AT START OF LANDMARK DARFUR TALKS, TOP UN OFFICIALS URGE DIALOGUE TO SPUR PEACE

AT START OF LANDMARK DARFUR TALKS, TOP UN OFFICIALS URGE DIALOGUE TO SPUR PEACE
New York, Oct 27 2007 6:00PM
At the start of historic United Nations-backed talks to bring peace to Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region, top officials from the world body underscored that dialogue -- not war -- is the only means to find a sustainable and comprehensive solution to the crisis.

"This will neither be easy nor will it be necessarily quick," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said to the delegates gathered in Sirte, Libya, in a message delivered by Jan Eliasson, his Special Envoy. "Painful compromises will need to be made by all sides."

However, he stressed that "violence has continued for far too long, and further delays would be dangerous," adding that the current state of affairs could deteriorate rapidly.

Mr. Eliasson also underlined that "choosing dialogue and negotiations over war and confrontation is our only option. There is no military solution to the crisis of Darfur."

Reminding participants that more than a year has elapsed since the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) was signed by the Sudanese Government and part of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), the Secretary-General said the Sirte talks represent an opportunity to bring an end to the conflict in Darfur.

"The eyes of the world are on you, and hopes of the people of Darfur rest with you," Mr. Ban said. "Your responsibility and your obligation is to deliver on these expectations."

He also urged all sides to agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities to demonstrate their commitment to bring an end to the suffering of Darfurians.

Since 2003, over 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes in the violence-wracked region because of fighting among rebels, Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed.

Both officials expressed disappointment that several rebel forces are not in attendance at the landmark talks.

"To them, I wish to say that the door remains open, but that if they continue to s
"Peace is a process, and any problems or issues should be discussed in Sirte, not elsewhere. We, the international community, will stay the course."

Emphasizing that the responsibility for bringing peace to Darfur lies with the leaders and people of the region, Mr. Eliasson encouraged those not participating in the Sirte talks to join the process.

"We understand that some of the movements' representatives need time to consult among yourselves in order to finalize your positions. We know there are efforts on-going to unify your movements," he said.

Nevertheless, all sides must "be held accountable for their decisions," the Special Envoy noted.

"There are those who may want to harm the process. We must not fall into this trap. We must all work together to chart the road to peace."

The Sirte talks are being chaired by Mr. Eliasson and his African Union (AU) counterpart, Salim Ahmed Salim.

Earlier this week, the Security Council issued a presidential statement calling on all parties to engage fully and constructively in the talks and to first agree to a cessation of hostilities.

"The Council underlines its willingness to take action against any party that seeks to undermine the peace process, including by failing to respect such a cessation of hostilities or by impeding the talks, peacekeeping or humanitarian aid," the statement noted.

It added that the 15-member body was deeply concerned about delays in the deployment of the AU-UN hybrid peacekeeping force, to be known as UNAMID, and urged Member States to make available the aviation and ground transport units still required for the mission.
2007-10-27 00:00:00.000

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DPR KOREA STILL RESTRICTING BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS, SAYS UN MONITOR

DPR KOREA STILL RESTRICTING BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS, SAYS UN MONITOR
New York, Oct 26 2007 7:00PM
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has made some constructive attempts to engage with the outside world, but it remains a controlled, non-democratic State in which basic freedoms are restricted and severe food shortages are common, the United Nations human rights expert monitoring the country said today.

Vitit Muntarbhorn, the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the DPRK, told the General Assembly's social, humanitarian and cultural (third) committee that the North Asian nation's authorities repress the local population, despite a series of recent legislative improvements.

"There are continuing reports of violence… such as torture, public executions, persecutions of political dissidents and sub-standard prison conditions," he said in his statement to the committee, while noting that re-education camps and forced labour programmes also exist.

"Freedom of expression and association and access to information are impeded by the closed nature of the State and rigid State control over the information flow and media. Despite official claims that religious freedom is allowed, reports indicate the contrary. Indeed, any imputed liberalization on this front tends to be due to the lure of money."

Professor Muntarbhorn has not been allowed to visit the DPRK since he became Special Rapporteur to the country, but he said he had met staff of UN agencies operating there, travelled to several neighbouring countries, and held discussions with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and conducted interviews with refugees to build up a picture of the situation.

He said it was positive that Pyongyang is now a party to a handful of human rights treaties and recently allowed the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to visit, while progress has also been made on the Six-Party Talks concerning the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and an inter-Korean summit was held earlier this month.

But the ruling elite, including the military, continue to receive a disproportionate share of resources, creating budgetary distortions and leading to shortfalls and deprivations for the rest of the population.

That situation has worsened, he said, because of a combination of natural disasters and mismanagement in the past decade. Most recently, in August, the country was hit by devastating floods, particularly in the south, where the rice and crop basins are located.

He told reporters later that there will be severe food shortfalls inside the DPRK over the next year.

Professor Muntarbhorn also noted that civil society is increasingly agitating for senior figures in the DPRK Government to face personal responsibility for the worst human rights violations carried out by authorities, and that some groups are suggesting that what has taken place may constitute crimes against humanity.

"It remains to be seen how that advocacy will gather momentum, the Special Rapporteur said.

He called on Pyongyang to: increase access for humanitarian relief; to meet its international human rights obligations; to protect particularly vulnerable groups, such as women and children; reform its prison system; promote the rule of law and due process; and spell out a clear policy to not punish anyone who leaves the country without permission.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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ATTEMPTED TRANSFER OF CHILDREN OUT OF CHAD 'ILLEGAL AND IRRESPONSIBLE' - UNICEF

ATTEMPTED TRANSFER OF CHILDREN OUT OF CHAD 'ILLEGAL AND IRRESPONSIBLE' – UNICEF
New York, Oct 26 2007 7:00PM
An attempt to separate more than 100 young Chadian children from their parents and then take them to France for adoption was an "illegal and totally irresponsible move," the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today.

<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF spokesperson Veronique Taveau told journalists in Geneva that the agency and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) are now helping to provide relief to the 103 children, who were prevented from flying out of the country by Chadian authorities in the eastern town of Abeche yesterday.

Ms. Taveau said UNICEF had distributed high-protein biscuits and toys to the children, while investigations continue in a bid to find the family members of the children, who range in age from one to eight years old.

She stressed that what happened had violated international rules, such as The Hague Convention on international adoption and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

When children are separated from their parents and their communities through natural catastrophes or armed conflicts, it should not be assumed that they no longer have a close relative living, she said.

Ms. Taveau said the case was not an isolated incident but one that was highly visible because of the size of the group of children.

Tracing the families of the children will be extremely difficult, she added, because of the children's ages and the fact that they have no identifying papers. It was also not clear yet whether some children may originate from Sudan.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO URGES BETTER COORDINATION OF EFFORTS TO ADVANCE GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH

MIGIRO URGES BETTER COORDINATION OF EFFORTS TO ADVANCE GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH
New York, Oct 26 2007 6:00PM
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro has called for all those working to make inroads in global public health to pool their efforts, stating that the world already has the resources and the know-how to enable people to lead long, healthy lives.

Despite the unprecedented involvement of health agencies and partnerships, the global health sphere is increasingly complex and fragmented, with no systemic approach, Ms. Migiro said yesterday at a meeting on global health with international leaders and top-level experts from academia, philanthropy, civil society, the private sector and United Nations entities.

"We need to work in a more coordinated manner, each according to our comparative advantage, to strengthen health systems," she said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11242.doc.htm">message, delivered on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "We must move from building silos to building systems. And systems that work for the poorest and most vulnerable."

The Deputy Secretary-General called global public health "one of the greatest challenges of our time, but with an enormous scope for solutions."

"We know what works. We know how to help women deliver babies safely; we can help children live well beyond their fifth birthday; we can prevent the spread of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis," she stated.

Ms. Migiro welcomed the "unprecedented attention" global public health was currently receiving from an array of actors. National governments are working to direct health assistance more effectively to some of the world's poorest countries and most vulnerable populations. At the same time, donors and philanthropists are working with experts on targeted diseases and thematic areas.

All of this heightened activity carries some risks, she pointed out, emphasizing the need to better coordinate efforts among all those involved.

She also highlighted the need to address a number of issues, such as how countries can work together better on diseases that cross borders and threaten everyone, as well as how to ensure that the many initiatives and foundations supporting global health are accountable to not only those who finance them but also to those who are meant to benefit from their efforts.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL LIKELY TO EXTEND UN'S MISSION IN NEPAL - ENVOY

SECURITY COUNCIL LIKELY TO EXTEND UN'S MISSION IN NEPAL – ENVOY
New York, Oct 26 2007 6:00PM
The Security Council is likely to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (<"http://www.un.org.np/unmin.php">UNMIN), the head of the operation said today, one day after the 15-member body held closed consultations on the issue.

Briefing reporters in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Nepal, Ian Martin, said the Government and the leaders of the seven parties, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), have indicated their support for an extension of UNMIN.

"Security Council members in discussion yesterday made very clear that they would give sympathetic consideration to a request from the Government if such a formal request is made," he said.

Mr. Martin also discussed key concerns expressed by the Secretary-General in his latest report on Nepal, which says the country is at a crossroads.

Nepal's Constituent Assembly election, scheduled for 22 November, was recently postponed to an as-yet undetermined date. Mr. Martin explained that the immediate cause was demands by the Maoists that Nepal's Legislature – not the Constituent Assembly to be elected – immediately declare the country a Republic, and that the electoral system be fully proportional, both in contradiction of previous agreements.

"Negotiations are continuing amongst political leaders to try to reach a compromise," he said.

"This crisis is not just the consequence of those two demands but also stems from growing mistrust amongst the parties to the peace agreement that we have seen in recent weeks," he said, blaming failures on both sides to make good on commitments and agreements that have been made within in the peace process.

The envoy noted that the current cantonment of Maoists and restriction of army to their barracks were intended to be temporary measures but these have now continued for some 11 months with no end in sight. "A prolonged stay in cantonments of thousands of mainly young people living under difficult conditions and lacking clarity about their future is not sustainable," he said.

"It also leaves UNMIN with no exit strategy from its arms monitoring role."

He emphasized the need to safeguard the Seven Party Alliance, which includes the Maoists, and its members' common commitment to the peace process. That requires setting a date for Constituent Assembly election together with a roadmap for future steps, including addressing issues related to public security, he said.

Mr. Martin repeated a call in the Secretary-General's report for the parties to take stock of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and its implementation with a view to strengthening it.

"When I met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala just before I left Kathmandu, I was encouraged to be told that he intends that there should indeed be a review of implementation of agreements," Mr. Martin said.

"Expectations among Nepalis are high as to what UNMIN can do," he said. "While I do my best to encourage the parties to keep the overall process on track and offer UNMIN's advice as requested, we do feel constrained by an expectation that we should interpret our mandate narrowly and we ask ourselves – as concerned Member States ask us – whether Nepal is making full use of the supportive capacity of the United Nations."

He added that if the Government and the parties desired it, the UN could provide greater support in implementation of the peace process; assisting a discussion on the future of the country's security sector, including a managed transition from the currently temporary cantonments and arms management to long-term solutions; and providing greater advisory support on promoting public security towards the Constituent Assembly election.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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MIGRANTS ENDURE INCREASING VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION, SAYS UN RIGHTS EXPERT

MIGRANTS ENDURE INCREASING VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION, SAYS UN RIGHTS EXPERT
New York, Oct 26 2007 6:00PM
Migrants are increasingly subject to violence and discrimination, from prolonged detention to ill-treatment from authorities, in countries of both destination and transit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants said today.

Jorge Bustamante told the General Assembly's third committee (social, humanitarian and cultural issues) that his field visits during the past year have confirmed the rising attacks and other pressures that migrants are enduring.

"I received numerous reports of repeated cases of the detention of non-citizens, many times unlawfully for long periods," he said in his statement to the committee. "A number of detained migrants suffer from ill-treatment, lack of medical attention, and abuse. Often, they lack access to justice, as many detained migrants are not granted access to lawyers for their defence."

Professor Bustamante expressed particular concern at migrants who are subject to administrative, rather than judicial, proceedings in transit or destination countries.

"Legal grounds for administrative detention of migrants are often too broad and discretional and time limits are not always legally determined or respected.

"This is often coupled with the absence of automatic mechanisms for judicial or administrative review and with a lack of other procedural safeguards, such as access to interpreters and lawyers and limitations on the right to be informed of the grounds for detention, appeal mechanisms, and the right to have consular or embassy representatives.

"All these elements result in administrative detention that is not subject to control, disproportionate powers being exercised by immigration authorities, and incidents of discrimination and abuse."

Professor Bustamante also highlighted what he said was an increasing trend of States to launch police raids on private homes in migrant neighbourhoods and arrest anyone who cannot show documents of legal residence.

This leads "to separation of children from their arrested parents, including children born in such countries."

He noted that for many countries "migration carries with it the spectre of the abuse of national borders – by traffickers and people-smugglers – and prevailing fears about threats to ways of life or standards of living in host communities."

Yet, rather than focusing on the negative perceptions of migrants, destination countries should also consider the positive contributions that migrant workers and their families provide.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UN INDEPENDENT RIGHTS EXPERT DECRIES EXECUTIONS OF JUVENILES IN IRAN

UN INDEPENDENT RIGHTS EXPERT DECRIES EXECUTIONS OF JUVENILES IN IRAN
New York, Oct 26 2007 5:00PM
An independent United Nations human rights expert today criticized Iran's use of the death penalty against juveniles, saying it is probably the only country in the world that does this systematically.

Speaking to reporters after briefing a General Assembly committee, Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, estimated that there are at least 75 juveniles in prison "on death row basically" in Iran now.

The Government "never responds to any communications I send them," he said.

In addition, he said at least 173 people have been executed for offences such as adultery, unlawful sexual relations and homosexuality, while laws that allow for stoning to death in these cases are "barbaric by any standards."

He also spoke out against the use of the death penalty in Singapore, pointing out that the more than 400 people executed there since 1990 – the highest per capita rate in the world – had been executed based on a "mandatory" death penalty that took no account of extenuating circumstances.

Asked about a trip he plans to take to the United States, he said it was too early to give details beyond the fact that the visit has been agreed to and was expected to take place in the northern spring.

"I am very interested in question relating to military justice, for example – in other words the response to alleged extrajudicial executions by members of the US military, particularly in places like Iraq and Afghanistan."

He added that during the meeting of the Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural (Third) Committee, delegations had raised the question of non-State actors and military contractors. "That's clearly an issue I would want to look at insofar as executions are involved and obviously in the Blackwater case they are," he said, adding that issues relating to use of the death penalty in the US would also be of interest.

Mr. Alston said he had told Committee about difficulties he has had in visiting countries, including Security Council members such as China and the Russian Federation, as well as several members of the Human Rights Council: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In addition, he sought to visit Myanmar, Kenya, El Salvador, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.

In other rule of law and human rights news, Leandro Despouy, the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, yesterday voiced concern about Sudan's lack of cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In an address to the Assembly's third committee, Mr. Despouy welcomed recent ratifications of the Court's Statute and its detention of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo in connection with crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). But he said "by contrast Sudan's lack of cooperation with the Court is worrying."

He also stressed the need for the Government of Uganda and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to reach agreement excluding any amnesty for war crimes, crimes against humanity, grave violations of human rights achieving a balance between the need for justice and the need to establish lasting peace.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UN RIGHTS EXPERT WARNS AGAINST USE OF RELIGION AS EXCUSE FOR CRIMINAL ACTS

UN RIGHTS EXPERT WARNS AGAINST USE OF RELIGION AS EXCUSE FOR CRIMINAL ACTS
New York, Oct 26 2007 5:00PM
Religious belief should never be accepted as a legitimate excuse for carrying out criminal actions that encroach on the rights of others, a United Nations independent human rights expert warned today.

Speaking before the General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural (Third) Committee, Asma Jahangir, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, said religious intolerance remains on the rise and the voices of moderation are often marginalized.

"The freedom in pursuing one's religion or belief must be protected and respected," she said in her statement to the Committee. But, "on the other hand, the rights of individuals have also to be protected from being violated on the premise of religion or belief.

"No impunity should be awarded when criminal acts which infringe on the human rights of others are given a religious label. At the same time, all governmental actions should be proportionate, abide by the rule of law and respect the applicable international human rights standards."

Ms. Jahangir urged governments worldwide to avoid knee-jerk responses and to try to focus on tackling the underlying problems instead.

"Wise and balanced decision-making at all governmental levels, as well as non-discriminatory legislation, are crucial for addressing the delicate issues involved. Furthermore, an independent and non-arbitrary judiciary is a prerequisite for safeguarding freedom of religion or belief."

Protection must be complemented by prevention efforts, she said, calling for pro-active strategies to deter acts of intolerance and discrimination.

"However, specific legislation should be introduced in a cautious manner since any compulsory overregulation may be counterproductive."
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY AND JAPANESE OFFICIALS URGE MYANMAR TO BEGIN TALKS WITH OPPOSITION

UN ENVOY AND JAPANESE OFFICIALS URGE MYANMAR TO BEGIN TALKS WITH OPPOSITION
New York, Oct 26 2007 5:00PM
In Tokyo today, the United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar joined senior Japanese officials in calling on authorities in the South-East Asian nation to begin a genuine dialogue with the opposition to resolve the ongoing crisis there.

"The Government and the opposition must sit down together and discuss the future of their country," Ibrahim Gambari told reporters in the Japanese capital, the current stop on a six-nation tour of Myanmar's regional partners.

While in Tokyo, the Special Envoy held meetings with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura, Vice-Foreign Minister Osamu Uno, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka.
They discussed the need for the Myanmar Government to seize the current window of opportunity generated by the recent crisis to start dialogue with the opposition without delay and pursue an inclusive process of national reconciliation, according to a UN spokesperson.

They also discussed Japan's readiness to contribute to international efforts to assist Myanmar in meeting the humanitarian and socio-economic needs of its people as the country takes concrete steps to accelerate its transition to democracy.

Prior to arriving in Japan, Mr. Gambari met with officials in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and China. He is expected to return to Myanmar in the first week of November, his second visit to the country since Government forces began using force to respond to peaceful protesters in August.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who dispatched his Special Envoy to consult with regional leaders on Myanmar, has also called on the Government to "seize the opportunity to take bold actions towards democratization and respect for human rights."

"Unless the Government decides to open up and broaden the process that is to define Myanmar's future, the demands for greater inclusiveness, participation and transparency in order to accelerate the transition to democracy and civilian rule are likely to continue," he says in a report released today on the human rights situation in the country.

The Secretary-General adds that recent events constituted a "serious setback" for the country, as the Government's repressive response to the demonstrations comes at a time when Myanmar is striving to move forward towards national reconciliation and the restoration of democracy.

Mr. Ban remains deeply concerned about reports of continued human rights violations, particularly the excessive use of force and arbitrary detentions in the wake of the demonstrations, and the large number of individuals arrested without due process, according to the report.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative on the situation of human rights defenders has also expressed her concerns about the ongoing situation in Myanmar, calling it "the most glaring illustration of the suppression of the freedom to protest."

"Exercise of the right to protest plays an important role both for the promotion and the protection of human rights," Hina Jilani told the General Assembly committee dealing with social, humanitarian and cultural issues, known as the Third Committee, yesterday.

"Where States have enabled the realization of this right, values of democracy, pluralism and tolerance have gained support," she added.

In addition, the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, will make an official visit to the country to look into recent events there.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN DR CONGO AMOUNTS TO WAR CRIME: UN EXPERT

SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN DR CONGO AMOUNTS TO WAR CRIME: UN EXPERT
New York, Oct 26 2007 4:00PM
The scale and brutality of the sexual violence currently faced by women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, an independent United Nations human rights expert has told the General Assembly.

Yakin Ertürk, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, told the Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural (Third) Committee yesterday that the international community needs to intervene urgently to stem the widespread sexual violence.

Ms. Ertürk spent 12 days in the DRC in July, speaking to Government officials, UN agency staff, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and many female victims of violence.

She said she found that the perpetrators include armed militiamen, members of the Congolese armed forces, national police officers and, increasingly, civilians.

"The situation is most acute in South Kivu, where non-State armed groups, particularly foreign militia, commit sexual atrocities that are of an unimaginable brutality and aim at the complete physical and psychological destruction of women with implications for the entire society," she said.

"In many cases, the scale and brutality of the violence amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The Special Rapporteur said the problem was not confined to the far east, which has been the most unstable and violent part of the DRC in recent years and the scene of mass displacement this year because of renewed clashes between the Government, breakaway sections of the military and armed militia.

In Equateur province, near the centre of the DRC, soldiers and police officers have also carried out systematic reprisals against local civilians, including mass rape.

Ms. Ertürk said a climate of impunity for crimes against women predominated across the country.

"Security and the justice system fall short of addressing the problems of sexual violence and women survivors of rape lack sufficient care. Survivors are often also socially stigmatized and they are systematically denied the compensation to which they are entitled under international and Congolese law."
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON TO FOCUS ON BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICES AT MEETING OF TOP UN OFFICIALS

BAN KI-MOON TO FOCUS ON BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICES AT MEETING OF TOP UN OFFICIALS
New York, Oct 26 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will push for greater harmonization and realignment of business practices at the United Nations when he participates in the two-day meeting starting today of the Chief Executives Board (<"http://www.unsystemceb.org/">CEB) of top officials from across the UN system.

Mr. Ban will focus on such areas as improving procurement, human resources, audits and accounting and reducing transaction costs during the discussions in New York, his spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

Ms. Montas said the Secretary-General viewed this CEB meeting as the start of a process to make the entire UN system more effective and coherent in its business practices and to save money.

"This includes the issue of internal audits," she said. "Most of the members of the CEB have their own governing bodies – made up of Member States – who ultimately take the decision" on whether to release them "so the aim of this meeting is to decide on the best path to follow to try to harmonize practices within the UN system when it comes to the handling of internal audits and deciding what gets released. The same goes for issues relating to the Ethics Office."

Aside from management issues, the Board is also slated to take up a series of programme issues, including climate change, African development and the pilot "One UN" programme aimed at streamlining UN operations in each country.

Mr. Ban plans to push UN agencies, funds and programmes to follow the efforts of the Secretariat to make the UN building 'climate neutral' during the planned overhaul known as the Capital Master Plan, the spokesperson said.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UN INDEPENDENT RIGHTS EXPERT CALLS FOR FIVE-YEAR FREEZE ON BIOFUEL PRODUCTION

UN INDEPENDENT RIGHTS EXPERT CALLS FOR FIVE-YEAR FREEZE ON BIOFUEL PRODUCTION
New York, Oct 26 2007 3:00PM
An independent United Nations human rights expert today called for a five-year moratorium on biofuels.

Jean Ziegler, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, told reporters in New York that converting crops such as maize, wheat and sugar into fuels was driving up the prices of food, land and water.

Noting that the price of wheat has doubled in one year, Mr. Ziegler warned that if the prices of food crops continued to rise, the poorest countries will not be able to import enough food for their people.

While the arguments for biofuels is legitimate in terms of energy efficiency and combating climate change the effect of transforming food crops such as wheat and maize into agricultural fuel is "absolutely catastrophic" for hungry people and will negatively impact the realization of the right to food, he said.

"It is a crime against humanity to convert agricultural productive soil into soil which produces food stuff that will be burned into biofuel."

Mr. Ziegler argued that biofuels will only lead to further hunger in a world where an estimated 854 million people – 1 out of 6 – already suffer from the scourge; 100,000 people die from hunger or its immediate consequences every day; and every five seconds, a child dies from hunger.

All of this takes place, he added, in a world that already produces enough food to feed every child, woman and man and could feed 12 billion people, double the current world population, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"All causes of hunger are man-made, it's a problem of access, not overpopulation or underproduction, and can be changed by human decision," he stated.

Mr. Ziegler also called for measures to protect refugees who flee hunger, famine and starvation in their own countries, and are treated like criminals when they attempt to cross into other countries.

He noted that from 1972 to 2002, the number of gravely undernourished people in Africa increased from 81 million to 202 million, and every day hundreds of Africans "take to the sea" fleeing from hunger.

He called on the UN Human Rights Council "to declare a new human right" to protect those who flee from hunger.

The right to food is defined as "the right to have regular, permanent and unrestricted access, either directly or by means of financial purchases, to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate and sufficient food corresponding to the cultural traditions of the people to which the consumer belongs, and which ensures a physical and mental, individual and collective, fulfilling and dignified life free of fear," Mr. Ziegler explained.

"This human right is gravely violated in many, many parts of the world."
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN-BACKED WEBSITE PROVIDES VITAL HUMANITARIAN INFORMATION IN SPANISH

NEW UN-BACKED WEBSITE PROVIDES VITAL HUMANITARIAN INFORMATION IN SPANISH
New York, Oct 26 2007 3:00PM
A new website will provide Spanish-speakers with easy access to information on natural disasters and complex emergencies in the Latin American and Caribbean region previously available only in English, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.

The website is part of the Regional Humanitarian Information Network Project (Redhum), launched at the Global Symposium on Humanitarian Information, which concluded its weeklong session in Geneva today.

Lead by the <"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA Regional Office in Panama, Redhum seeks to provide easy and organized access to quality and updated humanitarian information from the region, through a website in Spanish – <"http://www.redhum.org/">www.redhum.org – with up-to-date situation reports, maps, and contact information that will allow for better preparation and response in the event of a disaster.

Organizers said the project grew out of the realization that whenever there was a humanitarian disaster in Latin America all the information was often available only in English, and that some 60 to 80 per cent of the information necessary to manage those emergencies was already available.

Gerard Gomez, Head of the OCHA Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, said the programme was a two-pronged one – it was both a website and a network of partners, including OCHA, the civil defence services of Central American countries, the Coordination Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America, the Regional Interagency Group for Disasters, the Red Cross, and others.

During the Global Symposium, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and keynote speaker John Holmes highlighted the need to have quick access to accurate and timely information in the midst of humanitarian emergencies.

"We have to be able to assess quickly and credibly the seriousness of a hurricane in Central America versus a flood in Africa and a drought in Africa. We have to be able to distinguish the gravity for the victims of the media-worthy conflict in an easily accessible and 'sexy' part of the world from the long running and media-neglected, but possibly much more devastating drama in some other remote part of the globe," he said.

"We have to share information and analysis because they are essentially common to us all, what binds us together despite our differences," Mr. Holmes added.

The Symposium – which brought together 250 representatives from the UN, government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), scientists, academics, the media and the private sector – also addressed new and innovative technology being used in humanitarian operations such as satellite imagery, blogging and the use of mobile phones in the field.
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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ON EVE OF DARFUR PEACE TALKS, UN ENVOY STRESSES NEED FOR COMPROMISES

ON EVE OF DARFUR PEACE TALKS, UN ENVOY STRESSES NEED FOR COMPROMISES
New York, Oct 26 2007 2:00PM
The parties to the milestone Darfur peace talks starting tomorrow must be flexible and willing to make concessions if they want to reach durable and practical solutions, the United Nations and African Union envoys who will be chairing the talks warned today.

In an op-ed article published in <i>The International Herald Tribune</i>, the UN's Jan Eliasson and the AU's Salim Ahmed Salim said it was unrealistic for the Sudanese Government, the rebel forces and other groups to expect that all the provisions in previous attempts at peace deals for Darfur can be transplanted into any agreement reached at these talks.

"Parties will have to show flexibility and make concessions to reach compromise solutions that work in today's and tomorrow's environments," they wrote.

Delegates are already gathering in Sirte, Libya, for the talks, which aim to bring together representatives of the Government, rebels and other armed groups, and Darfurian civil society, as well as regional partners and members of the wider international community.

Mr. Eliasson and Mr. Salim are holding bilateral meetings with some of the attendees today, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

In their newspaper column, the two envoys described the Sirte talks as "a milestone in the re-invigorated political process… [and] indeed a moment of truth and hope for the people of Darfur."

But they warned that the negotiations will not immediately solve all of the most serious problems in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others left homeless by fighting between the Government, allied militia, the rebels and tribal groups since 2003.

"Some issues, like security and compensation, will be dealt with expeditiously. For others, the talks will provide an opportunity to agree on interim solutions and on a framework for long-term arrangements."

The envoys emphasized that the talks will have to be as inclusive as possible to ensure the broadest support from the people of Darfur and thus the greatest chance of being fully implemented. Although the Government struck a peace agreement last year, only one of Darfur's many rebel groups signed and the region continues to be wracked by violence and suffering.

The mediators also stressed that all parties to the conflict must commit to an immediate cessation of hostilities, both to improve the situation on the ground and to demonstrate their commitment to the process of negotiations.

In addition, Mr. Eliasson and Mr. Salim said it was vital for the Government to establish a credible dialogue with the rebel movements early in the talks and for those opposition groups to build more internal consensus on the issues up for discussion.

"We have both been struck by the dignity, integrity and courage of the ordinary people we have met during our travels and discussion throughout Darfur. While they had no hand in causing or shaping the conflict, we are committed to providing them with a say in stopping the conflict and shaping the peace.

"The courage of the people we have seen must be reciprocated by the participants at the negotiations by choosing dialogue over war."
2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF MOURNS THE DEATH OF HUMANITARIAN EVE CURIE LABOUISSE

UNICEF MOURNS THE DEATH OF HUMANITARIAN EVE CURIE LABOUISSE
New York, Oct 26 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today mourned the death of Eve Curie Labouisse, a widow of the agency's former Executive Director and staunch humanitarian who supported the agency throughout her long life.

Mrs. Labouisse was 102 at the time of her death on 22 October. Her late husband, former UNICEF chief Henry Labouisse, passed away in 1987. During his leadership, which spanned 17 years from 1965 when UNICEF received the Nobel Peace Prize to 1979, Eve Labouisse was known as the 'First Lady of UNICEF' and travelled to many developing countries that were receiving the agency's assistance at that time.

"While her husband headed UNICEF, she played a very active role in the organization, traveling with him to advocate for children and to provide support and encouragement to UNICEF staff in remote and difficult locations," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said. "Her energy and her commitment to the betterment of the world should serve as an inspiration to us all."

Mrs. Labouisse was a journalist and a humanitarian, and was also well-known for her biography of her mother, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie. Born in Paris in 1904, she was hailed as an accomplished pianist at a young age and performed across Europe. During the Second World War she reported from various fronts as a war correspondent.

2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCIES TEAM UP TO HELP SOMALI RAPE VICTIMS

UN AGENCIES TEAM UP TO HELP SOMALI RAPE VICTIMS
New York, Oct 26 2007 8:00AM
Amid the chaos of fighting and displacement in Somalia, United Nations agencies are working to address the growing problem of sexual violence in the country, which has not had a functioning government since 1991 and where an upsurge in violence has forced thousands to flee their homes.

In Galkayo, host to an estimated 50,000 internally displaced persons hosts internally displaced persons (IDPs), victims told personnel from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of atrocities they endured.

"After years of war, rape has become a threat to women in Somalia when they move along roads, due to the presence of militia at illegal roadblocks. They are also at risk in IDP settlements located on the outskirts of towns such as Galkayo, which are too isolated to be secure," the agency said in a news release.

It pointed out that in Somali society, where rape is taboo, perpetrators are rarely brought to justice. "Cases are usually dealt with through traditional means, with the attacker having to pay compensation to the victim's father or husband, but never to her."

To ensure survivors of sexual violence receive support, a network of UN agencies -- including UNHCR, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) -- has launched a "sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response plan."

Designed to be carried out with local partners, such as medical providers and civil society organizations, the initiative aims to strengthen health-care capacities, train local psycho-social counsellors and raise awareness about sexual violence in Galkayo, UNHCR said.

2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UNDP, JAPAN BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO SUPPORT IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION

UNDP, JAPAN BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO SUPPORT IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
New York, Oct 26 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) have signed a landmark agreement for the provision of loans aimed helping reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

"In accordance with this new agreement, UNDP will establish a facility to support the provision of $150 million in soft loans from JBIC to Iraq, which will primarily support the Ministry of Electricity of the Kurdistan Regional Government in its efforts to reconstruct electricity networks in Northern Iraq," the agency said in a news release.

These soft loans mark the first installment of a $3.5 billion pledge made by the Government of Japan at a 2003 donor's conference held in Madrid.

The agency said the agreement will "serve as a model allowing UNDP and JBIC to explore opportunities for similar agreements around the globe."

2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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6 DISPLACED MEN KILLED BY ARMED GROUPS IN COLOMBIA, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS

6 DISPLACED MEN KILLED BY ARMED GROUPS IN COLOMBIA, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS
New York, Oct 26 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today raised the alarm about conditions in the Chocó region on Colombia's Pacific coast, where six displaced Afro-Colombian men were killed last week by members of an irregular armed group.

"UNHCR Colombia has expressed its concern over this very serious incident, the latest in a series of grave abuses committed against the population by irregular armed groups in this part of Chocó," said agency spokesman Ron Redmond. Civilians, including displaced communities, have been suffering from threats, intimidation, violence and killings. The Diocese of Istmina reports 23 targeted killings in the city alone since the beginning of September.

"UNHCR is very concerned that the deteriorating humanitarian situation will cause more forced displacement from the area, which is home to both Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities," said Mr. Redmond.

He said a team from the agency just back from the north-west of Colombia reported "a very worrying deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Chocó region."

The team from Bogota went to the area after six displaced men were killed on 16 October by members of an irregular armed group. Four other men, also displaced, were wounded in the same incident.

The six victims, displaced by armed conflict, had recently accepted work in a goldmine but were shot dead two days after starting by members of an irregular armed group who arrived at the mine armed and in uniforms.

The region is a rainforest, with one of the richest biodiversity in the world, rare minerals, precious woods and rivers providing direct access to the Pacific Ocean. It is strategic territory that has been fought over by irregular armed groups for years and has seen more new fighting in recent months, the agency said.

The murders of the six displaced Afro-Colombians came the same week as Colombia's Constitutional Court sat in special hearing to re
measures taken by the government to protect Afro-Colombian communities from forced displacement. The court had found last year they were "persistent gaps" in specific attention, both in prevention and assistance.

Colombia has some 2.2 million people officially registered as internally displaced -- independent figures put the figure at more than 3 million -- while there are at least 500,000 Colombian refugees in the region.

2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS WITCHCRAFT ALLEGATIONS PLAGUE CAMPS IN SOUTHERN CHAD

UN REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS WITCHCRAFT ALLEGATIONS PLAGUE CAMPS IN SOUTHERN CHAD
New York, Oct 26 2007 8:00AM
Allegations of witchcraft are swirling around camps for internally displaced persons in Chad are causing further confusion and violence in the already chaotic atmosphere, according to the United Nations refugee agency, which has organized initiatives to combat accusations and confusion on the matter.

When 11 refugees fell ill and died within a single week earlier this year at the Dosseye camp, host to over 5,500 of the 45,000 Central African Republic refugees in Chad, suspicions of witchcraft led to cases of assault and arson, the Geneva-based UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a news release.

The problem stems from the fact that two-thirds of the refugees are ethnic Fulbé/Peul, "who recognize both the existence of witches and the role of the traditional healer and exorcist," UNHCR said.

In one incident, after three siblings died within an hour, a widowed mother of eight in the camp who is an ethnic Peul was attacked by 15 others who accused her of cursing the children.

Josiane Nguerebaye, from UNHCR's community services team, said after the 11 deaths -- mostly from diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition -- "other refugees really lost faith in their ability to recover from illnesses and lost faith in modern medicines." Many went exclusively to the traditional healers in the camps for treatment, and if they succumbed to their illnesses it was often explained as witchcraft.

"People had stopped drinking the well water and started getting their water from the swamps and rivers around the camp. Others were either not going to the health clinic or were going there too late," said the UNHCR official. "It caused huge [health] problems."

In response, the agency and its partners organized seven awareness sessions to try to end this vicious circle that had refugees turning away from modern medicine.

"The sessions weren't about the existence of witches or witchcraft, but instead focused on health, sani
of accusing people without evidence," explained Dosseye's camp manager, Gatsia Tounakissia, who works for UNHCR's partner, CARE International.

2007-10-26 00:00:00.000

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ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING SCHEMES MUST CONSIDER RIGHTS OF POOR, SAYS UN EXPERT

ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING SCHEMES MUST CONSIDER RIGHTS OF POOR, SAYS UN EXPERT
New York, Oct 25 2007 8:00PM
International financial institutions and wealthy States imposing structural reform programmes on poor countries or executing debt repayments should ensure that when doing so they do not undermine basic cultural, social and economic rights, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today.

Bernard Mudho, the Human Rights Council's Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights, unveiled draft guidelines at the General Assembly for financial institutions and industrialized States to follow when pursuing economic restructuring programmes in developing countries.

He told the Assembly's third committee that the draft guidelines include a provision calling on institutions demanding repayment of foreign debts to ensure that a debtor country is not prevented from fulfilling its human rights obligations to its citizens as a result.

Moreover, whenever major economic reform programmes are being considered, including macroeconomic stabilization, trade liberalization and social sector reform, social, cultural and economic impact assessments should be conducted first.

Human rights obligations should also play a vital role during international trade negotiations, Mr. Mudho said.

Loan performance should be monitored by both creditors and borrowers, he added, while the agreements should allow for the review of loan conditions.

The Independent Expert also said the global lending economy should also agree on common lending principles.

The guidelines are now being circulated among Member States and others and Mr. Mudho said he hoped the draft would serve as a basis for constructive discussions on issues of economic management.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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PROMOTING THE RULE OF LAW CENTRAL TO UN'S MISSION, SAYS MIGIRO

PROMOTING THE RULE OF LAW CENTRAL TO UN'S MISSION, SAYS MIGIRO
New York, Oct 25 2007 7:00PM
Advancing the rule of law at both the national and international levels is at the very heart of the United Nations' mission, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today, appealing to Member States to support the world body's efforts in that regard.

"The principle that everyone – from the individual right up to the State itself – is accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, is a driving force behind much of the UN's work," Ms. Migiro told delegates in the General Assembly's legal group, also known as the Sixth Committee.

Respect by States for the rule of international law is crucial to the maintenance of international peace and security, to the peaceful settlement of disputes, to the promotion and protection of human rights, and to sustainable development and prosperity, she said.

This is equally true at the national level, she added, noting that respect for the rule of law is fundamental to achieving a durable peace in the aftermath of conflict, to the effective protection of human rights, and to sustained economic progress and development.

She pointed to the large number of rule of law activities carried out by the UN system, as well as by non-UN actors, both governmental and non-governmental.

"This is a crowded field where a lack of strategic planning and coordination has to date produced duplication and a less than optimal use of scarce financial resources," she said, stressing the need to strategically plan rule of law activities in partnership with recipient States and coordinate their execution among all actors.

It was to achieve coordination, and in response to calls made at the 2005 World Summit, that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon established a Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group, which Ms. Migiro chairs and is supported by a small substantive Rule of Law Assistance Unit.

Since the full range of rule of law issues can only be addressed collectively by the UN system, and not by any individual department or agency, the role of a central unit is essential to ensure that the UN assists Member States in the most coordinated and efficient manner possible, she said.

The Unit, which is functioning on an interim basis, has started working with the various departments and agencies to develop a joint UN system work plan to reduce overlap and duplication, and is also working on developing UN system-wide guidance and best practices. It has also begun to develop partnerships with non-UN rule of law actors, both governmental and non-governmental, to maximize resources.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES MORE INCLUSIVE GLOBALIZATION

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES MORE INCLUSIVE GLOBALIZATION
New York, Oct 25 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations should lead efforts to foster a new global environment where partnerships can flourish, the President of the General Assembly said today, advocating a greater role for businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to achieve this goal.

The UN and multilateral financial institutions agree that globalization must be inclusive and that "for economic development to be sustainable the benefits need to be shared by all," Srgjan Kerim said in an address at the Harvard Business School.

He noted that today's globalized world requires some degree of global governance, but cautioned that this should not take the form of a world government. "Nothing is less desirable. The very notion of centralizing hierarchies is itself an anachronism in our fluid, highly dynamic and extensively networked world," he said.

"But, effective global governance should put more responsibility on States and international institutions, but also non-State actors – the private sector and civil society."

Mr. Kerim acknowledged the need for Member States to make the United Nations more effective to "strengthen its central position in the multilateral system," including by reforming the Security Council.

"The UN needs be at the forefront of building a new culture of international relations based on greater trust and mutual cooperation and fairer economic consensus. To achieve this we will need to bring in private sector and NGOs into the policy-making process."

He told the future business leaders present that they can play a role in this effort. "There are huge opportunities to use capital to realize profit and promote global public goods, job creation and sustainable development."

President Kerim described a two-way process of mutual gain. "It is very important for future 'global' businessmen to understand the nature of international cooperation and the UN system – but also for the international system to bring the private sector and other non-State actors into a closer policy dialogue."

The President emphasized that joint efforts can ensure that economic growth, social justice and environmental care advance hand-in-hand.

"Individuals will need to accept greater responsibility for their actions and their global implications," he said. "Only then will we be able to pass our world on safely and securely to the generations that will come after us."
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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UN RIGHTS EXPERT UNVEILS DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR DRUG COMPANIES ON VITAL MEDICINES

UN RIGHTS EXPERT UNVEILS DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR DRUG COMPANIES ON VITAL MEDICINES
New York, Oct 25 2007 7:00PM
Noting that nearly two billion people worldwide lack access to essential medicines, a United Nations independent expert on health today introduced into the General Assembly draft human rights guidelines for pharmaceutical companies to expand that reach.

Paul Hunt, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/gashc3894.doc.htm">told the Assembly's third committee that the guidelines are designed to help both the companies and those monitoring their activities.

Using non-binding language, the 48 guidelines – which are being circulated for comment until the end of the year – deal with specific issues regarding access to medicines, such as pricing, ethical marketing, clinical trials, corruption, and research and development for neglected diseases.

Professor Hunt said he expected to finalize the guidelines for release next year.

"I have tried to be practical and constructive," he said, stressing that the draft does not suggest that pharmaceutical companies are legally bound by international human rights law.

An estimated two billion people worldwide, but overwhelmingly in developing countries, do not have access to essential medicines, Professor Hunt said in a press statement that was also released today.

"Improving access to existing medicines could save 10 million lives each year. Access to medicines is characterized by profound global inequality: 15 per cent of the world's population consumes over 90 per cent of the world's pharmaceuticals."

Although individual States have the main responsibility for expanding access to medicines, he said that pharmaceutical companies also have a profound impact, good and bad, on this process.

"It is time to identify what pharmaceutical companies should do to help realize the human right to medicine. How can we expect pharmaceutical companies to respect human rights if we fail to explain what they are expected to do?"

In his statement to the Assembly committee, Professor Hunt also detailed a new international initiative to try to reduce maternal mortality. Every year more than 500,000 women die in childbirth or from complications resulting from a pregnancy, and most of these deaths are preventable through simple and inexpensive interventions.

The Special Rapporteur said the initiative, which was formally launched last week, aims to use human rights to strengthen existing efforts to reduce maternal mortality and to improve the performance of health-care systems in poor countries. It is also designed to encourage maternal health workers to use human rights analysis, advocacy and networks to further their goals.

Professor Hunt proposed that the Human Rights Council convene a special session focused on maternal mortality, inviting key UN agencies and Member States to share their insights and expertise.

"This would be a unique opportunity for the Council to tell the world that preventable maternal mortality is a human rights issue of enormous gravity."

He added that the Indian Government has asked him to undertake a formal visit next month to look at the issue.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON PRESENTS $4.2 BILLION BUDGET FOR NEXT TWO YEARS TO UN ASSEMBLY

BAN KI-MOON PRESENTS $4.2 BILLION BUDGET FOR NEXT TWO YEARS TO UN ASSEMBLY
New York, Oct 25 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today proposed a $4.2 billion budget for the United Nations for the next two years, <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11237.doc.htm">telling a General Assembly committee that the half percentage point growth in some areas is balanced by reallocations in others and urging Member States to support a stronger world body.

"Never has the world so needed a strong United Nations," Mr. Ban told delegates in the Assembly's Fifth Committee, which tackles administrative and budgetary matters. "Yet never have our resources been stretched so thin."

The Committee is currently examining the proposed programme budget of $4.2 billion for 2008-2009, which represents a real growth of $23 million over the previous biennium, or half a percentage point. Mr. Ban said the proposals reflect strict budgetary discipline, balancing growth in some areas with reallocations in others.

Noting that the year ahead will be "among the most challenging in our history" – with, among initiatives, the deployment of a major peacekeeping operation in the Darfur region of Sudan and diplomatic challenges in a number of countries – the Secretary-General pledged to strengthen the Organization so it can do the job that is expected of it.

This will require careful fiscal management, balancing varied and sometimes conflicting priorities, and, above all, making the UN "faster, more flexible and more efficient in delivering better results with the limited assets at our disposal," he stated.

"This is a year of immense opportunity – to build a stronger UN for a better world," Mr. Ban said. "You on this Committee are the key to our transformation."

He noted that, last year, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations was reorganized in order to better execute the UN's many peacekeeping mandates. Now, the focus is on the Department of Political Affairs, with a new emphasis on anticipating crises and proactive preventive diplomacy.

To that end, he asked the Committee to authorize $18 million to support the strengthening of DPA, arguing that boosting the UN's capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts is "among the smartest investments we can make." The proposed funds also include stable financing for the newly created Peacebuilding Support Office, which is separate from the political affairs department.

Mr. Ban cited the need for fresh thinking and for bolstering research and monitoring capacities to address the needs of the poorest of the world's poor, the "bottom billion" left behind by global economic growth – working with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN's regional commissions.

In addition, he proposed re-organizing the Secretariat to better serve the interests and needs of the least developed, landlocked and small island nations.

Mr. Ban noted that the proposed budget also reflects the decision by Member States to double the resources earmarked for human rights, a key component of the UN's work.

As part of the UN's ongoing reform efforts, he emphasized that the Secretariat should continue to improve its working methods to avoid duplication and save costs, so that it can be faster, more flexible and modern. "This requires us to streamline rules and work patterns, in line with the best public and private practices."

In that connection, Mr. Ban has set up a new change-management task force, which will focus on human resources, budget and finance, and procurement. He noted that the proposed budget also provides for "stiffer" internal oversight, and the Committee is examining proposals for a comprehensive revision of the UN system of administrative justice.

He called for extending the work of the Procurement Task Force – the body which was set up following revelations about widespread corruption in the UN procurement system and is credited with promoting accountability – for another year, as the Organization works toward more permanent independent auditing and investigative capabilities.

Mr. Ban added that the budget is not only a financial document, but a "compact of understanding" between the Secretary-General and the UN's Member States. "It details in concrete terms how we intend to realize the goals of the United Nations, and how I intend to exercise the authority you have entrusted to me," he said.

Clarifying aspects of the proposed budget, the Under-Secretary-General for Management told reporters that after taking account of inflation and exchange rates (re-costing) and possible budgetary "add-ons" resulting from legislative mandates or resolutions of the General Assembly, the budget will increase.

"We are presenting the Member States the proposed budget for 2008-2009 which is almost $4.4 billion, and then we are presenting to them a set of revised estimates that belong to legislative mandates and another set of add-ons that we are presenting, to bring the budget up to $4.6 billion," Alicia Bárcena said at a press briefing this afternoon.

Elaborating on the $18 million requested to strengthen the political affairs department, Ms. Bárcena said it would go towards building more regional capacities, including in Central Asia and in Africa, and to better equipping the Department to work on mediation, conflict prevention and conflict resolution.

The funds would also contribute to enhancing support to the UN's special political missions, creating a number of new posts within the Department, and strengthening and restructuring the six existing regional divisions.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: BAN KI-MOON URGES POLITICAL LEADERS TO SHOW RESTRAINT

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: BAN KI-MOON URGES POLITICAL LEADERS TO SHOW RESTRAINT
New York, Oct 25 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to show restraint and support the work of the High Representative who is charged with overseeing implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement which ended years of brutal conflict in the country.

"The Secretary-General is concerned about recent political developments that could hinder the functioning of central institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus undermining the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and affecting stability in the region," a spokesperson for Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2819">statement.

The Dayton Peace Agreement established Bosnia and Herzegovina as a State comprising two entities, each with a high degree of autonomy: the Republika Srpska (RS) and the Federation (FBiH).

"The Secretary-General encourages political leaders and officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina to exercise maximum restraint, continue to engage in the inter-ethnic dialogue and constructively cooperate with the High Representative," the spokesperson said.

The High Representative, Miroslav Lajcák, told the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Permanent Council meeting in Vienna today that tensions are rising in the country.

"The recent failure to forge a political agreement on police reform was merely the last, albeit crucial, confirmation of the worsening political dynamic that we have witnessed in Bosnia and Herzegovina since April 2006, when the first modest but mould-breaking package of reforms to the Dayton constitution narrowly failed to win adoption," he said.

"Since then, there has been a poisonous election campaign, characterized by intransigent and destabilizing rhetoric; a prolonged process of government formation, leading to the unavoidable cohabitation in power of the more radical and intransigent parties; and a virtual halt to European Union-compatible reforms and normal government activity."

He said some citizens accept the country as their common homeland, but "there is as yet no consensus on how this common state should be organized."

The Secretary-General reiterated his support for Mr. Lajcák, emphasizing that the High Representative "acts in the interest of all entities and constituent nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina."
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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FLOODS IN BURKINA FASO SPARK UN FLASH APPEAL FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

FLOODS IN BURKINA FASO SPARK UN FLASH APPEAL FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
New York, Oct 25 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations humanitarian wing announced today that it is launching a flash appeal for $5.4 million to help 93,000 people in Burkina Faso, which was hit recently by its worst floods in decades.

At least 46 people have been killed and 76 others hurt since the floods began during the northern summer, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA).

Nearly 9,000 homes, 50 bridges, 2,300 cereal warehouses and 18,000 hectares of crops have also been destroyed because of the inundations, which have swept across much of West Africa since July. Burkina Faso, along with its neighbours Mali and Niger, is one of the worst affected countries.

OCHA said that while immediate humanitarian needs had been met in the wake of the floods, many Burkinabe needed help in regaining their livelihoods and rebuilding basic services in their communities.

The funds raised in the appeal will be used to provide or improve food security, agriculture, health care, education, access to safe water and sanitation, basic shelter and supplies.

OCHA said UN agencies would work with the Government of Burkina Faso and with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to carry out any projects paid for by appeal funds.

The Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF), set up by the UN in late 2005 to speed up relief operations for emergencies, make funds available quickly after a disaster and finance under-funded emergencies, has already released $878,000 to prevent child malnutrition in Burkina Faso and support household food security after the floods.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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GUINEA: UN HUMANITARIAN FUND ALLOCATES $1 MILLION IN FLOOD RELIEF PROJECTS

GUINEA: UN HUMANITARIAN FUND ALLOCATES $1 MILLION IN FLOOD RELIEF PROJECTS
New York, Oct 25 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF) has allocated just over $1 million in aid to health, water purification and food security projects in Guinea, where hundreds of thousands of households are trying to recover from the effects of widespread flooding and avoid deadly cholera epidemics.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) announced the grant today in response to the floods, part of wider inundations that have swept across most of West Africa since July.

More than $400,000 has been allocated to the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) to fund efforts to control potential outbreaks of cholera. The programme will strengthen the capacity of local health workers, promote public awareness about health and hygiene and include follow-up monitoring of people affected, OCHA said. Nearly 6,000 people have been infected.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) will receive almost $300,000 to help an estimated 975,000 households in two of Guinea's four regions undertake a series of measures to prevent cholera from spreading, such as by systematically disinfecting homes and wells, treating drinking water and encouraging good hygiene practices.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) will use over $360,000 to provide seeds for a variety of crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and aubergines, and agricultural equipment, including watering cans and hoes, to some 3,200 households.

In all three cases the UN agencies will be working with Guinean Government ministries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

CERF was approved by the General Assembly in December 2005, and was created to speed up relief operations for emergencies, make funds available quickly after a disaster and finance under-funded emergencies. Its funds are also made available to address the existing imbalance in global aid distribution which results in millions of people in so-called neglected or forgotten crises remaining in need.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: BAN KI-MOON URGES WARRING FACTIONS TO ALLOW AID EFFORT IN NORTH KIVU

DR CONGO: BAN KI-MOON URGES WARRING FACTIONS TO ALLOW AID EFFORT IN NORTH KIVU
New York, Oct 25 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on conflicting parties clashing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) troubled North Kivu province to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians, who have been forced to flee their homes amid rapes and other atrocities associated with the fighting.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the increased displacement, human suffering, and sexual violence in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of fighting in the area between Congolese forces, dissident troops and armed militias, as well as elements of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR)," a spokesperson for Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11239.doc.htm">statement.

The UN's efforts to help civilians caught up in the conflict are being hampered by prevailing insecurity, the Secretary-General said, calling on all belligerents "to ensure total and unrestricted access of humanitarian actors to civilians affected by the conflict, in accordance with international humanitarian law."

The Secretary-General urged all dissidents to immediately and unconditionally join the "brassage" retraining programme for ex-combatants to become part of integrated DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) brigades.

He also called on the DRC Government to ensure the protection of all civilians in the region.

"These are essential first steps towards bringing an end to the suffering of the civilian population and towards resolving the root causes of the conflict, in particular the continued presence in the DRC of the FDLR and other foreign armed groups."

Preliminary figures from a joint assessment mission by UN humanitarian agencies released yesterday indicate that over 33,000 people have now been displaced by recent fighting in the North Kivu region. This figure includes the more than 8,000 civilians who fled into Uganda over the past weekend.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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UN REPORT FINDS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS INADEQUATE, URGES STEPPED UP ACTION

UN REPORT FINDS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS INADEQUATE, URGES STEPPED UP ACTION
New York, Oct 25 2007 6:00PM
While political attention to environmental issues is increasing, this has not sufficed to achieve significant progress on climate change, loss of biodiversity and other challenges which face the planet and threaten humanity, according to the views of 390 scientists synthesized in a major new United Nations report on the issue.

"The fact that we are in the year 2007, with all the knowledge that we have and with all the capacity to do things differently – to present to the world at this point a report that essentially says that our response has been woefully inadequate is a very sobering realization," said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=519&ArticleID=5688&l=en">UNEP), at the launch in New York of the agency's report, Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4).

The report notes that environmental concerns are much closer to mainstream politics everywhere today than when they were first addressed by the Brundtland Commission in its landmark report "Our Common Future" two decades ago. But it warns that despite these advances, problems persist which, if not addressed, may undo progress and threaten humanity's survival.

"Over the past 20 years, the international community has cut, by 95 per cent, the production of ozone-layer damaging chemicals; created a greenhouse gas emission reduction treaty along with innovative carbon trading and carbon offset markets; supported a rise in terrestrial protected areas to cover roughly 12 per cent of the Earth and devised numerous important instruments covering issues from biodiversity and desertification to the trade in hazardous wastes and living modified organisms," Mr. Steiner noted.

At the same time, persistent problems include the decline of fish stocks; loss of fertile land through degradation; unsustainable pressure on resources; dwindling amount of fresh water; and risk that environmental damage "could pass unknown points of no return," UNEP said.

Climate change, the destruction caused by forest fires and floods and other problems demonstrate "the cost of humanity trying to cope with the scale of environmental impacts," said Mr. Steiner.

The report acknowledges that technology can help to reduce people's vulnerability to environmental stresses, but says there is sometimes a need "to correct the technology-centred development paradigm." It argues that the future will be largely determined by the decisions individuals and society make now. "Our common future depends on our actions today, not tomorrow or sometime in the future," it cautions.

Widely considered the most comprehensive UN report on the environment, GEO-4 was prepared by some 390 experts and reviewed by more than 1,000 others across the world.

"The cost of inaction greatly exceeds the cost of action," said Olav Kjorven, Director of the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) Bureau for Development Policy, pointing out that local efforts around the world demonstrate the potential for change.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT HAILS 'ACTIVE CONTRIBUTION' TO FINANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT MEETING

ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT HAILS 'ACTIVE CONTRIBUTION' TO FINANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT MEETING
New York, Oct 25 2007 6:00PM
The "active contribution" by more than 90 delegations at a three-day United Nations meeting augured well for a major conference on financing for development next year, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said today at the conclusion of the <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10647.doc.htm">meeting.

Closing the General Assembly High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, Mr. Kerim, who had chaired the event, said continued engagement by all partners was "crucial in the road to Doha," the Qatari capital where the second Financing for Development conference is to be held in the second half of 2008.

Summing up the debate, Mr. Kerim said that many speakers had expressed concern at growing economic inequalities, both between countries and within countries, particularly in the context of the current instability in global financial markets.

While regretting that the official development assistance (ODA) target of 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product had not been achieved, many delegates were encouraged by the current trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries, Mr. Kerim said. But the challenged remained of promoting FDI in low-income countries or those with less stable governance.

For their part, various developing country delegates had acknowledged that "good domestic governance, effective and transparent regulatory mechanisms and the rule of law" were preconditions for attracting investment.

In the view of several participants, much had been done to increase debt relief, but long-term debt sustainability remained a significant issue, particularly for least developed countries.

Various speakers stressed the need to enhance tax revenues and create more distributive tax systems. This would not only help to reduce disparities, but also permit to increase public spending on basic infrastructure and services.

"Finally, delegates stressed that adapting to climate change was the emerging issue that needed to be linked to the financing for development process," Mr. Kerim said.

The General Assembly would now begin consultations to set out the modalities for the Doha Conference, Mr. Kerim said, calling on Member States to give their full support and cooperation towards an agreement to be presented to the General Assembly in December. "Once the modalities of the Doha Conference are agreed, we can move to substantive discussion on the six chapters of the Monterrey Consensus," he said.

The High-Level Dialogue was scheduled to conclude on Wednesday, but the very high number of countries that asked to speak made a third day necessary. On Wednesday, an interactive dialogue and six round tables promoted exchanges of ideas among governments, the private sector, civil society and international financial institutions.

The meeting addresses six main areas – mobilizing domestic financial resources, mobilizing international resources, international trade, international development cooperation, external debt, and the coherence of the international monetary, financial and trading systems.

These areas emerged at the first International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2002.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY CONCLUDES TALKS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS ON MYANMAR CRISIS

UN ENVOY CONCLUDES TALKS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS ON MYANMAR CRISIS
New York, Oct 25 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar today wrapped up his consultations in Beijing, as he continues his six-nation tour of regional capitals ahead of a planned return to the South-East Asian nation in early November.

Dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consult with regional leaders on how to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari has met so far with officials in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India.

While in Beijing he had detailed and extensive discussions with State Councillor Tang Jianxuan and Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as with Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

Mr. Gambari delivered a personal message from the Secretary-General to State Councillor Tang, thanking the Chinese Government for its active support to the UN's good offices and encouraging China to intensify its constructive engagement in support of UN efforts.

"Mr. Gambari and his Chinese counterparts discussed the need for the Government of Myanmar to move forward by starting a dialogue with the opposition without delay and pursuing a more inclusive national reconciliation process in order to address the legitimate concerns of the Myanmar people," she stated.

They also discussed the need for the international community to find new ways of encouraging Myanmar to make concrete progress in this regard, she added.

Following the meetings, the Chinese Government issued a statement of support for the UN's good offices and Mr. Gambari's efforts on behalf of the Secretary-General.

The Special Envoy is now in Tokyo where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura.

Mr. Gambari's upcoming trip to Myanmar is set to be followed by a visit from the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, before the middle of next month.

Mr. Pinheiro said yesterday that he would use the visit to try to verify allegations of abuses during the recent Government crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, determine the numbers and whereabouts of those detained or killed, and collect testimony about what happened.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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UN RELIEF CHIEF WARNS ON DETERIORATING CONDITIONS FACING PALESTINIANS

UN RELIEF CHIEF WARNS ON DETERIORATING CONDITIONS FACING PALESTINIANS
New York, Oct 25 2007 4:00PM
The humanitarian situation inside the occupied Palestinian territory is deteriorating every day, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator said today, warning that Israel's threat to cut electricity and fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip if rocket attacks continue will only worsen the situation.

John Holmes, who is also Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told journalists in Geneva that restrictions in Gaza and the West Bank were making it harder and harder for normal economic activity to be maintained, especially in Gaza.

"The squeeze was tightening all the time," he said, noting that while the UN had been able to get more than 3,000 truckloads of humanitarian aid into Gaza in July, only 1,508 truckloads made it through last month.

The main crossing point into Gaza for goods, Karni, has been closed since June, he said, with only one conveyor belt available twice a week. One of the two smaller crossing points for goods, Sufa, is also expected to be closed by the end of this month. The major crossing point for people, Rafah, has also been closed since June.

Mr. Holmes also said the number of Palestinian patients allowed to cross into Israel for health care had fallen from 40 a day in July to less than five a day in September.

"Denial of freedom of movement for medical reasons would appear to be a breach of international humanitarian law," he said.

The Under-Secretary-General said that while the UN condemned ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel, he was concerned that Israel was threatening to cut off electricity and fuel supplies if they continued.

"It did not appear to be an appropriate response to those rocket attacks to punish the population of Gaza."

He called on Israel to lift its economic blockade on Gaza and relax its restrictions on humanitarian aid, in part to improve the chances of progress at Israeli-Palestinian talks scheduled to take place in the United States next month.

Given the conditions inside both Gaza and the West Bank, the population increasingly depends on outside aid to survive, he said.

"That is not a good situation for their livelihoods, their dignity and the possibility of their participating in any kind of peace process."

Mr. Holmes' warning comes a day after the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council about the humanitarian situation that Palestinians face and the potential impact of further Israeli restrictions.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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NINE COUNTRIES ELECTED TO UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE

NINE COUNTRIES ELECTED TO UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE
New York, Oct 25 2007 4:00PM
Nine new members have been elected to the 21-member United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization committee charged with overseeing the World Heritage List of cultural and natural wonders, <"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO announced today.

Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Sweden were each elected to four-year terms during the General Assembly of the 184 States Parties to the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, held in Paris.

The new members of the World Heritage Committee replace Benin, Chile, India, Japan, Kuwait, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway and the Netherlands, whose terms expired this year. The terms of Canada, Cuba, Israel, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Peru, Spain, the Republic of Korea, Tunisia and the United States will expire in 2009.

The committee meets every year to inscribe sites on the World Heritage List and to review the state of sites already on the List and whether action needs to be taken to support their safeguarding. It also maintains the List of World Heritage in Danger.

There are currently 851 cultural or natural sites on the World Heritage List, and they are situated in 141 countries.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES DONORS TO SUPPORT CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC'S DEVELOPMENT

BAN KI-MOON URGES DONORS TO SUPPORT CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC'S DEVELOPMENT
New York, Oct 25 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on countries to generously support the Central African Republic (CAR) in its efforts to restore peace and achieve progress, ahead of a donors meeting to be hosted by the European Commission in Brussels tomorrow.

Mr. Ban "welcomes the holding of the Donors' Round Table on the Central African Republic, to mobilize financial resources for implementation of the country's development programmes," his spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11240.doc.htm">statement issued today.

The Secretary-General commended the Government of CAR and its partners for the economic progress made so far and called on the international community "to provide generous support to help the country restore lasting peace through inclusive political dialogue, socio-economic development and strengthened national institutions."

He also reaffirmed the readiness of the UN to continue to support efforts to stabilize the CAR, where nearly 300,000 people have been uprooted from their homes in the past year and a half due to conflict within the country's borders.

In September, the Security Council established a UN-mandated, multidimensional presence, which will include European Union military forces, in north-eastern CAR and eastern Chad to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted due to insecurity in the two countries and neighbouring Sudan.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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TOKELAU NARROWLY REJECTS SELF-GOVERNMENT OPTION IN UN-SUPERVISED BALLOT

TOKELAU NARROWLY REJECTS SELF-GOVERNMENT OPTION IN UN-SUPERVISED BALLOT
New York, Oct 25 2007 3:00PM
Tokelau will remain a territory of New Zealand after the citizens of the three small and isolated atolls in the Pacific Ocean fell 16 votes short of gaining self-government in a United Nations-supervised referendum – the second such ballot in less than two years.

Some 446 of 692 valid votes cast during four days of balloting this week, or 64.4 per cent, backed the option for self-government in free association with New Zealand, according to results announced on Atafu, one of Tokelau's atolls, yesterday.

This was not enough to meet the two-thirds majority required by Tokelau's representative body, the General Fono, to change the status of the Non-Self-Governing Territory. New Zealand has administered Tokelau since 1926.

In a referendum on the same issue in February 2006, the self-government option attracted about 60 per cent of the vote. This time, 789 people of Tokelau's estimated population of 1,500 were eligible to vote.

A five-member team of UN monitors observing the poll – which began on Saturday in Apia, Samoa, and continued on the three atolls this week – said the election process was fair, transparent and credible.

Ambassador Robert Aisi of Papua New Guinea, who represented the UN Special Committee on Decolonization (also known as the Committee of 24) on the monitoring team, said it was important to take pride in the nature of the election process.

"The Special Committee has long been in awe of the fact that this small community of 1,500 people has been fully able, amongst many other things, to manage its own budget, run its own public services, and take care of its own shipping service and telecommunication system," he said.

"At the same time, Tokelau has been playing a role in regional affairs and managing relationships with its Pacific neighbours, not to mention being a member of a number of regional and international organizations and groupings. This all represents a series of achievements of which Tokelau can be very proud."

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11238.doc.htm">statement released by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he took note of the results and respected the decision of the people of Tokelau.

"It is important that the people of Tokelau have had this opportunity," the statement said, adding that New Zealand also deserved commendation "for its exemplary commitment and cooperation in this process."

New Zealand's Administrator of Tokelau, David Payton, said it was now up to the Tokelauan community to determine how it wants to move forward following the vote.

Tokelau, which lies about 500 kilometres north of Samoa in the Pacific Ocean, has a land mass of approximately 12 square kilometres.

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 and joined the UN that same year.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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UN JOINS RELIEF EFFORT AFTER WESTERN NICARAGUA HIT BY FLOODS, LANDSLIDES

UN JOINS RELIEF EFFORT AFTER WESTERN NICARAGUA HIT BY FLOODS, LANDSLIDES
New York, Oct 25 2007 1:00PM
United Nations humanitarian agencies are <" http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SHES-78BKBT?OpenDocument">helping with relief efforts in Nicaragua, where heavy rain over the past 12 days has brought flooding and landslides and devastated cropland and vital infrastructure across the country's west.

Eight people have drowned and two others remain missing since the floods began earlier this month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) <" http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SIRU-78B2J7?OpenDocument">reported today.

Almost 24,000 people across 11 departments of western Nicaragua have been affected by the unrelenting rains, and some 7,000 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters.

In Matagalpa department, where a series of low-intensity landslides damaged water sewage lines and led to sewage spilling into local rivers, cases of diarrhoea, respiratory infections and headaches have since been reported in some shelters.

The UN Children's Fund (<" http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) and the Pan-American Health Organization (<" http://www.paho.org">PAHO) conducted a mission last weekend to affected areas to support the fight against possible epidemics and the mobilization of medical brigades. Some 500 blankets were also distributed in Matagalpa.

The World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english">WFP) is providing technical assistance to the Nicaraguan Government, which declared a national emergency on Monday, as it coordinates the relief effort and tries to determine how much food is needed by people affected by the floods. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are also assisting with aid.

Priority needs include chlorine treatment systems, the cleaning and protection of water sources, mattresses for displaced families as well as corn and bean seeds.

Up to 14 per cent of Nicaragua's total bean crop has been inundated, while an estimated 4 per cent of the corn crop has also been hit.

OCHA reported that the devastation has been widespread. More than 1,900 houses have been damaged, including many that have been completely destroyed, while numerous roads, bridges, public buildings, churches, wells, latrines and sewage systems have also been damaged or rendered inoperable.

The floods and landslides have occurred at a particularly vulnerable time for Nicaragua, which is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Felix at the start of last month.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY HAILS PLANS FOR 'GREEN' 2008 BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES

UN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY HAILS PLANS FOR 'GREEN' 2008 BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES
New York, Oct 25 2007 9:00AM
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today hailed strides being made to "green" the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games through the use of solar power and other measures but cautioned that more should be done to address air pollution, offset greenhouse gas emissions and boost public transport use.

"The initial score card on the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics 2008 is positive in terms of the greening of the Games," said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

China's initiative to host the Games is serving to accelerate environmental improvements across the city, as Beijing strives to balance rapid economic growth with health and environmental protection, the agency said.

Environmental measures are being introduced covering waste management, cleaner transport systems and water treatment, as well as new urban green belts including a 580-hectare Olympic Forest Park, according to a UNEP report.

The agency commends China for accelerating the phase-out of ozone depleting chemicals and for providing energy efficiency and green energy appliances at buildings and sports venues.

Solar power is also being extensively deployed at sports venues and at the Olympic village and the organizers have well-developed plans to re-use and recycle venues after the Games close, UNEP said.

But while the report acknowledges the significant investment and achievements of the organizers of the 2008 Olympic Games, it also highlights some remaining concerns, including air quality and pollution as well as under-utilization of the city's expanding public transport network.

"The more than $12 billion spent by the Municipal Government and Government of China appears to have been well spent?and will be even more well spent if the lessons learned and measures adopted are picked up by municipalities across the country so as to leave a real and lasting nationwide legacy," said Mr. Steiner added.

2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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GAINS FOR AFGHANISTAN'S CHILDREN IMPERILED BY RECENT VIOLENCE -- UNICEF

GAINS FOR AFGHANISTAN'S CHILDREN IMPERILED BY RECENT VIOLENCE -- UNICEF
New York, Oct 25 2007 8:00AM
Violence, a decaying health system and unabated attacks on schools in Afghanistan are combining to hamper progress for the country's young people, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned today.

The agency's "Child Alert Afghanistan" report, launched in Geneva and Kabul, is based on the findings of Martin Bell, UNICEF UK Ambassador for Humanitarian Emergencies, who made a a two-week trip to Afghanistan in July and August.

"Despite a multitude of plans and proposals, projects and partners, and the support of many countries working to bring peace and progress to Afghanistan, I have witnessed a spike in insecurity that is causing more and more schools to close and more and more children to be killed," said Mr. Bell.

"Families, especially in the South, are caught in the middle of this crossfire, out of reach of humanitarian assistance. Simply put, it is make or break time for Afghanistan's children."

As conflict engulfs large parts of Afghanistan, Child Alert underscores the need to pull together the security necessary to allow children to go to school. Forty-four school attacks occurred in the first six months of 2007. Girls' schools and at times girls themselves are targeted, stalling or reversing progress in female education made since the fall of the Taliban regime, and causing attendance to drop significantly in secondary school.

Health workers lack access to over 40 per cent of the country, and even those areas that can be reached are under constant threat, according to the report. It argues strongly for greater efforts to address the high maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan, where more than 60 women died daily in 2005 from pregnancy-related causes, while nearly 900 children under five died every day in 2006.

"Being a child in Afghanistan means waking every morning unsure if your walk to school will come under gunfire," Catherine Mbengue, UNICEF's Country Representative, said at the report's
perhaps growing up without a mother because she died in the one of the most dangerous countries in the world to give birth."

On the positive side, the report finds that the UNICEF-supported polio eradication campaign achieved progress; new cases drop from 31 in 2006 to 11 so far this year. More than 15,000 vaccinators have visited the whole country as part of the National Immunization Days organized by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Public Health to reach 7.3 million children.

UNICEF working to help the children of Afghanistan through various initiatives, but the agency's $16.7 million appeal has come up 43 per cent short of its target.

2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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REFUGEES FROM DR CONGO'S EQUATEUR PROVINCE STREAM HOME -- UN AGENCY

REFUGEES FROM DR CONGO'S EQUATEUR PROVINCE STREAM HOME -- UN AGENCY
New York, Oct 25 2007 8:00AM
Thanks to increased boat trips across the Oubangui river, more than 16,000 refugees have returned to their home districts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) Equateur province in the country's northwest so far this year, the United Nations refugee agency has reported.

This figure represents almost many as returned in the three previous years combined, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is preparing to phase out its assisted voluntary repatriation to Equateur by the middle of next year.

UNHCR officials said the increase was possible because the agency had stepped up river return trips and was now taking people to two destinations simultaneously -- Buburu and Imese.

This year's total return figure is expected to reach around 18,000, compared to just under 2,000 in 2004 when the programme started. Almost all of the returnees are coming from the Republic of Congo.

"Even by African standards the return area is extremely remote," said UNHCR Regional Representative Eusebe Hounsokou, while watching returnees board boats at the Republic of Congo town of Impfondo on the northern bank of the Oubangui river, which forms a natural boundary between the two Congos.

From 1997-2002, Equateur province was torn by fighting between government troops and the rebel Congolese Liberation Movement which caused more than 60,000 Congolese to flee across the river. Peace has returned to the area and the military forces have been withdrawn from refugee return areas.

The refugee agency has also used specially made wooden river boats called "balenaires" during repatriation. These long, thin vessels carry only 50 people each but are easier to navigate along the Oubangui and have helped boost return figures.

"Repatriation numbers to Equateur province have peaked because we were able to run four repatriation boat convoys per week to two destinations in parallel, with up to 1,000 returnees per week,"
UNHCR's head of office in Impfondo.

Those returning still face hardship in an area lacking infrastructure and basic services, warned UNHCR, which conducts medical screening, vaccinates children against measles, and helps to rehabilitate health centres and schools while supporting income-generation projects in return areas.

Since 2004, more than 136,000 Congolese refugees have repatriated to the DRC, mainly to South Kivu (59,000), Equateur (36,000) and Katanga (35,000) provinces. The majority have come back with UNHCR assistance. Some 310,000 Congolese refugees remain in countries like Tanzania (101,000), Zambia (56,000), Rwanda (45,000) and the Republic of the Congo (31,000).

Fighting in the vast DRC's North Kivu region has recently driven tens of thousands of others into Uganda.

2007-10-25 00:00:00.000

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PARTICIPANTS IN UN FORUM HIGHLIGHT CRUCIAL ROLE OF DEVELOPMENT FINANCING

PARTICIPANTS IN UN FORUM HIGHLIGHT CRUCIAL ROLE OF DEVELOPMENT FINANCING
New York, Oct 24 2007 7:00PM
Countries rich and poor continued their discussion of finance for development during the second day of a high-level <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10646.doc.htm">dialogue organized by the General Assembly, focusing on an anti-poverty partnership sealed five years ago in Monterrey, Mexico.

At this week's meeting, governments are assessing progress in implementing the landmark agreement reached in 2002 known as the Monterrey Consensus, in which developing countries took primary responsibility for mobilizing domestic resources and developed countries agreed to promote an environment conducive to this effort.

The six major areas addressed by the Consensus are mobilizing domestic financial resources; mobilizing international resources; international trade; international cooperation for development; external debt; and the coherence of the international monetary, financial and trading systems.

Participants in today's session, which includes ministers and central bank governors, as well as representatives of governments, business and civil society, highlighted the crucial role played by official development assistance (ODA) in the efforts of countries to lift themselves out of poverty and achieve their development targets.

Speaking on behalf of African States, Jean-Marie Ehouzou of Benin said assistance flows to developing countries should be stable, predictable and capable of stimulate financing of investments, especially in infrastructure. Also, development assistance would be more effective if it was in line with national priorities and harmonized between donors and recipients.

While agreeing that donors needed to do more to improve the effectiveness of aid, United States delegate Alejandro Wolff felt many countries had not done enough to foster domestic resource mobilization or attract private capital flow.

"Private sector flows will only go to areas that will be able to attract them," said Pakistan's State Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar at one of the event's round tables. "Goodwill is not enough," she said, adding that human resource development was a key element to attract private investment.

Lennart Båge, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), pointed out that annual remittances from the world's 150 million migrant workers amounted to $301 billion per year – three times the amount of ODA. For 45 countries, this represented more than 10 per cent of their gross domestic product. One third of such remittances went to rural areas, often representing the main source of financial resources.

Canada's delegate John McNee called for an integrated approach mobilizing all possible sources of financing, including trade liberalization, ODA, debt relief, and mobilization of domestic resources. "We must remember that a favourable national environment is indispensable for development financing," he said. "Such an environment would permit to attract, retain and utilize wisely all sources of financing."

The outcome of the dialogue, expected to conclude tomorrow, will provide the basis for next year's Review Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Doha, Qatar.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: UN RIGHTS EXPERT TO PROBE ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSES DURING CRACKDOWN

MYANMAR: UN RIGHTS EXPERT TO PROBE ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSES DURING CRACKDOWN
New York, Oct 24 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations independent human rights expert on Myanmar said today he would use his upcoming official visit to the troubled country to verify allegations of abuses during the recent Government crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, determine the numbers and whereabouts of those detained or killed, and collect testimony about what happened.

Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, told the General Assembly's third committee (social, humanitarian and cultural issues) that although he has not been allowed into the country since 2003, he has received extremely worrying reports about the Government's response to the protests, which began in mid-August after a sudden surge in fuel prices.

"I have been able to verify, through different independent and reliable sources, allegations of the use of excessive force by the security forces, including live ammunitions, rubber bullets, tear gas, bamboo and wood sticks, rubber batons and catapults (slingshots)," he said. "This largely explains the killings and the severe injuries reported."

Mr. Pinheiro said it was difficult to know yet exactly how many people were killed or arrested during the crackdown, with the figures provided by authorities well below that of others in the South-East Asian nation.

"According to other sources, between 30 to 40 monks and 50 to 70 civilians have allegedly been killed, while 200 have been beaten," he said, noting that one website has listed almost 800 people who were allegedly detained or have disappeared and others cite even higher numbers.

The Special Rapporteur added that reports continue of deaths in custody, torture, disappearances, ill-treatment, and lack of access to food, water and medical treatment for those in detention.

"Reports are being received regarding night raids during the curfew hours, with the army and the militia going home by home searching for people and detaining participants in the demonstrations. Relatives of people in hiding have reportedly been taken hostage as a way of pressure."

Mr. Pinheiro urged Myanmar's authorities to: release unconditionally all detainees; ensure humanitarian access to all in custody; grant amnesty to those who have been sentenced; reveal the whereabouts of missing persons; ensure the safety of everyone taken into custody; and conduct an independent investigation into the killings and enforced disappearances.

He noted that "the recent tragic events have shown to the international community, once again, that the Government is not adequately protecting the freedoms of opinion and of assembly," and he said the Government-decreed road map for democratization "faces many obstacles" before it can produce a meaningful transition.

In addition, he called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), who as of today has spent 12 years in detention in Myanmar.

Mr. Pinheiro's visit, which the Government of Myanmar agreed to last Friday, is likely to take place before the summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is scheduled to open on 17 November.

Ibrahim Gambari, the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, is also slated to makes his own visit to the country next month, his second since the crackdown began.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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LATEST FIGURES SHOW 43.7 MILLION TOOK PART IN GLOBAL UN ANTI-POVERTY EVENT

LATEST FIGURES SHOW 43.7 MILLION TOOK PART IN GLOBAL UN ANTI-POVERTY EVENT
New York, Oct 24 2007 6:00PM
Over 43.7 million people took part in last week's record-breaking United Nations campaign to "Stand Up Against Poverty," a spokesperson for the world body announced today.

Citing figures from organizers, Marie Okabe said the event set a Guinness World Record as people from around the globe participated in a bid to push international leaders to deliver on their pledge to end extreme poverty 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, which was led by the UN 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.

During the 17 October event, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all people to join their voices in support of the cause. "Let us all stand up. Let us demonstrate the political will required to end the scourge of poverty once and for all," he said.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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UN OFFICIAL STRESSES NEED FOR PREPAREDNESS FOR POTENTIAL FLU PANDEMIC

UN OFFICIAL STRESSES NEED FOR PREPAREDNESS FOR POTENTIAL FLU PANDEMIC
New York, Oct 24 2007 5:00PM
Warning that the H5N1 virus responsible for bird flu could still transform itself into the next human influenza pandemic, a senior United Nations specialist has stressed the need to ensure that the world can respond promptly and effectively in the case of an outbreak.

"Given the potential magnitude of human suffering and economic consequences, we need to be getting ourselves prepared for it," the UN's System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, David Nabarro, told reporters in Geneva today.

Providing an update on avian and human influenza, he noted that, as of the end of August, the H5N1 virus had spread to 60 countries, resulting in 200 deaths.

Dr. Nabarro said the virus was entrenched in five countries, one of which was Indonesia, where there was evidence of continued circulation of H5N1 among poultry and occasional infections of humans with the virus.

"As long as this virus is being circulated, even if it's only in one or two countries, that raises the risk that a pandemic can develop," he cautioned.

The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) is currently working with national authorities to develop rapid response plans and ensure adequate supplies of the anti-viral flu medicine tamiflu.

According to WHO, the projected supply of influenza vaccines in case of a global pandemic has soared this year, and it is expected that the world will be capable of producing 4.5 billion pandemic immunization courses per year by 2010.

This compares to the 100 million courses of vaccine based on the H5N1 strain that WHO and vaccine manufacturers earlier this year projected could be produced immediately with standard technology.

"We are not yet at a situation where this H5N1 has mutated into a form that could undergo continuous human-to-human transmission," Dr. Nabarro said, adding that "as long as we don't have a pandemic, what we do need to do is get prepared."
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE BASIS FOR GLOBAL ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

BAN KI-MOON URGES EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE BASIS FOR GLOBAL ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
New York, Oct 24 2007 5:00PM
Continuing his campaign to galvanize the international community on climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged ministers meeting in Indonesia to work towards a solid basis for international action to tackle the problem.

"The threat of climate change has moved to the centre of the global political arena with more urgency and intensity than any issue in recent memory," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11235.doc.htm">message to an informal Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change being held in Bogor.

He reviewed recent developments, including the high-level event he convened in New York in September, which fostered a consensus among national leaders on key themes.
Participants "pointed to mitigation and adaptation as central to a sound response, with financing and technology as key tools," he said, recalling that they also stressed the need to harness technology and foster innovative financing, including incentives to prevent deforestation.

"While these themes may provide the building blocks for a future regime, the true challenge lies in putting them together to create a solid foundation for global action," Mr. Ban declared. "It is critical that this ministerial meeting lay the cornerstone for success in Bali."

The Indonesian island will play host in December to the next Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UNFCCC). That pact's Kyoto Protocol contains binding commitments for countries to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change, but it will expire in 2012. The challenge for the Bali meeting is to lay the groundwork for an international regime after that date.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY TO PRESS CHINA TO DO MORE ON MYANMAR

UN ENVOY TO PRESS CHINA TO DO MORE ON MYANMAR
New York, Oct 24 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy for Myanmar has arrived in Beijing, where he is expected to encourage the Chinese Government to do more to push the South-East Asian nation towards democratization and national reconciliation.

Speaking to the press just before his departure to Beijing, Mr. Gambari said China has been quite helpful in terms of the good offices role of the Secretary-General, adding that Beijing had encouraged Myanmar's authorities to receive him at the height of the crisis.

"I am going to Beijing to acknowledge what they have done but also to encourage them to do more in delivering on the big issues – faster rate of democratization, greater respect of human rights and also in addressing the root causes of discontent, both in terms of social, economic and also of a political nature," he said.

Mr. Gambari also stressed that the UN is counting on China and other regional partners to help the Organization work with the Government of Myanmar to achieve results sooner than later.

While in Beijing, Mr. Gambari is scheduled to meet with State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei.

His visit to China is part of consultations with regional leaders on how to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, and follows talks with officials in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India.

After Beijing, the Special Envoy will travel to Tokyo for consultations with Japanese counterparts. He expects to be able to visit Myanmar in the first week of November.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: UN ENVOY HOPES ALL REBEL LEADERS WILL PARTICIPATE IN PEACE TALKS

DARFUR: UN ENVOY HOPES ALL REBEL LEADERS WILL PARTICIPATE IN PEACE TALKS
New York, Oct 24 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Special Envoy to Darfur said today that he hopes as many rebel leaders as possible from the war-torn Sudanese region will eventually take part in landmark peace talks starting on Saturday, even though some of the splintering rebel forces are already signalling they will not attend.

Jan Eliasson told reporters that it was still not clear exactly how many rebel leaders will participate in the talks in Sirte, Libya, but he warned that the stakes for the people of Darfur were too high for them to turn down the invitation.

"We may have a very dangerous development if we miss this opportunity," he said, noting that the Sudanese Government, the country's neighbours, representatives of Darfurian civil society and some local tribal leaders have all said they are ready and willing to take part.

"We are now, of course, coming close to the moment of truth. I would say [it's] the moment of hope for Darfur."

He stressed that substantive negotiations on many of the most contentious issues, such as power-sharing and control of land, will not take place immediately, allowing the rebel groups time to hold consultations among themselves on the sidelines of the Sirte talks.

But he said that further delays would only lengthen the suffering in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since 2003 because of fighting between rebels, Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed.

The Security Council has authorized the creation of a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force, to be known as UNAMID, to try to quell the violence.

The lead-up to the talks in Sirte, which are being co-convened by Mr. Eliasson and his AU counterpart, Salim Ahmed Salim, have been complicated by the proliferation of rebel movements as many of the existing groups, including the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), splinter into smaller factions.

Speaking today by videoconference from Asmara, Eritrea, where he has been meeting with senior Government officials to discuss preparations for the negotiations, Mr. Eliasson said there is "very little hope" that rebel leader Abdul Wahid el-Nur will attend, while Khalil Ibrahim of the JEM has also asked for the talks to be delayed. But he said he was still hopeful that other rebel leaders would join the Sirte talks later.

Mr. Eliasson said obtaining a formal cessation of hostilities would be a priority of the talks, while arrangements for the return of displaced people can also be given immediate attention. He expects the initial discussions in Sirte will focus on issues of security and wealth-sharing.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is briefing the Security Council behind closed doors later today on the preparations and expectations for the Sirte talks.

The Special Envoy said the preparations for the talks had been adversely affected by the recent spike in violence in Darfur, particularly the deadly attack last month against AU peacekeepers in the town of Haskanita.

Frustration is growing in the camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), he said, with many residents having spent four years there and some younger IDPs becoming increasingly radicalized. Violence in the camps is rising and arms are starting to flow in.

The strained relationship in the National Unity Government, formed in the wake of the end of the separate north-south civil war in Sudan, was also adding to the difficulties, Mr. Eliasson said.

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/624">report on the implementation of the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement that ended that war, Mr. Ban says recent events underline the fragility of the pact and the failure to implement some of its key provisions.

Earlier this month, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) – the former southern rebel group – suspended its participation in the Government, although it is now holding talks with the National Congress Party on how to resolve their impasse.

Mr. Ban urges all sides to implement their commitments under the agreement, calling on the leaders to show political courage.

"While the conflict in Darfur undoubtedly had consequences for the rest of the country, we must not lose sight of the fact that the comprehensive peace agreement remains critical to long-lasting peace throughout the Sudan," the Secretary-General writes.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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UN OFFICIAL VOICES CONCERN AT HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS FACING PALESTINIANS

UN OFFICIAL VOICES CONCERN AT HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS FACING PALESTINIANS
New York, Oct 24 2007 3:00PM
Raising concerns about the humanitarian conditions facing Palestinians, the top United Nations political official today told the Security Council that planned Israeli measures could further hamper relief efforts.

"Economic activity and humanitarian operations will be seriously affected by the decision of Israel to further restrict access for West Bank residents – including UN staff – to East Jerusalem and the 'seam zone' between the Barrier and the green line," B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said during his periodic Council briefing.

The announced intention to halve the number of crossing points for goods from 12 to six and the imposition of "back to back" procedures and new customs regulations "would, if implemented, significantly increase the cost of transportation of humanitarian supplies, and result in possibly unsustainable operational obstacles," he warned. The UN is engaging the Israeli Government to seek a reconsideration of the measures.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is "deteriorating alarmingly," Mr. Pascoe said. In June and July, around 100 truckloads of humanitarian goods were entering Gaza daily, but that figure has shrunk to 50. In July, an average of 40 critical medical cases crossed Erez into Israel for medical treatment not available in Gaza, but that number has since dwindled to five.

Poverty levels are on the rise, food prices are increasing, and tens of thousands of workers have lost incomes, the Under-Secretary-General said.

"We are also concerned that one of the two crossings that remain open for humanitarian goods – Sufa – is slated to be closed towards the end of this month," Mr. Pascoe said, pointing out that the number of trucks going through there was nearly four times the number which went through Kerem Shalom which, although upgraded, is "unlikely to have the capacity" required to meet the humanitarian needs of the population.

"It is difficult to see how security concerns can justify the hardship these measures are causing," said Mr. Pascoe, reiterating Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's strong injunction against punishment of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

He also repeated the concern expressed by the Quartet – a diplomatic grouping of the UN, United States, Russian Federation and European Union – regarding the continued closure of Gaza, and its call for continued emergency and humanitarian assistance without obstruction and the provision of essential services.

Looking to a planned international meeting on the Middle East being supported by the Quartet, Mr. Pascoe said the Secretary-General hopes it "deals with the substance of permanent peace, has broad Arab participation, produces results that positively affect the lives of Israelis and Palestinians, and leads to a serious follow-on process."

Toward this end, he encouraged the parties "to be bold in reaching understandings on core issues and on a clear process following the international meeting."
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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GOVERNMENTS MUST DO MORE TO ENSURE HOUSING RIGHTS FOR ROMA - UN EXPERT

GOVERNMENTS MUST DO MORE TO ENSURE HOUSING RIGHTS FOR ROMA – UN EXPERT
New York, Oct 24 2007 2:00PM
An independent United Nations rights expert has urged European countries to ensure the right to adequate housing for Roma, as more and more of them have been forcibly evicted from their homes and are facing growing discrimination.

"Housing rights of Roma are abused in several parts of Europe," stated Miloon Kothari, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, in a <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/824CB02DF5A5C358C125737E00367C30?opendocument">joint statement issued with the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg.

Mr. Kothari drew attention to an increasing number of reports of evictions of Roma communities and families "which have been carried out in violation of human rights standards."

He also noted an "undeniable growth of anti-Romani sentiment or 'anti-Ziganism'" in Europe, and a lack of action on the part of authorities to tackle this problem. "It is regrettable that the actions of many public authorities – particularly at the local level – have been to acquiesce in this intensification of anti-Romani hatred.

"As a result, the rate and number of forced evictions of Roma have grown dramatically, and segregation and ghettoization in the housing field appears to have intensified and become entrenched in recent years," he stated.

The Special Rapporteur pointed out that the right to adequate housing is crucial for the enjoyment of other rights, including privacy, education, employment, health and electoral participation, and pointed out that the "substandard" education of Roma in many European countries is often the result of placement far from decent schools or repeated eviction.

Calling for concerted action at the local, national and European levels to end the housing crisis of the Roma, Mr. Kothari urged that domestic laws be strengthened to ensure security of tenure for all vulnerable groups, and that legal protection against forced eviction be brought into conformity with international law.

In taking these and other measures, he stressed the need for "full and meaningful" consultation with affected Roma communities.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES GREATER EFFORTS TO TACKLE 'SILENT CRISIS' OF SAFE WATER FOR ALL

BAN KI-MOON URGES GREATER EFFORTS TO TACKLE 'SILENT CRISIS' OF SAFE WATER FOR ALL
New York, Oct 24 2007 1:00PM
Unveiling a new exhibit at United Nations Headquarters highlighting one of the earth's most precious resources, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for greater efforts to ensure the most basic of human needs – safe water.

"Safe drinking water and adequate sanitation are crucial for poverty reduction, crucial for sustainable development, and crucial for achieving any and every one of the Millennium Development Goals," Mr. Ban stated, referring to the global targets to slash poverty, illiteracy, disease and other social ills by 2015 collectively known as the <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals">MDGs.

<" http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2811">Speaking at the opening of the exhibit on water and the interlinked issue of sanitation, organized by the American Museum of Natural History and the UN Department of Public Information, Mr. Ban noted that living in New York makes it easy to sometimes forget just how precious water is and to take it for granted.

"We turn on a tap, and it gushes out. We walk into any corner store, and shelves groan under its bottled weight. Yard space, rather than sprinklers, is the scarce commodity. And rain brings consternation, not relief," he said.

However, the "sobering reality" is that the planet's water supplies are under great stress due to high population growth, unsustainable consumption patterns, poor management practices, pollution, inadequate investment in infrastructure, and low efficiency in water-use.

Every day, a lack of safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation claims about 6,000 lives, most of them children, the Secretary-General pointed out. Some 700 million lives in 43 countries are affected by water scarcity. By 2025, these ranks could swell to more than 3 billion.

In addition, in many areas climate change will likely make a bad situation worse; causing floods in some parts and droughts elsewhere, he added, stressing the urgent need for integrated and sustainable approaches to water resource management.

Mr. Ban also said the Museum's initiative was timely, given that General Assembly has declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation in order to spotlight this "silent crisis."

The Headquarters display – containing over 50 images from the gigantic water tunnel under construction beneath New York City to a fishing village floating on the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia – is part of a new major exhibition, "Water: H20 = Life," that opens at the American Museum on 3 November and will travel to venues in Canada, Asia and South America next year.
2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY RUSHES AID TO FLOOD-HIT FAMILIES IN GUATEMALA

UN FOOD AGENCY RUSHES AID TO FLOOD-HIT FAMILIES IN GUATEMALA
New York, Oct 24 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is helping more than a thousand families affected by recent floods in Guatemala.

Based on an assessment of the affected areas on the country's Pacific coast carried out in cooperation with the Government, WFP is helping 1,128 families in the Municipality of Ocós who lost their crops following heavy rains.

"This intervention is an example of the good coordination that exists among the institutions involved in responding immediately to the recurrent situations during the rainy season," said WFP's Representative in Guatemala, Willem van Milink.

The agency also plans to distribute rations to nearly 550 people now in temporary shelters. The packages, which include corn, oil and fortified flour, provide the minimum of 2,120 calories for each person daily.

2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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NUCLEAR POWER TO STAY PROMINENT, UN ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY REPORTS

NUCLEAR POWER TO STAY PROMINENT, UN ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY REPORTS
New York, Oct 24 2007 9:00AM
New projections from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) show that nuclear power will remain a key energy source in the coming decades, with over two dozen new reactors now under construction globally.

A new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) projects an average growth rate of up to 2.5 per cent, or expressed as wattage, 679 gigawatts, by 2030. The low projection would be 447 gigawatts for the same period.

"Our job is not so much to predict the future but to prepare for it," said IAEA Nuclear Analyst Alan McDonald. "To that end we update each year a high and low projection to establish the range of uncertainty we ought to be prepared for."

The report documents 435 operating nuclear reactors around the world, including 103 in the United States alone. Globally, 29 more are under construction. The US had the most operating units, followed by France, with 59; Japan (55) and the Russian Federation (31).

Of the 30 countries with nuclear power, the percentage of electricity supplied by nuclear ranged from a high of 78 per cent in France to just 2 per cent in China. But the report notes that China is experiencing "huge energy growth and is trying to expand every source it can, including nuclear power." With four reactors under construction, China plans a nearly five-fold expansion by just 2020.

Nuclear power's share of worldwide electricity production rose from less than 1 per cent in 1960 to 16 per cent in 1986, and that percentage has held essentially constant in the 21 years since 1986, according to the IAEA. Nuclear electricity generation has grown steadily at the same pace as overall global electricity generation. At the close of 2006, nuclear provided about 15 per cent of total electricity worldwide.

Serving as the main global forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology, the IAEA carries out programmes to maximize the usefu
to society while verifying its peaceful use.

2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN GUIDELINES TO HELP ASSESS HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

NEW UN GUIDELINES TO HELP ASSESS HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
New York, Oct 24 2007 9:00AM
Aiming to help parents and policymakers, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today published the first internationally agreed classification code for assessing the health of children.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth is considered a breakthrough initiative. "For the first time, we now have a tool that enables us to track and compare the health of children and youth between countries and over time," said Nenad Kostanjsek of WHO's Measurement and Health Information team.

He said it "will allow countries and the international community to take informed action to improve children's health, education and rights, by treating their health as a function of the environment that adults provide."

The Classification addresses hundreds of bodily functions and structures, activities and participation, and various environmental factors that restrict or allow young people to function in an array of every day activities. WHO said it will have has important implications globally for research, standard setting and mobilizing resources.

The classification also covers developmental delay, the agency said. Children who achieve certain milestones later than their peers may be at increased risk of disability. Using this classification, health practitioners, parents and teachers can describe these delays precisely in order to plan for health and educational needs and frame policy debates.

2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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WORLD TURNING TOWARDS MULTILATERALISM, BAN KI-MOON SAYS IN UN DAY MESSAGE

WORLD TURNING TOWARDS MULTILATERALISM, BAN KI-MOON SAYS IN UN DAY MESSAGE
New York, Oct 24 2007 8:00AM
The world is moving in favour of the United Nations but the Organization must strengthen its ability to produce results in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in his first message to mark UN Day.

"More people and governments understand that multilateralism is the only path in our interdependent and globalizing world," Mr. Ban said in his message. "Global problems demand global solutions -- and going it alone is not a viable option."

Noting that the demands on the UN "are growing every day," the Secretary-General pledged to ensure that the UN makes progress on the most pressing current issues. He cited conflict prevention and peacebuilding, disarmament and non-proliferation, climate change, human rights and reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"We will be judged in the future on the actions we take today -- on results. On this United Nations Day, let us rededicate ourselves to achieving them."

Mr. Ban -- who assumed the post of Secretary-General on 1 January this year -- said he would work with Member States and civil society worldwide to ensure that the UN can play the fullest role possible in conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

He also pledged to mobilize political will on the key questions of aid, trade and debt relief to help poor nations reach the MDGs, the series of eight anti-poverty targets which world leaders have vowed to try to attain by 2015.

"And I will continue to do all I can to galvanize global and decisive action on climate change," he said, adding that the UN was the natural forum for building international consensus among both rich and poor countries on how to respond to the phenomenon.

Turning to human rights, Mr. Ban said he would try to translate the "responsibility to protect" concept from word into deed to make certain that there is timely action whenever populations face
genocide, ethnic cleansing or crimes against humanity.

To achieve all of these tasks, the Secretary-General stressed the need to "transform the UN itself. We must adapt to meet new needs, and ensure the highest standard of ethics, integrity and accountability, so as to demonstrate that we are fully answerable to all Member States and to people around the world."

2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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UN DAY CELEBRATIONS SPAN GLOBE

UN DAY CELEBRATIONS SPAN GLOBE
New York, Oct 24 2007 8:00AM
From the planting of some 2,000 trees in Ethiopia to the opening of an exhibition inside one of Asia's largest shopping malls to a public forum in Afghanistan to the staging of classical music concerts in New York and Geneva, people around the world are marking United Nations Day, which celebrates the day in 1945 when the Organization was born.

In Addis Ababa, UN staff members are planting up to 2,000 trees in a national park above the Ethiopian capital and holding their traditional flag-raising ceremony as part of a series of events to observe the Day.

Professors and students at Kabul University in Afghanistan are holding a question-and-answer session about the role of the UN in which the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative Christopher Alexander will be participating.

In Bangkok, 22 UN entities and international organizations with offices in the Thai capital are taking part in a bilingual exhibition in CentralWorld, the city's largest mall, to show the many ways in which the Organization tries to improve the lives of people in the region. Musical performances and other events will also take place during the life of the three-day exhibition.

Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont is also scheduled to give an address during the official observance at the UN Conference Centre (UNCC) later today, which will also include a flag-raising ceremony and performances by a local singer, a school marching band and a school orchestra.

In Vienna, the UN Information Service (UNIS) in the Austrian capital has organized a student forum bringing together more than 80 students from universities in Austria and Slovakia.

Classical music concerts are being held tonight in both Geneva and New York. In the Swiss city, Luigi Cherubini and Maurice Ravel are performing at Victoria Hall, while the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at the General Assembly Hall in New York.

In his first UN Day message as Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon said that although t
to strengthen its ability to respond to key global challenges on peace and security, development and human rights.

"More people and governments understand that multilateralism is the only path in our interdependent and globalizing world," Mr. Ban said in his message. "Global problems demand global solutions -- and going it alone is not a viable option."

He stressed that the demands on the UN were "growing every day," and warned that "we will be judged in the future on the actions we take today -- on results."

In a separate message, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Timor-Leste Atul Khare stressed that the UN peacekeeping mission in the South-East Asian country (UNMIT) was striving to transform the collective goodwill of the international community towards the small nation into practical action.

"We are dedicated to accomplishing the mandate entrusted to us by the Member States of the United Nations: promotion of peace, democracy and human rights, while supporting efforts to secure food, clean water, health care and the right to education and employment for all," Mr. Khare said.

The UN Country Team in Myanmar issued its own statement saying the Day should serve as an opportunity to "reflect on the importance of ensuring development, prosperity, peace, security and dignity for all" and stressing that all peoples deserve to have these rights and freedoms.

"In Myanmar, the peaceful demonstrations that followed the sudden hike in fuel prices on 15 August highlighted that many of these aspirations are not yet a reality for the people here," the statement noted.

The UN Country Team called for greater public spending in Myanmar's social sectors, a better working environment for humanitarian organizations and a scaling-up of international assistance for the poor.

It also reiterated the calls for action made by Mr. Ban, his Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari and other senior UN officials for the Government of Myanmar to address "the political, economic, humanitarian and human rights issues that are the

UN Day has been celebrated on 24 October every year since 1948, exactly three years after the UN Charter entered into force when China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories had ratified the document. In 1971, the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending that the Day be observed as a public holiday by Member States.

2007-10-24 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR BOOST TO WOMEN'S ROLE IN PEACE AND SECURITY

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR BOOST TO WOMEN'S ROLE IN PEACE AND SECURITY
New York, Oct 23 2007 8:00PM
Recognizing the recent progress towards including women in the search for peace, justice and reconciliation, the Security Council today urged countries and the United Nations system to enhance female participation in decision-making and to take specific steps to protect women and girls from gender-based violence during conflicts.

In a presidential statement adopted at the end of a day-long open meeting, the Council noted the "constant underrepresentation of women in formal peace processes," and called for enhancing their role in matters related to the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 15-member body also expressed deep concern that gender-based violence, particularly rape, remain "pervasive, and in some situations have become systematic," despite calls for the protection of women and girls.

Opening today's <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9151.doc.htm">meeting, which heard from some 60 speakers, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11231.doc.htm">said "there is so much left to do – both for the United Nations and for Member States," to implement the provisions of resolution 1325 – the landmark document adopted by the Council in 2000 which stresses the importance of giving women equal participation and full involvement in peace and security matters and the need to increase their role in decision-making.

Mr. Ban also stressed the need to appoint more women in leadership positions in UN peace operations, and recalled the recent appointment of Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Løj of Denmark to serve as his Special Representative for Liberia. As head of one of the UN's biggest peacekeeping missions, "she will provide a shining example of the kind of qualities we need in our leaders in the field," he said.

Underscoring the vital need to address violence against women, which he said had reached "hideous and pandemic proportions" in some societies attempting to recover from conflict, the Secretary-General urged the Council to establish a mechanism dedicated to monitoring violence against women and girls.

A vital tool in eliminating sexual violence is the UN's political leadership, through the Secretary-General's Special Representatives on the ground, as well as the key role played by UN missions in providing preventive, physical protection, for example, through their daily patrols, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the Council.

"Though this protective role cannot be overstated where it protects even one person, we cannot overlook the reality that we are not present in all locations in need of protection," stated Jean-Marie Guéhenno, pointing out that the deployment of UN troops alone will not bring an end to rape and other forms of sexual violence and abuses.

To address discrimination against women, he stressed that no effort must be spared in putting more women in senior level positions and operational roles in military and policing so as to encourage local women to take on similar roles and ensure the development of a national protection system once the mission leaves.

He said it was an "encouraging sign" that the Liberian National Police received three times the usual number of female applicants in the month following the deployment of the all-female police contingent from India to the UN mission in that country (UNMIL) earlier this year.

"More women in the police force must be accompanied by a strategy to improve policing as a service equally accessible to women," Mr. Guéhenno stated. "This in turn requires laws that incorporate women's rights and a judicial system accessible to victims of sexual violence."

Despite the Council's repeated condemnation of gender-based violence, and its demands to all parties to conflict to cease such actions, the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women pointed out that sexual violence remains pervasive.

"We are at a moment in history when the world should finally be ready to alter the course of human development and renounce all forms of violence by decisively accepting the responsibility to stamp it out," said Rachel Mayanja.

"Today this Council can help accelerate this shift by establishing a dedicated mechanism to monitor the situation of women and girls in conflict and hold parties to conflicts accountable for sexual and gender-based violence," she stated, echoing the call made by the Secretary-General.

She urged all governments, parliaments, international organizations and civil society to join a worldwide campaign on violence against women and girls to be launched by Mr. Ban later this year, saying that "only by acting together can we create more equal relationships and more peaceful societies."

Joanne Sandler, acting Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), told the Council that using resolution 1325 to meaningfully address sexual violence as a method of warfare is "our greatest collective challenge."

"The real measure of effective implementation is not the setting up of systems, plans and processes," she said. The measure is women's participation in and contribution to more sustainable peace agreements and post-conflict reconstruction strategies, and better protection of women and girls in conflict zones.

"The measure is women and men being secure enough to bring cases of wartime atrocities against women and girls to transitional justice mechanisms," she said, adding "we have a long way to go."
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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AT UN ASSEMBLY, MINISTERS DISCUSS NEW PUSH TO FINANCE DEVELOPMENT

AT UN ASSEMBLY, MINISTERS DISCUSS NEW PUSH TO FINANCE DEVELOPMENT
New York, Oct 23 2007 6:00PM
The future of development financing is under discussion at a High-Level United Nations event in New York that has attracted the participation of ministers, central bank governors, government delegates and representatives of business and civil society, meeting to advance a 2002 agreement made in Monterrey, Mexico.

"Progress in implementing the Monterrey Consensus has been mixed," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11232.doc.htm">told at the General Assembly High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, which <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10644.doc.htm">opened today, referring to the understanding which emerged from the Mexico conference based on developing countries taking primary responsibility for mobilizing domestic resources and developed countries agreeing to promote an environment conducive to this effort.

Many developing and low-income countries had experienced stronger economic growth, he said, and official development assistance (ODA) had improved, but the "sustained increase" in assistance needed to meet the targets agreed in Monterrey has not materialized.

"Closing the funding gap is essential if we are to alleviate extreme poverty, fight diseases and achieve the other development targets," Mr. Ban said.

The Secretary-General called on developing countries to adopt policies that support sustained economic growth and job creation. Developed countries must increase capital flows, especially to low-income countries, Mr. Ban argued.

He called for a swift, development-oriented conclusion to the Doha trade negotiations, a sustainable path of debt repayment for low-income countries and greater participation by developing countries in international financial institutions.

"If implemented, existing commitments to finance development are enough to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, even in Africa," said General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim, who is chairing the meeting.

"But each side of the partnership must deliver," he said. "As developing countries adopt comprehensive national strategies, then donors must deliver on commitments to provide additional assistance to enable them to succeed."

Mr. Kerim called for moving beyond the "simplistic division" of the world into North and South. "We live in a far more complex and integrated global age, with new emerging economic powers and donors as well as private philanthropy in all regions of the world."

The General Assembly President added that the Monterrey Consensus combined the energies of governments, international institutions, faith groups, civil society and the private sector. Mr. Kerim stated that: "If this – the greatest anti-poverty partnership in history – is insufficient to break from 'business as usual' many developing countries and campaigners around the world will be left without hope. Global trust will be irredeemably undermined."

On behalf of the group of least developed countries, Bangladesh's Mirza Md. Azizul Islam said they could not "effectively gain from trade" due to "a wide array" of harmful subsidies, non-tariff-restrictions and artificial standards imposed by importing countries. He called on such countries to provide "duty-free and quota-free market access" for all products from least developed countries.

"Monterrey suffers from a serious implementation deficit," said Pakistan's Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China. Official development assistance in 2006 had dipped to 0.3 per cent of gross domestic product, down from 0.36 in 2005. Developing countries had little ability to influence financial trends, despite their importance for growth and development.

Perversely, to guard against the volatility of financial flows, developing countries had accumulated large reserves that were transferred back to the deficit country, she said. This had helped to enlarge the net financial outflow from developing to developed countries, which had gone from $533 billion in 2005 to $662 billion in 2006.

The two-day meeting is addressing the six major areas of the Monterrey Consensus: mobilizing domestic financial resources, mobilizing international resources, international trade, international cooperation for development, external debt, and the coherence of the international monetary, financial and trading systems.

The outcome of the current meeting will provide the basis for next year's Review Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Doha, Qatar.

In a related development, Barbara Adams of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) emphasized the importance of promoting gender equality when tackling the problems associated with financing for development.

"It's got to be economic growth plus; it's not policies only to stimulate economic growth," she said. Policies must be supported at the international level. "Just generating more resources without looking at the actual flows of how those flows help the society to develop can't work," she told a press briefing held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with the General Assembly meeting.

She emphasized the need for policies that support gender equality, especially at the macroeconomic level, where decisions are made that "determine and drive how resources are gathered and how resources are allocated within societies."
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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WITH NEPAL AT CROSSROADS, BAN KI-MOON URGES PARTIES TO AGREE ON FUTURE STEPS

WITH NEPAL AT CROSSROADS, BAN KI-MOON URGES PARTIES TO AGREE ON FUTURE STEPS
New York, Oct 23 2007 6:00PM
The peace process in Nepal is facing unprecedented challenges, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report, urging the parties there to reach agreement on future steps, including a realistic timetable for elections that were to have been held next month but have been postponed to an as yet undetermined date.

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/612">report to the Security Council, Mr. Ban says Nepal stands at a crossroads, with the political parties having made significant progress amid persisting and serious difficulties.

"The peace process in Nepal is facing its most difficult challenges to date," he writes. "The second postponement of the Constituent Assembly election has been a major disappointment for the people of Nepal and the international community."

The Secretary-General calls on the parties to "take a hard look at their differences and the underlying weaknesses of the peace process."

In particular, he calls for the Seven-Party Alliance's members "to set aside their lesser differences and maintain their unity in the interest of the common national agenda."

The past year saw unity among eight key Nepalese parties tested by their failure to carry out agreements, including those covering responsibilities toward cantoned Maoist personnel and the return of properties seized during the 10-year conflict.

Given this context, the Secretary-General recommends a review of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and its implementation. "The shortcomings and enduring strengths of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement need to be assessed in order to build on its achievements," he writes.

"The parties need to jointly and expeditiously identify the main issues that are of critical importance for the success of the peace process. They should engage in a debate on these issues, allowing for adequate public participation, and arrive at a broad road map to carry forward the peace process."

The Secretary-General paints a grim picture of the human rights situation in Nepal. "The overall situation has grown more worrying," he reports, "with increasing violence and instability in parts of the country."

He writes of "real or perceived threats and intimidation" against political parties. At the same time, civilians continue to suffer. "The police have mostly been unable to protect the civilian population and curtail the activities of the groups."

In this environment, the Secretary-General says "it remains to be seen how far political parties will be able to exercise their freedom of assembly and association."

He urges all concerned to protect against abuses. "A pattern of repeated human rights violations and continuing impunity will not only have the cumulative effect of diminishing the prospect of a free and fair electoral process, but could also negatively impact the possibility of a more democratic and inclusive society that many Nepalese hope for," he warns.

The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) continues to monitor arms and armed personnel "to serve the important purpose of fostering confidence and goodwill," the report states.

In a related development, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/english/">OHCHR) in Nepal today issued a <"http://nepal.ohchr.org/en/resources/Documents/English/pressreleases/OCT2007/2007_10_22_HCR_PolicaQuota_E.pdf">statement welcoming a recent decision by the country's cabinet to institute quotas for recruiting women and members of marginalized groups to fill vacant posts in the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force.

OHCHR has long urged the police forces and other Government institutions to take steps to make their workforces more inclusive as part of their response to criticisms that they did not act impartially when responding to violence.

"Making provisions to include historically marginalized groups in the police forces and other civil services will signal that the commitment to inclusion made by political leaders is indeed genuine. It will also address some current demands of these groups, thus strengthening the peace process as it moves toward Constituent Assembly elections," said Richard Bennett, OHCHR Representative in Nepal.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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UN HEALTH AGENCY PROJECTS DRAMATIC EXPANSION OF FLU VACCINE STOCKS

UN HEALTH AGENCY PROJECTS DRAMATIC EXPANSION OF FLU VACCINE STOCKS
New York, Oct 23 2007 5:00PM
The projected supply of influenza vaccines in case of a global pandemic has soared this year, but medical officials should accelerate rather than relax their efforts to prepare for an outbreak, the United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr60/en/index.html">WHO) warned today.

Experts anticipate that the world will be capable of producing 4.5 billion pandemic immunization courses per year by 2010, WHO said in a press release issued at its headquarters in Geneva.

This compares to the 100 million courses of vaccine based on the H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) strain that WHO and vaccine manufacturers earlier this year projected could be produced immediately with standard technology.

WHO attributed the dramatic surge to a combination of recent scientific advances and increased vaccine manufacturing capacity worldwide.

Manufacturers have been able to step up production capacity of trivalent (three viral strains) seasonal influenza vaccines to an estimated 565 million doses, compared to the 350 million doses produced last year.

New vaccines also need less antigen – the substance that stimulates an individual's immune response – in each dose, making it easier to produce more.

Marie-Paule Kieny, Director of WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research, said "we are beginning to be in a much better position vis-à-vis the threat of an influenza pandemic. However, although this is significant progress, it is still far from the 6.7 billion immunization courses that would be needed in a six-month period to protect the whole world."

Dr. Kieny called for preparations to accelerate, backed by political and financial support, so that the gap between supply and demand can be bridged.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY AIRDROPS EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF INTO FLOOD-RAVAGED UGANDA

UN AGENCY AIRDROPS EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF INTO FLOOD-RAVAGED UGANDA
New York, Oct 23 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) has delivered by airdrop enough food for 33,000 people in northern Uganda who have had to leave their homes because of widespread flooding – the first time airdrop food assistance has been used in the Central African country.

WFP spokesperson Christiane Berthiaume told reporters today in Geneva that the agency, which started the relief programme two weeks ago, will continue to deliver emergency food supplies by airdrop for another three weeks.

It is also delivering food supplies by truck, boat and helicopter to an estimated 183,000 people, particularly in western Uganda, which has also been inundated.

In total, more than 480,000 Ugandans have been displaced by the flooding, which were the worst in decades in some areas of the country. Crop planting has been badly hit, and harvests are unlikely before February at the earliest.

The latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) indicates that dry weather for much of the past two weeks has led to improved road conditions, although some bridges remain open only to lightweight vehicles.

All but eight of 110 schools which had been unable to open for the third term have now re-opened, but school sanitation facilities are still struggling to cope, with many latrines waterlogged.

OCHA said it has also been able to reduce the incidence of malaria in those districts where insecticide-treated nets have been widely distributed.

But Ms. Berthiaume warned that, since 15 October, WFP has not received any contributions to its appeal for $26 million to help in the relief effort. So far the agency has received just over a fifth of the target amount, forcing it to dig into its stocks used normally to support refugees and those displaced by the ongoing armed conflict in northern Uganda.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: UN ENVOY TO VISIT EARLIER THAN PLANNED

MYANMAR: UN ENVOY TO VISIT EARLIER THAN PLANNED
New York, Oct 23 2007 3:00PM
Myanmar has agreed to allow United Nations Envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who is currently touring regional capitals to garner support ahead of a planned visit to the country in mid-November, to visit even sooner, the spokesperson for the world body announced today.

Mr. Gambari "expects to visit Myanmar in the first week of November, as the Myanmar Government agreed to bring forward his standing invitation to the country," UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

"While the exact travel dates have yet to be arranged, Mr. Gambari would be going to Myanmar directly from the region, continuing his consultations with key regional countries in the interim," she added.

Dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consult with regional leaders on how to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, Mr. Gambari has met so far with officials in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Special Envoy was in New Delhi today where he met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to whom he delivered a personal message from the Secretary-General.

The two leaders had "detailed and substantive discussions" on the UN's efforts in Myanmar and India's support in this regard, according to Ms. Montas.

Mr. Gambari "has been urging India and other regional countries to actively encourage the Government of Myanmar to continue to cooperate with the Secretary-General's good offices efforts, including by addressing continuing human rights concerns and by encouraging Myanmar to receive Mr. Gambari as early as possible in order to kick-start a dialogue with the opposition."

The Special Envoy is now on his way to Beijing, where he is scheduled to meet with senior officials before going on to Tokyo for consultations with Japanese counterparts.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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RISK OF PROTRACTED STATUS QUO AND NEGOTIATIONS ON WESTERN SAHARA - BAN KI-MOON

RISK OF PROTRACTED STATUS QUO AND NEGOTIATIONS ON WESTERN SAHARA – BAN KI-MOON
New York, Oct 23 2007 3:00PM
The recent two rounds of United Nations-sponsored talks between Morocco and the Frente Polisario on Western Sahara were positive but they could not be described as negotiations, given the two sides largely rejected each other's views, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/619">report on the issue.

Mr. Ban says "we now risk entering a protracted stage of negotiations and status quo" on Western Sahara, with more direction needed from the Security Council before any substantive negotiations can begin.

The UN-led talks between Morocco and the Frente Polisario, which contest Western Sahara, took place in Manhasset, just outside New York, in June and again in August.

The Secretary-General writes that the fundamental positions of the two sides were mutually exclusive and so it prevented them from seriously discussing each other's proposal during the talks.

"As a result, the parties did, indeed, express their views and even interacted with one another, but they mainly did so by rejecting the views of the other party, and there was hardly any exchange that could in earnest be characterized as negotiations," he states.

Morocco's position is that its sovereignty over Western Sahara should be recognized, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the Territory's final status should be decided in a referendum that includes independence as an option.

Although the August talks ended with agreement that the status quo was unacceptable and that the talks process should continue, a mutually acceptable date for the next round has not yet been set.

Mr. Ban says his Personal Envoy on the issue, Peter van Walsum, has reminded both parties that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

The acceptance of this principle by Morocco and the Frente Polisario "could be the key to the beginning of genuine negotiations, as it would encourage them to discuss proposals with elements that are unacceptable to them."

In an April resolution, the Security Council called on the parties to enter into negotiations "without preconditions in good faith."

Mr. Ban recommends that the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which has been in place since September 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between the two sides, be extended for another six months until 30 April next year.

He also encourages the parties to work with MINURSO to directly cooperate and communicate with each other on areas of mutual concern such as mine clearance.

In addition, the Secretary-General welcomes the fact that exchanges of family visits between Western Sahara and refugee camps in the Tindouf area of neighbouring Algeria have continued without interruption in recent months.

"I am encouraged that the parties have also agreed in principle to the expansion of the programme, and that seminars and a new round of registration will take place in the months ahead," he says.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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TOP UGANDAN REBEL SURRENDERS IN NEIGHBOURING DR CONGO, SAYS UN MISSION

TOP UGANDAN REBEL SURRENDERS IN NEIGHBOURING DR CONGO, SAYS UN MISSION
New York, Oct 23 2007 2:00PM
A senior commander of the Lord's Resistance Army, the northern Ugandan rebel group, has surrendered in the northeast of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations peacekeeping mission to that country reported today.

Patrick Opiyo Mayasi and his wife gave themselves up, along with their weapons and ammunitions, to Congolese border police earlier this month and have been transferred to the DRC capital, Kinshasa.

No known criminal charges are pending against Mr. Makasi, who is believed to be operations and logistics commander of the LRA.

The mission, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC, said it expects Mr. Makasi will be handed over to UN peacekeepers for his reintegration into the disarmament, demobilization and reinsertion programme in the DRC – and possibly for eventual repatriation to Uganda as well.

The LRA, which has fought a civil war with the Ugandan Government since the mid-1980s, became notorious during the conflict for abducting as many as 25,000 children and using them as fighters and porters. The children were often subject to extreme violence shortly after abduction, with many girls allocated to officers in a form of institutional rape.

In October 2005 the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its first-ever arrest warrants against five senior members of the LRA: the leader Joseph Kony, and commanders Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen and Raska Lukwiya.

Last year, the Government and the LRA agreed to a cessation of hostilities, but Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa told the General Assembly's annual high-level debate earlier this month that the rebels were failing to meet any of their commitments under the cessation deal.

Many LRA fighters have been camped in Garamba National Park in the far northeast of the DRC, rather than assembling in Ri-Kwangba, southern Sudan, as previously agreed.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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UN FORUM ON PROMOTING THE USE OF SAFER NEEDLES KICKS OFF IN GENEVA

UN FORUM ON PROMOTING THE USE OF SAFER NEEDLES KICKS OFF IN GENEVA
New York, Oct 23 2007 1:00PM
With an estimated 6 billion injections given every year with syringes or needles that are reused without sterilization, the United Nations health agency has gathered together global experts to explore ways to promote the use of safer needles, which in turn can prevent the spread of viruses such as Hepatitis.

The annual meeting of the Safe Injection Global Network (<" http://www.who.int/injection_safety/sign/en/index.html">SIGN), which kicked off at WHO's headquarters in Geneva, brings together UN agencies, donors, experts, countries and industry.

Over the next three days, participants will <" http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np32/en/index.html">examine how best to encourage countries and procurement agencies to purchase the safest needles, how to encourage manufacturers to lower the price of such products, and how to boost countries' local manufacturing capacity.

WHO estimates that 40 per cent of all injections given in developing countries – and up to 70 per cent in some countries – are with needles or syringes that are reused without sterilization.

While the agency has been advising countries to use needles with safety features, most cannot afford these new technologies. Less sophisticated needles cost about $0.03, while more advanced, safer ones are about $0.15.

"The new technologies should be available to developing countries, where injections are used more and where the risk of infection transmission is greater," Dr. Howard Zucker, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals, stated.

According to WHO, unsafe injections and needle stick injuries suffered by health-care workers together cause 33 per cent of new Hepatitis B infections and 2 million new cases of Hepatitis C in the world each year. Unsafe injections in health-care settings also account for an estimated 5 per cent of new HIV cases worldwide.

The use of syringes with features that prevent reuse and needle stick injuries would avert about 1.3 million global deaths per year by preventing infections and the epidemics caused by their spread, WHO estimates.

To promote safer injections, the agency will discuss with manufacturers possible ways to lower the price of safer injection devices, as well as promote interaction between local manufacturers and the two umbrella organizations for injection device manufacturers – the International Association for Safe Injection Technology and the European Medical Technology Industry Association.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCIES WORKING TO AID DPR KOREA FLOOD VICTIMS

UN AGENCIES WORKING TO AID DPR KOREA FLOOD VICTIMS
New York, Oct 23 2007 1:00PM
United Nations agencies are continuing to provide essential support including food and emergency health kits to the survivors of severe floods which struck the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in August and September affecting nearly 1 million people and displacing almost 170,000.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the $14.1 million Flash Appeal <"http://ochaonline.un.org/humanitarianappeal/webpage.asp?Page=1605">launched in August is now 80 per cent funded, with a further $1.1 million in unconfirmed pledges.

UN agencies in the country, in cooperation with the Government, have been delivering <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-789HEE?OpenDocument">aid and carrying out the necessary assessments to alleviate the plight of the affected population.

Rapid nutritional screening of children under five took place in 19 of the worst affected counties from 15 to 18 October. The Ministry of Public Health and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/index.php">UNICEF) will analyze the results of the assessment and develop a response plan before the end of this month, OCHA said.

Funds from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF) have enabled the <"http://www.who.int/en">World Health Organization to provide emergency health kits, and the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org">UNFPA) to provide reproductive health kits to 240 health clinics. UNFPA is also working with the health ministry to develop a surveillance system for monitoring maternal deaths in clinics, with funding from Norway.

The UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english">WFP) completed the first cycle of distributions to 215,000 people in 37 flood-affected counties in the second week of September, dispatching more than 5,500 tons of food by rail and road. The second cycle of food distributions began in mid-October. In addition, the Food and Agriculture Organization is procuring seeds, fertiliser and plastic sheeting with the help of CERF funds.

Heavy rains in August were the cause of severe flooding in nine provinces of the country, including the capital, Pyongyang. At least 454 people died and 156 people remain missing.

Over 40,000 houses were completely destroyed, with a further 200,000 submerged or badly damaged in the floods. In addition, thousands of schools, hospitals and other public buildings were destroyed or badly damaged, and at least 10 per cent of the agricultural land was also inundated. Rainstorms and strong winds caused by Typhoon Wipha in September led to further severe damage in four provinces.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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VOTING IN UN-MONITORED BALLOT ON SELF-DETERMINATION FOR TOKELAU MOVES TO ATOLLS

VOTING IN UN-MONITORED BALLOT ON SELF-DETERMINATION FOR TOKELAU MOVES TO ATOLLS
New York, Oct 23 2007 1:00PM
Voting in the referendum to determine whether Tokelau, a group of three small and isolated atolls, should have self-government in free association with New Zealand has moved to the atolls themselves, the United Nations team of observers monitoring the ballot has reported.

Some 195 people cast their ballots on Fakaofo atoll yesterday, the monitors reported, which means voting in the referendum has now been completed at two out of four polling stations.

Electoral and Government officials from New Zealand and Tokelau arrived in Fakaofo on Monday morning after a 30-hour boat journey from Apia, Samoa, where votes were cast by the local Tokelauan expatriate community on Saturday.

Yesterday's voting took place on Fale island, one of two islands which comprise Fakaofo atoll, but the ballot box and portable voting booths were also taken to the other island, Fenuafala, to allow four elderly people to cast their votes.

Voting moves to Nukunonu atoll today and then Atafu atoll tomorrow, after which the votes will be counted and the final results announced.
It is the second time in less than two years that Tokelauans are voting to determine whether the Non-Self-Governing Territory, which has been administered by New Zealand since 1926, should have self-government in free association with New Zealand.
About 60 per cent of voters backed that option in a referendum held in February 2006, which did not meet the two-thirds majority required by Tokelau's representative body, the General Fono.
The UN observers have said 789 people are eligible to vote in this referendum, an increase of 23 per cent. Officials from Tokelau and New Zealand have cited greater information about the process and the recent attainment of adulthood by many young Tokelauans – voters must be aged over 18 – as the main reasons for the spike in numbers.
Tokelau, which lies about 500 kilometres north of Samoa in the Pacific Ocean, has a total population of about 1,500 people and a land mass of approximately 12 square kilometres.
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 <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/trust3.htm">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 and joined the UN that same year.
2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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SCORES MORE PEOPLE KILLED BY SMUGGLERS OFF YEMEN'S COAST, UN SAYS

SCORES MORE PEOPLE KILLED BY SMUGGLERS OFF YEMEN'S COAST, UN SAYS
New York, Oct 23 2007 10:00AM
Scores of people seeking a better life have been reportedly killed by brutal human smugglers during the perilous Gulf of Aden journey from Somalia to Yemen, adding to a mounting annual death toll that is already in the hundreds, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today.

"Up to 66 people drowned Sunday in the Gulf of Aden after being forced overboard by smugglers off the coast of Yemen, survivors said," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond reported.

The tragedy involved two smugglers' boats that left the Somali coastal town of Bossaso on Saturday with 244 people aboard, mostly Somalis and Ethiopians. "The two vessels reached the Yemen coast off Hawrat Al Shatee on Sunday, survivors said. Passengers were forced into deep water and many drowned, they said."

A total of 28 bodies were buried on the beach, while 38 (29 Ethiopians and nine Somalis) remain missing, according to UNHCR.

"So far this year, more than 20,000 people have made the perilous voyage across the Gulf of Aden in boats operated by ruthless smugglers operating from Somali ports," Mr. Redmond said. At least 439 people have died this year and another 489 are missing and feared dead.

"Survivors of the weekend tragedy said the crew of one of the crowded boats had harshly beaten passengers during the voyage, injuring several of them. After being forced into deep water off the Yemeni coast, a total of 178 people managed to make it to shore."

Arrival did not signal safety; some reported being robbed by Yemeni military personnel. Aid workers arriving on the scene provided food and water before transferring the group to UNHCR's Mayfaa reception centre.

"While most of the arrivals in Yemen are Somalis and Ethiopians, we have recently received reports that Kenyans, Ugandans and Tanzanians are also waiting in Somalia to make the voyage," Mr. Redmond said.

In 2006, some 26,000 people arrived in Yemen after crossing the Gulf of
both sides of the Gulf of Aden to warn people of the dangers involved in dealing with smugglers," Mr. Redmond said.

Over the past year, UNHCR has stepped up its work in Yemen under a $7 million operation that includes additional staff, increased field presence, more assistance, provision of additional shelter for refugees in Kharaz refugee camp near Aden, and training programmes for the coast guard and other officials.

"We and other partners have also set up information projects on the Somali side to warn people about the dangers. But many of those fleeing say conditions in their homeland are so bad that they have nothing left to lose and are willing to take the risk," Mr. Redmond said.

2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: FIGHTING IN NORTH KIVU FORCES THOUSANDS TO FLEE TO UGANDA -- UN

DR CONGO: FIGHTING IN NORTH KIVU FORCES THOUSANDS TO FLEE TO UGANDA -- UN
New York, Oct 23 2007 9:00AM
A flare-up of fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) North Kivu province, where Government forces have been clashing with those loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda and other groups, is sending thousands of people across the border into neighbouring Uganda, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

"An estimated 8,000 Congolese refugees who fled to Bunagana in Uganda over the weekend were still there this morning," Ron Redmond, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva. "This is the third such influx into Uganda since August amid the spiralling conflict in North Kivu."

Ugandan authorities and UNHCR appealed yesterday to the refugees to move further inland to Uganda''s Nyakabanda transit centre, which the agency set up some 15 kilometers away from the border town of Bunagana, where two suspected cases of cholera have been among the refugees there.

The health risk heightens the need to "decongest the small town and move people to the transit centre, which is equipped with proper sanitation facilities," Mr. Redmond said.

As of early this morning, some 1,300 new refugees had been registered in the Nyakabanda centre, where UNHCR and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) France have completed the construction of shelters to accommodate 1,500 persons.

MSF has also started the immunization of children under five years old, while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has set up two 10,000 litre water tanks.

"We are making preparations to provide assistance to up to 5,000 people," said Mr. Redmond. "We and MSF plan to transport another 150 families from the border to Nyakabanda tomorrow."

Many of the refugees, he said, are reluctant to go to the transit centre because they hope to cross back into DRC as soon as they feel it is safe.

Some of the refugees in Bunagana say they have been displaced five times in the last two years, according to UNHCR.
Inside North Kivu, internally displaced persons (IDPs) reported that "they had witnessed the fighting which forced most of inhabitants of Rugari village either eastwards towards the Ugandan border or southwards towards Goma."

UNHCR estimates that there are some 45,000 IDPs in the six IDP camps close to Goma.

"We remain concerned because of the limited access to many parts of North Kivu due to the tense security situation. We fear that humanitarian assistance has not yet reached many displaced persons in the troubled province," said Mr. Redmond.

Since December 2006, the number of newly displaced in North Kivu has reached 370,000, according to UNHCR.

2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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NUMBER OF PEOPLE FLEEING INSIDE IRAQ COULD RISE, UN REFUGEE AGENCY WARNS

NUMBER OF PEOPLE FLEEING INSIDE IRAQ COULD RISE, UN REFUGEE AGENCY WARNS
New York, Oct 23 2007 9:00AM
Monitoring developments on the Iraq-Turkey border, the United Nations refugee agency today warned that the number of Iraqis displaced by conflict could rise beyond the already staggering 4.7 million who have fled either within the country or across borders.

Ron Redmond, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the agency "is worried about ongoing instability that could lead to further displacement."

Staffers of the agency "are closely watching developments at the Iraq-Turkey border," he said, pointing out that northern Iraq -- the least insecure part of the country -- is home to over 800,000 internally displaced Iraqis.

"We fear that displacement inside central and southern Iraq will increase as safe havens outside Iraq and in the north become increasingly inaccessible," Mr. Redmond told a press briefing in Geneva, pointing out that at least 11 of 18 governorates inside Iraq have some form of restrictions on internal movement.

Meanwhile, Iraqi refugees continue to arrive in Syria in much smaller numbers than before now that new visa regulations are in place which can require applicants to travel to dangerous areas to process the paperwork. "One told of the insecurity they faced reaching the embassy in Baghdad's Al Mansour district and said applicants had to wait a long time before being helped due to limited staff," Mr. Redmond said.

More than 2.3 million Iraqis are displaced inside the country, while more than 2.4 million Iraqis have fled to neighbouring countries, mainly to Syria and Jordan.

In Syria, the agency is cleaning up its registration centre in Douma, 15 where a huge fire on Friday destroyed over $1 million of relief items. "We hope to resume registration there later this week," the spokesman said.

He also announced that over 6,700 refugee families in Syria will benefit from a financial assistance programme that UNHCR will launch later this year in cooperation wi

2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AID OFFICER RELEASED FOLLOWING SIX-DAY DETENTION IN SOMALIA

UN FOOD AID OFFICER RELEASED FOLLOWING SIX-DAY DETENTION IN SOMALIA
New York, Oct 23 2007 8:00AM
The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed the release in Mogadishu of its officer Idris Osman, who had been detained by authorities in the Somali capital since 17 October.

"We welcome the release of Idris Osman, and are pleased that he will be reunited with his family," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran at WFP headquarters in Rome.

The agency had condemned the seizure and detention of Mr. Osman, officer-in-charge of WFP's Mogadishu office, and called for his immediate and unconditional release.

Mr. Osman was seized by the Somali National Security Service at a UN compound in the capital.

2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN SUDAN ENVOY ARRIVES IN KHARTOUM FOR MEETINGS WITH TOP-LEVEL OFFICIALS

NEW UN SUDAN ENVOY ARRIVES IN KHARTOUM FOR MEETINGS WITH TOP-LEVEL OFFICIALS
New York, Oct 23 2007 8:00AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's new Special Representative for Sudan arrived today in the country's capital, Khartoum, where he is expected to hold meetings with top-level officials.

Ashraf Jahangir Qazi, who also heads the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), is expected to meet over the next few days President Omar Al Bashir, First Vice President and President of the Government of Southern Sudan Salva Kiir, and senior officials of the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan.

Mr. Qazi, a Pakistani national who was appointed last month, served previously as the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq since 2004. This followed a long diplomatic career with his country's foreign service, including postings in the United States, India, China, the Russian Federation, Germany and Syria.

Diplomatic activity on Sudan has intensified in recent weeks as preparations continue for talks on the Darfur conflict scheduled to be held in Libya on 27 October. The UN Special Envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson, and his African Union counterpart, Salim A. Salim, have been heading up that effort.

2007-10-23 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL URGES BOTH IVORIAN SIDES TO MEET COMMITMENTS UNDER PEACE DEAL

SECURITY COUNCIL URGES BOTH IVORIAN SIDES TO MEET COMMITMENTS UNDER PEACE DEAL
New York, Oct 22 2007 7:00PM
Noting the mixed progress made by both sides in the divided West African country of Cote d'Ivoire in implementing this year's peace accord, the Security Council today called on them to meet all their commitments, from registering voters to disarming and dismantling militias to restoring State authority.

Ambassador Leslie K. Christian of Ghana, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, read a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9150.doc.htm">statement to the press in which members welcomed the measures taken so far to implement March's Ouagadougou Agreement but voiced concern at the delays in meeting some benchmarks.

Mr. Christian, who spoke to the press after an open meeting of the Council on Côte d'Ivoire, also said it was vital to have in place the necessary guarantees to ensure that planned presidential elections are free and fair.

Earlier, Abou Moussa, the Secretary-General's Principal Deputy Special Representative for the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/index.html">UNOCI), told the Council that there have been mixed results in implementing the Ouagadougou pact, which sets out a series of measures for resolving the crisis that first divided the country between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north in 2002.

They include creating a new transitional government; organizing free and fair presidential elections; merging the Forces Nouvelles and the national defence and security forces through the establishment of an integrated command centre; dismantling the militias and disarming ex-combatants; and replacing the so-called zone of confidence separating north and south with a green line to be monitored by UNOCI.

Mr. Moussa said none of the benchmarks set to consider adjusting the mandate or troop level of UNOCI, such as the dismantling and disarmament of the militia and the deployment of State administration across the country, have been met.

But the zone of confidence separating the forces of the two sides is being gradually dismantled, with the deployment of six mixed brigades involving soldiers from both sides, and the leaders of the Government and the Forces Nouvelles have remained committed to supporting the peace process.

The turnout at the mobile court hearings, used as part of the process of identifying voters ahead of planned national elections, has steadily improved since their re-launch last month thanks to a campaign of public awareness and sensitivity, Mr. Moussa said.

The Government and the Forces Nouvelles are also addressing the lingering security, logistical and financial constraints to restoring State authority throughout the country.

The envoy said, however, that serious challenges remain, especially in ensuring an integrated army involving the two sides and in starting the dismantling of the militias.

Mr. Moussa stressed how important it was for all parties to meet their deadlines and commitments to the Ouagadougou pact, and he said the UN stood ready to continue to support that process.

Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Djibrill Yipene Bassole, speaking on behalf of the facilitators of the Ouagadougou agreement, told the Council meeting that the situation inside Cote d'Ivoire had eased recently, in part because of greater dialogue between the Government and the Forces Nouvelles.

The parties were no longer using their arms, there was free circulation of people and the civic service programme had started, he said.

But Mr. Bassole noted that the planned elections had been delayed and much remained to be done to ensure that the accord was fully implemented.

He called for a new timeline for the identification of voter rolls for the elections to take account of complexities that have emerged in the process, and for additional measures to reassure the public about the fairness of any polls.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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LOW-COST LAPTOP PROJECT FOR POOR CHILDREN CLOSER TO REALITY, SAYS UN ADVOCATE

LOW-COST LAPTOP PROJECT FOR POOR CHILDREN CLOSER TO REALITY, SAYS UN ADVOCATE
New York, Oct 22 2007 6:00PM
The 'One Laptop per Child' initiative, a pioneering project to give children in poor countries access to affordable computers, is in sight of becoming a reality, the United Nations advocate for the world's most vulnerable nations said today.

After watching a special demonstration of the so-called $100 laptop at UN Headquarters in New York, Under-Secretary-General Cheikh Sidi Diarra praised the scheme's organizers for their efforts to bring the project to fruition given the sceptical response it met with at first.

The project is the brainchild of Nicholas Negroponte, who is on leave from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to head the 'One Laptop per Child' initiative.

The laptops produced will: have a sunlight-readable display so they can be outside; contain no moving parts; be powered by solar, foot-pump or pull-string powered chargers; and be housed in a waterproof case.

Some developing nations have not followed their verbal agreements with concrete orders, so Professor Negroponte has launched a "give one, get one" scheme that will allow individuals to buy two laptops at a pre-determined price and have one of the laptops sent a child in the developing world.

Mr. Diarra, who is the <"http://www.un.org/ohrlls">High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, said that while many challenges remained before the project's vision could be realized, it was clear it could make a major contribution to the socio-economic development of the world's poorest nations.

He also said it was important for Professor Negroponte and his partners to understand any concerns and questions the Member States may have about the initiative, such as affordability.

"Even if the cost was only $100 per child, that is more than most developing countries, especially the least developed countries, can afford," he said. "In many LDCs, for example, the amount spent on a child's education in primary school is as low as $5 a year when teachers' salaries are excluded."
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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UN REPORTS SHORTAGE OF ANAESTHETICS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

UN REPORTS SHORTAGE OF ANAESTHETICS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
New York, Oct 22 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) today voiced concern about reports from the Gaza Strip that a shortage of anaesthetics, caused by Israeli import restrictions, has resulted in the closure of surgery rooms and health-care centres.

"The economic noose continues to tighten around the necks of the people of Gaza, who are being manifestly punished as part of a political strategy," said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes.

OCHA is also concerned about the inability of people with emergency health conditions to leave the Gaza Strip to obtain medical care elsewhere, a UN spokesperson said in New York.

The closures and restrictions have resulted in increasing shortages of many basic food items and supplies in Gaza, according to OCHA.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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DISARMAMENT MUST REMAIN AT TOP OF GLOBAL AGENDA, BAN KI-MOON SAYS

DISARMAMENT MUST REMAIN AT TOP OF GLOBAL AGENDA, BAN KI-MOON SAYS
New York, Oct 22 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for energetic efforts to achieve disarmament, pointing out that weapons of mass destruction pose a "very real threat" to all of humanity.

"Developments in science and technology are raising hopes that new innovations could contribute to improving the quality of life of people throughout the world," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11230.doc.htm">message yesterday to the 57th Pugwash Conference, held in Bari, Italy.

"But at the same time, developments in various fields of weaponry remind us of the potential devastation from the use of weapons of mass destruction, and the very real threat they pose to all of humanity."

Pointing out that not only States but others could potentially acquire WMDs, he declared that "disarmament must remain at the top of our agenda."

Mr. Ban praised the Pugwash Conference, which for decades has served to promote constructive dialogue on sensitive matters of international security, bringing together "influential scientists and public leaders from throughout the world, even from countries that do not necessarily enjoy friendly relations with each other."

He said the UN has been working practically since its inception "with crucial civil society partners like Pugwash" towards the objective of ridding the world of all WMDs.

"We have much in common. We share a global approach to promoting disarmament and non-proliferation issues. We pursue similar aims of dialogue, peace, and security," he said, voicing hope that participants would be able to identify specific contributions that the international community and the UN can make towards advancing their shared goals.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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SENIOR UN OFFICIALS CALL ON MEMBER STATES TO ADDRESS RAPE AS A WEAPON OF WAR

SENIOR UN OFFICIALS CALL ON MEMBER STATES TO ADDRESS RAPE AS A WEAPON OF WAR
New York, Oct 22 2007 6:00PM
On the eve of a Security Council debate on the role of women in peace and security, two senior United Nations officials have stressed the need to combat gender-based violence and to ensure that violations of women's rights, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, are viewed as a security issue.

"The woman's body has become a battleground and it seems to be taken for granted that this should continue," Rachel Mayanja, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, said at a press briefing at UN Headquarters, stressing the responsibility of Member States to address the question of rape.

Tomorrow the 15-member Council is set to discuss progress in implementing resolution 1325, a landmark document adopted in 2000 which recognizes the contribution of women to the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, while acknowledging their specific needs and concerns in armed conflict and its aftermath.

The resolution calls in particular for measures to protect women from gender-based violence, including rape and other forms of sexual abuse.

"The most serious sign of inadequate implementation is the phenomenon of sexual violence as a weapon of war," stated Joanne Sandler, acting Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (<"http://www.unifem.org/">UNIFEM).

"It is absolutely essential that the Council takes this up, particularly the issue of remedial measures, of judicial response and of prevention," she added.

The use of rape as a weapon of conflict has been denounced by numerous UN officials, including the world body's humanitarian chief.

Briefing the Council last month after returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where serious humanitarian problems remain even after the end of major fighting in most of the country, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes reported that "brutal sexual violence is a particularly horrific feature of the DRC."

"For many victims, registering a case and speaking out means almost certain ostracism by their own family and community," he told the Council. "In any case, the chances of redress in a situation of virtually total impunity are close to zero."

Stating that reports of rape in different conflict areas, particularly the DRC, are "just the tip of the iceberg," Ms. Sandler called on the Council and Member States to address such violations. "It's a security issue that needs the Council's attention not once a year but much more frequently than that so that we can have the kind of action and response that is required."
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED FORUM EXAMINES ROLE OF INFORMATION IN HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS

UN-BACKED FORUM EXAMINES ROLE OF INFORMATION IN HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS
New York, Oct 22 2007 6:00PM
Improving humanitarian responses during emergencies through better information is the focus of a United Nations event that kicked off today in Geneva, bringing together governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), scientists, academics, the media and the private sector.

Over 300 humanitarian and information specialists are attending the week-long conference, which aims to improve current humanitarian operations through new technology and improved information practices.

Hosted by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the meeting will also review progress made since the first Symposium on Best Practices in Humanitarian Information Management and Exchange, held five years ago.

Participants will address how information can meet the challenge of today's humanitarian environment; the impact of citizen journalism and new media in humanitarian reporting and advocacy; and how to improve communications to people in need during an emergency.

"The role of information in humanitarian operations cannot be overstated," stated John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "It is the key element for accurate analysis, which underpins effective coordination, evidence-based advocacy, sound policy and effective action."

Mr. Holmes will be among the keynote speakers at the event, which will also showcase the latest innovative tools and new technologies currently being used in humanitarian operations, such as REDHUM, YouTube, Flickr, Second Life, satellite imagery and blogging.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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UN PEACEKEEPERS TARGET OF ANGRY CONGOLESE AS STANDOFF CONTINUES IN EASTERN DRC

UN PEACEKEEPERS TARGET OF ANGRY CONGOLESE AS STANDOFF CONTINUES IN EASTERN DRC
New York, Oct 22 2007 5:00PM
For the second time in a week United Nations personnel in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have become the target of angry civilians caught up in the continuing military standoff between government and rebel forces.

On Saturday, a UN patrol was obstructed by some 500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) near a cantonment site for recently disarmed fighters near the town of Rumangabo in North Kivu province, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

The protesters chanted anti-UN slogans and threw stones at the patrol. They also demanded that the peacekeepers take direct military action against dissident general Laurent Nkunda.

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 – known as FARDC – and soldiers loyal to Gen. Nkunda.

The UN mission in the DRC (known as MONUC) estimates there are as many as 700,000 IDPs in North Kivu alone as a result of fighting this year.

Saturday's incident is the latest of several hostile acts directed at blue helmets. Last week, locals in North Kivu threw stones at UN peacekeepers after they evacuated members of the FARDC during recent clashes.

There was also a report that FARDC soldiers arriving into Goma had a "less-than-friendly attitude" towards UN troops, according to MONUC Force Commander Gen. Babacar Gaye.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Gen. Gaye stressed that MONUC's mandate is to help the Government restore its authority across the entire country, and that its priority is to ensure the security of the local population.

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, the General added.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the humanitarian situation in North Kivu is precarious, with 143,000 people having been displaced just in the past four weeks due to insecurity in the province.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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CONGOLESE WAR CRIMES SUSPECT APPEARS BEFORE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

CONGOLESE WAR CRIMES SUSPECT APPEARS BEFORE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
New York, Oct 22 2007 5:00PM
Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga today made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court (<"http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/294.html">ICC), where he faces charges of murder, sexual enslavement, forcing children to serve as soldiers and other war crimes.

The senior commander of the group Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI), which has been active in fighting in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is only the second suspect to appear before the ICC.

Mr. Katanga, who was surrendered to the court last week, is facing three counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of war crimes.

During today's public hearing in The Hague, presiding judge Akua Kuenyehia informed Mr. Katanga of both the charges against him and his rights throughout the court process, including the right to apply for interim release pending trial.

Sylvia Steiner has been designated by the ICC's pre-trial chamber as the single judge in the case, and the hearing to determine whether the charges will be confirmed has been set provisionally for 28 February. Mr. Katanga was also advised to appoint a defence lawyer as soon as possible.

Prosecutors said last week that Mr. Katanga – also known as Simba – is personally responsible for a series of brutal crimes in the Ituri region of the DRC, including a massacre in the village of Bogoro in February 2003 in which hundreds of people were killed and many women forced into sexual slavery.

Prosecutors allege Mr. Katanga, 29, is responsible for murders, inhumane acts and sexual enslavement at 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 civilians and the war crime of pillaging.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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FIRST-EVER MEMOIR OF FORMER GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT LAUNCHED AT UN

FIRST-EVER MEMOIR OF FORMER GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT LAUNCHED AT UN
New York, Oct 22 2007 5:00PM
With the release of <I>Beyond the Shadow of 9/11: A Year at the United Nations General Assembly</I>, former Assembly President Han Seung-soo today became the first person ever to launch a memoir about the presidency.

"Dr. Han was President of the General Assembly during one of the most challenging periods in recent history. His book reflects lessons drawn from that experience," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who worked as the Assembly leader's Chef de Cabinet during the tumultuous 2001-2002 session.

"It is also an excellent source of guidance for future General Assembly Presidents, and for all of us who work in or with the United Nations."

Kiyotaka Akasaka, the Under-Secretary-General for Public Information, recalled how Dr. Han's election as General Assembly president had been scheduled for 11 September 2001. "In <I>Beyond the Shadow of 9/11</i>, Dr. Han describes from his unique leadership position how the United Nations General Assembly responded to this crisis," said Mr. Akasaka.

"He also shows why the Organization remains an indispensable forum in these times of new and old threats to the world at large."

"This book provides us with a fascinating inside look at the awesome challenges that running a truly global organization of close to 200 Member States actually involves," writes Kent E. Calder, the Director of the Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, in the book's foreword. "We get a chance to see up close the sheer complexity, the inevitable staff tensions, and the shifting regional coalitions that prevail at the United Nations."

Dr. Han's tenure coincided not only with the worst-ever terrorist attack on United States soil but also other major global events, and deals with the UN's response to global terrorism generally, the war in Afghanistan, the first World Economic Forum held outside Davos, and the Nobel Committee's decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize jointly to then Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the United Nations.

Mr. Annan asked Dr. Han to receive the Peace Prize in Oslo on behalf of the Organization, the former Assembly President recalled at today's launch in the UN Bookstore in New York.

At first, Dr. Han declined, insisting that the decision should be made by representatives of all of the UN's principal organs. A meeting was convened in New York on 30 October and those representatives decided that he should receive the Prize on behalf of the UN.

In the book's acknowledgements, Dr. Han recalls that while he was writing the memoir, he received the happy news of the birth of his first two grandchildren. "I have faith that the United Nations will offer as much hope to their generation as it did ours."

Dr. Han is currently the Secretary-General's Special Envoy on climate change, which he said is "one of the most crucial issues facing humanity today."

His long diplomatic career includes service as the Republic of Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2001-02), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy (1996-97), Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic of Korea (1994-95), Ambassador to the US (1993-94) and Minister of Trade and Industry (1988-90).
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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LANDMARK UN WOMEN'S CONFERENCE ENDS WITH PLEDGE TO PREVENT MATERNAL DEATHS

LANDMARK UN WOMEN'S CONFERENCE ENDS WITH PLEDGE TO PREVENT MATERNAL DEATHS
New York, Oct 22 2007 5:00PM
A landmark United Nations-sponsored conference aimed at generating political will and investment to slash maternal deaths has concluded with participants pledging to bolster efforts to improve women's health.

Over 1,800 decision-makers, experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women's rights activists and celebrities from over 100 countries attended last week's three-day Women Deliver event in London, which produced a final statement from the 70 government officials who pledged to make the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of improving maternal health "a high priority on the national, regional and international health agenda."

Their statement called for the "increased commitment of financial and human resources" to prevent maternal deaths and expand heath services.

Achieving the MDGs – eight ambitious targets to slash ills such as poverty by 2015 – depends largely on achieving the Goals targeting child mortality and maternal health, it noted.

Over the course of the conference, the United Kingdom pledged more than $200 million to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to advance women's reproductive health globally, while the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced an $11 million plan to distribute new technology to protect against post-delivery blood loss in Nigeria and India.

Japan announced its intention to spotlight the importance of global health when it hosts next year's meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations.

In addition, other groups – including the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Foundation, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Exxon/Mobil and GlaxoSmithKline – also made pledges to support the cause.

"We need people both on the inside and the outside to figure out how to work together to get these things to happen," said Helene Gayle, President of CARE, who urged women's health advocates to work both within governments and as activists. "NGOs can't do it by themselves," she said.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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PIRACY CONTINUES TO THREATEN HUMANITARIAN AID TO SOMALIA - UN AGENCY

PIRACY CONTINUES TO THREATEN HUMANITARIAN AID TO SOMALIA – UN AGENCY
New York, Oct 22 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has condemned an attempted pirate attack off the coast of Somalia, the latest incident in an already tense and insecure environment which witnessed the detention of one of the agency's officials last week.

Early on Sunday morning, <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?">WFP received a distress call from a Somali contractor who came under attack from pirates in two speed boats some 60 miles off the Somali port of Brava, south of Mogadishu. The ship had just unloaded some 7,000 tons of food and was sailing back to Mombasa, Kenya.

Although the vessel and its crew escaped unhurt, the agency said it remains very concerned about piracy off the Somali coast and appealed to the international community to help secure the waters off Somalia and protect humanitarian deliveries.

Some 80 per cent of WFP food assistance for Somalia moves by sea, and pirate attacks threaten to cut the main supply route, jeopardizing rations for the 1.2 million people WFP expects to be feeding by the end of 2007 as drought, floods and factional fighting take their toll.

Arrangements are now being made for a French naval vessel to escort WFP cargos next month.

Meanwhile, discussions are continuing with the Somali authorities to obtain the release of the agency's Officer-in-Charge for Mogadishu, Idris Osman, who has been detained without charge since Wednesday.

Mr. Osman was seized when up to 60 uniformed and armed members of Somalia National Security Service stormed a UN compound in Mogadishu. He remains captive at NSS headquarters.

Condemning the continued detention of her colleague, WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran last Friday decried the lack of security for humanitarian workers in countries such as Somalia and called on the government to ensure their safety.

"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," she stated.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR AGREES TO VISIT BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEUR

MYANMAR AGREES TO VISIT BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEUR
New York, Oct 22 2007 4:00PM
A United Nations independent human rights expert will make an official visit to Myanmar next month to look into recent events there, the country's Government has confirmed.

Foreign Minister Nyan Win, in a letter sent to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, confirmed that it has agreed to the visit by Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, the Secretary-General's Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas said Mr. Win suggested that Mr. Pinheiro's visit take place before the summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is scheduled to open on 17 November.

The announcement comes as Ibrahim Gambari, the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, continues his consultations with the country's neighbours and regional partners ahead of a planned return trip to Myanmar next month.

Mr. Gambari has suggested that incentives and strong encouragement might help spur Myanmar along the path of democratization and reconciliation.

The wider diplomatic efforts by the UN follow what Mr. Ban has described as the "abhorrent and unacceptable" response of the Government to recent peaceful demonstrations.

"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 comments to the press last week.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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UN-ORGANIZED RADIO COMMUNICATION CONFERENCE OPENS IN GENEVA

UN-ORGANIZED RADIO COMMUNICATION CONFERENCE OPENS IN GENEVA
New York, Oct 22 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations telecommunication agency today opened an international conference on radio communications that aims to examine the worldwide use of radio frequencies and meet the global demand for spectrum.

More than 1,500 delegates attended the opening day of the World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, the International Telecommunication Union (<"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/31.html">ITU) reported. It is the first time the conference has been held since mid-2003.

The conference, which runs until 16 November, serves as the international forum for revising the radio regulations – the treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.

Rapid growth in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, driven by technological advances, is also increasing demand for wireless communications, and thus the need to streamline and regularize those operations.

Some 30 items relating to terrestrial and space radio services and applications are on the conference agenda, ranging from digital broadcasting to satellites for meteorology to the better prediction and detection of natural disasters.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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VOTING UNDER WAY IN UN-MONITORED BALLOT ON SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR TOKELAU

VOTING UNDER WAY IN UN-MONITORED BALLOT ON SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR TOKELAU
New York, Oct 22 2007 2:00PM
Voting has begun in the referendum to determine whether Tokelau, a group of three small and isolated atolls in the Pacific Ocean, should have self-government in free association with New Zealand, the team of United Nations observers monitoring the ballot has reported.

Some 63 people cast their ballots on Saturday in Apia, Samoa, where many Tokelauans live, and the voting process has now shifted to Tokelau's three atolls – Fakaofo, Nukunonu and Atafu.

Electoral officials and the five-member team of UN monitors left Apia by boat on Saturday night, arriving 32 hours later at Tokelau to allow locals to start voting. The final results are expected to be announced on Wednesday.

It is the second time in less than two years that Tokelauans are <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/gacol3164.doc.htm">voting to determine whether the Non-Self-Governing Territory, which has been administered by New Zealand since 1926, should have self-government in free association with New Zealand.

About 60 per cent of voters backed that option in a referendum held in February 2006, which did not meet the two-thirds majority required by Tokelau's representative body, the General Fono.

The UN observers said 789 people are eligible to vote in this referendum, an increase of 23 per cent on the previous referendum. Officials from Tokelau and New Zealand have cited greater information about the process and the recent attainment of adulthood by many young Tokelauans – voters must be aged over 18 – as the main reasons for the spike in numbers.

Ambassador Robert Aisi of Papua New Guinea, a representative of the <" http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/main.htm">Special Committee on Decolonization, and a member of the UN observer team, welcomed the efforts of referendum organizers to improve the balloting process.

The changes include a new version of the voting booth that allows elderly or infirm voters to have more privacy when casting their ballot at home or in hospital, and a new lightweight, waterproof and better secured ballot box to ensure the reconciliation of ballot papers issued with those found inside the box at the count.

Mr. Aisi stressed that the UN's role is only to monitor the polling process and report whether it is credible and transparent.

"It is a decision of the Tokelauan people to decide what the next course of action will be," he said. "The United Nations has played a supportive role, and we hope to continue to play a supportive role, whatever the outcome of the referendum."
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 <" http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/trust3.htm">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 and joined the UN that same year.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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GREECE, FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA TO RESUME UN-LED TALKS ON NAME

GREECE, FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA TO RESUME UN-LED TALKS ON NAME
New York, Oct 22 2007 2:00PM
Representatives of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have agreed to hold a fresh round of United Nations-mediated talks next week over the question of the official name of the latter country.

Matthew Nimetz, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Greece-former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia talks, said in a statement today that he had been in contact with the two sides and they have agreed to hold the talks in New York on 1 November.

"I hope that through the resumption of these talks in the established channel we can lay the groundwork to more intensive discussions that will find a mutually satisfactory resolution of the name issue and related matters," Mr. Nimetz said in his statement.

"Both parties have indicated a sincere desire to reach a solution. I will issue a statement at the conclusion of the meeting," he added.

The Interim Accord of 13 September 2005, which was brokered by the UN, details the difference between the two countries regarding the official name of the former Yugoslav republic. It also obliges the two sides to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to try to reach agreement on their dispute.

The last round of talks took place in New York on 16 May this year.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL STRONGLY CONDEMNS DEADLY BOMBINGS IN PAKISTAN

SECURITY COUNCIL STRONGLY CONDEMNS DEADLY BOMBINGS IN PAKISTAN
New York, Oct 22 2007 2:00PM
Strongly condemning last Thursday's attacks on the convoy of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi, the Security Council today said those behind the "reprehensible act of terrorism" must be brought to justice.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9149.doc.htm">presidential statement read out by Ambassador Leslie K. Christian of Ghana, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, the Council joined its voice with that of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11228.doc.htm">spoke out against the blasts in a statement issued Thursday.

The Council today underlined the need to bring to justice the "perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism," which took place just after the former Prime Minister returned to Pakistan after several years in exile, and urged all States to cooperate with the country's authorities toward this end.

"The Security Council expresses its deep sympathy and condolences to the victims of this heinous act of terrorism and their families, and to the people and the Government of Pakistan," the 15-member body said.

The Council also reaffirmed its longstanding position that "terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed."
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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NEARLY 1,600 DISPLACED AFGHANS RETURN HOME THIS YEAR WITH UN ASSISTANCE

NEARLY 1,600 DISPLACED AFGHANS RETURN HOME THIS YEAR WITH UN ASSISTANCE
New York, Oct 22 2007 2:00PM
Over 100 internally displaced Afghan families have recently returned to their homes in Balkh province thanks to the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which, along with Government authorities, has aided the resettlement of nearly 1,600 internally displaced persons in the war-torn nation this year.

A total of 341 internally displaced families, consisting of 1,588 persons, have returned home in 2007 with the assistance of <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR and the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, Nilab Mobarez, Information Officer with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://www.unama-afg.org/">UNAMA), told reporters in Kabul today.

In addition to those that returned to Balkh, internally displaced families have also returned to their homes in the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand and Farah. An additional 470 families – some 2,560 individuals – are expected to return to their homes in the coming weeks.

Returning families receive free transportation to their final destination as well as relief supplies. Upon arriving home, they are provided with reintegration kits which include seeds and wheat flour from the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP).

UNHCR estimates there are over 129,000 people still displaced within Afghanistan, most living in camp-like situations and in need of assistance.

Since 2002, over half a million internally displaced persons have returned to their homes with the assistance of UNHCR, WFP and the Afghan government.

Meanwhile, the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan will be holding a workshop tomorrow in Kabul to address the rights and needs of mine victims and persons living with disabilities.

The widespread and indiscriminate use of mines during more than two decades of conflict has turned Afghanistan into one of the world's most heavily contaminated countries, according to the Centre, which has been coordinating mine action activities, such as surveys, mine and battlefield clearance, mine risk education and victim assistance on behalf of the Government since 1989.

Mines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) kill or injure an average of two Afghans each day.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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UN AND SUDANESE OFFICIALS TO LAUNCH NATIONWIDE POLIO IMMUNIZATION DRIVE

UN AND SUDANESE OFFICIALS TO LAUNCH NATIONWIDE POLIO IMMUNIZATION DRIVE
New York, Oct 22 2007 1:00PM
United Nations agencies and Sudanese health officials are set to launch a massive nationwide polio immunization campaign after the potentially deadly virus was detected in the conflict-torn country which had previously been declared polio-free.

The drive is being carried out by the Sudanese Ministry of Health along with the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en">WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) from 23 to 25 October and again in November.

According to WHO, the virus was confirmed in a 30-month-old boy from South Darfur with onset of paralysis reported on 10 September. The virus has been genetically linked to the virus circulating in neighbouring Chad, where six cases were confirmed this year, with the most recent case indicating onset of paralysis on 31 August.

Prior to the confirmed polio case, Sudan had been certified polio-free, with no cases reported since August 2005.

Sudanese and UN officials are focusing on a dual-approach strategy to protect the country's children from any further spread of the wild polio virus, known as WPV1. "Sudan will implement coordinated and cross-border outbreak response activities as Chad synchronizes its response in the next two months," WHO Representative Dr. Mohamed Abdurrab stated.

UNICEF Representative Ted Chaiban stressed the importance of national support for these campaigns, saying "every effort must be made to ensure that all children are fully protected – part of that effort will require a firm commitment from those involved in the ongoing conflict in Darfur to guarantee safe access and movement for vaccination teams."

A three-day immunization campaign in August, also following reports of polio being discovered in neighbouring Chad, saw some villages in Darfur not being reached by vaccinators due to tensions and insecurity.

Rising insecurity in Sudan's western Darfur region – where some 4.2 million people are in need of assistance due to the ongoing conflict there – has lead to increased attacks against civilians and aid workers, impeding the provision of life-saving support.

"Sudan's drive to eradicate polio has been one of the most successful health stories in this part of Africa in recent years," Mr. Chaiban added. "We have to maintain our commitment to writing the final chapters of that story."

With concern over the importation of the virus, health agencies have noted the particular risk of further international spread, compounded by large population movements across the region during the upcoming Hajj season.

More than 6 million children under 5 have been immunized repeatedly in each round of earlier campaigns conducted since the start of the year, thanks to the support of donors including the World Bank, Japan and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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DONORS LAG IN MEETING GLOBAL COMMITMENTS TO HELP AFRICA -- UN SURVEY

DONORS LAG IN MEETING GLOBAL COMMITMENTS TO HELP AFRICA -- UN SURVEY
New York, Oct 22 2007 9:00AM
African policymakers see significant progress in debt relief but find donors lacking in other globally agreed measures on financing for development, according to a new survey conducted by the United Nations.

The study by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) aimed to measure progress toward achieving the objectives of the Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development, a 2002 plan of action aimed at launching a new partnership between donor and recipient countries.

The survey results indicated that considerable efforts are required by both African governments and development partners to mobilize the level of resources needed for development in the region, ECA said in a news release.

Governments are making efforts to mobilize domestic resources, but savings rates in African countries remain inadequate relative to their investment requirements, the policymakers said. Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow has increased, but they found it insufficient and too concentrated in the natural resources sector to help accelerate economic growth and development.

Respondents also believed that donors have not made much progress in supporting African countries in the area of trade. Flows of official development assistance (ODA) to Africa are on the increase but donors are still not on track to meet their commitments, they said.

ECA said there has been a significant reduction in the external debt burden of African countries as a result of recent debt relief initiatives but noted that more debt relief is needed, while African governments must "exercise caution in borrowing to ensure that debts in African countries remain sustainable."

The Monterrey Consensus adopted at the International Conference on Financing for Development in 2002 was the first global attempt to comprehensively address the challenges of financing development, especially in the context of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The UN Gen
Conference on Financing for Development" in Doha, Qatar, in the second half of 2008 in order to take stock of progress made in the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and explore options for moving the development finance agenda forward.

2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF SOMALI RADIO EXECUTIVE

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF SOMALI RADIO EXECUTIVE
New York, Oct 22 2007 9:00AM
The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today condemned the assassination of Bashir Nor Gedi the chief executive of a popular radio station.

"I am gravely concerned about worsening violence against journalists and media personnel in Somalia who are brave enough to fulfil their professional commitments in such a dangerous environment," said UNESCO chief Koïchiro Matsuura.

He condemned the assassination of Bashir Nor Gedi, the acting chairperson of Shabelle Media network was shot by unidentified gunmen in his home on 19 October, according to UNESCO.

Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1999, needs more communication, information and debate to consolidate the basis for reconstruction, the UNESCO chief said. "Murderers seeking to muzzle the media are undermining people's inalienable right to think and to decide what is right and what they want."

Bashir Nor Gedi was the eighth media person killed in Somalia this year, according to the International Freedom of Expression Exchange network, which also reports that that several senior journalists of the Shabelle radio station have fled Mogadishu following recent attacks.

2007-10-22 00:00:00.000

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