AT MODEL UN IN CHICAGO, BAN KI-MOON HAILS YOUTH FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

AT MODEL UN IN CHICAGO, BAN KI-MOON HAILS YOUTH FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE New York, Feb 9 2008 8:00PM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has praised high school students in Chicago for debating the problem of global warming at a Model UN, emphasizing their potential to effect change in the future.

"I am here because you are the leaders of tomorrow," Mr. Ban told an auditorium filled with students attending Walter Payton High School, where he was joined Friday by Mayor Richard Daley on a stage that also accommodated a set of youth representing various countries from around the world.

"Standing in this hall, my thoughts go way back to 1962 when I was a freshman in college and participated in this type of mock-UN debate," said Mr. Ban, drawing laughter when he recalled that that at the time, there was no color TV; only black-and white.

"My advice is that you be as close as possible to real politics," he said. "By doing that you will be able to act as real delegates of the countries you are representing. By doing that you will improve and learn about real politics and the real world."

He said the UN "needs the support of global citizens like you."

The Secretary-General, who has given priority galvanizing international action on climate change, said the issue requires immediate attention. "People say that we should have taken action yesterday, but if we take action today, it may not be too late. We have capacity, technology, resources, finances - all we are lacking now is the will.

"This is not a question of whether or not; this is not a question of when, this is a question of we must win and this is a question of we must act now."

As the debate began, the delegate from the United States urged a common approach to the problem, but Washington was criticized by other participating countries for not having ratified the Kyoto Protocol, a legally binding pact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

One student talked about the impact of the problem on a country's GDP. "For example, India is a developing country so... global warming," he began.

"I'm sorry, India, you're time has expired," said Elizabeth Sabol-Jones, the young woman playing the role of Secretary-General who chaired the meeting with strict adherence to parliamentary procedure.

Despite the bureaucratic constraints, the students did achieve a consensus; a resolution entitled '1A' and reprinted in the event's programme noted that "without a conscious efforts by Americans, little can be done to stop climate change," while referring to "the power of students to impact change."

The Secretary-General's visit was well-received by students who had previously found him to be a remote figure. "He sounded human and he made some good points," 15-year old Jeffrey Callen told the UN News Service after the debate. "And he even opened up about his past, talking about when he was in college, and that helps me to connect more to him."

Naomi Sharpe, 15, agreed. "We hear big names all the time but we never really know what they're doing and what they feel, and it did make [him] seem human and open our eyes to see what we need to do right now," she said.

Mr. Ban welcomed the students' attentiveness to the problem of climate change. "I am very much impressed and encouraged by what I have just seen with the students debating [the] global warming issue," he told a press conference held in a music room adjacent to the auditorium.

"I could see the bright future from our future leaders - leaders of tomorrow."

2008-02-09 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RECENT ATTACKS IN WEST DARFUR

SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RECENT ATTACKS IN WEST DARFUR New York, Feb 9 2008 7:00PM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned reported Janjaweed militia attacks supported by Sudanese forces on three towns in West Darfur resulting in the deaths of some 200 people.

Abu Suruj, Sirba and Seleia, town north of West Darfur's capital, were the scene of violence on 8 February. Abu Suruj, where thousands of civilians make their home, was burnt to the ground, while the assault on Seleia reportedly included air strikes by the Government.

Mr. Ban "stresses that all parties must adhere to international humanitarian law, which prohibits military attacks against civilians," according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.

"All parties must urgently cease hostilities, and commit to the political process being led by the Special Envoys of the United Nations and the African Union," he said.

In a related development, the UN-African Union (AU) hybrid peacekeeping operation and the Sudanese Government today signed an agreement today which provides the legal framework to allow blue helmets to operate.

Rodolph Adada, the UN-AU Joint Special Representative for Darfur, and Deng Alor, Sudanese Foreign Affairs Minister, signed the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in the capital Khartoum.

SOFA covers the activities of the military, police and civilian personnel of the mission, known as UNAMID, which seeks to stem the violence in the war-ravaged Darfur region, where over 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since fighting began in 2003 among Government forces, rebel groups and allies militia groups known as the Janjaweed.

Today's agreement also extends to UNAMID funds, property and communications facilities, as well as the mission's personnel, their safety and security, privileges and immunities, and entry into and exit from Sudan.

It also noted that the Joint Special Representative, UNAMID Force Commander and Government representatives "shall take appropriate measures to ensure close and reciprocal liaison at every level."

SOFA is an "important milestone" in the deployment of UNAMID, Mr. Adada said, pledging to work with the Government towards putting it into practice and ensure the success of the peacekeeping force.

The Sudanese Foreign Minister characterized the agreement as the beginning of efforts by both parties to help the people of Darfur, and that by signing SOFA, the Government is committing to its implementation. "As a government, we have the responsibility to protect our people," Mr. Alors observed.

In the Security Council yesterday, top UN officials underscored that recent clashes in Chad and the ongoing violence in Darfur are impeding progress towards peace and will negatively affect UNAMID, which is under-resourced.

"Over the last few months, the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and the region has dramatically deteriorated, most recently through events related to Chad," Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur, told the Council.

Also addressing the Council, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno underscored the impact of the violence on the humanitarian situation.

"In addition to prolonging the suffering of millions of civilians in the region and complicating the peace process, continued hostilities will have negative consequences for the deployment of UNAMID, and will distract the mission from implementing its mandate," he said.

Mr. Guehenno, who recently visited Sudan, emphasized that UNAMID operation is "severely under-resourced for the tasks which it was mandated to perform" since it lacks the necessary troops, police and equipment, including military aircraft and ground transportation, to provide protection to Darfurians.
2008-02-09 00:00:00.000

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DAMAGE, DISPLACEMENT IN WESTERN KENYA A 'TRAGEDY,' SAYS TOP UN OFFICIAL

DAMAGE, DISPLACEMENT IN WESTERN KENYA A 'TRAGEDY,' SAYS TOP UN OFFICIAL New York, Feb 9 2008 4:00PM Traveling to western Kenya's Northern Rift Valley to survey the humanitarian toll taken by post-election violence, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes today voiced concern over the plight of those forced to flee their homes.

"It is a tragedy that people have been pushed out of the homes by brutal violence," Mr. Holmes, who also serves as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said while touring camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

"For many, their homes and crops have been burned and they have been left with nothing. Now they want to go back, but their security is not ensured."

The Coordinator also stopped in the Central Rift Valley town of Nakuru, Kenya's fourth largest, where gangs armed with machetes attacked residents, razed homes and looted and burned businesses, forcing many to seek refuge in camps.

While in the town, he visited displacement sites at Afraha Stadium and Nakuru Show Ground, where he spoke with some of the 11,000 people from the area are seeking shelter.

Mr. Holmes, who arrived in Kenya yesterday, expressed his appreciation for the cooperation among the communities, the Kenyan Red Cross, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide assistance to IDPs.

"What we now need to consider are the next steps for helping them in the medium term," he noted.

In Molo, one of the most volatile of the Rift Valley's district and the site of 50 displacement camps, the Under-Secretary-General stopped at two IDP settlements and met with inhabitants.

He stressed that no community should be favored over another given the ethnic dimension of the violence. "There is a realization that everybody loses in the end if this continues. Finding a solution is a long-term process but not impossible. It can be done," he noted.

Some 1,000 people have lost their lives and more than 310,000 displaced since last December's elections in which President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga. In addition, some 12,000 Kenyans have fled to neighbouring Uganda.

The Rift Valley, Nyanza, western provinces and slum areas of the capital Nairobi have been hardest hit by the unrest.

Mr. Holmes will wrap up his mission tomorrow, when he will visit Tigoni and Karathimo, two displacements camps near Nairobi, and meet with senior UN humanitarian officials.
2008-02-09 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: ONGOING VIOLENCE THWARTING PEACE PROSPECTS, SAY TOP UN OFFICIALS

DARFUR: ONGOING VIOLENCE THWARTING PEACE PROSPECTS, SAY TOP UN OFFICIALS New York, Feb 8 2008 8:00PM Recent violence in Chad and the ongoing violence in the war-ravaged Sudanese region of Darfur are impeding progress towards peace and will negatively affect the under-resourced hybrid peacekeeping operation known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID, top United Nations officials said in New York today.

"Over the last few months, the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and the region has dramatically deteriorated, most recently through events related to Chad," Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur, told the Security Council in an <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9243.doc.htm">open meeting.

Clashes between the Sudanese Government and JEM/Khalil Ibrahim forces in West Darfur, in particular, are leading to a deteriorating security situation, which has been exacerbated by the recent violence in Chad, he added.

"These problems have been compounded by the slow deployment of UNAMID, undermining the chances to demonstrate to the people of Darfur that the international community is bringing security to them," the Envoy observed.

Despite the fact that some progress has been made towards bringing rebel groups to the negotiating table for peace talks, convening a preparatory meeting soon would be premature, he noted.

The "resolution of the Darfur crisis requires an environment conducive to peace," Mr. Eliasson stated, urging the cessation of hostilities in the region, where fighting has claimed 200,000 lives and forced 2.2 million others to flee their homes since 2003.

Also addressing the Council, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno underscored the impact of the violence on the humanitarian situation.

"In addition to prolonging the suffering of millions of civilians in the region and complicating the peace process, continued hostilities will have negative consequences for the deployment of UNAMID, and will distract the mission from implementing its mandate," he said.

Mr. Guéhenno, who recently visited Sudan, emphasized that UNAMID, a hybrid UN-African Union (AU) operation, is "severely under-resourced for the tasks which it was mandated to perform."

It lacks the necessary troops, police and equipment, including military aircraft and ground transportation, to provide the necessary protection to Darfurians, he stressed.

Although UNAMID has been assessing ways to become effective given its limited resources, "the Mission will not be able to meet the high expectations of Darfur's civilians," the Under-Secretary-General pointed out. "This is particularly worrying since we risk losing their confidence if we are not able to make a positive difference in their lives."

Meanwhile, UNAMID Force Commander, General Martin Luther Agwai, today voiced his strong concern over reported Government attacks against villages north of Al Geneina in Western Darfur, with initial information indicating that many houses have been burned and lives lost. There have also been reports of aerial bombings in Silea village.

General Agwai, who also serves as Chairman of the Darfur Ceasefire Commission, called for the attacks to end immediately. "In addition to the loss of life and damage to property, there is the potential for displacement of large numbers of villagers, compounding an already critical humanitarian situation," he said.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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CONGOLESE OFFICIALS RECEIVE UN-BACKED TRAINING ON SEX CRIME INVESTIGATION

CONGOLESE OFFICIALS RECEIVE UN-BACKED TRAINING ON SEX CRIME INVESTIGATION New York, Feb 8 2008 7:00PM More than 40 military and justice officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have benefited from a United Nations-sponsored training workshop on investigating sex crimes, which are rampant in the vast African nation.

The four-day programme for military investigators, prosecutors and magistrates, which began on 30 January in Kisangani in DRC's Orientale Province, was organized by the Rule of Law Division of the UN peacekeeping operation in the country – known as MONUC – along with the American Defence Institute of International Legal Studies.

"This training will not only help reduce the sexual violence scourge in the DRC, but also enhance the quality and capacity building of the magistrates who will then help bring offenders to book," said Ivan Timnev, who heads MONUC's Kisangani office told those gathered.

"The military will show and lead the way in following the law, therefore reducing sexual violence significantly and I hope the military justice will be credible for DRC justice to uphold the rule of law," he added.

MONUC-Kisangani Correction Officer David Macharia expressed satisfaction regarding the training, noting that "many of the participants have not undergone any form of further training since leaving school and in their deployment as judicial officers, in spite of the many changes that have taken place in the respective field of application, hence the tremendous appreciation of this conference."

Last month, Yakin Ertürk, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, called for international action to help women in the DRC who are victims of sexual violence.

Following a visit to the country, she noted that countless victims are in inaccessible areas with little or no form of redress. "The justice system, the penitentiary system, is in deplorable conditions," she said, adding that often victims must pay for access to the courts in what she called a "major obstacle to justice."

Eastern DRC in particular has received greater attention because of the presence there of foreign groups, which she said were the "main perpetrators of violence against women as well as the civilian population in general." However, she noted that the problems are not limited to that part of the country, pointing to similar abuses in Equator Province, where "the army and national police are among the main perpetrators."
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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KENYA: TOP UN EMERGENCY RELIEF OFFICIAL ARRIVES TO ASSESS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

KENYA: TOP UN EMERGENCY RELIEF OFFICIAL ARRIVES TO ASSESS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS New York, Feb 8 2008 7:00PM The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator arrived in Kenya today to assess the humanitarian crisis resulting from the recent post-election violence that has claimed some 1,000 lives and forced over 300,000 people to flee their homes.

"I want to see for myself the humanitarian situation on the ground and to understand where we need to take our aid efforts in the future so that we reach people in need in all parts of Kenya," John Holmes said at the start of his three-day visit.

Mr. Holmes, who is also Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stressed that the political crisis sparked by last December's disputed elections must be solved through negotiation, and voiced his support to the mediation efforts led by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The two men met today in Nairobi to discuss how humanitarian assistance can contribute to ending the current political crisis.

The Coordinator also met with UN staff, as well as Kenyan officials dealing with the relief operations, and with the head of the Kenya Red Cross Society – a key humanitarian partner of the UN.

He will travel tomorrow to the cities of Kakuru and Molo in the west, where he will meet those who have been affected by the recent violence.

More than 310,000 people have become internally displaced in the six weeks since the elections in which President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga. In addition, some 12,000 Kenyans have fled to neighbouring Uganda.

The UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) has distributed food to 212,000 people in Kenya's Rift Valley and the west, as well as 160,000 people in Nairobi. Food rations are being distributed in all the main sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

WFP, the Kenya Red Cross Society and other partners are also setting up transition shelters in Kisumu to offer essential services, including a one-week food ration, to displaced people in transit.

Meanwhile, a fact-finding mission deployed by High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour is continuing its investigation into allegations of grave rights violations in the post-election period.

In addition, staff from the office of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide are on the ground to examine the ethnic dimension of the conflict, as well as the extent to which this ethnic violence was organized.

"They're going out into the field where violence has taken place to see exactly what is going on or has gone on and to give us a picture of whether there has been incitement, by whom and where responsibility lies," Special Adviser Francis Deng told the UN News Service.

The team, which is expected to conclude their visit in a few days, will also look at "the extent to which there can be said to be responsibility in terms of incitement, as well as crimes committed for which people should be held accountable, both domestically and internationally," Mr. Deng said.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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GUINEA-BISSAU AT A 'TURNING POINT,' SAYS UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICIAL

GUINEA-BISSAU AT A 'TURNING POINT,' SAYS UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICIAL New York, Feb 8 2008 6:00PM The engagement of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in Guinea-Bissau comes at a "turning point" for the West African nation that is trying to consolidate peace after a brutal civil war in which thousands were killed, wounded or forced from their homes.

Reporting on her recent two-day visit to the country, Maria Luiza R. Viotti – chair of the PBC's country-specific configuration on Guinea-Bissau and Permanent Representative of Brazil to the UN – said that improvements are necessary in several areas, including security, fiscal management, combating drug trafficking, youth vocational training and election assistance.

There is a "clear window of opportunity" for the Commission, an advisory body which seeks to assist countries emerging from conflict from sliding back to war, in Guinea-Bissau, she noted as she briefed PBC members in New York.

While in the country, Ms. Viotti met with Government authorities, civil society groups and representatives from the private sector and international organizations to determine the PBC's next steps.

Last December, Guinea-Bissau became the third country on the Commission's agenda, joining Burundi and Sierra Leone, after the Security Council backed a request from the country, which has been beset by problems stemming from drug trafficking and organized crime.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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LIBERIA: UN ENVOY WELCOMES NEW BATCH OF FEMALE INDIAN POLICE OFFICERS

LIBERIA: UN ENVOY WELCOMES NEW BATCH OF FEMALE INDIAN POLICE OFFICERS New York, Feb 8 2008 5:00PM United Nations envoy Ellen Margrethe Løj has welcomed a new group of female Indian police officers to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia, highlighting the impact of their presence on the women of the West African nation which is seeking to rebuild after a devastating 14-year civil war.

The newly-arrived team replaces the first all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) from India, which returned home last month after serving for one year with the mission, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmil/index.html">UNMIL.

The presence of the all-female police unit in the country has inspired many women to join the Liberian National Police (LNP), observed Ms. Løj, who took up her post as the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNMIL in January.

"If anyone questioned the ability of women to do tough jobs, then those doubters have been [proven] wrong by the superb professional performance of the first batch of female Indian police peacekeepers in Liberia," she noted.

The new group's duties will include patrols, rapid response assignment, crowd and riot control support for the LNP and the protection of UNMIL staff and properties, among others.

The Special Representative also pointed out that FPUs are essential to help Liberia deal with possible civil unrest, such as violent demonstrations and communal tensions.

India is the third largest troop contributing country to the UN, with police and military peacekeepers deployed worldwide under the blue flag. UNMIL currently has nearly 15,000 uniformed personnel, including over 1,100 police officers.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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AUSTRIAN DIPLOMAT APPOINTED TO SENIOR UN ECONOMIC AFFAIRS POST

AUSTRIAN DIPLOMAT APPOINTED TO SENIOR UN ECONOMIC AFFAIRS POST New York, Feb 8 2008 5:00PM An Austrian diplomat has been appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to a senior post in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), it was announced today.

Thomas Stelzer, 53, will replace Patrizio Civili as the new Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs.

Since 2001, Mr. Stelzer has been his country's Permanent Representative in Vienna to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/">IAEA), UN Industrial Development Organization (<"http://www.unido.org/">UNIDO) and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization.

During his career, he has held other international and diplomatic posts, including Minister-Counsellor at Austria's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York as well as President of UNIDO's Industrial Development Board.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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UN RUSHES AID FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHADIAN REFUGEES IN CAMEROON

UN RUSHES AID FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHADIAN REFUGEES IN CAMEROON New York, Feb 8 2008 3:00PM United Nations agencies and their partners are rushing emergency food, medicine and other relief items to assist some 30,000 people who have fled the fighting in Chad and are seeking refuge in neighbouring Cameroon.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that after fighting erupted in the capital, N'Djamena, last Saturday between rebel forces and the army, 20,000 to 30,000 Chadians streamed over the Chari River to Kousseri, a remote town in north-eastern Cameroon.

According to <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47ac8e012.html">UNHCR, some Chadians started trickling back home Wednesday morning after an uneasy calm returned to N'Djamena. Some were returning just for the day and planning to go back to Cameroon overnight, while others have returned to their homes in the Chadian capital but left their families behind in Kousseri, which is more than 1,500 kilometres from Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé.

"Our teams in Kousseri have observed that there have been a lot of back-and-forth movements in the past two days, but it is too early to say if people are going back to their homes in Chad permanently," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47ac3f9c2.html">told reporters in Geneva.

The agency has started an emergency airlift to bring aid to the refugees in Cameroon. By Sunday, two flights carrying 90 tonnes of supplies, including plastic sheeting, blankets, jerry cans and cooking sets, will have arrived in Kousseri.

The UN World Food Programme is transferring food, including rice, vegetables and oil, from its stocks in the Cameroonian town of Maroua to Kousseri. The agency will also be transporting by plane high-energy biscuits from Accra in Ghana to Kousseri.

Concerned about the risk of epidemics, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) has ordered 25,000 doses of both meningitis and measles vaccines.

UN agencies and their partners are preparing to respond to an influx of up to 50,000 people from Chad into Cameroon.

"The situation is difficult, and not yet under control. We are concerned about the fate of the most vulnerable," said Sophie de Caen, UN Resident Coordinator for Cameroon. "However, food, non-food items and medical supplies have already been ordered, and the first shipments have already reached the refugees."

Meanwhile, UNHCR reports that the situation in N'Djamena was calm today but the streets remained empty and very few shops were open. "UNHCR local staff who remained in N'Djamena are starting to collect UNHCR tents which were looted from our warehouse and later abandoned by looters in the streets," said Ms. Pagonis, adding that the agency's office in the capital was not touched.

In eastern Chad, UNHCR and its partners are continuing to provide protection and assistance to 240,000 Sudanese refugees in 12 camps and 180,000 internally displaced Chadians.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY HAILS CLOSURE OF AUSTRALIA'S PACIFIC OFFSHORE DETENTION CENTRE

UN REFUGEE AGENCY HAILS CLOSURE OF AUSTRALIA'S PACIFIC OFFSHORE DETENTION CENTRE New York, Feb 8 2008 2:00PM The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) has welcomed the closure of an offshore detention centre on the tiny island nation of Nauru and the transfer of the remaining refugees to Australia, marking the end of the latter's so-called "Pacific Solution" for asylum-seekers.

The 21 Sri Lankan refugees that left Nauru today bound for Brisbane were among 83 asylum-seekers intercepted on their way to Australia in February 2007. They were taken first to the Australian territory of Christmas Island and then transferred to Nauru in March to have their refugee claims assessed. All were determined to be refugees.

"Today's closure of the centre on Nauru signals the end of a difficult chapter in Australia's treatment of refugees and asylum-seekers," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters in Geneva, lauding the decision by the new Government.

The agency had strong concerns about the policy, which diverted more than 1,600 asylum-seekers to Nauru or Papua New Guinea, denying them access to Australian territory to lodge asylum claims.

"Many bona fide refugees caught by the policy spent long periods of isolation, mental hardship and uncertainty – and prolonged separation from their families," noted Ms. Pagonis.

The policy was instituted in 2001 after the Norwegian vessel, the MV Tampa, was refused permission to allow 433 mainly Afghan asylum-seekers it had rescued at sea to diembark. Those on board were eventually transferred to a new offshore processing centre on Nauru, after New Zealand had accepted 131 of them as refugees directly from the boat.

Ms. Pagonis said that any continuation of offshore processing on the Australian territory of Christmas Island must reflect the letter and the spirit of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

"We hope that asylum procedures on Christmas Island will mirror those that apply to people who have gained access to Australia's onshore protection system," she stated.

This includes appropriate reception arrangements that avoid detention if possible, refugee status determination that includes independent appeal rights and timely solutions in Australia for those found to be refugees.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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CÔTE D'IVOIRE: UN DISMANTLING OBSERVATION POSTS IN FORMER ZONE OF CONFIDENCE

CÔTE D'IVOIRE: UN DISMANTLING OBSERVATION POSTS IN FORMER ZONE OF CONFIDENCE New York, Feb 8 2008 2:00PM The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire, known as UNOCI, is dismantling its observation posts in the former zone of confidence in the West African nation divided between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north.

Four posts are currently being taken apart and, security conditions permitting, the next dismantling will take place at the end of March, UNOCI Military Spokesperson Colonel Mustapha Dafir announced yesterday in Abidjan.

Under the Ouagadougou Agreement reached between the two sides last March, the zone is to be replaced with a green line monitored by UNOCI.

That pact also calls for creating a new transitional government; organizing free and fair presidential elections; merging the Forces Nouvelles and the national defence and security forces through the establishment of an integrated command centre; and dismantling the militias and disarming ex-combatants.

Two supplementary agreements were signed last November to help resolve issues related to the implementation of the 2007 accord.

UNOCI has also announced that the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Y. J. Choi, met this week with Ivorian leaders, including President Laurent Gbagbo and the head of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire, Henri Konan Bédié. These talks have mainly centred on the financing and certification of elections, as well as the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process.

Similar topics were discussed in previous talks between Mr. Choi and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and Alassane Dramane Ouattara, leader of the Rally of Republicans party.

Last month, the Security Council extended by six months the mandate of UNOCI, which has over 9,000 uniformed personnel, including nearly 8,000 troops and more than 1,000 police, as of last November.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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UN DARFUR ENVOY HONOURED BY SPAIN FOR DIPLOMATIC AND HUMANITARIAN WORK

UN DARFUR ENVOY HONOURED BY SPAIN FOR DIPLOMATIC AND HUMANITARIAN WORK New York, Feb 8 2008 1:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy to Darfur has received one of the Spanish Government's highest honours for his diplomatic and humanitarian work.

In a ceremony held yesterday in New York, Jan Eliasson received the Order of Queen Isabel the Catholic from Ambassador Juan Antonio Yánez-Barnuevo of Spain.

Also present at the event were General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim, Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month, and high-level staff from the European Union and the UN.

Expressing his gratitude to Spanish King Juan Carlos and the Government, Mr. Eliasson stressed that the award is a recognition of the collaborative work of UN Member States, not an acknowledgment of his personal efforts.

Spain highlighted the Envoy's mediation efforts and his successes – including the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), pledges by world leaders to eradicate social ills by 2015, and reaching agreement on a UN counter-terrorism strategy – during his tenure as President of the 60th session of the General Assembly.

Mr. Eliasson was also the UN's first-ever Emergency Relief Coordinator and head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

As a Swedish diplomat, he served as his country's Ambassador to the United States, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representative to the UN.

Currently, with his African Union (AU) counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim, Mr. Eliasson is urging parties to the conflict in Darfur – where at least 200,000 people have been killed since 2003 – to come to the negotiating table to resolve the crisis.

The Order of Queen Isabel the Catholic, which dates back to 1815, is bestowed to Spanish citizens or foreigners for their work benefiting Spain or its relations with the international community.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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'ISLAM VS. WEST' A FALSE DIVIDE, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

'ISLAM VS. WEST' A FALSE DIVIDE, SAYS BAN KI-MOON New York, Feb 8 2008 12:00PM Continuing an official visit to Chicago in the United States today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for action to correct the prevailing misperception that the West is in engaged in a confrontation with the Muslim world.

"People should really try to understand more the cultures and traditions of others," Mr. Ban told an informal meeting with members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board in Chicago. "There is a perception that the West is on one side and the Muslim world is on the other. We must try to cut off this misperceived linkage."

He also stressed the importance of the Alliance of Civilizations Forum held last month in Madrid. The two-day meeting in the Spanish capital brought together political leaders, the media, corporate and film industry executives, and grassroots and civil society leaders to promote the global campaign launched by the UN in 2005 to help overcome prejudices among nations, cultures and religions.

Among the initiatives announced at the Forum was a $100 million investment by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser-el-Missned in a global youth employment initiative that brings together Governments and major multinational corporations.

The Forum also saw the launch of a multi-million dollar Alliance of Civilizations Media Fund, which will support the production and distribution of films that not only entertain but also combat stereotypes and promote understanding.

In addition, an Alliance of Civilizations clearinghouse related to media literacy education was created and a Youth Solidarity Fund aimed established to provide grants to support youth-led programmes in the areas of intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

"This is an important initiative as an effort to bring all communities together so we can really prevent the spread of extremism in society," said Mr. Ban today.

"We should really nurture this initiative," he stressed.

2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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POLIO ERADICATION WITHIN REACH - BAN KI-MOON

POLIO ERADICATION WITHIN REACH – BAN KI-MOON New York, Feb 8 2008 11:00AM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today anticipated the total eradication of poverty before the end of 2008, hailing the efforts of Chicago-based Rotary International and other United Nations partners in this effort.

"Rotary International has led a $600 million worldwide campaign to wipe out polio. Sometime this year, their work will be done. Polio will be history, like smallpox," said Mr. Ban in an address to the Economic Club of Chicago.

The global polio partnership is spearheaded by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Over the past 20 years, the number of cases has fallen by over 99 per cent. In 2007, more than 400 million children were immunized against the disease, which remains only in northern India, northern Nigeria and the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Prior to the meeting with the Economic Club, Mr. Ban received the Rotary International Award of Honor from the organization's President, Wilfrid J. Wilkinson.

The award recognizes leaders in the international community "for their significant contributions in promoting humanitarian service, encouraging high ethical standards and advancing the goals of world peace and cross-cultural understanding," according to officials from Rotary International.

Previous recipients include Kofi Annan, Margaret Thatcher, F.W. DeKlerk four US presidents.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES US BUSINESS LEADERS TO SUPPORT 'GREEN' ECONOMICS

BAN KI-MOON URGES US BUSINESS LEADERS TO SUPPORT 'GREEN' ECONOMICS New York, Feb 8 2008 10:00AM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged hundreds of business leaders gathered in Chicago to help usher in a new era of 'green economics,' where addressing the problem of climate change becomes not a cost but an opportunity for growth.

"As businesspeople, you will appreciate the power of markets and innovation to change the world. In this, the UN is your partner," said Mr. Ban in an address Thursday evening to the Economic Club of Chicago.

He stressed that any solution to climate change should involve shaping the world's economic future. "We have experienced several great economic transformations: the industrial revolution, the technology revolution, our modern era of globalization. We're now on the threshold of another – the age of green economics."

The Secretary-General cited a report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) estimating that global investment in zero-greenhouse energy will reach $1.9 trillion by 2020. This can serve as "seed money for a wholesale reconfiguration of global industry," he said.

"With the right financial incentives and a global framework, we can steer economic growth in a low-carbon direction. This is the bottom-line. Done right, our war against climate change is an economic opportunity, not a cost," Mr. Ban.
2008-02-08 00:00:00.000

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CONGOLESE REBEL LEADER TRANSFERRED TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

CONGOLESE REBEL LEADER TRANSFERRED TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT New York, Feb 7 2008 7:00PM Congolese national Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, an alleged former leader of the rebel National Integrationist Front (FNI), has been arrested and handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Mr. Ngudjolo, currently a Colonel in the national armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), arrived at the Court's Detention Centre in The Hague earlier today, according to a <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/329.html">statement issued by the <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">ICC.

As the highest ranking FNI commander, Mr. Ngudjolo is alleged to have played a key role in designing and carrying out a murderous attack on the village of Bogoro, in the north-eastern Congolese province of Ituri, in February 2003.

He is facing three counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of war crimes, including sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers.

"With the arrest of Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, we have completed the first phase of our DRC investigation focusing on the horrific crimes committed by leaders of armed groups active in Ituri since July 2002," said the Court's Deputy Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.

Mr. Ngudjolo's initial Court appearance is scheduled for 11 February, and a trial date will be determined later. He is the third Congolese national in the custody of the ICC, after Thomas Lubanga Dyilo and Germain Katanga.

ICC Registrar Bruno Cathala thanked the Government for its help, highlighting the fact that this is the first time that the Congolese authorities, upon the request of the Court, physically arrested someone.

"His arrest and surrender were made possible through the cooperation of the Congolese authorities," he <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2008/080207_ICC.doc.htm">told reporters in New York.

The situation in the DRC is one of four situations currently under investigation by the Prosecutor of the ICC. The others are Uganda, Darfur and the Central African Republic (CAR).

The ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC MUST END IMPUNITY FOR EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS - UN EXPERT

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC MUST END IMPUNITY FOR EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS – UN EXPERT New York, Feb 7 2008 7:00PM An independent United Nations human rights expert has urged that extrajudicial killings in the Central African Republic (CAR) be investigated and those responsible be held to account in order to eliminate impunity for such abuses.

"To ensure that the near future does not reprise the nightmare of the recent past, the Government must take the steps to both extend and institutionalize its efforts to respect human rights and to eliminate impunity," UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Philip Alston <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/A404FACC842F5E02C12573E80061CEC0?opendocument">said at the conclusion of his visit to the CAR.

Government troops and rebel forces in the CAR continue to clash – mostly in the country's northern areas – despite ongoing talks of a peace agreement. The ongoing insecurity 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.

In a statement issued in the capital Bangui, Mr. Alston noted that while President François Bozizé has shown that he has the power to prevent the military from committing human rights abuses, "it is still too early to conclude that the Government has definitively turned a new page."

While he reported that the number of extrajudicial executions carried out by the armed forces in the north has fallen "dramatically" over the past six months, owing to a decrease in the fighting, "this is not to say that all executions have ceased."

Mr. Alston noted that although there has been a dramatic decline in executions related to armed conflicts in the north, individual soldiers have not been prosecuted. "It is unsurprising, then, that this impunity has allowed soldiers to continue to use lethal violence for a range of personal and corrupt ends," he stated.

In addition, he received credible reports that torture and extrajudicial executions occur on a regular basis while suspects are in police custody or detention facilities.

The Special Rapporteur acknowledged that there are officials trying to put an end to abuses and ensure that the current mechanisms in place are effective, and their efforts need to be strengthened and supported.

He cited the need for officials to acknowledge the killings that have taken place and respond to allegations of abuses. "While the President has taken some important steps and even issued a limited apology, the Government as a whole has generally been in denial about killings by security forces," he noted.

In addition, the Government must start prosecuting those who bear individual criminal responsibility for killings, and it is also crucial to reform the security sector and regain the trust of the population.

Among his recommendations, Mr. Alston stressed that soldiers should be instructed to obey international human rights and humanitarian law. The Government, for its part, should effectively investigate the range of serious allegations of human rights abuses made against the security forces and provide a detailed public response.

Noting that the current arrangement for international human rights monitoring and assistance is unsatisfactory, the Special Rapporteur recommends that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should open an office in the CAR. In addition, the Government should establish a national human rights commission that is independent and fully complies with all relevant international standards.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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'TWIN CHALLENGES' TO PEACEKEEPING MUST BE ADDRESSED, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL

'TWIN CHALLENGES' TO PEACEKEEPING MUST BE ADDRESSED, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL New York, Feb 7 2008 7:00PM A senior United Nations official today emphasized the importance of tackling the "twin challenges" peacekeeping faces regarding planning and speed.

Assistant Secretary-General Jane Holl Lute, acting head of the new Department of Field Support (DFS), told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York that "there is a premium placed on planning" and that the need for flexibility must be balanced with politically dynamic and unstable circumstances.

Given the complexity of missions, it is essential to prepare in great detail, yet "we don't want our plans to set us on a course of action which might restrict in any way the political flexibility of decision-making that needs to be taken," she observed.

Another issue facing peacekeeping is the need to consider both the need to move rapidly in the field and to ensure that there is proper deliberation, Ms. Holl Lute noted.

"Rapid start-up while continuing to subject ourselves to the appropriate level of controls" is crucial, she said.

The Assistant Secretary-General – who recently visited existing or nascent UN missions in Sudan, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the key troop-contributing country India – pointed out that in recent years peacekeeping has grown tremendously in size, complexity and budget.

The mission in Chad and Central African Republic, known as MINURCAT, is the 15th mission in the last four years, while five new missions have been created in the last 18 months alone.

In a related development, the UN-African Union (AU) Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, met yesterday with the Minister of Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, Bert Koenders.

Mr. Adada, who was joined by General Martin Luther Agwai, Force Commander of the hybrid UN-AU Darfur peacekeeping mission (UNAMID), expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Netherlands for its political, financial and material support.

Tomorrow, Jan Eliasson, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Darfur, will brief the Security Council on the peace process in the war-torn Sudanese region, where at least 200,000 people have been killed since 2003.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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UNITED STATES: BAN KI-MOON HAILS CHICAGO'S EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

UNITED STATES: BAN KI-MOON HAILS CHICAGO'S EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT New York, Feb 7 2008 7:00PM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today hailed the efforts of Chicago, one of the largest cities in the United States, to achieve environmental sustainability.

The UN and Chicago "share one common goal and vision – that is addressing climate change, to make this planet earth more hospitable and environmentally sustainable for generations to come," Mr. Ban said at a luncheon hosted by Mayor Richard Daley.

"We know you as the home of important partners of the United Nations," said the Secretary-General, citing Rotary International and the MacArthur Foundation, both of which work with the world body in a range of areas.

Mayor Daley voiced his city's backing for the Organization's work. "We actively support the UN's mission of promoting peace and stability in the world, through cooperation and understanding," he said.

He thanked the UN for its "great commitment to improving cities all over the world."

Later, Mr. Ban visited the MacArthur Foundation, discussing his priorities with some two dozen officials there. "We have shared goals and objectives, and what you are doing is greatly appreciated by me and by the international community as a whole," he said.

The MacArthur Foundation has provided grants to support numerous UN activities, including the work of the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA), the Department of Disarmament Affairs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR).

"I was inspired by his priorities and by his commitment to putting peace and security at the heart of his agenda, I give him a lot of credit for taking on the climate change issue, using the pulpit of his office to raise awareness, and I am extremely pleased that he wants to reinvigorate disarmament," Foundation President Jonathan Fanton said in an interview with the UN News Service.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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KENYA: UN REPORTS IMPROVED SECURITY, STEPS UP AID TO DISPLACED

KENYA: UN REPORTS IMPROVED SECURITY, STEPS UP AID TO DISPLACED New York, Feb 7 2008 5:00PM The United Nations said today that security has improved slightly in Kenya, where the unrest sparked by December's disputed elections has uprooted over 300,000 people from their homes and agencies are increasing efforts to aid those affected.

At the same time, the UN Country Team reported sporadic violence in Kericho, Eldoret, Kisumu and the capital, Nairobi, and called the humanitarian situation "precarious."

According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, there are now some 325,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said that UN teams will step up the delivery of aid to more than 39,000 IDPs spread out in 15 camps in the North Rift Valley. Medicine, food and water are the most pressing needs for the IDPs.

On Tuesday, the World Food Programme (<"www.wfp.org">WFP) handed out some 80 tons of food at 11 IDP camps. Around 2,000 displaced children under the age of 5 also received supplementary food items to prevent malnutrition. The agency also noted that enrolment in UN-assisted schools in Nairobi slums is some 28 per cent lower than before the outbreak of violence.

Meanwhile, the Government of Uganda now estimates there are 12,000 Kenyan refugees on its soil, based on a joint tally with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR).

On the political front, the mediation team led by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recently reported progress in negotiations between the Government and the opposition.

While welcoming that development, the Security Council yesterday expressed its strong concern at the continuing dire humanitarian situation in the country. In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sc9242.doc.htm">presidential statement, the 15-member body also requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report on how the UN can further support the mediation efforts in Kenya, as well as on the impact of the crisis on the wider sub-region and UN operations in that area.

Mr. Ban has dispatched UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes to Kenya, and he is scheduled to arrive in Nairobi tomorrow for a three-day mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the country.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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UN VOICES CONCERN OVER FATE OF NEARLY 500,000 PEOPLE IN EASTERN CHAD

UN VOICES CONCERN OVER FATE OF NEARLY 500,000 PEOPLE IN EASTERN CHAD New York, Feb 7 2008 6:00PM Although eastern Chad is currently calm, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) today expressed its concern over the fate of up to 500,000 vulnerable people – mostly Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) – in the region.

"I am extremely concerned about the impact of the recent violence on our ability to deliver life-saving assistance to almost a half million people, most of whom are heavily reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival," said John Holmes, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

There are more than 240,000 Sudanese refugees and over 180,000 IDPs residing in eastern Chad, with the recent fighting – which affected the region to a limited extent – possibly uprooting even more people.

Non-essential UN staff were evacuated from eastern Chad last week, and in addition, many aid workers from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also left the region.

The head of OCHA's Chad office noted that in the country's east, very few refugees and IDPs are self-sufficient, and that food, medicine and water will only last between two to four weeks in most locations.

"We must ensure that before that time, we are able to provide at least minimal assistance, which will enable people to survive," said Eliane Duthoit, who is part of the UN 'skeleton team' which stayed in N'Djamena.

She hoped that when normality is restored, humanitarian workers will resume their work.

The fighting affecting the capital, N'Djamena, and other parts of the country has also driven at least 30,000 Chadians to neighbouring Cameroon.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL PROCESSING OVER 500 KHMER ROUGE VICTIMS' COMPLAINTS

UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL PROCESSING OVER 500 KHMER ROUGE VICTIMS' COMPLAINTS New York, Feb 7 2008 5:00PM The United Nations-backed tribunal trying Khmer Rouge leaders accused of mass killings and other crimes is currently processing and responding to more than 500 complaints submitted by Cambodians on crimes which took place three decades ago.

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), which has been operational since July 2006, received most of these complaints since last October.

Most of them come from people who have been aware of their right to take part in the Court's process through the efforts of civil society organizations.

"Information received from victims is crucial to our success," said Robert Petit, one of the ECCC's co-prosecutors. "The Court is lucky that so many people have come forward and submitted complaints, because it gives us a lot of information to work with."

The complaints have all been scanned, processed and analyzed, and will be sent to the Co-Investigating Judges for use in their current investigations.

Co-Prosecutors will determine whether the complaints warrant new investigations.

Where information is missing in the complaints, the Court will contact those who submitted them to fill in the gaps. Currently, one-fifth of the more than 500 complaints are lacking some key information.

"The ECCC is the first court in the history of international criminal law to offer victims full participation in the proceedings, and everyone at the Court is working hard to ensure that this participation is meaningful for them," said Gabriela Gonzalez Rivas, the Deputy Head of the Victims Unit.

She added that it is crucial that the ECCC give each complaint the "careful, individual attention it deserves."

Under an agreement signed by the UN and Cambodia, the ECCC was set up as an independent court using a mixture of Cambodian staff and judges and foreign personnel. It is designated to try those deemed most responsible for crimes and serious violations of Cambodian and international law between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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MORE AID TRUCKS ENTER GAZA FROM ISRAEL BUT SUPPLIES NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH - UN

MORE AID TRUCKS ENTER GAZA FROM ISRAEL BUT SUPPLIES NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH – UN New York, Feb 7 2008 5:00PM Some 37 trucks carrying supplies made it into Gaza from Israel today, but the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (<"http://www.unsco.org/">UNSCO) noted that while that is an improvement, it is far from what is required to meet current needs.

The trucks were carrying paper for schoolbooks, from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA), as well as sugar and wheat flour from the World Food Programme (<"www.wfp.org">WFP). Commercial imports of dairy products and frozen meat also made it through.

Earlier this week, 31 truckloads of aid and commercial goods arrived into Gaza through the Sufa and Karni crossings.

UN agencies' stocks of essential goods in Gaza have been dwindling for several weeks, ever since Israeli authorities imposed tight restrictions on entry to and exit from the area where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians live.

Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said that because of continued fuel reductions from Israel, the majority of Gazan households are still dealing with power cuts lasting eight hours a day.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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BUILDING ON MOMENTUM, GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONVENE CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE

BUILDING ON MOMENTUM, GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONVENE CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE New York, Feb 7 2008 2:00PM In a bid to build on the momentum generated by last December's landmark United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, the General Assembly will host a two-day debate on the crucial issue next week in New York.

Assembly President Srgjan Kerim – who has made global warming a top priority – underscored that the UN cannot combat the problem on its own.

"What is needed is a common vision, a global consensus, a global alliance for action," he <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/note6126.doc.htm">observed. "Only then will we have a chance to tackle this enormous challenge to our lives."

The Bali conference ended with 187 countries agreeing to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, on greenhouse gas emissions.

"Our aim is to support that process," Mr. Kerim noted. "We need to keep the momentum created by the Bali Roadmap."

The debate, taking place on 11 and 12 February, will feature speakers such as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and will include panels with participants from the private sector, media, Government representatives and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Nearly two dozen Government ministers are expected to take part in the Assembly debate.

In a related development, a convention backed by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has joined forces with a European Community initiative to improve efforts to halt illegal trafficking of hazardous and other wastes.

The UNEP-administered Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal has 170 Parties, and seeks to protect humans and the environment from the adverse impacts of hazardous wastes.

Created in 1992, the European Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) aims to ensure that environmental legislation is effectively implemented and enforced within the European Community.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CITES 'COMPELLING' NEED FOR CHANGE WITHIN UN

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CITES 'COMPELLING' NEED FOR CHANGE WITHIN UN New York, Feb 7 2008 2:00PM While the United Nations has a leading role in advancing global issues such as development and poverty eradication, the world body must be strengthened to respond more effectively to today's challenges, the President of the General Assembly said today.

"The need for change is compelling," Srgjan Kerim <"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/meetingswc70208.shtml">told an informal meeting of the Assembly on system-wide coherence, adding that now is the time for the 192-member body to "deliver as one."

Mr. Kerim pointed out that despite its unique legitimacy, the UN's status as a central actor in development is undermined by "a lack of focus" on results.

"It is clear that without ambitious and far-reaching reforms the United Nations will be unable to deliver on its promises and maintain its position at the heart of the multilateral system," he told delegates.

Change is "inevitable," he stressed, if the UN is play its vital role in advancing global issues, including the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the pledges made by world leaders to slash poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy by 2015.

"The United Nations – more than any other body – is uniquely placed to take a leading role in achieving the MDGs. But in order to do so, and like any other organization, it must renew and retool itself to respond to emerging challenges."

Reform and continuous improvement are an intrinsic part of any successful organisation, and the UN is no exception, Mr. Kerim pointed out, adding that the world body will only continue to attract resources if it can demonstrate its effectiveness and deliver results.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has endorsed a set of recommendations put forward in 2006 in the report of the High-level Panel on UN System-Wide Coherence as "an ambitious yet achievable vision of a harmonized and accountable UN system."

The report, entitled Delivering as One, recommended a country-level consolidation of UN agencies, the strengthening of leadership on humanitarian and environmental activities, and the creation of both a new funding system and a new women's organization.

So far eight pilot countries are testing the 'One UN' approach, and Mr. Kerim noted that the results of these pilots will be important for future discussions on achieving greater coherence and effectiveness across the system.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN ENVOY REITERATES SUPPORT FOR CYPRUS SETTLEMENT

TOP UN ENVOY REITERATES SUPPORT FOR CYPRUS SETTLEMENT New York, Feb 7 2008 2:00PM The top United Nations official in Cyprus today voiced the world body's support for a settlement on the Mediterranean island.

Speaking at a medal parade for the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/index.html">UNFICYP), the Secretary-General's Special Envoy Michael Møller said that "rather than launching a new initiative on its own, the UN will support good faith efforts on the part of both sides to restart talks and work for a solution."

It has been 44 years since the mission was established, and he said that it is often legitimately asked what more UNFICYP can do after operating for decades in Cyprus and whether the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have the political will necessary to reach a solution.

Ultimately, the "key to a settlement" lies not with the UN, but with the Cypriots themselves, stressed Mr. Møller, who also serves as head of UNFICYP.

"This year may indeed prove crucial for a solution, but we have seen expectations raised many times before," he noted. "The time has come for serious negotiations. The window of opportunity we have this year will not remain open forever."

The Special Representative paid tribute to the blue helmets in Cyprus, lauding the "impartiality, tolerance, patience, tact and diplomacy that you consistently demonstrate as you work in what are often trying and difficult circumstances."

Last December, the Security Council voted unanimously to extend UNFICYP's mandate for six months, emphasizing 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."
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN POLICE, RULE OF LAW OFFICIALS MEET IN ITALY TO DISCUSS GLOBAL POLICING

TOP UN POLICE, RULE OF LAW OFFICIALS MEET IN ITALY TO DISCUSS GLOBAL POLICING New York, Feb 7 2008 12:00PM Improving the way United Nations Police help reform, restructure and rebuild national police forces in countries emerging from conflict is among the key topics at a two-day conference starting today in Italy, bringing together top officials from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).

UN Police Commissioners and Senior Police Advisers from 18 peacekeeping missions will attend the event, which will also focus on changes made in DPKO last year as part of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's wider reform of the world body's peacekeeping operations. A key feature of this reform was the setting up of the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), which includes the UN Police Division.

"Policing plays an increasingly important role in UN peacekeeping and this looks set to grow in the years ahead, especially as the international community seeks to develop the rule of law and reform security institutions in States recovering from conflict. Providing local populations with well-trained, well-equipped, accountable and community-oriented police is key," said Assistant Secretary-General Dmitry Titov, who heads OROLSI.

UN Police Adviser Andrew Hughes will chair the conference and update participants on what the new OROLSI framework means for global policing, while also focusing on the challenges ahead as the Police Division deals with unprecedented demand for officers. There are currently over 11,000 deployed worldwide, and this could increase to more than 16,000 officers by next year.

As well as the Police Division, OROLSI groups together DPKO's judicial, legal and correctional units; mine action; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and security sector reform functions.

"Our key role as UN Police officers is increasingly helping to reform, restructure and rebuild national forces and we need the resources and full support from Member States to do this," said Mr. Hughes. "The number of police officers deployed has increased by around 65 per cent over the past three years and this growth is set to continue. Darfur, Chad, Timor-Leste and other missions all have major police components."

Encouraging more female officers into UN policing, as well as security sector reform, criminal law, judicial, and other issues will also be discussed during the conference.

The increasing role of Formed Police Units (FPUs) – fully mobile, rapid reaction police units made up of up to 140 officers entirely from one contingent – in UN peacekeeping operations will also be highlighted. The first all-female FPU, made up of Indian officers, joined the UN operation in Liberia a year ago.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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COUNTRIES NOT TAKING ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO PREVENT SMOKING DEATHS - UN

COUNTRIES NOT TAKING ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO PREVENT SMOKING DEATHS – UN New York, Feb 7 2008 12:00PM No country has carried out all of the anti-smoking measures necessary to forestall illness, the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr04/en/index.html">WHO) said in a new <"http://www.who.int/entity/tobacco/mpower/mpower_report_full_2008.pdf">report released today, suggesting a half dozen plans of attack to avert tens of millions of premature deaths in the coming decades.

"While efforts to combat tobacco are gaining momentum, virtually every country needs to do more," said Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General.

The agency found that only 5 per cent of the world's population reside in countries fully protecting residents with any one of the crucial measures to reduce smoking rates.

The report noted that governments collect 500 times more money in tobacco taxes annually than they spend on anti-tobacco initiatives.

In nearly all countries, WHO said that tobacco taxes could be raised, the most effective strategy in combating tobacco, and the additional funds can be used to kick-start new strategies called MPOWER.

"These strategies are within the reach of every country, rich or poor and, when combined as a package, they offer us the best chance of reversing this growing epidemic," Dr. Chan said.

MPOWER urges nations to: "Monitor" tobacco use and prevention policies; "Protect" people from tobacco smoke; "Offer" help to quite tobacco use; "Warn" about the dangers of tobacco; "Enforce" bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and "Raise" taxes on tobacco.

"This package will create an enabling environment to help current tobacco users quit, protect people from second-hand smoke and prevent young people from taking up the habit," said Douglas Bettcher, Director of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative.

Today's report also highlighted the epidemic's impact on the developing world, where, by 2030, 80 per cent of the eight million tobacco-related deaths yearly are expected to occur.

Currently, lower-income countries receive 9,000 times the amount of money from tobacco taxes than they spend on tobacco control.

The study, partly funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, also found that 40 per cent of countries still allow smoking in hospitals and schools, and services to treat dependence on tobacco are only fully available in nine countries, or 5 per cent of the global population.

In August 2006, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he was contributing $125 million over two years to a worldwide anti-smoking initiative, a donation which is many times larger than any prior donation for global tobacco control.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN CAMPAIGN SEEKS TO COMBAT HUNGER AMONG MILLIONS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN

NEW UN CAMPAIGN SEEKS TO COMBAT HUNGER AMONG MILLIONS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN New York, Feb 7 2008 11:00AM The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2756">WFP) today unveiled a new global fundraising and awareness campaign to benefit the nearly 60 million children around the world who go to school hungry.

Health and education interventions are less effective when given to people who lack basic nourishment, the agency noted.

The new initiative – "Fill the Cup" – aims, literally, to fill a cup with food for hungry schoolchildren, increasing their chances for health, education and a better future.

According to WFP, it will take about $3 billion per year to feed all 59 million children who go to school hungry worldwide, while $1.2 billion can provide meals for the 23 million children in 45 of the neediest African countries. Just $0.25 can give one child one cup of porridge, rice or beans and provide girls with a monthly ration to take home.

"The need is great, but so is the ability to help – a single Euro (or $1.50) feeds a school child for a week," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran, adding that feeding children in school helps promote not only education, but also healthy and strong communities.

"We are often asked by people, young and old - school children, truck drivers, dentists and teachers – how they can help," Sheeran said. "This is how."

WFP is a major provider of school meals in developing countries. From Afghanistan to Somalia, some 20 million children benefit from WFP school meals at the cost of only $0.25 a day.

Partnering with WFP in the campaign is FIFA World Player of the Year, Kaka, who is also the agency's Ambassador against Hunger. "I come from a country where I've seen first-hand how hunger can rob a child's potential," said Kaka, a native of Brazil. "So I'm very proud to call on soccer fans and others to help Fill the Cup and lay a foundation for our future."

Also participating in the campaign are the President of Ghana, and head of the African Union, John Agyekum Kufuor, and the Mayor of Milan, Letizia Moratti.

WFP – the world's largest humanitarian agency – will feed more than 70 million people this year in some 80 countries around the world.
2008-02-07 00:00:00.000

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CLIMATE CHANGE TO FIGURE IN BAN KI-MOON'S CHICAGO MEETINGS -- OFFICIALS

CLIMATE CHANGE TO FIGURE IN BAN KI-MOON'S CHICAGO MEETINGS -- OFFICIALS New York, Feb 7 2008 1:00AM Climate change will feature on the agenda of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's meetings in Chicago with local leaders, business executives, United Nations partners and high school students, officials said on the eve of his trip to the US city.

Ambassador Bill Luers, President of the UN Association of the United States, said the issue is likely to be discussed when Mr. Ban meets with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who has made environmental sustainability a key goal.

The Secretary-General has worked to galvanize international action on global warming, Mr. Luers noted, adding that "Mayor Daley places climate change as his top priority, so they will have a lot to talk about."

Also while in Chicago, Mr. Ban is scheduled to visit a high school where he will participate in a Model UN. "Unlike the standard situation where the Mayor and the Secretary-General stand together to talk, this will be an active event where they will see kids talking about climate change," said Ambassador Luers.

Mr. Ban will also meet with officials at the MacArthur Foundation, a philanthropic organization which has been supporting UN activities in the fields of peace and security, development and human rights.

"The MacArthur Foundation mission is to build a just, sustainable and peaceful world, and those three words intersect remarkably with the Secretary-General's statement of priorities," said its President, Jonathan F. Fanton, in an interview with the UN News Service.

Mr. Fanton said the meetings in Chicago, particularly with participants in the Model UN, would generate understanding all around. "Mr. Ban has a message which will be well-received and I believe he will feel better about our country and the prospects of supporting his work when he talks to these young people."

2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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KENYA: SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES CONCERN OVER CONTINUED POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE

KENYA: SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES CONCERN OVER CONTINUED POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE New York, Feb 6 2008 7:00PM Despite the announcement of progress in negotiations between the Government and the opposition, the Security Council today expressed its concern over the continued violence in Kenya which first broke out after last December's contested polls.

"The Council deplores the widespread violence following the elections, which has resulted in extensive loss of life and serious humanitarian consequences," the 15-member body said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9242.doc.htm">presidential statement read out by Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the rotating presidency this month.

It also noted that "civilians continue to be killed, subjected to sexual and gender-based violence and displaced from their homes."

According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives and over 300,000 have been displaced since the 27 December 2007 elections in which President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Today's statement underlined the need for "dialogue, negotiation and compromise" as the only avenue by which to resolve the current crisis. It also urged the East African nation's leaders to promote reconciliation.

Welcoming the 1 February announcement of advances – such as the adoption of a road map and an agenda – towards finding a solution, the Council expressed its full support for the Panel of Eminent African Personalities, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The body called for all parties to "meet their responsibility" to resolve the crisis, as well as taking immediate measures to curb the violence, which includes ethnically-motivated attacks, and to restore human rights.

Regarding Kenya's "dire" humanitarian situation, the Council called for the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as aid workers and UN personnel.

Also today, a fact-finding mission deployed by High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour arrived in Kenya, and during the next three weeks the team will investigate allegations of grave rights violations in the post-election period.

Yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that he was dispatching his top humanitarian official to the violence-wracked nation.

John Holmes, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, is scheduled to arrive in the capital Nairobi on Friday, 8 February, for a three-day mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the country.

He intends to meet with Government authorities, opposition leaders, UN staff, aid agencies, donors and diplomats.

Mr. Holmes, who also serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, will travel to the Rift Valley, where most of the recent fighting took place, to speak with IDPs and others who have been impacted by the violence.

In a related development, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) has supplied enough food for one month for close to 4,500 IDPs in the eastern town of Turbo.

Also, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) reported that there are more than 7,000 displaced people at the Nakuru camp in the Rift Valley, while there are some 12,000 IDPs residing in more than two dozen camps in Nairobi.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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JOINT UN APPEAL FOR MUMPS VACCINES AS EPIDEMIC STRIKES MOLDOVA

JOINT UN APPEAL FOR MUMPS VACCINES AS EPIDEMIC STRIKES MOLDOVA New York, Feb 6 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) have launched an appeal for $1.9 million to buy mumps vaccines for hundreds of thousands of Moldovans as an epidemic of the viral disease sweeps the small Eastern European country.

As many as 400,000 children and young people born between 1989 and 1994 are deemed to be at risk as they did not complete their full course of mumps vaccines at the time.

Already 4,500 Moldovans are infected, with 80 per cent of new cases among people aged between 15 and 24. The epidemic is worst in the capital, Chisinau, and is now spreading to other districts.

"We must take action now when the epidemic can still be contained," said Svetlana Stefanet, a UNICEF official in Moldova. "Each week the number of infections almost doubles."

Mumps is notorious for its complications, the most severe of which is male sterility. Males currently comprise two-thirds of the infected cases. Symptoms can also include painful swellings of the glands and a rash.

The only way to stop the epidemic is to re-vaccinate the population at risk, according to experts from WHO. Moldovan health authorities estimate they need about 600,000 doses of vaccine, syringes and safety boxes.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES MAY SUFFER AGAIN BECAUSE OF CHAD'S CRISIS - UN OFFICIAL

CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES MAY SUFFER AGAIN BECAUSE OF CHAD'S CRISIS – UN OFFICIAL New York, Feb 6 2008 6:00PM The top United Nations humanitarian official voiced grave concern today that about 50,000 Central African refugees who have been living in Chad will be uprooted again because of the widespread violence in the impoverished African nation.

Nearly 6,000 people have fled the Central African Republic (CAR) for southern Chad in the past two months alone, escaping violent clashes between Government forces and armed opposition groups and brutal attacks by bandits in the north of their homeland.

"These are people who have lost everything," said John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "The current crisis in Chad means that they risk being uprooted and displaced again."

Fighting between Government forces and armed opposition groups in Chad has engulfed the landlocked country in the past week, reaching the capital, N'Djamena, and forcing as many as 30,000 civilians to flee into Cameroon.

Toby Lanzer, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in the CAR, said the aid community that is based in that country stood ready to help all civilians.

"The crisis currently touching the Chad-CAR-Sudan nexus is regional, and – as usual – civilians will bear the brunt of violence," he said.

Up to 197,000 Central Africans live as internally displaced persons (IDPs), while some 98,000 others are refugees in either Cameroon, Chad or Sudan. UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) need $92.6 million this year to carry out their work.

Following the violence in Chad, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/chad_42761.html">UNICEF) reported that an inter-agency team dispatched to northern Cameroon has begun assessing how much food, water, medicine and shelter the new refugees will need to have basic living conditions.

UNICEF is also readying blankets and school supplies for about 10,000 children and preparing to give out vitamins and re-hydration salts and immunize the Chadians against potential outbreaks of measles and meningitis.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Security Council and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour have all expressed deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Chad over the past week.

Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1097">UNFPA) has warned that pregnant women and their children are particularly at risk during the current crisis as their access to maternal health-care facilities becomes sharply reduced.

"We know that in any refugee crisis, one in five women of child-bearing age may be pregnant," said Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director.

The agency is supplying clean delivery kits, which include plastic sheeting, razor blades and soap, to ensure safe delivery to displaced Chadians.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL TO HOLD SECOND HEARING IN SARAJEVO

UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL TO HOLD SECOND HEARING IN SARAJEVO New York, Feb 6 2008 5:00PM The United Nations tribunal set up to try those responsible for the worst war crimes committed in the Balkans in the 1990s will travel to Sarajevo – a city synonymous with the conflict – on Friday for a four-day hearing in the trial of the former head of the Bosnian Muslim forces during the Balkan wars.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), which is based in The Hague, has <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pr1214e.htm">scheduled an evidentiary hearing in the trial of Rasim Deli&#263; after a request from prosecutors.

It is only the second time that the Tribunal has conducted a hearing away from its seat in the Netherlands; the other occasion occurred in September last year during the same case.

The hearing, which will be held in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will involve testimony from Aiman Awad, the final prosecution witness in the Deli&#263; trial.

Mr. Deli&#263;, 59, is charged with murder, cruel treatment and rape of captured Croat and Serb soldiers and civilians on the basis of his responsibility as Commander of the Main Staff of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina from June 1993.

The indictment against him states that he failed to take necessary and reasonable measures to prevent his subordinates committing torture, beatings, rapes and murders – including a decapitation – at Kamenica camp, a detention centre for captured Bosnian Serb soldiers and local civilians in central Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the most notorious murder, carried out on 24 July 1995, a Bosnian Serb army prisoner was decapitated at Kamenica and all the other prisoners were forced to kiss the severed head, which was later placed on a hook on the wall of the room where the prisoners were being held.

Mr. Deli&#263; also stands accused of failing to take necessary and reasonable measures to punish those soldiers who executed captured Bosnian Croat civilians and soldiers in two villages in Travnik municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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DECENT WORK KEY TO POVERTY REDUCTION, SOCIAL INTEGRATION - MIGIRO

DECENT WORK KEY TO POVERTY REDUCTION, SOCIAL INTEGRATION – MIGIRO New York, Feb 6 2008 5:00PM United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today underscored the vital role that employment and decent work play in promoting development.

"Decent work is not just an end in itself," she said in her opening <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/dsgsm374.doc.htm">address to the Commission for Social Development (CSD) at UN Headquarters. "It is crucial for poverty eradication and social integration, the two other planks of social development."

The Deputy Secretary-General also advocated for workplace security and social protection for workers and their families.

In its 46th <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/soc4737.doc.htm">session which ends on 15 February, the CSD – whose 46 members are elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) – will focus on employment, ageing and disability.

Ms. Migiro voiced hope that the Commission will come up with recommendations for how best to further the cause of decent work in national strategies and development plans, in particular through macroeconomic policies.

"Special priority should be given to the design of policies resolving the problem of long-term unemployment and underemployment of youth, women, persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups," she stressed.

A "coherent approach" to further the cause of decent work within the broader development agenda which brings together the UN family, civil society and the private sector is essential, the Deputy Secretary-General noted.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY MARKS INTERNATIONAL DAY WITH CALL FOR ENDING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

UN AGENCY MARKS INTERNATIONAL DAY WITH CALL FOR ENDING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION New York, Feb 6 2008 4:00PM The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today called for greater efforts to end the harmful practice of female genital mutilation and protect the rights of women and girls worldwide.

"Intensified efforts are urgently needed to stop the practice in all its forms," UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid stated in a message marking the International Day against Female Genital Mutilation.

Each year between two and three million women and girls are subjected to FGM, the partial or total removal of external female genital organs for cultural or other non-medical reasons.

More than 100 million women and girls worldwide have undergone the practice, which leaves lasting physical and psychological scars and increases the risks of problems during childbirth. "Many women and girls are traumatized by the experience and suffer in silence, afraid of being excluded from their communities," Ms. Obaid noted.

She pledged UNFPA's increased support for efforts to end FGM, and called on governments to develop effective policies to combat the practice and to support the development of prevention and education programmes.

Last August, UNFPA and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) launched a $44 million programme to reduce the harmful practice by 40 per cent by 2015 and to end it within a generation.

In partnership with governments, religious leaders, reproductive health providers, media and civil society, the initiative encourages communities in 16 African countries with high prevalence to abandon the practice.

In addition to Africa, various forms of FGM have also been reported in parts of some Middle Eastern and Asian countries. It is also practised in immigrant communities around the world.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED MEETING URGES GOVERNMENTS, SCIENTISTS TO BOLSTER CLIMATE PREDICTIONS

UN-BACKED MEETING URGES GOVERNMENTS, SCIENTISTS TO BOLSTER CLIMATE PREDICTIONS New York, Feb 6 2008 4:00PM Nearly two dozen organizations at a United Nations-sponsored meeting have stressed the importance of governments and scientists worldwide to improve climate prediction capabilities to save lives and protect economies.

"The world needs to strengthen existing mechanisms that predict climatic events and then ensure that this information is made available to all, especially to the benefit of people in least developed countries," said Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the UN World Meteorological Organization (<"http://www.wmo.ch/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_809_en.html">WMO).

"Improving the science of seasonal prediction will help everyone."

Several UN-backed climate prediction centres using powerful computer models exist, but improvements to these could improve global responses to climate variability and extremes.

The three-day gathering in Geneva sought to prepare for the third-ever World Climate Conference, set to be held next year in Switzerland.

The previous Conferences have been major events: the first, in 1979, led to the creation in 1988 of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change <"http://www.ipcc.ch/">(IPCC), winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize; and the second, in 1990, helped to generate momentum towards the establishment of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UNFCCC) in 1992.

Next year's Conference will focus on climate prediction and its impact on decision-making.

It will examine "what type of science is needed over the next 10 years to provide the type of seasonal predictions that can save people's lives and livelihoods," Mr. Jarraud observed.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON WARNS THAT WATER SHORTAGES ARE INCREASINGLY DRIVING CONFLICTS

BAN KI-MOON WARNS THAT WATER SHORTAGES ARE INCREASINGLY DRIVING CONFLICTS New York, Feb 6 2008 2:00PM Many of today's conflicts around the world are being fuelled or exacerbated by water shortages and climate change is only making the situation worse, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the General Assembly today.

Briefing an informal Assembly session on the crises in Kenya, Darfur and Chad, as well as his recent trip to Europe and Africa, Mr. Ban noted that he told the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month that "increasingly, fights are erupting over such basic human needs as water or arable land.

"I find this trend deeply worrying, especially because such shortages are only projected to grow in coming years," he said, adding that water also underpins many of the world's key development challenges – food, the environment, health and economic well-being.

"Water shortages are at the core of many of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of which is to reduce by half the number of people without safe access to water by 2015. When you consider the health and development challenges facing the poorest of the world's population – diseases like malaria or TB [tuberculosis], rising food prices, environmental degradation – the common denominator often seems to be water."

International cooperation is crucial to overcoming the problem, the Secretary-General said, calling for governments, business and civil society to form new and innovative partnerships. He also pointed out that the UN has declared 2008 to be the International Year of Sanitation and the UN Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate is also coordinating work on the issue.

"Water is a classic common property resource. No one really owns the problem. Therefore, no one really owns the solution."

Turning to the latest crises in Africa, Mr. Ban said he has dispatched Under-Secretary-General John Holmes to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to assess how best to help the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled deadly ethnic violence across that country since disputed elections in December.

"I also met former Secretary-General Kofi Annan and reiterated my support for the mediation efforts of the Panel of Eminent African Personalities that he leads. Several UN staff members have been deployed to assist the Panel's work, while UNDP [the UN Development Programme] has established a Trust Fund to support the Panel. I appeal to all Member States and partners to contribute urgently to this Fund."

Voicing alarm at the past week's events in Chad, Mr. Ban welcomed the initiative of the African Union (AU) to use the heads of State of Libya and the Republic of Congo to try to mediate a solution to the conflict between the Government and armed rebels.

"Unfortunately, the situation has severely affected the work of MINURCAT [the new UN mission to Chad and the Central African Republic], as well as that of the United Nations agencies in Chad."

The situation across the border in the Sudanese region of Darfur remains troubling, he noted, urging Member States to speed up their deployments of troops to the hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force to the region (known as UNAMID).

"There is a window of opportunity right now to really move forward in Darfur. We cannot afford to squander it through delay and dithering."

The Secretary-General added that he is in the process of setting up an independent panel to examine strategic issues relating to the delivery and enhancement of staff security for the UN around the world. The veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will chair the panel.

"The safety and security of UN staff is a paramount concern to UN operations. The dedicated men and women who carry out the Organization's work around the world deserve the best possible safety and security."
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO ADDS RUSSIAN, MEXICAN SITES TO GLOBAL NETWORK OF BIOSPHERE RESERVES

UNESCO ADDS RUSSIAN, MEXICAN SITES TO GLOBAL NETWORK OF BIOSPHERE RESERVES New York, Feb 6 2008 2:00PM Ecological reserves in Russia and Mexico have been added to a United Nations network set up to fight biodiversity loss and promote sustainable development that helps local communities.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves now has 531 reserves in 105 countries after the two sites were added yesterday by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during this week's meeting in Madrid of the Bureau of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB).

The Rostovsky Biosphere Reserve, located in the south-east of the Rostov region of Russia, provides a habitat for more than 460 species of plants, 30 species of mammals and 200 species of birds.

Local communities are attempting to revive steppe horse breeding and other traditional uses of natural resources that are environmentally safe and sustainable.

The Islas Marietas Biosphere Reserve, comprising two islands and two islets off Mexico's western coast, is home to many species of coral as well as mammals, birds and fish. It is also a critical home for the humpback whale, considered an at-risk species.

While there are no human settlements in the Islas Marietas, mainland coastal communities have fished in the area for many years and ecotourism – especially kayaking and snorkelling – is emerging as a major economic opportunity.

At each reserve listed in the network, local communities try to enhance their socio-economic development while promoting biodiversity conservation on a scientific basis. Community members contribute to governance, management, research, education, training and monitoring at the sites.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL OUTLINES PLAN FOR REDUCED UN PRESENCE IN SIERRA LEONE

SECRETARY-GENERAL OUTLINES PLAN FOR REDUCED UN PRESENCE IN SIERRA LEONE New York, Feb 6 2008 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has presented detailed proposals for reducing the number of staff at the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), which is due to be replaced by a leaner integrated political office in September.

In a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/63">letter to the President of the Security Council, Mr. Ban proposed reducing the staff of UNIOSIL by 62 posts, or 20 per cent, by 31 March. These posts would comprise 15 international staff, 43 national staff and four UN volunteers.

The letter added that following the local government elections scheduled to be held on 5 July, UNIOSIL will gradually draw down its remaining personnel, while ensuring a smooth transition to the integrated political office.

Mr. Ban spelled out the remaining key tasks for UNIOSIL, including assisting the Government of Sierra Leone in conducting local elections, monitoring the security situation in the country and strengthening the capacity of the security sector, promoting transparency and accountability, monitoring and promoting the rule of law, and fostering a culture of peace, dialogue and participation through UN Radio.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED CONTAINER EXHIBIT SPOTLIGHTS PLIGHT OF SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS

UN-BACKED CONTAINER EXHIBIT SPOTLIGHTS PLIGHT OF SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS New York, Feb 6 2008 2:00PM A new exhibit using transport containers to illustrate the brutal experiences of women sold into the sex trade will be featured next week at a United Nations forum focusing on the global billion-dollar human trafficking industry.

According to UN estimates, about 2.5 million people from 127 countries have been trafficked to 137 countries for purposes such as forced labour, sexual exploitation, the removal of organs and body parts, forced marriages, child adoption and begging.

"The Journey against Sex Trafficking" is an interactive exhibit based on the experiences of young women who leave their homes in search of a better life only to find themselves tricked or forced by traffickers to work in the sex industry.

"The aim of Journey is to show visitors the reality of human trafficking – a crime that happens every day, all around the world – and to encourage the public, politicians and especially consumers to take action," the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (<"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/index.html">UNODC) said in a news release.

The brainchild of Academy Award-winning British actress Emma Thompson, the exhibit features seven containers, individually designed by leading artists, showing a different stage in the trafficking process.

The exhibit will be on display at the 13 to 15 February Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking – part of the UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) – which will bring together more than 1,000 participants from international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, academia, the private sector and the entertainment industry to raise awareness about human trafficking and spur further action to combat the crime.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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UN SURVEY: AFGHAN OPIUM PRODUCTION REMAINS 'SHOCKINGLY HIGH'

UN SURVEY: AFGHAN OPIUM PRODUCTION REMAINS 'SHOCKINGLY HIGH' New York, Feb 6 2008 1:00PM A United Nations study of opium production in Afghanistan released today has concluded that this year's cultivation levels remain shockingly high, and will be broadly similar to or slightly lower than last year's record harvest of 192,000 hectares.

Presenting the assessment, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (<"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2008-02-06.html">UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, said that while the level of opium cultivated may have peaked, the money generated by Afghan drugs remained a destabilizing force. He warned Europe, Russia and countries along Afghan heroin routes to "brace themselves again for major health and security consequences."

UNODC's <"http://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghan-winter-survey-Feb08-short.pdf">Afghanistan Opium Winter Assessment reports a growing divide between opium-free provinces in the north-east, and ever-higher levels of cultivation in the south-west, where the Taliban insurgency is strongest. A dozen provinces are expected to remain free of opium cultivation this year, while more than three-quarters of Afghanistan's opium is grown in areas outside the Government's control. The assessment is based on field visits and interviews with village leaders.

"Afghanistan is becoming a divided country, with clear drugs and insurgency battle lines," Mr. Costa <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/speeches/2008-02-06.html">warned. "Opium is a massive source of revenue for the Taliban." He said this money came from a tax of around 10 per cent on opium farmers, which generated close to $100 million, in addition to money made by running heroin labs and drug exports.

The report also shows that Afghanistan has become the world's biggest supplier of cannabis (estimated at 70,000 hectares this year), which is exported mainly through the southern borders, Pakistan and Iran to the Gulf countries.

The UN drugs chief urged Afghanistan and its allies to take decisive action. "While analysts debate endlessly how to prioritize security, development, counter-narcotics and good governance, the Afghan opium situation is becoming desperate. And time is not on the right side," he warned.

He underlined the need for strong and honest institutions to combat opium cultivation, and pointed to elements still lacking, which he said included "honest and functioning Ministries of Counter-Narcotics and of the Interior; an anti-corruption authority with integrity and credible powers; an efficient judicial system; and honest and committed governors throughout the country."
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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YEMEN: UN STEPS UP FOOD AID TO SOMALI REFUGEES

YEMEN: UN STEPS UP FOOD AID TO SOMALI REFUGEES New York, Feb 6 2008 1:00PM Somalis fleeing the violence in their country for Yemen will receive a food boost from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), it was announced today.

The agency has launched a $4.4 million appeal for 5,000 metric tons of food to feed 43,500 refugees, up from the 33,000 people it is currently assisting.

"More and more people are arriving on Yemen's shores after barely surviving the dangerous journey by boat," said <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2761">WFP Yemen Country Director Mohamed El-Kouhene.

Somalis have been crossing the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, but the Yemeni Government has said that it has limited assistance to help new arrivals and has asked the international community for increased aid.

"It is up to us to help them as Yemen's economy is already overstretched," Mr. El-Kouhene noted.

Nearly 30,000 people – mostly from Somalia – have arrived in Yemen after making the dangerous journey across the Gulf of Aden, with more than 1,400 dead or missing.

Upon arriving in Yemen, refugees receive WFP food for several days until they are moved to the isolated Kharaz camp, where they receive a monthly ration.

Today's increase in WFP assistance is a result of the anticipated arrival of new refugees in Yemen, as well as the growth of the refugee population at Kharaz, where job opportunities are scarce.

The new operation – to be implemented with the Government, the UN High Commissioner of Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – will also provide food assistance in return for work and training to help refugees become more self-sufficient.
2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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RECENT CHINESE SNOWSTORMS SIGNAL 'FREAK WEATHER' BECOMING THE NORM - UN

RECENT CHINESE SNOWSTORMS SIGNAL 'FREAK WEATHER' BECOMING THE NORM – UN New York, Feb 6 2008 11:00AM The recent snowstorms in China which have directly impacted more than 100 million people throughout the country have signaled that "freak weather" is becoming increasingly more common, the United Nations body that seeks to mitigate the impact of natural disasters <"http://www.unisdr.org/eng/media-room/press-release/2008/pr-2000-03-China-freak-snowstorm.pdf">said today.

China has suffered its worst snowstorms in half a century, affecting power and water supplies, transport, agriculture and financial markets. The Government estimates the direct costs alone of the damage to be $7.5 billion.

The world must prepare for "new kinds of disasters," said Salvano Briceño, Director of the UN secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (<"http://www.unisdr.org/">ISDR). "Reducing vulnerability to these unexpected extremes must be a top priority for governments."

Two of the nearly two dozen badly-hit southern Chinese provinces, Hunan and Guizhou, are known for their subtropical climate, but the storms' unanticipated intensity surpassed the regions' preparedness strategies.

2008-02-06 00:00:00.000

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WITH FUEL STOCKS RESTRICTED, UN MISSION PREPARES TO RELOCATE FROM ERITREA

WITH FUEL STOCKS RESTRICTED, UN MISSION PREPARES TO RELOCATE FROM ERITREA New York, Feb 5 2008 7:00PM The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is moving to relocate as fuel stocks dwindle because of restrictions imposed by the Asmara Government, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the critical crisis facing the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/">UNMEE) as a result of the stoppage of diesel fuel supplies to the Mission by the Government of Eritrea since 1 December 2007," a spokesperson for Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2987">statement.

On 21 January, Mr. Ban wrote to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki seeking his urgent intervention to resolve the situation, but the fuel supplies were not reinstated and UNMEE has not received the authorization to import fuel directly.

When fuel stocks run out in the coming few days, the mission "will be immobilized and rendered unable to carry out its critical functions."

In today's statement, the Secretary-General voiced particular concern about the safety and security of UNMEE personnel, especially those deployed in remote sites where they depend solely on generators for energy to power communications and to preserve food and medical supplies.

If fuel supplies are not reinstated by 6 February 2008, Mr. Ban will instruct UNMEE to begin relocating the Mission's personnel and equipment from Eritrea, on a temporary basis.

"The Secretary-General emphasizes that the temporary relocation of the Mission's personnel is a contingency measure forced by the restrictions imposed on UNMEE by the Eritrean authorities, which are endangering the safety and security of the Mission's personnel," the spokesperson said, adding that this is without prejudice to the 2000 agreement ending hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

He strongly appeals to Eritrea to cooperate fully with UNMEE, and urges both countries "to avoid any action which could undermine the cessation of hostilities between them."

Today's statement echoed views expressed by Mr. Ban in a letter he sent to the Security Council last Friday.

Last week, as it extended the Mission's mandate for a further six months, the Council demanded that the Eritrean Government "resumes immediately fuel shipments to UNMEE or allows UNMEE to import fuel without restrictions."

On Monday, the Council once again voiced its concern about the fuel restrictions lifted. In a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the rotating presidency this month, the Council reiterated its demand that Eritrea "forthwith and without preconditions lifts its restrictions on fuel deliveries so that UNMEE be in a position to execute its extended mandate."

The Council also requested Eritrea to facilitate a UN technical assessment mission which is due to depart for the region tomorrow.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR DARFUR PEACEKEEPING MISSION

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR DARFUR PEACEKEEPING MISSION New York, Feb 5 2008 7:00PM With the crisis in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region continuing, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for more troops and vital equipment to support the critically under-strength joint UN-African Union force (UNAMID) stem the violence.

<"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1130">Addressing the press after briefing the Security Council in closed session, Mr. Ban urged troop-contributing nations to hasten their preparations, saying "we need our forces in the theatre of operations as soon as possible."

The new force "still lacks required aviation and ground transportation–chiefly helicopters," he noted, adding that sheer manpower alone is not enough to overcome the equipment deficit.

Additionally, the Secretary-General observed that nations that called for intervention in Darfur "are under a special obligation to deliver on their promises."

At full deployment, UNAMID is expected to have some 26,000 troops and police officers, making it the world's largest peacekeeping operation.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since fighting began in 2003 among Government forces, rebel groups and allies militia groups known as the Janjaweed.

Mr. Ban said that he discussed the major outstanding issues regarding they hybrid mission last week with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

"I am pleased to report that we are making good progress on the Status of Forces Agreement," he told reporters, adding that the Government has signalled that the signing could happen this week.

Despite this step forward, the Secretary-General emphasized that "the deployment of UNAMID will only be as effective as the political process it is mandated to support," and to this end, his special envoys for Darfur will continue with their efforts to hold talks between the Sudanese Government and rebel movements.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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WORSENING SECURITY HAMPERING RELIEF EFFORT IN SOMALIA, SAYS UN

WORSENING SECURITY HAMPERING RELIEF EFFORT IN SOMALIA, SAYS UN New York, Feb 5 2008 4:00PM Efforts to help Somalis who have been forced to flee their homes due to the violence engulfing their nation have never been as restricted as they are now, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) said today.

Roadblocks, shelling and attacks in the capital Mogadishu, along with rising threats against and targeting of aid workers, have severely limited the humanitarian community's ability to operate, according to OCHA.

Just last week, a roadside bomb near the southern Somali town of Kismayo killed three humanitarian workers serving with the international non-governmental organization (NGO) Médecins Sans Frontières.

The worsening security situation has also led to an increase in the vulnerable population. Over the past two months, some 40,000 people have fled Mogadishu. The UN refugee agency (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) puts the total number of those displaced by the ongoing fighting since the end of last October at over 294,000.

OCHA has stressed the urgent need for the political and security issues in the troubled Horn of Africa nation to be addressed "in a robust way to create an environment conducive for humanitarian response and eventual recovery."
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES NEED TO OVERHAUL EDUCATION SYSTEMS - WORLD BANK

MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES NEED TO OVERHAUL EDUCATION SYSTEMS – WORLD BANK New York, Feb 5 2008 5:00PM A new report by the <"http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21633314~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html">World Bank finds that countries in the Middle East and North Africa need to overhaul their education systems to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive world.

"<"http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:21617643~pagePK:146736~piPK:226340~theSitePK:256299,00.html">The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa," which provides a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of education investments on the region, was released today in Amman, Jordan.

The report notes that 40 years of education investments have closed the gender gap at the primary school level and resulted in nearly universal education.

However, the region – which still lags behind East Asia and Latin America in literacy and in average years of schooling among people 15 and older – faces new challenges posed by globalization and the "increasing importance of knowledge in the development process."

"Since education is the main source of knowledge creation, the task is clear," the report says. "The education systems must be changed to deliver new skills and expertise necessary to excel in a more competitive environment."

This means that students in the region need to acquire a new set of "soft skills" – problem solving, communications, foreign language – that are critical to further advancement.

"In order to become competitive, there has got to be a shift from the ability to perform routine tasks towards those soft skills which are absolutely essential for increasing productivity," says Michal Rutkowski, Sector Director for Human Development in the World Bank's Middle East and North Africa region.

"This shift is in the process, but the countries really need to accelerate it in order to remain competitive," he adds.

Mr. Rutkowski also notes that countries in the region are not enjoying the same returns on education investment at the higher-education level as some fast-growing middle-income countries in Asia, such as Malaysia and the Republic of Korea.

"What we see in the region is that those who graduate from universities cannot find jobs. The unemployment rate is very high among them. Therefore, the average return that you observe is also not high, and this is a serious problem," he says.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON TO SEND TOP UN HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL TO KENYA

BAN KI-MOON TO SEND TOP UN HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL TO KENYA New York, Feb 5 2008 5:00PM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced plans to dispatch his top humanitarian official to Kenya, where more than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence which has torn through the East African nation following last December's disputed elections.

"With our partners, we have been able to meet the initial basic needs of displaced populations, totalling around 310,000 IDPs [internally displaced persons] spread over 192 sites in the western and central provinces," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1130">told reporters after briefing a closed meeting of the Security Council today on his recent visit to Africa.

"I am going to dispatch Mr. John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, to look after these issues."

The Secretary-General recently returned from a visit to Africa, where he met with both President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, telling both men that "they bear a particular political responsibility for the future of Kenya."

More than 800 people have lost their lives in the post-election violence.

Mr. Ban said that he underscored the need by all Kenyan leaders to bring an end to the "unacceptable violence and killings" and to settle all problems peacefully.

"I also appealed to all the political leaders to think beyond their individual interests or party lines, and to look to the future of Kenya as one country," he added.

The Secretary-General reiterated his support for the mediation efforts led by his predecessor, Kofi Annan, who heads the Panel of Eminent African Personalities.

During his visit to Nairobi, the troubled nations' capital, last week, Mr. Ban and Mr. Annan conferred on the roadmap for the talks between the Government and the opposition.

"The parties are now talking and discussing practical measures to stop the spiral of violence, to address the humanitarian crisis, and to restore fundamental human rights and liberties," the Secretary-General said.

He noted that he has assigned several members of his staff to assist Mr. Annan's team and pointed out that a UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) Trust Fund has been created in support of the peace efforts.

"Needless to say, much more needs to be done," Mr. Ban pointed out, urging donors to step up their contributions to address the problem.

In a related development, the UN's top human rights official will field a three-week fact-finding mission to Kenya beginning tomorrow to assess rights violations committed since last December.

Security conditions permitting, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour will travel around the country to gather first-hand information from victims, witnesses, Government officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and representatives of the Kenyan national human rights commission, among others.

Meanwhile, an emergency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47a886fc2.html">UNHCR) team has been deployed to the border region between Kenya and Uganda, where some 12,000 people have fled in the wake of the December elections.

According to Ugandan authorities, these Kenyans are taking refuge in the south and south-east of Uganda.

UNHCR is registering new arrivals, and its team will lead emergency response efforts and coordinate with local and central Ugandan authorities.

The agency's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations Judy Cheng-Hopkins met today with Kenya's Minister for Special Programmes who is overseeing the efforts to assist IDPs.

Ms. Cheng-Hopkins assured the Government of UNHCR's readiness to take part in efforts to help the displaced.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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VETERAN DIPLOMAT LAKHDAR BRAHIMI TO HEAD UN STAFF SECURITY REVIEW

VETERAN DIPLOMAT LAKHDAR BRAHIMI TO HEAD UN STAFF SECURITY REVIEW New York, Feb 5 2008 3:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has chosen veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi to chair an independent panel on the safety and security of United Nations staff worldwide, set up in the wake of the December 2007 Algiers bombing which claimed the lives of 17 of the Organization's staff.

Mr. Brahimi "possesses vast experience and knowledge of UN operations," the Secretary-General told reporters in New York today as he made the announcement. "I am quite sure that he will lead this independent panel with fairness and objectivity, to bring a very important recommendation for the safety and security of the UN staff."

Mr. Ban said he will be engaging with Member States in the coming weeks and months to strengthen the security and safety support they are providing to UN staff posted in their countries.

According to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2986">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the independent review will "evaluate the strategic issues vital to the delivery and enhancement of the security of UN personnel and premises and the changing threats and risks faced by it."

The panel will examine the inherent vulnerabilities of UN operations around the world, study the responses of host countries, and identify the fundamental lessons drawn from preceding reports on the subject, including the preliminary report of the Department of Safety and Security on the Algiers attack.

The other members of the Independent Panel on Safety and Security of UN Personnel and Premises, which will include international experts from outside the UN system, are expected to be announced shortly.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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DJIBOUTI NOW A MAJOR STOP FOR SOMALI ASYLUM SEEKERS, SAYS UN

DJIBOUTI NOW A MAJOR STOP FOR SOMALI ASYLUM SEEKERS, SAYS UN New York, Feb 5 2008 1:00PM Djibouti has become part of a new migration route for Somali asylum seekers headed for the Middle East, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported today.

Last year, 700 Somali asylum seekers escaped to Djibouti, but this year already over 550 asylum seekers and migrants have traveled from self-declared autonomous Somaliland region, in Somalia's north-west, into Djibouti.

Border authorities recently told a joint UNHCR/Government team that there is a continuous flow of asylum seekers in Somaliland as they try to gain entry into Djibouti.

"Previously, some asylum seekers would make a treacherous journey around the hilly region separating Djibouti and Somaliland to avoid being stranded at the border for days," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.

The agency and the Government have requested that the asylum seekers – mainly young single people hoping to ultimately make it to Yemen – be allowed into Djibouti in accordance with that country's international obligations.

They are also considering creating a reception facility in close proximity to the border to receive and screen asylum seekers before transferring them to the Ali Addeh camp which currently houses 7,000 refugees.

Some of these refugees have said that they have lived in settlements for internally displaced persons (IDPs) but have received little assistance and have no ways to make a living, according to UNHCR.

Smugglers have been roaming Somaliland and offering to take asylum seekers and migrants by boat directly across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, or to northern Djibouti before crossing to Yemen, border authorities have cautioned.

UNHCR again urged greater efforts to protect those trying to make the dangerous trip across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. Last year, of the nearly 3,000 people who arrived in Yemen, 1,400 people who attempted to cross the Gulf died or are missing.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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UN CALLS FOR END TO ATTACKS AGAINST AID WORKERS ASSISTING VULNERABLE AFGHANS

UN CALLS FOR END TO ATTACKS AGAINST AID WORKERS ASSISTING VULNERABLE AFGHANS New York, Feb 5 2008 12:00PM United Nations officials in Afghanistan have called for an immediate halt to attacks against aid workers trying to assist vulnerable communities with food, medicine and warm clothing amid recent heavy snowfall and a rise in food prices.

In addition to assaulting aid convoys, there were three rocket attacks against UN facilities in Afghanistan's western Herat province, and public threats made against UN staff.

"These attacks must stop – they are preventing us from reaching those families who need our help the most," Hassan Elhag, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) office in Herat, told reporters.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) last year lost 410 tons of food – valued at around $350,000 – to attacks on aid convoys and looting by criminal gangs.

Despite difficulties WFP said it had already delivered over 500 tons of food to those families most in need while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are continuing to deliver warm clothing, shelter and heating to help families cope with frigid temperatures.

By the end of 2007, humanitarian actors in Afghanistan were operating under much tighter security restrictions, owing to insecurity on the ground. According to UNAMA, the restrictions were curtailing the efforts of the UN and its partners to deliver essential supplies to those who need it most during the country's harsh winter season.

"In the coming months we need to reach around 4 million vulnerable Afghan people across the country with over 14,000 tons of essential food," Mr. Elhag stated. "Without safe passage for our staff and convoys these people will suffer."

"We need all parties to recognise that the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people must come first, above fighting and above politics," he added.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: UN RIGHTS EXPERT DISMAYED OVER CONTINUED ARRESTS, DETENTIONS

MYANMAR: UN RIGHTS EXPERT DISMAYED OVER CONTINUED ARRESTS, DETENTIONS New York, Feb 5 2008 12:00PM Nearly five months after Myanmar's forceful crackdown on peaceful protesters, political and human rights activists continue to be arrested, detained and sentenced to prison, an independent United Nations expert said today.

Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, also voiced concern about the well-being of those being detained.

"Reports have been received expressing serious concerns regarding the health conditions of some of the prisoners who require immediate care and specific medication," Mr. Pinheiro said in a statement issued today in Geneva.

Calling the ongoing prosecutions "a flagrant abuse" of people's right to a free and fair trial in accordance with internationally recognized standards, he stressed that the Government has "a prime responsibility and duty to protect, promote and implement all human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The Special Rapporteur visited Myanmar last November to verify allegations of abuses during the Government crackdown in the summer of 2007, determine the numbers and whereabouts of those detained or killed, and collect testimony about what happened.

He found that at least 31 people died during the crackdown – 16 more than had been acknowledged by the Government – and that between 3,000 and 4,000 people were arrested in September and October.

The UN Human Rights Council, to which Mr. Pinheiro reports, has requested him to conduct a follow-up mission to look into ongoing human rights violations before the Council's next session in March.
2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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UN'S TOP RIGHTS CHIEF URGES PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN WAR-TORN CHAD

UN'S TOP RIGHTS CHIEF URGES PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN WAR-TORN CHAD New York, Feb 5 2008 9:00AM As civilians continue to flee fighting between rebels and government forces in Chad, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today called on both sides to protect those caught in the crossfire.

Louise Arbour issued a statement in Geneva expressing "deep concerns regarding the military escalation in Chad in recent days and the threat this represents for civilians."

She called on both government forces and rebel groups "to respect international human rights and humanitarian law and to take all appropriate measures to protect civilians."

This appeal was echoed by a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, which is caring for hundreds of thousands of uprooted people across Chad. "We urgently appeal to all sides to respect humanitarian principles and to halt the violence," the spokesperson told a press briefing in Geneva

Up to 20,000 refugees from Chad crossed the Cameroon border since Saturday, when fighting engulfed Chadian capital of N'Djamena, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"As of this morning, frightened people were still crossing in a continuous flow," the spokesperson said.

The Security Council yesterday demanded an immediate end to the violence and welcomed an African Union initiative to try to engage both the Government and the armed opposition groups to find a durable solution to the crisis in Chad.

In a presidential statement, the Council reaffirmed its full support for MINURCAT, the UN mission to Chad and the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) that was authorized by the Council last year to try to protect vulnerable civilians in both countries and to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also voiced alarm at the deteriorating situation, especially its impact on Chad's large population of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The refugee agency is preparing to airlift to Cameroon 90 tonnes of relief supplies, including plastic sheeting, jerry cans, blankets, mosquito nets, kitchen sets and plastic rolls -- enough for 14,000 refugees.

The agency is also working to find better accommodations for the estimated 6,000 to 7,000 refugees staying at a transit center who are exposed to the elements and have been building bonfires last night to get warm.

In volatile eastern Chad, meanwhile, UNHCR and its partners continue to care for hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced people, but yesterday evacuated 25 non-essential staff from its main field operations base at Abeche following reports of bombing and attacks near Adre, east of Abeche near the border with Sudan's Darfur region.

While Abeche is "calm but tense," further to the north, in Guereda, a series of armed attacks on UNHCR and other aid agencies last week forced an evacuation of most staff. The agency spokesperson reported another bandit attack on Mile refugee camp near Guereda yesterday by armed men who fired weapons and stole the sixth vehicle in a week. No injuries were reported.

UNHCR and its partners operate 12 large refugee camps in eastern Chad with some 240,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled Darfur. Another 50,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) are in camps in southern Chad. In addition, the agency is involved in providing help to some of the 180,000 Chadians who have been displaced internally by earlier unrest in Chad.

2008-02-05 00:00:00.000

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SENIOR MANAGERS AT THE UN SIGN 'COMPACTS' ON PRIORITIES

SENIOR MANAGERS AT THE UN SIGN 'COMPACTS' ON PRIORITIES New York, Feb 4 2008 7:00PM United Nations senior managers signed individual compacts with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a ceremony in New York today, outlining their goals for reaching priorities set by Member States.

"I am confident that the compacts we have signed today will support us in our work to build a stronger United Nations for a better world," <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sgsm11402.doc.htm">said Mr. Ban. The compacts are being shared with staff on the UN's Intranet site.

The Secretary-General said his overall goal is to "develop an accountability framework that outlines clear roles, responsibilities and authorities for all levels and stakeholders of the Organization."

He called on the managers to share their compacts with their staff, explain their vision, and discuss what their roles should be.

Alicia Bárcena, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2008/080204_Barcena.doc.htm">told journalists that the initiative is part of an architecture that will rest on three major pillars: performance, compliance and integrity.

She said 26 managers signed 29 compacts, with the difference in the two numbers resulting from the fact that some managers are responsible for more than one initiative.

Asked whether the documents would be made public, Ms. Bárcena said the first step was to make them "known to the staff." She added that there is "nothing that precludes these documents being made available to the public, but the first chance has to go to staff."

Today's announcement followed last month's move by numerous senior UN officials to make their financial disclosure statements public.

A correspondent today asked about the status of those officials who have not filed their financial disclosures. Ms. Bárcena said that when officials did not comply with financial closure, it was up to the Department of Management to take disciplinary measures.

Twelve people were charged on 18 October 2007 after not filing disclosures. Eight then filed their forms and the cases of the remaining four are under consideration. "It is being decided whether these people will be summarily dismissed [or] terminated," she said.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCIES BEGIN HANDING OUT RELIEF IN WAKE OF DEADLY QUAKE IN DR CONGO

UN AGENCIES BEGIN HANDING OUT RELIEF IN WAKE OF DEADLY QUAKE IN DR CONGO New York, Feb 4 2008 7:00PM United Nations humanitarian agencies have started distributing emergency relief supplies, including food, tents and surgical kits, to thousands of people living in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which was hit by a major earthquake yesterday.

At least 34 people are confirmed to have been killed and 300 others injured as a result of the quake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, which struck the province of South Kivu about 7:35 yesterday morning, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA).

The epicentre of the temblor was about 20 kilometres north of the provincial capital Bukavu, and close to the border with Rwanda, where damage has also been reported. Parts of neighbouring Burundi were also affected, while the region has been shaken by a series of aftershocks.

Nearly 100 buildings have collapsed in Bukavu alone, and more than 800 rendered uninhabitable, while the local dam and hospital have also been damaged. Schools, churches and a hospital were also damaged in the towns of Kabare and Katana, which are both closer to the quake's epicentre.

In Bukavu, the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) and its local aid partners have started handing out emergency health and surgical kits and extra health personnel to help two local hospitals treat the wounded.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) estimates that more than 500 tents are urgently needed to provide shelter for Congolese who have lost their home, as well as supplies of drinking water. More food, tents and plastic sheeting are expected to be delivered tomorrow.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are also working with UN agencies to assess the situation and determine how best to bring relief to locals, who are already suffering from months of fighting in the region between Government forces and armed rebels.

Across the border in Rwanda, the UN Resident Coordinator met other UN officials and dispatched an assessment team to the town of Rusizi, close to the border with the DRC. Psycho-social support to the victims of the quake is seen as a priority issue.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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PROGRESS IN DEPLOYMENT OF DARFUR FORCE PRIORITY FOR SECURITY COUNCIL - PRESIDENT

PROGRESS IN DEPLOYMENT OF DARFUR FORCE PRIORITY FOR SECURITY COUNCIL – PRESIDENT New York, Feb 4 2008 7:00PM The deployment of the hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) to the strife-torn Sudanese region of Darfur will be among the major issues taken up by the Security Council this month, its President said today.

This Friday, the Council will have a public meeting to hear the presentation of the Secretary-General's latest report on <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID, rather than just consultations as per the norm.

"The aim is to bring greater awareness of the entire membership of the situation that is taking place in Sudan and the difficulties that, at this point, the mission is finding," Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the Council's rotating presidency for this month, said at a <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2008/080204_Arias.doc.htm">press briefing in New York.

Although the mission is now in operation in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since fighting began in 2003 between Government forces and rebel groups, many outstanding issues remain between UNAMID and the Government.

In addition, UNAMID – which at full deployment is expected to have some 26,000 troops and police officers – still lacks essential logistics and equipment, including helicopters.

Last week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir agreed on the need to accelerate UNAMID's deployment during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) summit.

Mr. Ban is expected to brief the Council tomorrow on his meeting with the AU, as well as the other stops on his recent trip.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION TO RELOCATE UNLESS ERITREA LIFTS FUEL RESTRICTIONS IN NEXT TWO DAYS

UN MISSION TO RELOCATE UNLESS ERITREA LIFTS FUEL RESTRICTIONS IN NEXT TWO DAYS New York, Feb 4 2008 6:00PM Given the critical fuel levels impeding the work of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said the mission will start relocating from Eritrea if that country's Government does not lift its restrictions by Wednesday.

In a letter sent to the Security Council last Friday, Mr. Ban pointed out that the Mission's fuel stocks will run out in the coming few days, leaving only the strategic reserves, which are intended exclusively for emergency evacuation purposes.

The Secretary-General said that if the Eritrean authorities do not reinstate the fuel supplies by 6 February, he will be compelled to instruct UNMEE to begin relocating the mission personnel and equipment from Eritrea, to avoid a total immobilization of the Mission and endangering the safety and security of UN personnel.

UNMEE, which has been monitoring the 2000 ceasefire that ended the border war between the two countries, has not been able to obtain fresh supplies of fuel in Eritrea since 1 December last year, according to the acting head of the Mission.

"These restrictions are paralyzing the mission and its movements and making the living conditions of our civilian and military staff on the ground extremely difficult," Azouz Ennifar said just over a week ago.

Last week, as it extended the Mission's mandate for a further six months, the Council demanded that the Eritrean Government "resumes immediately fuel shipments to UNMEE or allows UNMEE to import fuel without restrictions."

The 15-member body today once again voiced its concern about the fact that the fuel restrictions have not yet been lifted. In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9240.doc.htm">statement read out to the press by Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the rotating presidency this month, the Council reiterated its demand that Eritrea "forthwith and without preconditions lifts its restrictions on fuel deliveries so that UNMEE be in a position to execute its extended mandate."

The Council also requested Eritrea to facilitate a UN technical assessment mission which is due to depart for the region tomorrow.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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SENIOR UN OFFICIAL IN MIDDLE EAST DEPLORES SUICIDE BOMBING IN ISRAEL

SENIOR UN OFFICIAL IN MIDDLE EAST DEPLORES SUICIDE BOMBING IN ISRAEL New York, Feb 4 2008 6:00PM Nothing can ever justify terrorist attacks, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (<"http://www.unsco.org/">UNSCO) said after learning of today's suicide bombing in the southern Israeli town of Dimona.

"My sympathy and the sympathy of all my staff go first of all to the victims of this terrorist attack," Robert Serry told Israel Radio after the bombing, in which an Israeli woman was killed along with the bomber.

"I think very much about the people of Dimona at this time and I can tell [you] that two weeks ago I happened to be also in Sderot when that city was subjected to a rain of rockets coming from Gaza. All these… terrorist actions of course serve no legitimate purpose. The UN condemns terror. Nothing can justify such attacks."

Meanwhile, UNSCO reported that two crossings from Israel into the Gaza Strip – Sufa and Karni – were open today, with about 70 truckloads in total expected to be sent to the crowded territory, which is home to about 1.4 million Palestinians.

Nineteen truckloads of aid, including paper for UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schoolbooks arrived through the Sufa crossing, along with 12 truckloads of commercial goods, such as dairy and meat products and fruit. Wheat flour, corn and animal feed arrived via the Karni crossing.

UNSCO said today's deliveries represent progress but the overall movement of goods, heavily restricted since Israeli authorities imposed tight restrictions last month in response to rocket and mortar attacks against Israeli residential areas, is still a trickle.

Also today, the Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People issued a statement expressing alarm at the "ever deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem."

The statement said the worsening economic and humanitarian situation may "jeopardize the political momentum achieved through recent international efforts to encourage the resumption of the peace process" between Israelis and Palestinians.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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KHMER ROUGE VICTIMS PARTICIPATE IN 'HISTORIC DAY' AT UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL

KHMER ROUGE VICTIMS PARTICIPATE IN 'HISTORIC DAY' AT UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL New York, Feb 4 2008 6:00PM Cambodians who suffered under the rule of the Khmer Rouge participated for the first time today in the United Nations-backed tribunal trying the movement's leaders.

Their participation, through their lawyers, was described by the tribunal's Victims Unit as "a historical day in international criminal law."

"To date, no international or hybrid tribunal mandated to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide has involved victims as civil parties, giving them full procedural rights," the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) Victims Unit said.

Under the tribunal's rules, victims of crimes committed under the rule of the Khmer Rouge can play an active role in the court's proceedings as civil parties, with rights including participation in investigations, representation by a lawyer, the ability to call witnesses and question the accused, and to claim reparations for the harm they suffered.

Today's hearing on the appeal by former Khmer Rouge leader Nuon Chea (aka Brother Number Two) against his provisional detention was adjourned in response to a request by a defence lawyer. A decision on the date of its resumption will be announced on 6 February.

Nuon Chea faces charges of having planned and ordered the murder, torture and enslavement of civilians in the late 1970s.

Under an agreement signed by the UN and Cambodia, the ECCC was set up as an independent court using a mixture of Cambodian staff and judges and foreign personnel. It is designated to try those deemed most responsible for crimes and serious violations of Cambodian and international law between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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MAJOR CHALLENGES AWAIT PARTNERS TO NORTH-SOUTH SUDANESE PEACE DEAL - UN REPORT

MAJOR CHALLENGES AWAIT PARTNERS TO NORTH-SOUTH SUDANESE PEACE DEAL – UN REPORT New York, Feb 4 2008 5:00PM The parties to the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) ending the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan still face major challenges in implementing the deal, despite the recent resolution of a stand-off between the two sides, the United Nations says in a new report.

Commending Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and the country's First Vice-President Salva Kiir for resolving their differences through dialogue, the <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/64">report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states that the CPA will only stay on track if the two sides implement their mutually agreed decisions as pledged.

"Although the Government of National Unity has been restored, its resilience will depend on its ability to ensure sustained implementation of the Agreement," he writes, noting that the two sides have failed to meet the deadlines for the redeployment of forces.

"In the absence of a demarcated boundary, the two sides continue to dispute each other's presence in certain areas. It is extremely important to complete the redeployment of forces."

Signed in 2005, the CPA ended the 21-year war between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) that killed at least two million people and displaced 4.5 million others.

Mr. Ban says more progress is needed on the formation of joint integrated units of the SAF and the SPLA, particularly if the people of Southern Sudan vote for unity in a referendum scheduled for 2011.

But he stresses that one of the most critical challenges ahead remains the issue of Abyei, a disputed region between north and south.

"Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the region has had no administrative governance structures and the local population is therefore deprived of basic services. I am extremely concerned about the recent clashes between SPLA and local tribes in the area. Those clashes have resulted in considerable loss of life and challenged the fragile peace on the ground."

The Secretary-General calls for a two-pronged approach to Abyei that includes political dialogue between the Government and the SPLA and the stabilization of the situation on the ground between the local traditional communities.

In addition, the demarcation of the overall north-south boundary must be resolved as a matter of priority, he writes, as the ongoing delays have implication for other matters, such as the census, elections and power- and wealth-sharing arrangements.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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UN AND RELIEF AGENCIES SET PRIORITIES FOR HELPING CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

UN AND RELIEF AGENCIES SET PRIORITIES FOR HELPING CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC New York, Feb 4 2008 5:00PM United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the impoverished Central African Republic (CAR) have identified more than 30 high-priority projects in a ranking exercise designed to improve the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of the aid they provide.

The projects, which will cost $29 million, will provide life-saving assistance to one million people, including 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3,000 Sudanese refugees. They were identified as meeting criteria which included saving lives, operating in a conflict zone, and working to a clear deadline.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes welcomed the ranking exercise and called on the international community to support the projects generously.

"Stating clear priorities and mobilizing money in line with them has been a long-standing aim in the aid community. I am pleased to see that NGOs and UN agencies in CAR have joined forces and shown that this is possible," he said.

Most of the 37 priority projects provide emergency health care, protect displaced populations, in particular women and children, and ensure that populations affected by violence have access to food and water.

"Prioritizing the projects in the appeal helps us to be sure that we are reaching people who need aid the most," said Toby Lanzer, Humanitarian Coordinator in the CAR. "It also shows our concern for transparency and accountability when implementing humanitarian programmes."
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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TALKS TO END KENYA CRISIS RESUME AMID CONTINUING UNREST - UN

TALKS TO END KENYA CRISIS RESUME AMID CONTINUING UNREST – UN New York, Feb 4 2008 4:00PM Following a weekend of more killings and turmoil in various part of Kenya, efforts to resolve the post-election crisis resumed today under the leadership of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

More than 800 people have already lost their lives – and over a quarter of a million have been displaced – in intensifying ethnic clashes triggered by the aftermath of December elections in which Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga.

As head of the Panel of Eminent African Persons, Mr. Annan has been leading the mediation between the Government and the Opposition.

Even as talks resumed today, the UN Country Team confirmed that Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, who had arrived in Nairobi on Friday to assist in the mediation efforts, left the country after the Government raised concerns over his impartiality.

Meanwhile, amid the persisting violence, UN agencies and their partners are continuing to assist the Government and the Kenya Red Cross in providing relief to those affected.

On Saturday, a joint UN team visited the internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Eldoret town and reported that sewage facilities and drainage systems must improve at the overcrowded local IDP camp, home to some 19,000 residents.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has noted that the post-election violence has led to a humanitarian crisis that is "unprecedented" in Kenya, and has called on all political leaders to look beyond individual or partisan interests and resolve their differences peacefully.

"The people and leaders of Kenya, particularly political leaders, have the duty, and the responsibility, to wake up and reverse this tragic path before it escalates into the horrors of mass killings and devastation we have witnessed in recent history," he said during a visit to the strife-torn nation.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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WESTERN SAHARA: UN ENVOY TO VISIT REGION FOR IN-DEPTH CONSULTATIONS

WESTERN SAHARA: UN ENVOY TO VISIT REGION FOR IN-DEPTH CONSULTATIONS New York, Feb 4 2008 4:00PM The United Nations envoy for Western Sahara travels tomorrow to the region for a round of in-depth consultations with the parties ahead of the next round of scheduled talks between Morocco and the Frente Polisario.

Peter van Walsum, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, will visit Rabat, Tindouf, Algiers and Nouakchott during his 10-day trip, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today.

The visit is taking place ahead of the fourth round of UN-led talks in Manhasset, New York, set for 11-13 March, between Morocco and Frente Polisario, which dispute how to provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Security Council members welcomed the news of both Mr. van Walsum's trip and the March round of face-to-face talks, according to a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9241.doc.htm">statement to the press read out by Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the rotating presidency this month.

"The members of the Security Council welcome that the parties reiterated their commitment to show political will and negotiate in good faith and agreed on the need to move the process into a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations under United Nations auspices," Mr. Arias said.

In his most recent report on the issue, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that while it was a positive sign that the two sides had committed to a process of negotiations, they remained far apart on the substantive issues.

The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has been in the Territory since 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the Frente Polisario.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON TO WITNESS CHICAGO'S 'GREENING' EFFORTS DURING UPCOMING VISIT

BAN KI-MOON TO WITNESS CHICAGO'S 'GREENING' EFFORTS DURING UPCOMING VISIT New York, Feb 4 2008 4:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be travelling later this week to Chicago where he will see first-hand how the major United States city is tackling climate change.

The two-day visit beginning on Thursday is part of his tour of major US cities, Mr. Ban's spokesperson, Michele Montas, told reporters in New York.

The Secretary-General will meet with Mayor Richard Daley to discuss his efforts to turn Chicago into America's greenest city, Ms. Montas said.

He will also visit a "green" building, stop by a local high school, and also attend events at the MacArthur Foundation, the Economic Club of Chicago, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Climate change – which Mr. Ban calls the "defining issue of our era" – was a key topic during the Secretary-General's visit to the US city of San Francisco last July, and featured prominently in discussions with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ms. Montas also announced that Mr. Ban is planning to attend the Global Insight Summit, scheduled to take place at the fifth annual Jackson Hole Film Festival in early June in the US state of Wyoming.

"The Global Insight Summit represents an unprecedented collaboration, bringing together entertainment leaders and UN officials to explore how film and television can be leveraged to bring awareness to global issues," said Ms. Montas.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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MAJOR SHIPPING NATION ACCEDES TO TWO UN MARINE POLLUTION TREATIES

MAJOR SHIPPING NATION ACCEDES TO TWO UN MARINE POLLUTION TREATIES New York, Feb 4 2008 2:00PM The Bahamas, home to the world's third-largest registered fleet of ships, has acceded to two key International Maritime Organization (<"http://www.imo.org/Newsroom/mainframe.asp?topic_id=1709&doc_id=8993">IMO) conventions that aim to discourage environmental pollution on the high seas, the United Nations agency announced today.

The Caribbean nation has acceded to the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships 2001 (known as the AFS Convention) and to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001 (Bunkers Convention).

The AFS Convention requires parties to the pact to ban or restrict the use of harmful anti-fouling systems on ships flying their flag, operating under their authority or entering their ports, shipyards and offshore terminals. The Bahamas' accession means 28 States comprising 43.79 per cent of the global fleet of ships have now ratified the treaty, which will enter into force on 17 September.

The Bunkers Convention aims to ensure that prompt and adequate compensation is available to people who suffer damage caused by oil spills when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers. This pact enters into force on 21 November.

IMO is the UN agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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CULTURE OF IMPUNITY PUTS NEPALESE PEACE PROCESS AT RISK, WARNS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL

CULTURE OF IMPUNITY PUTS NEPALESE PEACE PROCESS AT RISK, WARNS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL New York, Feb 4 2008 2:00PM Although Nepal has made important progress since ending its decade-long conflict with the Maoists more than a year ago, a senior United Nations official has warned that an ongoing culture of impunity for human rights violations is endangering the peace process.

"Impunity remains unchecked in Nepal and not one perpetrator of past or ongoing human rights violations has been convicted as a result of a criminal investigation," Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/2A229D9CF5642CA5C12573E5005756F2?opendocument">said yesterday at a press briefing in the capital, Kathmandu.

Wrapping up a five-day visit to the South Asian nation, Ms. Kang added that "the consolidation of the peace process will continue to be at risk without political will on the part of the authorities to end this culture of impunity."

An estimated 13,000 people were killed during the civil conflict that formally ended when the Government and Maoists signed a peace accord in 2006. The agreements between the parties include the setting up of a commission on disappearances and a truth and reconciliation commission.

These are important measures "to bring out the truth, address the past, and also the underlying causes of the conflict with a view to ensuring that the violations of the past are not repeated," Ms. Kang stressed. "These commissions must be set up in accordance with international standards if they are to guarantee the rights of victims and their relatives to truth, justice and reparations."

She added that ongoing impunity as well as a "security vacuum due to weak law enforcement and criminal justice" has also led to an increase in violence, including killings and abductions by armed groups.

"These acts of violence only serve the interests of those seeking to disrupt the peace process and will make more difficult the holding of free and fair elections," Ms. Kang said, referring to the Constituent Assembly polls slated for 10 April. The elections for the Assembly, which is supposed to draft a new constitution for Nepal, were originally scheduled to be held in June last year but had to be postponed because of continuing mistrust between the Government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

In addition, the Deputy High Commissioner noted that discrimination based on caste, gender or ethnicity remains "entrenched" in Nepali society and stresses the need to address the problem "or it will continue to place the peace process at risk."

At the same time, she drew attention to progress on several fronts, including in addressing the situation of marginalized groups and the appointment of senior officials to the National Human Rights Commission. But it is evident that further efforts are needed, she added, pledging the continued support and assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for the peace process and for strengthening human rights protection in Nepal.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF CONCERNED OVER POSSIBLE PROSECUTION OF CHILD SOLDIER

UNICEF CONCERNED OVER POSSIBLE PROSECUTION OF CHILD SOLDIER New York, Feb 4 2008 2:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_42741.html">UNICEF) has expressed concern over the possible prosecution of a detainee at Guantanamo Bay on charges of war crimes he allegedly committed when he was 15 years old.

"UNICEF is concerned that such a prosecution, in particular in front of a military commission not equipped to meet the required standards, would set a dangerous precedent for the protection of hundreds of thousands of children who find themselves unwittingly involved in conflict around the world," the agency said.

A United States military commission at Guantanamo Bay is scheduled to review the case of the detainee, Omar Khadr, today and decide whether his prosecution for war crimes should proceed. Mr Khadr, who is a Canadian citizen, was arrested in 2002 in Afghanistan.

"UNICEF believes that children alleged to have committed crimes while they were child soldiers should be considered primarily as victims of adults who have broken international law by recruiting and using children… and that these individuals must be provided with assistance for their social integration," the agency said.

It added that persons under 18 at the time of the alleged offence "must be treated in accordance with international juvenile justice standards which provide them with special protection."
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL BACKS INITIATIVE TO TRY TO RESOLVE CHAD'S WORSENING CRISIS

SECURITY COUNCIL BACKS INITIATIVE TO TRY TO RESOLVE CHAD'S WORSENING CRISIS New York, Feb 4 2008 2:00PM The Security Council today demanded an immediate end to the violence engulfing Chad and welcomed an African Union initiative to try to engage both the Government and the armed opposition groups to find a durable solution to the country's crisis.

The condemnation of the armed groups' recent attacks against the Government comes as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expressing alarm at the deteriorating situation, especially its impact on Chad's large population of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

A team from the United Nations refugee agency is also rushing to the Chadian border with Cameroon to help thousands of residents of the capital, N'Djamena, who have been fleeing the fighting.

"The Security Council strongly condemns these attacks and all attempts at destabilization by force, and recalls its commitment to the sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and political independence of Chad," the 15-member panel said in a presidential statement read out by Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama.

It urged all States within the region "to deepen their cooperation with a view to putting an end to the activities of armed groups and their attempt to seize power by force" and to provide support to the Chadian Government if it seeks assistance.

Council members said they were concerned that the current fighting poses a direct threat to the safety of Chad's civilians, including its IDPs and refugees, estimated to number more than 460,000 in total.

This concern echoes the call of Mr. Ban, who said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sgsm11401.doc.htm">statement yesterday that he was "profoundly alarmed by the dangerous situation" and called on all sides in the conflict to ensure the safety and security of civilians, UN staff and any other international humanitarian workers.

The presidential statement read out by Mr. Arias reaffirmed the Council's full support for MINURCAT, the UN mission to Chad and the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) that was authorized by the Council last year to try to protect vulnerable civilians in both countries and to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance.

It also endorsed the work of the European Union force (EUFOR Tchad/RCA) being deployed to Chad to try to stabilize the region.

Mr. Arias said the Council applauded the AU initiative to mandate Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi and President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo "to engage the Chadian parties with a view to ending the fighting and to initiate efforts aimed at seeking a lasting solution to the crisis."

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that it has dispatched a team of staff to the border town of Kousseri in Cameroon to assess an expected influx of thousands of Chadians.

Local officials have told the agency that thousands of Chadians have fled N'Djamena and were reaching the Kousseri area, on the other bank of the Chari river, via 15 crossing points.

Two UNHCR trucks carrying aid supplies are being sent from Bertoua in eastern Cameroon and an airlift of more supplies from either Dubai or Copenhagen is also being considered.

High Commissioner António Guterres appealed to all sides to respect humanitarian principles when dealing with civilians.

"Hundreds of thousands of uprooted people in Chad depend on international support and a very fragile aid lifeline that must reach some of the most desolate and isolated parts of the country," Mr. Guterres said.

"We are continuing to assist, but insecurity is forcing us to relocate some staff and threatens to severely affect the flow of life-saving aid to these very vulnerable populations."

Almost all UNHCR staff have been evacuated from N'Djamena, but some staff continue to work in most of the camps in the east, near the border with Sudan's war-wracked Darfur region.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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SOMALIA: UNESCO CONDEMNS LATEST MURDER OF JOURNALIST

SOMALIA: UNESCO CONDEMNS LATEST MURDER OF JOURNALIST New York, Feb 4 2008 1:00PM The head of the United Nations agency mandated to defend press freedom today deplored the killing of a reporter in Somalia and called for measures to improve the safety of journalists in the country, which has become one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists to work.

Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO), issued a statement offering his condolences after the death of Hassan Kafi Hared, who worked for the Somali National News Agency.

Mr. Hared died last Monday when a remote-controlled mine in the south-western port town of Kismayo blew up a vehicle belonging to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Médecins Sans Frontières. Shooting followed the explosion. Two MSF aid workers and their driver were also killed in the attack.

"I wish to pay tribute to the dedication of Hassan Kafi Hared and his colleagues, who carry out work essential for national reconciliation and reconstruction at tremendous personal risk, as tragically shown by this event," Mr. Matsuura said, extending his condolences to MSF as well.

"Journalists must be able to work in conditions of reasonable safety if they are to exercise the fundamental human right of freedom of expression and keep the population of Somalia and of the world informed about events in the country."

Seven journalists were killed in the line of duty in Somalia last year and, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), it is now the second-most dangerous country to be a journalist, behind only Iraq.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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UN LAUNCHES GLOBAL EFFORT TO PREDICT CLIMATIC CHANGES

UN LAUNCHES GLOBAL EFFORT TO PREDICT CLIMATIC CHANGES New York, Feb 4 2008 12:00PM The United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today kicked off a drive to improve the ability to forecast changes in climate and cope with extreme weather patterns, such as desertification and drought.

Over 20 organizations are convening in Geneva to take part in a three-day meeting to discuss how to bolster prediction capacities to improve global responses to the impacts of global warming.

"We can better help the planet respond to the threat of climate variability and change by improving forecasts of temperature and rainfall patterns, as well as other climactic parameters, and then effectively delivering this information to governments, businesses, farmers and end-users in many other sectors," said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.

The Geneva gathering is the first meeting of the International Organizing Committee of the World Climate Conference-3 (WCC-3), which seeks to promote disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY PLEDGES MORE HELP FOR CANCER VICTIMS

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY PLEDGES MORE HELP FOR CANCER VICTIMS New York, Feb 4 2008 12:00PM The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today marked World Cancer Day with a pledge to help victims of the disease through radiotherapy.
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The vast majority of new cancer cases are projected to strike in developing countries. In response, the IAEA set up its Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) to help poorer countries confront the growing cancer crisis by integrating radiotherapy into comprehensive cancer control efforts.
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"As it celebrates its third birthday on World Cancer Day, PACT can claim significant progress in building effective relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, initiating six pilot projects and gaining increasing support from Member States," said IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei in a statement on the Day.
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Approximately 84 million people will die of cancer in the next 10 years, more than 70 per cent of them in low-income countries, unless action is taken now, according to the World Health Organization.
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"The IAEA commends all organizations, agencies and individuals engaged in the battle to defeat this dreadful disease," said Mr. ElBaradei, anticipating "continued collaboration with international partners to help bring hope to cancer patients, to relieve their suffering and to save lives." </p>
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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UN TRANSFERS MORE AUTHORITY TO NATIONAL POLICE IN TIMOR-LESTE

UN TRANSFERS MORE AUTHORITY TO NATIONAL POLICE IN TIMOR-LESTE New York, Feb 4 2008 12:00PM United Nations Police in Timor-Leste today transferred authority to their national counterparts at three police posts in the capital, Dili.
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"Today's transfer marks an important milestone in the reconstitution of the PNTL," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative, Atul Khare, referring to the Timorese National Police.
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He stressed that assumption of responsibilities in all fields by the Timorese, assisted by the international community, was essential for long-term sustainability of stability, peace and development.
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The UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) said the transfer of authority in Bairro Pite, Bidau and Mercado Lama is intended to help the PNTL to operate more independently, under the supervision and continued mentoring of international police.
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The decision, taken by Mr. Khare in consultation with the Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, was based on number of criteria including that the posts are managed by fully certified PNTL officers and that adequate logistical support is provided to enable them to perform their duties.
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UNMIT said UN Police will continue to supervise the posts in the coming months to ensure that these criteria are being met while maintaining training and mentoring activities. </P>
2008-02-04 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS EMERGENCY SESSION AS SECURITY CRISIS WORSENS IN CHAD

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS EMERGENCY SESSION AS SECURITY CRISIS WORSENS IN CHAD New York, Feb 4 2008 11:00AM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for an immediate to the fighting engulfing Chad as the Security Council held emergency consultations to discuss the worsening situation inside the country, where heavy fighting between Government forces and opposition groups has reached parts of the capital, N'Djamena.
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Mr. Ban is "profoundly alarmed by the dangerous situation," his spokesperson said in a statement issued at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
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"He is particularly concerned at the deterioration of the serious humanitarian situation of some 285,000 refugees and 180,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as host communities, in eastern Chad, where the international community is actively engaged in providing life-saving assistance."
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The statement stressed the need to end hostilities and engage in dialogue to avoid further bloodshed, and also called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety and security of civilians, UN staff and any other international humanitarian workers.
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Mr. Ban "appeals to all countries in the region to respect the inviolability of international borders and to prevent any incursions from being launched from within their territory."
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Council members went into emergency consultations this afternoon after a request from Panama, which holds the monthly presidency of the 15-member panel. Tonight, Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias told journalists that the consultations have been adjourned until tomorrow morning.
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Meanwhile, the senior UN official in the neighbouring war-wracked Darfur region of Sudan today voiced his deep concern, warning that the violence could spill over the border and further destabilize Darfur.
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Rodolphe Adada, the UN-African Union Joint Special Representative (JSR) for Darfur, also deplored the recent spike in armed attacks against humanitarian workers operating in eastern Chad, according to a press statement issued by UNAMID, the hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
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Those attacks, particularly in the town of Guereda, led to the evacuation of most UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff from eastern Chad last week, ahead of the resumption in fierce fighting between Government forces and opposition groups.
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"Bearing in mind the strong historical and ethnic bonds between Sudan and Chad, which share a long border, the JSR further notes that the African continent in particular and the international community in general do not wish to see another bloody conflict in the region, and urges all parties to exercise self-restraint," the media statement said. </p>
2008-02-03 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY THANKS FRENCH NAVY FOR PROTECTING ITS SOMALI AID FROM PIRATES

UN FOOD AGENCY THANKS FRENCH NAVY FOR PROTECTING ITS SOMALI AID FROM PIRATES New York, Feb 3 2008 8:00PM Hailing the French navy for protecting its ships carrying aid supplies from pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia since mid-November, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has thanked Denmark for agreeing to take over the operation for the next two months.

WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said in a statement yesterday from the agency's headquarters in Rome that "safe travel through Somali waters has made an enormous impact on our ability to reach more than a million hungry, vulnerable people.

"As food security continues to deteriorate in Somalia, and the number of hungry people is set to rise, I urge other governments to step forward in the same spirit of cooperation."

Since French navy ships began their escort operation in November, nine shipments carrying over 30,000 tons of food – or enough to feed 300,000 people for six months – have travelled safely from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to either Mogadishu or Merka in Somalia.

WFP has also been able to build up its in-country stocks of food and, if shipments continue, now expects to feed 1.8 million people in the Horn of Africa nation this year, up from 1.53 million in 2007.

The escort operation began after an escalating series of attacks of piracy were reported off the Somali coast last year, including some in which crew members were taken hostage. In total, 31 acts of piracy were reported, including three against ships ferrying WFP supplies.

The UN agency said the situation in Somalia remains grim, particularly in Mogadishu, where the fighting has been fiercest in the past year. In other parts of the country, locals have endured their worst cereal harvest in 13 years.

Without new donations of food, WFP estimates that it will exhaust its existing supplies as early as March, and it is calling for $15 million to buy almost 20,000 tons of food to cover shortfalls until June.
2008-02-03 00:00:00.000

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GAZA'S BORDER CROSSINGS WITH ISRAEL COMPLETELY CLOSED TODAY - UN

GAZA'S BORDER CROSSINGS WITH ISRAEL COMPLETELY CLOSED TODAY – UN New York, Feb 1 2008 6:00PM No trucks carrying relief supplies were able to enter the Gaza Strip from Israel today as all the border crossings remained closed, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process (UNSCO) reported.

Today's closures mean UN agencies' stocks of essential goods in Gaza continue to dwindle, several weeks after Israeli authorities imposed tight restrictions on entry to and exit from the area where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians live.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the power supply remains out for most of the day, is being exacerbated by the current spell of unusually cold weather, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The agency has managed to provide about 112,500 litres of fuel to Gazan officials dealing with waste management, but this is short of the amount needed, resulting in garbage piling up along the streets.

Gaza's schools are scheduled to re-open tomorrow after the winter break, but they will probably have no heating or electricity, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported. UNRWA-run schools will also have no books as Israel has not allowed the agency to take paper into Gaza.

UNRWA has so far received only 1 per cent of the $237 million it sought in urgent humanitarian aid last December when it launched its consolidated appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory.
2008-02-01 00:00:00.000

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UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL VISIT TO MEXICO

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL VISIT TO MEXICO New York, Feb 1 2008 5:00PM The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour will make a four-day official visit next week to Mexico to assess recent developments in the country and key challenges ahead in protecting human rights.

During her visit Ms. Arbour will sign an agreement with the Mexican Government to continue the support of her office (<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR) to national efforts to promote and protect human rights, according to a media statement released in Geneva today.

Ms. Arbour is scheduled to hold talks with President Felipe Calderon, Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa, as well as other senior officials from the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the Mexican Government.

The High Commissioner – who has previously visited Mexico in this role – will also meet representatives of the National Commission on Human Rights, along with human rights defenders, academics, and members of women's and indigenous organizations.

In addition, she is expected to travel to the Pacific coast state of Guerrero for talks with its Governor, the committee in charge of preparing the local human rights assessment, and local indigenous groups.
2008-02-01 00:00:00.000

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MORE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES NEEDED TO PREVENT GLOBAL CONFLICTS - UN REPORT

MORE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES NEEDED TO PREVENT GLOBAL CONFLICTS – UN REPORT New York, Feb 1 2008 5:00PM Despite a wide range of tools available to the United Nations in the areas of preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peacebuilding, a new United Nations <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/18">report calls for measures to boost the world body's capacity to prevent conflicts.

Citing a "considerable gap" between rhetoric surrounding prevention and the use of measures towards that end, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states that "the overriding challenge for the international community remains the development of more effective strategies for preventing conflict."

In his latest report on conflict prevention, particularly in Africa, Mr. Ban notes that the cost of armed conflict on the continent is equal to or greater than the amount of money it receives in international aid. "Had that money not been lost as a result of armed conflict, it could have been used to address Africa's growing development and humanitarian needs," he points out.

The Secretary-General believes the key priority is to further enhance the UN's work in the area of conflict prevention, and has unveiled plans to strengthen the capacity of the Secretariat, especially the Department of Political Affairs.

The report proposes to strengthen the Organization's regional field presence in support of prevention, particularly in Africa.

While effective preventive action requires substantial human and financial resources, peacekeeping or peace enforcement costs much more, he notes, adding "we must therefore move from declarations of intent to concrete actions to ensure that preventive diplomacy becomes more effective."

He notes that the UN is already bolstering its partnerships with Member States and regional organizations to develop their conflict prevention capacities, as evidenced by the world body's close cooperation with the African Union on several prevention, peacekeeping and peacemaking initiatives.

Noting the underrepresentation of women at the formal stages of conflict prevention, Mr. Ban stresses the need for the UN to make an increased effort to support and encourage their full participation in this area.

To prevent crises from escalating into armed conflict, Mr. Ban calls on the Security Council to enhance its prevention capacity, including by dispatching timely missions to the field to assess situations on the ground.

He also urges the Council to increase the use of its "Arria formula" meetings, whereby non-governmental actors can address the 15-member body outside official sessions, and to work to ensure the "creative and constructive" use of sanctions as a tool for preventing conflicts.

Mr. Ban adds that it is only through political settlements that conflicts can be resolved. "If we do not deal with the root causes of conflict – and offer sustainable solutions – we will be left with humanitarian emergencies and peacekeeping operations without end."
2008-02-01 00:00:00.000

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FIVE INDONESIANS SUCCUMB TO BIRD FLU INFECTION - UN HEALTH AGENCY

FIVE INDONESIANS SUCCUMB TO BIRD FLU INFECTION – UN HEALTH AGENCY New York, Feb 1 2008 4:00PM Five Indonesians living in the west of Java, the most populous island in the Asian archipelago, have become the latest human fatalities from avian influenza, the United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) has confirmed.

Indonesian health officials say the five people – two men, two women and a nine-year-old boy – have all succumbed in the past eight days since contracting the H5N1 virus, responsible for outbreaks of bird flu around the world in recent years.

So far, 102 of the 124 confirmed bird flu cases in Indonesia have been fatal, according to a statement issued by WHO. The South-East Asian nation is one of a handful of countries where the virus is enzootic, which means it is continuously present and being passed among poultry.

There have been 357 laboratory-confirmed human cases and 225 deaths worldwide since the H5N1 outbreak began in 2003, with Indonesia, Viet Nam, Egypt, China and Thailand reporting the greatest number of cases.

The most recent death occurred yesterday, when a 31-year-old woman from East Jakarta died, nine days after being hospitalized. The woman is believed to have visited a wet market where live poultry are sold three days before she started experiencing bird flu symptoms.

In the other cases, a 32-year-old man from Banten province on Java's western tip died on Tuesday, a 23-year-old woman from East Jakarta died on Sunday, the same day as a nine-year-old boy from West Java, and a 30-year-old man from Banten province also died on 24 January.
2008-02-01 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON APPLAUDS INDIA'S 'UNFAILING' ASSISTANCE TO NEPALESE

BAN KI-MOON APPLAUDS INDIA'S 'UNFAILING' ASSISTANCE TO NEPALESE New York, Feb 3 2008 8:00PM India has played a vital and long-standing role in helping the people of Nepal and also in supporting the efforts of the United Nations across the South Asian region, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson on Friday, Mr. Ban clarified comments to the press made by Matthew Kahane, the UN's Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, on 24 January.

"His comments were not intended to suggest that the Government of India has influence over Nepalese groups that have recently been limiting the steady flow of essential goods into the Terai region of Nepal, such as food," the statement noted.

"India is an important partner in the region and we appreciate very much the unfailing and long-standing assistance and support that India has provided to the United Nations and, more importantly, to the people of Nepal."
2008-02-03 00:00:00.000

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UN READY TO ASSIST AFTER MAJOR QUAKE STRIKES EASTERN DR CONGO

UN READY TO ASSIST AFTER MAJOR QUAKE STRIKES EASTERN DR CONGO New York, Feb 3 2008 8:00PM The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is preparing to assist local authorities help people in the far east of the impoverished country after a major earthquake struck the region this morning.

Alan Doss, the Secretary-General's Special Representative to the DRC and the chief of the mission, known as MONUC, has immediately asked the mission and other UN agencies operating in the region "to extend all necessary assistance" to authorities and the affected local population, according to a statement issued in Kinshasa, the capital.

The mission said the initial assessments indicated that the earthquake has caused "a number of deaths and injured" but that an exact toll is yet to be determined. Buildings have been damaged in the DRC and in neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi.

A daily worker at the MONUC office in Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu in the eastern DRC, has been reported killed, but so far no other UN civilian or military personnel is known to have died.

Media reports say a second serious quake struck several hours later in Rwanda, causing further death and destruction.

Mr. Doss offered his condolences to the populations of all the areas in Africa's Great Lakes region who have been affected by the earthquake.

MONUC said the epicentre of this morning's quake, which registered 6.0 on the Richter scale, was located in Kabaré, about 20 kilometres north of Bukavu. It struck about 9:35 local time.
2008-02-03 00:00:00.000

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