UN STEPS UP ASSISTANCE FOR PERUVIAN QUAKE VICTIMS

UN STEPS UP ASSISTANCE FOR PERUVIAN QUAKE VICTIMS
New York, Aug 24 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations is bolstering its assistance – through the release of almost $10 million from an emergency fund and an appeal for nearly $40 million to be launched next week – to victims of the major earthquake which rocked Peru on 15 August, one of the world body's top humanitarian officials <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2007/070824_Wahlstrom.doc.htm">announced today.

The UN has already approved the release of $9.6 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF) "to ensure that the resources are available," UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlström told reporters in New York.

The CERF is a landmark fund established by the world body in 2006 to speed up relief operations for humanitarian emergencies and make funds available quickly after a disaster, when people are most at risk.

An official UN appeal for $38 million will also be launched next week, Ms. Wahlström said.

"There has been enormous outpouring, I would say, of assistance from countries in the sub-region, from regional banks, from NGOs [non-governmental organizations]," she noted. "Everyone is being supportive of this effort."

Efforts are still in progress to improve hygiene and water sanitation, Ms. Wahlström said, adding that debris clearing will also be introduced shortly. Emergency employment schemes will be initiated so that "people will both get a job with some income and at the same time the rubble of all the collapsed buildings will go away."

Assessments conducted by both the UN and the Government are also expanding to rural areas to ensure that "the organization of relief is progressing well," she said. To this end, Peru is also conducting a local census to determine correct population figures.

To collect data in support of the appeals for assistance, a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1414">UNDAC) team has conducted assessments in Canete, San Luis, Chincha, Ica and Pisco, primarily to examine the shelter situation.

So far, 513 people have been confirmed killed and about 1,000 people reported to have been injured in the earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was 161 kilometres south of Lima, the capital.

The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) until now has focused its efforts in the water and sanitation sector and has delivered chlorine, water containers and tanks and water-purification tablets. It will now begin to address latrine and water supply needs in schools and shelters, and will also assist the Government by providing 47 tents to serve as nurseries as well as provide psychological support and educational materials for children.

In a related development, Ms.Wahlström also announced today that the UN will issue an appeal for funds early next week to help flood-beleaguered residents in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), where 221 people have been killed and 400,000 affected in 92 counties.

The UN appeal "will only focus on food, emergency medical and emergency water and sanitation areas," she said. "Anything else that goes beyond that will be dealt with later on in a different format."
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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SUDAN: UN OFFICIAL ATTENDS AFRICAN UNION MEETING ON NORTH-SOUTH PEACE DEAL

SUDAN: UN OFFICIAL ATTENDS AFRICAN UNION MEETING ON NORTH-SOUTH PEACE DEAL
New York, Aug 24 2007 6:00PM
A top United Nations official in Sudan is taking part today in an African Union (AU) meeting being held to review the progress made so far towards implementing the comprehensive peace agreement that ended the long-running civil war between north and south.

Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, the Secretary-General's acting Special Representative for Sudan, is in Addis Ababa, the capital of neighbouring Ethiopia, for a meeting of the AU's Peace and Security Council, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

The comprehensive peace agreement between the Sudanese Government and the former southern rebels in January 2005 ended the war and provided some autonomy to the south, while also leading to the establishment of the UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">UNMIS) to help implement the deal.

In his latest progress report on the work of UNMIS and the implementation of the pact, issued earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced regret that the Sudanese armed forces missed a deadline to re-deploy out of the south of the country.
Mr. Ban called on the military to immediately remove from the south all of its remaining elements, with the exception of those soldiers designated for new joint integrated units with the former rebels, known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).
Although most of the Sudanese military had re-deployed by the 9 July deadline, at least 3,600 troops still remain, mostly in Upper Nile state. The armed forces say they are necessary to protect oilfields pending the placement of the joint integrated units, but this is disputed by the SPLA.
Mr. Ban wrote that the development of those integrated units "remains an issue of central importance," with the assignment of troops to them now nine months overdue. He also noted that their formation is a prerequisite for SPLA forces to fully re-deploy from Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
The Secretary-General also said that management of Sudan's oil sector, uncertainty over the status of Abyei, a disputed area, and agreement over the boundary between north and south will be key issues for the parties and UNMIS to resolve in the months ahead.

Meanwhile, in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, where a separate conflict has raged since 2003, UN humanitarian agencies are reporting that there has been an increase in the number of cases of jaundice at camps for internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs) in South Darfur state.

In West Darfur state, UNMIS reported that two IDP camps have received fresh arrivals of Darfurians fleeing fresh tensions in the vast and impoverished region.
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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UN PEACEBUILDING FUND PROVIDES NEW POLICE EQUIPMENT FOR SIERRA LEONE

UN PEACEBUILDING FUND PROVIDES NEW POLICE EQUIPMENT FOR SIERRA LEONE
New York, Aug 24 2007 5:00PM
Sierra Leone's police force has taken possession of $1 million worth of new security equipment paid for by the United Nations to help local authorities in their efforts to reduce criminal behaviour and ensure public order in the impoverished West African nation.

At a handing-over ceremony yesterday at the headquarters of the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.sl.undp.org">UNDP) in the capital, Freetown, Sierra Leone Police (SLP) acquired modern equipment that includes riot gear for police units and divisions tasked with managing large crowds and public gatherings. The items purchased range from uniforms, boots and helmets to fire extinguishers, shields, multi-purpose riot guns and batons.

The <"http://www.unpbf.org">UN Peacebuilding Fund has paid for the project, one of seven its steering committee has approved in Sierra Leone, which is trying to recover from a brutal and long-running civil war in the 1990s. The Fund has allocated $35 million to various projects in the country.

The new police equipment is designed to complement the continuous training which SLP members are already receiving from UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (<"http://www.uniosil.org/content.asp?catid=2&navid=41">UNIOSIL) Police Advisers.

Victor Angelo, the Secretary-General's Executive Representative in Sierra Leone, commended the efforts of the SLP during the recent national elections to maintain law and order, adding that "Sierra Leoneans have shown that they abide by the law and respect the authority of the police."
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN MISSION IN SOUTHERN LEBANON BY A YEAR

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN MISSION IN SOUTHERN LEBANON BY A YEAR
New York, Aug 24 2007 2:00PM
The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by another year and called on all parties in the region to play their part to turn last year's cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah into a permanent ceasefire and a more durable solution.

In a unanimous vote, Council members agreed to extend UNIFIL until 31 August 2008, saying the deployment of the peacekeeping mission "together with the Lebanese Armed Forces has helped to establish a new strategic environment in southern Lebanon."

They also called on all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities and the entirety of the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.

First created in 1978, <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/index.html">UNIFIL's mandate and size were enhanced last year in the wake of the deadly conflict between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah, and today's resolution urged all sides to cooperate fully with the mission and to do their utmost to respect the safety of UN personnel in the region.

In June, a UN patrol in southern Lebanon was struck by a bomb, killing six Spanish peacekeepers and seriously wounding two other blue helmets, while last month an explosion occurred near a UNIFIL vehicle but there were no casualties.

In addition to its original mandate, UNIFIL now has responsibility, among other tasks, for: monitoring the cessation of hostilities; supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces as they deploy in the south of the country; and helping ensure humanitarian access to civilians and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons.

The mission currently fields more than 13,000 troops out of its increased ceiling of 15,000.
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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MAJOR CHANGES IN INVEST FLOWS CRUCIAL TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE - UN

MAJOR CHANGES IN INVEST FLOWS CRUCIAL TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE – UN
New York, Aug 24 2007 1:00PM
Tackling climate change in the next quarter century will require major changes to patterns of investment and financial flows, according to a report by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (<" http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/20070823_investment_and_financial_flows_english.pdf">UNFCCC) issued this week.

"The study shows us that a conscious effort to shift from traditional investment to more climate-friendly alternatives will require governments to adopt new policies and change the way they use their funds," said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. "The required shift in future investment and financial flows needs a combination of actions by the intergovernmental process under the UNFCCC and national governments."

The study analyzed both existing and potential investment and financial flows relevant to developing an international response to climate change.

It found that the additional amount of investment and financial flows in 2030 will amount to between 1.1 and 1.7 per cent of global investment.

Another key finding of the study is that $200 to $210 billion worth of additional investment and financial flows will be necessary to return greenhouse gas emissions to current levels.

"Developing countries will require a large share of investment and financial flows because of their expected rapid economic growth," Mr. de Boer noted. "This presents a real opportunity."

In 2030, it is forecasted that investment flows to developing countries will comprise 46 per cent of global needs, while these nations would achieve 68 per cent of emission reductions worldwide.

The <" http://unfccc.int/cooperation_and_support/financial_mechanism/items/4053.php">report will be discussed at the UNFCCC meeting in Vienna from 27 to 31 August, which will involve participants from all 191 countries that are party to the Framework. The gathering – expected to draw 1,000 representatives from governments, business and industry, environmental organizations and research institutions – will set the stage for a major UN conference in December on further reducing the greenhouse gases from human activity blamed for global warming.

That conference, to be held in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 14 December, seeks to determine future action on mitigation, adaptation, the global carbon market and financing responses to climate change for the period after the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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UN OFFICIALS CALL ON CHINESE BUSINESS LEADERS TO UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT

UN OFFICIALS CALL ON CHINESE BUSINESS LEADERS TO UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT
New York, Aug 24 2007 1:00PM
United Nations officials yesterday called on top Chinese executives to utilize information technology to improve the plight of poor people in their home country and around the world.

"Development is no longer the sole responsibility of governments and non-governmental organizations," Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang told a group of more than 40 Chinese executives gathered in New York. "We also need to harness the collective strength of private sector entities in support of our development efforts. We therefore consider you as an indispensable stakeholder in the fight against poverty, illiteracy and disease."

Speaking at a panel on the role of information and communication technology (ICT) to address development problems, Mr. Sha said that "ICT connects the world and can give everyone a voice. It can aid education through distance learning, content creation and teacher training. It can empower women by helping them to acquire new skills, create business enterprises and create wealth."

Sarbuland Khan, the Executive Coordinator of the UN <"http://www.un-gaid.org">Global Alliance for ICT and Development, said the Alliance provides an opportunity for private sector executives from China to express their views on how to minimize poverty in China, India and across the developing world.

"You can take advantage of our platform to become more profitable, but also to contribute to the reduction of poverty," he noted.

Participants agreed that bolstering information technology can serve to improve quality of life, and that the provision of training is in the best interest of corporations. Some attendees cited impediments to the spread of technology, such as the lack of appropriate software and computer illiteracy.

The panel was part of an all-day meeting, organized by Friendship Across Frontier and the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development, which brought together Chinese and United States executives to discuss bilateral economic relations, trends in business and technology, and strategies in steering private Chinese companies into the global business arena.
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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TAJIKISTAN: UN CALLS FOR WINTERIZED TENTS TO REACH QUAKE VICTIMS BEFORE COLD SETS IN

TAJIKISTAN: UN CALLS FOR WINTERIZED TENTS TO REACH QUAKE VICTIMS BEFORE COLD SETS IN
New York, Aug 24 2007 11:00AM
The United Nations is seeking to ensure that emergency aid, including winterized tents and reconstruction materials, reaches victims of last month's earthquake in Tajikistan before the cold season starts.

The <"http://www.untj.org">UN launched an emergency appeal on 3 August for some $2.2 million to cover immediate relief as well as rehabilitation and recovery needs after the quake killed three people, destroyed over 200 houses and damaged 1,200 more as well as affecting eight schools, four cultural centers and three administrative buildings in the Rasht region.

"There was an overall good response to the earthquake with several partners delivering some emergency needs," interim UN Resident Coordinator Vladimir Sotirov said after chairing a meeting on Wednesday of UN agencies, Government representatives, diplomatic missions and international and non-governmental organizations.

"But we must now receive confirmation for preliminary commitments to the UN <" http://www.untj.org/files/disaster/UN_Appeal_Rasht_Tajikistan_3-August-2007.pdf">Emergency Appeal and ensure that new pledges are made."

Fuel, temporary shelter, blankets and food have already been distributed.
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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DRAWDOWN OF PEACEKEEPERS IN LIBERIA TO BE BASED ON SECURITY BENCHMARKS - UN ENVOY

DRAWDOWN OF PEACEKEEPERS IN LIBERIA TO BE BASED ON SECURITY BENCHMARKS – UN ENVOY
New York, Aug 24 2007 11:00AM
The top United Nations official in Liberia has briefed civil society leaders on the proposed phased drawdown of the UN peacekeepers who have overseen the West African country's transition to democracy after 14 years of civil war, assuring them that it will be based on regular security assessments and measurable benchmarks.

"Overall the country has made sufficient progress to enable the Secretary-General to make the recommended adjustments," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Alan Doss told the representatives yesterday.

But, echoing Mr. Ban's own report on Liberia earlier this month, he warned that "there are still important challenges to be tackled, including the rebuilding of the security services, strengthening of the judicial system and the unfinished agenda of national reconciliation."

Mr. Ban has recommended that the drawdown for both the military and police component of the UN Mission in Liberia (<" http://www.unmil.org">UNMIL) take place in multiple stages from the current level of 15,200, with 9,750 remaining on the ground by the end of 2010.

One of the benchmarks for the drawdown is the creation of a 500-person Liberian quick reaction force in the country's National Police, set to be established by July 2009.

On the concerns of citizens about crime, Mr. Doss said National Police, together with UNMIL military and Police, continue to conduct regular day and night patrols throughout the country to deter criminal activities.

He also underlined the important contribution that an active civil society can make towards the development of a vibrant democracy. He urged the leaders to maintain an open dialogue with the Executive and other branches of government and to promote and monitor reconciliation and tolerance among communities.

This exchange of views is the latest in a series that Mr. Doss has held with national stakeholders and international partners to brief them on the next phase of UNMIL's operations.
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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YOUTH AT UN-BACKED CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE ENVIRONMENT

YOUTH AT UN-BACKED CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE ENVIRONMENT
New York, Aug 24 2007 10:00AM
More than 180 young people from 85 countries will meet in Germany next week in a United Nations-sponsored conference to <" http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=516&ArticleID=5654&l=en">discuss the ways in which technology can be used to promote environmental protection.

"Our hope is that on the basis of discussions at this Conference, 180 young people will return to their communities and nations and become beacons of activities and also motivators for many others to play a part in addressing environmental challenges" UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner said today.

"Technology in service of the environment" is the theme of the third Tunza International Youth Conference, organized by UNEP in Leverkusen, Germany, from 26 to 30 August.
The participants, aged 15 to 24, are all involved in environmental activities in their respective countries.

Meeting at the headquarters of Bayer, the health care giant which is the largest sponsor of UNEP's children and youth activities, the youngsters will discuss climate change, clean development and renewable energy, participating in workshops and field trips to experience first-hand how technology and environment can go hand-in-hand.

The Tunza Conference, which derives its name from a Kiswahili word meaning "to treat with care and affection" or "to nurture," will reinforce the links between a growing network of young people working with UNEP on various environmental issues.

At the end of the Conference the participants will elect a new Tunza Youth Advisory Council, with two advisors for each of the six UNEP regions - Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America and West Asia - and two advisors representing indigenous youth organizations.

The Council's main objective is to represent youth in international environmental fora and to make their voices heard. The Council also advises UNEP on better ways of engaging young people in its work..

"We are looking forward to welcoming young environmental protection activists from all over the world to Bayer," Bayer Board of Management Chairman Werner Wenning said. "This Conference is a further milestone of our partnership with UNEP."

The Tunza Programme, endorsed in 2003, is a comprehensive six-year strategy to promote the participation of children and youth in every part of the world in environmental activities. It focuses on four thematic areas: awareness building, capacity building, information exchange, and facilitating the involvement of young people in environmental decision making
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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IN FIGHT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE, UN ENLISTS TRADITIONAL CHIEFS

IN FIGHT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE, UN ENLISTS TRADITIONAL CHIEFS
New York, Aug 24 2007 10:00AM
Hundreds of traditional leaders across Zimbabwe are being <" http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40662.html">trained to help fight domestic abuse in their communities under a United Nations-backed initiative launched in cooperation with the Government and women lawyers in the Central African country.

"Chiefs play a pivotal role in settling domestic disputes across rural Zimbabwe," UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative Festo Kavishe said. "They are often the custodians of traditional law and receive the bulk of cases dealing with domestic violence. Yet, too often in the past they have lacked the power and knowledge to prevent and adequately respond to domestic violence."

The training, launched by UNICEF, the Government and the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, ensures that more than 300 chiefs learn how to apply and interpret the recently enacted and historic Domestic Violence Act, stop abuse and offer support to victims in their communities.

Amid continuing economic hardships, unemployment at 70 per cent, and a growing HIV/AIDS crisis, anecdotal evidence has shown not only an increase in domestic violence, but in its severity as well. In Zimbabwe 95 per cent of the victims of domestic violence are women.

"Advocating for a Domestic Violence law was a triumph, a great first stride," UNICEF's gender focal person Jelda Nhiziyo said. "But this is the beginning. The greatest challenges lie ahead. We must fight to change mindsets, entrenched values and habits, and in this struggle traditional leaders are the key."

The Domestic Violence Act provides clear laws to protect victims and provides long-term measures to tackle the problem by imposing stiffer sentences, placing special duties on police to assist victims with special sections set up at police stations, ensuring police are trained on the Bill and advise victims of their rights, and immediately providing victims with a court issued protection order.

Beyond the training, UNICEF is actively engaged in working to reduce domestic violence in Zimbabwe, training pastors, police and communities on handling the problem and instructing teachers on how they can provide life skills to victims.
2007-08-24 00:00:00.000

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UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO HOLD INDEPENDENT PROBE INTO DPR KOREA WORK

UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO HOLD INDEPENDENT PROBE INTO DPR KOREA WORK
New York, Aug 23 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) announced today that it plans to set up an independent inquiry to examine allegations about its recent operations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that are not being considered by an existing probe by the UN Board of Auditors (UNBOA).

Ambassador Carsten Staur of Denmark, President of the Executive Board of UNDP/UN Population Fund (UNFPA), issued a <"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2007/august/undp-statement-on-dprk-20070821.en;jsessionid=axNDMgfsIq3d">statement saying that he was proposing a complementary inquiry to be "led by one or more individuals who are highly respected internationally, neutral, and external to the UN system."

The review will look into all issues not covered by the UNBOA probe, "including allegations of retaliation against individuals who have raised concerns and other complaints" about UNDP's activities in the DPRK.

It may also scrutinize UNDP's broader policies on accountability and oversight, including the protection of whistleblowers, although this will be determined after the Executive Board meets next month.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the plan to proceed with an independent review, Mr. Staur said, adding that UNDP's senior management also "fully supports the external review and has assured that it will cooperate fully and make sure that all relevant documentation and information are made available."

In January Mr. Ban ordered the UNBOA audit amid allegations aired in the media that funds used by UN agencies to help in humanitarian efforts in the DPRK were being channelled improperly to the Government in Pyongyang, including to its nuclear programme.

That inquiry into the operations of UNDP, <"http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is now preparing to enter its second phase after the first phase found there had been no large-scale or systematic diversion of UN funds.
But UNBOA has also noted that the second phase will not cover the full range of allegations and issues raised specifically about UNDP's work in the DPRK.

Mr. Staur said he would work with the rest of the Executive Board to determine the details of the new review, including the terms of reference and the selection of the individuals to head it.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR 'CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE' FOLLOWING ARRESTS

MYANMAR: BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR 'CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE' FOLLOWING ARRESTS
New York, Aug 23 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he is following events in Myanmar closely and with concern following reports of arrests of student leaders and others by the authorities in the South-East Asian nation.

"In the spirit of the efforts of mutual engagement being pursued by the United Nations and Myanmar in the context of his good offices, the Secretary-General calls on the authorities to exercise maximum restraint in responding to any demonstrations and encourages all parties to avoid any provocative action," Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11130.doc.htm">statement.

The Secretary-General also called for "constructive dialogue towards national reconciliation at this important time in Myanmar's history."

Earlier this month, Mr. Ban's Special Adviser on Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari held talks with government officials in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, while in June, he toured Asia and Europe.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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UN-LED CAMPAIGN AGAINST DIARRHOEA OUTBREAKS IN SUDAN BRINGS RESULTS

UN-LED CAMPAIGN AGAINST DIARRHOEA OUTBREAKS IN SUDAN BRINGS RESULTS
New York, Aug 23 2007 4:00PM
A campaign led by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to prevent major outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea in Sudan during the rainy season this year is paying dividends, with the number of cases of the sometimes fatal condition in the north of the country almost 90 per cent below last year's figures.

Less than 800 cases of acute watery diarrhoea have been reported in two states in northern Sudan since April, despite the presence of heavy floods across the nation in recent weeks, <"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40659.html">UNICEF reported today.

This compares to last year's devastating outbreak, when 6,000 cases of diarrhoea were reported in nine Sudanese states during the equivalent period and at least 900 people died.

UNICEF officials in Sudan said the pre-positioning of vital medical supplies in anticipation of outbreaks has made an important difference this year, when floods across wide swathes of the country have affected an estimated 365,000 people.

Together with its partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the agency has in place more than 1,200 drug kits for primary health care centres, 422,000 sachets of oral rehydration salts, 33,000 bottles of antibiotics and 17,000 bottles of intravenous fluids.

The threat posed by contaminated water sources and flooded latrines has also led UNICEF to ensure there are enough water chlorination supplies to support water treatment for 1.6 million people.

UNICEF Representative Ted Chaiban said public information and awareness has also been critical to the drastically reduced number of diarrhoea cases.

"Since May, UNICEF has supported community mobilization around health and hygiene promotion, the production and dissemination of information materials to over half a million people, and the airing of radio and television spots and programmes reaching more than 10 million people across the north of Sudan," he said.

The agency will step up its efforts in Gedaref state in the northeast, which has shown the highest incidence of both diarrhoea and cholera.

As flood relief operations continue in Sudan, UNICEF is also tackling another killer disease that is often more prevalent during and after heavy rains: malaria. So far this year, the agency has supplied 520,000 bed nets treated with insecticide and 700,000 doses of anti-malaria treatments.

UNICEF, the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) and the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO), as well as the UN Joint Logistics Centre and many NGOs, have been working together to deliver relief supplies and support to those Sudanese hit hardest by the floods, which are unusually heavy this year.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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CAMBODIAN JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS CONCERN UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS

CAMBODIAN JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS CONCERN UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS
New York, Aug 23 2007 4:00PM
Two United Nations human rights experts today expressed concern over judicial independence in Cambodia following recent appointments that they say seem to contravene the separation of executive and judicial powers enshrined in the country's Constitution.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for human rights in Cambodia, Yash Ghai, and the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Leandro Despouy, issued a <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/591808C8E3CEF14CC12573400043FE82?opendocument">joint statement that the appointments cast doubt on whether "judicial independence is being fully respected in Cambodia."

They called on Cambodian authorities to ensure that the provisions of the Constitution, as well as international human rights law, are respected so that judicial independence can be upheld.

"An independent judiciary is a fundamental guarantor for the protection of human rights in any country; without independent judges, it is not possible to ensure everyone's right to a fair trial," Mr. Ghai and Mr. Despouy said.

All judicial appointments, transfers, promotions, suspensions or disciplinary actions in Cambodia are supposed to be decided by the country's Supreme Council of Magistracy and then implemented by royal decree.

But the two experts said the decree of 9 August replacing the President of Cambodia's Court of Appeal appears to have not been based on a decision by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, but instead followed a request from the Chairman of the Supreme Council for State after a proposal from the Justice Minister and the Co-Chairmen of the Council for Legal and Judicial Reform.

"In other words, the replacement of the Appeal Court President was done at the request of the executive branch of government," the statement said, adding that the appointment of four new members of the Supreme Council of Magistracy by a separate decree on the same day appears to have been similarly made at the request of the executive.

Mr. Ghai noted that he has already voiced concern that the existing composition of the Supreme Council of Magistracy, which includes a government minister and a senior member of the ruling party, "does not inspire confidence that the judicial appointment process in Cambodia is free of political control."

Today's statement said three of the new appointments to the Supreme Council of Magistracy were for positions that are supposed to be reserved for members elected by judges.

"No elections appear to have been held for these positions," Mr. Ghai and Mr. Despouy said. "Indeed, no elections have ever been held for these three elected positions."

Mr. Ghai, a constitutional lawyer and academic from Kenya, and Mr. Despouy, a human rights lawyer and academic from Argentina, are among a series of independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor issues of concern.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY TO NORTHERN UGANDA HOLDS TALKS WITH REGIONAL LEADERS

UN ENVOY TO NORTHERN UGANDA HOLDS TALKS WITH REGIONAL LEADERS
New York, Aug 23 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations envoy for the conflict in northern Uganda is meeting with officials in the region as part of his ongoing efforts to broker a durable peace accord between the Government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

Joaquim Chissano, Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy for areas affected by the LRA, met earlier today in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, with the President of the Central African Republic (CAR), UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

Mr. Chissano briefed President François Bozizé, who is visiting Uganda, on his activities.

This afternoon, Mr. Chissano will proceed to the southern Sudanese town of Juba, the site of previous talks between the LRA and the Ugandan Government, for further consultations on the peace negotiations.

As part of his current mission to the region, the Special Envoy will also visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ms. Montas said.

Appointed in December 2006, Mr. Chissano – a former Mozambican president – has been tasked with addressing the regional ramifications of the Ugandan conflict, particularly its impact on neighbours such as Sudan and the DRC, as well as its root causes.

Thousands of civilians have been killed or abducted since the LRA began its rebellion in 1986, and more than 1.5 million people have become refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs).

During the conflict the rebel group became notorious for abducting children and then using them as soldiers or porters, while subjecting some to torture and allocating many girls to senior officers in a form of institutional rape.

The Ugandan Government and the LRA agreed to a cessation of hostilities last year, but a comprehensive agreement has not yet been struck and some senior LRA figures face International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, TOP UN OFFICIAL URGES CONTINUED REFLECTION ON SLAVERY

ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, TOP UN OFFICIAL URGES CONTINUED REFLECTION ON SLAVERY
New York, Aug 23 2007 3:00PM
Marking the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) today <"http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001521/152149e.pdf">urged reflection on slavery's "tragic past" and noted that its modern forms cause the suffering of millions worldwide.

The Day commemorates the uprising on 23 August 1791, when slaves of Santo Domingo in the Caribbean launched an insurrection which ultimately led to the Haitian revolution and promoted the cause of human rights.

It also "serves to pay tribute to all those who worked collectively and individually to trigger the irreversible process of the abolition of the slave trade and slavery throughout the world," said Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO's Director-General.

The occasion also seeks to encourage rumination "on a tragic past that may be distant but whose repercussions continue to fuel injustice and exclusion today," he said. "This reflection on the barbarity our society is capable of unleashing with a clear conscience is all the more necessary, salutary even, as millions of men, women and children still today suffer the horrors of new forms of slavery."

The main aim of the Day – which UNESCO is commemorating for the 10th year – is to strike a balance between paying homage to the past accurately while also promoting debate on the issues of painful memories, dialogue and democratic citizenship in multi-ethnic and multicultural societies in the present, he noted.

Earlier this year on 25 March, the UN honoured the bicentennial of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the bravery of those who opposed it.

On 25 March 1807, the British Parliament banned the slave trade, often referred to as the first example of globalization, throughout its Empire, marking the end of trans-Atlantic trafficking in human beings. Finally in 1833, an act was passed emancipating British slaves.

Millions of those forcibly taken from Africa died en route, in what is known as the middle passage across the Atlantic, to their destinations, while many others perished due to terrible conditions at the other end.

Over a decade ago, UNESCO launched the Slave Route Project, which, among other aims, seeks to clarify the consequences and interactions resulting from the slave trade.

"There is a greater awareness even in countries and regions of the world that did not feel concerned or were reluctant to re-open dark chapters in their history," Mr. Matsuura said.

"Its clear definition of the ethical and political stakes involved in the issue, its emphasis on a multidisciplinary scientific approach and its prioritizing a holistic view of this tragedy, meant that the Slave Route Project had a significant impact both internationally and locally."
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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LEBANON: UN WELCOMES ARREST OF TWO SUSPECTS IN TERRORIST ATTACK ON PEACEKEEPERS

LEBANON: UN WELCOMES ARREST OF TWO SUSPECTS IN TERRORIST ATTACK ON PEACEKEEPERS
New York, Aug 23 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations Interim Force for Lebanon (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/index.html">UNIFIL) today welcomed the reported progress in the investigation of the terrorist attack on its military police last month with the arrest of two suspects.

At the same time it stressed the importance of also identifying and arresting the perpetrators of a separate bomb attack on a UN patrol in southern Lebanon in June, when six Spanish peacekeepers were killed and two others seriously wounded.

There were no casualties in the July attack, when an explosion occurred while a UNIFIL vehicle was near Qasmiyeh Bridge.

The Security Council enhanced UNIFIL, first created in 1978 to confirm an Israeli withdrawal after an earlier incursion, to monitor the cessation of hostilities after last year's war between Israel and Hizbollah.

The Force now fields more than 13,000 troops out of its increased ceiling of 15,000. Israel has withdrawn from all Lebanese territory except for the northern part of the village of Ghajar which straddles the line separating the two sides.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED FORUM EXAMINES ROLE OF ICT IN ACHIEVING DEVELOPMENT TARGETS

UN-BACKED FORUM EXAMINES ROLE OF ICT IN ACHIEVING DEVELOPMENT TARGETS
New York, Aug 23 2007 2:00PM
Over 1,000 participants from 66 countries have gathered at the United Nations Centre in Addis Ababa to explore how the latest information and communication technology (ICT) can help countries overcome poverty and advance development.

"ICT for Development and Prosperity" is the theme for the three-day World Information Technology Forum which kicked off yesterday in the Ethiopian capital.

The Forum grew out of the 2003 and 2005 World Summit on the Information Society (<"http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html">WSIS), which affirmed the importance of bridging the so-called "digital divide" that separates poor communities from affluent ones through their lack of access to such technology. It seeks to help developing countries in particular to use ICT to achieve the set of agreed global anti-poverty targets known as the UN Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs).

At the Forum's opening session, Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (<"http://www.uneca.org/">ECA), underlined the vital role of the knowledge economy in Africa.

In a message read by Aida Opoku-Mensah, ECA's Director of ICT, Science and Technology Division, Mr. Janneh stressed that "through globalization new ideas and innovation are spreading faster than ever before and as a result, knowledge-based development is becoming a reality for all countries irrespective of whether they are developed or developing."

Participants will look at successful and sustainable ICT strategies in developing countries, as well as issues such as human resource development, leapfrogging rural communications and low-cost telecommunication systems and information services for rural communities.

The Forum is organized by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) in cooperation with the ECA, the Ethiopian Government, the Ethiopian ICT Development Agency (EICTDA) and the Ethiopian IT Professional Association (EITPA).

Also in Addis Ababa, a new publication released today highlights the vital role of a strong media and communication environment to a developed and prosperous Africa.

The publication, "Framework for the Development of a Sustainable and Pluralistic Media," states that achieving the MDGs requires a free and democratic environment in which the media can play an effective role in promoting sustainable development, fighting corruption and promoting good governance, according to a press release issued by ECA.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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NEW UNREST FLARES IN TIMOR-LESTE, UN POLICE REPORTS

NEW UNREST FLARES IN TIMOR-LESTE, UN POLICE REPORTS
New York, Aug 23 2007 12:00PM
Fighting involving 100 to 300 people armed with machetes, steel darts and bows broke out in Timor-Leste today, almost completely destroying a market in the town of Metinaro in the latest violence following inconclusive elections two months ago, the United Nations Police (<" http://www.unmiset.org/unmisetwebsite.nsf/MainFrame-EN.htm?OpenFrameset">UNPOL) reported today.

Latest reports indicate that trouble flared up again in the afternoon and 10 houses and a motorcycle were set on fire. The police and the fire brigade are in attendance. Three people were arrested. The International Stabilization Force (ISF) and other police units rushed to the scene, east of Dili, the capital.

Two people were also reported to have been killed in a confrontation in Ermera, another eastern region of the small South-East Asian country that the UN helped shepherd to independence from Indonesia in 2002, but no further details were available, UNPOL said.

In Dili, UNPOL attended to eight incidents, firing tear gas to control the crowds and arresting six people. Large groups engaged in sporadic fighting in the vicinity of Surik Mas and Bairo Pite.

Separately, a fire was also reported near the Comoro roundabout, which was extinguished with only minor damage. A small fight near Bebonuk primary school was also brought under control by police.

Timor-Leste has been shaken by unrest after the formation of a new government following the June elections, which failed to produce a single outright winner.

The UN enhanced its peacekeeping and policing roles in the country last year after violence attributed to differences between eastern and western regions killed at least 37 people and forced 155,000 others, 15 per cent of the population, to flee their homes.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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GLOBAL COOPERATION VITAL AS NEW DISEASES EMERGE AT UNPRECEDENTED RATE, WARNS UN

GLOBAL COOPERATION VITAL AS NEW DISEASES EMERGE AT UNPRECEDENTED RATE, WARNS UN
New York, Aug 23 2007 10:00AM
With new diseases emerging at an unprecedented rate in an increasingly interconnected world, often with the ability to cross borders rapidly, global public health security depends on international cooperation and surveillance more than at any previous time in history, the United Nations health agency <" http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr44/en/index.html">warned in its annual report today.

"Given today's universal vulnerability to these threats, better security calls for global solidarity," UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan said in releasing this year's World Health Report, entitled "<" http://www.who.int/whr/2007/en/index.html">A safer future: global public health security in the 21st century."

"International public health security is both a collective aspiration and a mutual responsibility. The new watchwords are diplomacy, cooperation, transparency and preparedness," she added of the report, which calls pandemic influenza the most feared threat to health security in our times.

Experts fear that the current bird flu virus, which has so far infected 321 people, killing 194 of them, could mutate to easy human-to-human transmission. The so-called Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1920, which spread easily between humans, is estimated to have killed from 20 million to 40 million people. The experts say a new flu pandemic is not a question of if but of when.

The report sets out the WHO strategic action plan to respond to a pandemic. It also draws attention to the need for stronger health systems and for continued vigilance in managing the risks and consequences of the international spread of polio and the newly emerging strain of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB).

It notes that since 1967, at least 39 new pathogens have been identified, including HIV, the deadly haemorrhagic Ebola and Marburg fevers, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which emerged in China in 2003 and spread rapidly as far as Canada, infecting more than 8,000 people, over 800 of them fatally, before it was brought under control.

Other centuries-old threats, such as pandemic influenza, malaria and tuberculosis, continue to pose a threat to health through a combination of mutation, rising resistance to antimicrobial medicines and weak health systems. New threats have also emerged, linked to potential terrorist attacks, chemical incidents and radio-nuclear accidents, it adds.

Its recommendations include global cooperation in surveillance and outbreak alert and response; open sharing of knowledge, technologies and materials, including viruses and other laboratory samples, necessary to optimize secure global public health; and global responsibility for capacity building within the public health infrastructure of all countries.

The report also calls for cross-sector collaboration within Governments and increased global and national resources for training, surveillance, laboratory capacity, response networks, and prevention campaigns.

It shows how and why diseases are increasingly threatening global public health security, citing the high and rapid mobility of people as one factor. Airlines now carry more than two billion passengers a year, enabling people and the diseases that travel with them to pass from one country to another in a matter of hours.

The potential health and economic impact was seen in 2003 with SARS, which cost Asian countries an estimated $60 billion of gross expenditure and business losses.

The report outlines some of the human factors behind public health insecurity, including inadequate investment in public health resulting from a false sense of security in the absence of infectious disease outbreaks; unexpected policy changes such as a decision temporarily to halt immunization in northern Nigeria in 2003, which led to the re-emergence of polio cases; and conflicts where forced migration obliges people to live in overcrowded, unhygienic and impoverished conditions heightening the risk of epidemics.

Other factors include microbial evolution and antibiotic resistance and animal husbandry and food processing threats such as the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and Nipah virus.
2007-08-23 00:00:00.000

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BURUNDI: UN, AFRICAN UNION MISSION CONDEMN ATTACKS ON POLITICAL FIGURES

BURUNDI: UN, AFRICAN UNION MISSION CONDEMN ATTACKS ON POLITICAL FIGURES
New York, Aug 22 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) and the African Union Mission in the country have condemned a grenade attack against political figures there.

The attacks took place during the night of 19-20 August against key individuals, "putting their lives and those of their families at risk," BINUB and the African Union Mission, known as MIAB, said in a joint statement issued on Tuesday.

They emphasized that now is the time for dialogue and not acts of "blind and gratuitous violence."

A series of power-sharing agreements and ceasefires between the Government and various rebel groups have helped to bring peace to Burundi, where BINUB took over from a UN peacekeeping operation which had been deployed there from mid-2004 to the end of 2006.

Burundi is currently on the agenda of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, which was established to help countries recovering from war avoid a relapse into war.
2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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SUDANESE MILITARY MISSED RE-DEPLOYMENT DEADLINE IN SOUTH, SAYS UN REPORT

SUDANESE MILITARY MISSED RE-DEPLOYMENT DEADLINE IN SOUTH, SAYS UN REPORT
New York, Aug 22 2007 6:00PM
Sudan's armed forces missed a deadline last month to re-deploy out of the south of the country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/500">report charting the progress being made on implementing the comprehensive peace agreement ending the long-running north-south civil war.

Voicing regret that the 9 July deadline "has not been fully met," Mr. Ban calls on the military to immediately remove from the south all of its remaining elements, with the exception of those soldiers designated for new joint integrated units with the former rebels, known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

Although most of the Sudanese military had re-deployed by the 9 July deadline, at least 3,600 troops still remain, mostly in Upper Nile state. The armed forces say they are necessary to protect oilfields pending the placement of the joint integrated units, but this is disputed by the SPLA.

Mr. Ban writes that the development of those integrated units "remains an issue of central importance," with the assignment of troops to them now nine months overdue. He also notes that their formation is a prerequisite for SPLA forces to fully re-deploy from Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Under the January 2005 peace pact that ended the decades-long war between north and south, and granted some autonomy to the south, the joint units are mandated to protect key oilfields and the oil installations themselves are to be demilitarized.

The Secretary-General says management of Sudan's oil sector, uncertainty over the status of Abyei, a disputed area, and agreement over the boundary between north and south will be key issues for the parties and the UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmis/">UNMIS) to resolve in the coming months.

The reintegration of ex-combatants from other armed groups, particularly the Southern Sudan Defence Force, will also be critical, he says.

But Mr. Ban welcomes the progress made towards resolving outstanding disputes over wealth sharing and supporting the return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their home towns and villages.

He also praises "the intensive contacts and negotiations" between the two sides in the joint institutions set up as a result of the comprehensive peace deal.

But the pace of preparations for mid-term elections, scheduled for 2009, "has so far been disappointing, and both parties have to accelerate work dramatically on the necessary legislative reforms."

Meanwhile, the report welcomes the Security Councils' recent authorization of a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping mission (to be known as UNAMID) in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, where a separate conflict has raged since 2003.
2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON APPOINTS DEPUTY ENVOYS FOR IRAQ, LIBERIA

BAN KI-MOON APPOINTS DEPUTY ENVOYS FOR IRAQ, LIBERIA
New York, Aug 22 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has selected David Shearer of New Zealand and Henrietta Joy Abean Nyarko Mensa-Bonsu of Ghana to serve as his deputy envoys in Iraq and Liberia, respectively, a United Nations spokesperson announced today.

Mr. Shearer will succeed Jean-Marie Fakhouri of Lebanon as Mr. Ban's Deputy Special Representative for Iraq focusing on humanitarian, reconstruction and development issues, and will also serve as the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in the strife-torn country, spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

Most recently, Mr. Shearer served as head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Jerusalem, a post he has held since 2003. He was also the Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon from July to October 2006, providing vital leadership in support of the 900,000 people displaced during the conflict there.

Mr. Shearer brings to his new post years of experience leading humanitarian operations for the UN, including in Albania, Rwanda and Liberia, as well as several years with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the New Zealand Government.

Currently Professor and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Canada, Ms. Mensa-Bonsu brings a wide range of experience in dealing with international law issues to her new assignment as Deputy Special Representative for Liberia, focusing on the rule of law.

Ms. Mensa-Bonsu has published widely on criminal law, juvenile justice and children's rights, and has undertaken numerous assignments at the national and international level, including those related to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the African Child and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

She currently serves on the Police Council of Ghana and was a member of the National Reconciliation Commission of Ghana.
2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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JOINT UN, UGANDAN GOVERNMENT TEAMS TO ASSESS IMPACT OF SEVERE FLOODING

JOINT UN, UGANDAN GOVERNMENT TEAMS TO ASSESS IMPACT OF SEVERE FLOODING
New York, Aug 22 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations and the Ugandan Government are set to deploy teams to assess the impact of severe flooding in the eastern part of the country resulting from unusually intense rainfall over the past month – the heaviest in 35 years.

Many parts of eastern Uganda have witnessed significant flooding since the rains began in late July, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release issued today in the capital, Kampala.

An initial inter-agency assessment, carried out with the support of local authorities in Katakwi and Amuria districts, revealed that nearly 2,000 people across the two districts have been forced to leave their homes due to the flooding and nearly 4,000 households have reported damage to food crops.

According to the Uganda Red Cross Society, which has also conducted initial assessments in the districts of Amuria and Katakwi, as well as in Budada, Bukeda, Kumi and Sironko in eastern Uganda, nearly 10,200 households – some 50,000 individuals –had been affected.

In addition to forcing thousands from their homes and causing substantial damage to crops, the floods have damaged roads and bridges, making it difficult to reach the affected populations.

While there have been no confirmed outbreaks of infectious disease so far, OCHA warns that current conditions are ripe for increased rates of malaria, diarrhoea, skin diseases, respiratory chest infections and intestinal worms.

The two teams will begin their assessments in the Teso and Mbale regions by the end of the week, focusing on the impact on water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, health, food security, shelter, and road conditions.

They will be led by a representative of the Office of the Prime Minister/Disaster Management Office and supported by experts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN World Food Programme (WFP) and OCHA, as well as the Uganda Red Cross Society.
2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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AS PERUVIAN QUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS CONTINUE, UN FOOD AGENCY SEEKS URGENT FUNDS

AS PERUVIAN QUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS CONTINUE, UN FOOD AGENCY SEEKS URGENT FUNDS
New York, Aug 22 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today appealed to donors to urgently and generously fund its $6.1 million operation to provide food aid to 80,000 people worst affected by last week's deadly earthquake in Peru.

The powerful quake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and struck 161 kilometres south of the capital, Lima, resulted in the death of over 500 people and injured more than 1,000 others.

<http://www.wfp.org/english/>WFP has so far provided over 500 metric tons of mainly ready-to-eat food to the worst affected, including nine tons of high protein biscuits airlifted from the agency's sub-regional emergency logistics hub in neighbouring Ecuador.

The agency's efforts will focus particularly on children aged six to 24 months, women and other high-risks groups such as the elderly. It will also support reconstruction activity through food-for-work programmes.

"For us to be successful, we will have to count on the full support of the international community and we appeal to donors to respond as quickly as possible," said WFP Country Director Guy Gauvreau.

About $2 million of the funds requested will come from the UN <http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf>Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) -- the landmark fund established by the world body in 2006 to speed up relief operations for humanitarian emergencies and make funds available quickly after a disaster, when people are most at risk. WFP is hoping donors will provided the remainder.

"We are relying on donors' generosity. This crisis may quickly disappear from the front pages of the newspapers, but the tens of thousands of people affected by this catastrophe will live with the effects for many months to come," Mr. Gauvreau stated.

WFP also reports that some 300 aftershocks since the devastating quake have left 16,700 families homeless. Those most gravely affected had been the poorest families,
earth and straw.

Major logistical problems involved damaged roads, huge traffic jams and the fact that people would not leave the rubble of their homes for fear of pillaging, the agency added.

In a related development, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing has stressed the urgent need for securing emergency accommodation for the homeless and access to drinking water for those affected by last week's quake.

In a <http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/2372484B3FDE0590C125733E00511390?OpenDocument>statement issued yesterday in Geneva, Miloon Kothari also said he hoped the tragedy in Peru will ensure the implementation of safe housing standards worldwide, which can "ensure that the loss of life, human suffering and homelessness resulting from natural disasters are minimized in the future."

2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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LONG-TERM ERITREAN REFUGEES IN EASTERN SUDAN NEED DURABLE SOLUTION - UN AGENCY

LONG-TERM ERITREAN REFUGEES IN EASTERN SUDAN NEED DURABLE SOLUTION – UN AGENCY
New York, Aug 22 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations refugee agency said today it is searching for long-term solutions for the tens of thousands of Eritreans who have crossed into eastern Sudan because of deteriorating political and human rights conditions in their homeland, including some who fled decades ago.

About 130,000 Eritreans live in 12 refugee camps in Sudan, as well as in nearby urban and rural areas, and scores more are crossing into the country every week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported. Many are young men trying to avoid military service, but an increasing number are women and children.

The majority of these asylum-seekers have lived in Sudan for years, seeking sanctuary from recurring conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. But some 22,000 have still crossed since late 2003, long after the two countries signed a peace treaty in 2000 ending hostilities and an estimated 98,000 Eritreans returned home under a UNHCR voluntary repatriation programme.

Most of the Eritreans are concentrated in the states of Kassala, Gedaref, Gezira, Sennar and Red Sea.

UNHCR said repatriation is no longer a viable option for many of the Eritreans, especially those that have lived in Sudan for decades, and the agency is holding discussions with Sudanese authorities about possible local integration or resettlement to a third country.

The agency stressed that its long-term aim is to make the asylum-seekers more self-reliant and less dependent on aid and the support of the local Sudanese communities, which have long shared their own scarce resources.

UNHCR has identified better health facilities and greater access to safe drinking water and education as the priority needs of the long-term Eritrean refugees, noting that many of the more recent arrivals are still hopeful of returning to their homeland.
2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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UN EXPERTS PROBING GORILLA KILLINGS STRESS LOCAL ROLE IN PRESERVATION

UN EXPERTS PROBING GORILLA KILLINGS STRESS LOCAL ROLE IN PRESERVATION
New York, Aug 22 2007 3:00PM
A United Nations-supported expert team probing the recent slaughter of nine mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today wrapped up its visit to the country by stressing that local communities must be central to efforts to preserve the endangered species and to any profitable activities related to the primates.

The mission spent 11 days in the DRC meeting Congolese Government ministers, lawmakers, UN peacekeeping officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local community leaders and traditional chiefs, wildlife groups and rangers at Virunga National Park, where the gorillas live.

In a press statement released by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) after the visit, the mission members said the Congolese authorities, local communities and the UN peacekeeping mission (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC) all agreed on the need to play their part to ensure the survival of the estimated 370 remaining gorillas in Virunga.

DRC National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe, who met the mission members, quoted President Joseph Kabila as saying he was determined to "champion conservation," while both Environment Minister Didace Pembe and MONUC chief William Lacy Swing emphasized the need to preserve the mountain gorilla and other endangered species given their potential value to the local economy.

The expert team also "observed the importance of including local communities in efforts to preserve the gorillas and to let them get their share from income-generating activities linked to the presence of wildlife," the UNESCO statement said.

The mission was dispatched after nine mountain gorillas were found slaughtered this year in Virunga, which lies in the northeast of the DRC close to the border with Uganda and Rwanda. That is more than were killed during the conflict that wracked Africa's Great Lakes region in the late 1990s.

Virunga was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979 for its outstanding natural habitats and biodiversity, but the gorilla killings have led the World Heritage Committee to inscribe the park on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The mission comprises experts from UNESCO and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a union of Governments, government agencies and NGOs, as well as a representative of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The team will now present its findings to the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, Christina Cameron.
2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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MIDDLE EAST: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN LEADERS

MIDDLE EAST: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN LEADERS
New York, Aug 22 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations Middle East envoy is in Jerusalem today for talks with Israeli and Palestinian political leaders on the need for dialogue between the two sides and to help prepare for a future meeting of the Quartet, the international diplomatic grouping trying to resolve the conflict.

Michael Williams, UN <http://www.un.org/unsco/>Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, met Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad today, a day after holding discussions with Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon.

Tomorrow he is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

The Quartet ? comprising the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States ? agreed at a summit in Lisbon, Portugal, last month to meet again in September as part of efforts to "provide diplomatic support for the parties in their bilateral discussions and negotiations in order to move forward on a successful path to a Palestinian State."

Ms. Montas said Mr. Williams had also held talks during this trip to the region with officials from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the implementation of Security Council <http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1701(2006)>resolution 1701, which ended last year's war between the IDF and Hizbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.

2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY APPEALS TO PAKISTAN TO DELAY CLOSURE OF AFGHAN REFUGEE CAMP

UN AGENCY APPEALS TO PAKISTAN TO DELAY CLOSURE OF AFGHAN REFUGEE CAMP
New York, Aug 22 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations refugee agency has asked Pakistan to temporarily suspend the closure of a major camp for displaced Afghans amid fears that tens of thousands are being pressured into leaving and may not be able to settle down in Afghanistan before winter begins.

The Jalozai camp in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) was scheduled to close on 15 July, which would have provided sufficient opportunity for camp residents to settle down in Afghanistan.

That deadline was extended to 31 August, as agreed by the Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) earlier this year, the agency noted in a press release issued today.

Deeply concerned about a possible humanitarian crisis resulting from a large number of returns this late in the repatriation season, UNHCR has asked Pakistan to consider temporarily suspending the closure until 2008. The agency noted that previous camp closures carried out late in the year have resulted in internal displacement and returnee families living in inadequate makeshift shelters over the winter.

Under the Tripartite Agreement signed on 2 August, the two countries and UNHCR agreed that repatriation should be voluntary and gradual. They also agreed that the 2007 closure of the four refugee camps -- Kacha Gari and Jalozai in NWFP, and Jungle Pir Alizai and Girdi Jungle in Balochistan -- should take into account the security conditions and absorption capacity in Afghanistan.

The closure of Kacha Gari camp at the end of July, following several months of preparation, led to the return of almost 40,000 Afghans to their homeland.

UNHCR believes that given the very short deadline before the end of the month, it will be impossible to manage a safe, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation operation from Jalozai, which has a population of over 100,000 people.

Under the camp closure agree
repatriate to their homeland or to relocate to existing camps within Pakistan proposed by the Government. So far this year, only 7,000 residents of Jalozai have chosen to return voluntarily to Afghanistan, and no one has so far opted to move to the relocation sites.

In accordance with the agreement on the registration of Afghans reached in April 2006 between Pakistan and UNHCR, those holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards can stay in Pakistan until the end of 2009.
2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY PROVIDES AID FOR 5,000 DISPLACED SOMALIS

UN REFUGEE AGENCY PROVIDES AID FOR 5,000 DISPLACED SOMALIS
New York, Aug 22 2007 9:00AM
The United Nations refugee agency has provided basic supplies to some 5,000 displaced people living in makeshift shelters in the southern Somalia town of Baidoa, a market area and seat of the country's interim parliament, while cautioning that more assistance is necessary.

The distribution of plastic sheeting for shelter, blankets, jerry cans and kitchen utensils started last Sunday and was completed on Tuesday morning, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a news release.

The 5,000 people from 1,000 families who received supplies during this distribution round are among the estimated 4,000 displaced families living in settlements in and around Baidoa.

Some of the internally displaced people (IDP) targeted during the distribution arrived recently in Baidoa from Mogadishu and other areas of south and central Somalia which have been affected by fighting, UNHCR said.

"We completed the distribution successfully this morning, but were still not able to meet all the needs. Some families are still without shelter material, while many of the IDP sites lack health services, water and sanitation," said a UNHCR official in Baidoa.

"People depend on rainfall for farming activities. But this time the rains were not good, which means that people cannot work on their farms. They depend wholly on their farms and now they have no alternative," the official explained.

Meanwhile, UNHCR said its operations in the town of Galkayo remain severely curtailed after threats forced the evacuation in early August of staff working for international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including partners of the refugee agency.

The agency also said it is finalizing plans for the repatriation in October of a last group of some 2,000 Somali refugees living in camps in Djibouti.

Earlier this week, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to extend the African Union-led mission in Somalia by six months while approving continued con
peacekeeping operation in the country, which has not had a functioning government since 1991.

2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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BANGLADESH: UN AGENCY DISTRIBUTES MORE FOOD AID TO FLOOD VICTIMS

BANGLADESH: UN AGENCY DISTRIBUTES MORE FOOD AID TO FLOOD VICTIMS
New York, Aug 22 2007 9:00AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced the start of a new round of emergency food distributions in flood-hit parts of Bangladesh, where the agency hopes to help more than 800,000 people worst hit by the disaster.

The move, funded by a $1.3 million donation from Australia, follows two earlier distributions to more than 335,000 people, WFP said in a news release.

The agency said it will distribute over 2,500 metric tons of rice in this round by the end of August.

"Thousands of poor families would have remained destitute due to the loss of their crops, livestock and in some cases, family members, as water started receding. The Australian assistance has enabled WFP to respond quickly to feed these vulnerable poor families who are in need of food," said WFP Representative in Bangladesh Douglas Broderick.

In cooperation with Government relief efforts, WFP food assistance is being distributed by WFP staff, Government officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community representatives. The first convoys, carrying high energy biscuits, were organized jointly by WFP and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Mr. Broderick said WFP stands ready to provide more assistance. "We urge more donors to step forward with funding for early recovery programmes which are crucial in serving poor people in the aftermath of bad floods in Bangladesh," he said.

A recent UN report cited preliminary official estimates indicating that Bangladesh lost some 854,000 hectares of rice paddies to floods that hit in July, while another 582,000 hectares were partially damaged.

2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN HANDBOOK AIMS TO HELP COUNTRIES IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION RESPOND TO AIDS

NEW UN HANDBOOK AIMS TO HELP COUNTRIES IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION RESPOND TO AIDS
New York, Aug 22 2007 9:00AM
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region today received a new United Nations handbook that focuses on the role of human rights in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Handbook on HIV and Human Rights is designed to assist the region's national human rights institutions to integrate HIV into their human rights mandates.

Launched at the eighth International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, being held in Colombo, the publication provides a basic overview of the role of human rights in an effective response to the HIV epidemic and suggests concrete activities that national institutions can carry out.

"This is a critical time for national human rights institutions to engage in the AIDS response," said Dr. Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director. "We have learned that we will not succeed against HIV unless we address discrimination, gender inequality and other human rights abuses that drive the epidemic. National human rights institutions need to be full partners in the day-to-day AIDS response."

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour referred to the Handbook as "an essential guide for national institutions in their efforts to ensure that States are held accountable for protecting the rights of people living with HIV."

During the International Congress, which is being held from 19 to 23 August in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, OHCHR, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UNAIDS will be co-hosting a satellite event entitled "Unblocking the Barriers to Universal Access: the role of national human rights institutions." The event, which includes the participation of the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+), will address how national institutions can work with partners to address critical human rights issues in the AIDS response, and promo
accountability, including to universal access.

2007-08-22 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: UN ACCUSES SUDANESE MILITARY, ALLIED MILITIAS OF POSSIBLE WAR CRIMES

DARFUR: UN ACCUSES SUDANESE MILITARY, ALLIED MILITIAS OF POSSIBLE WAR CRIMES
New York, Aug 21 2007 6:00PM
The Sudanese military and allied armed groups abducted women and girls and kept many as sex slaves for a month after an attack on villages in Darfur near the end of last year, the United Nations human rights office reported today, saying the abuses may constitute war crimes before the International Criminal Court (<"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">ICC) and naming individuals who could be held responsible.

The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/english/">OHCHR) Louise Arbour <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/02EED4D378F34A0CC125733E003112B8?opendocument">called on the Sudanese Government to set up an independent investigation into the events that followed the attack on Deribat and eight other villages in the East Jebel Marra region of South Darfur state in late December 2006.

In a <"http://www.ohchr.org/english/press/docs/Deribat_report_20Aug07.pdf">report released today, issued with the UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">UNMIS) as a follow-up to an April report on the same events, OHCHR recommended, among others, that anyone suspected of being responsible for the abductions, rapes or sex slavery "should be brought to justice in trials that meet international standards of fairness."

Any member of the Sudanese armed forces suspected of committing or ordering the abuses should be suspended immediately pending an inquiry, the report stated, adding that the Government should also ensure full reparations – including compensation – for the victims and their families.

Khartoum "must protect women and children from sexual and gender-based violence," according to a statement accompanying the report, which was based partly on testimony given by victims and eyewitnesses during a field trip by UNMIS human rights officers.

It said the Government was responsible for the actions of its armed forces and for other informal allied groups or militias that were involved, particularly the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abu Gasim faction.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and over 2 million others forced to flee their homes since 2003 because of fighting between rebel groups, Government forces and allied militias. Last month the Security Council approved the creation of a hybrid UN-African Union force (to be known as UNAMID) to quell the violence.

The OHCHR report noted that after UN officials presented their initial conclusions to local authorities in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, no investigations were carried out, although authorities indicated they have sent the allegations to the Sudanese military.

Witnesses testified that several hundred armed men on horseback and camelback attacked Deribat on the morning of 26 December, joined by an aircraft and at least three vehicles. The attackers then rounded up many women and children from the town and took them to a nearby stream, where they camped and began to systematically rape the women and girls, often in front of the other captives.

One witness told UN investigators that the women were badly beaten if they did not comply. The abducted women and children were held for about a month, and some of the women became pregnant or experienced serious physical injuries as a result of the rapes in addition to the widespread psychological trauma suffered by victims. No formal medical treatment and little food were provided, and the women were forced to cook and serve food for their abductors.

UNMIS human rights officials said the pattern of attacks in the Jebel Marra region suggested that the victims in Deribat were targeted because the local Fur community was perceived as being sympathizers of rebel groups that have not signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) with the Government.

The officials said information gathered indicated "that the following persons may share criminal responsibility" for leading or authorizing the attack on Deribat and the subsequent rapes and abductions: Ali Mohammed Hussein, a former sergeant in the Sudanese armed forces and now a PDF commander; Yousif Ali Yousif, a PDF commander in the Malam area; and Hamid Mohammed Hamdan, a militia commander with the allied Mahamid tribe.

The report stressed that the information obtained in the testimony indicated a series of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and possibly war crimes as well.

"If rape, sexual slavery or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against civilians… [they] can constitute a crime against humanity, and potentially fall within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court."

In February, the ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo named a Sudanese Government minister and a militia commander as the first suspects he wants tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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UN COMMENDS JORDAN FOR EDUCATING IRAQI SCHOOL CHILDREN

UN COMMENDS JORDAN FOR EDUCATING IRAQI SCHOOL CHILDREN
New York, Aug 21 2007 4:00PM
With the new school year kicking off on Sunday in Jordan, the United Nations refugee agency today praised the country for opening the doors of its local schools to tens of thousands of Iraqi children who have fled war in their homeland.

There are currently 750,000 Iraqi refugees – half are believed to be children – living in Jordan, most of them having fled their homeland following the outbreak of violence in 2003.

Until now, Iraqi children uprooted in Jordan could not receive educations unless their parents had residency permits or paid fees.

"This courageous gesture by the Jordanian Government will have to be strongly supported by the international community. It deserves wide recognition," said Peter Janssen, acting representative in Jordan for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46cb10682.html">UNHCR). "It will help many Iraqis give some meaning to a very difficult and, at times, hopeless situation."

Iraqis will have until 15 September to take part in the registration process, and the Jordanian Ministry of Education has said it believes at least 50,000 Iraqi children will enrol in schools nationwide.

Iraqi children will follow the same curricula as Jordanian students and have access to the same school facilities. The programme is slated to include primary, secondary and vocational training as well as non-formal education where applicable.

At the end of the registration period, Jordanian officials will assess needs, recruit teachers and staff and organize double shifts in crowded schools.

Children are being placed on waiting lists in some schools and referred to schools running double shifts by tutoring one group in the morning and a second in the afternoon, UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters in Geneva.

Nearly three dozen schools in the capital Amman will operate in double shifts, while others will follow in the cities of Zarqa and Irbid. An additional 2,500 teachers are expected to be hired in the next two weeks to handle the influx of new students.

Late last month, UNHCR and the UN Children's Fund joined together to launch a $129 million education appeal to send 155,000 Iraqi refugee children to school in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. The funds would be used to provide prefab classrooms and buildings, upgrading water and sanitation in schools and building new schools and additional classrooms.

"So far, funding has been slow to come in although there are good indications that money will be forthcoming," Ms. Pagonis noted.

Over 2 million Iraqis have fled their country, primarily to Jordan and Syria, and nearly half a million of them are of school age and most have limited or no access to education.

Ms. Pagonis said that "many Iraqis still face barriers to education as many families are running out of resources and sending their children out to work, especially in female headed households. In addition, some vulnerable Iraqis are unwilling to register their children at state schools because they do not have legal status in Jordan."
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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UN TEAMS ASSESSING AFTERMATH IN CARIBBEAN NATIONS HIT BY HURRICANE DEAN

UN TEAMS ASSESSING AFTERMATH IN CARIBBEAN NATIONS HIT BY HURRICANE DEAN
New York, Aug 21 2007 4:00PM
As the first major Atlantic hurricane of the season made landfall in Mexico today after wreaking havoc across the Caribbean region, United Nations officials are surveying the aftermath of the storm as well as the most critical needs of those affected.

Hurricane Dean has now weakened from a category 5 – the highest level for hurricanes – to a category 3 storm after striking the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico earlier today, UN Spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

"The United Nations Country Team is working with authorities to prepare the region for the hurricane," she said, noting that some 530 storm shelters – with a capacity of 73,000 people – have been set up on the eastern part of the Yucatan. The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/emerg/index_40646.html">UNICEF) has also pre-positioned medicines, food, water and blankets.

The UN has sent Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams to Jamaica and Belize. A state of emergency had been declared in the southern part of Jamaica and some 6,500 people are temporarily living in 268 shelters. Preliminary findings reveal significant damage to roofs, storm surges, flooding, collapsed structures and impassable roadways throughout the country. There have also been reports of severe damage to power lines and to the water supply system.

UNICEF estimated that 90,000 children had been directly or indirectly affected in Jamaica alone. The agency had distributed hygiene kits, water purification tablets and water containers in anticipation of the hurricane.

UN agencies are assessing the situation in Haiti along with the UN mission in that country (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/">MINUSTAH). The mission is also supporting urgent repair works and the distribution of water and food rations. Some 5,000 people were reported to be living in shelters, with 406 families affected, 244 homes destroyed and 111 houses damaged.

The hurricane, which has caused several deaths in the region so far, entered the eastern Caribbean on Friday, damaging rooftops and flooding streets in Saint Lucia, Dominica and Martinique.

"Thankfully the number of casualties has been remarkably low, despite the severity of Hurricane Dean," stated UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes.

"It demonstrates how well prepared the governments of the affected countries have been in advance of this disaster. However, given the level of economic devastation, recovery will be arduous and protracted, even under the best of circumstances," Mr. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, added.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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REFUGEES LIVING IN ZAMBIA WILL RECEIVE CONTINUED ASSISTANCE, UN OFFICIAL PLEDGES

REFUGEES LIVING IN ZAMBIA WILL RECEIVE CONTINUED ASSISTANCE, UN OFFICIAL PLEDGES
New York, Aug 21 2007 4:00PM
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has assured refugees from several African countries living in Zambia that his agency will continue to assist them in their efforts to either return to their homes or to settle in local communities.

During a four-day visit, Mr. Guterres held discussions with Congolese refugees at Kala camp in northern Zambia, as well as with Angolan, Rwandan and Burundian refugees from Mayukwayukwa settlement in the western part of the country.

Responding to concerns about the slow pace of repatriation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mr. Guterres emphasized that UNHCR will resume and intensify voluntary return efforts as soon as conditions allow.

He also encouraged Angolans willing to return home to do so, despite the official closure of UNHCR's assisted repatriation programme earlier this year. "<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46c9c8fb2.html">UNHCR will continue to assist refugees to return to Angola, even after the closure of the organized repatriation," he pledged.

While voluntary repatriation is the preferred solution for most refugees, the High Commissioner said he was aware of the need to pursue other options, including local integration.

He noted that a number of Angolan refugees in Zambia are married to Zambians or were born in the country and wish to remain there. "We are discussing with the Government to consider local integration for these refugees," he said.

While in Lusaka, Mr. Guterres also attended the 27th summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – which Zambia currently chairs – and held meetings with senior Government officials, diplomats and representatives of UNHCR and sister agencies.

During a meeting with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, Mr. Guterres stressed the need for the Government to find durable solutions for the refugees, including favourably considering local integration for some of them, and pledged UNHCR's support in the development of host communities.

As part of his southern African tour, Mr. Guterres is currently in Mozambique and will head to South Africa later this week.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: 3,500 EX-MILITIA MEMBERS IN VOLATILE DISTRICT AGREE TO DISARM

DR CONGO: 3,500 EX-MILITIA MEMBERS IN VOLATILE DISTRICT AGREE TO DISARM
New York, Aug 21 2007 4:00PM
Another 3,500 ex-militia members from one of the most volatile corners of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have agreed to disarm, demobilize and try to reintegrate into the community, the United Nations peacekeeping mission to the vast African country has reported.

The mission, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC, reported that three armed groups in Ituri district in the DRC's far northeast provided lists of combatants by last Friday's deadline to join the third phase of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme, which is run by the UN Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/">UNDP).

The militias involved are the Mouvement Revolutionnaire Congolais (MRC), the Front de Résistance Patriotique de l'Ituri (FRPI) and the Front des Nationalistes et Intégrationnistes (FNI).

Under the programme, the ex-militia members will be registered, asked to hand over their arms and then given assistance to reintegrate into either civilian life or the national armed forces. UNDP expects about 70 per cent of the former combatants will choose civilian life, while 30 per cent will retrain for the new integrated brigades of the armed forces.

Combatants rejoining civilian life will receive $110 to help with transport costs and an entry card into the community reconstruction service, which will allow them to work on manual labour projects such as the rehabilitation of roads, schools and sanitary systems for $2 a day for up to 90 days. If they want to set up their own business, they will be given access to microfinance through local non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Former militia members wanting to enter the integrated armed forces will be transported to the city of Kisangani for training before they can enter the brigades.

Last week the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the DRC – and MONUC chief – William Lacy Swing travelled with the mission's force commander Gen. Babacar Gaye to the town of Bunia in Ituri for a two-day visit to evaluate the progress of the DDR programme.

During his visit Mr. Swing stressed the need for participants to adhere strictly to the timetable of the DDR programme so that it can continue through all of its phases.

He also emphasized the importance of the "one man, one weapon" concept, which is a requirement of the DDR programme's third phase.

"There are issues relating to registered troops who present themselves for DDR but do not have weapons, and others who come with a weapon but are not registered for the programme," Mr. Swing said.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG AGENCY TEAM HOLDS TALKS IN IRAN

UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG AGENCY TEAM HOLDS TALKS IN IRAN
New York, Aug 21 2007 3:00PM
Experts from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are in Iran to hold talks as part of efforts to resolve outstanding issues pertaining to the country's past nuclear programme and to clarify safeguards implementation issues.

The results of the visit – led by <"http://www.iaea.org/index.html">IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards Olli Heinonen – will be reflected in the Director General Mohamed ElBaradei's next report to the agency's board at the end of the month.

This visit, which was announced in late July, comes on the heels of another trip by IAEA inspectors earlier this month to the Arak reactor.

Iran's nuclear programme has been a matter of international concern ever since the discovery in 2003 that it had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the NPT.

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.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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UN URGES ASIA-PACIFIC NATIONS TO SCALE UP DOMESTIC FUNDS FOR AIDS RESPONSE

UN URGES ASIA-PACIFIC NATIONS TO SCALE UP DOMESTIC FUNDS FOR AIDS RESPONSE
New York, Aug 21 2007 2:00PM
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that countries in Asia and the Pacific will face serious difficulties in sustaining their response to the disease unless they become less reliant on external donors and commit more national funds to their AIDS programmes.
Resources for national AIDS programmes in the region, while increasing, are insufficient for a long-term response to the pandemic, <"http://www.unaids.org/en/MediaCentre/PressMaterials/FeatureStory/20070820_ICAAP2007.asp">UNAIDS Asia Pacific Regional Director Prasada Rao told those gathered at the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, which opened yesterday in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

National budgets for AIDS programmes in the region account for only 30 per cent of the $1.2 billion allocated for AIDS, he noted, adding that, with the exception of Thailand, international donors fund the balance.

Echoing his comments, Deborah Landey, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, said she hoped to see a substantial increase in domestic funding for AIDS in the region by next year.

"In this third decade of the epidemic, it is becoming more and more important for countries not only to demonstrate strong political leadership, but to commit their own funds to tackling AIDS," she stated. "This gives new meaning to the concept of national ownership."

Although prevalence rates remain low across the region, new infections rates are rising in a number of countries such as Papua New Guinea, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Nepal and Bangladesh. Overall, the region has seen some 1 million new infections in the last two years.

Mr. Rao called on civil society groups – including people living with HIV – to continue and to increase pressure on Governments to deliver concrete AIDS programmes. "We need continued vigilance to ensure that HIV prevention and treatment are reaching people most at risk and most in need," he said.

The weeklong conference brings together more than 3,000 delegates from some 60 countries to discuss critical issues on AIDS in the region such as stigma and discrimination, access to HIV prevention and treatment and the importance of sustained political commitment on AIDS.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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GREEK CYPRIOT AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS TO MEET IN SEPTEMBER - UN

GREEK CYPRIOT AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS TO MEET IN SEPTEMBER – UN
New York, Aug 21 2007 2:00PM
Greek Cypriot leader H.E. Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader H.E. Mehmet Ali Talat will meet on 5 September at the official residence of the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the United Nations Protected Area in Nicosia, the island's capital, it was announced today.

The decision was reached by Rasit Pertev and Tasos Tzionis, the principal aides to the two leaders, who held a 45 minute meeting this morning at the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/index.html">UNFICYP) headquarters, in the presence of Wlodek Cibor, the Mission's Senior Adviser.

UNFICYP Force Commander General Rafael Jose Barni and Mr. Cibor welcomed the aides to their headquarters before the meeting commenced.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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GAZA STRIP: UN OFFICIAL WARNS OF WORSENING HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS

GAZA STRIP: UN OFFICIAL WARNS OF WORSENING HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS
New York, Aug 21 2007 2:00PM
A senior United Nations official in the Middle East today voiced concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation inside the Gaza Strip, where the closure of border crossings and other restrictions have cut exports and forced factories to shut, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians without jobs or income.

Kevin Kennedy, the Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in a statement that while the basic humanitarian needs of Gaza's estimated population of 1.4 million people are largely being met, the conditions remain very difficult.

UN officials have warned repeatedly in recent weeks that the closure of border crossings since intra-Palestinian violence flared in May and June and Hamas took control of the territory is threatening Gaza's economic sustainability.

Factories in import-dependent industries have had to close because of a lack of basic materials, and other businesses are also suffering because they are unable to export their products.

Mr. Kennedy said "tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs and income" as a result.

He added that UN relief agencies are facing increased demands to provide humanitarian assistance and "much remains to be done" to help the people of Gaza.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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EMERGENCY UN FOOD AID TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN DPR KOREA TO START AT ONCE

EMERGENCY UN FOOD AID TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN DPR KOREA TO START AT ONCE
New York, Aug 21 2007 11:00AM
United Nations emergency food deliveries for victims of devastating floods in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will begin immediately following an agreement with the Government for distribution over a three-month period to 215,000 people, but more donor support is needed to sustain the pace.

Some 5,700 tons of UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2608">WFP) stocks are presently available in country. Additional food will have to be brought in, with 9,675 tons of cereals, pulses, oil and sugar needed for the initial three-month emergency plan.

"We hope the international community will respond to this serious crisis and support the emergency food needs of North Korean civilians suffering from these floods - but we also call upon donors not to neglect the needs of many others, North Korean women and children, who also require our help," WFP Regional Director for Asia Tony Banbury said today.

Hundreds of people are dead or missing and more than 300,000 others have been made homeless, according to the Government. WFP rapid assessment teams have completed visits to 11 counties in two provinces, identifying immediate needs and confirming the extent of infrastructure and farmland damage.

According to state-run media, maize and rice crop losses could be as high as 11 per cent. This would result in a significant drop in this year's harvest, increasing the risk of a larger than anticipated food gap. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org">FAO) had estimated that the DPRK faces a 1 million ton cereal deficit for this crop year (November 2006-October 2007).

"The flooding in the DPRK is serious. WFP has worked out satisfactory arrangements with the Government so that we can provide emergency food aid to hundreds of thousands of people who need our help," Mr. Banbury said.

The Government has indicated acceptance of WFP conditions allowing for ongoing visits and assessments by agency staff of food distribution at district and community levels.

An existing WFP operation provides nutritional aid to 1.9 million especially vulnerable people across 50 counties, including many of the flood-affected counties, distributing vitamin- and mineral-enriched foods processed at local factories to young children and pregnant and nursing women.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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CITING HURRICANE DEAN, UN AGENCY URGES STRENGTHENING DISASTER EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

CITING HURRICANE DEAN, UN AGENCY URGES STRENGTHENING DISASTER EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
New York, Aug 21 2007 10:00AM
Early warning systems are the most efficient way to save lives in disasters such as Hurricane Dean now rampaging across Mexico and need to be further enhanced at local levels, the United Nations body seeking to mitigate their impact said today.

"Early warning systems allow populations to evacuate ahead of time and take shelter in emergency and safer buildings," UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (<"http://www.unisdr.org/#">ISDR) Director Salvano Briceño stressed in a statement.

"They give Governments enough time to protect critical infrastructures such as power plants and water tanks which can create further disasters if they are not protected."

In Mexico, thousands of tourists were alerted in advance to evacuate the coastal area of the Yucatan peninsula and hundred of workers were removed from oil rigs in the Gulf to safer places. In Jamaica, electricity was turned off and shelters were organized all over the country ahead of Dean's approach. Schools and churches were converted into refuge shelters in Haiti.

"Communities are much better prepared than during hurricanes Ivan or Wilma which hit the same region [in 2004 and 2005]. People are learning from past experiences and are evacuating in time," Mr. Briceño said. "The fear of being looted is still a huge trauma that needs to be better addressed in community-based risk reduction programmes organized by local communities."

Early warning systems are available for almost all types of hazards and the ISDR has been pushing for a worldwide contingency network, especially following the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that was spawned by an undersea earthquake.

But warnings are much shorter for quakes and experts are currently working on developing systems based on one or two minutes time before a quake strikes. These two minutes will allow enough time to cut electricity power which often triggers fires.

"In the case of earthquakes, what is essential is that construction codes need to be enforced, in which communities need to be involved as well," Mr. Briceño said. "Awareness-raising at the community level is a top priority of risk reduction strategies."

Earthquakes like this month's disaster in Peru cannot be prevented but their impact can be reduced by improving the structural resilience of key facilities such as houses, schools and hospitals and educating people on how to protect cities and villages against quake threats.

The ISDR recommends that all Governments quickly implement the Hyogo Framework for Action endorsed in Kobe, Japan, by 168 States shortly after the 2004 tsunami, which offers a number of concrete steps to make communities and nations more resilient to any type of disaster, including storms, floods, droughts, heat and cold waves. The Framework is set to be implemented by 2015.
2007-08-21 00:00:00.000

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UN LIBERIA ENVOY HAILS INDIAN FEMALE POLICE UNIT FOR GENDER EQUALITY ROLE, PERFORMANCE

UN LIBERIA ENVOY HAILS INDIAN FEMALE POLICE UNIT FOR GENDER EQUALITY ROLE, PERFORMANCE
New York, Aug 20 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations all-female Indian police unit in Liberia, the first such unit deployed in peacekeeping missions, not only demonstrates gender equality but also serves as an encouragement for Liberian women to become police officers themselves, the top UN envoy to the West African country has said.

Speaking at the weekend as he awarded medals to members of the Indian Formed Police Unit (FPU) in Liberia's capital Monrovia, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Alan Doss, congratulated the women for their work in responding to emergency situations, crime prevention, and the support given to Liberia's National Police (LNP).

"Though a new beginning for gender equality in peacekeeping, this deployment is a continuation of India's consistent commitment to peacekeeping operations," said Mr. Doss. "This ceremony is not only about gender equality. It is about performance. You have all performed your duties well and met our high expectations."

"Your presence is an encouragement for Liberian women to come forward, and help rebuild their country by participating in the forces of law and order," he added. The all-female FPU arrived in Liberia in January this year to join UN efforts in helping to rebuild the country after a devastating 14-year civil war.

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.unmil.org">UNMIL) is currently assisting the LNP in attracting more women into the police. Out of more than 3,500 new police officers who have so far received training, only 203 are women, well below an agreed target of 20 per cent. A special programme to encourage more women to join the police was launched earlier in the year.

In the fifteenth progress <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/479">report on Liberia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended that FPUs remain with UNMIL to help ensure continuing stability. FPUs are better armoured than normal units and are usually made up of around 125 officers from a single country.

India is the third largest troop contributing country to the UN, with police and military peacekeepers deployed worldwide under the blue flag. UNMIL currently has more than 15,300 uniformed personnel, including almost 1,200 police officers.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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CONDOM PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN INDIA WINS UN PUBLIC RELATIONS PRIZE

CONDOM PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN INDIA WINS UN PUBLIC RELATIONS PRIZE
New York, Aug 20 2007 7:00PM
A public awareness campaign designed to encourage the use of condoms as part of safe sex practices and family planning has <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/note6096.doc.htm">won an award from the United Nations for outstanding achievement in public relations.

The campaign, which used the slogan "Condom Bindaas Bol" ("Say Condoms Freely"), was created to try to overturn a decline in condom use and sales in eight states in northern India – Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand – that together comprise 45 per cent of the national condom market.

It used two messages: that "condom" is not a delicate word and it should be discussed freely, and that condoms should be used by everyone, and not just by people in high-risk groups.

Celebrities endorsed the campaign in public service announcements (PSAs) for television, a campaign podcast was issued on YouTube, editorial meetings were held with 20 publications and broadcast channels to encourage them to carry reports on the issue and a "viral video" featuring the scenario of a shy customer being encouraged by a retailer to ask for condoms was mass mailed.

The UN Department of Public Information (DPI) announced on Friday that the campaign had won this year's UN Grand Award, an award it jointly sponsors with the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) to recognize excellence in campaigns that tackle priority issues before the world body. The award will be presented in London on 6 November.

"Condom Bindaas Bol" was created by the public relations company Weber Shandwick and is the result of a joint effort of PSP-One, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project, the Indian Government's Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ICICI Bank.

Two other campaigns received honourable mentions for the prize: Singapore's "Yellow Ribbon Project," aimed at promoting the rehabilitation back into society of ex-offenders released from jail, and "Daddy Send Me To School," which was launched by the Turkish newspaper Milliyet to improve women's access to education.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS AFRICAN MISSION IN SOMALIA, PLANS FOR POSSIBLE UN FORCE

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS AFRICAN MISSION IN SOMALIA, PLANS FOR POSSIBLE UN FORCE
New York, Aug 20 2007 6:00PM
The Security Council today voted unanimously to <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9101.doc.htm">extend the African Union-led mission in Somalia by six months while approving continued contingency planning for a possible United Nations peacekeeping operation in the war-ravaged country.

The mission, known as AMISOM, was created by the Council under Chapter VII this February, and is tasked with supporting dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia by assisting with the free movement, safe passage and protection of all those involved with the process. It also provides protection to the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) to help them carry out their functions of government, and security for key infrastructure.

The 15-member body today urged Member States to "provide financial resources, personnel, equipment and services for the full deployment of AMISOM." Additionally, the resolution requested that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon consult with the AU Commission on what further support the UN can provide to AMISOM.

The resolution also requested that Mr. Ban continue with contingency planning for a possible deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission to replace AMISOM by sending a further technical assessment mission to the area as soon as possible, continuing talks with potential troop-contributing nations, and identifying the next steps for the UN and the international community to take.

The Council encouraged Member States whose military aircraft or naval ships operate close to Somalia to "be vigilant to any incident of piracy" and protect merchant shipping, particularly those transporting urgently-needed humanitarian aid.

According to UN figures, hundreds of thousands of people have fled the capital Mogadishu since heavy fighting broke out in February.

Hostilities in the country – which has had no functioning government for 16 years – flared up last year, culminating in the expulsion from Mogadishu in December of Islamist groups by the Transitional Federal Government, backed by Ethiopian troops.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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PERU QUAKE: UN AGENCIES PRESS AHEAD WITH AID EFFORT WHILE IDENTIFYING KEY NEEDS

PERU QUAKE: UN AGENCIES PRESS AHEAD WITH AID EFFORT WHILE IDENTIFYING KEY NEEDS
New York, Aug 20 2007 5:00PM
Clean water, basic sanitation, food, shelter and temporary jobs have become the priority needs in the wake of last week's deadly earthquake in Peru, United Nations relief officials said today as they prepared to launch a flash appeal to help survivors while maintaining an emergency aid effort that has continued since the disaster hit.

UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Coordinator Jorge Chediek said the situation in the worst affected areas of Peru was starting to stabilize, five days after the quake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck during the evening rush-hour. At least 610 people were killed and more than 1,000 others wounded.

Mr. Chediek told UN Radio that "the delivery of basic goods and services to the people affected" has improved since the immediate days and hours after the quake struck, and UN agencies were working to help the Peruvian Government manage its relief operations and begin the phases of reconstruction and rehabilitation.

About $1 million has already been allocated by the UN through funds from different agencies, including the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english">WFP), the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40641.html">UNICEF), <"http://www.undp.org">UNDP and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<a href="http://ochaonline.un.org/News/OCHANewsCentre/SituationReports/tabid/1094/Default.aspx">OCHA). Those agencies have been mobilizing food, sanitation supplies, medial support and other aid now in the pipeline.

Mr. Chediek said a flash appeal is set to be launched to help the survivors, many of whom have lost their homes or their livelihoods as a result of the quake, whose epicentre was in the department of Ica, about 161 kilometres southeast of the national capital, Lima.

He added that the Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline2.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=7480">CERF), set up to provide rapid assistance following crises, has preliminarily approved a grant of $10 million to support relief efforts to an estimated 60,000 people.

"The priorities are to provide shelter, water, sanitation, food and temporary employment to the people most affected by the earthquake," Mr. Chediek said.

OCHA reported that Peruvian authorities have established an air bridge to the city of Pisco, one of the hardest-hit centres, to deliver humanitarian supplies and allow the quick deployment of international aid workers.

Two UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (<" http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1414">UNDAC) team members are also working in Lima to help the Government identify the areas that have yet to be covered, while three other UNDAC staff are in Pisco, where a coordination centre has been located.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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ELECTION PROCESS IN NEPAL IN 'GOOD SHAPE' - UN POLITICAL CHIEF

ELECTION PROCESS IN NEPAL IN 'GOOD SHAPE' – UN POLITICAL CHIEF
New York, Aug 20 2007 4:00PM
The top United Nations political official today, having just returned from Nepal, hailed the preparations for upcoming elections in the Himalayan nation and urged all political parties to ensure that the process remains on track.

"We're getting all of the pieces of the election together. I think it's in good shape, and the real question now is everybody having the will to make it happen," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs <"http://www.un.org/depts/dpa/usg.html">B. Lynn Pascoe said at a press briefing in New York.

Mr. Pascoe described as "incredible" the process under way to prepare for the Constituent Assembly elections scheduled for 22 November in 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 late last year.

The polls were to have been held in mid-June but had to be postponed due to technical problems and the onset of the monsoon season. Mr. Pascoe underlined the importance of an open, fair and transparent election taking place on time.

While in Nepal's capital over the weekend, the Under-Secretary-General met with Prime Minister G. P. Koirala, other major political party leaders, the Foreign Minister, and a number of senior Government officials, including the Chief Election Commissioner.

In addition, he met with civil society leaders, as well as staff of the UN Mission in Nepal (<"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=126&Body=Nepal&Body1=">UNMIN) led by Ian Martin, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the country. A special political mission established in January this year, UNMIN is assisting with the follow-up to the landmark Nepalese peace deal reached in November 2006, and also supporting the holding of the upcoming elections.

Asked today about the country's truth and reconciliation process and the possibility of amnesty for ex-combatants, Mr. Pascoe noted that UNMIN's human rights section has been discussing the issue with the Government, in particular "what the international community sees as acceptable" in that regard.

He added that much more discussions are needed, particularly with civil society, before any decision on amnesty can be arrived at. "I think they're well short of that part of the process yet," he stated, adding "I said when I was there that we don't believe people should be able to have impunity for crimes. We'll see how this process goes. We're in a dialogue with them on this issue."

In a related development, UNMIN today launched a 15-minute magazine-style radio programme known as UNMIN Ko Boli, to reach out to communities across the country to increase awareness on what the Mission and the UN Country Team is doing to support Nepal's peace process.

The twice-a-week programme, produced in partnership with Nepal's public broadcaster, Radio Nepal, will air in the Nepali language initially, and within weeks it will also be broadcast in five other Nepalese languages.

Prior to arriving in Nepal, Mr. Pascoe was in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, where he attended the Seventh Summit of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – a regional body comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – and also held meetings with several Central Asian leaders.

Among the issues discussed at the summit were the UN's relations with regional organizations, as well as cooperation to tackle the primary problems affecting the region, including drugs, water and counter-terrorism. Participants also welcomed plans to open a UN regional office for Central Asia later this year in Turkmenistan's capital, Ashkhabad.

On his way to the region, Mr. Pascoe conducted two days of talks with Chinese Foreign Ministry officials in Beijing, touching on issues including Darfur, the Middle East peace process, Nepal, Myanmar, Kosovo and the Korean Peninsula, as well as cooperation between China and the UN in Africa.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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UN GRANTS MORE THAN $8 MILLION TO HELP IN RELIEF EFFORT AFTER SUDANESE FLOODS

UN GRANTS MORE THAN $8 MILLION TO HELP IN RELIEF EFFORT AFTER SUDANESE FLOODS
New York, Aug 20 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations today allocated $8.7 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (<" http://ochaonline2.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=8770">CERF) to help the ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in Sudan, where more than 1.5 million people may soon need assistance in the wake of devastating floods.

Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes announced that he had approved the grant, which will be allocated among 11 relief projects across Sudan, where torrential rainfall has destroyed or seriously damaged more than 30,000 homes and inundated towns, villages and farmlands.

At least 150,000 people are now homeless from the floods, and UN agencies have so far supplied aid to over 500,000 people. The east and centre of the country have been hardest hit, especially the states of Gedaref, Kassala, Khartoum, Northern Kordofan, Unity and Upper Nile.

But Sudanese authorities have forecast more heavy rains until the end of the annual wet season next month, and Mr. Holmes – who is also Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs – said as many 1.5 million people could end up being affected by floods.

"Thanks to these funds, we will be able to assist over one and a half million current and potential flood victims, until or beyond the end of the rainy season," he said.

On Friday UN humanitarian agencies said they would soon launch an appeal with their partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for more than $10 million to help with the flood relief effort, including providing food aid and ensuring there is safe drinking water.

The UN has now allocated about $13.5 million to the response to the Sudanese floods, including an earlier grant of $4.8 million from its locally-managed Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF).

The Office of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan said in a media statement that the CERF funding will be allocated to projects managed by five UN agencies – the Food and Agriculture Organization (<" http://www.fao.org">FAO), the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org ">UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org">UNFPA), the World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english">WFP) and the World Health Organization (<" http://www.who.int/en">WHO).

About $4.5 million will be dedicated to providing drugs, health care and support to epidemic surveillance to try to prevent any major disease outbreaks, while $2 million will be spent on ensuring that more than one million people receive clean water or water purification products. Some $1.5 million will be used to provide emergency shelter and non-food items to families who have lost their homes or essential goods, while $700,000 will be given out in food aid and livestock or crop survival programmes.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN GROUP LAUNCHED TO CURB BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS THREAT

NEW UN GROUP LAUNCHED TO CURB BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS THREAT
New York, Aug 20 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations inaugurated a new unit today to further bolster its efforts to reduce the threat to the international community posed by weapons of mass destruction.

The Implementation Support Unit (ISU) – which will help States Parties in their efforts to bolster implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention – was <"http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/5C8FD1D2ACD70C16C125733D0045779C?OpenDocument">launched today in Geneva as part of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs.
The decision to form the ISU was taken in December 2006 at the Sixth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, and is a landmark since the Unit is the first institutional support mechanism created to support global efforts to curb biological weapons.

The decision to form the ISU was taken in December 2006 at the <" http://www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/3496CA1347FBF664C125718600364331?OpenDocument">Sixth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, and is a landmark since the Unit is the first institutional support mechanism created to support global efforts to curb biological weapons.

The Convention entered into force in 1975, and is the first multilateral disarmament treaty which bans an entire category of weapons. Unlike nuclear and chemical weapons treaties which both are supported by well-established international organizations – the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org ">IAEA) and the Organization for the prohibition of Chemical Weapons (<" http://www.opcw.org">OPCW), respectively – no such support exists for biological weapons, until now.

"The Unit will harness resources, force connections, develop networks and identify opportunities," said Ambassador Masood Khan of Pakistan, who is chairing the 2007 Convention meetings. "It will make an important and innovative contribution to our collective effort to reduce the terrible threat posed by biological weapons."

The ISU is mandated to provide administrative support, including acting as a focal point for States Parties who submit information, to States Parties, as well as promoting confidence-building measures. It is also tasked with furthering support for the ban on biological weapons and to convince non-adherents to joining the Convention.

"Much of the mandate of the Unit is concerned with facilitating communication among States parties and, upon request, facilitating contacts with scientific and academic institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations," said Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. "Clearly, the most States Parties make use of such services, the better they work."

The inauguration of the ISU, which will be funded by States Parties to the Convention, coincided with the start of a meeting among experts to strengthen implementation of the treaty.

The Convention entered into force in 1975, and is the first multilateral disarmament treaty which bans an entire category of weapons.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF FORMER LIBERIAN LEADER POSTPONED BY UN-BACKED COURT

WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF FORMER LIBERIAN LEADER POSTPONED BY UN-BACKED COURT
New York, Aug 20 2007 2:00PM
The war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor has been postponed until early next year after judges at the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (<" http://www.sc-sl.org">SCSL) agreed today to give defence lawyers more time to study the evidence.

Mr. Taylor's counsel applied for a delay until 7 January so they could evaluate some 40,000 pages of evidence recently disclosed by prosecutors, SCSL spokesperson Solomon Moriba told the UN News Service from The Hague, where the trial is being held.

Justices Julia Sebutinde (presiding), Teresa Doherty and Richard Lussick approved the application during a status conference, one in a series that will be held over the next few months to assess the progress of the prosecution and the defence in presenting their cases.

Mr. Taylor is facing 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations of international humanitarian law, including mass murder, mutilations, rape, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers, for his role in the decade-long civil war that engulfed Sierra Leone, which borders Liberia.

A year ago the Security Council authorized the staging of Mr. Taylor's trial at The Hague, citing reasons of security and expediency. Although the trial will be held at the premises of the International Criminal Court (<" http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">ICC), it will remain under the exclusive jurisdiction of the SCSL.
The Special Court, established in January 2002 by an agreement between the Sierra Leonean Government and the UN, is mandated to try "those who bear greatest responsibility" for war crimes and crimes against community committed in the country after 30 November 1996.
Last month it reached an agreement with the United Kingdom that will mean Mr. Taylor will be imprisoned in the UK if he is convicted.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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NUMBER OF DISPLACED AFGHANS COULD SURGE IF CONFLICT CONTINUES, WARNS UN EXPERT

NUMBER OF DISPLACED AFGHANS COULD SURGE IF CONFLICT CONTINUES, WARNS UN EXPERT
New York, Aug 20 2007 2:00PM
A United Nations envoy <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/A15E97943731AFA3C125733D0038587B?opendocument">warned today that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan could rise significantly if the conflict there continues at the current rate, adding to the multitude of Afghans that have already fled their homes.

"There is potential for a significant increase in the number of internally displaced persons if the conflict continues at the present pace, and if returning refugees are unable to find durable solutions by returning to their homes or settling and integrating elsewhere," said Ban Ki-moon's Representative for the Human Rights of <" http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/idp">IDPs, Walter Kaelin, after a weeklong visit to Afghanistan.

Mr. Kaelin condemned the Taliban's "systematic disregard" for international humanitarian law, exposing civilian populations to high risks. At the same time, he stressed that counter-insurgency operations must avoid causing civilian casualties.

He noted that armed conflict in Afghanistan is not only causing large numbers of civilian deaths, but also has trigged the displacement of tens of thousands of persons in the last year alone.

"As a consequence, people lose their houses, livelihoods are destroyed, displaced children are deprived of their education, and families end up in misery," stated Mr. Kaelin, who participated in a UN workshop on the protection of civilians during his visit.

In addition to addressing the immediate humanitarian needs of the IDPs, he stressed that more must be done to prevent displacement and to protect and assist the displaced. "To facilitate durable solutions, the human rights of IDPs to physical security, to shelter and livelihoods must be respected," he said, adding that resolving land disputes was also a major concern.

Those fleeing the present fighting are adding to the 130,000 IDPs in the country's south and south-west who are still living in temporary camps since they were displaced by drought and insecurity five or more years ago. There are also an unknown number of people displaced by human rights violations, inter-communal tensions or floods and other natural disasters.

In addition, Mr. Kaelin warns of a real risk that refugees returning from neighbouring countries who are unable to return to their places of origin or find another solution may end up among the internally displaced without adequate shelter and access to livelihoods.

He encouraged the Afghan Government and its neighbours to continue a voluntary and gradual approach to the return of the approximately three million Afghan nationals who remain in neighbouring countries, emphasizing that any joint plan of return must be based on a realistic assessment of Afghanistan's capacity to absorb the returnees, to ensure that their basic needs for food, shelter and livelihoods are met, and to support long-term solutions.

He also voiced hope that the Government and its partners would prepare a comprehensive survey on displacement in Afghanistan, the different categories of IDPs and their main needs, as well as a strategy to address the phenomenon.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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HURRICANE DEAN: UN STANDS READY TO HELP AFFECTED COUNTRIES IN THE CARIBBEAN

HURRICANE DEAN: UN STANDS READY TO HELP AFFECTED COUNTRIES IN THE CARIBBEAN
New York, Aug 20 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations has deployed a team of disaster assessment and coordination experts to the Caribbean to assist countries hit by Hurricane Dean which has left a trail of death and destruction in its rampage past St. Lucia, the Dominican Republic, Dominica, Martinique, Haiti, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and on towards the coast of Mexico.

"The United Nations stands ready to support relief efforts with other measures, including the release of emergency funds," spokesperson Michele Montas told a news briefing, adding that the world organization was is in close contact with the Governments of affected countries.

In a statement, she said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was deeply saddened to learn of the human and economic losses brought on by Hurricane Dean in the Caribbean, and extended condolences to those who lost family and friends.

Military and police units of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (<"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/minustah">MINUSTAH) joined local police in helping to evacuate some 2,000 people living near the shore. In addition, the mission helped warn the local people of the eventual health and other risks and necessary preventive measures in the wake of the powerful storm.

Also in Haiti, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) on Saturday sent drugs to support 2000 people for three months to Jacmel Hospital. The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en">WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Population will be in charge of distributing the drugs based on emerging needs, according to a situation update produced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/News/tabid/1080/Default.aspx">OCHA).
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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VISITING FRENCH MINISTER LAYS WREATH FOR VICTIMS OF 2003 ATTACK ON UN'S BAGHDAD HQ

VISITING FRENCH MINISTER LAYS WREATH FOR VICTIMS OF 2003 ATTACK ON UN'S BAGHDAD HQ
New York, Aug 20 2007 11:00AM
Visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari laid wreaths at the memorial centre of the United Nations compound in Baghdad yesterday to pay tribute to the 22 people killed in the terrorist bomb attack exactly four years earlier on the then-UN headquarters, the Canal Hotel.

The two ministers, who were received by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Special Representative for Iraq Michael von der Schulenburg and other staff members, emphasized the importance of the UN's role in assisting the strife-torn country.

In remarks earlier commemorating the event, Mr. Schulenburg noted that while the bombing affected the way the UN conducts its operation in Iraq, the world organization remains steadfast and determined to fully shoulder its responsibilities in helping and assisting the people and Government of Iraq as they chart their way towards a future marked by peace and prosperity.

Representing the Government, George Bakus, Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, offered his condolences to the families of the fallen, and voiced the appreciation of the Iraqi Government and people for the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org">UNAMI).

He reiterated the Government's readiness to continue its cooperation with the UN, and looked forward to an expanded UN role consistent with UNAMI's new mandate. The Security Council last week enhanced the mission's role in such key areas as national reconciliation, regional dialogue, humanitarian assistance and human rights.

The Diplomatic Corps accredited to Baghdad was represented at the ceremony by its dean, Ambassador Mihail Stuparu of Romania.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY CALLS ON THAILAND TO RELEASE NEARLY 150 LAO REFUGEES AFTER HUNGER STRIKE

UN AGENCY CALLS ON THAILAND TO RELEASE NEARLY 150 LAO REFUGEES AFTER HUNGER STRIKE
New York, Aug 20 2007 11:00AM
Voicing relief that 149 Hmong refugees from Laos held in a detention centre in Thailand had ended a hunger strike, the United Nations refugee agency today <" http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46c97f5f4.html">called on the Thai Government to release them, all recognized refugees.

"We are alarmed and deeply concerned about the steadily deteriorating detention conditions of the refugees over the last weeks," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Director Janet Lim said.

"They are being held in truly inhumane conditions – including innocent children – confined to two small cells into which daylight does not even shine and they are not allowed to leave," she added. They also have no water source other than a tap in the cells.

The Lao Hmong began their strike on Thursday at the Nong Khai Immigration Detention Centre in a protest over the deteriorating conditions under which they have been held since early December. After a UNHCR team visited and counseled them on Sunday evening, they began taking food again.

Among the 149 recognized refugees are 90 children, including some babies born in the centre which is run by the Thai Immigration Ministry.

"There is absolutely no reason for these 149 people to be detained, especially as other countries have come forward and offered them resettlement places if they are only allowed to leave Thailand," Ms. Lim said. "They have committed no crime; on the contrary, they have been recognized as refugees in need of international protection. It is particularly disturbing to us that young children and babies are being subjected to these deplorable conditions."

The group was rounded up for deportation in Bangkok in November. After UNHCR intervened, the deportation was called off and the group was transferred to the Nong Khai detention centre on the border with Laos. Thai authorities attempted to deport them in January 2007, but backed down when the refugees put up fierce resistance.

Since then, UNHCR has been urging the authorities to release them. "We appreciate the assurances given by the Thai Government that these 149 will not be deported, but now we need to move forward to end their detention, particularly as there is a solution at hand," Ms. Lim said.

UNHCR is also concerned about conditions faced by other asylum seekers and refugees in detention in Thailand, particularly as children are also in custody.

The agency continues to urge the Thai Government to conclude its discussions on a screening mechanism which meets international standards that would allow the proper identification of different needs and claims concerning all asylum seekers on its territory.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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UN, INTERNATIONAL POLICING EXPERTS GATHER IN AUSTRALIA FOR GLOBAL POLICE MEETING

UN, INTERNATIONAL POLICING EXPERTS GATHER IN AUSTRALIA FOR GLOBAL POLICE MEETING
New York, Aug 20 2007 10:00AM
Top United Nations and international police officers, along with law enforcement and human rights experts will gather in the Australian capital Canberra on 30 August for two days of closed-door meetings to discuss ways of improving international policing through strengthening cooperation between the world body and Member States.

"This gathering comes at a critical time as we are seeing unprecedented global demand for UN peacekeepers in general and police in particular. Closer cooperation between Member States and the UN is crucial to getting the right quantity and quality of officers," Acting Police Adviser Walter Wolf told the UN News Service.

The Canberra meeting will be the third of the International Policing Advisory Council (IPAC), which is an ad hoc group of policing and law enforcement experts brought together by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations' (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/police/index.shtml">DPKO) Police Division to help improve global policing.

The meeting is being run in co-operation with the Australian Federal Police and will be co-chaired by the recently-appointed UN Police Adviser Andrew Hughes and his predecessor Mark Kroeker. Key IPAC participants will also include high-level academics and police chiefs from Australia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Interpol.

"We welcome this third IPAC meeting coming here to Canberra at a time when increased cooperation and partnerships are ever more important to face the challenges of international policing in the 21st century," said Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty.
2007-08-20 00:00:00.000

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IN NEPAL, SENIOR UN OFFICIAL VOICES OPTIMISM ON POLITICAL PROCESS

IN NEPAL, SENIOR UN OFFICIAL VOICES OPTIMISM ON POLITICAL PROCESS
New York, Aug 19 2007 11:00AM
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs in Kathmandu today voiced optimism about Nepal's upcoming elections and pledged the world body's full support for the process.

Speaking at a press conference, B. Lynn Pascoe, said that "we feel very strongly that the process in Nepal is a very positive one, very optimistic that the process will move forward, and in talking with various groups I am even more optimistic than I was when I came."

Mr. Pascoe, on a 24-hour visit to Nepal after meetings in Kyrgyzstan, underlined the importance of the election for a Constituent Assembly taking place on time, in November this year. "Every person that I talked to is insistent that that election will go forward, at the time agreed. And we're going to try to do, as the UN, everything that we can possibly do to help make it a huge success," he said.

"It is critically important to the people of Nepal that their vote be clearly counted, to be very effective, that the election be open and fair and totally transparent, and the United Nations wants to do everything we can to help that to be the case and make sure that is the case."

Mr. Pascoe met with Nepal's Prime Minister, G. P. Koirala, other major political party leaders, the Foreign Minister, and a number of senior government officials, including the Chief Election Commissioner. In addition, he held meetings with civil society leaders, as well staff of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) led by Ian Martin, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the country.

UNMIN is a special political mission established in January this year to support Nepal's peace process by helping to create conditions for the election to take place in a free and fair atmosphere. Over 180 arms monitors are mandated to monitor the arms and armies of the former adversaries, the Maoist army and the Nepal Army, who are confined to cantonments and barracks in the lead-up to the election.

Election Commission, and in recent weeks has deployed over 40 electoral advisers to districts across the country to help final preparations for the November election. More electoral staff will arrive in coming weeks.

Mr. Pascoe highlighted the importance of the political leaders of Nepal delivering on their promise to the country's people to hold the election on time. "The parties have promised to elect a Constituent Assembly. I would think that the people in this country are going to hold them to their promise," he said.

Asked about the security situation, he said that "it is critically important to the people of Nepal...that the election be open and fair and totally transparent...that they go through the process to elect the people in a very fair and open way. That's important - really we are talking about the power of the people."

The Under-Secretary-General departed Nepal for New York this afternoon.

2007-08-19 00:00:00.000

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