WHO RELEASES FINDINGS ON TRAVEL AND BLOOD CLOTS

WHO RELEASES FINDINGS ON TRAVEL AND BLOOD CLOTS
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) <" http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr35/en/index.html">released today results from a research project warning that the risk of developing fatal blood clots during travel doubles after the passenger has been seated for four hours or more.

The condition, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), involves first the formation of a clot, or thrombosis that develops in a deep vein – usually the leg, according to WHO. This condition, called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) can be potentially life-threatening if the thrombosis then breaks off and travels through the body to the lung where it becomes lodged and blocks blood flow. This latter condition of VTE is known as pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of DVT are pain, tenderness and swelling, while symptoms of the embolism include chest pain and difficulty breathing.

"The study does confirm that there is an increased risk of venous thromboembolism during travel where the passenger is seated and immobile over four hours, whether in a plane, train, bus or car," said Dr. Catherine Le Galès-Camus, WHO Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Disease and Mental Health.

At the same time, she noted that "it is important to remember that the risk of developing VTE when traveling remains relatively low." Even with the increased risk, the absolute risk of developing VTE, if seated and immobile for more than four hours remains at about 1 in 6000.

The findings come from Phase I of the World Health Organization Research into Global Hazards of Travel Project. The first phase aims to confirm whether the risk of VTE is increased by air travel and to determine the magnitude of the risk.

In addition to travel lasting more than four hours, other factors contributing to the possibility of developing VTE include obesity, use of oral contraceptives and a family history of increased clotting tendency, WHO said. As the risk of VTE remains elevated for about four weeks after a trip is over, those who travel multiple trips of short periods of time are also potentially at risk.

The study did not explicitly investigate preventative measures against DVT and VTE, but the experts said that up-and-down movements of the feet at the ankle while seated can promote blood circulation. Upon receiving additional funding, further studies needed to identify effective preventive measures will begin under Phase II.

The report calls for transport authorities, airlines and medical professionals to inform travelers of the conditions and risk of VTE.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO ADDS THREE NEW SITES TO WORLD HERITAGE LIST

UNESCO ADDS THREE NEW SITES TO WORLD HERITAGE LIST
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today wrapped up this year's review of its World Heritage List by <" http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/364">adding three sites in Serbia, Azerbaijan and Mexico.
Today's inscriptions, which took place during the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Christchurch, New Zealand, means there are now 851 sites which have made the List for their outstanding cultural or natural value since it began in 1978.
Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius, in eastern Serbia, is a Late Roman era fortified palace compound and memorial complex that was commissioned by Emperor Caius Valerius Galerius Maximianus in the late 3rd or early 4th century. The site includes fortifications, a palace, basilicas, temples, hot baths and a memorial complex.
Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape encompasses three areas of a rocky plateau in the semi-desert of central Azerbaijan that are home to a collection of 6,000 rock engravings stretching over 4,000 years. The site also contains remnants of settlements and burials from humans who lived there during the period after the last Ice Age.
In the Mexican capital, the ensemble of buildings, sports facilities and open spaces of the Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) were built between 1949 and 1952 by more than 60 architects, engineers and artists. The campus is considered a unique example of 20th century modernism and includes references to local traditions, particularly to Mexico's pre-Hispanic history.
In total this week the World Heritage Committee inscribed 22 new sites on the List and took the unprecedented step of removing one site – the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman – because of the country's failure to adequately preserve the property.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO ASSIST DROUGHT VICTIMS IN TIMOR-LESTE

UN FOOD AGENCY APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO ASSIST DROUGHT VICTIMS IN TIMOR-LESTE
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2549">WFP) today announced plans to assist nearly 200,000 people in Timor-Leste affected by an ongoing drought and appealed for additional funds to provide food aid.

"There is a need for food assistance due to the persistence of the drought, and we will work closely with the Government to ensure that food is available through the lean season," said Tarek Elguindi, WFP Representative in Timor-Leste. "With our Ministry counterparts, WFP has met international agencies and donors to alert them to this urgent need."

A recent food security and crop survey conducted by WFP and the UN Food and Agriculture Agency (<"http://www.fao.org">FAO) found that drought conditions and a locust outbreak had caused a 30 per cent decline in crop production on the island in the past year, leaving one fifth of the population vulnerable to food shortages through the coming "lean season."

WFP estimates that the drought has resulted in an overall food shortage of 85,000 metric tons, and indicates that at least 16,000 tons of additional food assistance, valued at up to $12 million, will be needed to meet the country's food needs in the coming year.

Contributions are being sought from international donors to cover the costs of food assistance which will be delivered by WFP and the Timorese Government.

In assisting the Government, WFP will increase food deliveries through community-level Food for Work projects and with increased food assistance to children and pregnant women and nursing mothers, through WFP's Maternal and Child Health and School Feeding programmes.

Working closely with the Government, WFP and FAO have already taken several measures to avert food shortages during the lean season, including pre-positioning emergency food stocks in drought-affected areas and assisting the Government in procuring seeds for next year's planting.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ: UN REFUGEE AGENCY ISSUES URGENT APPEAL TO EVACUATE SERIOUSLY ILL PALESTINIANS

IRAQ: UN REFUGEE AGENCY ISSUES URGENT APPEAL TO EVACUATE SERIOUSLY ILL PALESTINIANS
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
Without immediate evacuation and life-saving medical help, roughly one dozen seriously ill Palestinians – mostly young children stranded in Baghdad or in a make-shift camp close to the Syrian border – could die or suffer complications, the United Nations refugee agency said today, appealing for urgent assistance.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/468529f04.html">UNHCR) believes that there could be more Palestinians who could be in urgent need of medical attention.

"UNHCR continues to receive reports from Baghdad of Palestinians who refuse to go for medical care because they are afraid for their safety," the agency's spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4684fe772.html">told reporters in Geneva. "We know of some people who refused to seek medical attention for fear of attacks and later died in their homes as a consequence."

Palestinians residing in Iraq are in desperate need of a humanitarian solution, as 1,450 live in grim conditions at two border camps, while up to 13,000 are still living in Baghdad, down from 34,000 in 2003.

Those living in Iraq – who continue to be targeted – have no access to other countries and no communities to seek refuge from within Iraq.

Despite their best efforts, UNHCR and the International Committee of the Red Cross are facing obstacles in their efforts to help. The two "have been trying everything to provide proper medical care but this is very difficult in the dusty border camps and volatile Baghdad," Mr. Redmond said.

Earlier this week, UNHCR spotlighted the plights of children – suffering from such conditions as Hodgkin's disease, a hole in the heart and vascular problems – in desperate need of medical care living in Al Waleed camp, home to over 1,000 Palestinians.

There is only one doctor to tend to patients in the camp, and he alone cannot treat all those in need, Mr. Redmond noted.

Residents of the camp include a two-year-old with cerebral palsy whose immune system is not functioning properly and has stopped eating.

Another camp inhabitant, a 13-year-old girl, has a spinal injury and will be permanently paralyzed from the neck down without prompt treatment. Her mother died several years ago, her father was murdered in January and her home was burned down by militia.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, urgent cases include a 14-year-old boy who has had 13 operations but suffers from severe urinary and bladder problems, and a 15-month-old boy with spinal problems at risk of permanent paralysis from the waist down.

"And there are more," Mr. Redmond said.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO VISITS GUINEA-BISSAU IN SHOW OF UN'S SUPPORT

MIGIRO VISITS GUINEA-BISSAU IN SHOW OF UN'S SUPPORT
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro arrived in Guinea-Bissau today on a visit intended to reaffirm the world body's support for the West African's country's ongoing efforts to consolidate peace, national reconciliation and constitutional governance.

This visit marks the first-ever by a Secretary-General or Deputy Secretary-General since Guinea-Bissau joined the UN in 1974.

Her stop in Guinea-Bissau is part of a four-country trip including Austria, Ghana and Kenya.

Last night, she was in Accra, Ghana's capital, where she spoke to reporters upon arrival regarding the UN and African Union (AU) efforts regarding the situation in Darfur, according to the Secretary-General's spokesperson Michele Montas.

Ms. Migiro is scheduled to return to Accra on Saturday to address the annual summit of Heads of State and Government of the AU.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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ROCKET ATTACK AGAINST IVORIAN LEADER SPARKS UN CONDEMNATION

ROCKET ATTACK AGAINST IVORIAN LEADER SPARKS UN CONDEMNATION
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The Security Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire joined forces to denounce today's deadly rocket attack on a plane carrying the country's Prime Minister Guillaume Soro.

Mr. Soro survived but at least three people were killed and several others injured in the attack, which occurred at the airport in Bouake, situated in the north of the divided West African country.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9066.doc.htm">statement read out by Ambassador Johan Verbeke of Belgium, which holds the rotating presidency this month, the Security Council strongly condemned the attack "and any attempt to destabilize the peace process by force."

The presidential statement said Council members backed March's Ouagadougou agreement, which sets out a series of measures to deal with the political divide in Côte d'Ivoire. The country has been split between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north since 2002.

The 15-member Council "stresses that it is critical that all parties continue to work within the framework of the Ouagadougou political agreement, which is the way to settle the crisis Côte d'Ivoire."

The accord calls, among other steps, for: creating a new transitional government; organizing free and fair presidential elections; merging the Forces Nouvelles and the national defence and security forces through the establishment of an integrated command centre; dismantling the militias, disarming ex-combatants and enrolling them in civil services programmes; and replacing the so-called zone of confidence separating north and south with a green line to be monitored by the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI).

Since then President Laurent Gbagbo and Mr. Soro 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.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2639">statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban voiced shock at the rocket attack and urged all Ivorian parties to work closely together, with the help of the UN, to implement the Ouagadougou pact, which he described as "a unique opportunity for a peaceful solution to the protracted Ivorian crisis."

<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/index.html">UNOCI issued its own statement deploring the loss of lives and endorsing the importance of the current peace process. It called on Ivorian authorities to take the measures necessary to identify who conducted the attack and to bring them to justice.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY SET TO END LIBERIAN REPATRIATION PROGRAMME

UN REFUGEE AGENCY SET TO END LIBERIAN REPATRIATION PROGRAMME
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
On the eve of the end of the United Nations refugee agency's two-and-a-half year repatriation programme for Liberians, its spokesperson today said plans are underway to continue helping the people of the country to rebuild their lives.

"As the next step, after the end of organized repatriation, we are preparing, together with the countries still hosting thousands of Liberian refugees, to start a number of long-term projects aimed at achieving their local integration," said Ron Redmond of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR).

"The purpose of these projects will be to bring the main displacement chapter in West African region to a genuine and successful closure," he added.

The departure of the last repatriation convey which transported 550 Liberians yesterday from Kouankan camp in the Nzérékoré area of eastern Guinea to the Loufa County in the neighbouring Liberia, signalled "the end of an era of large repatriation in the West African region," Mr. Redmond told a <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4684fe7aa.html">press briefing in Geneva.

Between 1989 and 2003, more than 350,000 Liberian refugees fled the civil war raging in their country. The fighting left an estimated 200,000 dead, and over 800,000 internally displaced, and devastated the country's infrastructure and economy.

Launched in October 2004, the programme, which has helped to repatriate more than 105,000 refugees mostly from Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria, is one of the largest UNHCR operations in recent African history.

To date, more than 150,000 refugees have returned to Liberia, with 50,000 registered Liberian refugees returning home on their own, in addition to the over 100,000 refugees who returned with the assistance of the UNHCR. "They were encouraged by the restoration of peace and inauguration of the democratically elected president and Government," Mr. Redmond said.

UNHCR was also involved in the return of some 326,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their areas of origin in Liberia through a programme that was successfully completed in April 2006. These IDPs had been living in camps, mainly around the capital, Monrovia.

"This success story was possible because of the unambiguous wish of the Liberian refugees to return, the commitment of the Liberian government to bring its people back home, the efforts of UNHCR and other partners and the support of all countries in the West African region," Mr. Redmond said.

At the same time, he noted that there are some 80,000 Liberian refugees in West Africa, including more than 23,000 in Ghana, 22,000 in Côte d'Ivoire, 13,000 in Sierra Leone, 14,000 in Guinea, some 5,000 in Nigeria and the rest scattered in other countries in the region.

As the next step, after the end of organized repatriation, UNHCR is preparing, together with countries still hosting thousands of Liberian refugees, to start a number of long-term projects aimed at achieving their local integration. The purpose of these projects will be to bring the main displacement chapter in West African region to a genuine and successful closure.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UN STUDY CHALLENGES ASSUMPTIONS ON HIV SPREAD AND REFUGEES IN AFRICA

UN STUDY CHALLENGES ASSUMPTIONS ON HIV SPREAD AND REFUGEES IN AFRICA
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
A new study by the United Nations refugee agency disputes assumptions that violence and rape propel the HIV epidemic in conflict areas, with those forced to flee having a high prevalence of the virus.

Published this week in the British medical journal <i>The Lancet</i>, the report examined 12 refugee camps in seven African nations: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Burundi.

It found that nine of the camps had lower rates of infection than surrounding communities, two had a similar prevalence and only one had higher rates.

"In the seven African countries, conflict appeared to keep the HIV prevalence lower than surrounding countries that did not have conflict," said Paul Spiegel, the report's lead author and head of UNHCR's HIV and AIDS unit.

"Since refugees come from these areas, refugees often have lower HIV prevalence than the surrounding communities, which ultimately will increase their vulnerability towards HIV," he added.

The results also showed that there is no data to show that rape increased HIV rates, despite widespread rape in many countries.

But Dr. Spiegel warned that given the "right circumstances," HIV prevalence could increase due to rape.

He added, "every single rape is a tragedy and we must provide strong care and support to rape survivors at all times."

Dr. Spiegel emphasized that the survey's results cannot be applied to all of the world's conflicts.

"Every case must be examined individually and context is very important," he said.

Dr. Spiegel also underscored that people should not interpret the results to mean that there is no cause to worry about HIV in conflict areas.

Previously reported high rates of HIV cases in conflict are due to poor survey methods and biased data interpretation, the report's authors suggested.

The study is partially targeted at policymakers and the media "to not always blame refugees for everything," Dr. Spiegel explained.

He called for the establishment of effective prevention programmes to protect refugees against HIV and that initiatives must be implemented in the post-conflict period to curb virus transmission as well.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ: SECURITY COUNCIL ENDS MANDATE OF UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS INSPECTORS

IRAQ: SECURITY COUNCIL ENDS MANDATE OF UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS INSPECTORS
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
Closing a chapter it opened over 16 years ago, the Security Council today terminated the mandate of United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq, with the Russian Federation abstaining during <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9064.doc.htm">voting on a resolution sponsored by the United Kingdom and the United States.

The resolution, which passed with 14 votes in favour, immediately terminated the mandates of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (<"http://www.unmovic.org/">UNMOVIC) and the Security Council-mandated work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iraq.

Explaining the Russian Federation's decision to abstain, the country's Ambassador, Speaking after the vote, Vitaly Churkin said there had yet been no definitive statement about the existence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq.

The Council resolution said the continued operations of UNMOVIC and the IAEA's Iraq Nuclear Verification Office are no longer necessary to verify Iraqi compliance with its obligations.

The resolution "closes a cycle of many years of verification, where the UN showed that it can implement successfully the activities demanded by the international community despite difficulties and frequently a lack of cooperation from the inspected party," said UNMOVIC's Acting Executive Chairman, Demetrius Perricos, in an address to the Council.

Mr. Perricos warned against complacency. "In the present security environment of Iraq, the possibility should not be discounted that non-State actors may seek to acquire toxic agents or their chemical precursors in small quantities," he said. "The possibility of non-State actors getting their hands on other – more toxic – agents is real."

He also pointed out that the main finding of the US-led Iraq Survey Group's Comprehensive Report, "namely the absence of any stockpiles of WMD or evidence of a revival of WMD-related programmes proscribed under the Security Council resolutions," corresponded to conclusions reported by UNMOVIC to the Council in June 2003.

Also addressing the Council, Gustavo Zlauvinen, a representative of the IAEA Director-General, recalled in early March of 2003, he had told the Council that the IAEA had found "no evidence or plausible indication of the revival of a nuclear weapons programme in Iraq."

A detailed assessment could have been produced within months of that date, he added, but the IAEA has not been able to carry out its mandate since 17 March. That was the date when the withdrawal of UN staff from Iraq was announced. Days later, the war broke out.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq noted that the weapons inspectors accomplished a great deal on the ground both in terms of monitoring and in terms of destroying or verifying the destruction of WMDs before their work was interrupted by the war in 2003.

He said UNMOVIC's just-released 1,160-page Compendium of Iraq's Proscribed Weapons Programmes in the Chemical, Biological and Missile areas is "the best testament to the work of the Commission and its value."

The Council's resolution today requested the Secretary-General "to take all necessary measures to provide for the appropriate disposition of UNMOVIC's archives and other property under arrangements ensuring, in particular, that sensitive proliferation information or information provided in confidence by Member States is kept under strict control."

UNMOVIC's predecessor, the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM), set up at the end of the war in 1991, destroyed missiles, mobile launchers, fixed launch sites, chemical munitions, a chemical weapons complex and a germ warfare complex as well as tons of missile fuel, chemical warfare agents, precursor chemicals and bacteria growth media. UNMOVIC inspectors destroyed dozens of Iraqi Al Samoud 2 missiles and warheads, as well as launchers, shells filled with chemical weapons precursors and other arms.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY STEPS UP ACTIVITIES ALONG COLOMBIAN-VENEZUELAN BORDER

UN REFUGEE AGENCY STEPS UP ACTIVITIES ALONG COLOMBIAN-VENEZUELAN BORDER
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
To meet the needs of a growing number of Colombian refugees arriving in Venezuela after fleeing violence and threats, United Nations refugee agency is stepping up its intervention along the border.

The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) is as of this month extending activities along Venezuela's side of the border with Colombia, with new projects in the Amazonas region to the south, and the "Sur del Lago" region further to the north.

In a <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4684fe792.html">press briefing in Geneva today, Ron Redmond, <"http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR spokesman explained that intervention will begin with the training of armed forces and civilian authorities in refugee law and human rights. The aim in both regions will at first be "conflict-prevention, to reduce the risk of tension that large influxes of people can cause," he added.

Testimonies by the civilian population, reported by UNHCR, detail threats, targeted killings, and widespread intimidation that affect especially the rural areas in Colombia, They also voiced general concern that violence would flare before the upcoming elections in October.

The humanitarian situation in Colombia is increasingly cause for concern; the rates of forced displacement registered last year in the region of Catatumbo to the north and Arauca further to the south were some of the highest in the whole of Colombia. These regions see also some of the worst indices of targeted killings, landmine accidents and armed fighting, explained Mr. Redmond.

In the Arauca region alone, UNHCR found evidence during a fact-finding mission earlier this month that the number of new cases recorded in the national system for registration of displaced people tripled last year: from 1,000 in the first six months to 3,000 in the second half of 2006. This number does not include the displaced people who do not come forward for registration.

Figures for the first six months of 2007 are not yet consolidated, but local authorities say the numbers keep rising. In the town of Tame, the authorities dealt with 2,500 new cases of displacement between January and May of this year, compared with 1,250 in the whole of 2006. The situation is similar in the rest of Arauca, where the country's two guerrilla group, the FARC and the ELN, having been fighting for territory since March of last year.

Some 2 million people are on the national registry for displaced people in Colombia with official estimates that another million have been victims of forced displacement but are not registered. UNHCR and the Venezuelan government calculate that some 200,000 Colombians may be in need of international protection in Venezuela. UNHCR has three field offices on the Venezuelan side of the border.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL HAILS WORK OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAILS WORK OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is one of the "major achievements in international law during the past century," providing the opportunity to hold to account the world's worst war criminals, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2641">statement released today to mark a key anniversary in the ICC's founding.

Sunday will be the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">ICC, which allowed the Court to be formally established after years of negotiation between countries.

"During the relatively short time of its existence, the Court has already established itself as the centrepiece of a system of international criminal justice," Mr. Ban said in his statement. "It is both the embodiment of, and the driving force behind, a profound evolution of international culture and law."

The ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of carrying out the most serious crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It holds trials only when national courts cannot or will not conduct their own proceedings.

The Rome Statute which brought the Court into being now has 104 States Parties, and Mr. Ban urged those nations that have not yet become parties to do so.

He added that "already the activities of the Court and its Prosecutor [Luis Moreno-Ocampo] have a deterring effect on potential perpetrators of international crimes."

So far the ICC has issued arrest warrants for two suspects accused of war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region and five leaders of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. Thomas Lubanga, a rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was arrested last year. The Court has also opened investigations into allegations of killings and rapes in the Central African Republic (CAR).
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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STATES REACH PARTIAL AGREEMENT ON MARINE GENETIC RESOURCES AT UN TALKS

STATES REACH PARTIAL AGREEMENT ON MARINE GENETIC RESOURCES AT UN TALKS
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
Countries participating in annual United Nations-sponsored talks this week on oceans and the law of the sea have agreed to some recommendations on how to manage and protect increasingly valuable marine genetic resources.

In a meeting that wrapped up today, countries attending the UN Open-ended Informal Consultation Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea recognized the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea as the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas. But they disagreed on how the Convention applies to marine genetic resources beyond areas under national jurisdiction.

While the G-77 group of developing countries and China said these areas are governed by the Convention's provisions relating to the "Area," which considers these resources as "the common heritage of mankind," Japan, the United States and some other developed countries said marine genetic resources fall under the provisions of the Convention relating to the high seas. The European Union argued for a middle position.

The issue of marine genetic resources beyond national jurisdiction will now be taken up early next year at the UN Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.

In their recommendations, countries acknowledged that vulnerable marine genetic resources were threatened by pollution, climate change, destruction of habitats, destructive fishing practices, overexploitation and other factors. They stressed the need to support collaborative efforts to research, access and use these resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction so as to realize their potential, and emphasized the needs to share the results of marine scientific research. These recommendations will feed into the General Assembly's resolutions on the law of the sea and sustainable fisheries.

Participants raised several related concerns. An expert from Indonesia said the country had already lost 26 islands to climate change, while several countries stressed that destructive fishing practices, and especially bottom trawling, was damaging fragile marine genetic resources.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UN CHILDREN'S AGENCY RUSHES RELIEF SUPPLIES TO FLOOD-RAVAGED PAKISTAN

UN CHILDREN'S AGENCY RUSHES RELIEF SUPPLIES TO FLOOD-RAVAGED PAKISTAN
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is rushing emergency supplies – including tents food, medicine, hygiene supplies and equipment – to people hit by heavy rains in the western Pakistani province of Balochistan.

In the wake of Cyclone Yemyin, flooding has affected over 800,000 people in Balochistan, with officials reporting dozens of villages being submerged, thousands forced to flee their homes and damage to roads and bridges.

<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40154.html">UNICEF has supplied to Balochistan's Government 740,000 water purification tablets, 33,600 blankets and 4,000 jerry cans, as well as tents, and 50 tons of Unmix, a nutrient-rich food supplement for women and children.

The agency has already sent two emergency health kits, which can address the immediate health needs of 20,000 people for three months, to the most affected districts.

UNICEF is working with the national and provincial Governments and with other UN agencies as well as with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Also in Pakistan, a new stage of a UN-backed national measles campaign – the country's largest ever – was launched today, aiming to reach over 63 million children by March 2008.

This campaign, led by the Pakistani Government, will be a major step in reaching the global goal of slashing measles deaths by 90 per cent by 2010. More than 20,000 children in the South Asian nation die yearly from measles and its complications.

Between 2 and 18 July, 1.5 children between the ages of nine months and 13 years will be vaccinated in eight districts of Balochistan. This process will be conducted in phases throughout the country until next March.

The first stage began this March in four districts, and reached 96 per cent of children in the target age group.

This current phase in Balochistan will mobilize 600 vaccination teams comprising over 3,000 trained health staff and volunteers to reach children in remote rural areas.

The scheme receives financial and technical support from the Measles Initiative, comprising the United Nations Foundation, <"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40153.html">UNICEF, the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO), the American Red Cross and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In another development, ahead of tomorrow's planned closure by the Pakistani Government of two Afghan refugee camps, the UN refugee agency is urging officials and refugees to engage in a dialogue to ensure the process is peaceful.

The decision to close the camps was reached last year in a tripartite meeting among the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4684fe7911.html">UNHCR), Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The two camps closing house over 82,000 registered Afghans, and the refugees were given two options by the Pakistani Government: to repatriate to Afghanistan with UNHCR assistance, or to relocate to an existing camp in Pakistan.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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FRANCE AND SPAIN REMAIN WORLD'S TOP TOURIST DESTINATIONS - UN AGENCY

FRANCE AND SPAIN REMAIN WORLD'S TOP TOURIST DESTINATIONS – UN AGENCY
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
France and Spain remained the top destinations for visitors in 2006, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (<"http://www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/news/en/press_det.php?id=971&idioma=E">UNWTO) said in a new report.

France has held the top spot for over a decade, recording almost 80 million arrivals in 2006, according to UNTWO's "<"http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/unwto_barom07_2_en_excerpt.pdf">World Tourism Barometer," which is updated three times a year.

Spain, with 58.5 million arrivals, came in second place, a position it has held since overtaking the United States in 2004.

Rounding out the top ten of the highest number of arrivals in 2006 are the US, China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Austria and Russia.

Around the world, tourism has surged six per cent – or 15 million arrivals – from January to April of this year, compared to the same time last year.

Asia and the Pacific recorded the strongest growth, rising 9 per cent, followed by Africa and the Middle East at eight per cent each, Europe at 6 per cent and the Americas at four per cent.

On the impact of climate change, the agency in a news release said, "Responsible and sustainable growth of the tourism sector will provide exports and jobs for the world economy generally and the poorest countries specifically, but this must be balanced with firm action to reduce the industry's carbon footprint."

The growth in tourism has mainly been propelled by continuing world prosperity, especially by the extraordinary strength of emerging markets and developing economies in Asia, UNTWO said.

The proliferation of low-cost airlines also is a factor explaining increased tourist arrivals.

UNTWO's Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli pointed out that "growing recognition of tourism's contribution to economic growth and job creation means that it is being given more and more attention by national governments, especially those in developing regions."
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UN MEETS WITH POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO HYBRID PEACE FORCE IN DARFUR

UN MEETS WITH POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO HYBRID PEACE FORCE IN DARFUR
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) met today with potential contributors of troops and police to the planned African Union-UN hybrid operation for the violence-wracked Darfur region in Sudan.

DPKO regarded today's meeting as "a constructive start," spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters, adding that it plans to hold informal discussions with the potential contributors and then another meeting after the Security Council officially authorizes the hybrid operation and establishes a mandate.

Earlier this month the Sudanese Government agreed to the deployment of a hybrid force to stem the fighting in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people are estimated to have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced from their homes since 2003, when fighting broke out between armed rebel groups, Government forces and allied Janjaweed militias.

Ms. Montas said Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno opened today's meeting with an appeal to participants for early contributions. He said offers from African countries will be given priority but other offers will also be accepted, especially if there are not enough suitable African commitments.

The potential contributors received a briefing on the requirements for the hybrid force, which is expected to need almost 20,000 troops, more than 6,000 police and nearly 5,000 civilians at full deployment. They also heard about the logistical challenges of deploying in Darfur, a remote and impoverished region the size of France on Sudan's western flank.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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AS TIMORESE PREPARE TO VOTE, SECURITY COUNCIL APPEALS FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS

AS TIMORESE PREPARE TO VOTE, SECURITY COUNCIL APPEALS FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
United Nations Security Council members today expressed their full support for the Timor-Leste parliamentary elections to be held tomorrow and called on the country's people to ensure that the polls are free, fair and peaceful.

The Council, in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9068.doc.htm">press statement read out by its President, Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke of Belgium "called upon all parties in Timor-Leste to adhere to the principles of non-violence and to democratic and legal processes to ensure that these elections have a unifying impact and contribute to bringing the people of Timor-Leste together."

The 15-member body called on the people of the small South-East Asian nation, which the UN helped to shepherd to independence in 2002, to "ensure that free, fair and peaceful parliamentary elections take place."

The members also appealed to the population to respect the National Commission's electoral Code of Conduct.

Underscoring the importance of the international community's support in the country, the Council "welcomed the presence of domestic as well as international electoral observers in Timor-Leste for these elections."

Voters will go to the polls to elect 65 members of Parliament to serve five-year terms.

Yesterday, the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste – known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmit/index.html">UNMIT – began distributing ballot papers, with a total of 652,000 ballot papers to be distributed throughout the country and a reserve will be stored in all districts to deal with contingencies.

Also, in a video <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11064.doc.htm">message yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on candidates and their supporters "to react to the results in a peaceful manner, and to raise any concerns they may have about the process through the appropriate legal channels."

Recalling the successful presidential elections of April and May, he said that he "was moved by the graceful transfer of responsibility from the first President to his successor, through the freely expressed will of the people."

In another development, the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has called for increased participation of women in politics.

The fund's scheme, called Integrated Programme for Women in Politics and Decisions Making, also seeks to raise awareness of the status of Timorese women.

Workshops to draw attention to the electoral process were held last month bringing together experts from the European Union, the National Electoral Commission and the UNIFEM-backed observer group known as KOMEG, along with ten parties participating in the elections.

All of the women representatives endorsed a Women's Political Platform signed on 28 May, which prioritizes such issues as economic advance and health care for women; justice and security; and media reporting on and for women.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES APPROVAL OF PEACEKEEPING RESTRUCTURING

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES APPROVAL OF PEACEKEEPING RESTRUCTURING
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the General Assembly's decision to approve the thrust of his proposals aimed at strengthening the capacity of the United Nations to mount and sustain peacekeeping operations in an era when the demand for blue helmets has reached at an all-time high.

The proposals, approved by the Assembly in a resolution this morning, include a restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO); the creation of a separate Department of Field Support (DFS), to be headed by an Under-Secretary-General; a major increase in working-level resources in both departments and in other parts of the UN Secretariat; and new capacities and integrated structures to match the growing complexity of mandated activities.

Demand for UN peace operations is surging, with nearly 100,000 field personnel deployed across 18 DPKO-led missions and several other missions supported by the Department.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11066.doc.htm">statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said he was grateful the Assembly "was able to tackle the daunting task of approving such wide-ranging proposals in a short period of time," adding that it demonstrated the commitment of UN Member States to the world body's role in peacekeeping.

"The Secretary-General is confident that the Secretariat can now move quickly to make appointments and implement the new arrangements," the statement added.

It noted that the reform package had been crafted to ensure that DPKO and DFS work in harmony so as to provide unity of command, coherence in policy and strategy and operational efficiency in peacekeeping missions.

The approved package includes 287 new posts, down from Mr. Ban's original proposal of 400 posts. The Under-Secretary-General for DFS post is funded for the next three years, with further funding subject to a review of the restructure after that time. The procurement operation is also staying in the Department of Management, rather than becoming part of the restructured peacekeeping operations.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED PEACE BROKERS IN GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ CONFLICT HOLD FRESH TALKS

UN-BACKED PEACE BROKERS IN GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ CONFLICT HOLD FRESH TALKS
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
Senior representatives of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General have held talks with the Georgian and Abkhaz sides amid concerns over tensions in their zone of conflict and the lack of recent dialogue between the two sides, the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unomig/index.html">UNOMIG) said in a press statement issued in Tbilisi today.

The two-day talks in the German city of Bonn, which ended yesterday, were also convened to help promote confidence-building measures presented at the Group's previous meeting, according to UNOMIG.

Aside from the Group of Friends (France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Georgia Jean Arnault also participated in the talks, which took place under the chairmanship of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.

The UNOMIG statement noted that the Georgian and Abkhaz sides outlined their positions, which continue to differ on several issues, but were able to agree on some steps relating to security, dialogue and confidence-building in the zone of conflict.

"They also agreed to cooperate in implementing the European Commission-funded rehabilitation programme, as well as a number of humanitarian initiatives," the statement said.

Both the UN and the Group of Friends stressed the importance of preserving stability and dialogue, "and encouraged the parties to seek vigorously the creation of basic levels of trust between the sides and their respective communities."

UNOMIG was established in August 1993 to verify compliance with the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Abkhaz authorities in Georgia. Its mandate was expanded following the signing by the parties of the 1994 Agreement on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN ENVOY APPOINTED FOR BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

NEW UN ENVOY APPOINTED FOR BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
New York, Jun 30 2007 10:00AM
The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9067.doc.htm">welcomed and agreed to the appointment of Miroslav Lajcák of Slovakia as the new High Representative for the Implementation of the Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In a resolution adopted unanimously, the 15-member body stressed the importance of the High Representative's role in the implementation of the peace agreement in the European country.

Mr. Lajcák was designated by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council on 19 June.

Currently the Director-General for Political Affairs in the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he is a 44-year-old career diplomat with extensive experience in Southeastern Europe.

He also served as mediator and personal representative of the European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, in Montenegro last year, overseeing the referendum.

The Council also paid tribute to Christian Schwarz-Schilling, Mr. Lajcák's predecessor, who had served from early 2006.
2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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IAEA HELPS CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES DEAL WITH OLD URANIUM SITES

IAEA HELPS CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES DEAL WITH OLD URANIUM SITES
New York, Jun 29 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is helping Central Asian countries to take steps toward securing millions of tonnes of uranium tailings -- a potential source of radioactive and heavy metal pollution -- in abandoned sites.

The sites are the legacy that has accumulated in the region over five decades of operation of uranium mines and mills without proper environment management programmes in place, the Agency said.

Tajikistan, for example, has sites near towns and villages in the north. In Taboshar, a former centre of uranium mining and milling, a hill of more than 1 million tonnes of process residue tailings lies unprotected, vulnerable to erosion by wind and rain, the IAEA warned.

Animals drink from pools of water that gather at the foot of the hill when seasonal rains fall, and children play around it. Some material from the tailings sites has also been used in home construction, according to the Agency, which said Tajikistan is ill-equipped to undertake, on its own, the task of securing the tailings legacy.

An IAEA programme is assisting Tajikistan assess the impact of the sites - a first step towards seeking donor funding to secure them.

"The IAEA doesn't have the resources to undertake management of the tailings sites, but we can provide the expertise and the knowledge to Tajikistan that will assist it best help itself," said Ana María Cetto, IAEA Deputy Director General and head of its Technical Cooperation Department, who visited the country in May.

Since Tajikistan became a member of the IAEA in 2001 it has received technical assistance in other areas of nuclear and radiation applications to develop diagnostic nuclear medicine, cancer treatment, as well as control of soil erosion and improved land management practices.

2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON SCHOOLCHILDREN IN CONFLICT AREAS

UNICEF CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON SCHOOLCHILDREN IN CONFLICT AREAS
New York, Jun 29 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today condemned continuing attacks on schoolchildren and educational facilities in conflict zones around the world, citing recent incidents in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

"Attacks on schoolchildren are unacceptable," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "Schools must be safe environments for children to learn and thrive."

In recent weeks, at a girls' school in Afghanistan, two schoolgirls were killed, and another three students and a teacher were injured, while in Gaza, one student traveling to national college entrance exams was killed, and in a separate incident another was injured, in crossfire.

"In parts of Iraq parents remain justly concerned about the risks involved in sending their children to school, and insecurity has closed schools in the Central African Republic, in Nepal and in Sri Lanka ," the agency said in a news release.

At the same time, UNICEF cited evidence that where an education system continues to function, students will face real risks to take advantage of the opportunities that education provides. In the occupied Palestinian territory in June, some 60,000 students in both Gaza and the West Bank made it through 10 days of entrance exams, despite the current crisis.

"Children have the right to a safe learning environment at all times, even under the most difficult of circumstances," Ms. Veneman stated.

2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO AFGHANISTAN

BAN KI-MOON MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO AFGHANISTAN
New York, Jun 29 2007 8:00AM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a surprise visit to Afghanistan today, meeting with top officials there ahead of a planned conference on the country he will attend early next month in Rome.

During a four-hour stay in Kabul, the Secretary General met with President Hamid Karzai, with the leader of the Wolesi Jirga (House of the People), Yunus Qanuni, with the military commander of the International Security Assistance Force, General Dan McNeal and with members of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

"Responding to a long-standing invitation from President Karzai, the Secretary General wanted to evaluate the situation on the ground, better assess the progress made, and the role the United Nations can play," according to his spokesperson.

Mr. Ban has left Kabul and will be heading to Europe, where he will meet President Karzai once more on 3 July in Rome at the Conference on the Rule of Law in Afghanistan, which will be co-chaired by the UN and the Afghan and Italian Governments. The Secretary General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, will also attend the Rome conference.

Before going to Rome, the Secretary-General is expected in Geneva Monday for the opening of the High-level meeting of the Economic and Social Council.

2007-06-29 00:00:00.000

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LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES MOST VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE - UN OFFICIAL

LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES MOST VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE – UN OFFICIAL
New York, Jun 28 2007 7:00PM
Efforts must be intensified to assist the world's least developed countries and small island developing States, the most vulnerable nations in the world to the impact of climate change, a top United Nations official said today.

"The UN debate on climate change will lose credibility if the concerns of these countries are sidelined or marginalized," Anwarul Chowdhury, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/070628_Chowdhury.doc.htm">told reporters in New York.

Mr. Chowdhury, whose last day in his position is this Saturday, launched a new study entitled "Climate Change Report 2007," which was presented to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this morning.

While acknowledging that the report is neither academic nor scientific, he said he hoped it would spur interest among the media and support groups to advocate on behalf of these countries and raise awareness of the obstacles LDCs and SIDS face.

Aside from the environmental effects, the report said that climate change impacts LDCs and SIDS in the economic, human and social cultural realms as well.

Reduced rainfall and prolonged droughts could lead to dwindling water supplies, while subsistence agriculture, on which these countries depend heavily, will be harmed by increased tropical cyclones, droughts and loss of soil fertility. Coastal flooding, droughts and disease could also force many people out of their homes.

Due to their limited financial and technical resources, high rates of poverty and – in the case of the SIDS – small size, these countries are not as adept at adapting to climate change, noted the report.

At the global level, the study recommended that these countries be provided adequate financial and technical support to better deal with climate change and that partnerships with international organizations be established to aid LDCs and SIDS.

Meanwhile, the report suggested that at the national level, these countries demand that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (<"http://www.ipcc.ch/">IPCC) publish a report specific to their situation.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR AGREES TO ADDRESS SITUATION OF CHILDREN WITH UN - ENVOY

MYANMAR AGREES TO ADDRESS SITUATION OF CHILDREN WITH UN – ENVOY
New York, Jun 28 2007 6:00PM
Wrapping up a five-day official visit to Myanmar, the United Nations envoy for children and armed conflict today its Government has agreed to name an official to deal with the plight of the country's young in cooperation with the UN.

"This visit is a beginning in seeking to address some of the important issues relating to child protection in Myanmar," said Radhika Coomaraswamy.

In her talks with authorities, including acting Prime Minister Thein Sein, she explained the framework of the 2005 Security Council resolution which established a mechanism to monitor grave violations by both Governments and insurgents, focusing especially on crimes, including recruiting child soldiers in violation of international instruments.

In response, the Government agreed to name a high-level official from the South-East Asian nation to liaise with the UN Country Team and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) on all matters pertaining to children and armed conflict.

"The Government responded favourably to an on-going dialogue with the United Nations," Ms. Coomaraswamy said during her visit.

The Special Representative held a working session with the Government's Committee for the Prevention of Military Recruitment of Underage Children, at which it was decided that Myanmar would create an action plan in collaboration with UNICEF. This new scheme would undertake the reintegration of children, and the Ministry of Defence would regularly organize trainings on protecting children during conflict.

She met with the United Wa State Army, a non-State party, urging them to cooperate with the UN to cease recruitment of child soldiers and develop a reintegration programme.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's report on the situation of children and armed conflict in Myanmar – scheduled to be released later this year – will include information collected and verified by the UN Task Force.

"This report will provide us with a clearer understanding of the situation of children affected by the conflict in Myanmar," Ms. Coomaraswamy said.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL URGES SUPPORT FOR SIERRA LEONE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

SECURITY COUNCIL URGES SUPPORT FOR SIERRA LEONE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL
New York, Jun 28 2007 6:00PM
The Security Council today called on the international community to maintain its financial support of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), saying the war crimes tribunal needs more help to complete its efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the worst crimes during the country's prolonged civil war.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9062.doc.htm">statement read out by Ambassador Johan Verbeke of Belgium, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, the 15-member body reiterated its strong support for the UN-backed <"http://www.sc-sl.org/">SCSL and the progress it has achieved so far.

Earlier this month the trial of the notorious former Liberian president Charles Taylor began in The Hague, while last week the SCSL issued its first verdicts, finding three former rebel leaders guilty of multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"The Security Council particularly notes the contribution of the Special Court to strengthening stability in Sierra Leone and the subregion and bringing an end to impunity," the statement said.

The second international war crimes tribunal established in Africa, the SCSL was mandated to try those bearing the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian and Sierra Leonean law within Sierra Leone's borders after 30 November 1996.

Mr. Verbeke said the Council recognized the Court's efforts to meet its completion strategy, particularly as it moves towards its final stage of work now that trials are under way and verdicts are beginning to be handed down.

"The Security Council emphasizes the vital need for further pledges of voluntary contributions in order to allow the Special Court to complete its mandate in a timely manner, and asks all United Nations Member States to consider making such pledges."
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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BALLOT DISTRIBUTION BEGINS AHEAD OF TIMOR-LESTE ELECTIONS - UN

BALLOT DISTRIBUTION BEGINS AHEAD OF TIMOR-LESTE ELECTIONS – UN
New York, Jun 28 2007 6:00PM
The UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmit/index.html">UNMIT) today reported that the distribution of ballot papers for this weekend's parliamentary elections has begun in both the capital Dili and the main towns of the country's 13 districts.

Working in cooperation with the Timorese Secretariat for Electoral Administration, the ballot papers are being transported from Dili and other district capitals to the more than 700 polling stations and 520 polling centres by helicopters, vehicles and horses with porters.

A total of 652,000 ballot papers will be distributed throughout the country and a reserve will be stored in all districts to deal with contingencies.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a video <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11064.doc.htm">message released ahead of the elections, called on candidates and their supporters "to react to the results in a peaceful manner, and to raise any concerns they may have about the process through the appropriate legal channels."

Mr. Ban recalled the recent success in the presidential elections of April and May. "I was moved by the graceful transfer of responsibility from the first President to his successor, through the freely expressed will of the people," he said.

He pledged the UN's continued support for the Timorese as they "consolidate the foundations of democratic governance to ensure enduring stability and development."

The election is for 65 members of Parliament to serve five-year terms.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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RE-OPENING OF KEY GAZA BORDER CROSSING WELCOMED BY UN AID AGENCY

RE-OPENING OF KEY GAZA BORDER CROSSING WELCOMED BY UN AID AGENCY
New York, Jun 28 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations agency tasked with helping Palestinian refugees today welcomed the opening of the Karni crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which has allowed 5,000 tons of wheat to reach Gaza.

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA) spokesperson Chris Gunness said it was now crucial that Karni is permanently open and fully functional.

"If we are to avoid total aid dependency for Gaza, we need to get commercial imports and exports moving," Mr. Gunness said.

UNRWA and other UN aid agencies have been warning that Gaza faces food shortages within weeks unless the border crossing points into Israel are re-opened after they were closed during the deadly intra-Palestinian fighting that erupted earlier this month.

The Karni crossing is considered particularly vital as it used to handle 200 to 300 trucks each day and is the main commercial crossing between Gaza and Israel.

The Erez crossing remains open to international agencies' staff and to health referrals to Israel, while no interruptions have so far occurred along the Nahal Oz line, which supplies petrol, diesel and cooking gas to Gaza. But the Rafah crossing – the main crossing for people – has been closed since 10 June, and an estimated 5,000 Palestinians are waiting at the Egyptian border to return to their homes in Gaza.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline3.un.org/">OCHA) said UN agencies are currently meeting the basic needs of the Gaza Strip's estimated 1.4 million residents, with about 80 to 90 trucks carrying relief supplies able to enter the territory daily.

But there is still a long way to go, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said today.

"Everyone is working hard on this and I welcome the news of our increased capacity to deliver urgently-needed aid in Gaza, but I cannot over-emphasize the importance of ensuring the resumption of full-scale supplies through the main crossing points and beginning to open up regular economic access too."

Since the crisis began in the Gaza Strip, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) has reported that there are 100,000 additional recipients of food aid in the crowded territory. The Programme helps about 377,000 people in Gaza, while UNRWA provides food assistance to some 860,000 others there.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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UN HONOURS IRAQ ENVOY SLAIN IN 2003 BAGHDAD TERROR ATTACK

UN HONOURS IRAQ ENVOY SLAIN IN 2003 BAGHDAD TERROR ATTACK
New York, Jun 28 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations today honoured the late Sergio Vieira de Mello with the unveiling in Geneva of a bronze likeness of the 30-year Brazilian veteran of many United Nations peacekeeping operations who was killed during a terrorist attack while on assignment in Iraq.

On 19 August 2003, Mr. Vieira de Mello – who was serving as the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Iraq at the time – and 21 other colleagues lost their lives when UN headquarters in the country was bombed.

The bust, which is a gift from Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and created by world-famous Georgian artist and philanthropist Zurab Tseretelli, rests upon a base which carries the names of Mr. Vieira de Mello's colleagues who lost their lives in the attack.

Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan presided over the ceremony, which was also attended by Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, survivors of the bombing, family members of victims, representatives from the UN as well as non-Governmental organizations (NGOs), and diplomats.

Swiss authorities supplied the landscaping of the memorial in the grounds in front of the Palais Wilson.

Mr. Vieira de Mello also served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a post to which he was appointed in 2002. Prior to that, he was the UN Transitional Administrator in East Timor after having briefly held the position of Special Representative for Kosovo. He had extensive Headquarters and field experience in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, including in Bangladesh, Sudan, Cyprus, Mozambique, Peru and Lebanon.

"Those who killed him have committed a crime, not only against the United Nations but against Iraq itself," Mr. Annan said shortly after Mr. Vieira de Mello's death.

"The death of any colleague is hard to bear, but I can think of no one we could less afford to spare, or who would be more acutely missed throughout the UN system, than Sergio," said the then-Secretary-General. "Throughout his career he has been an outstanding servant of humanity, dedicated to relieving the suffering of his fellow men and women, helping them to resolve their conflicts and rebuild their war-torn societies."
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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SOMALIA: THOUSANDS FLEE MOGADISHU AMID RENEWED VIOLENCE, UN REPORTS

SOMALIA: THOUSANDS FLEE MOGADISHU AMID RENEWED VIOLENCE, UN REPORTS
New York, Jun 28 2007 5:00PM
Escalating violence in Mogadishu this month has forced more than 3,500 people to flee the Somali capital in recent weeks, the United Nations refugee agency has reported.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also reported that only 123,000 of the estimated 401,000 civilians who fled the heavy fighting that raged in Mogadishu between February and May have returned to the capital, citing to figures compiled by the agency and its partners.

Even as people continue leave Mogadishu, they are returning at nearly a tenfold rate. UNHCR said that while more than 3,500 people fled the city in June, an estimated 33,000 returned there in the same period.

In another major new displacement development, UNHCR's local partners report that some 10,000 people have fled violence between rival clans in and around the southern coastal city of Kismayo.

Most of those unwilling to return to Mogadishu cite continuing insecurity at a time when daily acts of violence are rising despite claims by the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that it has defeated insurgent forces.

"These people say they will not come back until Mogadishu is completely safe," a <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4682938a4.html">UNHCR staff member reported from the capital.

The latest fighting has left many civilians dead and injured from rocket attacks, roadside bombs and crossfire, the agency said.

The UNHCR staffer said that some of the civilians who recently returned to the capital are leaving it once more because of the insecurity. "Others leave their neighbourhood to move to another part of the city because of persistent bomb explosions close to their homes, especially in the north of the city. They fear being caught in skirmishes," he added.

Some 250,000 Somalis who have resided on state property such as ministerial buildings, police stations or even electric power plants face the same threat. Some families had been living at such sites since fleeing their homes in 1991, when warlords overthrew President Mohammed Siad Barre before turning on each other.

The TFG has to date evicted 2,000 people in order to restore the buildings to public use. "These families are lost, they can no longer access the place where they used to live and sometimes their houses have been already destroyed by the authorities," said a local aid worker whose organization works with UNHCR.

He said these vulnerable people needed water, food and shelter. Many of them also needed to find employment so that they could support their families. UNHCR has asked the TFG to halt the evictions and to help provide basic services and find alternative solutions for these displaced people.

In his latest progress <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/381">report on the situation in Somalia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the TFG's efforts to secure key public institutions in Mogadishu are continuing to face significant resistance from remnants of the deposed Union of Islamic Courts and from various sub-clans of the Hawiye clan, which is dominant in the city.

The rest of the country remains plagued by widespread banditry, lawlessness and intra-clan violence, he adds in the report, noting the situation is more volatile since tensions erupted again in the Puntland and Somaliland regions in April.

He stresses that the UN system would continue its efforts to meet the serious humanitarian needs across the impoverished country.

Mr. Ban met Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi yesterday, and his spokesperson said the Secretary-General was encouraged by Mr. Gedi's assurance that plans are on track to start the National Reconciliation Congress next month.

Mr. Ban said it was important for the Somali transitional government to reach out to opposition groups to ensure that Congress is as inclusive as possible, adding he pledged to encourage troop contributions and other support to the existing African Union mission in the country, known as AMISOM.

Mr. Gedi also addressed the Security Council in a closed meeting this morning.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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UNCERTAINTY HINDERING MANAGEMENT OF MARINE GENETIC RESOURCES, UN MEETING TOLD

UNCERTAINTY HINDERING MANAGEMENT OF MARINE GENETIC RESOURCES, UN MEETING TOLD
New York, Jun 28 2007 3:00PM
Uncertainty on how to deal with marine genetic resources beyond national jurisdictions is restricting research and utilization of such resources, several experts have told a United Nations meeting taking place this week at UN Headquarters in New York.

At the annual meeting of the UN informal consultations on oceans and the law of the sea, Sam Johnston, a senior researcher at UN University, told participants that the current lack of clear rules was slowing down research and use of such resources. It created uncertainty for industry, hampered information exchange among scientists and held back government efforts to negotiate arrangements on sharing the benefits deriving from such resources.

Lisa Speer, of the Natural Resources Defence Council, said the legal system has fallen behind managing areas beyond national jurisdiction and called for a new implementing agreement of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the management of genetic resources in these areas.

Timothy Hodges, Co-Chair of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Working Group on Access and Benefit-Sharing, said the institutional framework for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction was poorly understood and governance structures were under debate.

There was a high potential of monetary and non-monetary wealth to be derived from such resources and the outcome could be "a win-win situation," he said, especially if the capacity-building needs of indigenous and coastal communities were met and their knowledge was recognized.

Philippines' delegate Emma Sarne said that while bioprospecting – or research and development related to marine genetic resources – for academic research was beneficial, if the materials were subsequently patented to foreign investors, the country of origin could lose control over its own marine genetic resources.

The experts recommended regulations that are practical and enforceable, set out liabilities and responsibilities among all interested parties, allow work to proceed and encourage collaboration. The goal should be to facilitate access and to ensure legal certainty for scientists and bioprospectors, while retaining coastal state involvement.

The informal consultations will conclude tomorrow, with the expected adoption of agreed elements feeding into the General Assembly's resolution on the law of the sea and sustainable fisheries.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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DESERTIFICATION COULD LEAD TO MASS MIGRATIONS, UN STUDY WARNS

DESERTIFICATION COULD LEAD TO MASS MIGRATIONS, UN STUDY WARNS
New York, Jun 28 2007 3:00PM
Governments must adopt strategies to mitigate the effects of desertification which are aggravated by climate change and could lead to mass migrations of tens of millions of people in the next decade, a new United Nations study cautioned today.

One third of the global population – or about 2 billion people – are threatened by encroaching desertification. If no actions are taken, over the next 10 years roughly 50 million people, equivalent to the total number of people in South Africa or the Republic of Korea, are in danger of being displaced.

Experts from the UN University (<"http://www.inweh.unu.edu/inweh">UNU) said that the loss of soil productivity and the degradation of nature threaten international stability, and appealed to governments to take an integrated approach to tackling issues concerning desertification, climate change and poverty reduction.

"It is imperative that effective policies and sustainable agricultural policies be put in place to reverse the decline of dry lands," said Hans van Ginkel, Under-Secretary-General and UNU Rector.

Countries must bolster efforts regarding land use policy to bring an end to overgrazing, over-exploitation, trampling and unsustainable irrigation practices, he added.

The study – which is based on the input of 200 experts from 25 countries and was presented at UN Headquarters in New York today – observed that policy decisions are often made in isolation, with potentially counterproductive results.

"Some forces of globalization, while striving to reduce economic inequality and eliminate poverty, are contributing to worsening desertification," said Professor Ginkel.

In addition, the formulation of policies to combat desertification "has been hindered by the lack of concrete data about rates and extent of desertification," said Zafar Adeel, lead author of the study and Director of UNU's International Network on Water, Environment and Health.

"We must, as the global international community interested in desertification, put monitoring and assessment at the top of our policy agenda."

The analysis recommends that governments create financial incentives for those who use dry land to preserve and maintain their ecosystems and better educate local populations and policymakers who often do not have a good understanding of the basic concepts of dry lands and desertification.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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UN-REAL MADRID AGREEMENT HELPS REFUGEE CHILDREN IN PANAMA

UN-REAL MADRID AGREEMENT HELPS REFUGEE CHILDREN IN PANAMA
New York, Jun 28 2007 1:00PM
An agreement between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/468255d14.html">UNHCR) and the Real Madrid Foundation has paved the way for nearly a dozen refugee children to attend school and sports activities in Panama.

The accord opened the doors of the "City of Knowledge," a group of several prestigious universities and schools built on the site of Panama's last United States naval base, which closed in 1999. They include the School for Sports Education and Social Integration, which was opened by the Real Madrid Foundation last year to teach football and provide a rounded education for hundreds of Panamanian youngsters.

Eleven refugee children in Panama City joined more than 500 other students aged between 5 and 18 who joined the school this year, UNHCR said in a news release.

"Of course we want to train good players, but we also want to give the kids a chance to develop their full potential as human beings," explained the school's technical director, former Real Madrid player Angel Pérez.

Tuition at the School for Sports Education and Social Integration is free for refugee children and the school also pays for transport, uniforms and two meals a day.

"Football brings people together; this is a very good way for young refugees to get to know other children," said UNHCR Representative in Panama Jose Euceda, adding that the Government was very supportive of the project.

"Children can feel very isolated when they reach a new country and often they are at risk of being marginalized, so the Real Madrid school really helps them a lot," he added.

The Real Madrid Foundation runs similar schools in Chile, Bolivia, El Salvador and Ecuador and is planning to open several more in other American countries. UNHCR said it hopes to "extend its collaboration with the Foundation to give more young refugees a chance to fulfill their potential."
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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OMAN SANCTUARY FIRST SITE TO BE REMOVED FROM UNESCO'S WORLD HERITAGE LIST

OMAN SANCTUARY FIRST SITE TO BE REMOVED FROM UNESCO'S WORLD HERITAGE LIST
New York, Jun 28 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today took the unprecedented step of removing the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman – home to the rare antelope – from its World Heritage List due to what the agency deemed as the country's failure to fulfil its conservation obligations with regard to the site.

The World Heritage Committee, which is currently holding its annual meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, deleted the <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/362">Sanctuary – which had been on the List since 1994 – because of Oman's decision to reduce the size of the protected area by 90 per cent, contravening the guidelines of UNESCO's 1972 <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/convention">World Heritage Convention.

In 1996, the population of the Arabian Oryx in the site was at 450 but it has since dwindled to 65 with only about four breeding pairs – mainly due to poaching and habitat degradation – thus "making its future viability uncertain," according to a press release issued by the agency.

The Committee decided that the reduction in the size of the Sanctuary would "destroy the value and integrity of the property," which is also home to other endangered species including the Arabian Gazelle and houbara bustard – a large bird prized in the region.

Also today, the Committee <"http://whc.unesco.org">inscribed 15 new sites on the List including Japan's Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, Turkmenistan's Parthian Fortresses of Nisa, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, India's Red Fort Complex, the Mehmed Paša Sokolovic Bridge of Višegrad (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Rideau Canal (Canada), the historic centre of Bordeaux, Port of the Moon (France), the Old Town of Corfu (Greece), and Lavaux vineyard terraces (Switzerland).

Also added were the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (South Africa), Twyfelfontein rock carvings (Namibia), the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (China) and Samarra Archaeological City (Iraq), which was also placed on the List of <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/158">World Heritage in Danger.

In addition, Teide National Park (Spain) and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathian (Slovakia, Ukraine) were added as natural sites, and the Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda (Gabon) was inscribed as a mixed - cultural and natural - site.

The Committee also decided to approve the extension of the natural site of Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn, (Switzerland).

The Committee also <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/363">approved a request from Poland to change the name of Auschwitz on the World Heritage List to "Auschwitz-Birkenau" with the subtitle "German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)."

In a statement issued following its decision, the Committee said that the remains of the two camps of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, as well as its Protective Zone, were placed on the List as evidence of the "inhumane, cruel and methodical effort to deny human dignity to groups considered inferior, leading to their systematic murder."

The <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list">World Heritage List includes 848 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having "outstanding universal value."
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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UN'S IRAQ ENVOY PLEDGES FULL SUPPORT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW PROCESS

UN'S IRAQ ENVOY PLEDGES FULL SUPPORT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW PROCESS
New York, Jun 28 2007 1:00PM
The senior United Nations envoy to Iraq today pledged the world body's full support for the country's constitutional review process.

During talks with the Chair of the Constitutional Review Committee, Humam Hamoudi, and Deputy Chair Ayad al-Samaraie, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative, Ashraf Qazi, reiterated his earlier commendation of the panel's work "and the professional and constructive problem-solving approach it adopted," according to a news release from the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org">UNAMI).

Mr.Qazi reaffirmed the UN's willingness to continue assisting the Committee in reviewing outstanding technical issues, drawing on its international experience and knowledge of best practice in comparable situations, UNAMI said.

The envoy also emphasized that the UN is firmly committed to assisting in the implementation of the constitution and any approved amendments, noting that its technical and advisory role is always carried out at the request of the Government.

The Committee has already advanced proposals on the distribution of powers and in principle on the national collection and fair sharing of oil revenues, UNAMI said in a news release at the weekend. Issues still meriting consideration relate to Iraq's federal architecture and to the Constitution's Human Rights Chapter.

The Committee is working to forge an agreement that can be put to the Iraqi people for their endorsement.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED DRIVE AIMS TO PROTECT 2 MILLION ZAMBIAN CHILDREN FROM MEASLES

UN-BACKED DRIVE AIMS TO PROTECT 2 MILLION ZAMBIAN CHILDREN FROM MEASLES
New York, Jun 28 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) and the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en">WHO) are gearing up for up for a vaccination campaign that aims to protect 2 million children in Zambia from measles.

The <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-74LETV?OpenDocument&rc=1&cc=zmb">drive, which will be held from 9 to 14 July, involves nearly 9,000 vaccinators and volunteers, still has a $500,000 shortfall in its $3 million budget, said the agencies, which have provided over $2 million for the effort.

In addition to providing measles vaccines to over 2 million children, the campaign includes Vitamin A supplementation -- to boost immunity -- and de-worming Mebendazole tablets.

In her address at last week's measles campaign advocacy meeting in Lusaka, WHO Representative in Zambia, Dr. Stella Anyangwe, pointed out that measles can be prevented with a simple vaccine which costing less than a dollar per child. "It is therefore unpardonable to allow the disease to continue to kill, to sicken and to disable our children," she said.

Also speaking at the advocacy meeting, UNICEF Zambia Deputy Representative, Elspeth Erickson, stressed the need to reach out to every child in the targeted age group with the measles vaccine.

"It is a travesty that globally measles is still one of the major causes of childhood illness and a leading cause of child death in many developing countries, despite the fact that a safe vaccine has been available for many decades. We need to ensure that every child in Zambia is vaccinated against measles," she said.
2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF CALLS FOR AWARENESS-RAISING MEASURES TO STEM SPREAD OF HIV IN IRAN

UNICEF CALLS FOR AWARENESS-RAISING MEASURES TO STEM SPREAD OF HIV IN IRAN
New York, Jun 28 2007 8:00AM
A senior official from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) currently in Iran has called for maximum efforts to prevent HIV and AIDS from becoming a general epidemic in the country.

"I am very impressed by Iran's social programme and in particular the country's approach to health issues," said Omar Abdi, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, on Wednesday.

"Iran's experience in these fields can serve as a useful model for other countries and could be central for increased south-south cooperation on social issues."

At the same time, the official, who is in Iran for the first time on a two-day visit, called for more action on the prevention of HIV and AIDS. Touring a prevention project in Yaftabad, Western Tehran, where UNICEF supports peer outreach education for adolescents who are at risk of contracting the disease, he called for particular attention to the needs of the young.

"Children must be at the forefront of the fight against AIDS. Around the world, millions of children are missing parents, siblings, schooling, health care, basic protection and many other fundamentals of childhood because of the toll AIDS is taking on their societies," he said, adding that UNICEF is working to spread information about prevention.

Christian Salazar, the agency's Representative in Iran, said that UNICEF Iran was advocating for a broad-based awareness-raising programme on HIV/AIDS prevention among young people.

"We are partnering with the media, celebrities and religious leaders in the country to inform young people of how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. But another key ally in these efforts are young people themselves -- through peer-to-peer education, they can be the most effective proponents of behaviour change," he said.

In Iran, UNICEF activities in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention include seminars and conferences with government officials and civil society representatives as well as high-level advo
UNICEF Representative.

Peer education programmes are also part of the effort, including the "expansion of adolescent friendly-service centres that provide information on health and life skills in a youth-friendly manner," UNICEF said in a news release.

Iran currently has some 14,500 officially registered HIV/AIDS cases, representing 0.16 per cent of the population.

During his visit, Mr. Abdi is also scheduled to meet key Iranian officials, including the Head of the Expediency Council and former Iranian President, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, Minister of Health and Medical Education Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, and the Deputy for Legal and International Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Sayed Abbas Araghchi, UNICEF said.

2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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SOMALIA: THOUSANDS FLEE MOGADISHU AMID RENEWED VIOLENCE, UN REPORTS

SOMALIA: THOUSANDS FLEE MOGADISHU AMID RENEWED VIOLENCE, UN REPORTS
New York, Jun 28 2007 8:00AM
Escalating violence in the Somali capital of Mogadishu this month has forced more than 3,500 people to flee in recent weeks, the United Nations refugee agency has reported.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also reported that only 123,000 of the estimated 401,000 civilians who fled the heavy fighting that raged in Mogadishu between February and May have returned to the capital, citing to figures compiled by the agency and its partners.

Even as people continue leave Mogadishu, they are returning at nearly a tenfold rate. UNHCR said that while more than 3,500 people fled the city in June, an estimated 33,000 returned there in the same period.

In another major new displacement development, UNHCR's local partners report that some 10,000 people have fled violence between rival clans in and around the southern coastal city of Kismayao.

Most of those unwilling to return to Mogadishu cite continuing insecurity at a time when daily acts of violence are rising despite claims by the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that it has defeated insurgent forces.

"These people say they will not come back until Mogadishu is completely safe," a UNHCR staff member reported from the capital.

The latest fighting has left many civilians dead and injured from rocket attacks, roadside bombs and crossfire, the agency said.

The UNHCR staffer said that some of the civilians who recently returned to the capital are leaving it once more because of the insecurity. "Others leave their neighbourhood to move to another part of the city because of persistent bomb explosions close to their homes, especially in the north of the city. They fear being caught in skirmishes," he added.

Some 250,000 Somalis who have resided on state property such as ministerial buildings, police stations or even electric power plants face the same threat. Some families had been living at such sites since fleeing their homes in 199
Siad Barre before turning on each other.

The TFG has to date evicted 2,000 people in order to restore the buildings to public use. "These families are lost, they can no longer access the place where they used to live and sometimes their houses have been already destroyed by the authorities," said a local aid worker whose organization works with UNHCR.

He said these vulnerable people needed water, food and shelter. Many of them also needed to find employment so that they could support their families. The UN refugee agency has asked the TFG to halt the evictions and to help provide basic services and find alternative solutions for these displaced people.

2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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LEBANON: UN COMMANDER MEETS LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY TIES

LEBANON: UN COMMANDER MEETS LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY TIES
New York, Jun 28 2007 8:00AM
The Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today held an open meeting with local authorities from the towns and villages in the eastern sector of the mission's area of operations as part of efforts to strengthen ties with communities.

"UNIFIL's role is to maintain peace and stability in the south and to improve the situation of the civilian population and protect them if there is an imminent threat of violence coming from any party," Major-General Claudio Graziano told participants.

"For those reasons, I consider the relationship between UNIFIL and the communities in the area of operation a high priority. It is essential that these relations are characterized by trust, confidence and mutual respect. "

He added that the recent terrorist attack which killed six UNIFIL peacekeepers would not deter them from carrying out their mission. "At this difficult moment I want to stress that all UNIFIL troops remain committed more then ever to its mission and resolve to implement the tasks mandated by the Security Council."

Today's was the latest in a series of meetings Major-General Graziano has held with representatives from local authorities throughout southern Lebanon. Among those present were the Governor of Nabatiyeh, as well as the mayors and mukhtars of local towns and villages. In addition, members of parliament with constituencies in the areas, representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and UNIFIL peacekeeping contingents deployed in the area also attended.

At the start of the meeting, all present observed a minute of silence in memory of the six fallen peacekeepers from UNIFIL's Spanish contingent who were killed in the terrorist attack on 24 June.

2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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IAEA TO HELP CHINA AND QATAR ON NUCLEAR SECURITY

IAEA TO HELP CHINA AND QATAR ON NUCLEAR SECURITY
New York, Jun 28 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has made plans with China and Qatar to help the two countries in developing their nuclear security regimes.

The 'practical arrangements' signed with China and Qatar cover activities which are part of a broader plan to help countries in improving their nuclear security regimes. The plan aims to achieve improved worldwide security of nuclear and other radioactive material.

According to the terms of the arrangements, announced in a news release, the IAEA will advise the two countries on physical protection measures for nuclear facilities and will help to provide equipment for the prevention and detection of criminal acts involving nuclear and other radioactive material.

The arrangements also include the possibility for the IAEA to provide nuclear security consultation, advisory missions, training and assistance in response to nuclear or radiological security incidents if requested.

In addition, the Agency will help the China Atomic Energy Authority to work together to enhance nuclear security arrangements for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

In 2004 the Agency assisted Greece with a nuclear security plan for the Athens Olympic Games. More recently, the IAEA signed an arrangement with Brazil relating to the security of the 15th Pan-American Games taking place in Rio de Janeiro next month.

2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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LIBERIAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME IN FIRST AIRLIFT FROM BURKINA FASO - UN

LIBERIAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME IN FIRST AIRLIFT FROM BURKINA FASO - UN
New York, Jun 28 2007 8:00AM
A diverse group of over 50 Liberian refugees returned home this week on the first air repatriation of Liberians from Burkina Faso, according to the United Nations refugee agency, which organized the effort.

Those who returned, including students, tailors, professional soccer players, musicians, artists and restaurant owners, ,boarded an aircraft of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) on Tuesday in Ouagadougou and flew to Monrovia, just ahead of the planned end of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) repatriation programme.

The returnees, many of whom had been in exile since the start of the Liberian civil war in late 1989, were accompanied by UNHCR staff members and Liberian refugee officials. They will each receive a return package of food for four months and supplies such as kitchen sets, buckets, mats and plastic sheeting, the agency said.

The returnees will also get a transportation allowance to help them get home, where they will be offered vocational training if needed, but UNHCR said in a news release that many of the returnees have skills that they have used in exile and which could be helpful in rebuilding a country devastated by years of war and destruction.

Hundreds of thousands of Liberian refugees fled their country during the civil war, which ended in 2003. To date, over 103,500 of them have returned home with UNHCR help and many more have made their own way back.

2007-06-28 00:00:00.000

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UN STEPS UP EFFORTS TO DEPLOY HEAVY SUPPORT PACKAGE TO DARFUR

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

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FORMER UK LEADER TONY BLAIR NAMED NEW QUARTET REPRESENTATIVE

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 <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sg2129.doc.htm">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

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BUDGET COMMITTEE APPROVES STEPS TO BOOST UN PEACEKEEPING CAPACITY

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

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CITIES IN AFRICA AND ASIA TO DOUBLE IN SIZE BY 2030: UN POPULATION FUND

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 <"http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2007/english/introduction.html">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 <"http://www.unfpa.org/swp/swpmain.htm">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 <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2007/070627_Population.doc.htm">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

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TIME FOR UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION TO TURN PLANS INTO RESULTS - NEW CHAIR

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 <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/pbc17.doc.htm">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

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BAN KI-MOON TO DEPART ON TWO-WEEK VISIT TO EUROPE

BAN KI-MOON TO DEPART ON TWO-WEEK VISIT TO EUROPE
New York, Jun 27 2007 5:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will depart this weekend for a two-week trip to Europe that will take him to Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and the United Kingdom, a spokesperson for the world body announced today.

Mr. Ban's first stop will be Geneva, where he is scheduled to open the high-level portion of the annual month-long session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on 2 July, spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

From Geneva, he will travel to Rome to attend the Conference on the Rule of Law in Afghanistan, which will be chaired by the UN and the Afghan and Italian Governments.

Mr. Ban will travel back to Geneva for the Global Compact Leaders Summit on 5-6 July, which is expected to be the largest gathering ever held by the UN on the issue of corporate citizenship, featuring an international roster of business leaders, government ministers and heads of civil society. After that, the Secretary-General will embark on an official visit to Portugal.

He will then head to Brussels, where he plans to attend the first meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, hosted by the Belgian Government from 9 to 11 July. The idea for such a forum was first proposed by then Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2006.

Mr. Ban will also make an official visit to the United Kingdom, before returning to New York on 12 July, Ms. Montas said.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC FACING PRECARIOUS SITUATION - UN REPORT

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC FACING PRECARIOUS SITUATION – UN REPORT
New York, Jun 27 2007 5:00PM
The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) remains extremely precarious, marked by deteriorating humanitarian conditions, repeated violations of human rights, a culture of impunity, a lack of dialogue and tolerance between opposing groups, and persistent poverty and corruption, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warns today.

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/376">report on the CAR and the work of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in that country (BONUCA), Mr. Ban calls on the authorities in the CAR to step up their efforts to kick-start intensive political dialogue and push the peace process forward.

"Recent encouraging prospects can be sustained only with continued international cooperation, in a climate of peace," he writes, noting that recent consultations by the Panel of the Wise, a prominent civil society group, indicate that most key political groups – including rebels – want dialogue.

But some opposition parties are sceptical that the Government of President François Bozizé is genuinely committed to holding dialogue given he has said the security situation must first improve and the talks cannot call into question the legitimacy of institutions set up since elections held in 2005.

Earlier this year, the Government reached peace deals with some of the rebel groups in the northwest and northeast, where most of the fighting has taken place in recent years.

But Mr. Ban stresses that while these accords are welcome, "only through a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue can solid progress towards restoring sustainable stability in the country and attracting investors be made."

Condemning repeated attacks on humanitarian workers, the Secretary-General says the Government needs to improve its measures to ensure that aid workers receive adequate protection. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the CAR is estimated at more than 200,000, while the country is also home to refugees from the neighbouring Darfur region of Sudan.

But Mr. Ban adds that the economy has made some improvements, with a 4.7 per cent growth rate in 2007, up from 3.8 per cent the previous year, thanks partly to <"http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank and <"http://www.imf.org/external/">International Monetary Fund-backed poverty reduction programmes.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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'OCEAN'S THIRTEEN' STARS DONATE $1 MILLION IN SUPPORT OF UN FOOD AGENCY

'OCEAN'S THIRTEEN' STARS DONATE $1 MILLION IN SUPPORT OF UN FOOD AGENCY
New York, Jun 27 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2547">WFP) in Darfur, Sudan has received $1 million from a humanitarian organization co-founded by the cast and filmmakers of the Hollywood blockbuster "Ocean's Thirteen."

The humanitarian organization called Not On Our Watch donated the $1 million to the Friends of the World Food Programme, in support of the WFP's humanitarian air service in Darfur.

"Humanitarian air services are essential not only for WFP but also other UN agencies and humanitarian organizations working in Darfur," said Karen Sendelback, President and CEO of Friends of WFP.

WFP relies on helicopters to transport staff to food distributions sites primarily in Darfur.

"This generous gift will allow WFP to expand the critical delivery of relief assistance to the millions affected by conflict in the region," said Ms. Sendelback.

The escalating insecurity in Darfur has led WFP to increase its fleet of helicopters from four to six, catering to the demands of the humanitarian community working in war-torn Darfur.

Actor George Clooney, board member and co-founder of Not On Our Watch, added that "every aid organization working in Darfur relies on WFP planes and helicopters to access otherwise inaccessible villages in Darfur.

"These people are the first to arrive and the last to leave. We are honoured to support their important work to save lives in Darfur."

The governing board of Not On Our Watch includes "Ocean's Thirteen" stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle, producer Jerry Weintraub and David Pressman.

In 2007, WFP plans to provide food assistance to 5.5 million vulnerable people in Sudan, where the UN and the African Union are working to deploy a peacekeeping operation to Darfur. More than 200,000 people have been killed there and at least 2 million others displaced since clashes erupted in 2003 between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON ENDORSES REPORT OF UN TEAM ASSESSING LEBANESE BORDER SECURITY

BAN KI-MOON ENDORSES REPORT OF UN TEAM ASSESSING LEBANESE BORDER SECURITY
New York, Jun 27 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon backs the recommendations contained in the report of the independent United Nations team tasked with assessing the monitoring of the Lebanese border with Syria, his spokesperson announced today.

Mr. Ban transmitted the report to the Security Council yesterday, Michele Montas told journalists, adding he "fully supports" the recommendations of the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team.

"It is clear that efforts are required from the Lebanese Government, with the support of the international community, to develop a more efficient system for border management in Lebanon," Ms. Montas said.

"The Secretary-General also concurs with the recommendation that Syria should cooperate with the Lebanese authorities, noting that Syria has a shared responsibility in controlling its borders with Lebanon and in implementing [Security Council] resolution 1701," which ended last year's war between Hizbollah and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

The five-member team, comprised of experts in border security, police, customs and military issues, was set up by Mr. Ban after a request from the Council in April. The team travelled to Lebanon late last month and spent several weeks holding consultations with Lebanese officials and bilateral partners already assisting the country on border monitoring and reviewing existing security arrangements.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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BIRD FLU VIRUS STILL A SERIOUS THREAT, DESPITE IMPROVED RESPONSE, UN WARNS

BIRD FLU VIRUS STILL A SERIOUS THREAT, DESPITE IMPROVED RESPONSE, UN WARNS
New York, Jun 27 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000615/index.html">FAO) warned today that although the global response to the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus has significantly improved over the past few years, the virus remains entrenched in several countries and will continue to spread.

According to FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer, Joseph Domenech, the virus was rapidly detected and eliminated or controlled in some 15 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East where it was introduced during the past six months.

Speaking at a press conference at the agency's headquarters in Rome, he said most affected countries have been very open about new outbreaks. "This shows that countries are taking the H5N1 threat seriously. They are better prepared today and have improved their response systems."

At the same time, Mr. Domenech stressed there was no room for complacency, and said a potential human influenza pandemic could not be ruled out as long as the virus continued to exist in poultry.

Recent H5N1 outbreaks in Bangladesh, Ghana, Togo, Czech Republic and Germany are a clear reminder that the virus is spreading to new or previously infected countries, he said, adding that the situations in Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria are particularly serious.

FAO says containing and eradicating the virus will require a long-term financial and political commitment from Governments, including modifying or changing high risk poultry production and marketing practices to ensure safer supply.

"Even if bird flu has disappeared from our TV screens, it doesn't mean that the risk is over," Mr. Domenech stated. "Avian influenza is not a one-time event, the international community will have to live with the disease for several years to come."

To date, 315 people from a dozen countries have been infected with the virus, resulting in 191 deaths. More than 200 million birds have died from either the virus or preventive culling in the current outbreak.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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COUNTRIES MUST STEP UP DISASTER REDUCTION EFFORTS, UN OFFICIAL SAYS

COUNTRIES MUST STEP UP DISASTER REDUCTION EFFORTS, UN OFFICIAL SAYS
New York, Jun 27 2007 1:00PM
As climate change exacerbates and compounds the effects of disasters, countries must improve their readiness to minimize damages, <" http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-74KFRG?OpenDocument">stressed the head of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (<" http://www.unisdr.org/eng/media-room/media-room.htm">ISDR).

The agency's Director, Sálvano Briceño, cited recent heavy rains in Pakistan, India and northern England, as well as heat waves in Greece, Italy and Romania as indications of what might happen more frequently and severely due to global warming.

"We are not trying to scare people but we want to alert every Government of the urgency to put disaster risk reduction as a top priority of their political agenda as no country will be immune," he said.

"We cannot wait to be taken by surprise, we know what is going to happen and we can prepare for it," he added.

Steps that countries can take include devising early warning systems, building flood shelters, establishing contingency plans to evacuate people quickly and protecting homes and key buildings and infrastructures such as hospitals, schools, water supplies, electricity installations and transport systems.

Recent reports by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (<"http://www.ipcc.ch">IPCC) have warned of increased rainfalls and higher temperatures resulting from global warming.

"We can no longer afford to ignore growing and compelling warnings from the world's leading experts," Mr. Briceño said. "The situation is not beyond remedy and building resilience and minimizing costs, through adaptation to climate variability and change, is essential to secure the future of societies and economies."

Flooding has killed over 200 people recently in India and Pakistan, while people in northern England are struggling to recover from the effects of one month's worth of rain falling in several hours.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO ADDS THREE NATURAL SITES TO ITS WORLD HERITAGE LIST

UNESCO ADDS THREE NATURAL SITES TO ITS WORLD HERITAGE LIST
New York, Jun 27 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<" http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=38669&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) today announced its decision to inscribe three new natural sites in Madagascar, China and the Republic of Korea to its <" http://whc.unesco.org/en/list">World Heritage List.

The World Heritage Committee is currently holding its annual meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, and today's additions bring the number of properties on the List to 833.

In Madagascar, the Rainforests of the Atsinanana comprise six national parks on the African island nation's eastern side. These forests are crucial for the survival of the country's unique biodiversity. Given that the island separated from land masses over 60 million years ago, its plant and animal life has evolved in isolation. The inscription also notes the many threatened species – including at least 25 species of lemur – supported by the rainforests.

The South China Karst region encompasses over half a million square kilometers, and represents one of the most spectacular examples of humid tropical to sub-tropical karst, a type of terrain formed mainly by dissolving rock that usually features fissures, sinkholes, underground streams and caverns.

The stone forests of Shilin, part of the site, are internationally renowned, as well as the Naigu stone forest, which occurs on limestone, and the Suyishan stone forest arising from a lake. Shilin also contains a larger range of pinnacle shapes than other karst landscapes and also a wider variety of shapes and changing colours.

In the far south of the Republic Korea, the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes consist of three sites. They are Geomunoreum, considered the finest lava tube system of all caves with multi-coloured carbonate roofs and floors; the Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone, which emerges from the ocean; and Mount Hallasan, the country's highest peak, with its waterfalls, multi-shaped rock formations and lake-filled crater.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED INITIATIVE AIMS TO BRING JOBS TO RURAL SIERRA LEONE'S YOUTH

UN-BACKED INITIATIVE AIMS TO BRING JOBS TO RURAL SIERRA LEONE'S YOUTH
New York, Jun 27 2007 12:00PM
The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (<" http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2007/32.htm">IFAD) has announced a new $10.9 million programme to bring small loans and jobs to the young people of rural Sierra Leone, benefiting 34,000 households in the West African country that saw the end of civil strife and the installation of an elected Government in 2002.

The Rural Finance and Community Improvement Programme will establish rural financial services – using a model that IFAD has developed and applied successfully in Benin for 10 years – in the four remote eastern districts of Koinadugu, Kono, Kailahun and Kenema.

"To consolidate peace, the programme's primary target is young people, including ex-combatants, sexually abused young women and single mothers," said IFAD's country programme manager for Sierra Leone, Mohamed Tounessi. "IFAD is the only donor working in Koinadugu, the largest district covered by the programme and the most remote in the country."

Under the programme, villagers will learn how to set up and operate their own financial services associations, which will build equity and make microcredit available.

The new activity will also create jobs for young people and rebuild key infrastructure like roads, water supplies, schools and health centres. In addition, the programme will conduct awareness-building campaigns, particularly about HIV/AIDS and nutrition.

The programme will be funded largely by a grant of $9.9 million from IFAD. The Government will provide additional financing of $500,000, and programme participants will contribute another $500,000.

With this latest scheme, IFAD will have financed six programmes and projects in Sierra Leone for a total commitment of $57 million.
2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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JUST-CONCLUDED POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING IN TIMOR-LESTE 'LARGELY PEACEFUL' -- UN

JUST-CONCLUDED POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING IN TIMOR-LESTE 'LARGELY PEACEFUL' -- UN
New York, Jun 27 2007 8:00AM
As political campaigning concluded throughout Timor-Leste today, the senior United Nations envoy to the nascent country commended all political parties and the Timorese people for the largely peaceful manner in which the process was conducted.

"In line with the Political Party Accord and Code of Conduct that were signed last month, the political parties have delivered their message to the Timorese people fairly and free of violence," said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare.

"This clearly demonstrates their commitment to a free and fair election on 30 June," he added of the parliamentary polls set to be held at the end of this month.

Campaigning across Timor-Leste, which the UN helped to shepherd to independence in 2002, had begun in late May.

The UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) is mandated by the Security Council to support the country in all aspects of the 2007 presidential and parliamentary electoral process.

2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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UN RIGHTS EXPERT URGES IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF BBC REPORTER ALAN JOHNSTON

UN RIGHTS EXPERT URGES IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF BBC REPORTER ALAN JOHNSTON
New York, Jun 27 2007 8:00AM
An independent United Nations human rights expert today called for the immediate release of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, who was abducted in Gaza City on 12 March.

"Mr. Johnston, who works for the British Broadcasting Corporation, is a distinguished journalist, much appreciated for his objective reporting and his sympathetic approach to human suffering," Ambeyi Ligabo, the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the freedom of opinion and expression, said in a statement released in Geneva today.

"I call for his immediate and peaceful release so that he can return to his family and colleagues without going through any additional suffering."

The expert said Mr. Johnston's prolonged abduction "is a worrying reminder of the precarious work conditions of journalists in conflict areas."

He emphasized that the safety of journalists is indispensable for the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression. "The role of the media in publicly denouncing violence and conflict is essential in promoting human rights worldwide."

2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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SUDAN: UN MISSION MOURNS PASSING OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR

SUDAN: UN MISSION MOURNS PASSING OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR
New York, Jun 27 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today mourned the death of Presidential Advisor Majzoub Al Khalifa, paying tribute to his dedication.

"Majzoub Al Khalifa was one of the key interlocutors of UNMIS since the inception of the Mission," spokesperson Radhia Achouri told the press in Khartoum.

"He will be remembered as a tenacious negotiator and a high caliber statesman, and for his contribution to the peaceful resolution of the Darfur conflict through the Abuja peace process and subsequent negotiations in the context of the Addis Ababa conclusions of November last year," she said.

Just last weekend, the Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Darfur, Pekka Haavisto, met with Presidential Adviser Al Khalifa, she noted.

In other developments concerning Darfur, the spokesperson reported that an UNMIS Human Rights team this week visited Kutum, Kabkabiya, and Al Kuma in the troubled western region of Sudan.

"In Kutum, the team documented increased attacks on civilians by Arab militia and continued gender-based violence incidents at Fataborno IDP camp," said Ms. Achouri, adding that UNMIS also documented an attack by Janjaweed on Mutu village on 8 June resulting in two deaths.

Incidents of car-jacking, particularly in West Darfur and South Darfur, and temporary detention of international non-governmental organization (NGO) staff, as well as forced entry into their compounds, continue to be reported, according to UNMIS.

In South Darfur, insecurity continues to cause the displacement of thousands of people, causing the population at camps housing them to swell. Ms. Achouri cited the example of Al Salam camp, which had a population of 13,300 in March and now houses 28,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), "with reports of 5,000 IDPs still on their way."

Continuous efforts are being made to maintain the minimum humanitarian standards and to access conflict-affected people who were previously
insecurity, including attacks on humanitarian workers, continues to seriously affect humanitarian access, and has a significant impact on the quality of humanitarian interventions by reducing the number of visits, affecting continuity of programmes and presence of humanitarian personnel in outlying areas."

2007-06-27 00:00:00.000

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AGREEMENT SHOULD SYNCHRONIZE ACTIONS WITH AFRICAN UNION - SECURITY COUNCIL

AGREEMENT SHOULD SYNCHRONIZE ACTIONS WITH AFRICAN UNION – SECURITY COUNCIL
New York, Jun 26 2007 7:00PM
A new agreement between the Security Council and its African Union (AU) counterpart will allow the two bodies to better harmonize their actions in the interest of international peace and security, the Council heard today.

Four Permanent Representatives <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9061.doc.htm">briefed the Council on the 15-member body's recent week-long mission to Africa – the group visited Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – in support of ongoing peace efforts across the continent.

The Council and the AU Peace and Security Council signed a joint communiqué on 16 June committing themselves to bolstering their cooperation efforts in areas such as conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, who co-chaired the mission's first leg in Ethiopia, said "it is important that there should be an exchange of views between the two Councils to make sure that whatever Africa is engaging in is to the benefit and is within the intentions of the international community, and in particular the Security Council."

Mr. Kumalo added there should be an "exchange of views" yearly between the two Councils. He also mentioned the possibility of exploring, on a case-by-case basis, the possibility of the UN assisting the AU with resources, especially where the organization was acting on the Security Council's behalf.

Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of the United Kingdom, who co-chaired the initial segment of the Council's mission with Mr. Kumalo, said the joint declaration is crucial given the "sheer number of issues where we have a commonality of interest and a common purpose."

Given the Council must look to regional actors to help in maintaining international peace and security, "it follows as night follows day that the Peace and Security Council of the AU is delivering better peace and security in Africa."

Greater cooperation on all matters concerning peace and security – from demobilization to ending conflict – is vital, he said, and before either the UN or AU takes action, each should be aware of what the other is planning.

The Council mission also visited Khartoum, Sudan, where it met with President Omar al-Bashir and other senior Government officials, mainly to discuss the Darfur region.

Mr. Kumalo and Mr. Jones Parry welcomed Sudan's acceptance of the new hybrid UN-AU force, the third phase of a three-step process to replace the existing but under-resourced AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), but stressed the need to maintain the pressure on both the Government and the rebels to ensure the force is implemented.

"Bringing both sides to an accord within the shortest time scale is the best way of providing long-term security and peace in Darfur," Mr. Jones Parry said.

The Council also heard a statement from Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales of Peru, who led the segment of the mission in Côte d'Ivoire, and was briefed by Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sablière of France, who headed the Council's stop in the DRC.

Mr. Voto-Bernales said Council members encouraged all Ivorian sides to press forward with the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement, the accord that sets out a series of measures to deal with the political divide in the West African country, which has been split between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north since 2002.

Despite technical issues, "at the political level, the determination of the parties to apply the agreement remained intact," he said. Elections are slated for later this year, and he observed that among all parties, "there is a consensus about the need for a certification of the electoral process to be carried out by the UN at each stage of the process."

Mr. de la Sablière told the Council that the mission's talks with leaders and officials in Kinshasa, the DRC capital, focused on such topics as security sector reform.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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CHILDREN ARE HIT HARDEST BY ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMIC PROBLEMS - UNICEF

CHILDREN ARE HIT HARDEST BY ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMIC PROBLEMS – UNICEF
New York, Jun 26 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40129.html">UNICEF) says it is deeply concerned about increased suffering for everyday Zimbabweans, particularly children, as a result of grave economic problems facing the southern African country.

"Every day in Zimbabwe the basic elements required for a healthy and happy childhood –affordable education, three meals per day, clothing and shelter – are being pushed out of reach for people," said UNICEF's Representative in Zimbabwe, Festo Kavishe.
With official inflation at 4,530 per cent, the cost of essential goods and services is increasing every day, in some cases doubling, the agency notes in a press release issued today. The country is facing "critical shortages" of drugs, as well as key health and education staff, and has entered another drought year.

Last month Zimbabwe's Central Statistics Office said the basic "family food basket" for a family of six cost $100. However, a teacher's salary equates to just $18 per month, and that of a nurse $20. Unemployment is reported at more than 70 per cent.

And yet, UNICEF says, amid these colossal hardships, significant accomplishments have been made. Ninety-five per cent of orphans continue to be absorbed by the extended family, while last year Zimbabwe became the first country in southern Africa to record a fall in the HIV rate – from 24.6 per cent to 20 per cent.

Working across Zimbabwe in areas of child protection, education, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and HIV prevention, UNICEF says Zimbabweans have been "nothing short of miraculous" in attempting to cope with the current economic crisis and in caring for their children.

"This country is full of heroes," said Mr. Kavishe. "The grandmothers who work 18-hour days to keep half a dozen orphaned grandchildren in school, the volunteers who devote their time to caring for those racked with pain from AIDS but without drugs, the millions of Zimbabweans who just refuse to give up hope."

At the same time, he cautioned that the country has entered a new phase of hardship. "These are people who forgo bread for books so as to keep their children in school, who are uncomfortable with putting their hand out, but their options are exhausted."

In the past two years, with funding from the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, the European Commission, and the Governments of Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia, UNICEF has increased the number of orphans in Zimbabwe it reaches tenfold, from 50,000 to 500,000. But it warned that critical programmes in HIV prevention, health, nutrition and education remain less than 20 per cent funded.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL OFFERS UN ASSISTANCE TO SURVIVORS OF SOUTH ASIA STORMS

SECRETARY-GENERAL OFFERS UN ASSISTANCE TO SURVIVORS OF SOUTH ASIA STORMS
New York, Jun 26 2007 5:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today pledged to support national efforts to provide emergency assistance to survivors of recent storms across South Asia, which have resulted in several hundred deaths in India and Pakistan.

Mr. Ban was "deeply concerned by the loss of life and serious damage caused by severe storms and flooding in parts of India and Pakistan," his spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11061.doc.htm">statement.

The statement also commended the "prompt and effective" response to the disaster in both countries.

According to UN relief agencies on the ground, the recent storms, combined with tropical cyclone Yemyn – which made landfall this morning in Pakistan's Balochistan province – have caused significant damage in Pakistan and India, causing hundreds of deaths and bringing commercial activity in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, to a halt.

Yemyn has caused damage in coastal and adjoining regions of Balochistan, severing the coastal highway and threatening the Mirani Dam, according to the UN Resident Coordinator for Pakistan. In addition, Pakistani authorities have launched rescue operations for four foreign vessels that remain missing off its coast.

Meanwhile, UN officials in India report that heavy rains and flooding have occurred across parts of the country since last week, affecting the states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Assam and Bihar. In addition to the loss of life, the rains and the resulting flooding and landslides have damaged over 5,000 homes.

Camps have been set up in both countries for the affected populations.

The UN says it remains in close contact with both Governments and is ready to provide relief if requested.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL TREATY BANNING TORTURE

BAN KI-MOON URGES RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL TREATY BANNING TORTURE
New York, Jun 26 2007 5:00PM
Marking the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other United Nations officials today roundly denounced the practice and called on all countries to ratify the international treaty that bans it.

To commemorate the Day, "let us speak with one voice against the perpetrators of torture, and for all who suffer at their hands," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11054.doc.htm">message. "And let us build a better, more humane world for all people everywhere."

Twenty years ago today, the Convention against Torture went into force, "yet even after two decades, this instrument falls well short of universal ratification," he observed, urging all countries who have yet to do so to join both the treaty and its Optional Protocol.

The pact currently has 174 States parties. Comoros, the Dominican Republic, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, India, Nauru, Sao Tome and Principe and Sudan have all signed but not ratified the pact.

Other countries that are not party to the Convention include Angola, Bahamas, Barbados, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, the Central African Republic, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.

Mr. Ban also lauded the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which he characterized as "another milestone in the struggle to eliminate torture."

Signing on to this new treaty – which opened for signature this past year – "will prove an unequivocal expression of the international community's determination to address not only torture but also its most egregious enabling conditions," the Secretary-General noted.

He voiced his solidarity with those who have suffered as a result of torture, thanking the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture for its efforts.

Echoing Mr. Ban's call for universal ratification of the Convention against Torture, other UN experts, led by High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, issued a joint <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/ABD6E1D919C7FF87C1257306003819D1?opendocument">statement condemning the use of torture.

On this Day, "we pay tribute to all Governments, civil society organizations and individuals engaged in activities aimed at preventing torture, punishing it and ensuring that all victims obtain redress and have an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation, including the means for full rehabilitation as possible," the group said.

They also expressed their appreciation for the work of the UN Voluntary Fund for Torture Victims, appealing to all States, "in particular those which have been found to be responsible for widespread or systematic practices of torture," to contribute.

Citing the "strong links" between torture and enforced disappearances, the statement also extolled the new International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforce Disappearances which "brings hope to many who have despaired of the fate of their loved ones."

The group voiced "grave" concern that some States have ignored the UN Committee against Torture's requests to hold off on departing or removing individuals to countries where they could potentially be tortured.

They also voiced concern regarding the use of the death penalty, as those on death row and those who have been executed – as well as their families – are themselves torture victims, under certain circumstances, the statement said.

"Irrespective of whether the death penalty is considered lawful or not under international law, many issues regarding its application may be contrary to international norms against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment," the group said, calling on States to halt the use of the death penalty.

In addition to Ms. Arbour, the statement was endorsed by the UN Committee against Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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FRENCH SOCCER STAR LILIAN THURAM MEETS LIBERIAN YOUTH IN UN-BACKED INITIATIVE

FRENCH SOCCER STAR LILIAN THURAM MEETS LIBERIAN YOUTH IN UN-BACKED INITIATIVE
New York, Jun 26 2007 5:00PM
A United Nations-backed initiative has brought French international football star Lilian Thuram to Liberia, where he encouraged thousands of youth to actively pursue peace.

Attending a series of events on Sunday, Mr. Thuram called on Liberian youth to eschew violence, drugs and war. "Violence is dangerous. To have a better life, you need peace to build and develop your beautiful and rich country," he stated.

He also called on the youth to work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and participated in two soccer matches involving young children, ex-combatants and amputees.

In brief remarks during an interactive forum at Monrovia City Hall attended by more than 300 national youth representatives, an official from the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.unmil.org/article.asp?id=2309">UNMIL) hailed Mr. Thuram as a role model.

"Your message today will have considerable impact on the young people of Liberia," said UNMIL Officer-in-Charge Jordan Ryan, adding that engaging in sports was one of the most effective ways to promote peace.

During the visit, Liberia's Deputy Youth and Sport Minister, Jeremiah Witherspoon, pledged the Government's commitment to work with the UN and other development partners to ensure that issues affecting youth were kept on the national agenda.

Also participating in Sunday's activities were UN and government officials, members of a number of national youth groups and sporting federations, as well as students, musical and traditional artists and war-affected youth.

Mr. Thuram was on a one-day visit to Liberia, organized by the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and facilitated by UNMIL, to boost Liberia's Sport for Peace programme, established earlier this year to reach out to young people who were affected by the conflict which raged in their country for 14 years starting in 1989 and claimed the lives of approximately 150,000 people.

The Sport for Peace initiative was launched in March by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Adolf Ogi, the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, and UNMIL chief Alan Doss.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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GLOBAL DRUG ABUSE RATES HOLDING STEADY, FINDS UN REPORT

GLOBAL DRUG ABUSE RATES HOLDING STEADY, FINDS UN REPORT
New York, Jun 26 2007 5:00PM
The production, trafficking and consumption of most illegal drugs remained steady last year, and law enforcement agencies are becoming more successful in their fight against the scourge, according to a United Nations report released today.

Launching the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) <"http://www.unodc.org/pdf/research/wdr07/WDR_2007.pdf">2007 World Drug Report, issued to mark the <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/event_2007_06_26_1.html">International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html">UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said the latest findings should dispel recent fears that the world was headed for an epidemic of drug abuse.

"There is some grounds for optimism that the runaway train of drug addiction has slowed down," Mr. Costa said in a message marking the Day, with the market for nearly all major drugs – including cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines – falling or remaining stable in 2005-06.

Coca cultivation in the Andes, a major production region, continues to decline, the report found, and global cocaine consumption has also stabilized, although a reduction in the United States has been offset by what UNODC described as an alarming increase in Europe.

The prevalence of amphetamine-type stimulants, such as ecstasy, is also steady or in retreat in many countries, while there has been no rise – for the first time in decades – in the production or consumption of cannabis.

"The much greater number of pot smokers seeking treatment shows that the new strains of high-potency cannabis make people sick, not high," Mr. Costa said, while cautioning that authorities worldwide cannot afford to ease off in their efforts to restrict or eliminate illicit drug use.

He noted that opium production remains an enormous problem in Afghanistan, where more than 90 per cent of the world's supply is cultivated and the number of local addicts is on the rise. In one Afghan province alone, Helmand, more opium is cultivated than in the rest of the country combined or in Myanmar or Colombia.

"Effective surgery on Helmand's drug and insurgency cancer will rid the world of the most dangerous source of its most dangerous narcotic and go a long way to bringing security to the region," Mr. Costa said.

The report noted that law enforcement agencies are improving in their efforts to carry out drug seizures; more than 45 per cent of the world's cocaine is being intercepted and at least 25 per cent of the world's heroin, up from 24 per cent and 15 per cent respectively in 1999.

In response, many traffickers are seeking new routes, particularly in Africa, and Mr. Costa stressed that this threat must be stamped out quickly with coordinated attack on organized crime, money laundering and corruption.

He added that if the drug problem is to be reduced in the longer-term, governments must turn more towards preventative measures that tackle the problem at the source – drug users.

"The lives of at least one out of every 200 people in the world are ruled by drugs. Drug addiction is an illness that must, and can be prevented and treated," he said, calling for early detection tests, better therapies and the integration of drug treatment into public health and social services programmes.

In his <"http://www.unodc.org/pdf/26june0709/SGmessage_07_en.pdf">message marking the Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged countries to devote more time and effort to reducing demand and not just to reducing supply.

"With less demand, there would be less need for supply, and fewer incentives for criminals to traffic drugs," he said, calling for a collective effort from politicians, health-care and social workers, the media, the criminal justice system, teachers and parents to combat drug abuse.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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UN HANDS OUT ANNUAL PUBLIC SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

UN HANDS OUT ANNUAL PUBLIC SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS
New York, Jun 26 2007 5:00PM
From introducing an e-voting initiative in Switzerland to establishing a performance contracts scheme in Kenya, government departments, agencies and public bodies from 14 countries have won this year's United Nations Public Service Awards.

The annual awards, handed out today in Vienna during the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government, were set up in 2003 to reward and promote professionalism in the public sector around the world.

The UNPSA are open to all public organizations and agencies at national or sub-national level, as well as to public-private partnerships. There are three categories: improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the public service; improving the delivery of services; and fostering participation in policymaking decisions through innovative mechanisms.

This year's winners are Kenya's Performance Contracts Steering Committee Secretariat; Singapore's Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Manpower and Central Provident Fund Board; the Information Technology and Communications Department, Government of Andhra in India; the Federal Chancellery of Austria; Chile's Dirección de Compras y Contratación Pública; the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan; the Australian Public Service Commission; South Africa's e'Thekwini Municipality; Morocco's Arrondissement Agdal; the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Justice; the Dubai Government Excellence Department; the Lebanese Ministry of Finance; the Statistical Office of Switzerland's Canton Zurich; and Canada's Tli Cho Community Services Agency.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO HELP INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN ECUADOR

UN FOOD AGENCY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO HELP INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN ECUADOR
New York, Jun 26 2007 4:00PM
The Untied Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?">WFP) has signed a deal, lasting until the year 2010, to aid indigenous communities which live isolated from the modern world and were relatively unknown until recently in Ecuador's northern border region.

The Federation of Awa Indigenous Communities of Ecuador, also known as AWA, resides in the South American country's highlands and in the areas close to its border with Colombia, where some AWA came from and 14,000 of still live today.

They were granted citizenship by the Ecuadorian Government in 1985, but today, the group is being threatened off their territory by lumber companies, according to WFP.

The agency entered into an agreement, signed on Monday with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to carry out projects in the country's north. The first three schemes involve the rehabilitation of schools, the provision of heath education materials for a clinic and the revival and construction of health centres.

WFP will lend its technical and operational expertise as well as manage the finances, while IOM will aid in the follow-up of projects and create and information database.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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UN CAN BENEFIT FROM RESULTS OF GLOBAL FORUM ON GOOD GOVERNANCE, MIGIRO SAYS

UN CAN BENEFIT FROM RESULTS OF GLOBAL FORUM ON GOOD GOVERNANCE, MIGIRO SAYS
New York, Jun 26 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations stands to benefit from the results of a meeting on good governance bringing together elected officials, experts, business leaders and representatives of civil society groups, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told participants assembled in Vienna for the four-day conference.

<"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/dsgsm326.doc.htm">Addressing more than 2,000 delegates attending the Seventh Global Forum on Reinventing Government, she emphasized that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, upon taking office, "singled out 'the good name of the United Nations' as one of its most valuable – and most vulnerable – assets."

She recalled that Mr. Ban, "promising to lead by example," dubbed his mission "Operation Restore Trust."

Mr. Ban, the first Secretary-General ever to make his personal <"http://www.un.org/sg/SG_fd_form.pdf">financial disclosure form public, "has encouraged all of his senior managers to release theirs as well," said Ms. Migiro, who <"http://www.un.org/sg/dsg_fd_form.pdf">followed suit.

"I can tell you that both the Secretary-General and I eagerly await the outcomes of your discussions," Ms. Migiro told the participants, who are expected to discuss different perspectives, exchange expertise, forge partnerships, and devise effective governance strategies.

The results of the meeting "can help guide our ongoing attempts to make the United Nations the best it can be," said the Deputy Secretary-General. "And we know that 'Operation Restore Trust' can certainly benefit from your combined experience and expertise."

She expressed confidence that, working together, it would be possible to "not only build trust in government and in the United Nations, but also bring people everywhere to believe in a more hopeful future for themselves and for the world."

Welcoming delegates to the Forum, the Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, Antonio Maria Costa, said corruption is often to blame for a lack of public trust. "All too often the public is robbed of the money that it needs to build schools, roads, sanitation and healthcare," he said.

"The fight against corruption…is another way of reinventing governance," he said.

Since 1999, the Global Forum on Reinventing Government has addressed the need for improvements in governance and public administration. Previous conferences have been held in Washington D.C., Brasilia, Naples, Marrakech, Mexico City and Seoul.

This year, for the first time, the Forum is being hosted by the world body as part of a UN-wide partnership led by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS ADDED TO UNESCO LIST OF ENDANGERED HERITAGE SITES

GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS ADDED TO UNESCO LIST OF ENDANGERED HERITAGE SITES
New York, Jun 26 2007 2:00PM
The Galápagos Islands in Ecuador and Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park have been inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=38625&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) announced today.

The World Heritage Committee, which is meeting this week in Christchurch, New Zealand, added the two sites to the Danger List as part of its review of the state of the conservation of the 830 sites on the World Heritage List. Inclusion on the Danger List is intended to mobilize support for sites whose outstanding universal value is under threat.

In 1978 the Galápagos area, which is now comprised of 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve about 1,000 kilometres from the Ecuadorian mainland, became the first site to be placed on the World Heritage List in recognition of its value as a "living museum and showcase of evolution."

But invasive species, growing tourism and immigration have combined to threaten the health of the islands. In the past 15 years the number of days spent at the Galápagos by cruise ship passengers soared by 150 per cent, fuelling immigration growth and increasing inter-island traffic and the introduction of more invasive species, UNESCO said in a news release.

Niokolo-Koba National Park, located on the banks of the Gambia River, has been on the World Heritage List since 1981 because its forests and savannah are home to a rich variety of fauna, including Derby elands, chimpanzees, lions, leopards and elephants, as well as numerous species of birds, reptiles and amphibians.

But that fauna is threatened by increased poaching and plans to construct a dam upstream of the national park, which is likely to stop the regular flooding of grasslands that is essential to sustaining the local wildlife, according to the agency.

In addition to reviewing the Danger List, the World Heritage Committee is examining requests to inscribe three dozen new nature and culture sites on the World Heritage List.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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COUNTRIES ADDRESS MARINE GENETIC RESOURCES AT UN TALKS

COUNTRIES ADDRESS MARINE GENETIC RESOURCES AT UN TALKS
New York, Jun 26 2007 2:00PM
Several countries called for adopting a precautionary approach to the fragile marine environment as one week of talks on how best to manage and protect the world's marine genetic resources opened at the United Nations.

At the annual informal consultations on Oceans and the Law of the Sea, countries also differed on whether the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provided an adequate framework, or whether new legal instruments were needed.

"Freedom on the high seas is not an excuse for irresponsibility on the high seas," said Palau's delegate, Stuart Beck, who called for international action to address fragile marine ecosystems.

Speaking on behalf of the group of developing countries (G-77) and China, Pakistan's Farukh Amil said that while the Law of the Sea Convention recognized the sovereignty of coastal States on the exploration, management and exploitation of genetic marine resources, genetic resources beyond national jurisdiction were part of the common heritage of mankind.

Canada's delegate, Renée Sauvé, said "the flow of benefits can be seriously impeded by an inappropriate framework or an absence of procedural certainty," and Robert G. Aisi, Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum Group, called for "effective regulatory approaches" on behalf of the 14-country group, which also includes Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa, Chile and India, among others, also called for a new legal regime for areas beyond national jurisdiction. This new regime, perhaps in the form of an implementing agreement of the Law of the Sea Convention, should guarantee environmental protection, the equitable and effective use of these resources, and the rights and needs of developing countries.

"Bioprospecting," or research and development related to marine genetic resources, was a major point of discussion. Arun Kumar Rath, the representative of India, said that activities beyond areas of national jurisdiction "could put at risk delicate environments, and bioprospecting could be one of these activities."

Jolger Martisen of Argentina said there was no reason for standards or norms that gave "unrestricted freedom to exploit resources beyond national jurisdiction" and called for specific standard on access to marine genetic resources allocating equitably the benefits deriving from their exploitation.

On the other hand, Masaya Sangawa of Japan said the Law of the Sea Convention guaranteed the right of all States to conduct research on marine genetic resources, including bioprospecting and exploitation. It was difficult to distinguish between research and bioprospecting, and research should be promoted both within and beyond national jurisdiction, without imposing "unnecessary regulations on bioprospecting."

Representing the United States, Constance Arvis said the meeting should focus on resources within the area of national jurisdiction. Resources on the high seas were protected by the Law of the Sea convention, as well as by codes of conduct, and "we are unconvinced of the need of a new regime to protect these resources," she said.

Marine genetic resources are increasingly utilized as the basis for drugs used against a host of diseases. Compounds derived from marine micro-organisms are being tested and used for the development of antioxidant, antivirals, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-HIV, antibiotic, anti-cancer, anti-tuberculosis and anti-malarial drugs.

Marine micro-organisms also have great environmental value for their influence on the climate. Planktonic marine microalgae contribute between 80 to 90 per cent to the ocean's productivity both in terms of carbon assimilation and oxygen generation.

The informal consultations will conclude on Friday, with the expected adoption of agreed elements feeding into the General Assembly's debate on the issue.
2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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GOVERNMENTS, UN AGREE ON 'ROAD MAP' TO TACKLE HUNGER IN HORN OF AFRICA

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 (<" http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000613/index.html">FAO) and the World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2545">WFP) – 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

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BAN URGES MEDIA SEMINAR TO FOCUS ON PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE IN MIDDLE EAST

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 <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/pal2081.doc.htm">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 <"http://unu.edu/about">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

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UN-SPONSORED MEETING CALLS FOR MORE MALE FACILITATORS IN GENDER TRAINING

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

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS PALESTINIANS WHO FLED IRAQ DESPERATELY NEED AID

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.

2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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FRESH VIOLENCE FORCES LOCALS TO FLEE COLOMBIA'S ARAUCA REGION, UN REPORTS

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."

2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO TO HELP IRAQ RECONSTRUCT REVERED AL-ASKARI SHRINE IN SAMARRA

UNESCO TO HELP IRAQ RECONSTRUCT REVERED AL-ASKARI SHRINE IN SAMARRA
New York, Jun 26 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of Iraq have concluded an agreement on reconstructing the Al-Askari Holy shrine in Samarra, badly damaged by attacks last year and earlier this month.

"The commitment of the Iraqi authorities and the international community to work together on the reconstruction of this highly symbolic site is a reason for hope," said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. "Respecting cultural heritage is one of the fundamental principles of the reconstruction process for a country such as Iraq, and a decisive step towards national reconciliation."

The shrine was attacked on 22 February 2006, triggering a wave of sectarian violence across the country, and then again on 13 June.

The reconstruction will start "as soon as security conditions are guaranteed and will continue over a period of ten months," UNESCO said in a news release. The Iraqi Government is expected to provide $3 million of the $8.4 million project, with the rest coming from the UN Development Group Iraq Trust Fund.

The Al Askari shrine is one of the holy sites of Shi'ite Islam. It is home to the tombs of Ali Al Hadi, the tenth imam, who died in 868, and his son Hassan al-Askari, the eleventh imam, who died in 874. The 2006 explosion caused the collapse of the shrine's Golden Dome and of the Ali al-Hadi shrine. The explosions of 13 June destroyed two 36 metre high minarets of the Al-Askari shrine, UNESCO noted.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Amman by Mohamed Djelid, Director of the UNESCO Iraq office, and Hak Al-Hakeem, advisor to Iraq's Prime Minister for Reconstruction and Environment Affairs.

2007-06-26 00:00:00.000

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KATHMANDU VALLEY, BENINESE ROYAL PALACES REMOVED FROM UNESCO DANGER LIST

KATHMANDU VALLEY, BENINESE ROYAL PALACES REMOVED FROM UNESCO DANGER LIST
New York, Jun 25 2007 7:00PM
The Royal Palaces of Abomey in Benin and the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal have been removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<" http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=38605&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">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 Benin for its conservation plan to preserve the Palaces of Abomey site, which was placed on the Danger List in 1985, the same year it was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Under the plan, financed partly by the World Heritage Fund, Benin has improved the management of the site – which was damaged by a tornado in 1984 – increased staff numbers and allowed the assembling of a database on the palaces, which were inhabited by 12 local kings between 1625 and 1900.

The Committee also praised Nepal for its efforts to protect the Kathmandu Valley, which joined the Danger List in 2003, from the impact of urban development. The valley features seven groups of monuments and buildings, including the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayamblu and Bauddhanath, and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.
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 <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list">World Heritage List.
2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

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COMPANIES VALUING SOCIAL FACTORS BETTER EQUIPPED TO LEAD MARKETS, EXPERT TELLS UN

COMPANIES VALUING SOCIAL FACTORS BETTER EQUIPPED TO LEAD MARKETS, EXPERT TELLS UN
New York, Jun 25 2007 7:00PM
Companies that effectively manage environmental, social and governance factors may be better equipped to achieve and retain market leadership, the managing director of Goldman Sachs International said today at the United Nations.

Presenting his company's first environmental, social and governance investment framework, Goldman Sachs International Managing Director Anthony Ling told a press briefing in New York that these factors had become prominent because of the "changing competitive landscape for industry".

Consumers were taking into account these factors "as never before," the Internet had ushered in an era of unprecedented communication and more than 3,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were registered with the UN. This had "increased the need for transparency" for corporations, Mr. Ling said.

A weak performance in the environmental, social, and governance area means "you are going to lose competitive advantage, and this will impact on your stock performance," and more investors were taking into account such factors when picking up stocks.

In 2005 Goldman Sachs set up a dedicated team to measure company performance against those factors, covering sectors such as energy, pharmaceutical, insurance, banking and finance. "The initial signs are very encouraging, and corporations are adopting new practices," he said.

Eco-friendly companies such as recycling and nutritional foods were doing particularly well, and the alternative energy industry had shown a five-fold growth in the last three years, which resulted in significant rises in companies' stocks.

But the process of fully incorporating these values in company practices could take five to seven years, Mr. Ling said. He also warned that there was no rigid, one-to-one correlation between adopting such values and economic performance.

As part of its research framework, the Goldman Sachs team used the principles of the UN <"http://www.unglobalcompact.org">Global Compact, which engages companies worldwide to subscribe to 10 universal principles on human rights, labour rights, the environment and the fight against corruption. More than 3,100 businesses from at least 120 countries have so far subscribed to the Global Compact, making it the world's largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative.

Global Compact Executive Director Georg Kell said the engagement and responsibility of Compact subscribers was increasingly paying off. More than 1,000 Compact participants from 120 countries would take part in the second Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva on 5 and 6 July, which would "try to establish the business case for engagement," Mr. Kell said.

The summit would be the largest gathering ever held by the UN on the issue of corporate citizenship, he said, featuring an international roster of business leaders, government ministers and heads of civil society.

The Global Compact sought to make global markets more stable through companies adopting the 10 principles as a benchmark for action, Mr. Kell stressed. "As business goes global, the need to manage risks is increasingly understood. Our goal is to make global markets more stable and more inclusive."
2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

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SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN REMAINS HEARTLAND OF OPIUM PRODUCTION - UN

SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN REMAINS HEARTLAND OF OPIUM PRODUCTION – UN
New York, Jun 25 2007 6:00PM
Afghanistan continues to monopolize the global industry in illegal opium and is increasingly capable on its own territory of processing the poppy into heroin and morphine, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned today.

The more sophisticated drug production means there is also greater risk now that Afghans will become heroin or opium addicts, <" http://www.unodc.org/afg/index.html">UNODC representative in Afghanistan Christina Gynna Oguz told reporters at a briefing in the capital, Kabul.

A day before the release of UNODC's annual report on the narcotics situation around the world, Ms. Oguz detailed some of the findings about Afghanistan, which last year produced about 6,000 tons of opium poppy – or 92 per cent of the world total.

She said opium cultivation is concentrated in the south of the country, with just one province – Helmand – accounting for 42 per cent of all the illicit production in the world. Many of the provinces with the highest levels of production also have the worst security problems.

"There are close links between criminal networks that deal in drugs and the insurgents," Ms. Oguz said. "Together they provide both the money and the environment for instability in this country."

Most of Afghanistan's opium is trafficked out of the country and then processed into heroin and morphine, but Ms. Oguz said that more and more of that production is taking place within the country.

"This indicates a sophistication that we did not have before and also that there is large illegal import of chemicals that are needed for the manufacturing of morphine and heroin."

She added that the increased heroin production inside Afghanistan means there is a rising risk of heroin abuse. At least 50,000 people are already addicted, and the numbers are rising in part because of returning refugees who used heroin elsewhere, mainly in Iran.

The problem is not confined to heroin, Ms. Oguz stressed. About 150,000 people, mostly in rural areas, are addicted to opium, using it as a pain reliever or medicine because of the country's poor health-care system.

But Ms. Oguz added that the country is gaining some ground in the fight against illegal drugs. Cultivation has decreased in the central and northern provinces, where the security situation is also more stable.

"This represents a window of opportunity for the Government in particular, but also the international community, to do something about the drug problem. It is possible to have success in areas where security is better and where there is good governance."
2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL SPOTLIGHTS NEXUS BETWEEN NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONFLICT

SECURITY COUNCIL SPOTLIGHTS NEXUS BETWEEN NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONFLICT
New York, Jun 25 2007 6:00PM
The exploitation of natural resources from diamonds to timber can trigger or fuel conflicts but their effective management can also contribute to post-conflict recovery, the Security Council said today.

In a statement read out by Council President and Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht following an open debate, the 15-member body called for greater cooperation and stepped-up measures to ensure that resources are used wisely and not exploited.

Over the years, the 15-member Council has taken measures to prevent the illegal exploitation of natural resources, especially diamonds and timber, from fuelling armed conflicts and to encourage transparent management of such resources.

It has also emphasized the important contribution of monitoring and certification schemes such as the Kimberley Process – a global initiative involving governments, the international diamond industry and civil society aimed at preventing "conflict diamonds" from funding warfare and civil unrest.

In April this year, the Council lifted its six-year-old embargo on the export of diamonds from Liberia that was intended to stop proceeds from the sale of conflict diamonds from fuelling wars across West Africa.

"In too many cases, the illegal exploitation of natural resources has triggered, exacerbated and prolonged armed conflict," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the meeting, citing the role played by conflict diamonds in Liberia, the fight over food and water in Somalia and the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

At that same time, he noted that in an environment characterized by good governance, accountability and transparency, "natural resources can be a great boon to a country and contribute to peace and development."

Stating that neither sanctions nor peacekeeping alone can solve the problem, he stressed the need for a commitment by all concerned to those three principles and to the equitable sharing of natural resources.

Over-dependency on natural resources is not conducive to viable development strategies in many poor countries, and can lead to fragile circumstances that might result in the eruption of internal conflicts, said General Assembly President <" http://www.un.org/ga/president/61/statements/statement20070625.shtml">Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa.

"We have to encourage, while respecting the sovereign rights of all Member States, a more efficient and effective use of natural resources. This has to be clearly linked with the development agenda of the international community."

Warning that single commodity economies can become over-dependent on revenues from a particular natural resource, Dalius Cekuolis, President of the Economic and Social Council (<" http://www.un.org/ecosoc/about">ECOSOC), said "in a world of fluctuating prices and currency exchange rates, combined with possible security threats, such a dependency can lead to political, social and economic instability."

The UN system, he added, can support countries to break the nexus between natural resources and conflict by helping to make natural resources a factor of stability and source of development, promoting diversification of the economy and helping to rebuild a strong and accountable government.

The key challenge, he emphasized, was to transform "war economies" fuelled and sustained by natural resources into "peace economies" that can contribute to conflict prevention and human security.
2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: UN BOLSTERS SECURITY MEASURES IN VOLATILE EAST

DR CONGO: UN BOLSTERS SECURITY MEASURES IN VOLATILE EAST
New York, Jun 25 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is taking measures to help the authorities bolster security in the country's troubled eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, a spokesperson for the world body said today.

<"http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=14823">MONUC said UN peacekeepers, in cooperation with the Congolese Army, have conducted some 600 patrols in the two provinces in recent weeks, including more than half that figure in the course of last week alone as part of efforts to restore security and public safety.

"UN peacekeeping naval units have also stepped up patrols on Lake Kivu to stop illegal traffic of firearms between DRC and neighbouring countries," spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

The region has been the scene of insecurity caused by armed groups and continuing military operations. On 26 May, a group of 10 to 12 militiamen attacked the villages of Nyabuluze and Muhungu in South Kivu province, killing 18 civilians, among them women and children, and wounding more than two dozen, according to MONUC, which condemned the massacre "strongly and unequivocally."
2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

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PARIS TALKS GENERATE MOMENTUM TOWARD EASING DARFUR SUFFERING - BAN KI-MOON

PARIS TALKS GENERATE MOMENTUM TOWARD EASING DARFUR SUFFERING – BAN KI-MOON
New York, Jun 25 2007 5:00PM
A high-level meeting in Paris bringing together over a dozen countries concerned about the situation in the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan has helped generate additional momentum towards ending the suffering of the people there, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said after attending the talks.

Speaking to reporters in the French capital, Mr. Ban said the United Nations is maintaining its focus on four distinct tracks – the political process, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and reconstruction and development in Darfur.

The Secretary-General noted considerable progress with respect to the deployment of the UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping operation, as well as in reinvigorating political dialogue among the parties.

He added that his Special Envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson, and his AU counterpart, Salim Ahmed Salim, have developed a road map to negotiations, with the objective of restarting peace talks by the end of the summer.

In addition to Mr. Ban and Mr. Eliasson, the world body was represented at the meeting by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno and Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Mr. Ban met with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to a UN spokesperson. He also attended a luncheon hosted by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

Prior to flying back to New York, Mr. Ban also had meetings scheduled with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Meanwhile, the UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmis">UNMIS) reported that the Senior Adviser to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Darfur, Pekka Haavisto, visited Sudan from 20 to 24 June, during which he held extensive consultations on the road map.

The Mission continues to report violent attacks on civilians, aid workers and convoys 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.
2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEPALESE ELECTION DATE

UN MISSION WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEPALESE ELECTION DATE
New York, Jun 25 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Mission in Nepal (<" http://www.un.org.np/unmin.php#">UNMIN) today welcomed the unveiling of a date – 22 November – for the Himalayan country's Constituent Assembly elections, calling it a critical step forward in the peace process.

The announcement of an election date "indicates the strong commitment of the political parties to work together to fulfil the historic promise to the people of Nepal to form a democratically elected Constituent Assembly," the Mission said in a press release issued in the capital, Kathmandu.

The Assembly will adopt a new constitution for Nepal, where a decade-long armed conflict that killed some 13,000 people came to a formal end when the Government and the Maoists signed a peace accord last November.

The polls were to have been held in mid-June but had to be postponed because regulations governing the process were not ready. November was the next earliest available date because of the monsoon season and several major national holidays.

UNMIN said it was now essential that all parties committed themselves to ensuring that there is a free and fair atmosphere for the ballot.

"A date is necessary, but not in itself sufficient," the Mission said. "The parties must now put forward a realistic plan and timetable to achieve rapid progress on simultaneous fronts, both technical and logistical, as well as on political and security issues.

UNMIN stressed the importance of the Interim Government reaching out to historically marginalized groups in Nepal, including Madhesis, Janajatis, Dalits and women, to ensure there is as broad a consensus as possible on the elections.

It added that public security continues to be a key challenge, and called for "the creation of conditions in all districts and villages which allow all parties to conduct their activities from now on without facing intimidation and violence."

The Mission also noted that it has consistently urged the setting up of a fully independent national monitoring body to support the implementation of the peace process, adding that it remains willing to help such a body.

Meanwhile, the UN Electoral Expert Monitoring Team (EEMT) has wrapped up a two-week visit to Nepal, where the five-member group met with senior Government ministers, parliamentarians, election officials, civil society groups and others.

Appointed by the Secretary-General, the EEMT – which is not part of UNMIN – is tasked with regularly assessing the electoral process to determine whether it is proceeding in a manner which will lead to a result accurately reflecting the will of the Nepalese people.
2007-06-25 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL, BAN KI-MOON CONDEMN DEADLY ATTACK ON UN PEACEKEEPERS

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 <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2631">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 <" http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/index.html">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

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GAZA: UN AID OFFICIAL CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK ON BORDER CROSSING WITH ISRAEL

GAZA: UN AID OFFICIAL CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK ON BORDER CROSSING WITH ISRAEL
New York, Jun 25 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations <" http://www.ochaopt.org/?module=displaysection&section_id=5&static=0&format=html"> 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

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UN'S TOP IRAQ ENVOY CONDEMNS DEADLY BAGHDAD HOTEL BOMBING

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

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IRAN AND IAEA AGREE TO DEVISE 'ACTION PLAN' ON NUCLEAR ISSUES

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

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FLORIDA EVERGLADES AND RÍO PLÁTANO BIOSPHERE RESERVE OFF 'DANGER LIST' -- UNESCO

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

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UN ENVOY HAILS INDONESIA'S HELP IN PREPARING BALLOT PAPERS FOR TIMOR-LESTE POLL

UN ENVOY HAILS INDONESIA'S HELP IN PREPARING BALLOT PAPERS FOR TIMOR-LESTE POLL
New York, Jun 24 2007 10:00PM
The senior United Nations envoy to Timor-Leste, which is gearing up for parliamentary elections at the end of this month, has welcomed Indonesia's role in printing ballot papers for use in the polls.

The materials arrived in Dili on Saturday from a printing location in Surabaya, Indonesia, according to the UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).

"The cooperation between Indonesia and Timor-Leste in the printing of the ballots shows the level of relations between the two countries that has been nurtured over the years by the leaders of each nation," said Atul Khare, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste.

The small country, which abuts part of the Indonesian archipelago, gained independence after a UN-supported popular consultation in 1999, when the overwhelming majority of people rejected a proposed autonomy and decided to begin a process of transition towards independence. Following the announcement of the result, a campaign of violence, looting and arson was unleashed throughout the entire territory.

In a news release this weekend, the deputy head of UNMIT responsible for electoral assistance, Finn Reske-Nielsen, also welcomed the arrival of the ballots. "The Indonesian authorities facilitated every step of the process and provided the necessary security measures in Surabaya," he said.

UNMIT and the UN Development Program (UNDP) helped to print the ballot papers following a request from the Government of Timor-Leste, he added.

The specifications for the ballot papers are more complex than those for the ballots used in the presidential elections. In addition to the names and symbols of the parties and coalitions competing in the election, the ballots are each required to have a serial number on a perforated stub in order to allow for carefully monitoring and controls, UNMIT said.

2007-06-24 00:00:00.000

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