES CONTINUE RELIEF EFFORTS IN FLOOD-HIT NORTH

SRI LANKA: UN AGENCIES CONTINUE RELIEF EFFORTS IN FLOOD-HIT NORTH
New York, Dec 2 2008 1:10PM
United Nations relief officials are continuing to assist authorities in the conflict-wracked north of Sri Lanka respond to flooding that has displaced more than 70,000 people and affected 300,000 others.

A UN inter-agency assessment of civilian needs in Northern province's Jaffna district – the district hardest hit by the floods – has been carried out, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) reported today.

In Jaffna alone, about 62,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of the floods, which followed days of heavy rains, and are now living in nearly 250 separate camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). More than 5,900 houses have been badly damaged and another 13,300 are partially damaged.

OCHA said the number of Sri Lankans known to be affected by the floods continues to grow as some areas were previously inaccessible and new information is being received.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR), the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) are among the UN agencies already distributing relief supplies or coordinating assistance.

Relief operations in northern Sri Lanka are complicated by the ongoing violence in the region between Government forces and members of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Dec 2 2008 1:10PM
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UN EXPERT URGES NEPAL TO ACT ON COMMITMENTS TO INDIGENOUS RIGHTS

UN EXPERT URGES NEPAL TO ACT ON COMMITMENTS TO INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
New York, Dec 2 2008 12:10PM
An independent United Nations human rights expert wrapped up a nine-day visit to Nepal today by pressing its Government to ensure that the country's indigenous people, who have experienced "a long history of oppression and marginalisation," receive fair representation and resources.

"This is a critical moment to respond to the many challenges that indigenous peoples of Nepal face," said James Anaya, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples.

"While I am encouraged by expressions of commitment by the Government of Nepal to advance the rights of indigenous peoples, much needs to be done," he added.

The Special Rapporteur stressed that Nepal was the first Asian country to ratify a convention of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), which commits States to securing indigenous peoples' distinct cultures and ways of life, rights over lands and natural resources, and the right to meaningfully participate in all decisions affecting them.

He noted, however, that although a number of positive measures have been planned for the economic and social benefit of indigenous communities, the Government needed to better focus its actions on securing the survival of distinct communities of indigenous peoples within a genuine multicultural political and social order.

"A long history of oppression and marginalization has excluded indigenous peoples from political representation and decision-making, full citizenship, and economic and educational opportunities; and their distinct cultures and languages have been continuously threatened," said Mr. Anaya.

"Indigenous communities have been forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands and denied property rights, and they often lack access to justice. Indigenous women have suffered additional forms of discrimination and abuse," he added.

Nepal endured a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives until the Government and the Maoists signed a peace deal in 2006 and conducted Constituent Assembly elections earlier this year.

In May, the nation abolished its 240-year-old monarchy and declared itself a republic and Ram Baran Yadav was subsequently elected as the country's first President.

Although a significant number of Constituent Assembly members belong to indigenous groups, the Special Rapporteur argued for additional mechanisms in the constitution-making process that consult directly with indigenous peoples, through their own chosen representatives and in accordance with their own methods of decision-making, as required by the international standards to which Nepal has committed.

"Indigenous peoples' legitimate demands for self-determination and autonomy need to be adequately incorporated into ongoing discussions about the federal structure that is expected to be embodied in the new constitution," Mr. Anaya said.
Dec 2 2008 12:10PM
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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES CONTINUE IN IRAQ, DESPITE SECURITY IMPROVEMENT, UN REPORTS

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES CONTINUE IN IRAQ, DESPITE SECURITY IMPROVEMENT, UN REPORTS
New York, Dec 2 2008 12:10PM
Grave rights abuses persisted in Iraq during the first half of this year, including targeted killings of professionals, assaults on minorities, alleged widespread torture of detainees and attacks against women, despite great improvements in general security, according to a new United Nations report released today.

"Grave human rights violations that are less widely reported [than general security], and the elimination of which requires long-term political commitment, remain unaddressed," the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said in its latest rights report, calling on the Government to institute a slew of steps ranging from protection of minorities and women to prompt access for detainees to legal counsel and an end to impunity for abuses.
"Ongoing widespread ill-treatment and torture of detainees by Iraqi law enforcement authorities, amidst pervasive impunity of current and past human rights abuses, constitute severe breaches of international human rights obligations and represent examples of challenges faced by the Iraqi government," it added.

The targeted killings of journalists, educators, medical doctors, judges and lawyers continued, as did criminal abductions for ransom and "a great number of murders, alleged suicides and other suspected 'honour crimes' were reported from the Region of Kurdistan," it noted. "Journalists and media workers remain one of the most vulnerable professional groups throughout Iraq, being subjected to threats, targeted violence, kidnappings and assassination.

Meanwhile, minorities continued to be the victims of targeted similar violence and the destruction of property and cultural sites, while the situation of detainees across the country, including Kurdistan, remains "of great concern," with many being deprived of their liberty for months or even years, often under harsh physical conditions, without access to defence counsel, or without being formally charged with a crime or produced before a judge.

"Yet again, slow bureaucratic procedures, insufficient resources, degraded infrastructure and lack of effective accountability measures result in inordinate delays in processing detainees' cases," the report, covering the period from 1 January to 30 June, said.

The number of detainees in Iraqi Government custody remained higher in the first six months of 2008 than in the second half of 2007, totalling 24,360 in June 2008, compared with 23,765 in December 2007, with the increase in large part attributable to ongoing arrests after crackdowns on suspected insurgents in many parts of the country.

The number of detainees held by the United States-led Multinational Forces in IRAQ (MNF-I) remained steady at between 21,000 and 23,000 and was down to 21,881 on 30 June 2008. "UNAMI remained concerned about the internment of suspects in MNF-I custody for prolonged periods without judicial review of their cases, and administrative review procedures that do not fulfil the requirement to grant detainees due process in accordance with internationally recognized norms," the report said.

It called on the Iraqi Government to adopt effective measures to support vulnerable communities, including religious and ethnic minorities, investigate incidents involving gender-based violence, in particular so-called 'honour crimes' perpetrated against women, ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable and brought to justice, and grant detainees timely, regular and adequate access to relatives and legal counsel.

The abuse of detainees, including juveniles, must be urgently addressed, impunity ended, and prison overcrowding and poor sanitation and hygiene conditions improved.

The report called for similar measures from the Kurdistan Regional Government and urged it to consider a moratorium on the death penalty pending a thorough review of legal proceedings followed at both pre-trial and trial stages.

It called on MNF-I to continue investigating thoroughly, promptly and impartially all credible allegations of unlawful killings by its military personnel, and take appropriate action against those found to have used excessive or indiscriminate force.

Security operations in Basra and Sadr City by the Iraqi forces and MNF-I between March and involved heavy fighting in densely populated urban areas, where militia members positioned themselves, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, it said.

The report also called on MNF-I to consider implementing basic due process guarantees enshrined in international human rights law to improve detainees' access to defence counsel, and granting access to MNF-I detention facilities to independent human rights monitors, including UNAMI.

MNF-I should also continue to investigate reported deaths caused by privately hired contractors working on behalf of the US Government and strengthen effective mechanisms for holding them accountable for unlawful killings.

Dec 2 2008 12:10PM
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FOOD SECURITY IN PACIFIC ISLANDS AT RISK FROM CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED DISASTERS – UN REPORT

FOOD SECURITY IN PACIFIC ISLANDS AT RISK FROM CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED DISASTERS – UN REPORT
New York, Dec 2 2008 11:10AM
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned today that climate change-related disasters such as cyclones, flash floods and droughts are likely to have a serious impact on food production in Pacific island nations, and called for urgent measures to adapt to expected losses.

A new report, Climate Change and Food Security in Pacific Island Countries, notes that development efforts in the islands have been seriously constrained by such disasters.

As a result, these countries appear to be in a "constant mode of recovery," according to the report, published jointly by FAO, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the University of the South Pacific.

"Climate projections for the Pacific island countries are bleak and indicate reduced food security, especially for households," <"http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/8658/icode/">said Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director-General, Natural Resources Management and Environment Department.

"It is critical to build resilience of food systems to avoid enormous future economic losses in agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Countries will have to assess how vulnerable their food systems are and how they can adapt agriculture, forestry and fisheries to future climate-related disasters. There is a need to act urgently," he added.

While Pacific island countries have already committed to a number of global and regional agreements to tackle climate change, the report highlights the need for a more systematic approach, with national plans involving governments, the private sector and civil society.

"Integrating climate change adaptation into national policies, strategies, programmes and budgets related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries should become a major priority," noted Mr. Müller.

In particular, countries must review their development policies in these fields in light of new information on climate change.

In addition, farmers should receive the best available information and guidelines on the choice of crop varieties, soil and water management options under changed environmental conditions to avert the risk of crop failures.

"Nations that have pushed for monoculture crop production for foreign markets will need to assess their food security potential," states the report. "It is well established that diversified agricultural systems will fare better under climate change scenarios."
Dec 2 2008 11:10AM
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