SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED AT TURKISH MOVE ON ATTACKING KURDISH TARGETS IN IRAQ

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED AT TURKISH MOVE ON ATTACKING KURDISH TARGETS IN IRAQ
New York, Oct 19 2007 7:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern today about the Turkish Parliament's decision this week to enable the country's armed forces to take cross-border military action in Iraq against targets of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

"The Secretary-General strongly urges all sides to demonstrate restraint at this delicate juncture," his spokesperson said in a statement released at United Nations Headquarters in New York. "He welcomes the affirmation by the Turkish Foreign Minister [Abdullah Gül] that Turkey is open to discussing all problems in Iraq."

The statement added that Mr. Ban calls on the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure that Iraqi territory is not used to mount cross-border attacks against Turkey.

"Recent attacks by the PKK inside Turkey have been rightly condemned by the international community," it noted.
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

HAITI: UN PEACEKEEPERS REBUILD SCHOOL IN TROUBLED NEIGHBOURHOOD OF CAPITAL

HAITI: UN PEACEKEEPERS REBUILD SCHOOL IN TROUBLED NEIGHBOURHOOD OF CAPITAL
New York, Oct 19 2007 6:00PM
More than 1,500 children in one of the most troubled neighbourhoods of Haiti's capital are attending classes again after soldiers serving with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) helped to renovate a school building that had been left unusable by the violent activities of armed gangs.

At a ceremony yesterday, MINUSTAH officials handed over the keys for the Lycée Jacques Roumain in the Martissant district of Port-au-Prince, which re-opened last month and already has 1,576 students.

The school has been renovated, complete with new toilets, fences, a kitchen, repainted buildings and dozens of classroom benches for children, thanks to a joint effort involving <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/">MINUSTAH, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (<"http://www.iom.int/jahia/jsp/index.jsp">IOM) and the national education ministry.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided much of the funding for the project, which cost about $1.7 million.

Before it was rebuilt, the school had also served as the provisional local base for Haitian National Police (HNP) forces, UN Police (UNPOL) members and a contingent of Sri Lankan blue helmets with MINUSTAH as they tried to restore law and order to Martissant, which has been ravaged in recent years by armed gangs.

J. Carter, the head of MINUSTAH's civil affairs section, said "the school represents an office at the heart of a difficult district. The building is today the tangible symbol of hope for the local population of the district."

He added that the re-opening of the school provides an opportunity for locals to "break the vicious circle of violence and resume a life in security," noting also that economic activities in Martissant are resuming, local public institutions are functioning again and many displaced people have returned.

"It's a moment of joy and hope because this school and the education that it offers will contribute to building a better future for Haiti."
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON, ISRAELI OFFICIAL STRESS IMPORTANCE OF UPCOMING MIDDLE EAST MEETING

BAN KI-MOON, ISRAELI OFFICIAL STRESS IMPORTANCE OF UPCOMING MIDDLE EAST MEETING
New York, Oct 19 2007 6:00PM
Next month's United States-sponsored international meeting will be critical to the Middle East peace process, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ehud Barak emphasized today during talks at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Mr. Ban and Mr. Barak also discussed recent developments in the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians, according to a readout provided by the UN.

The US-sponsored meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Washington, is designed to bring together key members of the international community, especially in the Middle East, to mobilize their support behind recent peace moves.

Last month the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, which comprises the UN, the US, the European Union and Russia, issued a statement calling for the Washington meeting to be "substantive and serious" so that the two sides can finally end their conflict and devise a durable two-State solution.

During today's meeting, Mr. Ban also urged Mr. Barak "to take all possible steps to improve the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed the UN's commitment to ensure that Palestinian humanitarian needs were being met."

The readout added that Mr. Ban briefed Mr. Barak on the work of the UN Interim Force on Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is trying to implement the Security Council resolution that ended last year's war between Israel and Hizbollah.

"He also told the Deputy Prime Minister that the UN would continue its efforts to secure the release of Israel's abducted soldiers. They touched on Iran as well."
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

CONCERNS OF WORLD'S VULNERABLE COUNTRIES TOP UN ASSEMBLY'S AGENDA: PRESIDENT

CONCERNS OF WORLD'S VULNERABLE COUNTRIES TOP UN ASSEMBLY'S AGENDA: PRESIDENT
New York, Oct 19 2007 6:00PM
The concerns of the world's most vulnerable countries, including climate change and the need to reach global anti-poverty targets, top the agenda of the current session of the General Assembly, its president said today.

"Both development and the preservation of the environment are of greatest concern to the work of the General Assembly," Srgjan Kerim <"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/ldc191007.shtml">told representatives in New York of least developed countries, land-locked developing countries and small island developing States. "The three groups of countries represented here today – almost half of the Member States of the General Assembly – are particularly exposed to economic and environmental challenges."

Mr. Kerim said he would organize a thematic panel bringing together a range of players to discuss climate change early next year, adding that addressing that problem is central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of targets for tackling various social ills by 2015.

"At the mid-point for attainment of the Goals by 2015, I would like to focus the General Assembly's attention on review of the progress in implementation of the MDGs, to recommitting efforts and resources to reach the agreed targets, and to build consensus for urgent collective action," he said.

Pledging to address these issues in an inclusive and transparent manner, he urged countries to foster "a new climate of mutual trust and cooperation which would strengthen our ability to make meaningful and prompt progress."
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

MILITARY IMPEDING EMBARGO INSPECTIONS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE, UN EXPERTS SAY

MILITARY IMPEDING EMBARGO INSPECTIONS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE, UN EXPERTS SAY
New York, Oct 19 2007 6:00PM
Côte d'Ivoire's military is thwarting the surveillance of the arms embargo in the divided West African nation, a group of United Nations experts said in a new <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/611">report made public today.

According to the Group of Experts monitoring the embargo, refusals to allow impartial forces to carry out inspections have been on the rise since the Ouagadougou Agreement was signed in March.

That pact sets out a series of measures to heal the split between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north in 2002.

The latest report notes that the Group – which was established in early 2005 to gather and analyze information on arms caches and flows in the region – conducted investigations on the ground in Côte d'Ivoire from late July until mid-August this year.

During those assessments, the Group "observed a lack of understanding on the part of certain Ivorian political authorities who believed that, with the signing of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement on 4 March 2007, their mission was out of step with the current reconciliation process."

It also voiced concern about the illicit trafficking in firearms, given Côte d'Ivoire's porous borders and the availability of weapons in the region.

"Furthermore, efforts to disarm and disband militias have, for the moment, been only partially effected," the report said.

Regarding the country's natural resources, the Group met for the first time with the heads of three of the four quasi-Government agencies in the coffee and cocoa sector, and confirmed "the lack of transparency in the management of revenue in the coffee and cocoa and hydrocarbons sectors."

In contradiction to the diamond embargo preventing the exports of the precious stone out of the country, the Group reported that individuals interviewed in Seguela and Tortiya "unanimously acknowledged that most of the diamonds mined in Côte d'Ivoire are sent to Mali, but did not give details on the identity of the exporters or buyers."
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SOMALIA: AID DELIVERY IMPEDED BY 'SUSPICION' FROM GOVERNMENT, OTHER PARTIES - UN

SOMALIA: AID DELIVERY IMPEDED BY 'SUSPICION' FROM GOVERNMENT, OTHER PARTIES – UN
New York, Oct 19 2007 5:00PM
Humanitarian workers in Somalia – where the local head of the United Nations food agency was abducted earlier this week by Government forces – are impeded in their efforts to deliver aid and operate in a climate of "suspicion," a world body official said today.

"The situation is always difficult in Somalia, has always been difficult and is probably going to be still difficult for some time," said Eric Laroche, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, told reporters in New York.

He said that an upswing in violence among the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and other parties has resulted in "suspicion" from all sides towards the work of the humanitarian community in the Horn of Africa nation, which has had no functioning central government since Muhammad Siad Barre's regime was toppled in 1991.

Mr. Laroche pointed out that the most recent example of this occurred on 17 October, when Idris Osman of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) was taken from a UN compound in Mogadishu.

According to <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2674">WFP, dozens of uniformed and armed members of the country's National Security Service (NSS) stormed the Organization's compound, seized Mr. Osman and took him to a cell at NSS headquarters, where he remains captive.

So far, the WFP has not received any explanation for why Mr. Osman – who told two agency officials over the telephone yesterday that he is unharmed – is being detained.

Negotiations, Mr. Laroche said today, are at a "standstill," stressing that this is a particularly difficult period to hold discussions with the Government because Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi is currently out of the country and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and also because of a possible vote of confidence at the Parliament in Baidoa.

WFP has suspended its operations in Mogadishu following Mr. Osman's abduction, after only having resumed delivering food to 75,000 on 15 October. The agency had shut its operations down on 25 June after several fatal shootings.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the incursion and called for Mr. Osman's "immediate and unconditional release," noting the Somali Government's actions are in violation of international agreements.

The head of WFP today also deplored Mr. Osman's detainment.

"It has become extremely difficult for us to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people in Mogadishu and throughout Somalia. We are operating in an environment which is fraught with insecurity: piracy, banditry and widespread violence. We need the government to protect humanitarian workers," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

Several months ago, the Coordinator visited Afgooye, 30 kilometres west of the capital Mogadishu, where the UN estimated that 100,000 people had been forced to flee the violence.

"The Government was saying that that was not acceptable and that was probably a wrong statement which meant that we were not telling the truth," he said at today's briefing. "But unfortunately we are saying the truth."

Mr. Laroche said that during his assessment of the area to visit the internally displaced persons (IDPs), he was constantly harassed and told by pro-Government parties, "you should not be here."

Furthermore, he said he was trailed all the way back to the airport at the conclusion of his visit by the intelligence services.

Upon visiting the director of the country's intelligence service, Mr. Laroche said that he was told that "if we go into zones that are not under the TFG control, we are feeding the terrorists."

But, the Coordinator noted, the IDPs he met with in Afgooye – who were mostly women and children – included an orphaned eight-year-old girl who had lost not only her parents and sister, but also her arm. He stressed that "she is not a terrorist."
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECURITY COUNCIL WARNS DRUG TRAFFICKING, OTHER CRIMES IMPERIL GUINEA-BISSAU

SECURITY COUNCIL WARNS DRUG TRAFFICKING, OTHER CRIMES IMPERIL GUINEA-BISSAU
New York, Oct 19 2007 4:00PM
Drug trafficking and organized crime are threatening to undermine the efforts of Guinea-Bissau to develop the rule of law, democracy and transparent governance and they are also destabilizing the wider West African region, the Security Council said today.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9145.doc.htm">presidential statement read out by Ambassador Leslie Kojo Christian of Ghana, which holds the rotating presidency, Council members called for the United Nations to examine how it could boost its support of the country's attempts to fight crime.

"The Security Council is especially concerned over the security and safety of Bissau-Guinean officials involved in combating drug trafficking and organized crime," Mr. Christian said, stressing the need for concerted steps to protect those officials.

The statement welcomed the decision of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to hold a regional meeting on drug trafficking later this year, as well as plans to hold an international conference in Lisbon, Portugal, in December that will focus specifically on the impact of trafficking on Guinea-Bissau.

Today's statement follows the report earlier this month of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the latest activities of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), in which he warned that the drug trade was entrenching organized crime and reducing respect for the rule of law.

"There is no reliable data on drug seizures, the volume of drugs in transit through Guinea-Bissau or the local consumption of narcotics," Mr. Ban wrote. "However, there is a growing consensus that Guinea-Bissau is a major drug trafficking transit point in the subregion."

Anti-aircraft artillery have been deployed to the Bijagos archipelago after reports that unidentified aircraft have been transporting cocaine, and investigations resumed last month into the alleged involvement of several high-level officials of former prime minister Aristides Gomes in the disappearance of nearly 700 kilograms of cocaine seized by authorities.

The Council also agreed today to consider the Government's request that Guinea-Bissau be included on the agenda of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, set up a year ago to help countries emerging from conflict avoid sliding back into war or chaos. So far, the Commission has been focusing on Burundi and Sierra Leone.
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN PEACEKEEPERS OPEN RESOURCE CENTRE FOR LIBERIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN

UN PEACEKEEPERS OPEN RESOURCE CENTRE FOR LIBERIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN
New York, Oct 19 2007 4:00PM
About 600 students will benefit from technical and vocational skills training at a new resource centre equipped with computers, sewing machines and a library, courtesy of Pakistani peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmil/index.html">UNMIL).

The Pakistan-Liberia Friendship Centre is located in C. H. Deway High School in Tubmanburg, some 60 kilometres west of Monrovia, the capital of the West African nation that is seeking to recover from a brutal civil war that killed almost 150,000 people.

Pakistani contingent commander Brigadier General Ahmad Nawaz said the centre is the manifestation of the services rendered by his troops over the years to strengthen peace in Liberia. He reaffirmed the commitment of his troops to help improve the quality of education in Liberia.

"The centre signifies the love, cooperation and support given to the peacekeepers during the implementation of their assigned mandate," said General Nawaz, commending the local communities for making his contingent's mission enjoyable and fruitful through their friendly relations.

Rev. David Ballah, Principal of C. H. Deway High School, said the centre would help enhance the teaching-and-learning process in the school by giving students the opportunity to acquire skills through practice.

UNMIL Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor lauded the Pakistani contingent for their active involvement in building peace through community empowerment projects such as renovating schools, providing computers and educational materials, and skills training.

He called on Liberians to take the initiative to build their country, saying "self-help is a very necessary attribute in national development."

Established in September 2003, UNMIL supports the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace process; protects UN staff, facilities and civilians; bolsters humanitarian and human rights activities; and assists in national security reform, including national police training and the formation of a new, restructured military.
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN'S STANDING POLICE CAPACITY COMPLETES TRAINING IN UK

UN'S STANDING POLICE CAPACITY COMPLETES TRAINING IN UK
New York, Oct 19 2007 3:00PM
Ahead of their first operational deployment to Chad, the inaugural class of the United Nations' Standing Police Capacity (SPC) has completed two weeks of intensive training in policies, doctrine, project management, team-building, transitional justice and other aspects of modern peacekeeping at the United Kingdom's top police leadership centre.

Once fully operational, the SPC will have two main roles: to provide immediate start up capability on the ground for the police components of new United Nations peacekeeping operations and to facilitate rapid support and technical assistance on policing issues to existing UN missions as required.

"This course was extremely valuable in finalizing our training as a unit before we depart for our first mission, which is expected to be in Chad [MINURCAT]," said SPC Chief Walter Wolf.

"Organized crime, corruption and unprofessional practices present serious challenges to successful fulfilment of peacekeeping mandate so that it is essential to go into any such mission as well prepared as possible. This training ensured that the team is operational and fully prepared for deployment," Mr. Wolf said.

Sixteen SPC officers attended the 8-19 October course, where they were mentored by senior trainers from several member states who led the group through real-time exercises based on actual policing scenarios. The SPC officers, which included five women, come from 14 Member States and have experience in more than two dozen peacekeeping operations.

"After completing this intensive course we now have the capacity to act as one cohesive, mutually-supportive team and to assist in start-up of future missions," Mr. Wolf stated. He also expressed gratitude to the UK, Germany and Sweden for their support to the Department of the Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in running this course.

The concept of the Standing Police Capacity was first suggested in 2004 by a blue-ribbon group of experts brought together by the UN to examine security threats in the 21st century. Member States endorsed the concept during their World Summit in September 2005 as a way to deal with the unprecedented demand for peacekeepers in general and UN police officers in particular.
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON PROPOSES EXPEDITING HEADQUARTERS RENOVATION PROJECT

BAN KI-MOON PROPOSES EXPEDITING HEADQUARTERS RENOVATION PROJECT
New York, Oct 19 2007 3:00PM
Citing the need to make up for lost time and move ahead with renovating the United Nations Headquarters complex in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has proposed a revised strategy that is "less risky, less expensive and faster" in the long run than the current seven-year, $1.9 billion plan.

"The schedule has slipped," Mr. Ban writes in his latest progress <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/62/364">report on the UN Capital Master Plan (<"http://www.un.org/cmp/uncmp/english/index.asp">CMP), noting a slowdown in the project owing to planning and scheduling delays, as well as the loss of leadership following the resignation last year of the project's Executive Director.

But the Secretary-General adds that although there have been delays, "steps are being taken to accelerate the project and bring it in line with the schedule and budget" approved by the 192-member General Assembly – known as "strategy IV."

Over the past year, the Assembly approved the financing of the plan and Skanska USA Buildings was selected as pre-construction manager. In addition, renowned United States architect Michael Adlerstein was appointed to lead the project as the new Executive Director.

Following these developments, "to recapture lost time and to expedite the project, the Office of the Capital Master Plan has developed a plan to accelerate the approved strategy IV," Mr. Ban states.

"Accelerated strategy IV" would reduce the time needed during the renovation by reducing the total number of phases needed to refurbish the Secretariat and Conference Buildings, and speed up the construction of a temporary Conference Building.

It proposes the construction of the temporary Conference Building on the North Lawn as planned in early 2008, but would be able to complete the entire renovation by mid-2013 rather than mid-2016 as envisioned under the current strategy.

By this timetable, renovation of the Secretariat building would be completed in three years instead of six, starting early in 2009; the General Assembly building in two years instead of two and a half; and the Conference building in two years instead of three.

"The most appropriate way to execute the project would be to conduct the Secretariat renovation in one phase and execute the work in the Conference and General Assembly Buildings in single sequential phases as opposed to the three phases previously envisioned," Mr. Ban writes.

In addition to the lease signed so far for space for 750 staff members, and the leases that are currently being negotiated, office space would need to be found for almost 1,500 other staff. The CMP office is already looking in Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

Along with changes to the sequencing, logistics and phasing of the project, Mr. Ban notes that efforts are being made to find changes in the actual design that would "bring the project back within budget and to find opportunities to reduce the costs in a way that does not compromise quality or functionality," a process known as "value engineering."

He adds that the projected cost of the renovation is estimated to be nearly $2.1 billion as of September, which is almost $220 million above the amount authorized by the General Assembly. "Most of the additional projected cost increases are due to the slippage of the schedule. Consequently, the impact of inflation on construction and rental costs has been exacerbated."

The renovations under the CMP are expected to make the main UN Headquarters buildings – which have not been significantly improved or maintained since they were constructed in 1949 and 1950 – more energy efficient and eliminate safety and health risks.
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT SIGNS PROTOCOL DEAL WITH CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT SIGNS PROTOCOL DEAL WITH CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, Oct 19 2007 2:00PM
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has entered a protocol agreement with the Central African Republic (CAR) setting out the cooperation and protection that the Government will provide to court officials investigating whether war crimes have taken place in the impoverished country since 2002.

Bruno Cathala, the <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html">ICC registrar, signed the agreement with the CAR Justice Minister Thierry Maleyombo during a meeting yesterday in the capital, Bangui, according to a press statement released by the Court. Prime Minister Elie Doté was also present.

The agreement covers the conditions of operations for ICC teams – including investigators, security officials and witness protection officials – while they are working in the CAR and coincides with the opening of an ICC field office in Bangui.

Earlier this year the Government referred the issue of possible war crimes to the ICC, saying the national justice system was not capable of carrying out the complex investigations and proceedings necessary to launch prosecutions.

In May ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced his office would investigate, as it believed that "grave crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the Court were committed," particularly rape, during 2002 and 2003.

When the violence peaked in those two years during an armed conflict between the Government and rebel forces, civilians were killed and raped and homes and stores were looted, the ICC said, citing a preliminary analysis. The conflict was characterized by widespread use of rape, and the investigation marks the first time the Prosecutor is examining a situation where allegations of sexual crimes far outnumber alleged killings. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said he would also monitor the current situation in the CAR to determine whether more recent events warrant further investigation.
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN ENVOY TO VISIT IRAQ IN TWO WEEKS FOR TALKS ON BROADER ROLE, OFFICIAL SAYS

UN ENVOY TO VISIT IRAQ IN TWO WEEKS FOR TALKS ON BROADER ROLE, OFFICIAL SAYS
New York, Oct 19 2007 2:00PM
The new United Nations envoy for Iraq will travel to the country in two weeks for talks on a broader role for the world body there, a senior UN official told the Security Council today.

Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe presented the Council with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on Iraq, echoing the UN leader's assertion that "there is an opportunity today that should not be missed" for transforming recent positive developments – including the ceasefire declared by the Mahdi Army and the Sunni insurgent alliance against Al-Qaida – into a basis for achieving national reconciliation.

In August, the Council adopted <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1770(2007)">resolution 1770 expanding the UN's role in Iraq, including in support of a national dialogue. Mr. Pascoe said the Secretary-General's new Special Representative, Staffan de Mistura, will immediately explore possibilities toward that end "when he reaches Iraq in two weeks."

Mr. Pascoe confirmed that the ceiling for international civilian staff in Baghdad has been raised from 65 to 85, adding that the number of staff authorized for the northern city of Erbil has risen from 29 to 35. In addition, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has "adopted an area-based approach that expands activities where circumstances are more permissible."

The Under-Secretary-General also issued a strong appeal for Member States to support the UN's efforts. "Importantly, the United Nations must be afforded the necessary political and humanitarian space to implement the new mandate and the ability of the Organization to talk with all sides must be protected and respected," he said.

"Security arrangements and financial and logistical backing are also essential for the success of the UN Mission in Iraq," he added.

Mr. Pascoe voiced gratitude to countries now supporting the UN's work in Iraq while urging States to provide additional resources for the mission. He pointed out that a trust fund established to support the 'Distinct Entity' that provides protection for the UN will be exhausted next month, while needs are clear "at least through 2008."

He warned that, without an immediate infusion of funds, "the ability of the UN to operate in Iraq could be severely compromised."

The magnitude of the challenges facing Iraq call for an international response which the UN is well-placed to meet, he said. "It is our belief that the new UN mandate, matched by strong international support, provides the necessary framework to move toward building a more stable Iraq."
2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN FOOD AGENCY CHIEF DEPLORES LACK OF SECURITY FOR AID WORKERS IN SUDAN, SOMALIA

UN FOOD AGENCY CHIEF DEPLORES LACK OF SECURITY FOR AID WORKERS IN SUDAN, SOMALIA
New York, Oct 19 2007 8:00AM
Following a spate of attacks on its staff in Somalia and Sudan, the head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today decried the lack of security for humanitarian workers in those countries.

WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran also condemned the continued detention of agency staff member Idris Osman, who was seized by armed men in Somalia on Wednesday.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the continued detention of WFP staff by the security forces," she said in a statement.

"It has become extremely difficult for us to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people in Mogadishu and throughout Somalia. We are operating in an environment which is fraught with insecurity: piracy, banditry and widespread violence. We need the government to protect humanitarian workers."

The agency's workers trying to help Sudanese in the troubled Darfur region are facing similar constraints. Ms. Sheeran, referring to the killing yesterday of three contract drivers there, said "This brutal attack on World Food Programme truckers and others like it, severely limit our ability to distribute this vital food assistance. More than 3 million people are relying on us for their survival."

Mr. Osman was seized on 17 October when up to 60 uniformed and armed members of Somalia National Security Service stormed a UN compound in Mogadishu. They took him to a cell at NSS headquarters, where he remains captive.

The agency said two of its officials on 18 October spoke by telephone with Mr. Idris, who said he was unharmed. WFP has been given no explanation for the reasons behind his detention.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon joined WFP in calling for Mr. Idris' immediate and unconditional release.

In Sudan, a series of attacks on WFP food truck convoys in the last week has resulted in the deaths of three WFP-contracted drivers. Two were shot dead in one incident on 16 October and another died in a second earlier inc

On Thursday 18 October, another incident occurred near Jebel Mara in South Darfur. According to initial reports, five WFP-contracted trucks were stopped by 20 armed men. Two of the five trucks were stolen along with their cargo of relief food. All the drivers were released but some sustained injuries and all had been robbed.

Since the beginning of this year, WFP has had more than 20 attacks on convoys in Darfur plus many other security related incidents affecting staff and property.

2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

DR CONGO: UN MISSION HAILS TRANSFER OF SUSPECT TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

DR CONGO: UN MISSION HAILS TRANSFER OF SUSPECT TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
New York, Oct 19 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today welcomed the transfer of Congolese General and former militia leader Germain Katanga into the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The 29-year old suspect, who faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in 2003 in Ituri, yesterday became the second Congolese to be transferred to the ICC, following Thomas Lubanga, who has been charged with crimes relating to the recruitment of child soldiers in what is widely viewed as a milestone in international justice.

In a statement today, the UN mission, known as MONUC, congratulated the DRC Government "for taking this important step in the fight against impunity, and for its continued cooperation with the ICC."

The mission pledged its support in helping the Government strengthen its own internal judicial proceedings for the worst crimes, noting that the ICC's jurisdiction is complementary to the primary jurisdiction of Congolese courts.

"MONUC reiterates its willingness to continue to assist the DRC's Government attempts to bring to justice all those who have been responsible for serious human rights violations, in conformity with its mandate."

Prosecutors allege that Mr. Katanga was responsible for murders, inhumane acts and sexual enslavement at the village of Bogoro, constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes, and for cruel treatment at Bogoro constituting a war crime. They also allege he committed the war crime of using children to participate actively in hostilities, the war crime of launching an attack against the civilian population of Bogoro and the war crime of pillaging Bogoro.

In a statement yesterday, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that more action can be expected. "We are selecting a third case. The DRC is still engulfed in violence. There is forced displacement of people, sexual violence of shocking b
Perpetrators must know they will be prosecuted. The ICC is at work in the DRC."

2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

WITH UNICEF BACKING, LESOTHO LAUNCHES ANTI-MEASLES DRIVE

WITH UNICEF BACKING, LESOTHO LAUNCHES ANTI-MEASLES DRIVE
New York, Oct 19 2007 8:00AM
With financial backing from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Government of Lesotho has launched a major drive against measles that aims to reach nearly a quarter of a million children under the age of five.

The campaign involves over 530 vaccinating teams not only targeting measles but also providing children with Vitamin A and de-worming tablets.

Measles can cause severe health complications, including pneumonia, diarrhea, encephalitis, and blindness. This can seriously aggravate the already severe impact being caused by the complex humanitarian crisis affecting Lesotho, especially the effects of HIV and AIDS, UNICEF said, noting that the country has experienced a drastic increase in child and infant mortality rates over the past decade.

"These deaths and the incalculable loss of human potential they represent are more than needless. They are economically ruinous and, on the most fundamental human level, they are legally, morally and ethically unacceptable, because they are preventable through immunization" said Dr. Angela Benson, Representative of the World Health Organization which also supported the campaign.

Nationwide, more than 1,000 vaccinators are working at over 1,800 immunization sites in health centers, outreach posts and communities with the aim of reaching as many as 221,700 children under the age of five.

"This initiative seeks to kick start a process of regular child health days in Lesotho, to strengthen the routine vaccination, the surveillance system to detect communicable diseases at early stages and to immunize all children against the targeted infectious diseases," said Aichatou-Diawara Flambert, UNICEF Representative in Lesotho.

"It is also a major step to address and reduce Lesotho's critical child and infant mortality rate."

Of all the vaccine-preventable diseases, measles is still the leading cause of child death in many developing nations. Every year, some 2 million children die
common childhood diseases.

2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN AGENCY TRANSFERS CONGOLESE DISPLACED IN NORTH KIVU TO SAFER CAMPS

UN AGENCY TRANSFERS CONGOLESE DISPLACED IN NORTH KIVU TO SAFER CAMPS
New York, Oct 19 2007 8:00AM
Reacting to a humanitarian crisis which has driven hundreds of thousands of Congolese from their homes in the volatile North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency today announced a new drive to transfer the displaced to safer shelter.

Jennifer Pagonis, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva that the Congolese who have been uprooted by violence are being moved "from congested makeshift settlements with very difficult living conditions to a new camp set up by UNHCR which has the essential basic facilities."

A first group of 500 people moved from Ndosho -- a makeshift settlement of some 1,000 people with no drinking water or basic sanitation -- to the new camp at Buhimba six kilometres west of Goma, the main town in the area, she said.

Buhimba is the second camp developed by UNHCR for IDPs in the Mugunga area and it can accommodate more than 10,000 people. Bulengo, the first camp, reached its capacity of 10,000 IDPs at the end of September.

Meanwhile, displaced people continuing to arrive at sites around Goma. Aid agencies estimate over 370,000 IDPs have been displaced in North Kivu since December 2006.

"We fear many IDPs remain in areas inaccessible to humanitarian agencies as people continue to flee insecurity and fighting between the government forces, renegade troops and rebels in many parts of North Kivu," said Ms. Pagonis.

"We are working closely with the authorities to identify additional sites."

2007-10-19 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OPENS FIELD OFFICE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OPENS FIELD OFFICE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, Oct 18 2007 7:00PM
The International Criminal Court (ICC) today opened a new field office in the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), less than five months after its prosecutors agreed to open an investigation into whether war crimes have been committed there.

At a ceremony in Bangui attended by representatives of the CAR Government, judicial authorities, the diplomatic corps and others, <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">ICC Registrar Bruno Cathala inaugurated the office.

Mr. Cathala said "the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court was especially dependant on its acceptance and the understanding of its role by the people of the Central African Republic and, in particular, by the victims of crimes under investigation by the Prosecutor."

Mr. Cathala also met with CAR President Francois Bozizé and Prime Minister Elie Dote to brief them on the Court's mandate and functioning.

Earlier this year the CAR Government referred the war crimes issue to the ICC, saying the national justice system was not capable of carrying out the complex investigations and proceedings necessary to prosecute the alleged crimes. In May ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced his office would investigate, as it believed that "grave crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the Court were committed," particularly rape, during 2002-2003.

When the violence peaked in those two years during an armed conflict between the Government and rebel forces, civilians were killed and raped and homes and stores were looted, the ICC said, citing a preliminary analysis. The conflict was characterized by widespread use of rape, and the investigation marks the first time the Prosecutor is examining a situation where allegations of sexual crimes far outnumber alleged killings. He said he would also monitor the current situation to determine whether more recent events warrant further investigation.

Bangui is the fifth field office established by the ICC in the countries where its prosecutors are investigating possible war crimes, and joins offices already open in the Ugandan capital, Kampala; Kinshasa and Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); and Abéché in eastern Chad.

The office serves as the ICC's public face in the field, providing administrative and logistical support for its activities. It is designed to help investigation teams, defence lawyers and experts in victim participation and reparation, outreach and witness protection work more effectively.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON VOICES SHOCK AT DEADLY BOMB ATTACK TARGETING EX-LEADER OF PAKISTAN

BAN KI-MOON VOICES SHOCK AT DEADLY BOMB ATTACK TARGETING EX-LEADER OF PAKISTAN
New York, Oct 18 2007 7:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his shock at learning of an attack on the convoy of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto in which two roadside bombs in the southern city of Karachi have killed more than 100 people and injured many more.

Mr. Ban "strongly condemns this terrorist attack and expresses condolences to the families of the victims," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2807">statement issued by his spokesperson.

"He trusts that all political forces will act together to strengthen national unity."
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

GLOBAL UN ANTI-POVERTY EVENT SHATTERS RECORD BY DRAWING NEARLY 39 MILLION PEOPLE

GLOBAL UN ANTI-POVERTY EVENT SHATTERS RECORD BY DRAWING NEARLY 39 MILLION PEOPLE
New York, Oct 18 2007 6:00PM
From universities and schools to soccer stadiums and parliaments, a record-breaking 38.8 million people around the world this week participated in the United Nations-led Stand Up against Poverty campaign, calling on international leaders to deliver on their pledge to end extreme poverty by 2015.

"It was extraordinary," Kiyotaka Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Public Information, told reporters in New York, describing the sheer number of individuals who decided to "stand up and speak out" against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) – the ambitious targets the world has set itself for slashing poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy by 2015.

More than 6,000 events were held in 110 countries during the 24-hour period from 16 to 17 October as part of the global campaign, led by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, an inter-agency initiative, in partnership with the Global Call to Action and a range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith-based groups and civil society.

Among this year's 38.8 million – which broke last year's Guinness World Record of 23.5 million – were nearly 900 UN staff, diplomats and representatives of NGOs, who gathered yesterday on the lawn of the UN Headquarters complex in New York led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

More than 300,000 students in Cairo also took part in the campaign, as did 472,000 children attending schools run by the UN agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon (known as UNRWA). Soccer fans in Brazil and Japan, as well as parliamentarians in Australia, were also among the participants.

"We are very happy to see this enormous number of people taking part in this campaign… to enhance the understanding and the realization of the MDGs, particularly to halve the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015," Mr. Akasaka stated.

The largest number of participants was in Asia (nearly 28 million), followed by Africa (7.5 million), the Arab region (2.5 million) and Latin America (734,000).

Mandy Kibel, Deputy Director of Communications for the UN Millennium Campaign, pointed out that the majority of participants were in the poorest countries. "What Stand Up did was to give them the opportunity to find voice on issues that matter to them.

"Stand Up essentially recognizes that there are people who are living in poverty who want to be able to speak for themselves, they want to find their own voice, and they want to address not us at the UN but their own governments and say 'we have expectations that you deliver on the promises that you made.'"

The UN Millennium Campaign was established by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan in recognition of the need to engage all actors in society in the attainment of the MDGs.

"The recognition was that these Goals will never be achieved at the United Nations," Ms. Kibel stated. "It's only when citizens – civilians of specific countries – begin to say that they want to see these Goals achieved that we have any chance whatsoever of moving closer to the goal of ending poverty by 2015."
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

TOP OFFICIAL LAUNCHES UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE POTATO

TOP OFFICIAL LAUNCHES UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE POTATO
New York, Oct 18 2007 6:00PM
Kicking off the International Year of the Potato, the chief of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today celebrated the vegetable that is currently the world's fourth largest food source.

"It is very, very important in terms of total supply," <"http://www.fao.org/">FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told reporters of the $350 million potato industry. "And it's also more and more important for the developing countries because [in] the last 15 years, the production has doubled."

Also speaking at the press briefing, Peru's Minister of Agriculture Ismael Benavides noted that the potato originated in his country, and since then has become a global crop and is "a major source of income and activity for hundreds of thousands of families in my country."

According to the FAO website about the Year, global potato production is on the rise, increasing 4.5 per cent annually in the past decade. While its consumption has declined in Europe, it has surged in the developing world, from less than 10 kilograms per capita in 1961-63 to nearly 22 kilograms in 2003.

The main objective of the Year is to promote the sustainable development of both potato-based systems and the potato industry, as well as to bolster producers' and consumers' well-being.

Among the events scheduled to commemorate the year include a FAO-backed global forum on "Potato science for the poor" to be held in Cuzco, Peru, next March.

Mr. Diouf also told reporters today that the theme of this year's World Food Day – which occurs ever year on 16 October – is "the right to food."

This right has become a legal one, "but how to translate that legal right into real life situations at the level of the poor rural community" is an issue that must be addressed, he said.

This issue is being compounded by other problems such as climate change and its resulting consequences on developing countries, such as higher prices on the world market and its impact on low-income countries facing food deficits.

World Food Day – marking the anniversary of the FAO's creation in Quebec, Canada, on 16 October 1945 – "offers us an opportunity to raise awareness," Mr. Diouf said.

In a statement earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a renewed commitment to stamp out chronic hunger and make the right to food a reality for all in a world where nearly 855 million people still do not have enough to eat.

"The world has the resources, the knowledge and the tools to make the right to food a reality for all," he said.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON ANNOUNCES SLATE OF NEW SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES IN AFRICA

BAN KI-MOON ANNOUNCES SLATE OF NEW SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES IN AFRICA
New York, Oct 18 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of three Special Representatives and two Deputy Special Representatives to act for him in four African countries trying to recover from prolonged war or insecurity – Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Liberia.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas said that Mr. Ban had informed the Security Council of his intention to make the appointments and expected a response from the 15-member body shortly.

He has chosen Ellen Margrethe Løj, who most recently served as Denmark's Permanent Representative to the UN, to serve as Special Representative for Liberia, replacing Alan Doss of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Doss will replace William Lacy Swing of the United States as the Special Representative to the DRC, where the UN peacekeeping mission known as MONUC is based.

Choi Young-jin, formerly the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN, will become the Special Representative to Côte d'Ivoire, replacing Pierre Schori of Sweden.

Guinea's Bintou Keita is becoming a Deputy Special Representative in Burundi and Senegal's Bacre Waly Ndiaye is being appointed to a post at the same level in the DRC under Mr. Doss.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ban has also <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sga1100.doc.htm">appointed Jan Beagle of New Zealand, who had been Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management since October 2005, as Deputy Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva (UNOG).

Ms. Beagle is tasked with strengthening the overall management capacity and coordination among the Secretariat's organizations in Geneva, tackling current managerial challenges and enhancing the role of the UN in Geneva in advancing system-wide coherence.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES LINK BETWEEN PEACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES LINK BETWEEN PEACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
New York, Oct 18 2007 5:00PM
At a United Nations General Assembly <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10638.doc.htm">debate today, the body's President <"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/nepad181007.shtml">said that stamping out poverty goes hand in hand with achieving peace, urging all States to step up their efforts in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight ambitious targets to stamp out poverty and other ills by 2015.

"Durable peace and sustainable socio-economic development are inextricably linked," President Srgjan Kerim said today at the GA debate on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (<"http://www.nepad.org/2005/files/home.php">NEPAD), the causes of conflict and promotion of peace and development in Africa and efforts to halt malaria.

"Eradicating poverty and promoting development not only saves lives that would have otherwise been lost to hunger and disease, it also strengthens the capacity of States to ensure durable peace," he added.

Mr. Kerim noted that "commendable progress" has been made by NEPAD in crucial areas such as infrastructure development, agriculture, health and education, but "clearly there is still a long road ahead."

He emphasized that, as enshrined in NEPAD's principles, "African ownership and leadership is critical, and must continue to guide responses to the challenges that lie ahead."

One fifth of Africa's population lives in areas wracked by conflict, and security on the continent can be bolstered through the readiness of the international community – including African States – to respond to conflicts, the President said.

While significant hurdles, including limited funding and capacity, must still be overcome to eliminate malaria, Mr. Kerim voiced hope that interventions such as insecticidal nets and a possible vaccine will make great progress in combating the disease.

"The issues before us in this debate call for the active involvement of all States, and illustrate the necessity for Member States to recommit themselves to implementing the <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">Millennium Development Goals," he stated.

Also <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2804">speaking at the debate, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pointed out that although many African nations have made great strides towards achieving the MDGs, "overall, the continent is not on track to reach these development targets by 2015."

Extreme poverty – exacerbated by the lack of access to a basic education, health care and adequate nutrition – "continues to prevent millions of talented, promising young Africans from fulfilling their potential," he said.

Unified UN support, in areas such as governance and institutional capacity-building, is key to helping consolidate recent positive changes in Africa, he noted.

"We must ensure that the UN plays its role to the fullest extent possible along the peace continuum – from conflict prevention to peace-making, peacekeeping and peacebuilding," he said.

Most of the 1 million lives – mainly infants, young children and pregnant women – claimed by malaria each year are in Africa, the Secretary-General said.

"We now have the tools and increased resources to control malaria. But there is no time to waste. Every minute we deliberate, another two children die needlessly," he said.

Yesterday, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that great gains have been made in the fight against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

"In Sub-Saharan Africa, Malaria kills at least 800,000 children under the age of five each year," said the agency's Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said. "Controlling malaria is vital to improving child health and economic development in affected countries. Studies show that malaria disproportionately affects the poorest people in these countries, and so contributes to their further impoverishment."

A new report – entitled "Malaria and Children which prepared by UNICEF on behalf of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) – said that from 2004 to 2006, the supply of insecticide-treated nets has surged, with annual production more than doubling from 30 to 63 million. Another large increase in production is expected by the end of this year.

In sub-Saharan Africa, one third of children with fevers receive anti-malarial medicines, but few countries have boosted their coverage since 2000 and many children receiving treatment are being given less effective medicines.

The new report also noted that nearly all sub-Saharan African countries have changed their national drug policies to support the use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT), a new and more effective malaria treatment. In addition, many more children are expected to receive effective malaria treatment in the near future.

Despite successes, the use of insecticide-treated nets falls short of global targets and too few children are receiving effective treatment. The report recommends that donors and national governments must bolster their commitments to improve malaria programmes, through efforts such as community-based programming and continued integration of malaria programming into existing service delivery mechanisms.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

INCENTIVES MIGHT LEAD MYANMAR TO 'DO THE RIGHT THING' - UN ENVOY

INCENTIVES MIGHT LEAD MYANMAR TO 'DO THE RIGHT THING' – UN ENVOY
New York, Oct 18 2007 5:00PM
Continuing his consultations with Myanmar's regional partners, United Nations Envoy Ibrahim Gambari has suggested that incentives, along with strong encouragement, might persuade authorities in the South-East Asian nation to move towards democratization and reconciliation.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Mr. Gambari said that European and other countries have been stepping up pressure on Yangon, "but also leaving room in effect for incentives to encourage the authorities to go along the path to making a stable, democratic Myanmar with full respect for human rights."

He added that the "strong encouragement of the authorities in Myanmar to do the right thing" could be accompanied by incentives as well.

"The world is not just there to punish Myanmar, but to see that there is engagement to address the root causes of discontent," he stated, following his meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

Mr. Gambari and Indonesia's leaders discussed how members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can, together with the UN, engage Myanmar authorities "so that the goals that we both share come together sooner rather than later."

Jakarta is the third stop on a six-nation tour for the Special Envoy, who has been dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consult with regional leaders on how to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. He arrived in the Indonesia capital following talks with officials in Thailand and Malaysia.

Mr. Gambari now heads to India, China and Japan for further consultations, ahead of a planned return to Myanmar next month.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

MIGIRO CALLS FOR GREATER INVESTMENT TO PREVENT MATERNAL DEATHS

MIGIRO CALLS FOR GREATER INVESTMENT TO PREVENT MATERNAL DEATHS
New York, Oct 18 2007 4:00PM
With one woman dying every single minute from complications during pregnancy or childbirth, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today urged greater investment to improve women's health, including reducing maternal deaths.

"Now, it is time for the world to deliver for women. It is time to increase investment in women's health and well-being," Ms. Migiro said at the opening of <"http://www.womendeliver.org">Women Deliver, a three-day global conference taking place in London aimed at reducing maternal deaths.

"This is not only an imperative in its own right; it is also a prerequisite if entire nations are to lift themselves out of poverty," she told the gathering of over 1,500 decision-makers, experts, celebrities, women's rights activists and representatives of non-governmental organizations.

Earlier this week, several UN agencies warned that the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth is not declining fast enough to achieve the global target of reducing maternal deaths by three quarters by 2015, also known as Millennium Development Goal (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals">MDG) 5.

Attaining that target will require an annual decline of 5.5 per cent in maternal mortality ratios between 1990 and 2015. But the current annual decline is less than 1 per cent, according to figures released by the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en">WHO), the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/index.php">UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1046">UNFPA) and the <"http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,pagePK:34382~piPK:34439~theSitePK:4607,00.html">World Bank.

Ms. Migiro noted that only small gains have been made in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where the majority of maternal deaths occur.

In addition, of all health indicators, maternal mortality shows the largest gap between rich and poor, both within and among countries. Estimates show that a woman in a developed country faces a risk of 1 in 7,300 of dying during pregnancy or childbirth. The risk is 1 in 75 for a woman in a developing country. In Africa, it is 1 in 26.

"We know that we will not make poverty history until we end maternal mortality. And we know what works and what needs to be done," she stated, urging that sexual and reproductive health be made a priority.

Meanwhile, UNFPA has received a pledge of £100 million over five years from the United Kingdom towards promoting safe childbirth and reproductive health.

Welcoming today's announcement, made at the Women Deliver conference, UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid said the funds will enable the agency to dramatically reduce the number of maternal deaths and unwanted pregnancies around the world.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

INDONESIA: UN PREPARES EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO EXPECTED VOLCANIC ERUPTION

INDONESIA: UN PREPARES EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO EXPECTED VOLCANIC ERUPTION
New York, Oct 18 2007 4:00PM
United Nations relief officials in Indonesia have begun mobilizing staff and emergency medical supplies in eastern Java, where the eruption of Mount Kelud volcano is believed to be imminent.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) is closely monitoring the situation after the Government recommended on Tuesday that locals evacuate the area immediately.

The World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) has mobilized 100 medical professionals, placed 200 health facilities on alert and established 41 outreach health posts in anticipation of the eruption. Emergency health kits, masks and other essential equipment are also in place.

UN humanitarian agencies are also taking part in assessment missions, Ms. Montas said.

WHO reported that some 116,000 people who had been living within 10 kilometres of Mount Kelud in either Kidiri or Biltar districts have already been evacuated, although some people in relatively low-risk areas have since been allowed to return to their homes because the volcanic activity has slowed.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE SHRINKING BECAUSE OF MILD WEATHER, NOT RECOVERY: UN AGENCY

ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE SHRINKING BECAUSE OF MILD WEATHER, NOT RECOVERY: UN AGENCY
New York, Oct 18 2007 2:00PM
Although the ozone layer over the Antarctic this year is relatively small, this is due to mild temperatures in the region's stratosphere this winter and is not a sign of recovery, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) <" http://www.wmo.ch/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/PR_796_en.html">said today.

Since 1998, only the ozone holes of 2002 and 2004 have been smaller than this year's – both in terms of area and amount of destroyed ozone – and this is not indicative of ozone recuperation, the agency said in a press release.

Instead, it is due to mild temperatures in the stratosphere, which still contains sufficient chlorine and bromine to completely destroy ozone in the 14-21 kilometer altitude range.

The amount of gases which diminish ozone in the Antarctic stratosphere peaked around the year 2000. However, despite the decline in the amount by 1 per cent annually, enough chlorine and bromine will be in the stratosphere for another decade or two, which could result in severe ozone holes, WMO said.

The size of the ozone hole will also be determined by the stratosphere's meteorological conditions during the Antarctic winter. As greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, temperatures will fall in the stratosphere, increasing the threat of severe ozone holes in the future.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

RWANDAN ON RUN FROM UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL ARRESTED IN FRANCE

RWANDAN ON RUN FROM UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL ARRESTED IN FRANCE
New York, Oct 18 2007 2:00PM
French authorities have arrested a Rwandan national and former public official who had been on the run from the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up after the 1994 genocide in the African country.

Dominique Ntawukuriryayo, who faces charges over a notorious massacre in which up to 25,000 Tutsis were killed over a five-day period, was detained earlier this week by French police in the town of Carcassonne, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today.

She said he is expected to be transferred to Paris and then into the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (<"http://69.94.11.53/default.htm">ICTR) in the next few days.

Mr. Ntawukuriryayo – who was a sub-prefect of Gisagara in the southern Rwandan province of Butare in 1994 – faces three charges: genocide, complicity in genocide, and directly inciting the public to carry out the genocide.

The indictment against him focuses on several acts, including a massacre at Kabuye hill in late April 1994, when the sub-prefect is alleged to have ordered many thousand Tutsis who had gathered at Gisagara market to move to the nearby hill, where he promised they would be protected and fed. Those who did not agree to go to the hill were chased and forced to do so.

The indictment then alleges that gendarmes and communal policemen soon surrounded Kabuye hill and started shooting at the Tutsis, killing most, and that Mr. Ntawukuriryayo personally rounded up some gendarmes to carry out the killings and collected the necessary ammunition to use in the attacks. In total, as many as 25,000 people were killed at Kabuye hill between 21 April and 25 April 1994.

Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, mostly by machete or club, across Rwanda in less than 100 days starting in early April 1994. Later that year the Security Council established the ICTR to deal with the worst cases.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

FIRE RAVAGES UN REFUGEE AGENCY WAREHOUSES IN SYRIA

FIRE RAVAGES UN REFUGEE AGENCY WAREHOUSES IN SYRIA
New York, Oct 18 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations refugee agency today reported that a fire in its warehouses near Damascus destroyed tents worth about $1 million, setting back operations in Syria, which is home to over a million Iraqis who have fled violence in their home country.

There were no reports of injuries aside from some cases of smoke inhalation and shock, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which evacuated hundreds of Iraqi refugees from a registration centre adjacent to the three warehouses in Douma, located some 15 kilometres from Damascus.

Laurens Jolles, the agency's representative in Syria, pledged quick action to address the damage. "We have worked hard to get the centre up and running to register and assist large groups of Iraqis. We will work around the clock to re-establish the services."

Police were trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which firefighters brought under control about six hours after it started. <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47177dad2.html">UNHCR staff on site said one warehouse had been completely destroyed and a second one badly damaged. But all the stock in the second warehouse was saved.

A UNHCR supply officer said almost 6,000 canvas tents, 1,400 lightweight tents and one rubhall were destroyed in the blaze. He estimated their value at just over $1 million.

A UNHCR database with refugee information and all refugee documents were removed safely. The agency said its registration team hoped to resume work on Monday.

"Emergency services arrived on the scene within minutes of the fire starting," said UNHCR spokesperson Sybella Wilkes. "By that time our staff had already evacuated several hundred refugees who were being registered close by, along with 40 UNHCR staff."

More than 80,000 Iraqi refugees have been registered in the Douma centre this year. Tens of thousands of them have been referred for assistance, including food distribution for 35,000 refugees. There are some 1.4 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, which urgently needs foreign assistance to shoulder the burden.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/608">report on Iraq released yesterday, commended Syria and other neighbours for helping Iraqis in need but cautioned that "their capacities are now strained to extreme levels."

He called for the mobilization of assistance while cautioning that "this situation can only be addressed by changing the security situation inside Iraq and creating the conditions for the safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons."
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

MIGRANTS SENT HOME OVER $300 BILLION IN 2006, FINDS UN STUDY ON REMITTANCES

MIGRANTS SENT HOME OVER $300 BILLION IN 2006, FINDS UN STUDY ON REMITTANCES
New York, Oct 18 2007 1:00PM
A new United Nations study reveals that migrants working in industrialized countries sent home more than $300 billion to their families in 2006 – surpassing the $104 billion provided by donor nations in foreign aid to developing countries.

"This figure, which is a conservative estimate, shows that the seemingly small sums sent home by migrant workers when added together dwarf official development assistance," said Kevin Cleaver, Assistant President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (<"http://www.ifad.org/events/remittances/maps/index.htm">IFAD), which co-authored the study with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

According to <i>Sending money home: Worldwide remittances to developing countries</i>, Asia received the largest share of the remittances – more than $114 billion – followed by Latin America and the Caribbean with $68 billion, Eastern Europe with $51 billion, Africa with $39 billion and the Near East with $29 billion.

India received the most of any single nation with $24.5 billion, followed by Mexico ($24.2 billion), China ($21 billion), the Philippines ($14.6 billion) and Russia ($13.7 billion).

The study also found that the remittances sent home regularly by some 150 million migrants exceeded foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries, which last year totalled around $167 billion.

IFAD underscored that more than one third of these remittances flow to families in rural areas, and is mostly used for basic necessities such as food, clothing and medicines. While 10 to 20 per cent is saved, too often these savings are hidden in homes rather than put to work in financial institutions, constituting a "major missed opportunity for local development."

The study based its figures are based on official data from governments, banks and money operators, as well as estimates of informal flows, such as money carried home. It was released yesterday ahead of the International Forum on Remittances 2007, co-hosted by IFAD and IDB in Washington.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

AS MALI COPES WITH RECENT FLOODS, UN DELIVERS RELIEF SUPPLIES

AS MALI COPES WITH RECENT FLOODS, UN DELIVERS RELIEF SUPPLIES
New York, Oct 18 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations humanitarian wing has delivered more than 30 tons of relief supplies to authorities in Mali, where recent floods have left thousands of people homeless and raised the risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the supplies, which arrived yesterday by UN plane in the capital, Bamako, include electrical generators, a rapid rescue boat, water purification units, water cisterns, tents, water filtering units, jerry cans, blankets, kitchen sets and soap.

The supplies, valued at more than $370,000, result from a contribution from the Italian, Norwegian and Irish Governments. The UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) has already provided over $1 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) so they can assist the population over the next three months.

M. Joseph Byll-Cataria, the UN Resident Coordinator in Mali, said the delivery of relief supplies by OCHA completes the UN country team's measures to help national authorities deal with the floods.

More than 42,000 Malians remain affected, according to the latest Government estimates, with many people now homeless and having to take shelter in makeshift accommodation, such as schools. The risk of malaria and other diseases has also increased.

Mali is one of more than a dozen countries across West Africa that since July and August have been struck by some of the region's worst floods in decades.
2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

CONGOLESE WAR CRIMES SUSPECT TURNED OVER TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

CONGOLESE WAR CRIMES SUSPECT TURNED OVER TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
New York, Oct 18 2007 10:00AM
The International Criminal Court today announced that suspected war criminal Germain Katanga, former senior commander of the militia group Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was surrendered to its detention centre at The Hague.

The latest suspect joined Congolese suspect Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who will be tried on crimes relating to the recruitment of children as soldiers in what is widely viewed as a milestone in international attempts to fight immunity on the issue.

In a statement today, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said more action can be expected. "We are selecting a third case. The DRC is still engulfed in violence. There is forced displacement of people, sexual violence of shocking brutality, and killings. It must stop. Perpetrators must know they will be prosecuted. The ICC is at work in the DRC."

In sealed documents submitted to the judges on 22 June, the Office of the Prosecutor presented evidence against Germain Katanga and charged him with three counts of Crimes against Humanity and six counts of War Crimes.

"Today we are prosecuting Germain Katanga, leader of a militia group and who we allege is personally responsible for the brutal crimes his forces committed," said Fatou Bensouda, Deputy Prosecutor in charge of the Prosecution of the case.

"His name will forever be associated with the name of Bogoro: an ordinary village, which he ordered fighters under his command to 'wipe out.' Hundreds were slaughtered. Women were forced into sexual slavery."

Between January 2002 and December 2003, more than 8,000 civilians died and more than half a million people were displaced from their homes in Ituri as a result of this conflict. In today's statement, the Prosecutor said evidence will show how civilians were the target of massive crimes in the course of the conflict in the Ituri region of the DRC between the FRPI forces of Germain Kat
groups.

The charges include the attack on Bogoro on the morning of 24 February 2003, members of Germain Katanga's militia entered the village and began an indiscriminate killing spree, the ICC said. At least 200 civilians died in the attack, while survivors were imprisoned in a building filled with corpses. Women were abducted and sexually enslaved. The village was pillaged by the FRPI forces.

The Prosecutor alleges that Germain Katanga is responsible for Murders, Inhumane acts and Sexual Enslavement at Bogoro village, constituting Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, and for Cruel Treatment at Bogoro village constituting a War Crime. The Prosecution's evidence will also show that Germain Katanga committed the War Crime of using Children to Participate Actively in Hostilities, the War Crime of launching an Attack against the Civilian Population of Bogoro village and the War Crime of Pillaging the village of Bogoro.

Also known as "Simba," the 29-year old suspect in 2003 emerged as the top commander of a group which began calling itself the FRPI, the ICC said. Later in 2003, he assumed the title of FRPI President. On 11 December 2004, he was appointed to the rank of General in the DRC Army. He was then arrested by the DRC authorities early March 2005, together with eight other militiamen from various Ituri armed groups, in relation to an attack against peacekeepers serving with the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC) in Ituri on 25 February 2005 in which nine peacekeepers were killed, and sent to the CPRK detention centre in Kinshasa.

The Office of the Prosecutor began investigating crimes committed in the DRC in June 2004. The Prosecution's first case in the DRC is against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo for the crimes of enlisting and conscripting children under 15 and using them to participate actively in armed hostilities in Ituri. The Court's Pretrial Chamber I has confirmed the charges against him; he will be the first person to stand trial at the ICC.

2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS ONGOING KILLINGS OF IRAQI JOURNALISTS

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS ONGOING KILLINGS OF IRAQI JOURNALISTS
New York, Oct 18 2007 9:00AM
The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today continued his campaign to spotlight media killings in Iraq, deploring the deaths of the latest five to lose their lives there.

"I condemn the killings of Salih Saif Aldin, Jasim and Mohhamed Nofaan, Zeyard Tariq, and Dhi Abdul-Razak al-Dibo," said Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. "The apparently systematic targeting of journalists in Iraq shows how disturbing it is for the war mongers to see their crimes exposed. This in turn highlights how important free and independent reporting is for the restoration of peace and democracy in Iraq."

Mr. Matsuura repeated his standing tribute "to the men and women, most of them Iraqi nationals, who show such indomitable courage in the face of danger and carry on with their important professional work."

All of the latest media victims of violence in Iraq were Iraqi nationals. Salih Saif Aldin was shot at close range while photographing fire-damaged houses in a street in Baghdad on 14 October, UNESCO said. On the same day, Jasim and Mohhamed Nofaan and Zeyard Tariq were murdered on the road to Kirkuk . Dhi Abdul-Razak al-Dibo was ambushed and killed near the city of Kirku north of Baghdad on 15 October. None of the gunmen involved in these crimes have been identified.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the new killings bring to at least 54 the number of journalists and media assistants assassinated in Iraq since the start of the year. The International Federation of Journalists numbers a total of 234 media killings in the country since 2003.

2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN, ETHIOPIA AGREE ON PLAN TO SEND AID TO EASTERN AREAS

UN, ETHIOPIA AGREE ON PLAN TO SEND AID TO EASTERN AREAS
New York, Oct 18 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations today announced plans with the Government of Ethiopia aimed at ensuring that much needed emergency relief food, medicines and other assistance reach the country's Somali Regional State.

"The Ethiopian Government has assured the UN that humanitarian activities within Somali region will be unrestricted," said Fidele Sarassoro, UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative. "These developments are very good news for the people of the region."

Under the plan, Ethiopia's Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Agency will establish joint support centers in the most affected areas of the region to facilitate the logistics of bringing relief food, medicine, veterinary services and livelihoods help there.

In August, the UN announced plans to send an assessment mission to Ethiopia's Somali Regional State to determine humanitarian needs in the light of "security operations" in the area.

2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN OFFICIAL URGES MORE RELIEF AID TO MYANMAR

UN OFFICIAL URGES MORE RELIEF AID TO MYANMAR
New York, Oct 18 2007 8:00AM
Just back from Myanmar, a senior official from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today called for an increase in the level of humanitarian assistance to the country while urging its Government to undertake reforms that will help the poor.

WFP Regional Director for Asia Tony Banbury said current aid levels are unable to meet the needs of the people of Myanmar and urged the country's Government to undertake "critical reforms for the benefit of the country's desperately poor and needy people," the agency said in a news release.

At least 5 million vulnerable persons in Myanmar are short of food, and many suffer needlessly from diseases and live in poverty, according to WFP, which said it can presently only provide food to about 500,000 vulnerable persons -- far less than is needed.

"Humanitarian organizations can help, but we are faced with insufficient funding, and whatever we manage to accomplish in the current circumstances will only scratch the surface," said Mr. Banbury. The WFP operation in Myanmar is presently less than one third funded.

"Myanmar and its people have tremendous potential. But the government's policies, its harsh travel and trade restrictions, unnecessarily trap millions in lives of poverty and malnutrition, even in food surplus areas such as Shan State," said Mr. Banbury. "WFP food assistance is desperately needed by so many people, but it is only reaching a fraction of them."

Even with greater funding for aid agencies, humanitarian assistance alone will not be enough to transform the lives of the millions of vulnerable persons in Myanmar who need help, he said, calling for the Government to "immediately pursue the reforms needed to lift Myanmar's people out of poverty and hunger, and allow them to reach their full potential."

Operating in Myanmar in collaboration with its partners, WFP currently provides food assistance to vulnerable persons in Myanmar, including HIV/AIDS and TB patients under treatmen
marginalized areas of the country. A programme giving nutritionally-enriched foods to mothers and children addresses acute malnutrition rates that prevail in several areas.

2007-10-18 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN OFFICIALS, FORMER CHILD SOLDIER CALL FOR BOLSTERED EFFORTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN

UN OFFICIALS, FORMER CHILD SOLDIER CALL FOR BOLSTERED EFFORTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN
New York, Oct 17 2007 7:00PM
On the tenth anniversary of a groundbreaking study on the impact of armed conflict on children, two top United Nations officials and a former Sierra Leonean child soldier today appealed for greater efforts to protect children and noted that much work remains to be done.

Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict; Hilde Johnson, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_41228.html">UNICEF); and Ishmael Beah, now a youth activist and author of "Long Way Gone," <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/071017_Children.doc.htm">briefed reporters in New York on a new report chronicling progress made in the past decade and challenges that remain to be tackled.

Ms. Coomaraswamy said that since the release of the landmark study by Graça Machel, then first lady of Mozambique, the "nature of conflict has changed," manifested in increasing low-intensity intra-State conflicts, terrorism and counter-terrorism and the blurring of lines between armed conflict and criminal activity.

Despite the rise of global networks to address the issue of the "brutal consequences" – such as child recruitment and sexual violence – that children bear, "still a lot more needs to be done," she pointed out.

The Special Representative said the progress has been made in the past 10 years, especially in the fight against impunity and war crimes with regard to children and armed conflict. In 2005, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1612, which established a mechanism to monitor grave violations by both governments and insurgents, focusing especially on such crimes as the recruitment of child soldiers.

Despite the adoption of several key legal instruments, "the reality on the ground… is still incredibly difficult for very, very many children," Ms. Johnson told reporters.

She said that last year, over 18 million children were driven from their homes by conflict, and more than 43 million children in 30 conflict-affected States did not attend school.

Regarding the use of rape and sexual violence as a war tactic, Ms. Johnson said that in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), recent figures show that one-third of all rape victims are children.

The new report recommends that impunity against perpetrators of "heinous crimes" ends and that children are protected against sexual violence and against being recruited as soldiers, instead being helped to demobilize and reintegrate into civilian life.

The Deputy Executive Director said that the study also underscores the need for children "to play a key part in defining their own future and in being a part of these processes."

Also speaking at the briefing, Mr. Beah – who was a child soldier from the age of 13 until UNICEF removed him from the fighting – highlighted the importance of giving children a voice.

He welcomed the simultaneous launch today of a parallel youth report entitled "Will You Listen: Young Voices from Conflict Zones."

"In my experience, one of the mistakes that I felt was made during the rehabilitation process was that it wasn't very community-oriented," Mr. Beah said. "I grew up in a place where there was a very strong sense of community, so when you demobilize a child and focus only on them, the community becomes upset because they're left out."

He also voiced hope that great strides will be made in the next decade to combat the scourge of children being impacted by armed conflict.

"What I would like to stress is, though, is that I hope come another 10 years we won't be having a discussion again about what to implement but rather what we've implemented and how we can actually celebrate successes rather than speak more about challenges that remain," he said.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

DR CONGO: UN MISSION STRESSES ITS GOAL IS TO HELP RESTORE STATE AUTHORITY

DR CONGO: UN MISSION STRESSES ITS GOAL IS TO HELP RESTORE STATE AUTHORITY
New York, Oct 17 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains committed to helping the Government and its armed forces restore state authority, the mission's military chief said today after reports from the troubled North Kivu province that locals and soldiers have been hostile to the blue helmets.

Gen. Babacar Gaye, the force commander of the mission (known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC), told a <"http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=15761">press conference in Kinshasa that he had learned that locals in Masisi territory had thrown stones at UN peacekeepers after they evacuated members of the armed forces (FARDC) during recent clashes.

"This equates to incomprehension of the nature of our action by the local population," he said. "I also received a report yesterday that FARDC soldiers arriving into Goma had a less than friendly attitude towards our troops."

Both North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, which sit at the far eastern edge of the vast DRC, have been the scene of deadly clashes in recent months between Government forces, dissident soldiers led by renegade Gen. Laurent Nkunda and other armed groups.

MONUC estimates there are as many as 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Kivu alone as a result of fighting this year, which has taken place as the rest of the country tries to consolidate after landmark presidential and parliamentary elections last year and the earlier formal end to the long-running civil war.

Gen. Gaye stressed that the mandate of MONUC was very clear – to help the Government restore its authority across the entire country – and that its priority was to ensure the security of the local population.

"We give advice and assistance to the FARDC. MONUC supports the FARDC in North Kivu with air reconnaissance, and air transport for munitions, troops and the evacuation of wounded. The towns of Goma and Sake are also protected by MONUC."

The General added that the mission also escorts humanitarian convoys in North Kivu and has deployed mobile operating bases to make it easier to reach people living in the displaced camps.

MONUC spokesperson Kemal Saiki also told journalists that the mission categorically denied recent reports in the Congolese press that the peacekeepers were in any way supporting the factional forces loyal to Gen. Nkunda.

The situation in North Kivu remains extremely tense, two days after Nkunda troops surrounded a school in the Rutshuru area and tried to enlist children there into their force.

About 150 schoolchildren were given refuge by MONUC blue helmets after fleeing the recruitment attempts by the Nkunda forces.

Meanwhile, in the nearby Ituri province, UN disarmament workers have reported that about 1,800 former combatants have joined the cantonment sites, where they have to give up their weapons and reintegrate into civil society.

But an unknown number of fighters, including those belonging to the FNI armed group, continue to oppose the disarmament drive.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON LEADS UN STAFF, DIPLOMATS IN 'STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY' ACTION

BAN KI-MOON LEADS UN STAFF, DIPLOMATS IN 'STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY' ACTION
New York, Oct 17 2007 6:00PM
Joining the tens of millions of people around the world who made their voices heard today in a collective action to 'Stand Up and Speak Out Against Poverty,' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for greater efforts to deliver on the pledge to slash destitution, hunger, disease and illiteracy by 2015.

Mr. Ban led more that 900 diplomats and UN staff members gathered at an event in the garden of the UN Headquarters complex in New York.

"Today, tens of millions of people are making their voices heard," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11226.doc.htm">said. "They are sending messages or signing petitions that call on their leaders to keep their promises. They are calling for the actions of citizens to be matched by the actions of governments, in developing as well as developed countries, in support of the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs)" – the internationally agreed targets to halve extreme poverty and address other social ills by 2015.

Noting that the "global scorecard is mixed" at the midpoint in the race to reach the MDGs by 2015 with some regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, not on track to attaining the Goals, he called for a redoubling of efforts and the formation of a "true partnership for development" between rich and poor countries.

"Let us all stand up. Let us demonstrate the political will required to end the scourge of poverty once and for all," Mr. Ban declared, as he led those gathered in reciting an anti-poverty pledge.

Also participating in the event, which coincided with the observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, was General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim, who commended the commitment of men, women and children around the world who have taken up the initiative to draw greater international attention to extreme poverty.

In a statement issued to mark the International Day, Mr. Kerim urged countries to use the current General Assembly session to build consensus for urgent action to achieve the Millennium Goals.

The Headquarters even also featured testimonies from people facing extreme poverty, a musical piece, and the presentation of awards to five children who won the UN's international children's art competition on ending poverty. Over 12,000 children took part in the competition, and the six winning designs will be issued as UN stamps in 2008.

Today's programme was part of the global "Stand Up and Speak Out Against Poverty" campaign, with people across the world physically and symbolically standing up against poverty during a 24-hour period. The drive is organized by the Millennium Campaign, a UN inter-agency initiative, in collaboration with a range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith-based groups and social movements.

Last year's events drew over 23 million people worldwide, setting a Guinness World Record. This year's events are expected to draw even greater numbers, breaking last year's record.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN PEACEBUILDING ARM SHOULD WORK WITH MORE COUNTRIES, SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD

UN PEACEBUILDING ARM SHOULD WORK WITH MORE COUNTRIES, SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD
New York, Oct 17 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, set up a year ago to help countries emerging from conflict avoid the slide back into war, should now start adding more States to its agenda, the Commission's chair told the Security Council today.

<"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9144.doc.htm">Briefing the Council on the first year of the Commission's work, Ambassador Yukio Takasu said "it may be appropriate" to include other nations – aside from Burundi and Sierra Leone, which are already on its agenda – to its country-specific workload.

Mr. Takasu called for the establishment of closer working relationships between the Commission and the UN's principal bodies, particularly the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

In addition, he said there should be greater cooperation with regional and sub-regional organizations, international financial institutions and civil society so that the Commission can "bring real beneficial change and impact to the countries in post-conflict situations."

Mr. Takasu added: "Exploring thematic issues relevant to peacebuilding is also a matter of great importance."

Nearly two dozen speakers addressed the Council today during its open debate on the Commission, brings together key players, including international donors, international financial institutions, national governments from focus countries, troop contributing countries, UN bodies and civil society representatives, to promote a common approach to helping a country emerge from conflict.

The speakers discussed the work undertaken so far in Burundi and Sierra Leone, which both experienced lengthy and brutal civil wars during the 1990s.

The Commission's work is backed up by the Peacebuilding Fund, a multi-year standing trust fund that has so far collected deposits worth almost $144 million from donor countries. Its target is $250 million.

Last week General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said the Commission had "made a good start," and Mr. Takasu echoed those remarks today, stressing that it had contributed significantly to the recent gains made by Burundi and Sierra Leone.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON REPORTS DECLINE IN IRAQ VIOLENCE, PLANS STEPPED UP UN ROLE

BAN KI-MOON REPORTS DECLINE IN IRAQ VIOLENCE, PLANS STEPPED UP UN ROLE
New York, Oct 17 2007 5:00PM
A new report on Iraq by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sees a moment of opportunity for achieving progress amid declining violence, and envisages an expanded United Nations role in support of this goal.

September witnessed the lowest level of Iraqi casualties in 2007, according to Mr. Ban's latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/608">report to the Security Council on the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org/aboutus/aboutus.asp">UNAMI), released today.

"There is now an opportunity that should not be missed," declares Mr. Ban. He attributes the declining attacks to the ceasefire by the Mahdi Army and adds that the Sunni insurgent allegiance against Al-Qaida "holds significant political potential as well."

The challenge ahead is to focus on transforming the more positive military developments into a basis for national reconciliation, according to the report, which acknowledges the devastation caused by "ongoing daily attacks, continued high levels of displacement and political gridlock."

While the Iraqi people are chiefly responsible for achieving this transformation, Mr. Ban pledges the UN's readiness "to assist them to that end."

The Secretary-General welcomes the expansion by the Council of UNAMI's mandate and says the UN is "vigorously planning practical and immediate steps" to carry it out.

Last month, following a high-level meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Mr. Ban announced that there would be a "modest" increase in the number of UN staff in Iraq as soon as facilities were ready to accommodate them in safety and security. Specifically, he said there would an increase in the staffing level in Erbil, and that the UN was considering adding a presence in Basra.

In today's report, he says the UN had increased the staff ceiling in Baghdad and Erbil, adding, "I am also considering ways to improve outreach to the provinces, including the re-establishment of a small United Nations presence in Basra."

At a press briefing in New York, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe said that the ceiling for international civilian staff in Baghdad has been raised from 65 to 85, while there are now 30 international staff in Erbil.

The report says the UN is "prepared to do more" to advance an inclusive political dialogue and stands ready to assist in the successful completion of the constitutional review and in drafting key constitutionally mandated legislation. It also underscores the need for international support to bolster UN efforts to carry out the demanding tasks ahead.

At the same time, Mr. Ban repeats his long-standing call for the constructive engagement of Iraq's neighbouring countries, and those in the region. "Regional cooperation must reinforce the efforts made by leaders inside the country and avoid exacerbating tensions," he cautions.

"Political compromise and genuine attempts to work across ethnic, sectarian, and political lines are needed now more than ever," says Mr. Ban.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN ENVOY URGES SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS TO MOVE BEYOND WORDS ON MYANMAR

UN ENVOY URGES SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS TO MOVE BEYOND WORDS ON MYANMAR
New York, Oct 17 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar today called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to go beyond speaking out against the recent use of force in the country and do more to hasten the process of democratization.

"We've appreciated very much the very strong statement coming out of ASEAN, but now is the time to work together so that the good offices role of the Secretary-General will deliver concrete results," Ibrahim Gambari told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Mr. Gambari, who was dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week to meet with Myanmar's regional partners about the situation in the troubled Asian nation, arrived in Malaysia following talks with officials in Thailand.

The support of ASEAN and other neighbouring countries to the UN's efforts to address the crisis in Myanmar was the main subject of discussions between the Special Envoy and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during their meeting this morning in the country's administrative capital, Putrajaya.

Mr. Gambari stressed that the Secretary-General is "absolutely committed to working with the Government of Myanmar, with neighbouring countries [and] with ASEAN so that together we can achieve this goal of a peaceful, democratic, prosperous Myanmar that is a positive influence on its neighbours, and also with full respect for the human rights of its own people."

"We feel that all those who have influence should use it; all those who can help should help," Mr. Gambari stated, adding "that is why ASEAN is important."

He said the main obstacle in resolving the current crisis is the lack of dialogue between the Government and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others. Noting the Government's recent appointment of a liaison officer tasked with starting dialogue with the opposition, Mr. Gambari stressed the need to begin such a dialogue "without any further delay."

Mr. Gambari is now in Jakarta where he is scheduled to meet Indonesia's President and Foreign Minister tomorrow. From there, he is expected to move on to India, China and finally to Japan.

Back at UN Headquarters, the Secretary-General strongly urged Myanmar authorities to fully implement the seven-point road map for democratization, adding that the way the authorities have treated the demonstrators was "abhorrent and unacceptable."

"The Myanmar authorities should think about the future of their country and of their people, reflecting and respecting all the wishes of the international community," Mr. Ban said in <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1087">comments to the press yesterday.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SOMALIA: FORCED ENTRY AND DETENTION OF STAFF PROMPTS UN AGENCY TO SUSPEND AID

SOMALIA: FORCED ENTRY AND DETENTION OF STAFF PROMPTS UN AGENCY TO SUSPEND AID
New York, Oct 17 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended food distribution in the Somali capital after Government forces invaded the UN compound in Mogadishu today and abducted the local head of the agency in a move immediately <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11225.doc.htm">condemned by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

According to <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2672">WFP, the incident took place this morning at 8:15 local time, when between 50 and 60 armed members of the Somali National Security Service (NSS) entered the UN compound in an unauthorized manner, over the protests of UN staff members.

No shots were fired but WFP's officer-in-charge, Idris Osman, was taken away at gunpoint. He is currently being held in a cell at NSS headquarters near the presidential palace.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the incursion and called for Mr. Osman's "immediate and unconditional release," in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

"Today's actions are in flagrant violation of the 1946 Convention on Privileges and Immunity to which the Somali government formally committed in the January 2006 agreement," Mr. Ban declared, while reminding the Transitional Federal Government of its obligation to protect all UN staff members and property.

In light of Mr. Osman's detention and the need to safeguard its staff, WFP says it has been forced to immediately suspend a food distribution programme that began in Mogadishu on Monday.

The programme – the agency's first distribution in the Somali capital since June – sought to provide food to more than 75,000 people through local mosques.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) notes that this comes at a time when more than 1.5 million Somalis need assistance and protection – a 50 per cent increase since the beginning of the year.

Inadequate rainfall, as well as continuing internal displacements and a possible cholera epidemic, has led to a deteriorating food security situation in central and southern Somalia.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

DARFUR: UN FOOD AGENCY DECRIES KILLING OF THREE CONTRACT TRUCK DRIVERS

DARFUR: UN FOOD AGENCY DECRIES KILLING OF THREE CONTRACT TRUCK DRIVERS
New York, Oct 17 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2671">WFP) today decried the killing of three truck drivers who were shot to death while working for the agency in the violence-wracked Darfur region in Sudan.

"WFP is deeply saddened and shocked by the killings of these brave men, who knew the dangers they were facing but continued to work tirelessly to alleviate suffering and bring food to the hungry in Darfur," said Kenro Oshidari, the agency's Sudan representative.

WFP, which employs 20,000 contract drivers and their assistants in Darfur, has no information on who is responsible for the killings.

The three men worked for the Abbarci trucking company in Darfur, where the agency has its largest operation worldwide and distributes food to some 3 million people.

Two of the men were killed yesterday while returning to the city of El Obeid in South Darfur state after delivering supplies. This is the same Darfur region where 10 African Union (AU) peacekeepers were recently killed.

Meanwhile, the third man was killed last Friday, 12 October, during the Muslim holiday of Eid, in South Darfur on the road between Nyala, the state capital, and the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. During the incident, 25 bags of grain were looted from the truck.

The UN remains "seriously concerned about the safety of civilians throughout Darfur," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York today.

Rising insecurity in Darfur has lead to increased attacks against civilians, aid workers and AU troops. This is detrimental to the civilian population and is also impeding crucial life-saving aid programmes when they are most needed, she added.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes because of fighting between the rebels, Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed.

Some 4.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and nearly 90,000 civilians have fled recent violence in Haskanita and Muhajariya.

Earlier this year the Security Council authorized the creation of a hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, to try to quell the violence. The operation – set to become the world's largest peacekeeping operation – is scheduled to take over from the existing AU mission by the start of next year.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

KOSOVO: UN AGENCY, MISSION HELP ROMA FAMILIES RETURN TO FORMER NEIGHBOURHOOD

KOSOVO: UN AGENCY, MISSION HELP ROMA FAMILIES RETURN TO FORMER NEIGHBOURHOOD
New York, Oct 17 2007 3:00PM
More than 100 displaced Roma have returned to live in their former neighbourhood in a northern Kosovo town under a project partly organized by the United Nations peacekeeping mission to the Serbian province (UNMIK) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Some 24 Roma families returned to apartments or houses near their original place of residence in Mitrovica yesterday to mark the end of the first phase of the "Return to the Roma Mahala" scheme, according to a press release issued by UNMIK.

The 107 returnees either came from camps in the northern part of Mitrovica or from neighbouring Montenegro or Serbia proper, and they follow the return of 462 Roma in March this year to new apartments or private houses.

The Roma Mahala is the name of the neighbourhood in Mitrovica that was home to an estimated 8,000 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians before it was destroyed during the conflict between Kosovo's majority Albanian population and forces from the then Yugoslavia in 1999.

This project aims to ensure that the Roma return with dignity and their families can socially reintegrate into the fabric of Mitrovica life, by participating in the reconstruction of their homes, becoming involved in income-generating activities and developing contacts with the Kosovo Albanian community.

Aside from UNMIK and UNHCR, the project is also being undertaken by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the municipality of Mitrovica and other organizations, including the Danish Refugee Council and Norwegian Church Aid.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

ETHIOPIAN INSTITUTE AND SLOVAK ECOLOGIST SHARE UN ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE

ETHIOPIAN INSTITUTE AND SLOVAK ECOLOGIST SHARE UN ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE
New York, Oct 17 2007 2:00PM
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 jointly awarded an environmental preservation prize to an Ethiopian biodiversity institute and a Slovak ecologist.

The 2007 Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation will be shared by the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (IBC) and Julius Oszlányi, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura announced at the agency's headquarters in Paris.

The laureates were chosen following the recommendations of the Bureau of the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, which met last month to make its decision.

UNESCO said in a press statement that the IBC was being recognized for its efforts to set up systems to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of Ethiopia's biodiversity and to share equitably the costs and benefits derived from that biodiversity.

Founded in 1976, the Institute has set up community gene banks for hundreds of crop varieties, including wheat, sorghum and millet. It has distributed almost 80,000 seed samples from its reserves for research purposes and it has also conducted surveys and inventories of medicinal plants, forests and aquatic resources.

Dr. Oszlányi, the Director of the Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, was cited for his contributions to interdisciplinary ecological research programmes, especially in forest biodiversity conservation and biosphere reserves.

He has also promoted the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, including the 1998 creation of East Carpathians, the first reserve to be spread across three countries – Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.

The $30,000 prize, awarded every two years since 1991, is funded by a donation from Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said of Oman and can be awarded to an individual, group of people, institute or other type of organization.
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

INSECTICIDE NETS FUEL PROGRESS AGAINST MALARIA IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - UNICEF

INSECTICIDE NETS FUEL PROGRESS AGAINST MALARIA IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA – UNICEF
New York, Oct 17 2007 2:00PM
Wider distribution of insecticide-treated nets and more effective treatment for malaria has fuelled significant progress in sub-Saharan Africa's fight against the disease, which kills at least 800,000 children under the age of five every year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today.

Malaria and Children, a new report prepared by <"http://www.unicef.org/health/index_41226.html">UNICEF on behalf of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, shows a rapid increase in the supply of insecticide-treated nets from 2004 to 2006, with annual production of nets more than doubling from 30 to 63 million.

The number of nets acquired by UNICEF more than tripled between 2004 and 2006 to nearly 25 million and is more than 20 times greater today than in 2000, the agency said in a news release.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a public-private partnership that provides health funding, has also increased its distribution of nets from 1.35 million in 2004 to 18 million in 2006, and other major donors have scaled up their activities.

In addition to the increase in supply, there have also been improvements in distributing the nets to those communities in greatest need, including by incorporating the process into existing maternal and child health programmes.

The 20 sub-Saharan African countries for which data are available have made major progress in expanding the use of the nets for children, with 16 of them having at least tripled their coverage since 2000.

The report also reveals that nearly all sub-Saharan African countries have changed their national drug policies to support the use of artemisinin-based combination therapies, a new and more effective malaria treatment.

However, the overall usage of nets still falls short of global targets and not enough children are receiving effective treatment, the report adds, stressing the need for greater commitments by donors and bolder efforts by national governments to accelerate the scaling up of malaria programmes.

"Controlling malaria is vital to improving child health and economic development in affected countries," UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said. "Studies show that malaria disproportionately affects the poorest people in these countries, and so contributes to their further impoverishment."
2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN REFUGEE AGENCY MOVES SUPPLIES FROM LIBERIA TO MAURITANIA FOR AID OPERATION

UN REFUGEE AGENCY MOVES SUPPLIES FROM LIBERIA TO MAURITANIA FOR AID OPERATION
New York, Oct 17 2007 9:00AM
The United Nations refugee agency has succeeded in dispatching a truck convoy from Liberia to Mauritania in a 25-day journey aimed at redeploying resources as part of a broader cost-saving effort that will benefit thousands of people.

"This was an extraordinary achievement. The redeployment was done under extreme conditions and it succeeded thanks to the perseverance of the convoy members," said Ursula Aboubacar, Deputy Director of UNHCR's Middle East and North Africa Bureau.

The 20 trucks from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which arrived in southern Mauritania on Monday, will be used to support the voluntary repatriation and reintegration of Mauritanian refugees from Senegal and Mali.

The vehicles driven by staff from UNHCR's partner GTZ, the German aid agency, carried 2,000 buckets, 1,600 kitchen sets, 4,500 plates, 9,600 bars of soaps, 3,125 blankets, 3,920 jerry cans, 20 bales of fabric, 3,600 items of women's clothing and numerous mosquito nets.

The convoy was sent to Mauritania as part of UNHCR efforts to maximize the use of existing resources and minimize the cost of the new operation. The UN agency is looking at ways to redeploy as many assets as possible from other programmes currently phasing down in West Africa. It wound up the Liberia assisted repatriation programme at the end of June this year after helping more than 100,000 refugees go back home since late 2005.

The resources from Liberia will be badly needed by UNHCR, which said it is facing funding shortages for the Mauritania operation. The agency launched a $7 million appeal at the end of August to fund the voluntary repatriation of 24,000 Mauritanian refugees, mainly from Senegal and Mali.

"This return will help resolve one of the most protracted refugee situations in Africa and represents the only durable solution in the Middle East and North Africa region at present. Some of the Mauritanian refugees have spent more
Jennifer Pagonis told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.

"The 17-month operation, which faces some major logistical challenges, is scheduled to start this month," she said, while adding that "with only $500,000 received so far, we fear serious delays."

More than 60,000 Mauritanians fled to Senegal and Mali in April 1989 when a long-standing border dispute between the two countries escalated into ethnic violence.

2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

NEW UNESCO-LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PACT PUTS RARE MATERIALS ON INTERNET FOR PUBLIC

NEW UNESCO-LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PACT PUTS RARE MATERIALS ON INTERNET FOR PUBLIC
New York, Oct 17 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United States Library of Congress today signed a pact paving the way for the creation of a World Digital Library which will digitize rare materials from libraries and other cultural institutions globally and make them available free on the Internet.

Manuscripts, maps, books, musical scores, sound recordings, films, prints and photographs will all be available online thanks to the agreement signed at UNESCO's Paris Headquarters by the agency's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Abdul Waheed Khan, and the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington.

The agency said in a news release that the prototype for the initiative was developed by the Library of Congress and UNESCO with five other partner institutions: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the National Library of Egypt, the National Library of Brazil, the National Library of Russia, and the Russian State Library.

The prototype functions in the UN's six official languages -- Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish -- as well as in Portuguese. It features search and browse by place, time, topic, and contributing institution.

"We are very pleased to build on the excellent partnership that we have long enjoyed with the Library of Congress to work in innovative ways to preserve and make accessible the memory of the world," said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.

"We look forward to continuing and deepening our collaboration with UNESCO," said Mr Billington, "and to working with the Organization and its staff to ensure that libraries, archives, and museums from around the world join with us in making their cultural treasures accessible online."

A key aspect of the project is to build digital library capabilities in developing countries, so that all countries and all regions can participate and be represented in the World Digital Lib

2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN REFUGEE AGENCY LAUNCHES HIV/AIDS AWARENESS PROJECT IN NEPAL

UN REFUGEE AGENCY LAUNCHES HIV/AIDS AWARENESS PROJECT IN NEPAL
New York, Oct 17 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations refugee agency has launched a new project to boost HIV and AIDS services among the conflict-affected populations in Nepal.

The initiative was born from a review which found a pressing need for better coverage of HIV prevention activities in at-risk populations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

"This new programme is a result of a joint UN assessment undertaken in November 2006 in Banke, Ilam and Kathmandu, and I am confident that together with these NGO partners, we can better respond with respect to the protection and prevention of HIV/AIDS," said Mr. Abraham Abraham, UNHCR Representative in Nepal.

The agency's non-governmental organization partners are the General Welfare Pratisthan, Knight Chess Club, and Maiti Nepal in the project, which is supported by the Department for International Development, channelled through the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness activities have always been an integral part of UNHCR's programme in the refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang districts in eastern Nepal, the agency said.

2007-10-17 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES LINK BETWEEN SECURITY AND PROSPERITY IN MESSAGE TO FORUM

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES LINK BETWEEN SECURITY AND PROSPERITY IN MESSAGE TO FORUM
New York, Oct 16 2007 6:00PM
Asia's economic and geopolitical emergence is among the most relevant issues of the current era, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on participants at the World Knowledge Forum to be "creative and courageous" in finding ways to boost global security and prosperity.

In a video <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11223.doc.htm">message to the Forum, a three-day event starting today in Seoul, Mr. Ban said "knowledge-sharing endeavours such as yours are crucial to the work of the United Nations. Global problems demand global solutions, and increasingly, the world is turning to the United Nations. Our approaches need to be informed by the vision of both thinkers and practitioners – by leaders in every field, such as all of you."

The main theme of the Forum this year, the eighth year it is being held, is "Wealth Creation and Asia," and the Secretary-General said the development of talent and leadership, the relationship between security and prosperity and the global implications of Asia's emergence are "issues of the greatest relevance to our times," affecting both the public and private sectors.

"You all have a role to play in building a more secure and prosperous world – because today, our world runs on knowledge more than any other resource. I hope you will be both creative and courageous in your thinking, and wish you all a most stimulating Forum."
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON COMMENDS HIS HIGH-LEVEL APPOINTEES FOR THE MANY ROLES THEY PLAY

BAN KI-MOON COMMENDS HIS HIGH-LEVEL APPOINTEES FOR THE MANY ROLES THEY PLAY
New York, Oct 16 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today hailed the work of his special and personal representatives and envoys, recognizing the multiple demands placed on men and women called to be diplomats, negotiators, managers and communicators all at the same time.

"As my representatives and envoys, you have multiple demands placed upon you – by the United Nations, by your other partners on the ground and in the global arena, and above all, by the countries, regions and people you are appointed to serve," Mr. Ban said in a video <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11222.doc.htm">message to a seminar in Mont Pèlerin, Switzerland.

"That means you have several roles to fulfil," he told the gathering of some 60 high-level appointees, who are responsible for implementing mission mandates, personifying the UN in the areas where they serve, helping lead peace processes and heading up peace operations or political missions.

"And you are often the unifying force of UN activities in the field – of an extended and multi-faceted team. In short, you are required to be a diplomat, a negotiator, a manager and a communicator all at once," Mr. Ban stated.

The Secretary-General added, "your advice, your recommendations and your insights – which you often have to arrive at while operating in difficult conditions – are of the utmost importance to me."

Organized by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the three-day gathering provides the special and personal representatives and envoys an opportunity to share experiences, gain new perspectives and provide feedback to UN Headquarters.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

GREEK AMBASSADOR ELECTED PRESIDENT OF UNESCO GENERAL CONFERENCE

GREEK AMBASSADOR ELECTED PRESIDENT OF UNESCO GENERAL CONFERENCE
New York, Oct 16 2007 6:00PM
Greece's Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=39369&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) was unanimously elected in Paris today as the President of the 34th session of the body's General Conference.

"UNESCO must not be a statue but a sentinel, a watchtower," George N. Anastassopoulos – who has had a distinguished career as a journalist, government spokesperson and member of the European Parliament – said in his address to the Conference. "Its ethics must be the ethics of the future… There is much we will be able to do if we unite in supporting a stronger UNESCO."

Opening the Conference, outgoing President Musa Bin Jafaar Bin Hassan of Oman voiced hope that UNESCO becomes more audacious and more precise in defining its objectives, adding that "education constitutes the greatest challenge."

The General Conference – composed of representatives of the Organization's 193 Member States and six Associate Members – determines UNESCO's policies and main lines of work meets every two years, and its 34th session wraps up on 3 November.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

TOP UN DEVELOPMENT OFFICIAL HAILS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH

TOP UN DEVELOPMENT OFFICIAL HAILS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH
New York, Oct 16 2007 5:00PM
The head of the United Nations Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) reported today that for the first time in years countries in sub-Saharan Africa are actually growing faster than the global economy, but added that conflict and lack of capacity are two of the main challenges faced by the continent in achieving economic progress and development.

"When one looks at the numbers, one can actually feel somewhat encouraged in terms of overall economic progress," UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis said at a press briefing in New York, having just returned from a two-week trip to Eastern and Southern Africa.

He noted that average GDP growth in 2000-2003 was 3.7 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, and 5.6 per cent in 2004-2006, which is "perhaps the most rapid growth overall in sub-Saharan Africa that we've seen in decades."

Although the final numbers for this year are not yet ready, growth in the region will probably be around 6 per cent – more than 1 per cent higher than the global average. "For the first time in a very long time sub-Saharan Africa is actually growing faster than the world economy," he said. "I think that is quite significant."

He also noted that over the last six years, oil-exporting countries have grown at about one and a half percentage points faster than oil-importing countries. This means that some of the oil-importing countries are growing quite fast, despite the heavy burden placed on them by high oil prices.

Another significant trend is the fact that during the same time frame, the ratio of investment to GDP has grown from 15 to 20 per cent. While that is "very significant" in a region that has "huge" investment needs, Mr. Dervis said it is not sufficient as Africa should probably invest some 25 to 28 per cent of its GDP. "But still, moving from 15 to 20 is quite considerable," he added.

Responding to concerns that sub-Saharan Africa is currently off track for meeting any of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the ambitious targets the world has set itself for slashing poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy by 2015 – Mr. Dervis admitted that it will be difficult for most African countries to meet all the Goals by the target date.

However, he stressed that progress has accelerated towards the MDGs, including in relation to primary school enrolment and access to clean water. "Some countries are making quite rapid progress and that progress is now accelerating," he noted.

Mr. Dervis cited conflict prevention and resolution as the "number one priority" in ensuring successful development in Africa. Those countries that have not yet overcome conflict are still suffering, since the cessation of violence is the "first condition" for progress.

Mr. Dervis praised the leadership in many African government ministries, which he said is characterized by a "new 'can do,' results-oriented and pragmatic attitude." At the same time, he stressed the need to build local and national capacities.

One area in which capacity building is vital is foreign investment, which plays a critical role in Africa in such areas as infrastructure, mining and oil. Mr. Dervis stressed that the capacity to negotiate contracts with foreign investors that are truly beneficial to the country and that share the benefits between the foreign investors and the local economy deserves greater attention.

"In some countries, a good contract can make the difference between a project that will just be an enclave paying very little taxes, bringing very little benefits to the local economy [and] a project that is truly benefiting the local economy," he stated.

"Sometimes two or three well-negotiated contracts are financially equivalent to maybe the whole of the foreign aid that goes into an African country."
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

ACQUITTAL OF BOSNIAN MUSLIM EX-ARMY COMMANDER UPHELD BY UN TRIBUNAL

ACQUITTAL OF BOSNIAN MUSLIM EX-ARMY COMMANDER UPHELD BY UN TRIBUNAL
New York, Oct 16 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today upheld the acquittal of a former deputy army commander for the Bosnian Muslim forces during the Balkan wars on charges related to a massacre of 13 Bosnian Croat civilians in September 1993.

The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1192e.htm">ICTY), sitting in The Hague, found that the trial chamber was correct in November 2005 to acquit Sefer Halilovi&#263;.

Mr. Halilovi&#263;, 55, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of command responsibility in the murders committed by Bosnian Muslim troops in the village of Grabovica, about 30 kilometres north of Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina in September 1993.

He served as chief of the main staff of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time, and prosecutors alleged that he was the commander of a military operation known as Neretva-93 that led to the killings in Grabovica by troops billeted in the village.

But the appeals chamber said prosecutors had failed to show that it was not reasonable of the trial chamber to find that Mr. Halilovi&#263; did not have the required degree of "effective control" over the troops to establish his superior responsibility under the law.

Meanwhile, the ICTY's Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte addressed the European Union's General Affairs and External Relations Council yesterday, saying that although Serbia has provided some required documents and archives, its overall cooperation does not match its stated commitments to the Tribunal.

Full access to some crucial archives has been denied so far, while a number of important documents have not yet been provided, she said.

She also criticized Serbia's efforts to secure the arrest and extradition of the four remaining fugitives from the ICTY: Ratko Mladi&#263;, Radovan Karadži&#263;, Goran Hadži&#263; and Stojan Župljanin.

"I confirm that the situation today is better than it was a year ago," Ms. Del Ponte said. "However, cooperation is still too slow and not yet sufficient. The fact that Ratko Mladi&#263; is still at large after all the promises and declarations that have been made over the years clearly demonstrates that fact."

Mr. Karadži&#263;, 62, the former Bosnian Serb president, and Mr. Mladi&#263;, 65, the former military chief, each face numerous charges, including genocide, extermination, murder, persecutions, deportation, taking of hostages and inflicting terror on civilians.

Mr. Hadži&#263;, 49, is charged with murder, persecutions, torture, cruel treatment and other war crimes and crimes against humanity related to his role as president of a self-proclaimed breakaway state of rebel Serbs in southern Croatia during the early 1990s.

Mr. Župljanin, 56, has been indicted on many counts, including murder, torture, forcible transfers and the wanton destruction of towns and villages. He served in the senior leadership in the Autonomous Region of Krajina, part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an area that became notorious for its treatment of non-Serbs.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

FIVE NON-PERMANENT SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED FOR SEATS STARTING NEXT YEAR

FIVE NON-PERMANENT SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED FOR SEATS STARTING NEXT YEAR
New York, Oct 16 2007 5:00PM
The General Assembly today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10637.doc.htm">elected Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libya and Viet Nam to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms starting 1 January 2008.

Burkina Faso, Libya and Viet Nam were chosen after one round of balloting this morning but Costa Rica and Croatia needed three rounds to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority of those present and voting for the seats, which are allocated along geographical lines.

The newly elected countries will replace Congo, Ghana, Peru, Qatar and Slovakia when their terms on the 15-member body expire at the end of this year.

The terms will mark the Council debut for both Viet Nam and Croatia, while it will be the second occasion for Burkina Faso (previously served in 1984-85) and Libya (1976-77) and the third stint for Costa Rica (1974-75 and 1997-98).

Announcing the results of the first round in the African and Asian category, where three seats were available this year, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said Burkina Faso had received 185 votes out of a possible 190, while Viet Nam picked up 183 and Libya received 178.

The three countries were the only declared candidates for the region. Mauritania picked up two votes, Senegal received one and there were no abstentions.

In the Eastern European category, where 124 votes were needed for victory in the third round of balloting, Croatia received 184 and Czech Republic – which withdrew its declared candidacy after two rounds – picked up one. There were four abstentions.

In the Latin American and Caribbean grouping, where 120 votes were needed to win in the third round, Costa Rica obtained 179 out of a possible 189 and the Dominican Republic – which had also just withdrawn its formal candidacy – received one. There were nine abstentions.

The members were elected according to an agreed geographic allocation, which awards three seats to African and Asian countries, one to Eastern European States, and one to the Latin American and Caribbean region during this year's round of elections.

Council elections are held by secret ballot in the General Assembly, and a winning candidate requires a two-thirds majority of ballots of members present and voting. Formal balloting takes place even in those regions where there is only one candidate per available seat.

The Council's five other non-permanent members, whose terms end on 31 December 2008, are Belgium, Indonesia, Italy, Panama and South Africa. The five permanent members are China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SIERRA LEONE HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES, UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICIAL SAYS

SIERRA LEONE HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES, UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICIAL SAYS
New York, Oct 16 2007 4:00PM
A senior United Nations peacebuilding official today wrapped up a week-long visit to Sierra Leone by praising the tremendous recent efforts made by the West African nation in consolidating stability but cautioning that much work remains to be done.

Dutch Ambassador Frank Majoor – who chairs the Peacebuilding Commission's Sierra Leone meetings on that country – met with Government officials to witness first-hand the situation on the ground following last month's elections.

During his tri, which began on 9 October and ended yesterday, he held discussions with President Ernest Bai Koroma, Vice President Sam Sumana, Parliament members, UN representatives, diplomats and other officials, and civil society representatives.

In his meetings, he advanced discussion on the development of the Peacebuilding Commission Cooperation Framework, an agreed plan of commitments and priorities on such issues as good governance, justice, security sector reform and youth employment.

Mr. Majoor also stressed that the Commission (PBC) – established in December 2005 to help countries recovering from war avoid a relapse into violence and chaos – will assist in tackling reform in key areas such as the justice sector, governance, human rights, the security sector, youth employment, civil service and capacity building.

The body, he stressed, can also help in promoting such major challenges to sustainable peace, including gender empowerment, health, education, energy, water and sanitation and infrastructure in Sierra Leone, which was torn apart by a brutal 10-year civil war.

"In all these the PBC can play a critical role to assist the new Government," the Ambassador noted.

Characterizing the recent presidential and parliamentary elections as a "turning point," he commended the country's police and military for their role in providing security and said they must be bolstered to continue performing their duties.

The Commission brings together key actors, including international donors, international financial institutions, national governments from focus countries, troop contributor countries, UN bodies and civil society representatives, to promote a common approach to helping a country emerge from conflict.

Sierra Leone was selected as one of the first two countries on the agenda of the Commission, and it has begun received money already from the related Peacebuildng Fund, a multi-year standing trust fund that has an initial funding target of $250 million and so far has collected deposits worth almost $144 million from donor countries. The other country selected by the Commission was Burundi.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

RECENT ARRESTS IN MYANMAR 'EXTREMELY DISTURBING,' SAYS UN ENVOY

RECENT ARRESTS IN MYANMAR 'EXTREMELY DISTURBING,' SAYS UN ENVOY
New York, Oct 16 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar today urged the Government to halt the use of force against dissidents, calling recent reports of arrests, interrogations and intimidation "extremely disturbing."

The reports "run counter to the spirit of mutual engagement between the United Nations and Myanmar," Mr. Gambari said today at a joint press conference in Bangkok with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram. "These actions must stop at once."

Thailand is the first stop on a six-nation tour for the Special Envoy, who was dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to meet with Myanmar's regional partners about the situation in the troubled South-East Asian nation.

Mr. Gambari reiterated the UN's call on the Myanmar Government to release all political detainees, including those arrested during the demonstrations, and to allow access by Red Cross officials to those in detention.

He said during his trip he will raise with Myanmar's regional partners the UN's serious concerns at the continuing reports of human rights violations in the wake of the recent demonstrations, a point made by the Security Council in a statement issued last week strongly deploring the Government's use of force.

The envoy noted steps taken by the Government in recent days, including easing – though not lifting completely – the curfew currently in place, appointing a liaison officer to start dialogue between the Government and the opposition, and the removal of the military from the streets.

At the same time, Mr. Gambari warned that these actions could be damaged by continued reports of actions "detrimental" to national reconciliation and to overall peace and prosperity in Myanmar.

In seeking to change the behaviour of the regime, he stressed that "all those who have influence in that process ought to be engaged."

Mr. Gambari's current diplomatic tour aims to achieve this ahead of his return to Myanmar next month. "The sustained and active support of the region, through the strong voice and engagement of regional partners, has to be there in order for Myanmar to move forward," he stated.

Following his visit to Thailand, the Special Envoy will head to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECRETARY-GENERAL LAUDS ISRAEL-HIZBOLLAH EXCHANGE OF HUMANITARIAN GESTURES

SECRETARY-GENERAL LAUDS ISRAEL-HIZBOLLAH EXCHANGE OF HUMANITARIAN GESTURES
New York, Oct 16 2007 4:00PM
Welcoming the exchange of humanitarian gestures by Israel and Hizbollah mediated by his facilitator, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced hope that this will create momentum to push both sides to comply with the key humanitarian demands of Security Council resolution 1701, which ended last year's war in Lebanon.

Mr. Ban "calls again on all sides concerned to move ahead decisively in releasing the two abducted Israeli soldiers without any further delay and to find the necessary solutions for the remaining Lebanese citizens that are still in Israeli detention," according to a statement by his spokesperson.

"No further effort should be spared to comply urgently with the basic humanitarian demands of compassion with the victims," the Secretary-General added.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SUDAN: UN ENVOY HOLDS MORE TALKS ON WITHDRAWAL FROM UNITY GOVERNMENT

SUDAN: UN ENVOY HOLDS MORE TALKS ON WITHDRAWAL FROM UNITY GOVERNMENT
New York, Oct 16 2007 3:00PM
The top United Nations official in Sudan today met with a senior minister to discuss the decision of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to suspend its participation in the Government of National Unity.

Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, the Secretary-General's Acting Special Representative for Sudan, spoke with Sudan's State Minister for Foreign Minister Ali Karti, who briefed him on the reaction of the National Congress Party to the SPLM withdrawal.

Mr. Zerihoun recommended that the two parties settle pending issues through direct discussions and consultations, and was encouraged by their assurances that they will try to do so, according to a news bulletin released by the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

On Friday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement calling on the parties to take the necessary steps to deal with the outstanding issues concerning the implementation of the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement that ended the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.

Since then Mr. Zerihoun has met with the SPLM's Secretary-General Pagan Amum and with Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the President and Vice-President of the Government of Southern Sudan.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN TEAM HEADS TO TOKELAU FOR SECOND REFERENDUM ON SELF-GOVERNMENT

UN TEAM HEADS TO TOKELAU FOR SECOND REFERENDUM ON SELF-GOVERNMENT
New York, Oct 16 2007 3:00PM
A five-member team of United Nations observers is heading to Tokelau, a group of three small atolls in the Pacific Ocean, to monitor a referendum next week on whether the territory should have self-government in free association with New Zealand.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today that voting in the referendum on Tokelau, a Non-Self-Governing Territory that has been administered by New Zealand since 1926, will take place from this Saturday until 24 October.

It will be the second such referendum: the first took place in February 2006, when 60 per cent of Tokelauan voters supported the option for self-government in free association with New Zealand. This did not meet the two-thirds majority required by Tokelau's representative body, known as the General Fono.

The UN monitoring team comprises: Ambassador Robert Aisi of Papua New Guinea, a representative of the Special Committee on Decolonization; an official from the Department of Political Affairs' Decolonization Unit; two officials of the Department's Electoral Assistance Division; and an official with the Department of Public Information.

A similar team observed last year's referendum, and deemed the election process to be credible and reflecting the will of the people of Tokelau, which has a population of about 1,500.

Since then the General Fono decided to hold a second referendum on the same basis, and to conduct a detailed process of engagement with Tokelauans – including those communities living in Hawaii, American Samoa, Samoa, Australia and New Zealand – to ensure that all fully understood the issues involved in the vote.

If Tokelauans achieve the two-thirds majority during this referendum, a date will then be set for a "day of self-government." This will probably be in mid-2008 to allow New Zealand enough time to make the necessary legislative amendments.

There are currently 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories remaining on the UN's decolonization list, compared to 72 such territories when the Organization was established in 1945. The last Non-Self-Governing Territory that exercised the right to self-determination was East Timor, now known as Timor-Leste, which gained its independence in 2002.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UGANDAN FLOOD VICTIMS RECEIVE VITAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS FROM UN AGENCY

UGANDAN FLOOD VICTIMS RECEIVE VITAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS FROM UN AGENCY
New York, Oct 16 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations telecommunications agency has <" http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/29.html">deployed 25 satellite terminals to help restore vital communication links in the aftermath of severe floods that have affected the eastern and northern regions of Uganda since August.

The Government was forced to declare a state of emergency after torrential rains and flash floods swept through the country taking lives, stranding hundreds of thousands of people, destroying road and communication links, and submerging crops.

The mobile satellite terminals, provided by the Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union (ITU), will help in restoring communication links and facilitating relief efforts in the affected areas.

"There is no doubt that communication links are essential to ensure a more effective and coordinated relief effort," Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, stated.

ITU is providing both Thuraya hand-held satellite phones and Inmarsat Global Area Network (GAN) terminals, which are mainly used for voice communications and, in some cases, can be used for high-speed data. ITU pays for all expenses, including transportation of the equipment and usage.

"Telecommunications can save lives when natural disasters strike," Cosmas Zavazava, Head of ITU's Division for Emergency Telecommunications, said, pointing out that this is not the first time the agency has deployed emergency communications devices in disaster zones.

The ITU has provided telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation following an earthquake in Peru in August and severe floods in Bangladesh in September. "It is clear that we are making a difference on the ground," Mr. Zavazava said.

Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has <" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2669">launched a food airdrop operation as part of a massive effort to reach about 10,000 displaced people in two camps after heavy rains blocked the delivery of relief food by road.

"Resorting to food airdrops reflects the severity of the heavy rains and floods, which in some parts of Uganda are the worst in 35 years," said WFP Uganda Acting Country Director Alix Loriston. "There is simply no other way to get survival rations to isolated people."

WFP says the situation in Uganda is serious as some 250,000 displaced people living in camps in northern Uganda did not receive September rations from the agency when heavy rains made it impossible for trucks to reach them. Other displaced people have not received food since July because torrential rains cut roads.

WFP urgently needs $17 million to buy food for flood victims in addition to $3.2 million to operate trucks, boats and aircraft on behalf of the entire humanitarian community. It is also undertaking emergency road and bridge repairs. So far, WFP has only received one-fifth of its flood appeal made four weeks ago.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS INCREASE IN PEOPLE-SMUGGLING THROUGH GULF OF ADEN

UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS INCREASE IN PEOPLE-SMUGGLING THROUGH GULF OF ADEN
New York, Oct 16 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that the rate of smuggling boats reaching the shores of Yemen after crossing the Gulf of Aden has increased during the first half of October, along with the appalling death toll.

More than 38 smuggling boats – an average of three a day – have been recorded arriving along Yemen's coast during the first 13 days of October, carrying nearly 3,800 people, <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told a <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47149e7f2.html">news briefing in Geneva. A total of 38 people were known to have died while 134 remained missing.

"The new arrivals – both Somalis and Ethiopians – continue to tell us harrowing stories of their journeys – for which they pay between $50 and $150 – during which passengers are stabbed, beaten and thrown overboard by ruthless smugglers," Ms. Pagonis said.

On 9 October, passengers on two of three boats travelling together told UNHCR officials they had been intercepted by a United States Navy vessel, stopped for 20 to 30 minutes, had photographs taken and were distributed with drinking water that was later confiscated by the crew of the boat.

These passengers reportedly arrived safely on shore, where the Yemeni navy was present and checked the belongings and pockets of the Somalis and Ethiopians – some of whom later reported that they were robbed of their money. The incident was reported to the security commander of the Nusheima area.

The passengers on the third boat informed UNHCR that when they neared the coast the crew started beating the passengers and forced them into deep water, causing the death of 10 male Ethiopians. Their bodies floated to the shore and were later buried on the coast, in Mayfa-Hajar.

The Somalis arriving on the boats are mainly from Mogadishu, Banadir region and Afgoi district of the lower Shabelle region, and say they left because of ongoing confrontations between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and opposition forces, tribal fighting, unemployment, floods and droughts.

Poverty, famine, economic instability, lack of educational opportunities and political reasons were among the motives given by the Ethiopian arrivals for undertaking the arduous journey to Yemen.

According to the agency, a total of 18,757 people have crossed the Gulf of Aden by boat this year. An estimated 404 were known to have died while 393 remain missing. The exodus eased off in the summer due to rough seas but resumed again at the beginning of September.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN APPEALS FOR URGENTLY-NEEDED FUNDS FOR SAHRAWI AND MAURITANIAN REFUGEES

UN APPEALS FOR URGENTLY-NEEDED FUNDS FOR SAHRAWI AND MAURITANIAN REFUGEES
New York, Oct 16 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today urgently appealed for funding for its work in refugee camps in Western Sahara and Algeria as well as for the repatriation of Mauritanian refugees.

The agency's spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47149e7d4.html">told reporters in Geneva that a special donor meeting – attended by Julian Harston, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Western Sahara, the ambassadors of Mauritania and Senegal, as well as representatives from donor countries – was convened yesterday to address the funding shortfall.

Only half of the $3.5 million UNHCR appeal launched earlier this year to connect Sahrawi refugees in the Tindouf camps in Algeria and their relatives in the territory of Western Sahara has been met so far and "there has been minimal reaction from donors," Ms. Pagonis said.

The funds are intended to continue confidence-building measures such as family visits, telephone services and seminars, but "we fear we may have to suspend family visits by next month," she added.

Sahrawi refugees began arriving in Algeria in 1976 after Spain's withdrawal from Western Sahara and fighting broke out over its control.

These refugees have endured long-term separation. Most of them have been living for over three decades in the desert regions of Tindouf in western Algeria while some have stayed in Western Sahara, resulting in long-term family separation.

UNHCR launched a programme in 2004 to re-establish contact between family members, including five-day visits with relatives and loved ones. These visits serve to relieve the Sahrawi people's trauma and suffering while also bolster trust between all parties involved in the Sahrawi conflict.

Since the inception of the initiative, 4,423 people have benefited from the visits, while 19,000 more have registered and are waiting to participate. Additionally, 83,675 calls have been made from four telephone centres.

Meanwhile, at the end of August, UNHCR <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d7f3042.html">called for $7 million for the voluntary return of 24,000 Mauritanian refugees, mainly from Senegal and Mali. This programme is helping to resolve one of the most protracted refugee situations in Africa – with some refugees having spent over 20 years in exile – and is currently the only durable solution in the Middle East and North Africa.

Scheduled to start this month, the operation is expected to last 17 months. "But with only $500,000 received so far, we fear serious delays," Ms. Pagonis noted.

A long-standing border dispute between Mauritania and Senegal escalated into ethnic violence in April 1989, with 60,000 Mauritanians fleeing to Mali and Senegal. Between 1996 and 1998, UNHCR helped 35,000 returnees who chose to return to their home country reintegrate.

On 20 June this year, the West African nation's president announced his decision to invite refugees back to Mauritania.

UNHCR and the Governments of Mauritania and Senegal are expected to sign a tripartite agreement creating the legal framework for the repatriation of refugees.

The agency will assist the refugees' return home by organizing safe transportation, providing reintegration assistance at their places of origin and supporting local communities with infrastructure, health and education services.

The programme has been timed to avoid the rainy season and the resulting travel difficulties.

"Due to limited absorption capacity and poor infrastructure in return areas, we plan to repatriate up to 7,000 refugees before the end of this year," Ms. Pagonis said, adding that others will return next year.

"We will maximize the use of existing resources and minimize the cost of this new operation by redeploying as many assets as possible from other programmes that are currently phasing down in West Africa."
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

THREE SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED BUT TWO MORE SEATS STILL UP FOR GRABS

THREE SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED BUT TWO MORE SEATS STILL UP FOR GRABS
New York, Oct 16 2007 1:00PM
The General Assembly today elected Burkina Faso, Viet Nam and Libya to serve as non-permanent members of the <" http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/index.html">Security Council for two-year terms starting 1 January 2008.

But two other non-permanent seats, awarded to one Eastern European country and one member of the Latin American and Caribbean States grouping, remain in contention after no nations were able to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority during the first round of voting this morning.

Announcing the results of the first round in the African and Asian category, where three seats were available, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said Burkina Faso had received 185 votes out of a possible 190, while Viet Nam picked up 183 and Libya received 178.

The three countries – which replace Congo, Ghana and Qatar when their terms expire at the end of this year – were the only declared candidates for the region. Mauritania picked up two votes, Senegal received one and there were no abstentions.

In the Eastern European category, where 124 votes were needed for victory, Croatia received 95 and Czech Republic picked up 91. There were four abstentions.

In the Latin American and Caribbean grouping, where 126 votes were needed to win, Costa Rica obtained 116 and the Dominican Republic received 72.

Balloting for both groupings will continue until the required majority is achieved, with the next three rounds restricted to the two highest-scoring candidates in the opening round. The winners will replace Slovakia and Peru when their terms expire at the end of this year.

The members were elected according to an agreed geographic allocation, which awards three seats to African and Asian countries, one to Eastern European States, and one to the Latin American and Caribbean region during this year's round of elections.
Council elections are held by secret ballot in the General Assembly, and a winning candidate requires a two-thirds majority of ballots of members present and voting. Formal balloting takes place even in those regions where there is only one candidate per available seat.
The Council's five other non-permanent members, whose terms end on 31 December 2008, are Belgium, Indonesia, Italy, Panama and South Africa. The five permanent members are China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

RIGHT TO FOOD MUST BE A REALITY FOR ALL, URGES BAN KI-MOON

RIGHT TO FOOD MUST BE A REALITY FOR ALL, URGES BAN KI-MOON
New York, Oct 16 2007 11:00AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked World Food Day today with a call for a renewed commitment to stamp out chronic hunger and make the right to food a reality for all in a world where nearly 855 million people still do not have enough to eat.

Recalling that the right to food is a human right, Mr. Ban stated it is simply unacceptable that in a world of plenty 854 million people suffer from chronic hunger.

"The world has the resources, the knowledge and the tools to make the right to food a reality for all," he said, drawing attention to the theme of this year's Day – Right to Food.

"We must make the voices of these 854 million people heard. We must work to uphold their fundamental human right. We must recognize the role of human rights in eradicating hunger and poverty, and the connection between development, human rights and security," he said.

Despite the fact that the right to food was included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948, progress towards eradicating hunger has been slow, the Secretary-General noted, urging that far more be done to ensure the most basic of human rights.

Speaking at the World Food Day ceremony in Rome, the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2668">asked, "if our planet produces enough food to feed its entire population, why do 854 million people still go to sleep on an empty stomach?"

At the same time, Director-General Jacques Diouf stated that "a right is not a right if it cannot be claimed."

According to international law, the right to food is the right of every person to have regular access to sufficient, nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable food for an active, healthy life. It is the right to feed oneself in dignity, rather than the right to be fed.

In a statement issued on the occasion of the Day, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food noted that despite real advances in different countries, the number of people suffering from hunger has increased every year since 1996.

"Yet hunger and famine are not inevitable," <"http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/6173E6CDDA0EBBECC1257376002FB352?OpenDocument">stated Jean Ziegler, pointing out that the world already produces enough food to feed every child, woman and man and could feed 12 billion people, double the current world population.

He stressed the need to address issues such as the exclusion and discrimination of the most vulnerable, the increasing uncontrolled power of transnational corporations over the food system, desertification, armed conflict and agrofuels.

"The sudden, ill-conceived rush to convert food, such as maize, wheat, sugar and palm oil into fuels is a recipe for disaster," he warned. "In this rush, there are serious risks of creating competition between food and fuel that will leave the poor and hungry in developing countries at the mercy of rapidly rising prices for food, land and water."

<" http://www.fao.org/wfd2007/index_wfd2007.html">World Food Day is celebrated each year on 16 October, the day the <"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000677/index.html">FAO was founded in 1945 in Quebec City, Canada.

More than 150 countries around the world will observe the Day this year with events such as a global candlelight vigil to draw attention to the problem of hunger; musical events in Cairo, Rome, Bamako and other cities; sporting events such as the Run for Food race in Rome and Turin and professional soccer games dedicated to increasing awareness of the Day by Spain's professional soccer league.
2007-10-16 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN LEGAL CHIEF VOICES SUPPORT FOR CONVENTION ON CRIMINAL ACCOUNTABILITY

UN LEGAL CHIEF VOICES SUPPORT FOR CONVENTION ON CRIMINAL ACCOUNTABILITY
New York, Oct 15 2007 7:00PM
Stressing that criminal conduct by personnel taking part in United Nations operations is unacceptable, the United Nations Legal Counsel today expressed support for a possible international convention that would address current jurisdictional gaps and hold perpetrators accountable.

"The United Nations Secretariat does not and cannot condone criminal conduct by its officials and experts on mission," Nicolas Michel told the General Assembly's Sixth Committee, which tackles legal matters.

Criminal conduct by UN personnel puts into question the core values of the Secretariat and directly affects the world body's activities and "essential mission," he said.

Although it concerns a very small minority of UN personnel, the problem is "significant," he stated, adding that failure to prosecute offenders brings about perceptions of impunity, which would aggravate the negative effects that such incidents generate.

"The Secretariat sees the adoption of an international convention as a long-term measure to address the problem," Mr. Michel said, noting that only Member States have the legal capacity to conduct criminal investigations and prosecute alleged offenders.

A group of legal experts working on the issue has proposed a convention requiring States to exercise jurisdiction when the alleged offender is one of their nationals or is in their territory and not being extradited. The convention would cover all crimes and all UN personnel, excluding military members of national contingents who are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the sending State.

The UN has pledged to hold all personnel serving with its operations to the highest standards of behaviour. It has imposed a zero-tolerance policy against sexual abuse and exploitation in response to numerous allegations of misconduct by UN peacekeeping forces around the world.

Mr. Michel also drew attention to short-term measures that could be considered for adoption by Member States, including a resolution by the General Assembly which would strongly urge States to assert their criminal jurisdiction over their nationals alleged to have committed crimes while engaged in UN operations.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

MORE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION CRUCIAL, SAY UN JUDGES INVESTIGATING ATROCITIES

MORE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION CRUCIAL, SAY UN JUDGES INVESTIGATING ATROCITIES
New York, Oct 15 2007 7:00PM
Senior officials from the United Nations courts set up to try those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the atrocities committed during the Balkan wars today appealed for bolstered cooperation from Member States to apprehend perpetrators of these horrendous crimes and bring them to justice.

The Presidents of both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (<"http://69.94.11.53/default.htm">ICTR) <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10636.doc.htm">expressed frustration that several fugitives are still at large, as they presented the reports of their respective bodies to the General Assembly.

Although two of six longstanding fugitives of the ICTY have been apprehended in the 12-month period from 1 August 2006 to 31 July this year, several key fugitives – Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadžic – have yet to be arrested.

"We do not believe that nobody knows where these fugitives are and consider the continued failure to effect their arrest… to be an affront to justice and the rule of law over impunity," said ICTY President Fausto Pocar.

"Indeed, that failure stands in contradiction to the very principles that were proclaimed by the international community and upon which the establishment of the International Tribunal was based," he added.

ICTR President Dennis Byron also urged the assistance of the international community to secure the arrests of the 15 accused still at large.

"The nations represented today must recognize the risks posed to achieving international justice if they remain fugitives," he declared.

Both judges also underscored the problem in retaining their respective staffs, calling for support for retention policies.

The Hague-based ICTY, Judge Pocar noted, is "operating at unprecedented speed with seven trials running simultaneously in its three court rooms," and its "efficiency results directly from the commitment and dedication of the individuals who carry out its activities."

However, given that working at the ICTY is "not without its pressures," he said there are problems in retaining staff. In anticipation of its work wrapping up in 2010, "talented members of the staff are leaving the International Tribunal for more attractive employment in other institutions dedicated to the cause of international justice, including on offers from other UN bodies."

At the ICTR, based in Arusha, Tanzania, "staff departures are on the rise" and the vacancy rate – reaching 20 per cent for professional staff and above as of the end of this September – is also increasing, Judge Byron said.

The situation is being exacerbated by the impending close of the Tribunal as staff seek more stable jobs, and "unless something is done to slow down this trend there is the likelihood that this could negatively impact on the completion strategy," he stated.

Under the completion strategy that the tribunals reached with the Security Council, they are aiming to complete all trials at first instance by the end of next year and all appeals by the end of 2010.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN AND ITS RELIEF PARTNERS OPEN NEW BASE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

UN AND ITS RELIEF PARTNERS OPEN NEW BASE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, Oct 15 2007 6:00PM
Aiming to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance in the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations and its partners in the relief community have opened a new base of operations in Paoua.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) said in an update that the new presence is needed in order to help the civilian population, which currently is unable to access essential goods and receive adequate protection.

The base will serve as a hub for the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the area and received financial support from the Swedish Government, OCHA said.

"The presence of the office in Paoua can only to contribute to lessening the suffering of caused by the conflict on the population," OCHA said.

The CAR has experienced mass population displacements stemming from clashes between government forces and rebel groups as well as the spillover from the conflict in Darfur, Sudan.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SENIOR UN ENVOY MEETS SPLM ON WITHDRAWAL FROM SUDAN UNITY GOVERNMENT

SENIOR UN ENVOY MEETS SPLM ON WITHDRAWAL FROM SUDAN UNITY GOVERNMENT
New York, Oct 15 2007 5:00PM
The top United Nations official in Sudan has met with members of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to discuss its recent decision to withdraw from the Government of National Unity.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's acting Special Representative, Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, travelled to Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, where he held separate meetings with the Secretary-General of the SPLM, and the President and Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.

Mr. Zerihoun was encouraged by his interlocutors' assurances that they will remain engaged in discussions and consultations with their National Congress Party partners, according to the UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmis/">UNMIS).

The decision by the SPLM has raised concerns about the future of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended a 21-year civil war between North and South Sudan.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11220.doc.htm">statement issued over the weekend, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the parties to the accord to "resolve the situation in a manner that preserves the integrity of the Agreement."

Meanwhile, the UN and the African Union (AU) have provided airlift support for the Darfur rebel movements which have gathered at a SPLM-hosted conference in Juba in preparation peace talks planned for later this month with the aim of ending the conflict that has plagued the war-torn Sudanese region since 2003.

The talks, to be held in Sirte, Libya, on 27 October, are being convened by Mr. Ban's Special Envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson, and his AU counterpart, Salim Ahmed Salim.

Also attending the conference in Juba are staff from the AU-UN Joint Mediation Support Team, who are holding meetings on the sidelines with the movements to discuss their preparedness for the Sirte talks.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes because of fighting between the rebels, Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed.

Earlier this year the Security Council authorized the creation of a hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force (known as UNAMID) to try to quell the violence. The operation is scheduled to take over from the existing AU mission by the start of next year.

In a related development, the UN announced today that it has awarded Pacific Architect Engineers, Inc. a contract for the initial Multi Function Logistics Services in Darfur for a period of six months in support of UNAMID.

The contract, which is for up to a ceiling of $250 million, covers the establishment of new camps for some 4,100 military and civilian personnel and the provision of camp services including catering, medical, janitorial, welfare and upkeep.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

TOP UN ENVOY MEETS WITH DR CONGO PRESIDENT REGARDING NORTH KIVU VIOLENCE

TOP UN ENVOY MEETS WITH DR CONGO PRESIDENT REGARDING NORTH KIVU VIOLENCE
New York, Oct 15 2007 5:00PM
The top United Nations envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Force Commander of the UN peacekeeping mission there (MONUC) met today with the country's president today to discuss the violence in the troubled North Kivu province.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative, William Lacy Swing, and General Boubacar Gueye conferred with President Joseph Kabila in Goma, in the north-east, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

They discussed the ongoing military standoff between Government forces, known as FARDC, and dissident soldiers led by renegade General Laurent Nkunda.

Meanwhile, the UN mission this weekend voiced its continued support for FARDC as part of its mandate to help the Government restore and extend its authority throughout the country.

In a statement, <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC urged all dissident troops to immediately join the "brassage" retraining programme for ex-combatants to join integrated FARDC brigades. The mission and the Government have "already made the necessary arrangements including reception sites and transport."

MONUC also appealed for the protection of civilians and expressed concern over the displacements of people – estimated by the UN to be at 700,000 in North Kivu – fleeing the conflict.

In a recent interview, General Gueye noted that UN peacekeepers have evacuated wounded FARDC forces and have transported their reinforcements and ammunitions. He also said that blue helmets – for whom finding a solution to the crisis is a top priority – are coordinating with humanitarian partners on the ground.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS GEORGIA MISSION, VOICES CONCERN AT DEADLY INCIDENTS

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS GEORGIA MISSION, VOICES CONCERN AT DEADLY INCIDENTS
New York, Oct 15 2007 5:00PM
The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9142.doc.htm">extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unomig/index.html">UNOMIG) for six months, voicing serious concern over deadly incidents violating the Georgian-Abkhaz ceasefire.

In a resolution passed unanimously, the 15-member body noted with concern the incidents both within and outside the Zone of Conflict, including those on 11 March and 20 September, which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon characterized as "the most serious incident involving the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in many years" in his most recent report on the situation in Abkhazia.

In today's resolution, the Council urged "all parties to consider and address seriously each other's legitimate security concerns, to refrain from any acts of violence or provocation, including political action or rhetoric, and to comply fully with previous agreements regarding ceasefire and non-use of violence."

Welcoming the commitment made by both sides during the two-day UN-sponsored meeting in Bonn, Germany, this June, the Council called on the parties to "further increase their bilateral contacts" to reach a peaceful settlement.

The body also called on both sides to conclude documents on not using violence and on the return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Some 14 years ago, Georgia and Abkhaz separatists fought a war that forced nearly 300,000 refugees to flee.

The resolution also highlighted the plight and the right of return of all refugees and IDPs to Abkhazia, as well as stressing the "need for a perspective of life in security and dignity in particular for a new generation growing up outside the area.

In Mr. Ban's report made public earlier this month, he recommended that areas between the Zone of Conflict and the Kodori Valley – the scene of an attack in March – be put under international monitoring, with the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery radar.

At the same time, he underscored the need to "prevent the weakening of the ceasefire and separation of forces regime."

UNOMIG – comprising 129 military observers, 14 police officers as of the end of August – was established in 1993 and expanded in 1994 to verify compliance with a cessation of hostilities and separation of forces accord, with patrols of the Kodori valley a specific part of its mandate. But it stopped patrolling the upper part of the valley in 2003 when four mission members were held hostage. Patrols were resumed after a break of three years last December.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN HEALTH AGENCY ISSUES CHOLERA ALERT FOR SOMALIA

UN HEALTH AGENCY ISSUES CHOLERA ALERT FOR SOMALIA
New York, Oct 15 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of an imminent risk of cholera in southern Somalia, where tens of thousands of people were affected by a previous outbreak which killed over 1,000 just a few months ago.

Seven new cases have been confirmed so far in the capital, Mogadishu, as well as Berdale and Burhakaba.

<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO says the new cases represent an even more serious threat than the outbreak that occurred three months ago which affected more than 37,000 people and led to over 1,100 deaths.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) has begun delivering cholera kits and oral rehydration therapy supplies to the area.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) reports that the flood alert was raised from moderate to high on the Shabelle and Juba Rivers following significant rainfall in South Somalia and the Ethiopian highlands where the two rivers originate. An inter-agency mission to assess the situation and possible interventions is being planned.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) reports that, in a two-way flow of displaced, nearly 31,000 people fled ongoing insecurity, sporadic violence and looting in Mogadishu since the beginning of September, while nearly 800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned to the Somali capital.

In addition, nearly 7,300 residents and IDPs have been evicted from their homes in government and public buildings since June, according to UNHCR's Population Movement Tracking.

Somalia, which has had no functioning central government since the regime of Muhammad Siad Barre was toppled in 1991, has seen renewed fighting since the beginning of this year, after the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) drove the Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC) out of Mogadishu and most of the rest of the country in December.

Since the onset of fighting in January, UNHCR reports that between February and May, about 400,000 IDPs moved from Mogadishu, with about 125,000 returning between April and June. Since June, nearly 85,000 people have moved from the capital.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

EXTENDING UN'S HAITI MISSION, SECURITY COUNCIL ADJUSTS FORCES TO REFLECT CHANGES

EXTENDING UN'S HAITI MISSION, SECURITY COUNCIL ADJUSTS FORCES TO REFLECT CHANGES
New York, Oct 15 2007 3:00PM
The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9141.doc.htm">extended the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/">MINUSTAH) through mid-October 2008 while reducing its military component and increasing police in order to adjust to changing circumstances in the country, where civil unrest remains a threat but gang violence has been significantly curtailed.

By a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council brought on board recommendations made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his latest report on Haiti, which called for the peacekeeping force's military to enhance its capabilities in border control, engineering and mobility, while decreasing its infantry capabilities.

The Council endorsed Mr. Ban's proposal to reduce the Mission's military force level by one company, or some 140 troops, while increasing the police component with one additional formed police unit of up to 140 officers for a total authorized strength of 2,091 police. The ultimate aim is to transfer responsibilities to Haitian counterparts and to facilitate Haitian National Police engagement in conventional law and order duties.

On the military side, the remaining 7,060 troops will be reconfigured based on a recent threat assessment. Mr. Ban warned in his report that civil unrest remains likely amid the persistence of a deep socio-economic divide. In addition, "the potential for renewed armed violence within the country remains considerable," he cautioned, while the illicit drug trade continues to have a destabilizing effect on Haiti.

In response, the Mission will reduce its military presence in calmer rural and urban areas, where increased Haitian and international policing capacity would facilitate the transfer of some basic patrolling duties, and will redeploy military personnel to establish patrols within maritime and land border areas, in cooperation with the Haitian National Police and MINUSTAH police.

The success of security measures in Haiti, including the fight against gang violence which netted 850 suspects as of the end of July, has not been without cost: six peacekeepers were injured in counterattacks.

The Council resolution "condemns any attack against personnel from MINUSTAH and demands that no acts of intimidation or violence be directed against United Nations and associated personnel or other international and humanitarian organizations engaged in humanitarian, development or peacekeeping work."
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

RECENT ARRESTS IN MYANMAR 'EXTREMELY DISTURBING,' SAYS UN ENVOY

RECENT ARRESTS IN MYANMAR 'EXTREMELY DISTURBING,' SAYS UN ENVOY
New York, Oct 15 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar today urged the Government to halt the use of force against dissidents, calling recent reports of arrests, interrogations and intimidation "extremely disturbing."

The reports "run counter to the spirit of mutual engagement between the United Nations and Myanmar," Mr. Gambari said today at a joint press conference in Bangkok with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram. "These actions must stop at once."

Thailand is the first stop on a six-nation tour for the Special Envoy, who was dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to meet with Myanmar's regional partners about the situation in the troubled South-East Asian nation.

Mr. Gambari reiterated the UN's call on the Myanmar Government to release all political detainees, including those arrested during the demonstrations, and to allow access by Red Cross officials to those in detention.

He said during his trip he will raise with Myanmar's regional partners the UN's serious concerns at the continuing reports of human rights violations in the wake of the recent demonstrations, a point made by the Security Council in a statement issued last week strongly deploring the Government's use of force.

The envoy noted steps taken by the Government in recent days, including easing – though not lifting completely – the curfew currently in place, appointing a liaison officer to start dialogue between the Government and the opposition, and the removal of the military from the streets.

At the same time, Mr. Gambari warned that these actions could be damaged by continued reports of actions "detrimental" to national reconciliation and to overall peace and prosperity in Myanmar.

In seeking to change the behaviour of the regime, he stressed that "all those who have influence in that process ought to be engaged."

Mr. Gambari's current diplomatic tour aims to achieve this ahead of his return to Myanmar next month. "The sustained and active support of the region, through the strong voice and engagement of regional partners, has to be there in order for Myanmar to move forward," he stated.

Following his visit to Thailand, the Special Envoy will head to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

THOUSANDS OF BLOGGERS UNITE TO ISSUE CALL TO SAVE PLANET - UN

THOUSANDS OF BLOGGERS UNITE TO ISSUE CALL TO SAVE PLANET – UN
New York, Oct 15 2007 2:00PM
Thousands of online voices worldwide will join forces to push for environmental protection to mark the United Nations-backed first-ever <"http://www.blogactionday.com">Blog Action Day.

More than 12 million readers have viewed the 15,000 blogs – ranging from those promoting gardening such as "gardenrant.com" to sites providing tips for those interested in web businesses such as "entrepreneurs-journey.com" – participating in the event, supported by the UN Environment Programme (<" http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=519&ArticleID=5682&l=en">UNEP).

By uniting to raise awareness of environmental issues, the global blogging community hopes to reach millions of people and spur debate, the Nairobi-based agency said in a news release.

Topics touched upon by bloggers include the announcement of the Nobel peace prize being awarded to Al Gore and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (<"http://www.ipcc.ch">IPCC), the safety of household cleaning products, and what people can do to contribute to the effort to reversing climate change.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

PROGRESS IN SLOWING MATERNAL DEATHS TOO SLOW, UN AGENCIES WARN

PROGRESS IN SLOWING MATERNAL DEATHS TOO SLOW, UN AGENCIES WARN
New York, Oct 15 2007 2:00PM
The number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth is not declining fast enough to achieve the global target of reducing maternal deaths by three quarters by 2015, United Nations agencies warn.

Attaining Millennium Development Goal (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDG) 5 – one of several global anti-poverty and development targets agreed to by a UN summit in 2000 – requires an annual decline of 5.5 per cent in maternal mortality ratios between 1990 and 2015. But the current annual decline is less than 1 per cent, according to figures released by the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr56/en/index.html">WHO), the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_41208.html">UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1042">UNFPA) and the <"http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank.

And this small drop reflects for the most part declines in countries with relatively low levels of maternal mortality. "Countries with the highest initials levels of mortality have made virtually no progress over the past 15 years," the agencies said in a joint press release.

Of the more than 535,000 women who died annually of maternal causes in 2005, 99 per cent of them were in developing countries.
In addition, slightly more than half of the maternal deaths – some 270,000 – occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by South Asia with 188,000. Together, these two regions accounted for 86 per cent of the world's maternal deaths in 2005.

In this context, the agencies say that achieving MDG 5 will require improving health care for women and providing universal access to reproductive health services. Also crucial is ensuring that transportation and appropriately staffed and equipped facilities are within reach.

In addition, reducing maternal mortality requires educating and empowering women to make well-informed decisions and improving gender equality, the agencies added.

Meanwhile, UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, who addressed the challenges facing Africa in a speech delivered in Oslo today, also cited the current maternal mortality rates and described them as "shockingly high."

A woman in Africa has a one in 16 chance of dying in childbirth or from complications of pregnancy, compared with a likelihood of one in 3,800 in the developed world, she noted.
2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN, SRI LANKA SHOULD COOPERATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, HIGH COMMISSIONER SAYS

UN, SRI LANKA SHOULD COOPERATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, HIGH COMMISSIONER SAYS
New York, Oct 15 2007 9:00AM
Citing ongoing reports of abuses in Sri Lanka, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has just wrapped up a visit to the country, called for UN-Government cooperation to address the problem.

"There is a large number of reported killings, abductions and disappearances which remain unresolved. This is particularly worrying in a country that has had a long, traumatic experience of unresolved disappearances and no shortage of recommendations from past Commissions of Inquiry on how to safeguard against such violations," Louise Arbour said in Colombo.

Sri Lanka, which has ratified most international human rights treaties, has potential for national protection, she said, but "in the context of the armed conflict and of the emergency measures taken against terrorism, the weakness of the rule of law and prevalence of impunity is alarming."

The High Commissioner said government representatives insisted that national mechanisms are adequate for the protection of human rights, but "people from across a broad political spectrum and from various communities have expressed to me a lack of confidence and trust in the ability of existing relevant institutions to adequately safeguard against the most serious human rights abuses."

Members of the Commission of Inquiry established last year to investigate killings of civilians reported that some State officials had failed to appear in response to their requests, and said their work was constrained by the absence of an effective witness assistance and protection system, according to the High Commissioner.

Ms. Arbour called for public hearings of the Commission and stressed that it should not be a substitute for effective action by law enforcement agencies.

She praised the country's Human Rights Commission for the "important role" it has played in the past but said controversy over the appointment of commissioners has created a crisis of confidence both locall

One of the major human rights shortcomings in Sri Lanka, she said, "is rooted in the absence of reliable and authoritative information on the credible allegations of human rights abuses."

The assertion that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is manipulating information for propaganda gain, she said, "only accentuates the need for independent information gathering and public reporting on human rights issues."

The High Commissioner said her office (OHCHR) is willing to support the Government of Sri Lanka toward this end. "In light of the gravity of the reported ongoing abuses, and in particular of threats to life and security of the person, I believe that we should urgently resolve our ongoing discussions about the future of a productive relationship between OHCHR and the Government of Sri Lanka."

Ms. Arbour, who visited Jaffna with help from the military authorities, voiced regret that she had not been able to visit the Eastern Province because of time constraints.

"I also regret that I did not have the opportunity to visit Killinochchi, where I would have liked to convey directly to the LTTE my deep concern about their violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including the recruitment of children, forced recruitment and abduction of adults, and political killings," she said.

"I am very concerned by the many reports I have also received of serious violations by the TMVP and other armed groups," she added, referring to a breakaway rebel faction.

Broader human rights issues affecting all communities on the island have largely been eclipsed by the immediate focus on issues related to the conflict, Ms. Arbour said, citing discrimination and exclusion, gender inequalities, the low participation of women in public and political life, the rights of migrant workers and press freedom.

"These challenges will remain before and after any peace settlement, and they are deserving of greater and more focused attention."

She also called for Sri Lanka to ratify the new International Convention for the Pr
"seriously consider joining the 105 countries which have ratified the Rome Treaty creating the International Criminal Court" (ICC).

2007-10-15 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/