SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN WELCOMES CLIMATE CHANGE BREAKTHROUGH IN BALI

SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN WELCOMES CLIMATE CHANGE BREAKTHROUGH IN BALI
New York, Dec 15 2007 1:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the outcome of the landmark United Nations Climate Change Convention in Bali, Indonesia, in which 187 countries today agreed to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations on strengthening international efforts to fight, mitigate and adapt to the problem of global warming.

After almost two weeks of marathon discussions, delegates have agreed on both the agenda for the negotiations and a 2009 deadline for completing them so that a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions can enter into effect in 2013.

Under the so-called Bali Roadmap, the key issues during the upcoming negotiations will be: taking action to adapt to the negative consequences of climate change, such as droughts and floods; devising ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; finding ways to deploy climate-friendly technology; and financing adaptation and mitigation measures.

Participating countries have also agreed on a series of steps that can be taken immediately to strengthen their commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), such as combating deforestation in poor countries, the scaling up of investment in green technology and enhancing funding for adaptation measures.

The text does not specify or mandate emissions targets, but it does say that deep cuts in emissions will be needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

In a statement issued after the Bali Roadmap was adopted, Mr. Ban called it â??a pivotal first step toward an agreement that can address the threat of climate change, the defining challenge of our time,â? adding that the agreement had met all the benchmarks for success he set out when the Conference began.

The Secretary-General said he â??appreciates the spirit of cooperation shown by all parties to achieve an outcome that stands to benefit all humanity.â?

Mr. Ban returned today to Bali, after a one-day visit to Timor-Leste
take part in the final stages of the Conference, which was extended by an extra day as delegates closed in on a deal.

But even a few hours before the Roadmap was adopted, it was not clear there would be any breakthrough, prompting Mr. Ban to appeal to delegates not to â??risk everything you have achieved so farâ?¦ The hour is late. It is time to make a decision.â?

Mr. Banâ??s statement welcoming the Roadmapâ??s eventual adoption was echoed by leading UN and international environmental officials at the Conference.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said Bali had produced â??a real breakthrough, a real opportunity for the international community to successfully fight climate change. Parties have recognized the urgency of action on climate change and have now provided the political response to what scientists have been telling us is needed.â?

In his closing address to the plenary session, the Conference President and Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar hailed the â??number of forward-looking decisionsâ? in the text.

â??But we also have a huge task ahead of us and time to reach agreement is extremely short, so we need to move quickly,â? he said.

Four major UNFCCC meetings to implement the Bali Roadmap are planned for next year, with the first to be held in either March or April. The negotiations process is scheduled to conclude in 2009 at a major summit in Copenhagen.

2007-12-15 00:00:00.000

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ALGIERS ATTACKS SPARK OUTRAGE FROM SECURITY COUNCIL, GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

ALGIERS ATTACKS SPARK OUTRAGE FROM SECURITY COUNCIL, GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT
New York, Dec 14 2007 7:00PM
Today's deadly bombings in the Algerian capital have been strongly condemned by the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly, who said the bombings showed that terrorism is not only a threat to the values of the United Nations but to the actual work it carries out on the ground.

Echoing the condemnation by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the twin blasts, which struck UN offices and a Government building in Algiers – causing dozens of deaths, including those of at least 11 UN staff, and numerous injuries – the Council underlined the need to bring those responsible to justice.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombings, which destroyed the office of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) that also housed staff from a number of other UN agencies, and damaged the building used by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The 15-member body "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 Algeria," it said through a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9193.doc.htm">statement read out by Ambassador Marcello Spatafora of Italy, which holds the Council's rotating presidency for this month.

Also speaking out, Assembly President Srgjan Kerim expressed his grave concern that UN offices and staff were once again the deliberate targets of terror attacks. A bomb destroyed the world body's Baghdad headquarters in August 2003, killing 22 people, including top envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Today's attack "clearly demonstrates that terrorism is a continuous and global challenge that knows no boundaries," Mr. Kerim said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

He added that the attacks "clearly demonstrate that terrorism is not only a threat to the values and principles of the United Nations, but a very concrete threat to its physical existence and actual work on the ground."

Mr. Ban's senior advisers have been dispatched to Algiers to investigate the bombing and determine how best to assist those affected.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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MOMENTUM ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM MUST NOT FALTER - ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

MOMENTUM ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM MUST NOT FALTER – ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT
New York, Dec 14 2007 7:00PM
Stressing the primary ownership and responsibility of Member States for reshaping the Security Council, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim today urged countries to maintain the current momentum in a process that has been languishing for over a decade.

Reforming the Council is an integral part of strengthening the Organization, and must, therefore, "go hand in hand with the transformation of the wider United Nations system," Mr. Kerim <"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/oewg141207.shtml">told the working group tasked with looking into issues such as equitable representation and increased membership on the 15-member body.

As such, "Member States should refrain from steps which could serve to undermine the current momentum and consensus to continue a process with the intention of achieving results-oriented solutions," he added.

"Further steps must contain components and notions that will allow the membership to reach a general agreement on all aspects of Security Council reform, in particular on both the composition of the Council and its working methods," Mr. Kerim said, stressing that any agreed changes to the Council must accommodate the interests and concerns of all sides, "especially those who are currently underrepresented."

The President announced that he was appointing the Ambassadors of Bangladesh, Chile and Portugal to assist him in the working group. Together they will form a task force on Council reform to ensure that the process in conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner and to identify elements for "negotiables."

Emphasizing that it would be up to States to identify and put forward a document to the task force that could serve as a basis for further negotiations, he called on delegations to begin consultations among themselves in various settings during the following weeks.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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AFTER SECOND DEADLY STORM STRIKES DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, UN RELIEF AGENCIES STEP IN

AFTER SECOND DEADLY STORM STRIKES DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, UN RELIEF AGENCIES STEP IN
New York, Dec 14 2007 6:00PM
United Nations relief agencies have activated their emergency response systems in the Dominican Republic for the second time in just over a month after the country was hit this week by Tropical Storm Olga, which has killed at least 27 people as it crossed the Caribbean region.

UN agencies are working at full capacity to help the Government deal with the aftermath of the storm, with emergency technical and assessment teams deployed to the most affected areas, according to information released today by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA).

So far 22 people are confirmed to have died in the Dominican Republic as a result of the storm, which struck the island of Hispaniola on Tuesday and Wednesday. Two others were killed in neighbouring Haiti and three more in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, as it continued its path of destruction across the Caribbean. Tropical Storm Olga is expected to bring more rain to the countries it has already hit.

OCHA said at least 35,000 Dominicans have been internally displaced, while more than 7,500 houses have been destroyed or substantially damaged and 76 communities left isolated. But the overall impact is expected to less severe than that caused by Tropical Storm Noel, which struck at the end of October and start of November.

The World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) is calling for $4 million over the next six months so that it can provide food relief to about 55,000 Dominicans suffering from either Olga or Noel.

WFP Regional Director Pedro Medrano, speaking from the agency's regional office in Panama, said some of the affected people had just begun to rebuild their lives after Noel when Olga arrived.

"Now they find their efforts seriously set back or literally washed away," he said. "They need our help, as do all the other communities now affected by this destructive wave of storms."
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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WRAPPING UP SESSION, UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO SEND EXPERT TO MYANMAR

WRAPPING UP SESSION, UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO SEND EXPERT TO MYANMAR
New York, Dec 14 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/6session/index.htm">Human Rights Council concluded its sixth session today in Geneva, adopting 13 resolutions and decisions, including a request that the independent expert on Myanmar return to the South-East Asian nation for further assessments.

The 47-member body adopted a resolution by consensus asking Special Rapporteur Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro to conduct a follow-up mission to look into the ongoing human rights violations resulting from the violent repression of recent peaceful demonstrations in Myanmar before the Council's next session in March 2008.

"Several reports of killings indicate that the figure provided by the authorities may greatly underestimate the reality," he wrote in a report presented to the Council earlier this week, with at least 31 people having died during the crackdown by the Government on protesters a few months ago – 16 more than had been acknowledged by the authorities.

Regarding Sudan, the Council adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the African nation by one year.

In a separate resolution, the body voiced concern that the country had not implemented the many recommendations of the Group of Experts, comprising seven independent rights experts.

In particular, the Council said it was worried about the fact that perpetrators of past and ongoing human rights violations and international humanitarian law in the war-ravaged Darfur region have not been brought to justice.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in the area and at least 2.2 million others displaced since rebels began fighting Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed in 2003.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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TIMOR-LESTE CAN COUNT ON UN'S HELP TO ADDRESS ITS CHALLENGES - BAN KI-MOON

TIMOR-LESTE CAN COUNT ON UN'S HELP TO ADDRESS ITS CHALLENGES – BAN KI-MOON
New York, Dec 14 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations will continue to help Timor-Leste in addressing the many challenges it faces, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged today during a visit to the tiny nation that the world body helped shepherd to independence in 2002.

"Timor-Leste was, and remains, a young nation that needs more support," Mr. Ban said in an <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11334.doc.htm">address to Parliament, noting that the challenges ahead for the country are enormous.

These include strengthening the security sector, governance and the rule of law, including the justice system, as well as accelerating economic and social development and addressing unemployment, Mr. Ban said.

The Secretary-General also emphasized the need to address the underlying causes of the crisis that engulfed the fledgling nation in 2006. Deadly fighting, attributed to differences between the eastern and western regions, broke out in April and May last year and caused the deaths of at least 37 people. About 155,000 others – or 15 per cent of the population – were forced to flee their homes.

"The crisis that Timor-Leste experienced last year should not be seen as a failure of all that had been undertaken until then," he stated, adding that perhaps it was a sign that the country's fledgling institutions were not yet strong enough to deal with the serious challenges that emerged. "This is not uncommon in the earliest life of a country," Mr. Ban noted.

As Timor-Leste continues on the road to nation-building, it can count on the sustained support and partnership of the entire UN family, the Secretary-General pledged. "We will remain your trusted allies as you continue on your journey."

While in Dili Mr. Ban also met with President José Ramos-Horta, and had a working luncheon with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and members of the Cabinet. He also met with civil society representatives and visited a police station and a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Addressing the fate of about 100,000 IDPs is a major issue the country has to grapple with, along with its other challenges, the Secretary-General said.

"The UN system continues to be fully engaged with the Government to find a durable solution to the complex humanitarian issue of the displaced," Mr. Ban later told reporters.

He also reaffirmed the UN's long-term commitment to assist the country through the work of its Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).

Mr. Ban's visit follows a recent mission to Timor-Leste by the Security Council, which advocates that the mandate of UNMIT be renewed when it expires next February, given the vital role it plays in assisting the Timorese to tackle its many challenges.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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CLIMATE CHANGE HAS NO RESPECT FOR BORDERS AND AFFECTS ALL, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

CLIMATE CHANGE HAS NO RESPECT FOR BORDERS AND AFFECTS ALL, SAYS BAN KI-MOON
New York, Dec 14 2007 5:00PM
Global warming impacts everyone regardless of national borders, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on negotiators at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, to overcome differences and agree on a road map to tackle the issue.

Climate change "doesn't care if you are coming from developing or industrialized countries," he <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1112">told reporters during a visit to Timor-Leste, warning that poorer nations will be hit hardest by the phenomenon.

Acknowledging that some countries have concerns about a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Mr. Ban said that the time will come in the future to reach a consensus on that.

"But our goal at this time is to launch negotiations," he said.

The Secretary-General stated that industrialized countries – especially the biggest emitters – should take the lead in addressing climate change.

"If we are not able to agree on this, I would say the negotiators will have to bear their historical responsibilities for the whole international community and the future of planet Earth."

Mr. Ban has repeatedly stressed the importance of creating a road map to tackle climate change and a timeline to produce a new agreement on emissions targets by 2009 so that it can enter into force after the Kyoto Protocol, the current regime, expires in 2012.

He is scheduled to return to Bali tomorrow to assess the status of the negotiations.

Following that the Secretary-General will travel to Paris to participate in Monday's Donor's Conference for the Palestinian Territories.

That event will be co-hosted by France, Norway, the European Commission and Tony Blair, the Special Representative for the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, comprising the UN, the United States, the European Union and Russia.

Mr. Ban will also attend a dinner with representatives of the Quartet and the League of Arab States.

While in Paris, he is also expected to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The Secretary-General plans to return to New York next Tuesday.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: UN MISSION SAYS RECRUITMENT OF CHILD SOLDIERS IS SURGING

DR CONGO: UN MISSION SAYS RECRUITMENT OF CHILD SOLDIERS IS SURGING
New York, Dec 14 2007 5:00PM
Hundreds of under-age boys and girls are being forcibly recruited by rival armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and sent to the front lines of the escalating conflict in North Kivu province in the far east of the country, the UN mission reported today.

The mission, known as MONUC, has identified the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP), the group led by the renegade General Laurent Nkunda, and the Front Démocratique de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) as the two main groups responsible for the forced recruitment of children into armed conflict.

The groups deliberately canvass sites such as schools, camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other venues to recruit children, leading to the closure of several schools and the noticeable absence of young children among many communities in the volatile province. Families which try to resist the recruitment often face retaliation.

Many of the estimated 8,500 former child soldiers who have been rescued by the UN and other humanitarian organizations since 2004 have been re-recruited in the last few months or used as sex slaves, according to the mission.

<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC pledged in a press statement released today in Kinshasa to redouble its efforts to protect children and prevent their forced recruitment into the armed groups, and it issued a call to those groups to immediately end the practice.

The warning comes amid mounting UN concern about the overall humanitarian situation inside North Kivu, where tens of thousands of people are on the move again after some of the worst fighting since the DRC civil war formally ended in 2003.

An estimated 800,000 Congolese are now internally displaced within North Kivu, including 170,000 who have been forced to flee in only the past four months since fighting escalated between Government forces (known as FARDC), troops loyal to Gen. Nkunda and rebel groups such as the FDLR.

The security situation is so difficult that UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) teams and other relief workers are unable to reach many areas of North Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Uganda. More than 4,500 MONUC troops have been deployed to help ensure the defence of Goma, the capital, and the key town of Saké.

In a related development, UNHCR António Guterres was today in the national capital, Kinshasa, to meet with senior Government officials at the start of a five-day visit to assess the deteriorating situation in North Kivu and nearby areas.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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UN TO LEAD TEAM ASSESSING WORST OIL SPILL IN HISTORY OF REPUBLIC OF KOREA

UN TO LEAD TEAM ASSESSING WORST OIL SPILL IN HISTORY OF REPUBLIC OF KOREA
New York, Dec 14 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations will lead an eight-person team of marine pollution and civil protection experts being deployed today to assess the 7 December oil spill in the Republic of Korea, the worst in the Asian nation's history.

The team will comprise staff from the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/">UNEP), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA), the European Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) and the European Maritime Safety Agency.

It will offer advice on how to manage the emergency, remove the remaining oil and limit its spread.

Over 10,000 tons of crude oil were spilled when a barge slammed into a tanker, and they later hit beaches 100 kilometres south of Seoul on 8 December. That region is a crucial habitat for migrating birds and is home to an important fishing industry.

The UN-EC team will complement the Korean authorities' efforts, and also suggest measures towards long-term recovery for the ecosystem of the area impacted by the spill.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO SPOTLIGHTS IMPROVEMENTS IN UN'S RESPONSE TO GLOBAL EMERGENCIES

MIGIRO SPOTLIGHTS IMPROVEMENTS IN UN'S RESPONSE TO GLOBAL EMERGENCIES
New York, Dec 14 2007 3:00PM
Migiro spotlights improvements in UN's response to global emergencies

The United Nations has made significant strides in the way it responds to emergencies, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

In 2005, the world body launched a reform process to ensure that all victims' needs were met for all emergencies and to bolster accountability.

"Two years on, I think we have made considerable progress in improving the way we work," Ms. Migiro said in an address in Washington, DC, to InterAction, a coalition of 165 non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

"In the past, whenever an emergency occurred, the humanitarian community would scramble to find the resources to respond," she said. "These came too little, too late."

However, this has been changing, largely due to the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), which was approved by the General Assembly in 2005 to speed up relief operations for emergencies, make funds available quickly after disasters and finance underfunded emergencies.

CERF funds are 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.

"The CERF exemplifies the UN at its most effective, delivering real results on the ground, where and whenever it matters most," Ms. Migiro stated.

She also cited the Cluster Approach utilized by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee – a partnership between the UN and its humanitarian partners – as bolstering the UN's ability to respond to emergencies.

The Approach assigns lead agencies to 11 areas of humanitarian activity, including early recovery, health, logistics and protection.

"It helps avoid gaps and duplication in our assistance efforts and promotes a more integrated response," the Deputy Secretary-General said in her remarks. "And it makes the international humanitarian community a better partner for host Governments."

However, she urged ongoing efforts to improve the capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies.

"The demands for more timely effective and equitable emergency assistance will only continue to grow due to a combination of factors – the increasingly visible effects of climate change, rapid population growth in vulnerable areas, increasing competition for scarce resources, and the threat of pandemic diseases," she said.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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ENGLISH CRICKETERS HEAD OUT TO BAT IN SRI LANKA FOR UN ANTI-HUNGER CAMPAIGN

ENGLISH CRICKETERS HEAD OUT TO BAT IN SRI LANKA FOR UN ANTI-HUNGER CAMPAIGN
New York, Dec 14 2007 3:00PM
Sri Lankan schoolchildren will have the opportunity tomorrow to learn some tips from some of England's best cricketers during a special training clinic being held as part of efforts by the United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2722">WFP) to raise awareness about global hunger.

England's captain Michael Vaughan, batsmen Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores will conduct a clinic at a cricket ground in Galle in the far south of Sri Lanka. The participating children are recipients of WFP meals at 11 schools in the surrounding area.

The clinic has been arranged under the "Cricket Against Hunger" partnership between the WFP and the England and Wales Cricket Board, one of several partnerships the UN agency has formed with sporting organizations or well-known sportsmen and women.

Mohamed Saleheen, WFP Representative in Sri Lanka, said the partnership is designed to raise awareness about the hundreds of millions of children worldwide who go hungry on many days.

"These players, who are known all over the world, have an important role to play in drawing attention to WFP's vital work in addressing malnutrition among children," Mr. Saleheen said.

Mr. Cook said it was important to spotlight the hardships faced by so many children around the world.

"As international sportsmen, we are in the public eye, and we have an opportunity to tell our fans and followers about the scale of this problem, and the work that WFP is doing to address it," he said.

WFP started its school feeding programmes in Sri Lanka in 2003 in response to high levels of child malnutrition in areas affected by the civil conflict between Government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). After the Indian Ocean tsunami struck Sri Lanka in December 2004, the programmes were expanded. Today an estimated 350,000 children receive assistance in 15 of the nation's 25 districts.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON VOICES PROFOUND SADNESS AS UN DEATH TOLL IN ALGIERS REACHES 17

BAN KI-MOON VOICES PROFOUND SADNESS AS UN DEATH TOLL IN ALGIERS REACHES 17
New York, Dec 14 2007 2:00PM
As the United Nations today confirmed that 17 of its staff have perished in the terror attacks in Algiers, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his great sorrow at the toll this "unspeakable crime" has taken.

"I have learned with profound sadness that the death toll on the bombing in Algiers last Tuesday is even higher than we feared," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2913">statement, after the Organization announced that 17 UN staff members are now confirmed dead following the car bombing in the Algerian capital. "Words cannot begin to do justice to the grief I feel.

"I send my prayers to the loved ones of those who perished, to those who are wounded, and to those who are grappling with trauma after this terrible event," stated Mr. Ban. "I send my thoughts to all their colleagues who work every day, in difficult and dangerous circumstances, for peace and security, development and human rights around the world."

He added that "those who target innocent civilians in this way commit an unspeakable crime. Our colleagues there were working with no other mission than to support the people of Algeria in building a better future."

UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters that efforts on the ground to clear away the rubble have led to the discovery and identification of more bodies.

Mr. Ban has sent several of his top aids to Algiers to determine how best to aid those injured in the attack and the families of the victims.

Kemal Dervis, the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has met with the families of the victims as well as those who were injured in Algiers. "It was sad to see the impact of the attack on his colleagues, he said, adding that "the victims are not soldiers who signed up for battle, but people, mostly Algerians, who are working for peace, development and to alleviate human suffering."

The Algiers bombing is not the first time the UN has been attacked by terrorists. A bomb destroyed the world body's Baghdad headquarters in August 2003, killing 22 people, including top envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY ISSUES ATM CARDS TO ASSIST CASH-STRAPPED IRAQI REFUGEES

UN AGENCY ISSUES ATM CARDS TO ASSIST CASH-STRAPPED IRAQI REFUGEES
New York, Dec 14 2007 2:00PM
In response to recent studies showing that Iraqi refugees living in neighbouring countries are running out of money, the UN refugee agency is set to issue ATM cards to 7,000 of the most needy and vulnerable families living in Syria.

More than 4.5 million Iraqis are currently uprooted – 2.4 million inside Iraq and nearly 2.2 million outside – most of them in Syria and Jordan, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

This Sunday, <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR will start providing the ATM cards, providing each family with between $100 and $200 per month.

"The families have been interviewed by community services staff and identified as being in urgent need of financial assistance," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters in Geneva. "They include women at risk, families with working children and refugees with chronic illnesses."

The 7,000 families will also receive food aid from the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) and UNHCR.

Recent studies by the agency and IPSOS Market Research show that Iraqi refugees in Syria – host to more than 1.4 million Iraqi refugees – are running out of finances. Some 33 per cent of those surveyed said their financial resources will last for three months or less, while 24 per cent are relying on remittances from relatives living abroad.

Similar studies conducted in Lebanon and Jordan revealed that Iraqi refugees living there shared some of the same difficulties. For example, the majority of the 450,000-500,000 Iraqis living Jordan are surviving on savings or receive financial transfers. "This makes a large segment of Iraqis in Jordan at risk of becoming vulnerable with the depletion of their savings," Ms. Pagonis noted.

The survey also showed a high prevalence of chronic diseases among Iraqi refugees living in these countries, as well as significant drop-out rates for children and difficulties related to refugee protection.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS ABOUT PROTECTING HAITIAN-DOMINICAN BORDER AGAINST CRIME

UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS ABOUT PROTECTING HAITIAN-DOMINICAN BORDER AGAINST CRIME
New York, Dec 14 2007 2:00PM
A senior United Nations envoy is holding talks today with officials in the Dominican Republic about how to improve the border security of Haiti, where the UN has a peacekeeping operation to try to help stabilize the country after years of violence and misrule.

Hédi Annabi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Haiti, is expected to discuss how blue helmets with the UN mission (known as MINUSTAH) can contribute to improving the security along the Haitian-Dominican border, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

The mandate of MINUSTAH – which was established by the Security Council in 2004 – was recently expanded to allow the mission to help Haitian authorities secure their border against drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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CAMBODIA AND UN ANTI-HUNGER AGENCY LAUNCH THREE-YEAR MEAL PROGRAMME

CAMBODIA AND UN ANTI-HUNGER AGENCY LAUNCH THREE-YEAR MEAL PROGRAMME
New York, Dec 14 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced a new, three-year programme to provide meals to 1.8 million vulnerable Cambodians, including schoolchildren, tuberculosis patients and people affected by HIV/AIDS.

At a ceremony yesterday in the capital, Phnom Penh, <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2723">WFP and the Cambodian Government launched the $64 million feeding programme which, starting next year, will target the neediest and least developed regions of the South-East Asian country.

WFP Country Director Thomas Keusters called on international donors to step up their support of its programmes in Cambodia, warning that it was important to avoid a repeat of the funding crisis earlier this year that threatened to interrupt the supply of emergency food relief.

"Food assistance has an immediate impact on beneficiaries and it is often also the catalyst that will allow other programmes to be successful," Mr. Keusters said.

"What good is it to build more schools and train more teachers if the children cannot take advantage of the improved facilities because they come to school hungry? What is the benefit of HIV/AIDS/TB medical support if the people cannot afford to buy the food that is needed for the medicine to be effective?"

WFP has been operating in Cambodia since 1979, when it started supporting refugees and returnees, mainly along the Cambodian-Thai border.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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TWO KOSOVO FIGURES ON TRIAL TEMPORARILY RELEASED BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

TWO KOSOVO FIGURES ON TRIAL TEMPORARILY RELEASED BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL
New York, Dec 14 2007 2:00PM
A former prime minister of Kosovo and a senior commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the conflict in the province, each facing trial at the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes of the Balkan wars of the 1990s, have been granted temporary release from jail during the court's annual winter recess.

Judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), sitting in The Hague, <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1207e.htm">ordered today that Ramush Haradinaj and Lahi Brahimaj be provisionally released from 21 December, under the condition they return to the Tribunal's custody by 4 January next year.

Mr. Haradinaj was a well-known figure with the KLA during the conflict with Serb forces in 1998-99 and later served as the leader of a minority political party and briefly as the province's prime minister. Mr. Brahimaj was a senior KLA commander who reported directly to Mr. Haradinaj.

The indictment accuses Mr. Haradinaj of participating in a joint criminal enterprise with two others, Idriz Balaj and Mr. Brahimaj, between March and September 1998 aimed at consolidating KLA control in the Dukagjin area by attacking, persecuting and forcibly removing Serb civilians and violently suppressing "any real or perceived form of collaboration with the Serbs by Albanian or Roma civilians."

While they may not have physically committed every crime for which they are charged, the indictment states, they are still considered criminally responsible for planning, instigating, ordering or aiding and abetting their commission.

The charges against Mr. Haradinaj include murder, rape, torture, abduction, cruel treatment, harassment and the deportation or forcible transfer of civilians. Mr. Brahimaj is accused of providing direct support to Mr. Haradinaj's alleged criminal activities and of running a KLA detention facility in central Kosovo in which civilians were mistreated.

The trial of the three men began in March and closing arguments are expected to be delivered late next month. Mr. Balaj did not apply to the ICTY for provisional release.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN FORCE IN GOLAN HEIGHTS FOR FURTHER SIX MONTHS

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN FORCE IN GOLAN HEIGHTS FOR FURTHER SIX MONTHS
New York, Dec 14 2007 1:00PM
The Security Council today <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9200.doc.htm">extended for a further six months the United Nations force that has monitored the ceasefire between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights for over 30 years.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member body renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (<" http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/undof/">UNDOF) until 30 June 2008.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had recommended the extension of the Force in a recent <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/698">report, noting that while the situation in the Golan Heights has been "generally quiet" recently, the overall region remains tense.

Mr. Ban's report also drew attention to the growing financial shortfall faced by UNDOF, which supervises the disengagement accord between Syrian and Israeli forces after the 1973 war. As of the end of August, some $24 million is owed to the countries that contribute troops to the Force: Austria, Canada, India, Japan, Poland and Slovakia.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 2008

UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 2008
New York, Dec 14 2007 1:00PM
Reaffirming that the status quo on the Mediterranean island is unacceptable, the Security Council today <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9201.doc.htm">extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (<" http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/">UNFICYP) until next June.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member body said that "time is not on the side of a settlement, and that negotiations to reunify the island have been at an impasse for too long."

Expressing its full support for the July 2006 agreement – which set out the necessary framework for a political process designed to lead to the resumption of full-fledged negotiations– the Council voiced deep concern over the "lack of any progress."

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/699">report to the Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities continue to publicly endorse the agreement's principles that a settlement must be based "on a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation and political equality," but that "a lack of political will to fully engage" was preventing any tangible progress.

"All parties need to show greater flexibility and greater political courage," he wrote, describing a September meeting of the leaders that did not produce any concrete results as "a lost opportunity."
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY MOURNS STAFF KILLED IN ALGIERS BOMB ATTACK

UN REFUGEE AGENCY MOURNS STAFF KILLED IN ALGIERS BOMB ATTACK
New York, Dec 14 2007 11:00AM
Staff members of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are mourning the loss of two colleagues, both Algerian nationals, killed in the deadly terror attack that struck the world body's offices in Algiers on Tuesday.

Drivers Karim Bentebal and Nabil Slimani, both Algerian nationals, were killed when a car bomb ripped the façade off the UNHCR office, the agency's spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47626dbd4.html">told reporters in Geneva today, adding that one staff member was seriously wounded, while others sustained minor injuries.

A support team from Geneva, where the agency is based, was urgently dispatched to the Algerian capital on Wednesday to assist staff and families of those killed in the attack, which also claimed the lives of at least nine other UN staff members.

UNHCR has about 40 staff working in Algeria, 14 of whom were in Algiers at the time of the blast, Ms. Pagonis said. Most of the agency's staff work in the Tindouf area some 2,000 kilometres south-west of the capital, assisting Sahrawi refugees from Western Sahara living in five refugee camps.

The agency lost another staff member last week when driver Mahamat Mahamadou, a Chadian national, was shot dead in his vehicle in the southern part of the country.

"It has been a particularly black time for UNHCR, with three drivers killed in the line of humanitarian duty in the space of a week," said Ms. Pagonis. "UNHCR drivers are a vital part of our frontline humanitarian staff and widely recognised as crucial to our operations and understanding of the countries we work in. It is very troubling that three drivers have lost their lives in such violent circumstances within a week."
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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MORE THAN 200 BOAT PEOPLE FEARED DEAD AT SEA, SAYS UN AGENCY

MORE THAN 200 BOAT PEOPLE FEARED DEAD AT SEA, SAYS UN AGENCY
New York, Dec 14 2007 11:00AM
Over 200 people attempting a perilous voyage across the seas are feared dead or missing after separate incidents off Turkey, the Canary Islands and Yemen in recent days, the UN refugee agency said today, calling for concerted action to avoid such tragedies.

Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47626dbe5.html">said that last Saturday, 51 people drowned when a boat carrying irregular migrants from Turkey to Greece sank in rough weather off the Turkish coast. Another 35 people are still missing and are presumed to have also drowned.

Last weekend, the Spanish media reported that up to 90 migrants were missing at sea after two separate incidents involving large canoes attempting to reach the Canary Islands from Senegal and from Western Sahara.

In Yemen, where 27,000 people, mostly Somalis and Ethiopians, have arrived by boat this year, UNHCR staff reported 31 people drowned or missing between 5 and 12 December.

These incidents brought the overall toll to 207 in one week, noted Ms. Pagonis.

The agency drew attention to the fact that tens of thousands of boat people risk their lives each year attempting to flee across the world's waterways. While most are migrants seeking a better life, some are also refugees fleeing persecution and violence.

At a two-day dialogue organized by UNHCR in Geneva this week, governments, non-governmental organisations and experts voiced support for strengthening efforts to ensure the protection of those who are on the move worldwide.

At a session devoted to rescue at sea, the agency urged participants to do everything possible to avoid tragedies such as those seen recently.
2007-12-14 00:00:00.000

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RISE IN WEAPONS-RELATED CRIME WORRIES UN PANEL INVESTIGATING LIBERIA SANCTIONS

RISE IN WEAPONS-RELATED CRIME WORRIES UN PANEL INVESTIGATING LIBERIA SANCTIONS
New York, Dec 13 2007 7:00PM
A group of United Nations experts said that while it has found no evidence of arms flows across Liberia's borders, the dramatic increase in armed robberies involving firearms is a cause for concern and merits the attention of the Security Council committee monitoring the arms embargo imposed on the West African nation.

Armed robbery rates for the capital, Monrovia, have increased significantly compared to 2006, with firearms involved in about a third of cases, according to the panel of experts established by the Council.

"This worrisome development has raised the profile of the debate over rearming Liberia's security services and has highlighted some of the challenges confronting the establishment of sustainable rule of law," the group states in a new report.

It recommends that the Council's "1521 Committee," which monitors the Liberia sanctions regime, carefully review the status of past exceptions to the arms embargo and inventories of weapons already transferred to the country before approving any further transfers of military material to Liberian security services.

The Committee should also request that the Liberian Government step up its inspection of approved shipments and to consider using international and regional standards for the marking of all weapons, the group adds.

The panel of experts was appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July to renew investigations of whether UN sanctions against Liberia are being broken, after learning of allegations that former president Charles Taylor may still have access to considerable wealth.

In what the panel refers to as a "significant milestone in its work," the experts were invited by Nigeria to visit the country to investigate the allegations. The Nigerian authorities informed them that they were unable to find conclusive evidence of any funds, economic assets or investments made by Mr. Taylor in Nigeria. Since the panel has not yet received copies of the Government's reports, it cannot confirm these findings.

The panel is also tasked with assessing the implementation of forestry legislation signed into law last October by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and with gauging the Government's compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a mechanism established to keep "blood diamonds" from reaching world markets.

While there was no confirmed case of diamond smuggling into Liberia, the panel states that the Government should ensure that Ivorian diamonds do not pass through its porous borders and enter its legitimate trade, adding that "there is a need for heightened sensitivity to potential shifts in trade flows."

Commending the Government for its progress in this area, the panel urges that it ensure its internal controls are effectively implemented. Doing so will require strong leadership and effective management of human, financial and material resources, the panel states.

In the area of forestry, the group says the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) continues to move forward in the right direction although progress is sometimes slow, noting that planning and management of fiscal resources remain "significant challenges."

The Council lifted its ban on Liberian timber in June 2006 in recognition of Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf's efforts in managing the nation's forests. The FDA is tasked with developing a forest policy and a national forest management strategy, among other matters.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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COUNTRIES PLEDGE TO REALIZE RIGHTS OF EVERY CHILD AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY GATHERING

COUNTRIES PLEDGE TO REALIZE RIGHTS OF EVERY CHILD AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY GATHERING
New York, Dec 13 2007 7:00PM
Recognizing the many challenges that remain to improve the lives of the world's children, participants in the General Assembly's special meeting on children today renewed their commitments to promote and protect the rights and well-being of every child.

"We will pursue our common vision of ensuring the well-being of all children in all societies, with a collective sense of urgency," States pledged in a declaration adopted at the end of the three-day gathering at United Nations Headquarters, reaffirming their commitment to realizing the goals set in 2002 to improve the well-being of children.

In "A World Fit for Children" – the plan of action agreed five years ago – governments committed to a set of time-bound and specific goals in four priority areas concerning children: promoting healthy lives; providing quality education; protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence; and combating HIV/AIDS.

States participating in the Assembly's high-level meeting, known as "A World Fit for Children+5," were encouraged by the progress achieved since 2002 but highlighted many persisting challenges, including "unacceptably high" number of children under five who continue to die every year and the toll that malnutrition and diseases continue to take on their lives.

Over 140 speakers participated in the event, including 20 children selected from around the world. In addition, more than 55 Member States included a child in their official delegation.

"The best advocates for children are children themselves," General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim <"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/eventchildren121207.shtml">stated, expressing his appreciation to all the children that were involved in the preparations for the event and the event itself.

Calling for scaled-up efforts to improve the lives of young people, he added, "we must assure the children that the future they truly deserve and will inherit can be realized through our actions now."
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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DONORS PLEDGE $420 MILLION FOR UN EMERGENCY FUND FOR GLOBAL CRISES

DONORS PLEDGE $420 MILLION FOR UN EMERGENCY FUND FOR GLOBAL CRISES
New York, Dec 13 2007 7:00PM
The top United Nations humanitarian official today welcomed the $420 million pledged by donors for a landmark fund which has significantly reduced the time in which aid is delivered to those most in need.

Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes convened a high-level conference in New York in support of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which was approved by the General Assembly in December 2005.

"CERF is for all and by all," he said, noting that of the 93 total donors – including 85 Member States – more than half are development, some of them recipients of CERF aid.

Today's combined pledges of $420 million for 2008 top the $350 million and $300 million pledged this year and last, respectively.

This surge in voluntary contributions is "not good news for us, it's good news for the people who are likely to benefit from these funds," Mr. Holmes, who also serves as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2007/071213_OCHA.doc.htm">told reporters.

CERF was created to speed up relief operations for emergencies, make funds available quickly after disasters and finance underfunded emergencies.

Mr. Holmes said one third of the funds are 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.

The overall target for 2008 is $500 million, which includes $50 million earmarked as a revolving loan fund.

"I think we are within touching distance of that objective," he said.

<"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/cerf131207.shtml">Speaking at this morning's donors' meeting, Assembly President Srgjan Kerim highlighted the threat posed by climate change, which will increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters.

"'Climate shocks' such as droughts, floods and storms are already among the strongest factors driving poverty," he said. "They will become more frequent as the planet warms."

Mr. Kerim stressed that it is the world's poor who will suffer the most as a result.

Since its launch last March, CERF has committed nearly $600 million to more than 700 humanitarian projects in 59 countries impacted by natural disasters and armed conflicts. Since January 2007, it has disbursed over $212 million to rapid response grants in 48 countries and $124 to underfunded emergencies in almost two dozen nations.

In a related development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Catherine Bragg of Canada as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), succeeding Margareta Wahlström of Sweden.

Ms. Bragg has served as Director General of the Humanitarian Assistance, Peace and Security Programme in the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) since 2004. She also chairs OCHA's Donor Support Group and is a member of CERF's Advisory Group.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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KOSOVO STATUS TALKS FAILED TO PRODUCE AGREEMENT, SAYS REPORT TO SECURITY COUNCIL

KOSOVO STATUS TALKS FAILED TO PRODUCE AGREEMENT, SAYS REPORT TO SECURITY COUNCIL
New York, Dec 13 2007 7:00PM
Belgrade and Pristina have been unable to reach agreement on the final status of Kosovo, the Serbian province administered by the United Nations since 1999, despite four months of intense and high-level negotiations, according to a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/723">report just submitted to the Security Council.

"Neither party was willing to cede its position on the fundamental question of sovereignty," concluded the report of the troika, comprising the European Union, Russia and the United States, that was set up to lead the recent negotiations.

The troika was itself created by the so-called Contact Group of countries – the US, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Russia – which conveyed this report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who then transmitted it to the Council this week.

The troika was established after a stalemate emerged over a proposal by Mr. Ban's Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, for a phased process of independence for the province, where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and others by nine to one. Kosovo's Albanian leadership supports independence but Serbia is opposed.

Mr. Ahtisaari declared talks on the future status of the province deadlocked in mid-March, a little more than a month after unveiling his proposals, which aimed to address the demands of a multi-ethnic society.

The plan called for a constitution enshrining principles to protect the rights of all communities, including culture, language, education and symbols, as well as granting specific representation for non-Albanians in key public institutions and requiring that certain laws may only be enacted if a majority of the Kosovo non-Albanian legislative members agree.

It also called for wide-ranging decentralization, focusing in particular on the specific needs and concerns of the Serb community, which would have a high degree of control over its own affairs such as secondary health care, higher education and financial matters, including accepting transparent funding from Serbia. Six new or significantly expanded Kosovo Serb majority municipalities would be set up.

The troika's report expressed regret over the failure to reach a negotiated settlement, saying it was in the best interests of both sides to do so. But it added that the negotiations process had still been useful.

"Under our auspices, the parties engaged in the most sustained and intense high-level direct dialogue since hostilities ended in Kosovo in 1999. Through this process, the parties discovered areas where their interests aligned. The parties also agreed on the need to promote and protect multi-ethnic societies and address difficult issues holding back reconciliation, particularly the fate of missing persons and the return of displaced persons.

"Perhaps most important, Belgrade and Pristina reaffirmed the centrality of their European perspective to their future relations, with both sides restating their desire to seek a future under the common roof of the European Union."

The troika also noted that it had extracted important commitments from the two sides, including a pledge that they would not use violence and refrain from any actions that might jeopardize the security situation in Kosovo and elsewhere.

"We note that Kosovo and Serbia will continue to be tied together due to the special nature of their relationship, especially in its historical, human, geographical, economical and cultural dimensions."

The report also concluded that the settlement of Kosovo's status was critical to the stability and security of both the Western Balkans region and Europe as a whole.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL EXTENDS STAY IN BALI TO PURSUE CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS

SECRETARY-GENERAL EXTENDS STAY IN BALI TO PURSUE CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS
New York, Dec 13 2007 6:00PM
To continue forging ahead with his efforts to bring about a successful conclusion to the landmark United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has extended his visit to the South-East Asian nation.

"The Secretary-General has decided to remain in Bali longer than originally scheduled because of the very critical phase of the negotiating process at the <"http://www.un.org/climatechange/">Climate Change Conference," UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

"The successful launch of the negotiation process is a top priority for the Secretary-General, as well as the defining issue of our time, and he will devote as much effort as needed"

In his third day in Bali, Mr. Ban held intensive bilateral discussions with government ministers – the environmental ministers of China, India and Japan, China's Minister of National Development and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources – and business leaders attending the three-day high-level portion of the Conference.

Also meeting with Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, who arrived today in Indonesia, where the two conferred on the current state of negotiations and key issues, including technology dissemination and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation.

Additionally, they discussed how the negotiation process can proceed, as well as the Adaptation Fund, which aims to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries.

Mr. Ban also took part in a special session organized by the Indonesian President for the heads of State and government attending the Conference.

"Throughout the day, the Secretary-General continued to stress that the parties need to agree to launch negotiations here in Bali, agree on a clear agenda for those negotiations, and set a definite time line for the conclusion of negotiations – by 2009," Ms. Okabe said.

Tomorrow, Mr. Ban departs Bali for a visit to Timor-Leste.

In a related development, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?">WFP) today urged action to help the world's poorest adapt to climate change.

"We are now facing a 'perfect storm' of challenges around the world, where climate change is combining with a boom in commodity prices, slipping levels of food aid, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS to increase the vulnerability of more and more people," said the agency's Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

The poorest and most vulnerable – who reside in countries heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture – are invariably most susceptible to the detrimental effects of global warming, she added.

Meanwhile, the <"http://www.cbd.int/climate/">Convention on Biological Diversity, hosted by the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Themes/climatechange/">UNEP), today <"http://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2007/pr-2007-12-13-adaptation-en.pdf">launched a new adaptation <"http://adaptation.cbd.int/">website to further efforts to allow all of the planet's life forms to cope with climate change.

The Earth's numerous ecosystems and species must adapt to global warming, and this new site brings together tools created by governments, organizations and agencies to take stock of biodiversity considerations in their larger adaptation planning.

Thus, this scheme "has the potential of being a major tool to enhance synergies between biodiversity and climate change," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, the Convention's Executive Secretary.

Also, the UN is partnering with the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) to kick-start the spread in Africa of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, which allow industrialized countries to generate credits through investment in emission reduction projects in developing countries, by opening a new carbon forum in Senegal next September.

While nearly 900 such projects are in existence in 49 developing nations, a mere 2.6 per cent are in Africa.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES WORLD TO STEP UP SUPPORT FOR DARFUR PEACEKEEPING FORCE

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES WORLD TO STEP UP SUPPORT FOR DARFUR PEACEKEEPING FORCE
New York, Dec 13 2007 5:00PM
Noting that this is a "critical point" regarding the deployment of an African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force in the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan, Secretary-General appealed for the world to step up its support for the mission.

To deploy the force as soon as possible, "this requires capabilities on the ground – capabilities which we need UN Member States to provide, but which is still dangerously lacking," he said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11331.doc.htm">message to the three-day World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize laureates in Rome.

Most strikingly, Mr. Ban pointed out, is the lack of helicopters. "In the past weeks and months, I have contacted, personally, every possible contributor of helicopters – in the Americas, in Europe, in Asia. And yet, not one helicopter has been made available yet."

He urged governments – in regions such as Europe, Asia and the Americas where thousands of different types of military helicopters exist – to bolster their support for the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

In his message, the Secretary-General also congratulated United States actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle, who both received the 2007 Peace Summit Award for their efforts to raise awareness about the humanitarian suffering in Darfur.

Earlier this week, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former US Vice-President Al Gore accepted this year's Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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PAST DECADE THE WARMEST EVER, SAYS UN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY

PAST DECADE THE WARMEST EVER, SAYS UN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY
New York, Dec 13 2007 5:00PM
The past decade has been the warmest on record, with this year's global mean surface temperature 0.41 degrees Celsius, or 0.74 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 1961-1990 annual average, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (<"http://www.wmo.ch/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_805_en.html">WMO) announced today.

This January marked the warmest January ever, with a global average temperature of 12.7 degrees Celsius, or 54.9 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the January average between 1961 and 1990 of 12.1 degrees Celsius or 53.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

The agency's analysis is based on two different sources: the United Kingdom's Hadley Centre and the Climactic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, which both rank this year as the seventh warmest ever; and the United States Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which indicated that 2007 is on track to be the fifth warmest on record.

Record-low Arctic sea ice extent, which led to the first recorded opening of the Canadian Northwest Passage; the relatively small Antarctic ozone hole; and the rise of La Niña in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific are other major climate-related events which occurred this year.

In a related development, the UN International Telecommunications Union (<"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/38.html">ITU) wrapped up its three-day Global Forum on "Effective Use of Telecommunications/ICT for Disaster Management: Saving Lives."

Sami Al Basheer Al Morshi, Director of the agency's Telecommunication Development Bureau, said, "We have seen through first-hand experience the power and potential of telecommunications to save lives in times of disaster."

Representatives from 174 governments, 18 international organizations, 18 private sector groups and 53 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended the Geneva Forum.

The event also saw the launch of the ITU Framework for Cooperation in Emergencies (IFCE), which seeks to make telecommunications resources available for government agencies which are responsible for disaster relief, humanitarian workers, as well as victims of disasters.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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AFTER LATEST BOMBING, LEBANON SEEKS ASSISTANCE OF UN PROBE INTO HARIRI KILLING

AFTER LATEST BOMBING, LEBANON SEEKS ASSISTANCE OF UN PROBE INTO HARIRI KILLING
New York, Dec 13 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has received a letter from the Lebanese Government requesting help in the investigation of yesterday's bombing in eastern Beirut that killed a senior member of the country's armed forces and at least one of his bodyguards.

Mr. Ban has transmitted the letter from Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, in which he seeks "technical assistance," on to the Security Council, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters today.

The International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC), which was set up by the Council, is already probing the February 2005 assassination of the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, who was killed along with 22 others following a massive car bombing in downtown Beirut. It is also examining 18 other recent murders or attempted murders of politicians or other prominent figures in Lebanon.

Media reports say General Francois el-Hajj and his bodyguard died after the car in which they were travelling was destroyed when a bomb detonated in the eastern suburbs of Beirut yesterday morning.

The blast was immediately condemned by Mr. Ban and the Security Council in separate statements. The Council's presidential statement was adopted after the 15-member body heard a briefing from Geir Pedersen, the Secretary-General's Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet about the latest developments in the Middle Eastern country.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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GOVERNMENTS AGREE ON NEW UN-BACKED PACT TO PROTECT SHARKS

GOVERNMENTS AGREE ON NEW UN-BACKED PACT TO PROTECT SHARKS
New York, Dec 13 2007 5:00PM
Dozens of governments agreed in principle today to a new United Nations global agreement to protect sharks, which have long been neglected by conservationists and overexploited by the modern fishing industry.

Three of the largest and most iconic shark species – migratory whale, great white and basking sharks – have been singled out for protection in the agreement reached after a three-day meeting, also attended by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and fisheries bodies, in the Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles.

The meeting was organized by the Convention on Migratory Species, an intergovernmental treaty concluded under the aegis of the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/">UNEP) that seeks to conserve wildlife and habitats on a global scale.

Although it had been feared that the interests of individual fisheries would thwart an agreement from being reached, the meeting's chairman, Rolph Payet, announced that Governments had resolved their differences.

To be finalized next year, the agreement will promote cooperation among governments, fisheries bodies, scientists and NGOs, as well as further efforts to conserve sharks, including putting controls on shark finning given the surging worldwide demand for fins as a luxury food.

It also includes encourages the creation of a global shark database and identifying and protecting critical shark habitats and migration routes.

Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of UNEP/CMS, said that this latest agreement brings the total number of new agreements having secured international approval to eight this year. Aside from sharks, these cover the following endangered migratory animals: ruddy-headed geese, birds of prey, sea cows, small whales, Mediterranean monk seals, grassland birds and gorillas.

"The challenge now is to get these new agreements into full operation so they can change the survival prospects of all these precious species," he observed.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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TIMOR-LESTE: UN OFFICIAL STRESSES NEED FOR CREDIBLE STATE INSTITUTIONS

TIMOR-LESTE: UN OFFICIAL STRESSES NEED FOR CREDIBLE STATE INSTITUTIONS
New York, Dec 13 2007 4:00PM
Building strong State institutions, particularly a credible security sector, will be vital if Timor-Leste is to resolve many of the issues that continue to plague the young nation, a visiting senior United Nations official said today.

"Without a credible security sector that has the trust of the people, that is not seen… to be aligned with one group or another, the State of Timor-Leste will remain weak," Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie Guéhenno said in an interview with UN Radio.

Mr. Guéhenno is currently in Timor-Leste, which the UN helped shepherd to independence in 2002, ahead of an official visit by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon tomorrow.

The peacekeeping chief said that the crisis which engulfed the tiny nation last year showed the weaknesses of the State, particularly its police force. While police training has been a key component of the UN's involvement in Timor-Leste, building a credible and viable security sector will require "much more work" that goes beyond the training of an individual police officer, he said.

"I think we have to be there for several more years," Mr. Guéhenno stated, adding that the country had "major internal problems that need to be resolved."

While in Timor-Leste, Mr. Guéhenno has met with representatives of political parties, civil society and women's groups, and visited a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

His visit follows a recent mission by Security Council members who also had an opportunity to see first-hand the challenges facing the country, having met with a wide range of people from the Government, civil society and the UN family, including the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).

In its report on the 24 to 30 November visit, which the 15-member body discussed in a formal meeting today, Council members noted that rebuilding the confidence of the population in State and security institutions, addressing the fate of about 100,000 IDPs and resolving land and property disputes "are all very real challenges facing the nation in 2007 and beyond."
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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ON ARRIVAL IN ALGIERS, TOP UN OFFICIAL VISITS VICTIMS' FAMILIES, WOUNDED

ON ARRIVAL IN ALGIERS, TOP UN OFFICIAL VISITS VICTIMS' FAMILIES, WOUNDED
New York, Dec 13 2007 3:00PM
The head of the United Nations Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2007/december/dervis-press-statement-algiers-20071213.en;jsessionid=anSBpHocKdth">UNDP) is in Algiers where he is meeting with the families of the victims of Tuesday's bombings, which claimed the lives of at least 11 UN staff members, and visiting those who were injured.

Kemal Dervis, who was sent to the Algerian capital by the Secretary-General to represent the entire UN family, said, "I am here to offer my support to the families of those killed in the attacks and to send to the people of Algeria a strong message of solidarity from the United Nations."

The UN said today that two more UN staff members are known to have died, in addition to the nine the Organization confirmed yesterday, and five are still missing. "Our effort to recover and identify bodies is continuing," UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

Upon his arrival in Algiers yesterday, Mr. Dervis visited the UNDP office that was struck by a car bomb on Tuesday morning. The building, which also housed staff from a number of other UN agencies, was destroyed in the attack while the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, located across the street, was damaged. A second car bomb exploded near a government building.

He also met with the UN Country Team and representatives from several agencies whose staff sustained casualties.

Following his visit to local hospitals to meet with injured staff, Mr. Dervis said it was sad to see the impact of the attack on his colleagues, adding, that "the victims are not soldiers who signed up for battle, but people, mostly Algerians, who are working for peace, development and to alleviate human suffering."

Mr. Dervis also met with Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem, and expressed appreciation for the Government's efforts with the rescue operation.

"We are committed to continue working in Algeria," Mr. Dervis stated. "But staff security is of the utmost importance to us and host governments around the world have to do their maximum to provide protection for our offices," he affirmed.

Mr. Ban has also sent top officials from his Executive Office and the Department of Safety and Security to Algiers to determine how best to aid those injured in the attack and the families of the victims.

He has also ordered an immediate review of the Organization's security precautions and policies, stressing that "the security and welfare of UN staff is paramount."
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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SUDAN: SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES AGREEMENT TO RESOLVE NORTH-SOUTH ISSUES

SUDAN: SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES AGREEMENT TO RESOLVE NORTH-SOUTH ISSUES
New York, Dec 13 2007 2:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the announcement by the two parties to the landmark 2005 peace accord which ended the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan that they have resolved many of their outstanding issues.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2910">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban commended the Government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) "for their commitment to preserve the integrity of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) through dialogue and partnership."

Recent discussions between the two sides "have resulted in an agreement on a number of key outstanding issues, with the exception of Abyei," a disputed region between the north and south, and Mr. Ban voiced hope that the decisions reached by the two sides will be quickly implemented.

"It is hoped that the Presidency will expedite a resolution to the issue of Abyei, which is essential in order to establish a firm basis for the next phase of the peace process."

The agreement also paves the way for the return of SPLM members to the Government of National Unity. The group had suspended its participation in early October.

In the statement Mr. Ban reiterated that the full implementation of the CPA is in the interest of both parties and "fundamental for lasting peace and stability in Sudan and the region. The United Nations stands ready to discuss with the parties how it can further assist them in ensuring the successful implementation of the Agreement."

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is tasked with helping the parties implement the CPA, which brought an end to 21 years of brutal civil war that displaced millions of people.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO BEGINS TWO-DAY VISIT TO WASHINGTON FOR TALKS WITH OFFICIALS, AID WORKERS

MIGIRO BEGINS TWO-DAY VISIT TO WASHINGTON FOR TALKS WITH OFFICIALS, AID WORKERS
New York, Dec 13 2007 2:00PM
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro is heading today to Washington for talks with senior United States officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women leaders and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Ms. Migiro is scheduled to meet John Negroponte, the US Deputy Secretary of State, later this afternoon, United Nations spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

Tomorrow morning the Deputy Secretary-General will address InterAction, a coalition of NGOs, on the world body's development and humanitarian assistance agenda for 2008.

Ms. Migiro will also attend a luncheon with women leaders that is hosted by the UN Foundation, before heading to the IMF for talks with its senior officials.

This is Ms. Migiro's first official visit to the US capital in her current capacity.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE CHIEF BEGINS VISIT TO VOLATILE EASTERN DR CONGO

UN REFUGEE CHIEF BEGINS VISIT TO VOLATILE EASTERN DR CONGO
New York, Dec 13 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations refugee chief today starts a five-day visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where tens of thousands of people are on the move again in the volatile east of the country after some of the worst fighting since the civil war ended in 2003.

António Guterres is expected to fly over the conflict zone in North Kivu province and assess UN operations there, according to a press release issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR) in Geneva.

An estimated 800,000 Congolese are now internally displaced within North Kivu, including 170,000 who have been forced to flee in only the past four months since fighting escalated between Government forces (known as FARDC), renegade troops loyal to General Laurent Nkunda and rebels.

The security situation is so difficult that UNHCR teams and other relief workers are unable to reach many areas of North Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Uganda in the far east of the vast DRC.

Yesterday Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement through his spokesperson expressing alarm at the intense fighting and its impact on civilians.

"The United Nations is working closely with the Government of the DRC and with others to help bring peace and security to this troubled region," the statement noted. "The Secretary-General calls on the forces of Laurent Nkunda to lay down their arms."

More than 4,500 blue helmets with the UN peacekeeping mission to the DRC (known by its French acronym MONUC) have been deployed to North Kivu to help ensure the defence of Goma, the provincial capital, and the key town of Saké.

Before leaving Geneva, Mr. Guterres said he was "deeply concerned by the suffering of the people and the terrible humanitarian situation they are facing, made even worse by this fresh round of fighting. I also want to visit our staff who are working under great pressure and security constraints to provide those displaced with the assistance and protection they badly need."

The High Commissioner is scheduled to arrive tonight in Kinshasa, the DRC capital, where he will hold talks tomorrow with President Laurent Kabila. Then he is slated to head to Goma, where he will meet with local authorities, MONUC officials, UN agencies and partner humanitarian organizations. He will also visit areas where the displaced are sheltering, including camps and makeshift sites that are already reaching full capacity.

The eastern DRC remains the most violent region in the country, where MONUC has otherwise overseen the transition from a six-year civil war that cost 4 million lives in fighting and attendant hunger and disease – widely considered the most lethal conflict in the world since World War II – to gradual stabilization, culminating in the first democratic elections in over four decades last year.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON PLEDGES TO SPARE NO EFFORT TO ENSURE SAFETY OF UN STAFF

BAN KI-MOON PLEDGES TO SPARE NO EFFORT TO ENSURE SAFETY OF UN STAFF
New York, Dec 13 2007 1:00PM
As information continues to emerge about the toll from Tuesday's deadly bombings in Algiers, which killed a number of United Nations staff members, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today assured the world body's staff that he will spare no effort to ensure their safety.

"Let me assure all UN staff around the world: I will spare no effort in ensuring we provide adequate security for you, wherever you serve," Mr. Ban said in his second letter to UN staff since the blasts rocked the Algerian capital.

"We will look at all possible ways, with all parts of the system, and with Member States, to ensure that this is done," he added.

At least eleven UN staff members are among the dozens killed in the attacks, and several more are injured and missing. Rescue workers helped to remove several UN staff alive from the rubble, and they are now receiving medical treatment.

Mr. Ban has dispatched a team of his top aides to Algiers to visit the injured and the families of those national staff who were lost, and also to report back to him on the overall situation.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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UN COURT RULES DISPUTED ISLANDS IN CARIBBEAN SEA BELONG TO COLOMBIA

UN COURT RULES DISPUTED ISLANDS IN CARIBBEAN SEA BELONG TO COLOMBIA
New York, Dec 13 2007 1:00PM
The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, ruled today that three Caribbean Sea islands disputed by Nicaragua and Colombia belong to the latter country because a 1928 treaty between the two nations settled the issue.

But judges at the <"http://www.icj-cij.org/presscom/index.php?pr=1983&pt=1&p1=6&p2=1&PHPSESSID=76d5041ff7c1a29023386af8c7ddbd7d">ICJ, which sits in The Hague, also ruled that they do have jurisdiction to rule on the sovereignty of three other cays and the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Colombia and Nicaragua.

Nicaragua had launched action at the ICJ, arguing that it should be granted sovereignty over the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, and over the cays of Roncador, Quitasueño and Serrana.

But Colombia raised a series of preliminary objections, arguing that the 1928 treaty between the two nations and the 1948 Pact of Bogotá mean the Court does not have jurisdiction.

By a majority of 13 to four, the judges found that the treaty had settled the question over the three islands, noting that Nicaragua did not contest the treaty's validity for more than 50 years after it was signed.

"At no time in those 50 years did Nicaragua contend that the treaty was invalid for whatever reason, including that it had been concluded in violation of its constitution or under foreign coercion," according to today's judgement. "On the contrary, Nicaragua has, in significant ways, acted as if the 1928 treaty was valid."

But the judges found unanimously that the Court can adjudicate on the three cays – which the treaty specified it did not cover – and on the maritime delimitation between Nicaragua and Colombia.

Also known as the World Court, the ICJ hears disputes between States and its decisions are binding and without appeal.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL MOURNS DEATH OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT

SECRETARY-GENERAL MOURNS DEATH OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT
New York, Dec 13 2007 1:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his profound sadness at learning of the death of Yuli Vorontsov, the Russian diplomat who coordinated international efforts aimed at recovering the remains of Kuwaitis and other nationals missing since Iraq's 1990 invasion.

Mr. Vorontsov, who passed away yesterday was "a distinguished diplomat… [who] showed dedication and tireless effort" to his work, whether working with the UN on the Kuwait issue or as his country's First Deputy Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General wishes to convey his heartfelt condolences to the family of Ambassador Vorontsov and to the Government of the Russian Federation. He will be mourned with profound respect and affection by friends around the world."

In February 2000, Mr. Vorontsov was appointed as the High-level Coordinator in relation to the issues detailed in a 1999 Security Council resolution on the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In that post he coordinated efforts to repatriate or return all Kuwaiti and third country nationals, or their remains, and to return all Kuwaiti property.

Mr. Vorontsov died just a few days after returning from Kuwait, where he held consultations and prepared the Secretary-General's most recent report on the progress towards recovering and identifying the missing persons and property.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN ENVOY DEPLORES TRIPLE BOMBINGS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ

TOP UN ENVOY DEPLORES TRIPLE BOMBINGS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ
New York, Dec 13 2007 11:00AM
The top United Nations official in Iraq has condemned the three bombings which struck a southern provincial capital yesterday, leaving dozens of innocent civilians dead and more than 100 others wounded.

Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=50&Body=iraq&Body1=">Iraq, called the attacks in Amarah "an appalling crime that deserves condemnation by all."

According to media reports, three car bombs exploded in quick succession on Wednesday morning in the city – the capital of Maysan Province and located about 350 kilometres south of Baghdad.
2007-12-13 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN OFFICIALS CHALLENGE DELEGATES AT CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE TO TAKE ACTION

TOP UN OFFICIALS CHALLENGE DELEGATES AT CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE TO TAKE ACTION
New York, Dec 12 2007 8:00PM
The United Nations' top officials today appealed to delegates from some 150 nations who are attending the UN <"http://www.un.org/climatechange/">Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia to take urgent action to tackle global warming.

"We simply cannot afford to fail our people by leaving this unique island without convergence of science and politics," Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UNFCCC) told the six heads of State and 144 government representatives attending the meeting.

"The challenge you face is to tell the world that you want to change the direction of the world's future into a low-emissions economy," he said. "An economics-based response to climate change will yield numerous, tangible economic gains for all."

Mr. de Boer said participants should seize the opportunity at the Conference to kick-start formal negotiations, agree on a comprehensive agenda and set 2009 as the deadline for negotiations so that a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol can enter into effect in 2013.

Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (<"http://www.ipcc.ch/">IPCC), a recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, stressed that the science is unequivocal about the warming of the climate system.

The IPCC has also noted that the costs necessary to meet emissions targets by 2030 equate to less than three per cent of global GDP per year.

Emphasizing the crucial rule of the UN in combating climate change, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/">UNEP) said that "the multilateral system has been at the heart of facilitating, catalyzing and enabling a global response."

"What we are actually seeing here in Bali, what we have seen throughout the year of 2007, is that pointing to each other's differences, focusing on one another's failures and using those to stop us from acting is leading us down a tragic path," Achim Steiner said.

Global warming poses a major risk to food security, and increased hunger and malnutrition will result if action is not taken immediately, said Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO).

"Vulnerable people and food systems will be particularly affected," he said, also speaking on behalf of the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.fao.org/">WFP) and the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (<"http://www.ifad.org/">IFAD). "People who are already vulnerable and food insecure are likely to become even more so."

Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (<"http://www.unido.org/">UNIDO) warned that efforts to mitigate climate change must take the alleviation of poverty into account.

"Only if industrialization is pursued in a sustained manner can we hope to address climate protection in a way that is compatible economic growth and development," he said, urging the widespread transfer of clean energy technologies to developing nations.

Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, also appealed for leaders to incorporate sustainable development into efforts to combat climate change.

"Unchecked, climate change may roll back hard-won progress on sustainable development," he said. "The poorest in all society, especially in developing countries, are most at risk."

Adaptation measures to global warming must take into account that for the first time in human history, over half the world's population lives in cities and towns, the head of the UN Human Settlements Programme (<"http://www.unhabitat.org/">UN-HABITAT) noted.

"From time immemorial, human settlements have been determined by climate conditions," Anna Tibaijuka said. Emphasizing the importance of the local dimension in halting global warming, she said "how we plan our cities, how we build our houses, our lifestyles in cities and towns, will come to determine the future."

Tourism is both a contributor to and a victim of global warming, Francisco Frangialli, Director-General of the UN World Tourism Organization (<"http://www.unwto.org/index.php">UNWTO), noted. He asked delegates to "not unfairly target tourism" for it role in climate change. "We satisfy needs that are just as essential."

Meanwhile, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) announced the creation of a new African centre for climate policy studies. The centre will be a joint collaboration between ECA and Mr. Pachauri's The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (<"http://www.cbd.int/">CBD); Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (<"http://www.unccd.int/">UNCCD); and Ad Melkert, Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) also spoke at today's session.

Also addressing delegates today, <"http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21583537~menuPK:34463~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html">World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick said that lowering greenhouse gas emissions will have the dual effect of protecting the environment and allowing developing nations to grow their economies.

Meanwhile, the UN International Telecommunication Union (<"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/index.html">ITU) stressed the role that information communication technologies (ICT) can play in reducing emissions, such as its use in remote monitoring and the gathering of crucial scientific data.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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QATARI PRINCE WINS CERTIFICATE OF HONOUR FROM UN ANTI-DRUGS OFFICE

QATARI PRINCE WINS CERTIFICATE OF HONOUR FROM UN ANTI-DRUGS OFFICE
New York, Dec 12 2007 7:00PM
Qatar's Crown Prince, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, today received an award from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for his efforts to encourage young people to turn away from narcotics and achieve their full potential through sport.

Announcing the Certificate of Honour at UN Headquarters in New York, <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html">UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa commended the Crown Prince for setting up the Doha-based Global Sport Fund.

The Fund's aim is to try to develop character, instil leadership and tolerance, and teach healthy lifestyles to young people, especially from countries that have recently experienced conflicts or other crises.

Qatar set up the Fund in 2005 to build on existing but under-resourced UNODC programmes to run camps where children from all parts of the world can mix together in teams and play sport.

This year the Fund is supporting seven youth camps and five grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa, West Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Central Europe. In October, boys and girls from seven Middle Eastern countries played football together at a camp in Jounieh, Lebanon.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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SIERRA LEONE, UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION AGREE ON COOPERATION FRAMEWORK

SIERRA LEONE, UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION AGREE ON COOPERATION FRAMEWORK
New York, Dec 12 2007 7:00PM
The Peacebuilding Commission and the Sierra Leonean Government today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/pbc25.doc.htm">adopted a cooperation framework that will guide the work of the United Nations advisory body – set up last year to help countries emerging from conflict avert a slide back to war – in the impoverished West African nation over the next three years.

Ambassador Yukio Takaso of Japan, Chairman of the PBC's Organization Committee, described the adoption of the framework as a milestone, but added that the international community must now marshal its support and resources to ensure that Sierra Leone can achieve tangible results.

The framework outlines some of the key challenges and threats facing Sierra Leone, which endured a brutal civil war through much of the 1990s and early this decade. They include good governance, security and justice sector reform, youth employment, energy sector development and capacity-building.

Victor Angelo, the Secretary-General's Executive Representative in Sierra Leone, told the PBC meeting that while Sierra Leone was "a success story" in terms of its progress on the humanitarian and security sector fronts, it had not matched that progress in job creation, gender equality or good governance.

But he stressed that the country's new leadership was committed to working strategically to overcome those hurdles, by addressing the root causes of the civil conflict and by pursuing dialogue with all sides.

The PBC is backed by the Peacebuilding Fund, a multi-year standing trust fund that has so far collected deposits worth almost $144 million from donor countries. Its target is $250 million.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY TO BEGIN TALKS ON NORTHERN UGANDA PEACE PROCESS

UN ENVOY TO BEGIN TALKS ON NORTHERN UGANDA PEACE PROCESS
New York, Dec 12 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations envoy for the peace process between the Ugandan Government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has arrived in Kampala to begin a series of discussions aimed at resolving the rebel group's long-running conflict with national forces in the northern part of the country.

Joaquim Alberto Chissano, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the LRA-affected areas and former Mozambican president, has been facilitating the peace process between the two sides, which signed a ceasefire last year to end nearly two decades of fighting.

Despite the ceasefire, disputes between the two sides have given rise to concern and many LRA members have been hiding out in southern Sudan or the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

An official visit by a LRA delegation to Kampala last month which led to further consultations between the parties has led to the hope that full talks between the parties can resume by the end of this month or in early January to conclude a comprehensive peace accord to formally end the conflict.

Mr. Chissano is working with the mediation process led by the Government of Southern Sudan, and supported by the DRC, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.

During his current consultations Mr. Chissano plans to meet with heads of State in the Ugandan capital, as well as in the DRC and Rwanda before travelling to Juba for talks with the mediation team, and then on to meetings with the LRA leadership and civil society representatives, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

He is expected to be in the region until 18 December.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION TO BEGIN ASSISTING GUINEA-BISSAU

UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION TO BEGIN ASSISTING GUINEA-BISSAU
New York, Dec 12 2007 6:00PM
Guinea-Bissau will become the third country on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), the United Nations advisory body set up to help countries emerging from conflict avoid sliding back into war or chaos, after the Security Council backed a request from the Government of the West African country.

Guinea-Bissau is expected to formally join Sierra Leone and Burundi on the Commission's country-specific workload once the PBC holds consultations next Monday on the Security Council's referral of the situation.

The referral comes as the Council heard briefings today from Shola Omoregie, the head of the UN Peacebuilding Support in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), and from Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (<"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html">UNODC).

Mr. Costa highlighted the threat that cocaine trafficking is posing to the country and its neighbours in the region, and urged the international community to make sure that Guinea-Bissau receives enough short-term assistance so that it does not collapse.

Since 2005, some 33 tons of cocaine have been seized across West Africa, but Mr. Costa said this may be "only the tip of an iceberg," adding that in Guinea-Bissau the value of the drug trade is greater than the entire national income.

"Drug money is perverting the economy and rotting society," he told Council members. "Using threats and bribes, drug traffickers are infiltrating State structures and operating with impunity."

UNODC said the country's authorities, particularly its police and justice system, are overwhelmed by the problem and by the alliance between foreign criminal groups and powerful local figures.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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UPSURGE IN VIOLENT CLASHES IN EASTERN DR CONGO ALARMS SECRETARY-GENERAL

UPSURGE IN VIOLENT CLASHES IN EASTERN DR CONGO ALARMS SECRETARY-GENERAL
New York, Dec 12 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he was deeply concerned by the intense fighting engulfing North Kivu province in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), especially its impact on local civilians, many of whom have been forced to flee to escape the renewed violence.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11329.doc.htm">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said he was "particularly troubled by reports of massive displacement and mistreatment of the population" in North Kivu, where Government forces (FARDC) are clashing with troops loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda.

"The United Nations is working closely with the Government of the DRC and with others to help bring peace and security to this troubled region," the statement noted. "The Secretary-General calls on the forces of Laurent Nkunda to lay down their arms."

More than 4,500 blue helmets with the UN peacekeeping mission to the DRC (known by its French acronym MONUC) have been deployed to North Kivu to help ensure the defence of Goma, the provincial capital, and the key town of Saké.

William Lacy Swing, the head of MONUC and the Secretary-General's Special Representative to the DRC, has confirmed that Saké remains under the control of UN peacekeepers and that the blue helmets will do everything under their mandated powers to protect Goma and Saké from falling to the Nkunda forces. Yesterday dissident troops recaptured Mushake, a hillside town about 40 kilometres northwest of Goma.

Since the clashes began in North Kivu earlier this year, <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC has transported more than 25 tons of provisions for the Congolese armed forces, conducted 33 air reconnaissance missions and evacuated 151 wounded FARDC soldiers.

North Kivu has also been plagued by increased sexual violence against both women and young girls, with some 2,700 cases of rape reported between January and October this year in the province.

The statement from Mr. Ban's spokesperson emphasized that the mission backs the Government's efforts to establish legitimate State authority in the far east of the troubled country and to meet its commitment under the Nairobi communiqué, which the DRC and Rwanda signed last month to try to work together against illegal armed groups operating around the border between the two countries.

"The Secretary-General calls on the Government of the DRC to take all measures necessary to protect civilians."

An inter-agency UN mission headed to the area this week to assess the situation and devise recommendations on how to protect internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the local civilian population.

Yet this week alone, another 60,000 to 70,000 IDPs are reported to be on the move again, this time from camps near Goma. More than 400,000 people have been displaced in North Kivu in the past 12 months.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) reports that currently all humanitarian movements outside Goma are proceeding only under the escort of MONUC blue helmets. Several relief agencies have temporarily withdrawn their staff from areas close to clashes and most aid convoys have been postponed.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) has deposited several thousand basic supply kits to zones that might soon become inaccessible because of the fighting, while the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) is distributing food to thousands of families living at the IDP camp at Kibumba.

The UN's humanitarian action plan for the DRC next year, launched yesterday, calls for $575 million, with almost 30 per cent of the total dedicated just to North Kivu.

The eastern DRC remains the most violent region in the vast country, where MONUC has otherwise overseen the transition from a six-year civil war that cost 4 million lives in fighting and attendant hunger and disease – widely considered the most lethal conflict in the world since World War II – to gradual stabilization, culminating in the first democratic elections in over four decades last year.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, Dec 12 2007 5:00PM
Concerned about ongoing insecurity in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Security Council today urged the Government to redouble its efforts to address the country's ongoing challenges, and to hold a national dialogue with all actors without delay.

The Council "urged the Government to hold that dialogue as soon as possible and called for the full participation of all the country's political and civil society stakeholders," in a statement to the press read out by Ambassador Marcello Spatafora of Italy, which holds the 15-member body's rotating presidency this month.

Condemning the ongoing violence by armed elements, the Council called on all those groups, particularly those having signed peace agreements with the Government, to disarm without delay and to respond positively to the Government's willingness to engage in dialogue.

Council members also called on the Government "to protect human rights, promote the rule of law and put an end to the widespread culture of impunity that prevails in the country, particularly among the security forces," as well as to reform the security and justice sectors.

The ongoing insecurity in the CAR has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, forcing an estimated 200,000 people to become internally displaced and thousands of others to flee to Chad or Cameroon as refugees.

Earlier this year the Council authorized a European Union operation to north-eastern CAR and eastern Chad to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid. Mr. Spatafora said the Council welcomed the imminent deployment of that force, as well as the extension of the regional peacekeeping effort known as FOMUC and its intention to deploy troops in north-western CAR to respond to the growing insecurity in that area.

Yesterday the Secretary-General's Special Representative, François Lonsény Fall, briefed the Council on the situation in the CAR as well as the activities of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the country, known as BONUCA.

In a recent letter to the Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended that BONUCA's mandate be extended for another year to help the country consolidate progress and prevent a relapse into conflict.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF UNDERSCORES TOLL CLIMATE CHANGE TAKES ON CHILDREN

UNICEF UNDERSCORES TOLL CLIMATE CHANGE TAKES ON CHILDREN
New York, Dec 12 2007 5:00PM
Children are among those who are most devastated by climate change, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced today.

"They pay with their health, their development and – too often – also with their lives," Hilde Johnson, <"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_42174.html">UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, told reporters in New York.

Every year, three million children under the age of five die from environment-linked diseases, such as diarrhoeal disease, respiratory infections and malaria, and the agency predicts that these numbers will rise with climate change, she said.

Curbing climate change and UNICEF's top priority – to protect and support the health, development and education of children – are closely interlinked. "Action to protect the environment will protect the basic rights of children," Ms. Johnson noted.

Ms. Johnson voiced hope that the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, will produce a successful outcome.

Acknowledging that UNICEF does not have an environmental mandate, she said the agency nevertheless hopes that emissions reductions become a reality due to the detrimental impact of global warming on children.

The agency today also launched a new publication spotlighting the concerns of children and youth about climate change.

Entitled "Climate Change and Children," it also outlines the dangers global warming poses to children in the form of food insecurity, deforestation, lack of energy infrastructure, increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, disease and water scarcity.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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TIMOR-LESTE WILL NEED UN ASSISTANCE FOR SOME TIME, SAYS SECURITY COUNCIL TEAM

TIMOR-LESTE WILL NEED UN ASSISTANCE FOR SOME TIME, SAYS SECURITY COUNCIL TEAM
New York, Dec 12 2007 4:00PM
Despite the tremendous gains achieved by Timor-Leste since achieving independence in 2002, it will continue to need United Nations assistance for some time to address its political, security and economic challenges, according to a Security Council team that visited the country recently.

During its 24 to 30 November visit, members of the Security Council mission gained first-hand knowledge of the situation in the tiny nation that the UN helped shepherd to independence, meeting with a wide range of people from Government, civil society and the UN family.

While the country has recovered well from the violent crisis that engulfed it last year, the mission feels that many of its causes have yet to be tackled. "The crisis occurred because of divisions in the leadership, weak institutions – especially the security forces – and poor Government structures," the mission states in its <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/711">report.

Rebuilding the confidence of the population in State and security institutions, addressing the fate of about 100,000 internally displaced persons and resolving land and property disputes "are all very real challenges facing the nation in 2007 and beyond," the report adds.

Foremost among the mission's concerns is that, despite the successful holding of presidential and parliamentary elections earlier this year, divergences among the political leaders continues to exist, with implications for national unity and political stability.

"Unless the differences among the Timorese leaders are resolved, political uncertainty will persist, and with it the prospect of renewed violence and bloodshed," states the report.

The mission advocates that the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) be renewed when its mandate expires next February "as it has an important role to play in continuing to assist the Timorese people and leaders in addressing the serious challenges that the young country still faces."

In particular, the mission believes the continuation of the UN police presence is "vital," given the lack of confidence of the Timorese in their security institutions, especially the police.

The Council mission was led by South African Ambassador Dumisani S. Kumalo and also included delegates from China, Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Slovakia and United States.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: UN ENVOY VOWS TO BUILD MOMENTUM IN PEACE PROCESS

DARFUR: UN ENVOY VOWS TO BUILD MOMENTUM IN PEACE PROCESS
New York, Dec 12 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Special Envoy for the Darfur peace process says UN and African Union mediators will try to speed up the momentum of the talks in the next few weeks so that direct negotiations can take place between the Sudanese Government and the war-wracked region's many rebel movements.

Jan Eliasson told reporters yesterday in Khartoum, after several days of talks and consultations in the Sudanese capital and other locations in the region with the Government, the movements and neighbouring countries, that the recent round of meetings has given the mediators extra energy to push towards a successful conclusion.

But he warned that "the negotiations do not exist in a vacuum. We also have to take into account the reality on the ground – the political reality that is also complicating our work."

The consultations involving Mr. Eliasson and other UN and AU officials are the latest efforts of the two organizations to broker a comprehensive peace accord to quell the violence and humanitarian suffering in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others displaced since rebels began fighting Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed in 2003. The situation has been complicated by the splintering of the rebel movements into more than a dozen separate factions and an increase in inter-tribal fighting.

The UN and AU are deploying a hybrid peacekeeping mission (known as UNAMID) to Darfur at the start of next year to take over from the existing but under-resourced AU mission (AMIS), but objections and obstacles raised by the Sudanese Government and a lack of offers for critical force units have left the deployment in jeopardy, senior UN officials have warned.

Mr. Eliasson said today that for the peace process to work, "I have come to the conclusion that we have to have the right developments on four different levels: the Security Council; the regional countries; the Government of Sudan and the movements. All four have to pull in the same direction. If we have a situation where one of these four circles is not pulling in the same direction, we do not seem to get peace."

Direct negotiations between the Government and the movements are supposed to form the third phase of a three-part process that began with talks between the two sides in Sirte, Libya, in late October.

He noted that the improved climate in the Security Council and the growing cooperation of the regional countries means that the crucial issue has become whether the Government and the movements will head in the same directions on talks.

"We will do our very best to bring that about, but the environment in some regards is not conducive, and I hope that the Government of Sudan and the movements will take the responsibility to prepare for the talks to begin as soon as possible in the New Year."
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL OUTRAGED BY ANOTHER TERRORIST BOMBING IN LEBANON

SECRETARY-GENERAL OUTRAGED BY ANOTHER TERRORIST BOMBING IN LEBANON
New York, Dec 12 2007 3:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced outrage at yet another terrorist attack in Lebanon – this time a car bombing in Beirut that killed a senior member of the country's armed forces and at least one of his bodyguards.

Media reports say General Francois el-Hajj and his bodyguard died after the car in which they were travelling was destroyed when a bomb detonated in the eastern suburbs of Beirut this morning.

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns this act of violence and terror on the Lebanese Armed Forces, a symbol of Lebanon's sovereignty," his spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2906">statement, noting that Mr. Ban also extended his condolences to the families of those killed, the armed forces and the Government.

"He reiterates his position that this and previous attacks aimed at undermining Lebanon's sovereignty are unacceptable. It is imperative that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice."

The bombing has taken place at a time of deep political tensions in Lebanon, where planned presidential elections have had to be postponed many times in recent months. Yesterday the Security Council issued a presidential statement voicing concern about the repeated delays.

Today's statement from Mr. Ban's spokesperson called on the Lebanese to show "calm and restraint at this critical juncture in their history. Their political leaders must exert every possible effort to resolve differences and arrive at a solution for an immediate presidential election, without conditionality, in accordance with constitutional rules."
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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AMID RISING GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ TENSIONS, SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN URGES RESTRAINT

AMID RISING GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ TENSIONS, SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN URGES RESTRAINT
New York, Dec 12 2007 3:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for calm and restraint in the face of the current tensions between the two sides to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.

Mr. Ban has taken note of the allegations made by both sides about impending threats and the build-up of armed forces in both the zone of conflict and the Kodori valley, according to <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2905">statement issued by his spokesperson.

The UN Observer Mission in Georgia (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unomig/index.html">UNOMIG), which has been conducting daily verifications of these claims, has not been able to corroborate many so far, he noted.

The Secretary-General voiced his support for a Security Council resolution from 15 October which "strongly urges all parties to consider and address seriously each other's legitimate security concerns, to refrain from any acts of violence and provocation, including political action or rhetoric, and to comply fully with previous agreements regarding ceasefire and non-use of violence."

That resolution also extended the mandate of UNOMIG, which was established in August 1993 to verify compliance with the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Abkhaz authorities, for six months.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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UN TO OFFSET CARBON EMISSIONS FROM BALI CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE

UN TO OFFSET CARBON EMISSIONS FROM BALI CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
New York, Dec 12 2007 3:00PM
Joining global efforts to become climate neutral, the United Nations announced today that it will offset the carbon emissions – estimated at around 3,370 tons of carbon dioxide – resulting from its members' travel to and from the historic UN <"http://www.un.org/climatechange/">Climate Change Conference under way in Bali, Indonesia.

The greenhouse gas emissions arising from the travel of staff from nearly two dozen UN agencies, funds and programmes, as well as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his team, are estimated to be worth approximately $100,000 at current carbon prices.

The UN bodies will invest in credits accumulating in the Kyoto Protocol's Adaptation Fund, which aims to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries.

"Offsetting emissions by supporting the soon-to-be operation adaptation fund sends a clear signal that climate proofing vulnerable economies has – like the UN's action climate change generally – risen to the top of the organization's agenda in 2007," said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=523&ArticleID=5724&l=en">UNEP).

"Under the leadership of Ban Ki-moon, the entire UN system has now pledged to work towards climate neutrality, not just in Bali but across offices and operations globally and forever," he added.

Mr. Steiner lauded the news that like UNEP, several countries, which are "prepared to go that extra mile," have pledged to become climate neutral.

"And it is not just countries but a growing and widening group of companies, cities and individual citizens who are also looking to their carbon footprints with a view to working towards climate neutrality," he said.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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NINE STAFF MEMBERS KILLED IN ALGIERS, TWO FOUND ALIVE, CONFIRMS UN OFFICIAL

NINE STAFF MEMBERS KILLED IN ALGIERS, TWO FOUND ALIVE, CONFIRMS UN OFFICIAL
New York, Dec 12 2007 3:00PM
Nine United Nations staff members are among the dozens killed in yesterday's twin bomb attacks in Algiers, a spokesperson for the world body confirmed today, adding that two others were found alive and removed from the debris, and several others remain missing.

Two car bombs exploded in the Algerian capital on Tuesday morning. The first caused the collapse of the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) office, which also housed staff from a number of other UN agencies, and damaged the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR), located across the street. The second exploded near the country's Constitutional Court.

The UN released a list of the nine staff members confirmed to have died and whose families have been notified. They include Hanniche Abel-Rahim of Algeria (<"http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm">International Labour Organization); Nabil Slimani of Algeria (UNHCR); Gene Luna of the Philippines (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2719">World Food Programme); Adnane Souilah and Kamel Sait, both of Algeria (UN Population Fund); and Babacar Ndiaye of Senegal (Department of Safety and Security).

In addition, Hind Boukroufa and Djamel Rezzoug of Algeria and Steven Olejas of Denmark, all of whom worked for UNDP, were also killed.

Rescue efforts yesterday helped to remove two UN staff alive from the rubble, and both are now receiving medical treatment, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

"There are a number of people who remain missing," Ms. Okabe added, while noting that "at this point, hopes for finding any more survivors in the rubble have dimmed, and the local authorities have started to use heavy machinery to clear the site."

According to figures released yesterday, the UN has a total of 40 international staff in Algeria, including 19 international staff based there and an additional 21 that are there temporarily, as well as about 115 local UN staff in the capital.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier today paid tribute to the victims, stressing that "their sacrifice cannot and shall not be forgotten… This was a despicable strike against individuals serving humanity's highest ideals under the UN banner."

Mr. Ban has sent UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis, as well as top officials from his Executive Office and DSS, to Algiers to determine how best to aid those injured in the attack and the families of the victims.

In a statement issued today, Mr. Dervis said that "the situation in Algiers remains fluid and it is possible that additional UNDP staff remain unaccounted for.

"I do hope that beyond the words of condemnation, the international community and Member States will realize that concrete actions of support for the United Nations and for development and humanitarian workers are of the utmost importance," he added.

Two stress counsellors are also arriving in the country today to assist those who have been traumatized by the bombing, Ms. Okabe said.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY EXCEEDS 20,000 RESETTLEMENT TARGET FOR IRAQI REFUGEES

UN REFUGEE AGENCY EXCEEDS 20,000 RESETTLEMENT TARGET FOR IRAQI REFUGEES
New York, Dec 12 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/475fea9a4.html">UNHCR) announced today that it had topped its target of 20,000 Iraqi resettlement referrals for 2007.

As of 7 December, the agency had transferred the files of 20,472 of the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees to be considered for resettlement by 16 countries: the United States, Australia, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Ireland, Brazil, Chile, Finland, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Germany.

The largest number of files – 14,798 – has been submitted to the US, followed by Australia, Canada, Sweden and New Zealand as the top receiving countries.

"With three weeks to go before the end of the year, we are, however, extremely concerned about the low rate of departures to date," said Vincent Cochetel, Deputy Director of UNHCR's Division of International Protection.

As of 1 December, 4,575 Iraqis – slightly less than one-quarter of the total referred cases – had left for resettlement countries. Of those who have been resettled, the largest number is in the US.

"UNHCR has consistently encouraged resettlement countries to speed up their procedures to enable the most vulnerable Iraqis to depart as soon as possible," the agency said in a press release.

Several categories of people are considered for resettlement, including torture victims, women at risk, urgent medical cases, households headed by women, and members of minority groups. UNHCR estimates there are some 80,000 to 100,000 extremely vulnerable Iraqi refugees in the Middle East needing to be resettled.

However, the agency noted that realistically, only a small fraction of the most vulnerable can be considered for resettlement to third countries.

Over 4.5 million Iraqis are uprooted, with 2.4 million within the country's borders and nearly 2.2 million in other nations such as Syria and Jordan.

"The security situation inside Iraq remains a concern and at this stage UNHCR is not promoting return to the country," said Radhouane Nouicer, UNHCR Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"We all hope that the situation in the country will continue to improve. Pending this improvement, resettlement will remain one of the solutions for the most vulnerable and exposed Iraqi refugees."

While the agency has the capacity to submit another 25,000 Iraqi cases for resettlement, this depends on firm commitments from resettlement countries to accept them.

Meanwhile, UNHCR voiced concern over an estimated 13,000 Palestinians residing in Iraq under the agency's mandate. Those in Baghdad are under constant threat, while Palestinians living in makeshift border camps are reporting increasing physical attacks and harassment.

"In view of their dire condition and the difficulty they have in escaping Iraq, UNHCR feels that humanitarian relocation to places of safety is their best option," the agency said.

But to date, only Sudan, Chile and a few other nations have indicated they are willing to help the Palestinians in Iraq.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL WHO LED SIEGE OF SARAJEVO JAILED FOR 33 YEARS BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

GENERAL WHO LED SIEGE OF SARAJEVO JAILED FOR 33 YEARS BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL
New York, Dec 12 2007 2:00PM
A former Bosnian Serb army general who commanded much of the prolonged siege of Sarajevo has been <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1205e.htm">sentenced to 33 years in prison by the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

Judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), which sits in The Hague, today found Dragomir Miloševi&#263; guilty of five counts of murder, inflicting terror and committing inhumane acts and acquitted him on two charges of unlawful attacks against civilians.

Announcing the verdict and the sentence, the ICTY trial chamber said that Bosnian Serb forces led by Mr. Miloševi&#263; had encircled and entrapped the city of Sarajevo for a 15-month period ending in November 1995, carrying out an indiscriminate campaign of sniping and shelling that resulted in death and injury to many civilians.

"There was no safe place in Sarajevo; one could be killed or injured anywhere and anytime," many witnesses testified during the trial.

The judges also noted that modified air bombs were used by Mr. Miloševi&#263;'s forces even though they were inaccurate and served no military purpose.

In one of the most notorious incidents during the siege, Bosnian Serb forces fired mortar shells at Sarajevo's Markele Market on 28 August 1995, killing 34 civilians and wounding 78 others. ICTY judges rejected the argument of defence lawyers that the army of Bosnia and Herzegovina had staged the market attack.

Mr. Miloševi&#263;, 65, who is not related to the former Serbian leader Slobodan Miloševi&#263;, had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His predecessor as head of the forces laying siege to Sarajevo, Stanislav Gali&#263;, has already been convicted by the ICTY and sentenced to life in prison.

Meanwhile, the ICTY appeals chamber granted a former senior officer of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) provisional release from jail pending the hearing of his appeal.

Veselin Šljivancanin is serving a five-year sentence after being found guilty of one count of aiding and abetting torture relating to the beatings of Croatian prisoners of war at Ovcara, near Vukovar, in late 1991.

The appeal judges said the fact that Mr. Šljivancanin has already served nearly 90 per cent of his sentence meant his provisional release was appropriate. He must remain within Serbia, surrender his passport to police and he is not allowed to discuss the case with the media nor interfere in any way with victims or witnesses.
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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ALGIERS ATTACKS WILL NOT DETER UN FROM ITS VITAL WORK, VOWS BAN KI-MOON

ALGIERS ATTACKS WILL NOT DETER UN FROM ITS VITAL WORK, VOWS BAN KI-MOON
New York, Dec 12 2007 12:00PM
Calling the terrorist bombing against the United Nations premises in Algiers "an attack on us all and our highest ideals," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today vowed not to let the tragedy deter the world body from carrying out its mission to help those most in need.
</p>
"This was a despicable strike against individuals serving humanity's highest ideals under the UN banner," Mr. Ban told the General Assembly via satellite from Bali, Indonesia, where he is attending the UN Climate Change Conference. "We must all condemn this deed, just as we must work, together, to bring its vile perpetrators to justice."
</p>
Mr. Ban said the UN is still counting the dead, tending to the wounded, and looking for the missing after a car bomb exploded near the world body's offices in the Algerian capital. Another car bomb detonated near the country's Constitutional Court.
</p>
The Secretary-General said he spoke to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika this evening to express his condolences, as well as to ask the President to take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the UN personnel.
</p>
Immediately following the attacks, Mr. Ban dispatched several of his top aides to Algiers, including the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Kemal Dervis, to determine how best to aid those injured in the attack and their families.
</p>
"The security and welfare of UN staff is paramount," Mr. Ban stressed. "We will take every measure to ensure their safety, in Algeria and elsewhere, beginning with an immediate review of our security precautions and policies."
</p>
Mr. Ban noted that the UN has taken many measures since the 2003 bombing of its headquarters in Baghdad to enhance the security of its staff and premises around the world.
</p>
"Meanwhile, our brave men and women continue their difficult and dangerous work," he said. "Our mission has been, and will always be, to help those most in need. The Baghdad attack will not deter us. Neither will this most recent attack. Our colleagues in Algiers would ask no less." </p>
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY MOURNS DEATH OF AID WORKER IN ALGIERS BOMBING

UN FOOD AGENCY MOURNS DEATH OF AID WORKER IN ALGIERS BOMBING
New York, Dec 12 2007 11:00AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2719">WFP) today mourned the loss of a staff member who was among those killed yesterday when a car bomb exploded near the Organization's offices in Algiers.</p>

Gene Luna, 48, a Philippine national, joined the agency in Afghanistan as a finance officer five years ago and had been transferred to Algiers only last week.</p>

Expressing her condolences to Ms. Luna's loved ones, WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said "we have lost a dedicated member of our WFP family, as well as many others who served to help those in need."</p>

Ms. Sheeran joined UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and others in condemning the twin bombings which struck government buildings as well as UN offices in the Algerian capital. The blasts reportedly killed dozens including at least 12 UN staff members.</p>

"I am outraged and saddened at this senseless act of violence against those helping the world's most vulnerable," she said. </p>

The Executive Director also telephoned Lynda Matougui, another WFP staff member who was injured in the blast. She said everything possible would be done to help Ms. Matougui, who was pulled out of the rubble and is being evacuated today for medical treatment. </p>

WFP said in a news release that the third floor of the UN building housing its offices was completely destroyed. However, most of the staff members were outside the office on a training course and therefore escaped the attack. </p>

Ms. Sheeran said that despite the many security measures that WFP and other UN agencies have taken, "this tragedy was a strong reminder of the risks that humanitarian workers take to help the poor and the hungry." </p>

Mr. Ban has dispatched several top aides to Algiers to investigate the bombing. "We will take every measure to ensure the safety of our staff, in Algeria and elsewhere, beginning with an immediate review of our security precautions and policies," he pledged in the wake of the attacks. </p>
2007-12-12 00:00:00.000

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GLOBAL EXPECTATIONS HIGH FOR CLIMATE CHANGE BREAKTHROUGH -- BAN KI-MOON

GLOBAL EXPECTATIONS HIGH FOR CLIMATE CHANGE BREAKTHROUGH -- BAN KI-MOON
New York, Dec 11 2007 10:00PM
The world is counting on a breakthrough at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told delegates at the summit, calling the fight against global warming "the moral challenge of our generation."
In a speech delivered on Wednesday morning in the South-East Asian nation, at the opening of the Conference's high-level segment, he said that "what the world expects from Bali -- from all of you -- is an agreement to launch negotiations towards a comprehensive climate change agreement."
Mr. Ban underscored the importance of creating a road map to tackle climate change and a timeline to produce a new agreement by 2009 so that it can enter into force after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
"Let us turn the climate crisis into a climate compact," he said, informing the delegates that they have been given a "clear charge" by the world to produce a breakthrough.
"Not only are the eyes of the world upon us -- more important, succeeding generations depend on us. We cannot rob our children of their future."
Climate change affects those least equipped to cope and those least responsible the hardest, the Secretary-General pointed out.
"We have an ethical obligation to right this injustice," he noted. "We have a duty to protect the most vulnerable."
The Secretary-General urged developed countries to continue taking the lead in slashing emissions, while developing nations need incentives to curb their own release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
"Together, we can spur a new era of green economics, an era of truly sustainable development based on clean technology and a low-emission technology," he declared.
According to scientists, creative solutions can result in both lowered emissions and economic growth, Mr. Ban said, as the "costs of inaction -- in ecological, human and financial terms -- far exceed the costs of action now."
Acknowledging that concluding a new c
easy, the Secretary-General pledged the world body's support through the negotiating period and assistance in implementing agreements reached.
"Every UN agency, fund and programme is committed," he told the gathering of more than 130 government ministers and six heads of State. "We are determined to be a part of the answer to climate change."
Mr. Ban also paid tribute to the UN officials and civilians who lost their lives in the deadly blasts that rocked Algiers, Algeria, and called on the perpetrators of the "outrageous attacks" to be brought to justice. "These cowardly attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances," he said.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED AWARDS CELEBRATE EFFORTS OF YOUNG ENGINEERS TO HELP THE POOR

UN-BACKED AWARDS CELEBRATE EFFORTS OF YOUNG ENGINEERS TO HELP THE POOR
New York, Dec 11 2007 8:00PM
Proposals for designing road bridges in rural Rwanda, ensuring housing in Nepal is more resistant to earthquakes and making better use of waste water from olive oil mills in the occupied Palestinian territory are among the biggest winners of <"http://www.mondialogo.com/388.html?&L=en&tx_ttnews[backPid]=93">awards co-sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO).

Ten projects from around the world received Mondialogo Engineering Awards – the world's first prizes aimed specifically at young engineers from developed and developing countries – at a ceremony last night in Mumbai, India, while 20 other projects received honourable mentions and one received a continuation award.

The award laureates, who received €20,000 each, were chosen by a seven-member international jury of scientists and engineers that had whittled the list down from some 3,200 original entries. Each entry had to pair engineers from a developed country with engineers from a developing country.

Entrants were asked to work together on projects that tackle the ambitious set of targets known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially those concerning poverty reduction and sustainable development, and devise practical solutions for the developing nations.

The winners came from: India and Singapore; India and the United States; Nepal and Germany; South Africa and the US; Nepal, the United Kingdom, India and Japan; Guatemala and the UK; Indonesia and Australia; Rwanda and Germany; the occupied Palestinian territory and the US; Kenya and Sweden.

The projects ranged far and wide, from Rwandan bridges and Palestinian olive oil waste water to improving sustainable irrigation in South Africa, replacing oil lamps with solar-charged, battery-operated lamps across the developing world, communicating medical data through optical fibres in Nepal and organized workshops for carpentry, bakery and computer laboratory apprentices in Guatemala.

Announcing the awards, UNESCO said that while not all projects will be implemented, the proposals can still give rise to useful applications, such as finding new ways to purify water, produce biofuels or use solar energy in rural areas.

The awards are part of the Mondialogo Intercultural Dialogue and Exchange initiative launched by UNESCO and Daimler in 2003. This is the second edition of the awards.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES CONCERN AT REPEATED DELAYS TO LEBANESE PRESIDENTIAL POLL

SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES CONCERN AT REPEATED DELAYS TO LEBANESE PRESIDENTIAL POLL
New York, Dec 11 2007 8:00PM
The Security Council today expressed its "deep concern" at the repeated postponement of the Lebanese presidential election, warning that the delays do not serve the interests of the people of the Middle Eastern country and could lead to a further deterioration of an already tense situation.

Speaking on behalf of the Council, Ambassador Marcello Spatafora of Italy read out a presidential statement in which the 15-member body reiterated its previous calls for free and fair polls to be held without delay or foreign interference and inline with Lebanese constitutional procedures.

The statement stressed that all sides to the current stand-off must exercise restraint and pursue dialogue to prevent a worsening of the political climate.

Mr. Spatafora also commended the Government and the national armed forces for agreeing to carry out their work in line with their constitutional responsibilities until elections can be held.

Last week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also voiced concern at the repeated delays at electing a president to succeed Emile Lahoud and urged Lebanon's political leaders to fulfil their responsibility to find a solution.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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MORE THAN $2 BILLION REQUIRED FOR HUMANITARIAN, RECOVERY PROJECTS IN SUDAN - UN

MORE THAN $2 BILLION REQUIRED FOR HUMANITARIAN, RECOVERY PROJECTS IN SUDAN – UN
New York, Dec 11 2007 7:00PM
Sudan needs more than $2.29 billion to fund 959 humanitarian, early recovery and development projects next year, according to the United Nations relief arm, which is calling on the international community to make "an urgent commitment" to ensure that the country can head towards a sustainable peace.

Launching the 'UN and Partners Work Plan for Sudan' today in Geneva, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) said that 20 per cent of the funding has already been secured, leaving $1.84 billion to be raised to implement projects across 12 different sectors.

Ameerah Haq, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said the projects will be divided fairly evenly between humanitarian and development requirements.

"The challenge is to continue to assist life-saving activities in Darfur while ensuring resources for early recovery and developmental activities in the whole of Sudan," she said. "We must continue to invest in Sudan to ensure a smooth transition from a conflict-affected nation to one capable of providing for the needs of its population."

Sudan is the largest humanitarian operation for the UN, comprising some $1.18 billion – or almost one-third – of the worldwide total of $3.8 billion sought by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator for global humanitarian assistance next year.

The biggest need is in the war-wracked Darfur region in the west of the country, where more than 4 million people are affected by the conflict and the majority of the estimated 2.39 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are entirely dependent on food aid for survival.

OCHA said that about 24 per cent of all Sudanese are thought to be undernourished and as many as 30 per cent do not have access to safe drinking water. In total, there are 5.4 million IDPs across the nation, with some displaced for 20 years or more following the long-running north-south civil war that ended in 2005.

"We are facing important milestones in Sudan, which require an urgent commitment," said Ms. Haq, referring to the accord that ended the north-south war. "Three years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, progress towards a sustainable peace continues with the first post-conflict census and elections. There are unique opportunities for tangible peace benefits for all of Sudan.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENING MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS - UN

CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENING MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS – UN
New York, Dec 11 2007 7:00PM
Global warming is harming mountain ecosystems as melting glaciers increase the frequency of flooding and raise the spectre of conflict, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000722/index.html">FAO) warned today on the International Day of Mountains.

"As glaciers disappear and snowlines move upwards, river flows are likely to change and lack of water may lead to conflict and affect hydropower generation, forestry and agricultural-based livelihoods," said Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director-General for Natural Resources.

Mountain areas are especially susceptible to global warming, resulting from rising concentrations of greenhouse gases – generated by human activity – in the atmosphere.

In Bhutan, glaciers are retreating at a rate of 20 to 30 meters annually which has caused flooding downstream leading to loss of life, crops and pasture lands.

The health of livestock and people alike is impeded by higher temperatures. While a warmer climate could mean extinction for some wild animals due to their disappearing climates, humans are threatened as malaria will move to higher altitudes as is already happening in East Africa and the Andes, FAO said.

Meanwhile, a new UN-backed report launched at the world body's Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, showcases the efforts of one dozen cities worldwide to promote sustainable urban development and curb climate change.

The new study, entitled "Liveable Cities: The Benefits of Urban Environmental Planning," was published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Cities Alliance and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability.

"A modern city can only be truly successful if it can convincingly demonstrate its green credentials by recognizing its natural assets, creating efficient water, energy and transport infrastructure, and protecting its citizens in the face of present and future impacts of climate change," said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner from Bali.

Cities' efforts highlighted in the report range from one in Bayamo, Cuba, to utilize horse-drawn carriages in a bid to solve the public transportation shortage, to another in Taiyuan, China, where an emissions trading scheme has been introduced to help reduce the sulphur dioxide concentration in the air.

Clearing, draining and setting fire to peatlands – wetlands storing 10 times more carbon per hectare than other ecosystems – emits over 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, another UNEP-backed study noted today.

That amount is roughly 10 per cent of yearly global emissions from fossil fuels.

"Just like a global phase-out of old, energy guzzling light bulbs or a switch to hybrid cars, protecting and restoring peatlands is perhaps another key 'low-hanging fruit' and among the most cost-effective options for climate change mitigation," Mr. Steiner said.

Peatlands occur in 180 countries, covering 400 million hectares or 3 per cent of the world's surface.

The "Assessment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change" – produced by UNEP and the Convention on Biological Diversity together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Global Environment Centre (GEC) and Wetlands International – called for urgent measures to protect and restore peatlands.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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CREATING A WORLD FIT FOR CHILDREN FOCUS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIGH-LEVEL EVENT

CREATING A WORLD FIT FOR CHILDREN FOCUS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIGH-LEVEL EVENT
New York, Dec 11 2007 6:00PM
As efforts over recent years to improve the lives of children show both considerable progress and the need for further action, the General Assembly today kicked off a special event at United Nations Headquarters focusing on building a world that is truly fit for every child.

Participants have gathered in New York for an Assembly <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10672.doc.htm">session to review progress towards "A World Fit for Children" – a landmark plan of action agreed by world leaders in 2002 to improve the well-being of children.

Five years ago governments committed to a set of time-bound and specific goals in four priority areas concerning children: promoting healthy lives; providing quality education; protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence; and combating HIV/AIDS.

The Assembly's two-day high-level meeting, known as "A World Fit for Children+5" will examine advances and setbacks in child well-being, and is expected to conclude with the adoption of a declaration reaffirming global and national commitments to the goals set in 2002.

Highlighting some of the progress that has been achieved in recent years, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim noted that fewer children under five are dying each year and more children are in school than ever before.

However, "we still have a long way to go," Mr. Kerim told reporters as the session got under way. The challenges that remain include diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, which continue to be a hindrance to a healthy life for millions of children. A large number of children are also still subject to violence, exploitation and abuse, as well as to inequity and discrimination, in particular against girls.

To coincide with the Assembly session, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has presented a new report on the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) – the eight targets to slash poverty and other ills by 2015 – as they specifically relate to children.

The report provides new information on how far the world has come in making a world fit for children, said Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, who noted the mixed progress towards achieving the goals agreed in 2002.

"If we are to have any chance of meeting these critical goals, we must invest in every child, in every community, everywhere – to give each child a healthy start in life, a good basic education, protection from exploitation, and a chance to develop to his or her full capacity," Ms. Migiro said.

The Secretary-General's report draws on data published by the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_42115.html">UNICEF) in its report, entitled "Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review," which was released yesterday.

The UNICEF report provides "an excellent reference tool," stated the agency's Executive Director, Ann M. Veneman, as it shows "where efforts should be scaled up, where more needs to be done."

Highlighting some of the special events taking place in conjunction with the Assembly's session, she noted that over 90 children and young people from 51 countries – ranging in age from 11 to 17 – are participating in a parallel Youth Forum. They will present their own "outcome document" to the Assembly at the end of the session.

Also, last Saturday, some of the youth participants spoke via satellite to members of the new "Elders" group – which includes a number of prominent personalities such as Graça Machel, Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson – gathered in South Africa.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION BACKS CONGOLESE COUNTER-ATTACK AFTER DISSIDENTS RECAPTURE KEY TOWN

UN MISSION BACKS CONGOLESE COUNTER-ATTACK AFTER DISSIDENTS RECAPTURE KEY TOWN
New York, Dec 11 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is helping the country's armed forces plan a counter-offensive after dissident troops loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda recaptured a key town in the troubled North Kivu province.

The mission, known by its French acronym <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC, issued a press statement today saying it has also immediately begun dispatching its own troops to the combat zones to boost the effectiveness of the national armed forces (FARDC). More than 4,500 blue helmets are deployed in the two Kivu provinces.

Troops loyal to Gen. Nkunda today retook the higher areas of Mushake, a hillside town about 40 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital of Goma, which had previously been held by Government forces. Residents had fled the town because of the threat posed by the Nkunda troops.

MONUC's statement said the FARDC had resumed their fight against the Nkunda forces in several other places in North Kivu, including Mweso and Kibati, and had recorded "significant advances."

The statement stressed that protecting the civil population in North Kivu would be a priority of the joint counter-offensive, and it added that the mission would continue to encourage dissident troops to participate in the "brassage" process, or disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

In a separate statement, the head of MONUC and the Secretary-General's Special Representative to the DRC, William Lacy Swing said that despite "the temporary reversal" of the Congolese armed forces in Mushake, UN blue helmets are still holding on to the town of Saké and would continue to defend both that town and Goma.

Mr. Swing said it was important the people of North Kivu remain calm and "do not pay attention to rumours," reiterating the continuing support of MONUC and the international community.

MONUC and UN relief agencies have warned repeatedly in recent months of the impact that the renewed fighting is having on locals in North Kivu and nearby areas, where the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has swelled substantially this year.

Some 405,000 Congolese have been forced from their homes in the province in the past 12 months, including 170,000 since August. In total, there are some 800,000 IDPs in the province, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The peacekeeping operation has a robust mandate from the Security Council which invoked Chapter VII of the UN Charter, allowing for the use of force. MONUC said it stands "ready to respond favourably to request for fire-support that could be expressed, as a last resort, by the FARDC."
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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PROVIDING DECENT WORK KEY TO ACHIEVING FAIRER GLOBALIZATION - MIGIRO

PROVIDING DECENT WORK KEY TO ACHIEVING FAIRER GLOBALIZATION – MIGIRO
New York, Dec 11 2007 6:00PM
If globalization is to deliver on its promise of increased opportunities and benefits for all countries, it must be accompanied by decent employment that advances both business and workers, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

For many people around the world, achieving "fairer globalization" is very simple, Ms. Migiro said at an event on employment and globalization hosted by the non-profit institution Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. "They want governments and the private sector to deliver productive, fulfilling jobs – jobs that offer an adequate income, while enhancing a sense of self-worth and dignity."

But at the same time, companies face demands to reduce labour costs and increase their international competitiveness, she noted, adding that too often, these conflicting demands play out at the expense of employees. "Labour regulations and protection of workers' rights are often inadequate; employment is increasingly casual and informal," she said.

Ms. Migiro pointed to the recent UN Report on the World Social Situation which confirmed an increasingly shared belief that much work remains to be done to achieve full and productive employment for all.

"Job creation cannot be a mere by-product of economic growth," she stated. "Decent work must be put at the centre of economic and social policymaking – and more integral in corporate strategy." That includes further incorporating labour standards and workers' rights into management practices.

"The good news is that a company's ability to compete, gain trust and ensure long-term financial viability is today more clearly linked to issues of responsibility," said the Deputy Secretary-General, noting that companies around the world are increasingly implementing policies that respect human rights and ensure safe and decent workplace conditions.

"And because these responsible practices often help businesses to attract and retain skilled workers, save costs, enhance productivity, build brands and create trust, there is good reason to believe that more companies will follow suit," she added.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE REPRESENTS CROSSROADS, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS

UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE REPRESENTS CROSSROADS, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS
New York, Dec 11 2007 6:00PM
The negotiations at the historic United Nations <"http://www.un.org/climatechange/">Climate Change Conference under way in Bali, Indonesia, represent a turning point in the fight against global warming, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

"Today, we are at a crossroads, one path leading towards a comprehensive new climate agreement, and the other towards oblivion. The choice is clear," he said, underscoring the importance of the Bali meeting.

Immediate measures are imperative, not only to agree on a post-Kyoto Protocol pact, but because of the severity of the situation, Mr. Ban noted.

"Any delay could push us past the tipping point beyond which the ecological, financial and human costs increase dramatically."

The Secretary-General was <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11322.doc.htm">addressing an event in Bali to promote the latest Human Development Report by the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/climatechange/">UNDP), which argues that without urgent action, climate change could devastate the world's poorest people and reverse any gains made in poverty reduction, nutrition, health and education.

"As the Report explains, we face not just an environmental problem, but a threat to humanity's highest values," he stated.

Also in Bali, the final details on an innovative fund to help developing countries adapt to climate change were agreed upon today by countries attending the Conference, ahead of its high-level portion – to be attended by over 130 ministers and six heads of state – kicking off tomorrow.

The fund is expected to provide $80 million to $300 million annually for adaptation between 2008 and 2012, which is also the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

The fund does not rely on voluntary contributions, but rather on a 2 per cent levy on each Certified Emission Reduction credit issued for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in developing countries.

Other issues in Bali that are still unresolved include reducing emissions from deforestation, the implementation of practical adaptation actions and the transfer of clean technologies to developing countries.

Countries are also still in discussions over the issue of including emissions reduction targets in a final agreement.

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UNFCCC), said the proposed 25 per cent to 40 per cent range of reductions proposed by 2020 is a range and not a target.

"This range does not represent concrete emission reduction targets for industrialized countries and this conference will not produce an agreement on specific targets per country," he said.

Instead, what the Bali meeting aims to achieve, Mr. de Boer explained, is to set the wheels in motion for launching a process.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF WELCOMES RWANDA'S ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF WELCOMES RWANDA'S ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
New York, Dec 11 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today lauded the abolition of the death penalty in Rwanda.

Along with Gabon, which also recently decided to ban the practice, Rwanda joins "the vast majority of UN Member States that have already done so," Louise Arbour told the <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/6session/index.htm">Human Rights Council, currently in its sixth session in Geneva.

"Meanwhile, it is important to reiterate that where the death penalty still exists, its use should conform to restrictive international standards," she added.

The High Commissioner also welcomed the broad support for a General Assembly initiative calling for a global moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing them entirely.

Last month, the Assembly's third committee, which deals with human rights issues, voted 99 to 52, with 33 abstentions, in favour of the resolution, which states "that there is no conclusive evidence of the death penalty's deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penalty's implementation is irreversible and irreparable."

That resolution will now go before the full 192-member Assembly for a vote this month. All Assembly resolutions are non-binding.

In her address to the 47-member Council today, Ms. Arbour also spoke about her latest visit to Sri Lanka, where she focused on the issue of abductions and disappearances, which have been reported in alarming numbers over the past two years.

She also mentioned her first trip to Afghanistan in two years, and voiced concern at the country's limited progress on women's rights.

On Sudan, the High Commissioner drew attention to the serious and ongoing violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, especially in the war-wracked Darfur region. "More needs to be done urgently by the Government and the international community to extend adequate protection to civilians," she said.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN WORKING TO WIN RELEASE OF DETAINED STAFF MEMBER IN BRAZIL

UN WORKING TO WIN RELEASE OF DETAINED STAFF MEMBER IN BRAZIL
New York, Dec 11 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations team in Brazil is working with the country's Government to secure the release of a UN staffer who has been detained after travelling to meet indigenous persons at a reserve in Rondonia state.

UN spokesperson Marie Okabe, in response to questions from journalists today, said that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR) had confirmed the detention of the staff member at the reserve in Rondonia, which lies in the far west of the country.

The man is reported as being in good condition, Ms. Okabe added.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL REITERATES CONCERNS OVER FATE OF KUWAITIS MISSING SINCE 1990

SECURITY COUNCIL REITERATES CONCERNS OVER FATE OF KUWAITIS MISSING SINCE 1990
New York, Dec 11 2007 5:00PM
Voicing regret that there has been little recent progress on recovering and identifying the remains of Kuwaitis and other nationals missing since Iraq's 1990 invasion, Security Council members today called for renewed efforts to determine their fate and that of the missing Kuwaiti national archive.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9194.doc.htm">statement to the press read out by Ambassador Marcello Spatafora of Italy, which holds the rotating presidency this month, the 15-member body offered its condolences to the families of those missing persons whose remains have been identified, and its sympathies to those whose whereabouts are still unknown.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his most recent report on the issue, noted that since May the number of Kuwaitis and other nationals whose remains were identified remains unchanged, at 233, with no exhumations conducted this year.

Mr. Ban wrote that "Kuwait is unable to send field missions to Iraq to perform search, assessment and exhumation activities as long as the security situation in Iraq remains dangerous." In addition, efforts to convince Iraqi witnesses to come to Kuwait and provide relevant information have so far been unsuccessful.

In the meantime, Kuwait has been gathering information about burial sites in Iraq in preparation for dispatching technical teams to the war-torn country as soon as the situation there stabilizes. Security permitting, it hopes to send a technical team to Iraq in early 2008 to carry out identification procedures at one such site.

"Council members strongly condemned the execution of Kuwaiti and third country nationals by the former Iraqi regime, in violation of human rights and international humanitarian law," the statement added. "Security Council members repeated their view that those responsible for these horrendous crimes should be brought to justice."

Earlier, the Council was briefed on the issue by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Angela Kane, on behalf of Yuli Vorontsov, the Secretary-General's High Level Coordinator on the issue.

Council members commended the cooperation of Iraq, Kuwait and other members of the Tripartite Commission, and said they were confident that all the parties could work towards a solution to the remaining humanitarian aspects of the issue.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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INSECURITY IN IRAQ SLOWING EFFORTS TO RECOVER MISSING KUWAITIS - BAN KI-MOON

INSECURITY IN IRAQ SLOWING EFFORTS TO RECOVER MISSING KUWAITIS – BAN KI-MOON
New York, Dec 11 2007 5:00PM
Recovering the remains of Kuwaiti and other nationals missing since the country's 1990 war is taking longer than anticipated given the serious security challenges in Iraq, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/712">report.

At the same time, he voices hope that the security conditions in Iraq will sufficiently improve so as to allow Kuwait to send technical teams and resume search and exhumation efforts at Iraqi mass burial sites next year.

In his latest report on the issue to the Security Council, Mr. Ban notes that since May, the number of Kuwaiti and third-country nationals whose remains have been identified remains unchanged, at 233. The identifications were based on human remains brought to Kuwait in 2004, as no exhumation activities were conducted this year, he adds.

"Kuwait is unable to send field missions to Iraq to perform search, assessment and exhumation activities as long as the security situation in Iraq remains dangerous," Mr. Ban writes. In addition, efforts to convince Iraqi witnesses to come to Kuwait and provide relevant information have so far been "unsuccessful."

In the meantime, Kuwait has been gathering information about burial sites in Iraq in preparation for dispatching technical teams to the war-torn country as soon as the situation there stabilizes. Security permitting, it hopes to send a technical team to Iraq in early 2008 to carry out identification procedures at one such site.

Regarding the return of Kuwaiti property, Mr. Ban adds that the national archives have still not been found. He expressed support for the intensified activities of his envoy, Yuli Vorontsov, to determine the whereabouts of the archives and facilitate their return, as well as for his continued efforts to assist in the repatriation or return of all Kuwaiti and third-country nationals or their remains.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR EXTENSION TO MANDATE OF ENVOY TO UGANDAN PEACE PROCESS

BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR EXTENSION TO MANDATE OF ENVOY TO UGANDAN PEACE PROCESS
New York, Dec 11 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for the mandate of his Special Envoy on the conflict between the Ugandan Government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the north of the country to be extended for a year to try to help bring the peace process to a successful conclusion.

In a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/719">letter to the Security Council, Mr. Ban said the term of Joaquim Alberto Chissano, his Special Envoy for the LRA-affected areas, should continue through 31 December 2008. He also called for Mr. Chissano's Office to be upgraded from a temporary liaison office to a special political mission.

The Ugandan Government and the LRA, which have been fighting since the mid-1980s, signed a ceasefire last year, leading to hopes of a comprehensive peace accord to formally end the conflict. But disputes between the two sides had dampened hopes and many LRA members have been hiding out in southern Sudan or the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Last month Mr. Ban issued a statement welcoming the recent official visit of a LRA delegation to Kampala, the Ugandan capital, which has led to further consultations between the Government and the rebels.

In his letter to the Council the Secretary-General said the peace process "has been proceeding steadily and remains on track under the facilitation efforts" of Mr. Chissano, as well as the mediation of the Government of Southern Sudan and the support of the DRC, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.

He said he anticipates that the two sides will resume full talks by the end of this month or in early January.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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APPOINTMENT CONFIRMED OF UN SPECIAL ADVISER ON RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT

APPOINTMENT CONFIRMED OF UN SPECIAL ADVISER ON RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT
New York, Dec 11 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the agreement of the Security Council to his intention to appoint Edward Luck as his new Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect.

Mr. Luck will serve in the post at the Assistant Secretary-General level on a part-time basis, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters today.

In a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/721">letter to the Council announcing his plan to appoint Mr. Luck, Mr. Ban called him "a distinguished international scholar with extensive knowledge of the United Nations system and a superb reputation for academic and practical excellence."

Mr. Luck will be tasked with working closely with Francis Deng, Mr. Ban's Special Representative for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, given the complementarity of their work.

His primary roles will be conceptual development and consensus-building, in recognition of the fledgling nature of the international agreement on the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity, Mr. Ban stated.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY SPOTLIGHTS SEVEN GLOBAL HUNGER HOTSPOTS

UN FOOD AGENCY SPOTLIGHTS SEVEN GLOBAL HUNGER HOTSPOTS
New York, Dec 11 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today drew attention to seven hotspots worldwide – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chad, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe – where conflict has led to widespread hunger.

People in these countries "don't know what tomorrow will bring and they often have to rely on <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP for their next meal," the agency noted in a press release, calling for greater international support.

WFP's food distribution of high energy biscuits to the western Afghan province of Hirat resumed late last month, having been halted in June because of road insecurity. The agency said that over 80 per cent of the 22,900 megatons of pre-positioned food to the country has now been dispatched to the high elevation areas where roads are inaccessible during the harsh winter season.

Cyclone Sidr devastated Bangladesh last month, killing 3,275 people, with the number expected to rise, and the UN has contributed to efforts to respond to the damage to homes, infrastructure, communications and agriculture. Delivery by air of high energy biscuits to remote and inaccessible parts of the country is ongoing.

Also in Asia, WFP said it is stepping up its operations in the DPRK, where a vessel carrying more than 2,400 tons of wheat flour is due to arrive this week, while several consignments of vegetable oil, sugar and dried skimmed milk are expected to be sent in the mail from China.

In eastern Chad, where four major battles between Government forces and rebel groups having taken place in the past six days, aid workers' access has been impeded, disrupting food distribution.

Meanwhile in Somalia, WFP resumed distributing food after suspending operations due to insecurity in June.

A wet feeding programme kicked off on 25 November targeting 50,000 of the most vulnerable people living in the capital Mogadishu, with 10 wet feeding centres – each able to supply prepared foods to up to 5,000 people – expected to be operational within a few days.

Security incidents such as carjackings and acts of armed banditry have plagued humanitarian operations in the western Sudanese region of Darfur recently, with three commercial trucks carrying WFP supplies being shot at, leaving three drivers injured.

Sudanese Government military escorts are now active in South Darfur to avoid further incidents, and nearly 80 trucks loaded with WFP food are currently waiting for safe passage to Nyala.

Lastly, in Zimbabwe, although food distributions are proceeding, the difficulties faced included fuel availability, power cuts and mobile network problems. Shops in rural areas are still closed because of the unavailability of commodities, and the prize of maize continues to rise.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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EASTERN UGANDA MOVING INTO RECOVERY PHASE AFTER FLOODS, SAY UN AGENCIES

EASTERN UGANDA MOVING INTO RECOVERY PHASE AFTER FLOODS, SAY UN AGENCIES
New York, Dec 11 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations relief wing said today that more than $25 million is needed to help local communities in eastern and northern Uganda recover from the impact of severe flooding earlier this year.

Nearly 400,000 people will need food aid through July next year, while providing safe water and sanitation, upgrading medical care and rehabilitating damaged schools are also priorities, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA).

"The first wave of our emergency response has been a success," said Timothy Pitt, the head of OCHA's operations in Uganda, where the flooding struck between August and October after some of the heaviest rainfall in decades.

"We have gotten food to those in need and we have prevented any outbreak of epidemic disease," he said, adding that seeds and plants are being distributed and an estimated 67,000 children have been vaccinated against measles following an outbreak.

But he said the local communities are now moving into the recovery phase, and it was critical that international donors respond in a way that stabilizes the affected population, especially the most vulnerable.

As of today the UN has received $14 million in commitments to its flash appeal for the Ugandan floods, well short of the $39.7 million target.

OCHA warned that while the most dangerous phase has passed, receding water levels are increasing the concentration of bacteria in some areas, adding to the risk of an outbreak of a waterborne disease. Tests show that more than half the region's water sources are contaminated as a result of the floods.

Recovery efforts are also being hampered by the poor state of the roads network, with both roads and bridges substantially damaged by the inundations.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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MANGROVE FOREST IN BANGLADESH DEVASTATED BY RECENT CYCLONE - UN EXPERT TEAM

MANGROVE FOREST IN BANGLADESH DEVASTATED BY RECENT CYCLONE – UN EXPERT TEAM
New York, Dec 11 2007 4:00PM
About 40 per cent of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh's renowned mangrove forest, was seriously damaged by the deadly cyclone that struck the delta nation last month, according to a team of experts from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=41428&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) that has just visited the area.

The experts found that foliage has been stripped from the branches of trees in nearly a third of the Sundarbans, which was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997, while numerous large trees have been felled and the crowns of others severely damaged.

The greatest damage has been observed in the East Sundarbans, the biologically richest section of the forest, which lies in the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal.

More than 3,200 people are confirmed to have been killed and almost 880 others remain missing as a result of Cyclone Sidr, which struck Bangladesh on 15 November, bringing torrential rain and winds of up to 240 kilometres per hour.

The experts have not yet been able to determine the impact of the cyclone on the wildlife in the Sundarbans, which is home to numerous endangered or threatened species, such as the Bengal tiger, the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python. Its complex network of tidal waterways, small islands and mudflats are also breeding grounds for fish, shrimp and crab, providing a livelihood for an estimated 300,000 people.

In a press statement released by UNESCO at its Paris headquarters, the experts warned that the damage caused by Cyclone Sidr has left the Sundarbans ecosystem vulnerable to poaching and other intrusions that could jeopardize its regeneration.

Many field stations, boats, jetties and equipment operated by the country's Forest Department has been washed out to sea, compromising the Department's capacity to manage the 140,000-hectare site.

The experts called on international donors to help Bangladesh rebuild and restore its infrastructure and replace the lost boats and communication equipment so that it can better protect the Sundarbans.

UNESCO is already assisting the country's authorities to rehabilitate schools that were damaged by the storm, while UN relief agencies are also at work helping in the reconstruction of the South Asian country.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES PLAN TO SPEED UP UN HEADQUARTERS RENOVATION

GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES PLAN TO SPEED UP UN HEADQUARTERS RENOVATION
New York, Dec 11 2007 3:00PM
The General Assembly has <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10670.doc.htm">approved a series of proposals to speed up the much-need renovation of the United Nations Headquarters complex, a move welcomed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who said the project could now be completed sooner and with less risk to staff and visitors.

Concerned about the costs of further delaying the renovation – known as the Capital Master Plan (CMP) – the 192-member body adopted a resolution yesterday backing Mr. Ban's proposals to accelerate the overhaul of the UN's antiquated complex in New York, which he presented to Member States in an October report.

The Assembly also authorized nearly $1 billion for the project, which will relocate thousands of employees and delegates to temporary "swing space" during the refurbishment.

With the project behind schedule, Mr. Ban had proposed an accelerated strategy to save money on construction by speeding up the renovation, in particular by emptying the entire 39-story Secretariat Building in one phase, instead of the four-step process envisioned in the plan approved by the Assembly last year.

This would require more office swing space off site, but the costs of such space would be offset by the lowered cost of the renovation itself, which would be completed by 2013 instead of 2016.

"By approving the accelerated renovation strategy it will be possible to minimize the inconvenience and risk for delegates, occupants and visitors to the UN Headquarters during construction," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2900">statement welcoming the Assembly's action.

He added that once the renovation is completed in 2013, the complex "will not only be a safer, healthier, greener and more secure place, but our renovated workshop for peace will also stand out as a symbol for building a revitalized UN for a better world."
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY SEEKS OVER $1 BILLION TO ASSIST MILLIONS OF REFUGEES WORLDWIDE

UN AGENCY SEEKS OVER $1 BILLION TO ASSIST MILLIONS OF REFUGEES WORLDWIDE
New York, Dec 11 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR) – which relies almost entirely on voluntary contributions – today called for nearly $1.1 billion to assist the millions of refugees, as well as displaced and stateless persons, around the world.

Kicking off its annual pledging conference in Geneva, the agency appealed for financial support for its 2008 budget, including its largest operations in Chad, Afghanistan, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis said at a press briefing that "it is vital to get early and prompt funding so we can plan effectively and continue our operations to help those uprooted by conflict and persecution without interruption."

Next month, the agency – which operates in 116 countries – will launch several supplementary appeals for emergency and special programmes, totalling $480 million, bringing UNHCR's total budget for 2008 to $1.57 billion, up from $1.45 billion in 2007.

The supplementary appeals include relief operations in Darfur; repatriation and reintegration of Sudanese and Mauritanian refugees; and the situations in Iraq and Somalia. They will also fund programmes for the internally displaced in Chad, Uganda, the DRC, the Central African Republic (CAR), Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Colombia.

Nearly 40 per cent of UNHCR's budget goes towards its operations in Africa, followed by the Middle East and North Africa with 17.5 per cent, the Asia-Pacific region with 9.9 per cent, Europe with 5.9 per cent and the Americas with 2.8 per cent.

To date, over 90 per cent of the agency's 2007 budged has been funded by donors, with the Untied States, Sweden, the European Commission, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Norway being the largest contributors.

UNHCR has 262 offices worldwide, with over 6,000 staff members – 5,400 of whom work in the field – and works with more than 600 partners to help nearly 33 million refugees, displaced and stateless people.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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DEPLORING DEADLY ATTACKS, BAN KI-MOON DISPATCHES TOP AIDES TO ALGIERS

DEPLORING DEADLY ATTACKS, BAN KI-MOON DISPATCHES TOP AIDES TO ALGIERS
New York, Dec 11 2007 2:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has led a chorus of United Nations condemnation of today's terrorist attacks in Algiers that have reportedly killed dozens of people, including a number of UN staff members, and he has dispatched several top aides to the Algerian capital to investigate the bombings.

"Words cannot express my sense of shock, outrage and anger at the terrorist attack on the United Nations mission in Algiers today," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2899">statement issued in Bali, Indonesia, where he is currently travelling.

According to the UN, at approximately 10:30 in the morning in Algiers, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) office collapsed following an explosion, which local authorities have indicated was caused by a car bomb. Another car bomb exploded near the country's Constitutional Court. No one has so far claimed responsibility.

"This was an abjectly cowardly strike against civilian officials serving humanity's highest ideals under the UN banner – base, indecent and unjustifiable by even the most barbarous political standard," Mr. Ban stated.

The Secretary-General has instructed senior advisers from his Executive Office, UNDP and the UN Department of Safety and Security to proceed to Algiers immediately. "We will take every measure to ensure the safety of our staff, in Algeria and elsewhere, beginning with an immediate review of our security precautions and policies," Mr. Ban pledged in a letter to UN staff in the wake of the attacks.

Also reacting to today's tragedy, the Security Council underlined the need to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice. In a statement read out by Ambassador Marcello Spatafora of Italy, which holds the Council's rotating presidency for this month, the 15-member body urged all States to cooperate with the Algerian authorities in this regard.

A spokesperson for the UN said that while the Organization could not provide any figures of fatalities until it had confirmed proof of deaths and the families had been informed, preliminary information indicates there may be five deaths.

The UN is checking with hospitals, examining the site of the blast and trying to obtain any proof of deaths, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York, noting that rescue efforts are also continuing.

The UN is trying to account for 14 people, she added. The world body has a total of 40 international staff presently in Algeria, including 19 international staff based there and an additional 21 that are there temporarily, as well as about 115 local UN staff in the capital.

The UNDP office housed staff from UNDP, the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2718">WFP), the International Labour Organization (<"http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm">ILO), the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA), the UN Industrial Development Organization (<"http://www.unido.org/">UNIDO), the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/">UNAIDS) and the Department of Safety and Security. The offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/475ebc454.html">UNHCR), located across the street, also sustained damage.

UNHCR chief António Guterres expressed his shock and outrage, calling the bombings "totally abhorrent."

The agency said a survey of its staff in Algiers showed that one of its drivers was killed, one was missing and all others were accounted for – although several suffered injuries from the blast that occurred in a street separating the main UN office from UNHCR's compound.

"The UN is an entity that works for world peace, an entity that tries to be an honest broker, especially when dealing with the humanitarian needs of refugees and other victims of violence and persecution," Mr. Guterres said. "This makes this type of attack even more absurd."

UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis said in a statement that "it is an outrage that extremists do not hold human life to be sacred, and that humanitarian and aid workers are apparently amongst the casualties."

Also speaking out, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim expressed his grave concern that UN offices and staff were once again the deliberate targets of terror attacks. A bomb destroyed the world body's Baghdad headquarters in August 2003, killing 22 people, including top envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Today's attack "clearly demonstrates that terrorism is a continuous and global challenge that knows no boundaries," Mr. Kerim said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

The flags at UN Headquarters in New York and at duty stations around the world will be flown at half mast through Wednesday.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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FORMER BOSNIAN SERB ARMY OFFICER GRANTED TEMPORARY LEAVE BY UN TRIBUNAL

FORMER BOSNIAN SERB ARMY OFFICER GRANTED TEMPORARY LEAVE BY UN TRIBUNAL
New York, Dec 11 2007 2:00PM
A former senior officer in the Bosnian Serb army facing trial at the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes of the Balkan wars of the 1990s has been <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1204e.htm">granted temporary release from jail so he can attend a memorial service for his father.

The trial chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), which sits in The Hague, ordered today that Vinko Pandurevi&#263; be released under certain terms and conditions, including that he return to the Tribunal's custody on 8 January next year.

Mr. Pandurevi&#263; – who served as a lieutenant colonel in the Bosnian Serb armed forces (VRS) – and six others are charged with crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims in the Srebrenica and Žepa enclaves in mid-1995. More than 7,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered in Srebrenica after Bosnian Serb forces overran what was supposed to be a UN-protected enclave, or safe haven, and the ICTY has found previously that the events there constituted genocide.

The provisional release of Mr. Pandurevi&#263; follows the ICTY's decisions over the past month to temporarily release four other men, who are also facing trial at the Tribunal, during its winter recess.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY LAUNCHES DIALOGUE ON ASYLUM AND MIGRATION

UN REFUGEE AGENCY LAUNCHES DIALOGUE ON ASYLUM AND MIGRATION
New York, Dec 11 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/475eb9074.html">UNHCR) today convened an international meeting with the goal of better ensuring the protection of the 10 million refugees around the world.

"Human mobility is growing in scale, scope and complexity," António Guterres said at the start of the two-day UNHCR-sponsored event.

"New patterns of movement are emerging, including forms of displacement and forced migration that are not addressed by international refugee law. States around the globe are expressing concern about the impact of these developments on their economy, their security and their social cohesion."

Refugees constitute only a small percentage of the 200 million or more people living outside their countries, but the High Commissioner said that refugees are increasingly "to be found in mixed movements, travelling in the same directions, using the same routes and means of transport as migrants."

While refugees escaping violence seek the international protection they deserve, governments – which are dealing with issues of migration – must be able to distinguish between those who are forced to flee and those who choose to move for economic or other reasons, he noted.

The conference, entitled "Dialogue on Protection Challenges," is the first in a series to give governments an informal forum in which to discuss the major asylum and refugee-related challenges they face.

Although UNHCR does not focus on migration, it nonetheless has great bearing on the agency's work.

"By creating a global environment in which migrant rights are respected, we will also be creating an environment in which UNHCR can more effectively exercise its mandate for refugee protection and solutions," Mr. Guterres said.

He urged States to balance effective controlling their borders while providing opportunities for legal migration.

"In an environment where irregular migration prevails, human traffickers and smugglers are bound to appear," the High Commissioner said. "Irregular migration can only be curtailed if people who want to move are given the chance to do so in a safe and legal manner."

Before the start of today's session, he called for a minute of silence for the victims of the deadly blasts which rocked Algiers, Algeria, and left dozens dead, including two UNHCR staff members.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR REFUGEES LEAVING THAILAND FOR THIRD COUNTRIES PASSES 20,000 MARK - UN

MYANMAR REFUGEES LEAVING THAILAND FOR THIRD COUNTRIES PASSES 20,000 MARK – UN
New York, Dec 11 2007 1:00PM
The number of Myanmar refugees leaving Thailand to start new lives in third countries has topped 20,000, under the world's largest refugee resettlement programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced today.

Since the programme began in January 2005, a total of 20,787 refugees have left Thailand as of 10 December, while an additional 3,741 have been approved for resettlement and are waiting to leave.

Most of these refugees fled the fighting and oppression in their home country of Myanmar over the past 11 years, and have taken refuge in nine camps – housing 124,300 registered refugees – along the border with Thailand.

"Resettlement is an important solution for refugees for whom returning home or integrating into their countries of asylum is not possible, and we are grateful to resettlement countries for giving so many refugees the opportunity of a new life," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters in Geneva today.

The largest number of Myanmar refugees has departed Thailand for the United States, which made an open-ended offer in 2005 to take refugees from Thai camps.

Thus far, nearly 12,000 Myanmar refugees have moved to cities such as Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fresno, California; Lansing, Michigan; and Dallas, Texas.

Meanwhile, 2,154 Myanmar refugees in Thailand have begun new lives in Australia, while 2,132 have resettled in Canada. Other countries where refugees have resettled are Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DEADLY ALGIERS ATTACKS

BAN KI-MOON SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DEADLY ALGIERS ATTACKS
New York, Dec 11 2007 11:00AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks which occurred earlier today in Algiers which reportedly killed at least 45 people, including a number of United Nations staff members.
</P>
According to a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the two blasts which rocked the Algerian capital destroyed the offices of the UN Development Programme and severely damaged the offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
</P>
"The United Nations is currently working closely with local authorities to account for UN personnel who may be missing," the statement added. </P>
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE A 'HISTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY'

SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE A 'HISTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY'
New York, Dec 10 2007 10:00PM
Addressing the issue of climate change is a "historical responsibility" we have to our descendants centuries from now, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
"I support the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities when it comes to climate change," Mr. Ban said in an address to the the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Developing countries must participate, as successes at the landmark UN Climate Change Conference currently underway in Bali, Indonesia, hinge on major emitters from the developing world, he noted.
Meanwhile, developed countries -- with their financial resources and technological capabilities -- have a "historical responsibility" to take the lead and assist poorer nations.
However, the Secretary-General pointed out that a century or two from now, our descendants "will never question whether you are from a developed country or whether you are from a developing country. They will question your leadership at this time."
Thus, "we must be responsible for what we will do and responsible for what we need to transfer to give this planet Earth to future generations in the most hospitable and environmentally sustainable situation," he said.
The developing world must approach climate change as a development concern, instead of solely an environmental issue, Mr. Ban, who will travel to the Bali Conference tomorrow, noted.
He highlighted the important contribution that countries of the Asia-Pacific region can make towards a breakthrough in Bali.
"This vast area has many of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and it already accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions," he said. "High population growth and rapid economic expansion are expected to significantly raise this proportion in coming decades."
Tackling global warming has a "silver lining" -- namely, the opportunity to reduce emissions wh
Secretary-General said, providing opportunities to advance sustainable development, as well as encourage cleaner technologies, industries and jobs.
"Today, we need to create a new type of industrial revolution based on cleaner technology and a low-carbon economy" he said. "Greater energy efficiency is the first step towards this revolution."
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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DEPARTING PROSECUTOR AT UN TRIBUNAL LAMENTS SERBIA'S FAILURE TO ARREST SUSPECTS

DEPARTING PROSECUTOR AT UN TRIBUNAL LAMENTS SERBIA'S FAILURE TO ARREST SUSPECTS
New York, Dec 10 2007 8:00PM
Serbia continues to do nothing to arrest the two most notorious suspects from the 1990s Balkan wars, the outgoing Prosecutor of the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said today, declaring that her previous optimism that Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadžic might soon be in custody "has waned considerably."

Carla Del Ponte, who steps down from her post later this month, <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1202e.htm">told the Security Council that "it is a stain on the International Tribunal's work that two individuals indicted for genocide and responsible for the worst crimes committed in Europe since the Second World War are still fugitives."

Mr. Mladic, who led the Bosnian Serb military forces, faces 15 charges, including two of genocide, seven of crimes against humanity and six of violating the rules or customs of war. Mr. Karadžic, a former political leader of the Bosnian Serbs, faces two counts of genocide, five counts of crimes against humanity, three counts of violating the laws or customs of war and one count of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.

Mr. Karadžic and Mr. Mladic are two of only four men out of 161 initial indictees who are still at large, but under the completion strategy established with the Council, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY) has said it will try to finish all trials at the first instance by the end of next year.

Ms. Del Ponte told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York today that it was vital that Council members not "close the door" on the Tribunal until Mr. Mladic and Mr. Karadžic are brought to justice.

In response to questions, she noted that she was pursuing the arrest of Mr. Mladic ahead of that of Mr. Karadžic.

"Because I know where Mladic is, and I know that Serbia can give me Mladic. But Karadžic – I don't know in which country of the region is hiding. I know he is in the region, but I could not tell you if it is in a monastery in Montenegro, or in Republika Srpska, or in Serbia, or in an apartment in Serbia. I don't know because I'm focusing now on Mladic, because Mladic is in the immediate reach of Belgrade."

Before today's Council <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9192.doc.htm">briefing, Ms. Del Ponte gave this month's President, Ambassador Marcello Spatafora of Italy, a letter from "the women of Srebrenica," the town that was the scene of a notorious massacre in July 1995 in which more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed, in which they urged the 15-member body to keep the Tribunal operating until the fugitives are caught.

Earlier, she told the Council that she held high hopes earlier this year of a breakthrough in Serbia and that the remaining fugitives would be arrested and transferred to the ICTY's custody in The Hague.

However, "despite the Serbian authorities' declared commitment to fully cooperate with my Office and improved procedures, there is no clear road map, no clear plan in the search for fugitives, no serious leads and no signs that serious efforts have been taken to arrest the fugitives."

She urged the European Union to make the arrest of Mr. Mladic a condition of Serbia's process of accession to the continental bloc.

"EU conditionality has in recent years been the most effective tool to obtain the transfer of ICTY fugitives. I am convinced that the arrest of the remaining four fugitives will only be achieved if this policy is upheld."

The Prosecutor, who is being succeeded by Serge Brammertz, the current head of the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC), concluded that although there was "some unfinished business" for Mr. Brammertz, the Tribunal had still "achieved a great deal. It has accomplished most of its goals and has paved a wide and solid road for international justice… And yet, I will leave this institution with a feeling of disappointment."

Serbia's representative, Pavle Jervremovic, said the four remaining fugitives would be located and apprehended in the near future, and that authorities in his country had recently taken steps to improve their cooperation with the Tribunal on issues ranging from witness access to production of documents. The Government had also promised rewards to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the suspects, he noted.

Meanwhile, the Council also heard briefings from ICTY President Judge Fausto Pocar and from Judge Dennis Byron and Hassan Bubacar Jallow, the President and Prosecutor respectively of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (<"http://69.94.11.53/default.htm">ICTR), which was set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the 1994 genocide in that country.

The ICTR faces a similar completion strategy to the ICTY, with all trials at first instances expected to be wrapped up by the end of next year and all work, including appeals, by 2010.

In its most recent report to the Council, the Tribunal – which is based in Arusha, Tanzania – says that "significant progress has been made" towards fulfilling the mandate, and that it is largely on schedule to meet the completion strategy.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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WHILE SPOTLIGHTING PROGRESS ON CHILD HEALTH, UNICEF CITES NEED TO STEP UP EFFORTS

WHILE SPOTLIGHTING PROGRESS ON CHILD HEALTH, UNICEF CITES NEED TO STEP UP EFFORTS
New York, Dec 10 2007 7:00PM
A new report issued today by the United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_42115.html">UNICEF) finds that considerable progress has been made in the area of child survival, while also pointing to the urgent need to do more to create a better world for millions of girls and boys.

"<"http://www.unicef.org/progressforchildren/2007n6/files/Progress_for_Children_-_No._6.pdf">Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review" is the sixth in a series of reports released by UNICEF, and contains comprehensive data on the UN Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) – the ambitious pledges made by world leaders to slash poverty, illiteracy and disease by 2015.

"The monitoring that UNICEF and its partners have undertaken reveals some remarkable progress," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, noting that, for the first time, the number of children dying before their fifth birthday fell below 10 million in 2006 – an important milestone in child survival.

The report, which comes on the eve of a major two-day meeting on children convened by the General Assembly, also provides comprehensive information on such indicators as birth registration, child labour and children affected by war.

Among other things, it reveals that the number of primary-school-age children who are not in school has declined from 115 million in 2002 to 93 million in 2005-2006. It also finds that, while the pace of change is slow, the harmful practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has declined over the past 15 years, and that child marriage is becoming less common.

In addition, new evidence suggests declining HIV prevalence in some sub-Saharan African countries, "although these trends are not yet widespread or strong enough to turn the tide," said Ms. Veneman.

"Overall, its findings reinforce UNICEF's conviction that the combined efforts of governments, international organizations, civil society, local communities and the private sector are making a difference and delivering results for children," she stated.

Along with the good news, the report also reveals that an alarming number of children under-five – an estimated 143 million – still suffer undernutrition, with more than half of them in South Asia. In addition, more than 1.5 million children die each year from diarrhoeal diseases due to a lack of basic sanitation, combined with poor hygiene and unsafe drinking water.

Ms. Veneman stressed that much more needs to be done, especially with the 2015 deadline for the MDGs fast approaching. "We need to accelerate progress towards these goals and approach them with a collective sense of urgency. If we do so, we can help create a better world for girls and boys, and for generations to come."
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES GREATER EFFORTS TO PROTECT WORLD'S OCEANS

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES GREATER EFFORTS TO PROTECT WORLD'S OCEANS
New York, Dec 10 2007 7:00PM
Marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening for signature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Deputy Secretary-General today called on States to work together to protect the marine environment which is under increasing pressure from human activities.

<"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/dsgsm363.doc.htm">Addressing a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10670.doc.htm">meeting of the General Assembly, Asha-Rose Migiro acknowledged the considerable progress made over the last <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/lt4408.doc.htm">25 years towards the goals of the Convention, commonly referred to as the "Constitution of the Oceans."

"Potential conflicts over maritime space and resources have been avoided. Pollution is being addressed through various instruments, and many sources of pollution are the subject of strict regulation. Our knowledge of the oceans and their ecosystems, albeit still expanding, has considerably improved through marine scientific research," she stated.

At the same time, Ms. Migiro noted that the implementation of some of the treaty's provisions had lagged behind, pointing out that the world's fisheries continue to be depleted and the marine environment continues to be degraded by pollution from various sources, including pressure from growing coastal populations and climate change.

In addition, transnational organized crime, such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, acts of piracy and terrorist acts also present major threats.

She noted that many of these challenges transcend national boundaries, and addressing them requires further concerted efforts by actors working together at the national, regional and global levels.

It all also requires cooperation to ensure that all parties have the legal, institutional, economic, technical and scientific capacity to abide by the Convention's provisions, she added. "Nothing less is required if present and future generations are to benefit from the oceans' bounty, while protecting the marine environment and achieving sustainable development."
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO HOLDS TALKS WITH LEADERS OF THREE TROUBLED AFRICAN COUNTRIES

MIGIRO HOLDS TALKS WITH LEADERS OF THREE TROUBLED AFRICAN COUNTRIES
New York, Dec 10 2007 6:00PM
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro has held talks with the leaders of three African countries facing enormous political, economic and social challenges – Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Somalia – during her visit to Lisbon, Portugal, this weekend to attend the African Union-European Union summit.

During her meeting with Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, Ms. Migiro stressed how important it was that the West African nation's electoral process takes place as planned so that its democratic institutions – buffeted by five years of divide between the Government-controlled south and the rebel-held north – can rebuild.

Mr. Gbagbo assured Ms. Migiro that he is doing everything possible to meet United Nations' expectations on the electoral process, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters today.

He called for enhanced support for both the electoral process and the wider implementation of the Ouagadougou peace accord, the March agreement for ending the prolonged political stand-off between the Government and the rebels.

The accord outlines a series of measures, including: the creation of a new transitional government; organizing free and fair presidential elections; the merging of the rebel Forces Nouvelles and the national defence and security forces through an integrated command centre; the dismantling of militias and disarming of ex-combatants; and the replacement of the so-called zone of confidence separating north and south with a green line to be monitored by the UN peacekeeping mission, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/index.html">UNOCI.

Speaking with President João Bernardo Vieira of Guinea-Bissau, Ms. Migiro voiced concern about his country's growing role as a transit point for international drug trafficking.

Last week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also called for the mandate of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office to the country (UNOGBIS) to be extended by a year, in part so that it can continue to assist the Government to combat illegal drug trafficking.

Appealing for greater regional cooperation and national Government intervention, Ms. Migiro assured Mr. Vieira that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (<"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html">UNODC) will maintain its support.

The Deputy Secretary-General also called on the President of Guinea-Bissau to ensure that elections due next year are held as planned so that a constitutional crisis is averted.

Mr. Vieira noted that the electoral commission's greatest challenge is a lack of resources to update the voter register in Guinea-Bissau.

Meanwhile, Ms. Migiro also held a bilateral meeting with the new Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL LAMENTS LACK OF PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTING CYPRUS AGREEMENT

SECRETARY-GENERAL LAMENTS LACK OF PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTING CYPRUS AGREEMENT
New York, Dec 10 2007 6:00PM
The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides have made no progress in the past six months in implementing the July 2006 agreement aimed at establishing the framework for a political process so that full-fledged negotiations on solving the Cyprus problem can begin, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says.

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/699">report to the Security Council on the work of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/index.html">UNFICYP), Mr. Ban writes that the leaders of the two communities continue to publicly endorse the agreement's principles that a settlement must be based "on a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation and political equality," but that "a lack of political will to fully engage" was preventing any tangible progress.

"All parties need to show greater flexibility and greater political courage," he states, describing a September meeting of the leaders that did not produce any concrete results as "a lost opportunity."

Mr. Ban stresses that only sustained political will from Cypriots, translated into real action, will lead to a settlement, and to that end he urges the people of the island to become more actively involved in civil society.

The Secretary-General also states that "it is regrettable that the ongoing debate on the lifting of the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots has become a debate on recognition. Recognition, or assisting secession, would be contrary to the resolutions of the Security Council.

"Rather, the objective should be to engender greater economic and social parity between the sides by further promoting the development of the Turkish Cypriot community, so that the reunification of the island may occur in as seamless a manner as possible."

In addition, Mr. Ban welcomes the recent work of the Committee on Missing Persons – which is tasked with identifying the remains of missing persons and returning those remains to the families concerned – "towards the resolution of one of the most painful aspects of the Cyprus problem."

Given the general situation, the Secretary-General recommends that the mandate of UNIFCYP be extended for another six months, until 15 June next year. The mission is deployed on the Mediterranean island to supervise ceasefire lines, maintain a buffer zone and undertake humanitarian activities.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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ACCEPTING NOBEL PRIZE, LAUREATES ISSUE STRONG CALL TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

ACCEPTING NOBEL PRIZE, LAUREATES ISSUE STRONG CALL TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
New York, Dec 10 2007 5:00PM
Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize today, this year's laureates – Al Gore and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – issued a call for bold and immediate actions to curb global warming.

"We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency – a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here," former United States Vice-President Gore said at the award ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

"But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve the crisis and avoid the worst – though not all – of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly."

Representing the <"http://www.ipcc.ch/">IPCC, its Chair warned of the risks to peace that could result from climate change.

"Peace can be defined as security and the secure access to resources that are essential for living," Rajendra K. Pachauri <"http://www.ipcc.ch/graphics/speeches/nobel-peace-prize-oslo-10-december-2007.pdf">said. Global warming could adversely affect some communities' access to clean water and sufficient food; could lead to unstable health conditions; and threaten ecosystem resources security of settlements.

He voiced hope that discussions at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia – which entered its second and final week today – will produce positive results.

"Will those responsible for decisions in the field of climate change at the global level listen to the voice of science and knowledge, which is now loud and clear?" Mr. Pachauri asked.

Meanwhile in Bali, delegates are working to wrap up agreement on how to launch a process to address global warming ahead of the ministerial-level meeting that begins on Wednesday.

Countries have differing ideas on what should be included in the roadmap to create a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012. They also have diverging views on whether or not the outcome should contain targets or goals.

A text prepared for the negotiation suggested responding to the need for quantified national emission objectives for industrialized countries and to be guided by the need to reduce emissions in a range of 25-40 per cent by 2020, peaking in the next 10-15 years.

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UNFCCC), said the text on future actions should not prejudge the outcome and that discussions on the future were at a critical point.

"We need to walk away with a clear sense of where we're going," he emphasized.

There are 10,776 participants attending the Bali Conference from 187 countries, making it the largest-ever conference on the issue of climate change.

In a related development, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today said that the presentation of this year's Nobel Peace Prize reinforces the need for leaders to take scientific findings regarding climate change into account.

The work of the IPCC – which is hosted by the <"http://www.wmo.ch/pages/about/sec/SG_statement_en.html">WMO – "has shown how vital it is for the scientific evidence on climate change, and mankind's role in this, to be used as the basis for moving the political process on curbing climate change forward," said Michel Jarraud, the agency's Secretary-General.

Also, a new report by the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=523&ArticleID=5720&l=en">UNEP) – which, along with the WMO, founded the IPCC – spotlights how climate change is a security risk.

It could "result in destabilization and violence jeopardizing national and international security to a new degree," said Hans Schellnhuber, one of the lead authors of the new study.

Entitled "Climate Change as a Security Risk," it warns that global warming could potentially aggravate old tensions and trigger new ones that could result in violence and even war.

The report also defines vulnerable States and societies as those that are in political transition with low levels of economic activities and large populations.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY ESSENTIAL, BAN KI-MOON TELLS LAUNCH OF UN REGIONAL CENTRE

PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY ESSENTIAL, BAN KI-MOON TELLS LAUNCH OF UN REGIONAL CENTRE
New York, Dec 10 2007 4:00PM
Preventive diplomacy is not an option but a necessity, given the gravity of so many situations worldwide, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, launching the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2895">message delivered on his behalf by B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Ban said the new Centre – located in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan – "holds tremendous promise" for reducing the potential threat from conflicts and other cross-border challenges, such as drug trafficking, terrorism and environmental degradation.

"As we all know too well, dealing with the aftermath of violent conflict is costly," the message said. "Lives are needlessly lost. Economies are destroyed. Hopes for development are dashed. Resolving conflicts before violence occurs is one of the smartest investments we can make."

Known by its acronym UNRCCA, the Centre is tasked with assisting the Governments of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan "in building capacities to peacefully prevent conflict, in facilitating dialogue, and in catalyzing international support behind projects and initiatives," according to the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA), which has set it up.

The Centre will be headed by a senior representative of Mr. Ban and has been awarded an initial budget of $2.3 million and a small international staff contingent.

UNRCCA is expected to work closely with existing UN agencies and programmes operating in Central Asia, and also regional groups such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Mr. Ban noted in his message that "the countries of Central Asia have made great strides in building their independent statehoods and frameworks for mutual dialogue and cooperation," adding that the best way to deal with the region's shared challenges is to pursue collective solutions.

In his own remarks to the two-day Conference on International Cooperation for Preventive Diplomacy, which also opened today in Ashgabat, Mr. Pascoe stressed the benefits of preventive diplomacy.

"There is recognition that if a fraction of the resources that are spent on peacekeeping was spent on prevention, the world would have become a much safer place. Prevention is an investment in peace," he said.

General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim, in his own message to mark the Centre's inauguration, said that too often in the past the international community had only paid "lip service" to the concept of preventive diplomacy.

"In Central Asia we are taking a concrete step now… All this together may serve as a further boost and example for other Member States to take collective action on a regional as well as global level in preventive diplomacy."
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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HUMAN RIGHTS ENSHRINED IN UN DECLARATION APPLY UNIVERSALLY, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

HUMAN RIGHTS ENSHRINED IN UN DECLARATION APPLY UNIVERSALLY, SAYS BAN KI-MOON
New York, Dec 10 2007 4:00PM
The freedoms upheld in the historic United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be enjoyed by everyone, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today on the occasion of <"http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2007/">Human Rights Day.

The Day also kicked off a year-long UN system-wide campaign, with the theme "<"http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2007/theme.shtml">Dignity and Justice for All of Us," to raise awareness of the Declaration, which turns 60 on 10 December 2008.

"The Declaration remains as relevant today as it did on the day it was adopted," Mr. Ban said. "But the fundamental freedoms enshrined in it are still not a reality for everyone. Too often, Governments lack the political will to implement international norms they have willingly accepted."

He said that this year leading up to the 60th anniversary of the landmark document provides an opportunity to reinvigorate efforts to ensure that the Declaration's freedoms apply to all.

"It is a chance to ensure that these rights are a living reality – that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere," the Secretary-General <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2894">noted. "It is often those who most need their human rights protected, who also need to be informed that the Declaration exists – and that it exists for them."

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, in a separate <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/42D4140DF46806F4C12573AD002A2F82?opendocument">message, paid tribute to those who have given their lives in the pursuit of transforming the ideals of the Declaration – inherent human dignity, justice, non-discrimination, equality, fairness and universality – into reality.

"Today is also the day to reflect upon our individual and collective failures to stand up against violence, racism, xenophobia, torture, repression of unpopular views and injustices of all sorts," she observed.

Efforts to make sure that every person can rely on just laws for his or her protection must be stepped up in the year leading up to the Declaration's 60th anniversary, the High Commissioner said.

"In today's growing divisions between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the vulnerable, the technologically advanced and the illiterate, the aggressors and the victims, the relevance of the Declaration and the universality of enshrined rights need to be loudly reaffirmed," she declared.

The President of the General Assembly also sounded the alarm about those who are denied the Declaration's rights, stating that "it is incumbent upon us to champion their cause."

Srgjan Kerim <"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/humanright101207.shtml">urged that measures to promote rights should "live up to the spirit embodied by those who had the courage and conviction to leave us with this great legacy."

Underscoring the rights of girls and women, who continue to be subjected to discrimination and violence, the head of the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1076">UNFPA) stressed that "every human being should be able to live and make decisions free of coercion, discrimination and violence."

Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid pointed out that although it has been long-recognized that all couples and individuals have a right to decide whether and when to have children, some 200 million women worldwide have no access to modern contraception.

She also noted that while the right to health has similarly long been recognized, a woman dies every minute during pregnancy and childbirth because of lack of maternal health services.

The UN's independent rights experts marked the Day with a call for the elimination of the twin scourges of discrimination and exclusion.

"Discrimination continues to distort the economic, social and political contours of societies," the UN special procedures mandate holders – ranging from rapporteurs and experts to working groups – said in a joint statement. "Individuals and communities face discrimination and exclusion on the basis of their race, ethnicity, religion, language, sex or sexual orientation amongst many other grounds."

The group emphasized that if left unchecked, the consequences of discrimination and exclusion "can begin to create fault lines within society between those who have full rights, justice and dignity respected, and those who do not."

Events commemorating the Day are taking place throughout the world. At UN Headquarters today, panel discussions on human rights will be held, while a special celebration was held at the world body's Geneva office, where the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council are based.

An essay competition for teenagers is being held on the occasion of the Day in Parwan province, north of Afghanistan's capital Kabul. Meanwhile, in Paktia province, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://www.unama-afg.org/">UNAMA) celebrated the Day at an event attended by victims of the country's three decades of conflict, Government authorities, tribal officials and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).

The UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmis/">UNMIS) has organized a series of activities across the country, including workshops, campaigns and panel discussions in Darfur, as well as marches to promote human rights messages in southern Sudan.

Several events will also be taking place in the lead up to the 60th anniversary of the Declaration. In Rome, illustrations inspired by Human Rights Day by 17 artists from around the world will be exhibited as part of an initiative called "Cartooning for Human Rights." The artwork will travel around the world next year.

Next September, a conference to celebrate the Declaration will be held in Paris, while a series of five human rights capacity-building trainings will take place in the Asia-Pacific region next year as part of the Diplomacy Training Programme, a non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos-Horta.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN COUNTER-TERRORISM OFFICE UNTIL 31 MARCH 2008

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN COUNTER-TERRORISM OFFICE UNTIL 31 MARCH 2008
New York, Dec 10 2007 4:00PM
The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9191.doc.htm">extended until 31 March 2008 the mandate of the main office tasked with monitoring the efforts of countries to combat the global scourge of terrorism.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member Council extended the initial period of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), which was due to expire on 31 December, "reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to peace and security."

Established as a special political mission in 2004, the CTED assists the Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee in monitoring the implementation of resolution 1373, adopted in the wake of the September 2001 attacks on the United States.

That resolution calls on countries to adopt a number of measures to enhance their ability to counter terrorist activities nationally, regionally and globally.

By today's resolution, the Council also requested CTED Executive Director Mike Smith to recommend, within 60 days, any changes he deemed appropriate to the body's organizational plan and to submit them to the Counter-Terrorism Committee for its endorsement before the end of next March.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S PATIENCE WITH MYANMAR 'RUNNING OUT' - BAN KI-MOON

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S PATIENCE WITH MYANMAR 'RUNNING OUT' – BAN KI-MOON
New York, Dec 10 2007 2:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged Myanmar's authorities to step up their efforts towards democratization and the full respect of human rights, noting that the international community's patience with the troubled South-East Asian nation is wearing thin.

Speaking to reporters in Bangkok, Mr. Ban seized the occasion of Human Rights Day to urge Myanmar's authorities once more to fully respect the principles of the UN Charter by engaging with the international community, democratizing and promoting human rights.

Calling the appointment of a liaison minister who is in contact with Aung San Suu Kyi "a good beginning," he called for further efforts so that the detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate can engage in an in-depth dialogue with the country's senior leadership.

"I know that the international community is very impatient, and our patience is running out," he stated, stressing once again that a return to the status quo prior to the Government's crackdown on peaceful protesters in August and September is "not acceptable and politically unsustainable."

The people of Myanmar have suffered from isolation for a very long time, the Secretary-General stated, adding that it is high time for them to enjoy genuine democracy and freedom. "This is what the international community expects."

Mr. Ban pledged to continue his good offices role through his Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari, who is scheduled to return to Myanmar at the end of this year or early next year. He also highlighted the special role and responsibility of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) in further promoting democracy in Myanmar.

The situation in Myanmar and the work of ASEAN were among the issues discussed by Mr. Ban and Thai Prime Minister Surayudh Chulanont earlier today in Bangkok, the first stop on the Secretary-General's current three-nation trip, which will also take him to the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, as well as Timor-Leste. The leaders also discussed climate change, UN reform and global public health, according to a spokesperson for Mr. Ban.

The Secretary-General also addressed the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and visited, with his wife, the Royal Chitralada projects, a bio-fuel initiative which he described as one of the many examples of the King of Thailand's commitment and dedication to human development and the environment.

The Secretary-General and Mrs. Ban also had an audience with the King and Queen of Thailand in the evening. They are scheduled to arrive in Bali tomorrow.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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THREE SERBS TEMPORARILY RELEASED FROM JAIL BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

THREE SERBS TEMPORARILY RELEASED FROM JAIL BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL
New York, Dec 10 2007 2:00PM
Three men facing trial at the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes of the Balkan wars of the 1990s have been granted temporary release from jail and allowed to return to Serbia while the court is on its annual winter recess.

The trial chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), which sits in The Hague, <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1201e.htm">ordered on Friday that the men be released under certain terms and conditions, including that they return to The Hague early next month.

Radivoje Mileti&#263; has been granted provisional release from 15 December until 7 January, Milan Gvero from 16 December until 8 January, and Milan Milutinovi&#263; from 17 December until 2 January.

Mr. Mileti&#263; and Mr. Gvero, who served as high-ranking military officials in the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS), face charges of murder, persecutions, forcible transfer and deportation, all related to the notorious massacre of Muslims in the Srebrenica and Žepa enclaves in mid-1995.

The joint trial of the two men began in July 2006, with the prosecution case-in-chief expected to finish by next February, and the defence case scheduled to start by early June.

Mr. Milutinovi&#263;, a former President of Serbia and member of the Supreme Defence Council of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, has been indicted on charges related to fighting in Kosovo in 1999. He faces counts of murder, deportation, forcible transfer and persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds. His trial, which also began in July 2006, is expected to finish early next year.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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ORGANIC FARMING ALONE WILL NOT ENSURE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, CAUTIONS UN AGENCY

ORGANIC FARMING ALONE WILL NOT ENSURE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, CAUTIONS UN AGENCY
New York, Dec 10 2007 1:00PM
While organic farming produces nutritious food and represents a growing source of income for developed and developing countries, it cannot be relied on to ensure global food security, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<" http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000726/index.html">FAO) said today.

Responding to recent press reports suggesting that the agency endorses organic agriculture as the solution to world hunger, FAO's Director-General said there was no reason to believe that the practice can substitute for conventional farming systems to feed the world's hungry.

"We should use organic agriculture and promote it," said Jacques Diouf. "But you cannot feed six billion people today and nine billion in 2050 without judicious use of chemical fertilizers."

In 2006 organic farming – which excludes any chemical inputs – generated some $24 billion in sales in the European Union, United States, Canada and Asia. Roughly 2 per cent of the world's cropland was farmed organically in 2005.

The data on the productivity of organic versus conventional farming show that the potential of organic agriculture is far from large enough to feed the world, states FAO.

Generally, products that are grown organically attract higher prices than those grown conventionally, boosting farmers' incomes. However, the large-scale investments involved in this method of agriculture are often beyond the reach of most poor farmers in developing countries.

Mr. Diouf noted that careful use of chemical inputs, especially fertilizers, could help significantly boost food production in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, where the soil suffers from low fertility and needs added nutrients.

"However, chemical inputs must be used with care," he cautioned. "You have to choose the right inputs, right amounts, and apply them in the right way and at the right time."

The Director-General stressed that there is no one solution to feeding the world's hungry and poor, noting that ensuring present and future food security will require increased public and private investments, the right policies and technologies, knowledge and capacity building, grounded in sound ecosystem management.

Ensuring the world's future food supply will be the focus of a high-level meeting hosted by FAO next year entitled "Feeding the World in 2050."
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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UN SEEKS $3.8 BILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES IN 24 COUNTRIES

UN SEEKS $3.8 BILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES IN 24 COUNTRIES
New York, Dec 10 2007 11:00AM
The United Nations today <" http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/475d589d2.html">appealed</a for $3.8 billion to provide urgent support to 25 million people in humanitarian emergencies in 24 countries around the world, including Somalia, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Speaking at the launch of the Humanitarian Appeal 2008 this morning in Geneva, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said that "many humanitarian crises involving conflict continue, in Somalia, Sudan, the occupied Palestinian territory, and the DRC to name just a few – and people living in such extreme circumstances will need continued generosity in 2008.

"Floods, hurricanes, cyclones, and drought also struck more frequently in 2007, and this trend points to a future where aid agencies, and the world's vulnerable poor, will have to respond ever more frequently to climate-related disasters," he added.

The Appeal is made up of ten consolidated appeals for the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, the DRC, the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, the West African region and Zimbabwe.

Some 188 organizations – including UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other international organizations – come together through the Appeal to meet the world's major humanitarian challenges in a strategic, coordinated, effective and prioritized way.

Mr. Holmes urged generosity among donors, noting that "although we know that legislators face many competing priorities, we are asking for merely a few cents of humanitarian aid for every hundred dollars of national income."

Also present at today's launch were UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres; Secretary-General of CARE International, Robert Glasser; and Founder and Chairman of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson.
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN INTERNET CAMPAIGN LINKS RURAL AFRICAN FARMERS TO FOOD BLOGGERS

NEW UN INTERNET CAMPAIGN LINKS RURAL AFRICAN FARMERS TO FOOD BLOGGERS
New York, Dec 10 2007 8:00AM
An innovative United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) online fundraising campaign will connect farmers in rural Africa to food bloggers worldwide.

Known as "Menu for Hope," the initiative -- now in its fourth year -- will be launched today on Chez Pim (http://www.chezpim.com), one of the world's most popular food blogs.

"It is difficult to imagine two worlds that are further apart -- the high-end culinary world and rural African farmers," said WFP Director of Public Policy Strategy, Nancy Roman. "But by coming together, the global community of foodies can make a real difference to poor people who struggle daily with hunger and survival."

The funds raised by the online raffle will support WFP'ss work in the tiny Southern African nation of Lesotho, where the agency has been helping rural communities by purchasing surplus grain from small-scale farmers.

This grain in then used in programmes such as a scheme to supply school lunches to children in Lesotho.

Conceived by food blogger Pim Techamuanvivit, who uses her popular site for the fundraising campaign, the raffle last year raised more than $60,000 -- more than double its target -- for WFP programmes through the sale of $10 tickets online that give purchasers a chance to win "foodie" items such as invitations to join world-famous chefs for personal cooking lessons, rare cooking books, opportunities to dine in restaurants around the world and a pizza tour of New York, among others.

Michelin-starred restaurants and internationally renowned chefs, including Ferran Adria of Spain and Heston Blumenthal of the United Kingdom, are among those supporting the initiative.

"This is the 4th year that I have run this campaign, but this is the first time that we have tried to make this direct connection between the money we raise and the people who need it in a place like Lesotho," Pim Techamuanvivit said. "The Internet is so much more powerful than other media in th

By purchasing food from small-scale farmers, WFP -- which buys three-quarters of the food for its operations in 70 developing countries -- is able to offer more direct financial support to them while also lowering the cost of transporting food long distances to where it is urgently needed.

In Lesotho this year, WFP paid 20 small-scale farmers some $2,800 for eight metric tons of maize.

"That might not seem much," Ms. Roman noted. "But when you realize that this is a country where more than a third of the people live on less than US$1 a day, you quickly understand the incredible impact this kind of investment can have."
2007-12-10 00:00:00.000

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AT UN CONFERENCE, SMALL ISLAND COUNTRIES SEEK ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

AT UN CONFERENCE, SMALL ISLAND COUNTRIES SEEK ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
New York, Dec 9 2007 10:00AM
Small island States today called on industrialized countries to take a leadership role at the Bali Climate Change Conference and adopt targets to keep the world from warming past the point where catastrophic impacts would occur.

"No island should be left behind," said Angus Friday of Grenada, the Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States. These vulnerable countries, he said, are already feeling the impact of climate change in the form of more hurricanes, cyclone and typhoons.

Grenada, once deemed to be safe from hurricanes, has been devastated twice in the last seven years causing damage that amounted to 200 per cent of the country's gross domestic product, he said. Countries such as the Maldives were already spending considerable sums on adaptation efforts, which include building 14 "safe islands," he added, calling for the Bali meeting to support the launch of an adaptation fund.

The conference ended its first week with negotiations in full swing on key issues. According to Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change Convention, Bali has to deliver on several issues of importance to developing countries, including adaptation, transfer of climate friendly technology, strengthened capacity building and progress on reducing emissions due to deforestation. In addition, he said, Bali needs to launch a process beyond 2012 when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires.

The negotiations, Mr. de Boer said, seemed to be progressing well on a number of fronts. With Rajendra Pachauri formally presenting the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to the Conference yesterday, Mr. de Boer said he believes the message of the report is "loud and clear" and that is to "act now."

Today was also 'Forest Day' in Bali, a day-long event by the Center for International Research on Forests to help inform the Climate Change Conference process on deforestation iss
countries causes roughly 20 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions.

The Bali Conference is presently discussing methods to design a comprehensive plan to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing countries that may include assessments in changes in forest cover, how to demonstrate reductions in deforestation emissions, and how to estimate the amount of emission reduction.

"These are very important first steps for fighting emissions from deforestation," Mr. de Boer told the Forest Day meeting. "They will provide a good basis for further action."

He pointed out that forests worldwide contain more than the amount of carbon in the entire atmosphere. "Cutting them down immediately releases carbon stored in the forest carbon pools as CO2 emissions."

2007-12-09 00:00:00.000

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