MARKING INTERNATIONAL DAY, TOP UN OFFICIALS URGE GREATER INVESTMENTS IN WOMEN

MARKING INTERNATIONAL DAY, TOP UN OFFICIALS URGE GREATER INVESTMENTS IN WOMEN New York, Mar 8 2008 11:00AM Top United Nations officials commemorated this year's International Women's Day by calling on countries to invest more in women and girls, warning that failing to do so will undermine efforts to achieve global development targets.

In his <http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11442.doc.htm>message for the Day, Secretary-General drew attention to the "serious" gap between policy and practice in many countries when it comes to gender equality, as reflected in a lack of resources and insufficient budgetary allocations.

"This failure of funding undermines not only our endeavours for gender equality and women's empowerment as such; it also holds back our efforts to reach all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," he said, referring to the global pledges to slash poverty and other social ills, all by 2015.

"As we know from long and indisputable experience, investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity and sustained economic growth," he added, noting that no measure is more important in advancing education and health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS, or as likely to improve nutrition, or reduce infant and maternal mortality.

Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), agreed that "if we want to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, we need more investments in women and girls.

"Whether we are looking at it from a human rights, political or economic point of view, the conclusion is the same: It makes sense to invest in women. The returns are high for women themselves and for the world at large," she said.

However, not only were investments still not being made to the extent they should be, they were actually declining in some areas, such as maternal health and family planning.

"Improving women's well-being cannot be accomplished without improving their health, particularly their reproductive health," she stressed, noting that by ensuring universal access to reproductive health, it will be possible to reduce poverty, reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, and meet the need for family planning.

"By investing in women's reproductive health and well-being, we will stand a better chance of achieving the MDGs and making gender equality a reality."

Part of the struggle for women's rights and gender equality is the urgent need to end violence against women in all of its forms, a point highlighted by the acting Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), who drew attention to the UN campaign launched by the Secretary-General on 25 February, UNiTE to End Violence against Women.

"The campaign will add value and visibility to the efforts that Governments, women's and other civil society organizations, UN and donor partners are making to combat gender-based violence and send the message that ending violence against women stands on par with other critical development goals," said Joanne Sandler.

She added that it also comes at a time when the world's leaders are renewing their commitment to financing for all national development goals, including the MDGs.

"Ending violence against women was a missing indicator in the MDGs, owing to the lack of comparable data," she stated. "It is encouraging, therefore, that the United Nations has also committed to assist countries in efforts to generate the data needed to measure the extent of violence against women and girls.

"Together with proven evidence of what works and the financial and technical resources needed to support countries to meet the implementation challenge, there may indeed be an end in sight to the pandemic of violence against women and girls ? and genuine progress on achieving gender equality and women's empowerment," Ms. Sandler said.

From Afghanistan to Sudan, women around the world are celebrating the Day through events at the local and national levels. In the strife-torn Sudanese region of Darfur, staff of the new African Union-UN mission there (UNAMID) handed out T-shirts and posters to women in the central market in El Fasher, and held a procession along with Sudanese female police officers and local residents.

Hundreds of women in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar marched for peace, while their sisters in the capital gathered in Kabul's women's garden to mark the Day with a UN agency fair, which included films and a performance by child artists. Female counsellors from UN agencies were also on hand to provide advice on health, education and social issues facing the country's women.

2008-03-08 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ: TOP UN OFFICIAL DEPLORES 'VICIOUS' BOMBING IN BAGHDAD

IRAQ: TOP UN OFFICIAL DEPLORES 'VICIOUS' BOMBING IN BAGHDAD New York, Mar 8 2008 11:00AM The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq has strongly condemned Thursday's bombing in Baghdad, one of the deadliest attacks in the strife-torn nation in recent months.

Staffan de Mistura described the attack in the city's Karrada district as "a wickedly vicious crime committed against the defenseless," according to a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

The attack reportedly killed around 70 people and wounded over 120 when it struck a crowded shopping area in the Iraqi capital.

"This horrifying crime shows the inhumane nature of the perpetrators who will stop at nothing in their quest to further destabilize the country and fan the flames of hatred," he added.

The Special Representative extended the UN's condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for full and speedy recovery for the wounded.

2008-03-08 00:00:00.000

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UN'S MYANMAR ENVOY MEETS WITH PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER

UN'S MYANMAR ENVOY MEETS WITH PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER New York, Mar 8 2008 11:00AM The Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Myanmar met today in Yangon with detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her party, the National League for Democracy.

The meeting between Ibrahim Gambari and Ms. Suu Kyi, which took place at the Sein Le Kantha State House, lasted for an hour and a half, according to UN officials.

A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ms. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for over four years, and has spent more than 11 years in detention since the NLD and its allies won the 1990 election with over 80 per cent of the parliamentary seats.

Last month, the Myanmar authorities announced the holding of a constitutional referendum this May, to be followed by "multi-party democratic elections" in 2010.

Both Mr. Gambari and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have called on the authorities to make the political process inclusive, participatory and transparent, and stressed that the Government must begin a substantive dialogue with Ms. Suu Kyi and other parties relevant to the national reconciliation process.

On this the third day of his latest visit to the troubled South-East Asian nation, the Special Adviser also met separately with representatives of the NLD, the Pa-O National Organization, the National Unity Party and the Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA).

This is his third visit to the country since the Government's crackdown on peaceful protesters last summer.

2008-03-08 00:00:00.000

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BRIDGE, NOT TUNNEL, SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED AT GERMAN WORLD HERITAGE SITE - UN

BRIDGE, NOT TUNNEL, SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED AT GERMAN WORLD HERITAGE SITE – UN New York, Mar 7 2008 6:00PM An expert team from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today is <" http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=42035&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">recommending that a tunnel be constructed – and not a bridge, as currently planned – to preserve the World Heritage status of the Dresden Elbe Valley in German.

Last month, the team of international experts visited the site, met the concerned parties and studied existing plans. It concluded that that a tunnel would have less of an impact on the Valley, which was put on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.

The experts' recommendations are part of a report that the agency will send to German authorities and to the 21 members of the World Heritage Committee, who are scheduled in July in Québec, Canada, to assess Dresden's plans.

Welcoming their proposals, UNESCO's Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said that he trusts that "a constructive consultation will follow leading to the preservation of the cultural landscape of the Dresden Elbe Valley."

At the Committee's previous meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, last year, it decided "to delete the property from the World Heritage list […] in the event that the construction of the bridge has an irreversible impact on the outstanding universal value of the property."

About 18 kilometres long, the Dresden Elbe Valley site was inscribed for its "outstanding cultural landscape," which brings together a combination of baroque and other historic buildings and landscape features in and around the city of Dresden into a parkland setting along the river.

Only one other site has been de-listed since the <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list">World Heritage List, which features natural or cultural sites deemed to have outstanding universal value, began in 1978. That was the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary of Oman, which was removed in July this year because of the country's failure to meet what the Committee said were its conservation obligations. In total, there are currently 851 sites on the World Heritage List.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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UN OFFICIALS EXPRESS GRAVE CONCERN FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN AMID MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE

UN OFFICIALS EXPRESS GRAVE CONCERN FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN AMID MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE New York, Mar 7 2008 5:00PM Following yesterday's shooting in Jerusalem, which killed eight students, and the recent Israeli incursion in Gaza, which left 28 children dead and educational facilities damaged, United Nations officials today appealed for protection of schools and their young wards.

"Schools must be kept out of the conflict space and all parties should respect and preserve them as zones of peace," Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict said in New York.

In Geneva, the spokesperson for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) <" http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/E18D512D991B1404C12574050042BF2E?OpenDocument">expressed hope that Israeli authorities would remove the obstacles to bringing into Gaza teaching kits and construction materials, which are needed to repair schools damaged in recent attacks.

Because schools remain closed, <" http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF has distributed enough School-in-a-Box kits for 800 students, spokesperson Véronique Taveau said.

She added that UNICEF has dispatched 20 educators who specialize in psychological trauma to Gaza, since demand for consultations had risen 60 per cent in the last few days there.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN OFFICIAL IN IRAQ VISITS TURKEY

TOP UN OFFICIAL IN IRAQ VISITS TURKEY New York, Mar 7 2008 5:00PM The United Nations envoy to Iraq has met with senior Turkish Government officials to discuss relations between the two neighbouring countries.

At the invitation of Turkish authorities, Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq, arrived in Ankara yesterday and conferred with Ertugrul Apakan, the Foreign Ministry Undersecretary; Murat Ozcelik, Special Envoy for Iraq; and Derya Kanbay, the country's Ambassador to Iraq.

During the talks, both Mr. de Mistura and the Turkish authorities agreed that in spite of several serious challenges, the "encouraging changes" in Iraq's security situation as well as the "positive developments" in its political process could make 2008 a year of substantive progress, according to a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org/">UNAMI).

The Turkish officials welcomed the world body's role in promoting reconciliation in Iraq, its work in promoting regional dialogue and global efforts to help the war-torn nation build a unified and prosperous State.

The UN expressed its appreciation Turkey for hosting the Expanded Ministerial Meeting on Iraq last November and for its support for constructive dialogue, particularly regarding energy, refugees and security.

Both sides voiced their strong belief that today's visit to Turkey by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani "would represent an important step and provide positive impetus for their bilateral relations and for the regional dialogue," the statement said.

Late last month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3019">expressed concern over the latest escalation of tension along the Turkish-Iraqi border and appealed for "utmost restraint" in actions there and for respect of the border between the two countries.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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THAILAND: UN ANTI-CRIME CHIEF HAILS ARREST OF NOTORIOUS 'LORD OF WAR'

THAILAND: UN ANTI-CRIME CHIEF HAILS ARREST OF NOTORIOUS 'LORD OF WAR' New York, Mar 7 2008 4:00PM The head of the United Nations anti-crime agency today <" http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2008-03-07-2.html">welcomed Thailand's arrest of Viktor Bout, the infamous weapons smuggler, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," who is accused of profiting from some of the most violence conflicts around the globe.

"Let him face justice for the destruction that he has inflicted on humanity," Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said of Mr. Bout, who was apprehended in Bangkok yesterday.

Seen as a kingpin in the global trade of illegal arms, he is believed to have been the inspiration for the character played by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 film "Lord of War."

The vast majority of firearms, one of the planet's biggest killers, used in conflicts start out legally traded but end up in the illicit market through theft, corruption, poor management and weak transfer control mechanisms.

Mr. Costa urged Thailand to ratify the <" http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CTOC/index.html">UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime to "make it easier to bring criminals of [Mr. Bout's] ilk to justice, for example through mutual legal assistance and extradition."

He also took the opportunity to appeal to Member States to ratify the UN Firearms Protocol – also known as the <" http://untreaty.un.org/English/notpubl/18-12_c_E.doc">Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition – and "implement its measures to stop arms dealers from flooding the world with illicit weapons."

According to UNODC, three quarters of the nearly 1 billion guns in circulation worldwide are in the hands of civilians. Every year, 8 million new guns are manufactured, as well as billions of ammunition rounds – enough to kill the world's population twice over.

"The Firearms Protocol – which is a powerful yet forgotten piece of international law – can reduce the threat posed by these weapons," said the UNODC head.

In a related development, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs will <" http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CND/session/51.html">meet next week in Vienna to review progress made on global drug control efforts.

One decade ago, the <" http://www.un.org/ga/subsidiary.shtml">General Assembly committed itself to "eliminating or significantly reducing the illicit cultivation of the coca bush, the cannabis plant and the opium poppy by the year 2008."

The upcoming weeklong meeting – which will be attended by ministers and top anti-narcotics officials from 53 member countries of the Commission, including Bolivia, Colombia and Iran – will assess the effectiveness of measures that have been taken.

"The drug control system has succeeded in containing drug use to less than 5 per cent of the adult population of the world," Mr. Costa said, calling this an "extraordinary" achievement.

"However, the problem has not been solved; fundamental objectives of the drug control conventions have not yet been achieved, and some of the targets set ten years ago remain elusive," he warned.

Next week's meeting will focus on issues such as the impacts of drug trafficking, reducing demand, and alternative development as a key drug control strategy.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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ON SECOND DAY IN MYANMAR, UN ENVOY MEETS WITH STATE OFFICIALS

ON SECOND DAY IN MYANMAR, UN ENVOY MEETS WITH STATE OFFICIALS New York, Mar 7 2008 4:00PM Cooperation between the United Nations and Myanmar and the country's ongoing constitutional process were on the agenda today as the Secretary-General's Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari, continued his latest mission to the South-East Asian nation.

Mr. Gambari met today with Myanmar's Government Authoritative Team, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Information and Culture.

"They held candid discussions on present and future cooperation between Myanmar and the United Nations in the context of the Secretary-General's good offices mandate," UN spokesperson Michele Montas <"http://www.un.org/News/ossg/hilites.shtml">told reporters in New York.

The Special Adviser also met with members of the Referendum Convening Commission and the Constitution Drafting Committee, and had detailed discussions on the ongoing constitutional process, she added.

Last month the authorities in Myanmar announced a constitutional referendum to be held this May, to be followed by "multi-party democratic elections" in 2010.

"Mr. Gambari looks forward to holding further discussions with the leadership and Government on Myanmar and all other relevant interlocutors," Ms. Montas added.

Upon his arrival in Yangon yesterday, Mr. Gambari held talks with Myanmar's Minister for Foreign Affairs, and met with the UN Country Team, the diplomatic corps and the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

This is his third visit since last year's Government crackdown on peaceful protesters.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON PAYS TRIBUTE TO HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF, FOLLOWING EXIT ANNOUNCEMENT

BAN KI-MOON PAYS TRIBUTE TO HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF, FOLLOWING EXIT ANNOUNCEMENT New York, Mar 7 2008 3:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "great regret" at the decision of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights <" http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/HighCommissioner.aspx">Louise Arbour to step down at the end of her first four-year term, which she confirmed today in Geneva.

"I have been most impressed by her extraordinary courage, energy and integrity in speaking out forcefully on human rights, which is among the UN's most important mandates," Mr. Ban <" http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3037">said, following the announcement Ms. Arbour made at the <" http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/7session/index.htm">Human Rights Council – the UN body inaugurated under her tenure, which ends in June.

Mr. Ban said that she never hesitated to incur the criticism of States or other parties by highlighting the victims of abuses or pointing out the inadequacies of national legal systems, and she consistently represented the highest ideals of the Organization.

"Her legacy will be one of a strengthened and more wide-ranging United Nations human rights system, a stronger focus on justice and accountability, reformed protection mechanisms, and a more balanced approach to the full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights," he said.

Ms. Arbour, a Canadian Supreme Court Justice and ex-prosecutor of UN war crimes tribunals for the <"http://www.un.org/icty/">former Yugoslavia and <"http://www.un.org/ictr/">Rwanda, assumed the post of High Commissioner in 2004, after her predecessor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, was killed in a terrorist attack in Baghdad.

Along with announcing her departure, Ms. Arbour today presented her final annual report to the Council, highlighting the distressing human rights implications of renewed conflict in West Darfur and Sri Lanka.

In regard to the Council itself, she said the report stressed the need to support the participation of the least-developed countries in the first-ever Universal Periodic Review, which will assess the rights situation in all UN Member States.

She promised to share reflections on her tenure as High Commissioner at the Council's next session in June.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL TO APPOINT NEW UN ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO APPOINT NEW UN ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN New York, Mar 7 2008 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Kai Eide of Norway as his Special Representative and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

An "integrated" mission established in March 2002, <"http://www.unama-afg.org/Index.htm">UNAMA has two main pillars: one dealing with development issues, and the other handling political matters. These are headed by deputy envoys Bo Asplund and Christopher Alexander, respectively.

A career diplomat with the Norwegian foreign service, Mr. Eide served with the UN as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to deliver a comprehensive review of Kosovo in 2005 and as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1997-1998.

He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Oslo where he studied political science, international law, French and literature.

Mr. Eide replaces Tom Koenigs of Germany, who completed his assignment last December.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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21 BILLION GRAINS OF RICE GENERATED BY POPULAR UN-BACKED INTERNET GAME

21 BILLION GRAINS OF RICE GENERATED BY POPULAR UN-BACKED INTERNET GAME New York, Mar 7 2008 2:00PM With between 300,000 and 500,000 people playing it daily, an Internet game that to date has generated 21 billion grains of rice for the United Nations World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2789">WFP) is proving to be an online sensation.

Launched six months ago, <" http://www.freerice.com/">freerice.com is an interactive vocabulary game in which players donate 20 grains of rice to WFP every time they answer a question correctly, allowing children to simultaneous bolster their vocabularies and help feed the world's hungry.

The money raised from advertising is used to underwrite FreeRice's donation to WFP, and so far, enough rice has been generated to feed 1.1 million hungry people for one day.

The first recipients of the website's aid went to refugees from Myanmar taking shelter in Bangladesh.

"This rice I receive from WFP allows me to feed my family adequately," said Gool Bahar, 39, a widow supporting her family in the Nayapara refugee camp by growing vegetables.

Additional rice has also gone to Ugandan schoolchildren and pregnant and nursing women in Cambodia. The next batch will be distributed to Bhutanese refugees in Nepal.

"I never imagined that things would move this fast or that it would be such a success," said the game's creator John Breen, an online fundraising pioneer from the United States. "Quite apart from the actual amount of rice generated, FreeRice is a fantastic way of spreading the message about world hunger."

A new audio function lets players hear how words are pronounced, and Mr. Breen said a team of lexographers is working to expand the database of 10,000 words. To scale up the game's appeal to younger and non-native English speakers, visitors can now select the level of difficulty to start out at.

Teachers have voiced their appreciation for a vocabulary game that has the power to draw their students in.

"You cannot imagine the joy in my heart when I look out and see 25 kids doing vocabulary homework and enjoying it," one teacher from California told the School Library Journal.

The appeal of the online game to children is such that freerice.com 'communities' have blossomed on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

"Wow this is so great! You prepare for English tests AND help out others. My total count so far is 6,100 grains," a New York high school student said in a comment on Facebook.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY ISSUES 'GREEN PASSPORT' CAMPAIGN AT BERLIN TOURISM FAIR

UN AGENCY ISSUES 'GREEN PASSPORT' CAMPAIGN AT BERLIN TOURISM FAIR New York, Mar 7 2008 2:00PM A 'Green Passport' campaign <" http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=528&ArticleID=5757&l=en">launched today at a world tourism fair aims at shrinking the environmental footprint of vacation travellers, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

The goal of the internet-based campaign, introduced at the Berlin Tourism Fair, is to raise tourists' awareness of their ability to contribute to sustainable development by making responsible holiday choices, the agency said today in a press release.

"Packing a Green Passport along with airline tickets, the swimming costume and the sun lotion means tourists no longer need to leave their green credentials at home but can make them part of the holiday of a lifetime," UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said at the fair.

He said that tourism had great potential for development, as the world's biggest industry. By 2020, he noted, the number of international arrivals by air and by sea could reach 1.6 billion annually.

As tourist numbers grow, so will their demand for energy, water, and natural resources to support their holidays.

"The challenge is to manage this growth sustainably," Mr. Steiner said. "Governments have a key role to play, but so too do individuals and families when planning and going on holiday," he added.

Among many tips on the Green Passport <" http://www.unep.fr/greenpassport/">website, the campaign encourages tourists to choose responsible service providers, reduce the consumption of energy in transit or in hotels and buy locally made, environmentally-friendly souvenirs.

The French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning, and the Brazilian Ministries of Environment and Tourism co-sponsored the campaign launch.

The website, developed in English, Portuguese and French, together with additional communication tools, is available for dissemination among other partners in the tourism community, UNEP said.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY MOVES DARFUR REFUGEES IN CHAD AWAY FROM PERILOUS BORDER

UN AGENCY MOVES DARFUR REFUGEES IN CHAD AWAY FROM PERILOUS BORDER New York, Mar 7 2008 12:00PM The United Nations refugee agency said today that it has started to move Sudanese refugees who had fled a new wave of attacks in Darfur further inside Chad and away from the strife-torn frontier.

"Tensions along the volatile Chad-Sudan border remain high, with people fleeing in both directions," Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47d12f264.html">UNHCR), said today at a press conference in Geneva.

Ms. Pagonis said that a second planned transfer of some of the 13,000 new Darfur arrivals in the Birak area of eastern Chad, who fled ground and aerial attacks that began early last month, was delayed because of renewed fighting.

"More displacement is expected," she said, noting that over 70 per cent of the new arrivals are women and children who are being relocated on a strictly voluntary basis.

According to UNHCR, the transfer exercise is particularly challenging because the newly arrived refugees are spread across 11 villages along a 40-km stretch of the remote Chad-Sudan border.

The relocated refugees are being brought to the Kounoungou camp some 70 km away from the border, where they are medically screened, receive their first one-month food ration from the World Food Programme (WFP) and are provided with a package of relief items.

UNHCR and its partners operate 12 refugee camps in eastern Chad that host 240,000 refugees from the war-torn Darfur region. An additional 50,000 refugees from the Central African Republic are in three camps in southern Chad.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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MORE FUNDS NEEDED TO AID BHUTANESE REFUGEES AFTER FIRE DESTROYS CAMP -- UN

MORE FUNDS NEEDED TO AID BHUTANESE REFUGEES AFTER FIRE DESTROYS CAMP -- UN New York, Mar 7 2008 10:00AM The United Nations refugee agency today cited an urgent need for funds to provide relief supplies to thousands of Bhutanese refugees who lost their homes and belongings when a devastating fire swept through their camp in eastern Nepal last weekend.

Saturday's fire destroyed 95 per cent of the Goldhap refugee camp and left most of its 9,770 residents homeless, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Nepalese Government, along with UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the local communities, has been providing emergency assistance, including building emergency shelters, water tanks and temporary toilets and distributing food rations for two weeks.

In addition, both the Government and UNHCR have been providing cash grants of up to $32 per family to help refugees with their immediate needs following the fire, whose cause is believed to have been accidental but is still being investigated.

However, more funds are required to assist the affected refugees. "We need $580,000 to rebuild the camp and help the refugees," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters in Geneva today, adding that the most immediate needs are shelter, water and sanitation, blankets and mosquito nets.

The agency reported that heavy rain has hampered relief efforts over the last few days but supplies continue to be distributed. In addition, health workers are offering medical services especially to children, pregnant and lactating women and those with chronic diseases. Counselling will also be provided to the affected refugees.

Goldhap is one of seven camps in eastern Nepal housing some 108,000 refugees from Bhutan since the early 1990's. UNHCR is considering relocating some families to some of the six other camps to avoid overcrowding, until Goldhap can be rebuilt.

2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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WOMEN STILL FACE DISCRIMINATION WORLDWIDE, SAYS UN RIGHTS CHIEF

WOMEN STILL FACE DISCRIMINATION WORLDWIDE, SAYS UN RIGHTS CHIEF New York, Mar 7 2008 10:00AM Almost every country in the world still has laws that discriminate against women, and promises to remedy this have not been kept, the top United Nations human rights official <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/2EA2181C5B77E336C125740500336569?opendocument">said today, speaking on the eve of <"http://www.un.org/events/women/iwd/2008/">International Women's Day.

"Many States appear to have simply ignored the commitments they have made," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour stated. "It is shameful that, in the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, fundamental rights are still not enjoyed by many women around the world.

"In some cases, they suffer from multiple forms of discrimination, such as race, age or disabilities as well as their gender. Unless states take their commitments seriously, investing in women and girls will remain a matter of rhetoric," she added.

This failure to create genuine legal parity between men and women is having "a detrimental effect on women in many countries -- sometimes to a devastating degree," according to a new report commissioned by the High Commissioner's Office (OHCHR).

One of the most dangerous examples of this involves the recognition of sexual abuse as a crime under a country's laws and enforcing related legislation. "Rape is recognized as a crime in most legal systems," said Ms. Arbour. "But, even when it is, inadequate legislation or local traditions often mean laws are not properly enforced.

"In addition, at least 53 States still do not outlaw rape within marriage, and men frequently enjoy total impunity for physical as well as sexual violence against their wives," she noted.

The High Commissioner stressed that strengthening legal frameworks to protect women and to ensure their rights is crucial to combat violence against them. "What is clear, is that many States are failing to live up to their promises to review their laws and root out institutional discrimination, and millions of women continue to suffer grave injustices as a result."

Echoing the High Commissioner's call, three independent UN human rights experts today urged States to invest in women and girls to ensure gender equality and prevent violence against women.

The theme of this year's International Women's Day, "Investing in Women and Girls," is a timely reminder that women's access to sources of finance, their participation in decision-making processes and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods are vital to "bridging the gap between universal human rights standards and the realities of the majority of the world's women," they said.

The group called on States, donors and the private sector to step up efforts to "respect, protect and fulfil women's civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and allocate adequate resources towards addressing discrimination and violence against women."

The joint statement was issued today by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Yakin Ertürk; the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari; and the Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, Bernards A. N. Mudho.
2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON HAILS REGIONAL GROUP'S ROLE IN EASING COLOMBIA-ECUADOR TENSIONS

BAN KI-MOON HAILS REGIONAL GROUP'S ROLE IN EASING COLOMBIA-ECUADOR TENSIONS New York, Mar 6 2008 7:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the leadership displayed by the Organization of American States (OAS) in addressing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador that flared last weekend.

"The resolution adopted at the OAS yesterday provides [an] impartial mechanism to clarify events and offers both countries a path to resolve their differences peacefully and cooperatively," he said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3036">statement issued by his spokesperson.

Mr. Ban pledged the UN's full support to the OAS-led process.

Ecuadorian and Venezuelan troops amassed at their borders with Colombia following a weekend attack claiming the life of a senior leader of the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to press reports.

In an earlier statement, the Secretary-General voiced his concern over the "increased tensions and heightened rhetoric" following last weekend's events, and urged all three nations to address their shared concerns "in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation that has traditionally characterized their relations."
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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CONDEMNING ISRAELI ACTIONS IN GAZA, UN RIGHTS COUNCIL CALLS FOR END TO ALL ATTACKS

CONDEMNING ISRAELI ACTIONS IN GAZA, UN RIGHTS COUNCIL CALLS FOR END TO ALL ATTACKS New York, Mar 6 2008 7:00PM The United Nations Human Rights Council today labelled Israel's response to recent rocket attacks from Gaza a war crime and "collective punishment against the civilian population" in a resolution that also called for an end to such military actions and to the "firing of crude rockets by Palestinian combatants."

The resolution, submitted by Pakistan, received 33 votes in favour and one against (Canada), with 13 abstentions. The vote followed a general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, which was preceded by statements from High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, as well as representatives of Israel, Palestine and Syria.

"I am deeply alarmed about the death of civilians," Ms. Arbour said, repeating her condemnation of rocket attacks by Palestinians as well as what she called Israel's disproportionate use of force.

She urged all parties to conduct law-based, independent, transparent and accessible investigations into the killings of civilians, to make the findings public and to hold any perpetrators accountable.

"All human rights are equal for all human beings and no party can claim that, in defending its own population, it is allowed to disavow the rights of others," Ms. Arbour stressed. "On the contrary, all parties have obligations not only towards the rights of their own people, but for the rights of all."

Introducing the resolution, Mahsood Khan of Pakistan said that the serious situation caused by the incessant Israeli military attacks in Gaza required an instant response by the Human Rights Council.

Israel's representative Itzhak Levanon said that Hamas had fired 671 missiles at civilians, women and children since January; it was committing war crimes and collectively punishing a population of a quarter of a million citizens living in Ashkelon, Sderot, Negev and Netivot.

He added that one-sided resolutions would not intimidate Israel, which he said had the fundamental right to live and the essential right to self-defence.

Palestinian representative Mohammed Abu-Koash said the number of Palestinians killed had rendered the Israeli claims of combating militants null and void. Urgent international intervention was required to end murder and provide protection to the Palestinian civil population, he maintained.

The seventh session of the Human Rights Council, which replaced the Human Rights Commission in 2006, opened on Monday and will run through 28 March.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR, MIGRANT WORKERS ON AGENDA AS UN LABOUR POLICY GROUP CONVENES

MYANMAR, MIGRANT WORKERS ON AGENDA AS UN LABOUR POLICY GROUP CONVENES New York, Mar 6 2008 6:00PM Forced labour in Myanmar, freedom of association and discrimination against migrant workers are among the issues to be addressed at the policy meeting of the United Nation's labour organization that opens today in Geneva.

The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (<"http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_091200/index.htm">ILO) meets three times a year in March, June and November, and takes decisions on policy, budget and the agenda of its International Labour Conference.

The meeting scheduled from 6-20 March is expected to discuss action against forced labour in Myanmar in the light of a recent ILO mission to the country, among other issues.

It will also review progress in countries which have not yet ratified all fundamental Conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining, forced and child labour and discrimination.

On 17 March, Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank, will address the Working Party on the Social Dimension of Globalization, speaking on the topic, "The Challenge of Making Globalization Inclusive."
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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ERITREAN RESTRICTIONS ON UN MISSION 'UNACCEPTABLE' - BAN KI-MOON

ERITREAN RESTRICTIONS ON UN MISSION 'UNACCEPTABLE' – BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 6 2008 6:00PM Eritrea's restrictions on the activities of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) breach the fundamental principles of peacekeeping and raise serious implications for the safety and security of blue helmets deployed around the world, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/145">report made public today.

Calling the country's hindrance of the temporary relocation of <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/index.html">UNMEE peacekeepers "unacceptable," Mr. Ban wrote that Eritrea has an obligation under an agreement signed in 2000 to treat the peacekeepers with respect and dignity, guarantee their safety and security, and ensure their right to move freely and perform their mandated tasks.

But instead Eritrea had placed the mission in an "untenable situation" by repeatedly obstructing the blue helmets' relocation efforts, the Secretary-General said in the report to the Security Council.

Last month, the UN decided to move its personnel and equipment out of Eritrea temporarily after the country cut off diesel fuel supplies to UNMEE, paralyzing the operation on that side of the disputed border with Ethiopia.

The original plan had been to regroup the UNMEE personnel and equipment from the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) along the Eritrean-Ethiopian border to Asmara and Assab in a bid to speed up the temporary move. But, due to the lack of adequate facilities in the two cities, Mr. Ban's report said that some peacekeepers will be relocated to their home countries with only essential staff remaining as a rear party.

Earlier this week, the first group of UNMEE peacekeepers – comprising 50 Jordanian troops – flew out of Asmara to Amman.

The report said that the current crisis occurs at a time when several key problems remain in the Eritrean-Ethiopian conflict, including the implementation of the final and binding decision being handed down in 2002 by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission.

"If left unresolved, these issues will remain a source of tension in the border area and will continue to pose an inherent danger of political desolation," Mr. Ban wrote.

He pointed out that Asmara still has a window of opportunity to reassess its position, as well as resume fuel supplies to UNMEE and lift restrictions on it.

"However, should Eritrea not do so, it has an obligation to facilitate the smooth and orderly relocation of the peacekeepers with their equipment from Asmara."

On 30 January, the Security Council unanimously voted to extend UNMEE's mandate by six months, calling on both sides to "show maximum restraint and refrain from any threat or use of force against each other, avoid provocative military activities and put an end to the exchange of hostile statements."
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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WOMEN PLAY VITAL ROLE IN TACKLING GLOBAL CHALLENGES, SAYS MIGIRO

WOMEN PLAY VITAL ROLE IN TACKLING GLOBAL CHALLENGES, SAYS MIGIRO New York, Mar 6 2008 5:00PM Women are disproportionately impacted by global challenges yet are uniquely prepared to find solutions to them, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said in Brussels today.

"Women, who know the price of threats to human security so well, are also often better equipped than men to prevent or resolve them," she said in an <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/dsgsm379.doc.htm">address to a European Union Commission conference entitled "Women: Stabilizing an Insecure World."

Equality between men and women is the ultimate tool with which to tackle issues worldwide, the Deputy Secretary-General said.

"So long as women are not fully empowered, so long as we do not have true gender equality, women will always be more vulnerable to the next new challenge our globalizing world throws at us."

The meeting brought together dozens of women leaders – including heads of State, ministers, heads of international organizations, business leaders and civil society activists – to confer on the twin themes of security and women's empowerment.

Ms. Migiro pointed out that poor women contribute least to but are most affected by climate change, and urged scaled-up investments to curb food shortages and vulnerability to natural disasters.

Religious extremism and intolerance also "indisputably takes its most devastating role on women," she declared, with extremism curbing women's human rights.

Today's meeting, which took place ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March, was also attended by Karen Koning AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA); Joanne Sandler, Executive Director of UN Development Fund for Women (<"http://www.unifem.org/">UNIFEM); Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP); and Mari Simonen, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA).
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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UN EXPERT URGES RESTORATION OF WATER SUPPLY CUT OFF BY EXPLOSION IN IRAQ

UN EXPERT URGES RESTORATION OF WATER SUPPLY CUT OFF BY EXPLOSION IN IRAQ New York, Mar 6 2008 5:00PM An independent United Nations human rights expert today called on Iraqi authorities to restore the water supply to more than 20,000 people having to endure water and food shortages since an explosion last month at a local pumping station.

Jean Ziegler, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, issued a <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/D34564AE70D38996C1257404005752F9?opendocument">statement voicing deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ashraf City/Camp Ashraf and surrounds since the explosion on 8 February at nearby Zorganieh.

He said locals were now experiencing water and food shortages that had been made more critical by the increasingly hot weather in the region.

Mr. Ziegler said he had received reports that the explosion may have been intended to deepen the pressure on an estimated 3,000 members of a militia known as the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) that have been confined in Camp Ashraf.

Under an agreement signed by Iraqi authorities and the PMOI in 2003, the camp remains under the control of the Multi-National Force (MNF) in Iraq and in 2004 the United States recognized PMOI members as protected persons under the Geneva conventions.

In his statement the Special Rapporteur emphasized that the rights to food and drinking water are protected under international human rights law.

"The Iraqi authorities have failed to protect the inhabitants of Ashraf City and its surrounding area from the actions of third parties, which are impeding enjoyment of the rights to food and water and creating a critical humanitarian situation.

"The competent authorities must restore urgently the water supply to all the inhabitants of the region affected by the explosion in the water pumping station [and] the affected population must be protected from violation of their rights by third parties.

"I call on the Iraqi authorities to take immediate measures to guarantee the rights to food and water of the inhabitants of Ashraf City/Camp Ashraf and its surrounding area."
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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PARTICIPANTS AT UN-BACKED FORUM AGREE ON STEPS TO TACKLE HEALTH WORKER CRISIS

PARTICIPANTS AT UN-BACKED FORUM AGREE ON STEPS TO TACKLE HEALTH WORKER CRISIS New York, Mar 6 2008 5:00PM The first-ever global meeting to address the shortages of health workers has endorsed a plan of action to resolve a crisis which affects nearly 60 countries and threatens to undermine critical advances in improving the health and well-being of millions.

The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) estimates that the world needs over four million additional health workers, one million of which are required for sub-Saharan Africa alone.

The Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, which began in Kampala, Uganda, on 2 March, brought together nearly 1,500 participants, including donors, experts and more than 30 ministers of health, education and finance to tackle this vital issue.

The meeting, organized by the WHO-backed Global Health Workforce Alliance, today endorsed the Kampala Declaration and Agenda for Global Action, which sets out a series of steps to be taken over the next 10 years to resolve the crisis.

The Agenda calls on all countries to give top priority to training and recruiting sufficient health personnel from within their own country, and to provide adequate incentives and better working conditions to ensure the retention of health workers.

"This is about much more than a health issue. It is about political choice. It is about quality of life and the dignity of individuals. Therefore, providing health workers for all is the responsibility of all societies and their governments," said Dr. Francis Omaswa, Executive Director of the Alliance.

The Agenda also urges international and regional financial institutions to relax constraints such as public health recruitment ceilings, and calls on WHO to accelerate negotiations for a code of practice on the international recruitment of health workers.

"Health workers are the cornerstone of health systems and action is long overdue," said WHO Deputy Director-General Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah. "This Forum and the Agenda bring much needed attention to the issue."

The Alliance has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Declaration and Agenda, and re-convening the Global Forum in two years' time to evaluate progress.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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SOLVING THE CYPRUS PROBLEM ALSO MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE, SAYS UN ENVOY

SOLVING THE CYPRUS PROBLEM ALSO MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE, SAYS UN ENVOY New York, Mar 6 2008 5:00PM The inability of many Cypriots to project what the positive elements of a settlement might look like in the future is holding back efforts to obtain a lasting solution to the dispute on the Mediterranean island, the senior United Nations envoy to Cyprus said today.

Michael Møller, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, told a conference in Nicosia that while the status quo on Cyprus was unacceptable, it was also not enough to merely make assertions that reaching a settlement was in the interests of everyone.

He welcomed the research contained in a new report on the projected commercial opportunities across the island if there was a solution to the Cyprus problem.

"I commend the authors for their outstanding work, which is bound to become a reference in all future consideration of the implications of a solution… and, necessarily, of the consequences of inaction," he said, according to a press release from the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/index.html">UNFICYP).

"It helps answer a question at the front of every Cypriot's mind, Greek and Turkish, one we should be doing more to address: 'what will a solution mean to me and my family?'

"I, for one, am deeply convinced that a just settlement will mean increased security for the people of Cyprus, greater stability for the region, increase in trade and provision of services, the creation of conditions that will allow culture and art to flourish, and the emergence of Cyprus as a model of peaceful coexistence in a world riven by division."

Solving the Cyprus problem makes economic sense, he stressed.

Mr. Møller said that it was important "to make clear that the peace dividend that will accrue to all Cypriots following a solution includes benefits that will impact their daily lives in very concrete ways, including in their pocketbooks."

UNFICYP was established in March 1964 following the outbreak of intercommunal violence and is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, and contributing to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS DEADLY SHOOTING AT SEMINARY IN JERUSALEM

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS DEADLY SHOOTING AT SEMINARY IN JERUSALEM New York, Mar 6 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned today's shooting at a Jewish rabbinical seminary in west Jerusalem that has left at least eight people dead and many more injured, calling it a "savage attack."

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3035">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban deplored the deliberate killing and injuring of civilians and offered his condolences to the families of those killed.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at the potential for continued acts of violence and terrorism to undermine the political process, which he believes must be pursued to achieve a secure and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians, based on a two-State solution," the statement said.

Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which currently holds the rotating monthly presidency of the Security Council, has scheduled urgent consultations tonight among the 15-member panel on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES GROUP BACKING UN-AU PEACEKEEPING FORCE

DARFUR: BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES GROUP BACKING UN-AU PEACEKEEPING FORCE New York, Mar 6 2008 4:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the initiative to set up a group of "Friends of UNAMID," the hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping operation deployed to Darfur to try to quell the violence and suffering in the war-wracked Sudanese region.

The new group is tasked with supporting the deployment of the mission, which should eventually have almost 26,000 troops, police officers and military observers at full capacity but as of the end of January had only 9,080 uniformed personnel. Its first meeting was convened by the United States and Canada today in New York.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11454.doc.htm">statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban urged all the troop and police contributors to UNAMID to expedite the deployment of the units and assets they have pledged to the mission.

"In this connection, the Secretary-General also welcomes the initiative of the US Government to help accelerate the deployment of UNAMID by providing $100 million to African troop-contributing countries for training and equipping military units which have been pledged for UNAMID," the statement noted.

"The Secretary-General also urges Member States to provide the outstanding enabling units, including air assets, in order to permit UNAMID to achieve full operating capacity."

Stressing the need for "sustained and focused international engagement on both peacekeeping and the political process in Darfur," Mr. Ban called on all parties to the conflict to engage in good-faith negotiations to try to bring the crisis to an end.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million displaced from their homes since 2003, when rebels began fighting Government forces and allied militia in the arid and impoverished region on Sudan's western flank.

In a related development, Mr. Ban is scheduled to travel to Dakar, Senegal, next week to attend the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), as well as a mediation meeting between Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Chadian President Idriss Déby.

That meeting, which will be chaired by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, is aimed and defusing tensions and amending relations between the neighbouring countries.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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GROUND BREAKING SET FOR MAY IN OVERHAUL OF UN HEADQUARTERS

GROUND BREAKING SET FOR MAY IN OVERHAUL OF UN HEADQUARTERS New York, Mar 6 2008 3:00PM Ground breaking for the construction of a temporary venue for international meetings, the most visible piece of the intricate five-year renovation of the landmark United Nations Headquarters in New York, will take place in May, the head of the effort announced today.

Michael Adlerstein, Executive Director of the project, known officially as the Capital Master Plan (CMP), told reporters that "significant progress" had been made since the General Assembly approved a $1.9 billion accelerated strategy in December.

Beside the finalization of plans for the temporary conference building, all necessary "swing" space" for the temporary relocation of 5,000 displaced staff members has now been secured, Mr. Adlerstein said.

"Design work for the interior fit-out is also near completion," he added, while the outfitting of "swing space" offices was already under way.

The temporary conference building will be built on the lawn area north of the UN complex between First Avenue and the East River, and will replace the General Assembly, Security Council and other meeting spaces in turn.

It will also house the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and related staff throughout the renovation, Mr. Adlerstein added.

Other staff will be accommodated in newly-leased space in Midtown and Long Island City, as well as redistributed throughout current Headquarters facilities. The largest "swing space," on Madison Ave and 46th Street, will take in 1,820 workers.

Library resources and staff will remain in place in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library for the duration of the renovations, he said.

The Capital Master Plan aims to bring the five-decade old Secretariat and adjacent buildings, which are plagued by leaks, safety violations and outdated systems, up to code and to high standards of efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Calling coordination with New York City "very positive," Mr. Adlerstein said that the UN had held negotiations with the city officials and had voluntarily agreed to comply with the municipal fire and safety codes from which it is exempt.

"This framework will take into account the important interest of New York City while preserving the privileges and immunities of the UN without reservation," he said.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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COUNTRIES MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT MOTHERS AND CHILDREN FROM HIV/AIDS - UN

COUNTRIES MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT MOTHERS AND CHILDREN FROM HIV/AIDS – UN New York, Mar 6 2008 2:00PM With over 1,100 children being infected with HIV daily, United Nations organizations have appealed to countries to bolster efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmissions (PMTCT) of the virus.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_43105.html">UNICEF) and the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO), along with the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation, jointly called on authorities to step up protection for mothers and children at the end of a three-day global meeting on HIV/AIDS in Washington yesterday.

"An AIDS-free generation is no longer an imagined ideal – it can be a reality," said Jimmy Kolker, Chief of UNICEF's HIV Section. "We know what works to prevent HIV transmission from mothers to children. Governments and donors must act now to scale up PMTCT services."

Women account for half of all new HIV infections world and 90 per cent of all new infections in children are due to mother-to-child transmissions.

However, there is a marked disparity between high and low-income countries regarding PMTCT and paediatric HIV treatment. In wealthier nations, the number of infants born with HIV has dropped to less than 2 per cent thanks to widespread PMTCT services, while in poorer countries, as many as nine out of 10 HIV-positive pregnant women do not receive the necessary medicines to prevent transmission.

Without proper treatment, children who acquire HIV from their mothers will not live to see their second birthday. Also, currently only 11 per cent of children worldwide in need of anti-retroviral treatment receive it.

The organizations appealed to nations to prioritize PMTCT as well as paediatric care, support and treatment in their grant proposals for the latest round of the UN-backed Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which to date has contributed more than $10 billion to fight the diseases through 550 programmes in 136 countries.

They also urged authorities to utilize available funding through the Global Fund and other mechanisms to increase the availability of PMTCT and paediatric treatment.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: UN ENVOY RETURNS TO CONTINUE PUSH FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE

MYANMAR: UN ENVOY RETURNS TO CONTINUE PUSH FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE New York, Mar 6 2008 2:00PM The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General for Myanmar arrived in Yangon today on his latest mission to encourage the authorities there to promote democratization and national reconciliation in the troubled South-East Asian nation.

This is the third visit for Ibrahim Gambari since last year's Government crackdown on peaceful protesters.

In February the authorities in Myanmar announced a constitutional referendum to be held this May, to be followed by "multi-party democratic elections" in 2010.

Following his arrival, Mr. Gambari held talks with Myanmar's Minister for Foreign Affairs. He also met with the UN Country Team, the diplomatic corps and the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Over the next few days, the Special Adviser will continue consultations with "a broad range of representatives of Myanmar society, including groups which he was not able to meet during his last visit," UN Spokesperson Marie Okabe told journalists in New York.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR INVESTMENT IN WOMEN FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR INVESTMENT IN WOMEN FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT New York, Mar 6 2008 2:00PM Greater investment in women and girls will help further economic growth and advance development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told today's <" http://www.un.org/events/women/iwd/2008/commemorationProgramme.shtml">commemoration at United Nations Headquarters of International Women's Day.

"I am deeply convinced that, in women, the world has at its disposal the most significant and yet largely untapped potential for development and peace," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3033">said at the event held in New York to mark the Day, observed annually on 8 March.

He stressed that achieving gender equality is not only a goal in itself, but a prerequisite for reaching all the other development objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) – the global pledges to slash poverty, hunger, maternal and infant mortality, and other social ills, all by 2015.

In recent years, agreements at major UN summits – including the Beijing Platform for Action, the Monterrey Consensus and the 2005 World Summit Outcome – have highlighted women's empowerment as a key factor in economic development and called for the provision of sufficient resources to that end.

"And yet, we still have a long way to go," Mr. Ban stated. "Women are still severely hampered by discrimination, lack of resources and economic opportunities, by limited access to decision-making and by gender-based violence."

He called on everyone in the international community – governments, multilateral organizations, bilateral institutions and the private sector – to "dramatically" increase investments in women and girls, stressing that "investing in women is not only the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do."

For his part, the Secretary-General pledged to work to strengthen the gender machinery within the UN Secretariat. He has proposed almost doubling the staffing of the <" http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/">Office of his Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, and increasing the resources of the <" http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/">Division for the Advancement of Women.

In addition, he supported the creation of one "dynamic and strengthened gender entity" that would consolidate existing UN structures, to advance the cause of women's empowerment and realize gender equality worldwide.

In his message to mark the Day, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said the importance of investing in women and girls cannot be overstated given that women make up more than half of the world's population.

"However, women will only be truly empowered, when globally we muster the necessary political will to fully implement exiting commitments and make available the appropriate human, financial and educational resources that have been promised," he stated. "But more fundamentally than these efforts, it is increasingly clear that we need to change our attitudes towards the role and status of women in society."

Also marking the Day, the Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) <" http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2008/s04/en/index.html">stressed the importance of investing in women and girls as an investment in health development.

"Abundant evidence shows that when women are given an opportunity to express their potential, health indicators rapidly improve for themselves, for households and for communities," Margaret Chan said in a statement issued today.

"But while the potential of women is recognized at the international level, this potential will not be realized until conditions improve – often dramatically – in countries and communities," she added, noting that many factors, often rooted in social and cultural norms, continue to hinder the ability of women and girls to achieve their potential.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency today launched a handbook on the protection of women and girls, outlining strategies, international legal standards and responsibilities.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres <" http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47cff6a44.html ">highlighted the importance of raising awareness on gender-based issues and described the handbook as "an important new tool… [that] describes the protection challenges faced by refugee women and ways of resolving them."

He added that the agency would be directing $1.5 million this year to special projects aimed at countering and raising awareness about sexual and gender-based violence in 14 countries.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY APPEALS FOR DATA ON WORLD FORESTS FOR MOST DETAILED STUDY YET

UN AGENCY APPEALS FOR DATA ON WORLD FORESTS FOR MOST DETAILED STUDY YET New York, Mar 6 2008 1:00PM In preparation for the most comprehensive picture ever drawn of the state of the Earth's forests, which cover 30 per cent of its land and are a crucial factor in mitigating climate change, the United Nations agricultural agency today put out a call for accurate data.

"Stronger support from countries and advances in communication technology will make the next Global Forest Resources Assessment the most comprehensive and reliable yet," Jan Heino of the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said of the assessment that will be published in 2010.

The last survey was produced with the help of over 800 people in teams working in 172 countries and many more are likely to be involved this time around, with some 220 experts are attending this week's meeting at FAO to kick-start the process.

Started over 60 years ago, the Global Forest Resources Assessment process provides information on how much forest exists, how it is being managed and how it is being lost, according to an FAO <" http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000804/index.html">press release.

Global forest cover currently amounts to just under four billion hectares. Although the rate of net loss of forest has decreased in recent years, the world is still losing about 200 square kilometres of forest a day, FAO data indicates.

Besides generating unprecedented information on deforestation, new forestation and natural forest expansion, the new survey will provide insight into the land uses that are replacing forests and the forests' role in climate change, the agency said.

In addition, the 2010 assessment will expand knowledge of the biological diversity of forests and will include a special study on trees outside forests, a survey of the area of forest under sustainable forest management, and data on forest policy.

Among the new technologies being used is an ambitious new global remote sensing survey that uses satellite data from 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2005.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED AGRICULTURAL FUND SUPPORTS RECOVERY EFFORTS IN CYCLONE-HIT MADAGASCAR

UN-BACKED AGRICULTURAL FUND SUPPORTS RECOVERY EFFORTS IN CYCLONE-HIT MADAGASCAR New York, Mar 6 2008 12:00PM The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is supporting the recovery of farmers in Madagascar, where a recent cyclone left 150,000 people homeless and destroyed crops and livestock.

<"http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2008/18.htm">IFAD said it is committed to helping rebuild the livelihoods of the rural poor in the areas hit by Cyclone Ivan, which battered the country on 17 February and left at least 73 dead in its wake.

In addition to the thousands left homeless, basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and health centres has been damaged or destroyed.

"It will take many months to rehabilitate the productive capacity of these families," said IFAD country programme manager Benoît Thierry, who noted that the disaster struck ahead of the Madagascar's rice harvest.

He noted that about 50,000 hectares of rice and more than 100,000 hectares of other crops have been flooded. In addition, fruit and spice trees have been uprooted, vegetable gardens and orchards destroyed, pigs and poultry have perished and fishing communities have lost boats and nets.

IFAD has set aside about $500,000 to help the rural poor including by providing cereals and vegetable seeds, replanting fruit tree nurseries and repairing irrigation channels, so that farmers can replace lost crops.

The agency noted that while cyclones are common in Madagascar, they have recently grown in intensity and frequency – seven cyclones struck the country in 2007 and Cyclone Ivan was the worst since the 1980s.

"This latest disaster provides further proof of climate change and its devastating consequences for the world's poorest communities," the agency said in a news release.

Earlier this week, UN agencies and their aid partners appealed for more than $36 million to help bring relief to the parts of Madagascar that have been buffeted by cyclones in the past month.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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EARLY RECOVERY OF NATURE TOURISM CRUCIAL IN KENYA - UN ENVIRONMENT HEAD

EARLY RECOVERY OF NATURE TOURISM CRUCIAL IN KENYA – UN ENVIRONMENT HEAD New York, Mar 6 2008 12:00PM Nature tourism in Kenya, which plummeted some 90 per cent during the recent post-election violence, can play a key role in restoring the east African country's stability, economy and biodiversity, the United Nations environment chief <" http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=528&ArticleID=5756&l=en">said today.

"Tourism, based in the main around Kenya's fabled wildlife and natural landscapes, has historically been a centre-piece of the economy and for job creation," Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), said on his departure to Berlin, Germany, which this week is hosting one of the world's biggest tourism fairs.

Visitor numbers crashed since the post-election instability of late December 2007, causing lay-offs of 25,000 people directly employed in tourism-related industries and countless more indirectly associated, Mr. Steiner noted.

At the same time, revenues to parks and reserves have also been gutted, putting at risk countless conservation initiatives carried out by the Kenya Wildlife Service and others, he added.

However, with the newly signed peace agreement brokered by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his team, tourism can play a central role restoring stability, the UNEP head maintained.

"In doing so, it can also play an important role in conserving important wildlife and ecosystems - from charismatic creatures like elephants and rhino to whale sharks and some of the most dense and diverse birdlife on the planet," he said.

According to official statistics to be presented in Berlin this week by the Kenya delegation, 2007 saw a record number of over a million international tourists arrive in the country by air and by sea – a rise of 10 per cent over 2006.

But since the disputed election result in December 2007, numbers have fallen precipitously and it is forecast that an average of 9,000 visitors will come each month over the first quarter of 2008.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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AFRICAN FOOTBALL A KEY ALLY IN FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER, SAYS UN

AFRICAN FOOTBALL A KEY ALLY IN FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER, SAYS UN New York, Mar 6 2008 12:00PM The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today highlighted the crucial role that football can play in tackling poverty and hunger, applauding a new agreement signed between the agency and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

"FAO has always set great store by the power of sport in general, and professional football in particular, as a tool for peace and development and as a means to mobilize political will and resources in the fight against global hunger," <"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000807/index.html">said Jacques Diouf, the agency's Director-General.

The CAF – and its members, affiliated football clubs and professional players – and FAO have agreed to join forces to raise awareness on food security issues. The football group will support FAO campaigns, including national and regional Food Security Programmes.

The two organizations hope the new partnership will allow football to become a vehicle for bolstering the living conditions for the world's poorest.

With this new deal, the CAF will join the ranks of other footballers – including star players and FAO Goodwill Ambassadors such as Roberto Baggio, formerly with the Italian clubs Juventus and Inter, and Real Madrid captain Raúl Gonzalez – seeking to bring an end to hunger worldwide.
2008-03-06 00:00:00.000

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TIME TO BRING HOPE, NOT HATRED, TO MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT - UN AID CHIEF

TIME TO BRING HOPE, NOT HATRED, TO MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT – UN AID CHIEF New York, Mar 5 2008 7:00PM The growing gap between the goals of the Middle East peace process and the worsening realities on the ground could prove fatal to hopes of a lasting settlement unless urgent action is taken to deal with the problem, the United Nations humanitarian chief said.

In an opinion column published in Cairo's <i>Al-Ahram</i> yesterday, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes wrote that the disconnect could also be "profoundly damaging to one of the world's oldest and largest refugee populations."

Mr. Holmes, who recently visited the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, said the Gaza Strip – home to about 1.5 million inhabitants – resembled "a firmly sealed pressure cooker."

The restrictions imposed by Israel and tightened following Hamas' takeover of the area in June last year have brought the economy to near collapse, he stated, with almost 80 per cent of the population dependent on UN agencies or their humanitarian partners for food assistance. Unemployment has reached nearly 50 per cent and the overwhelming majority of Gaza's industrial and manufacturing sites have closed.

"But of all Gaza's many shortages, the scarcest of all commodities is hope – that most essential of needs."

Mr. Holmes called on "responsible leaders – Israelis and Palestinians alike – to take the huge risks necessary for peace" and in doing so counter the growth of extremism.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator called for all relief organizations to be given immediate, unrestricted and regular access to Gaza for all their goods and workers.

"The UN alone has $213 million of humanitarian and development projects that are blocked by lack of raw materials, particularly cement," he wrote, adding that opening the crossings into and out of Gaza was vital.

"The Karni commercial crossing is a critical first step towards this goal. The Palestinian Authority has made constructive proposals about how this could be done, without jeopardizing Israel's security."

Mr. Holmes also called on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally stop the firing of Qassam rockets from Gaza into southern Israel.

"They are indiscriminate; they hurt and kill civilians, and are promoting economic and military responses which only deepen the plight of the people of Gaza."

But while acknowledging Israel's security concerns, he said "the response of economic strangulation of Gaza is not compatible with Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law. It too should stop. The majority of Gazans should not be punished for the criminal acts of a violent and extremist minority. Only more violence and suffering can come from the current sowing of dragon's teeth."

The Under-Secretary-General urged all parties to focus on the goal of two States living side-by-side in peace.

"It may look ambitious now, but it is the only way forward for the longer term. Peace cannot be forged on the anvil of anger, or created through the denial of human dignity."
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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UN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FUND SIGNS AGREEMENT TO EXPAND MICROFINANCE EDUCATION

UN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FUND SIGNS AGREEMENT TO EXPAND MICROFINANCE EDUCATION New York, Mar 5 2008 7:00PM The United Nations Capital Development (UNCDF) and the State University of New York (SUNY) today signed a deal to expand a microfinance training programme that aims to help poor people in developing countries enjoy greater access to financial services.

The Microfinance Distance Learning course (MFDL), developed for the web, distance learning and classrooms by the UNCDF, includes advice and best practices drawn from successful examples across the developing world.

Under the new agreement, the existing course will be further developed by SUNY so that it can be delivered to broader audiences, both in the United States and in other countries.

Henriette Keijzers, interim Executive Secretary at UNCDF, said the partnership with SUNY offered another boost to building more inclusive financial sectors.

"Our UNCDF microfinance colleagues invested a lot of time, energy and resources into developing this programme," she said. "The intention was to promote knowledge of microfinance to as broad an audience as possible, which is now happening through partnerships like this one with SUNY."

The agreement could lead to partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments and development agencies, with the goal of offering training programmes on microfinance. Symposia for academics and businesspeople are also being planned.

Set up by the General Assembly in 1966, UNCDF is affiliated with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and tasked with providing investment capital, capacity building and technical advisory services to promote microfinance and local development in the world's poorest countries.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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UN STEPS UP AID TO FLOOD-BELEAGUERED ZAMBIANS

UN STEPS UP AID TO FLOOD-BELEAGUERED ZAMBIANS New York, Mar 5 2008 6:00PM With recent flooding having forced thousands of families from their homes in Zambia, the United Nations is stepping up its humanitarian aid in the landlocked southern African nation.

According to an assessment carried out in 19 districts late last month, 3,418 homes have collapsed due to the rainfall and 5,796 households have been displaced, the UN country team said.

Additionally, dozens of schools have been damaged, particularly in their sanitation and water systems, leaving 8,600 pupils needing alternate learning spaces.

The assessment estimated the loss of the main staple crop to be 20 per cent in Eastern Province and 80 per cent in Southern Province, leading to fears of a possible coming nutritional crisis.

The UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) is transferring all remaining food supplies from its 2006/2007 flood response package to help those affected by the recent heavy rains. It warns that it is facing a food shortfall of 24,000 tons and that cereals, pulses, oil and fortified blended food will run out soon.

For its part, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) is providing 5,000 kits containing household items, as well as 36 school tents, 58 school-in-a-box kits and 40 recreation kits. The agency is also working with the Zambian Ministry of Health to respond to cholera outbreaks.

Late last month, UNICEF announced that it would provide over $1 million worth of emergency assistance to Zambians impacted by flooding.

Zambia, which also suffered from major inundations last year, is one of a handful of southern African countries to have been hard hit by flooding this season, along with Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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CYPRUS: UN PREPARES FOR DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN LEADERS

CYPRUS: UN PREPARES FOR DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN LEADERS New York, Mar 5 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/index.html">UNFICYP) has started preparations for direct talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders.

The face-to-face meeting could take place during the second half of this month, the UN mission reported today. The meeting's agenda will be determined by the two sides, although the opening of Nicosia's Ledra Street crossing is expected to be prominent in discussions.

UNFICYP said it was ready to move quickly to help open that crossing if the leaders take the decision to do so.

In the past week the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus, Michael Møller, has met individually with Dimitris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot leader, and with Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish Cypriot leader, and both have indicated they are keen to meet each other.

UNFICYP was established in March 1964 following the outbreak of intercommunal violence and is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, contributing to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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SEVENTH MEMBER APPOINTED TO NEW UN SECURITY REVIEW PANEL

SEVENTH MEMBER APPOINTED TO NEW UN SECURITY REVIEW PANEL New York, Mar 5 2008 5:00PM An Italian police colonel has been appointed as the seventh member of the independent panel tasked by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to assess the safety and security of United Nations staff worldwide, it was announced today.

Paolo Coletta will join the Independent Panel on Safety and Security of UN Personnel and Premises, led by veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi.

Colonel Coletta currently works in Rome as the Head of the Logistics Department at the Carabinieri Headquarters. He has also served as a civilian police officer with the UN and other international organizations.

The other members of the panel, who were announced by Mr. Brahimi last week, are: Elsayed Ibrahim Elsayed Mohamed Elhabbal of Egypt; Anil Kumar Gupta of India; Umit Pamir of Turkey; Thomas Boy Sibande of South Africa; and Margareta Wahlström of Sweden.

This new body aims to "take a close look at what happened in Algiers and see what immediate lessons there may be for us in that extremely shocking and sad happening," Mr. Brahimi told reporters, referring to last December's deadly bombing which claimed the lives of 17 UN staff members.

"The Panel is also expected to take a wider view of the implications of these new problems that are facing the Organization in terms of threats and challenges," he added.

In January, the Secretary-General, who has characterized the Algiers attack as a "savage loss," announced his decision to appoint the team, voicing hope that its findings will impact the UN system worldwide.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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GLOBAL FIGURES TO GATHER AT UN NEXT WEEK ON ADVANCING AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT

GLOBAL FIGURES TO GATHER AT UN NEXT WEEK ON ADVANCING AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT New York, Mar 5 2008 5:00PM International development leaders will convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York next week to address how to accelerate Africa's progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the targets the world has set itself to slash poverty, hunger, maternal and infant mortality, and other social ills, all by 2015.

The <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDG Africa Steering Group was set up last September after data showed that despite faster growth and strengthened institutions, Africa remains off-track to meeting the Goals.

At its 10 March meeting, the Group will review a set of key recommendations and initiatives to boost development efforts on the continent. The situation is particularly dire in sub-Saharan Africa, the only region in the world where not even a single country is on track to meeting the MDGs.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will chair the gathering, which will include the participation of Donald Kaberuka of the African Development Bank, Alpha Oumar Konaré of the African Union, Robert Zoellick of the <"http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank, Louis Michel of the European Commission, Dominique Strauss-Kahn of the International Monetary Fund (<"http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm">IMF) and Angel Gurría of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

A second forum, the MDG Africa Working Group, led by Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, is responsible for following through with the Steering Group's decisions and recommendations.

The General Assembly also agreed yesterday to convene a high-level meeting in September – on the eve of its annual general debate – on how to better meet Africa's development needs, given its struggle to achieve the MDGs.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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UN COORDINATES DEMINING IN SOUTHERN DR CONGO AFTER ANTI-TANK DEVICES FOUND

UN COORDINATES DEMINING IN SOUTHERN DR CONGO AFTER ANTI-TANK DEVICES FOUND New York, Mar 5 2008 5:00PM The United Nations and its partners are clearing a road in Katanga province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after two anti-tank mines were discovered on a key route, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country said today.

Led by the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (MACC), the operation focuses on demining eight kilometres of the road linking the towns of Kabalo and Katutu, which was shut down in December after local residents came upon the explosives.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) Danish Church Aid and the South African mine clearance company Mechem are part of the joint effort.

Meanwhile, the peacekeeping mission – known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC – reports that 25 former Rwandan rebel troops and their 13 dependents were repatriated to Rwanda in February, as part of the renewed drive to disarm and reintegrate members of armed groups spurred by the Nairobi agreement reached between Rwanda and the DRC in November last year.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN MEDIATION TEAM NOW ON CALL FOR CRISES AROUND THE WORLD

TOP UN MEDIATION TEAM NOW ON CALL FOR CRISES AROUND THE WORLD New York, Mar 5 2008 4:00PM A mediation team with some of the world's leading experts in ceasefires, transitional justice, power-sharing and constitutional arrangements is now on standby to help resolve crises around the world, the United Nations' top political official announced today.

The new UN Mediation Standby Team is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the ability of the UN's Department of Political Affairs to help prevent conflict through assistance to diplomacy, according to B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

"What we are trying to do in this process is to make sure that not only do we carry out the Secretary-General's efforts to be there fast in mediation and to be there very quickly on the ground when we're asked by Member States or regional organizations, but also to make sure that we'll be there with the very best expertise that's available anywhere in the world," Mr. Pascoe said as he launched the initiative at a Headquarters <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/pa1.doc.htm">news conference.

Demand for mediation assistance has grown steadily in recent years, Mr. Pascoe said, noting the long list of recent talks, in particular those that set up power-sharing arrangements to end the post-election violence in Kenya and attempts to end the armed activity of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda.

And the situations are becoming increasing complex. "These are not places where you can go out and begin a negotiation by the seat of your pants," the Under-Secretary-General noted. Even the most seasoned UN envoys usually need specialized advice.

For that reason, the Standby Team was chosen from a slate of hundreds of candidates, through a rigorous process that included nominations from UN Member States, tests and interviews.

The founding members of the team, starting off with one-year contracts funded by the Norwegian Refugee Council, are led by Joyce Neu of the United States, who has mediated in dozens of countries around the world, some of which as adviser to US President Jimmy Carter and as founding Executive Director of the Institute for Peace & Justice at the University of San Diego.

Other members include Jeffery Mapendere of Zimbabwe, an expert in security arrangements; Patrick Gavigan of the US and Ireland, whose field is transitional justice and human rights; John McGarry of Canada, an expert in power-sharing; and Andrew Ladley of New Zealand, who has done extensive work in constitution-making and elections.

It is hoped that these founding members will be the seed of a much larger group, as their services will be much in demand, Mr. Pascoe said.

Two members of the group have already been dispatched to Kenya this week, to assist in the ongoing African-led mediation efforts there, missing out on the briefings they were meant to receive in New York before they head out to the field, he noted.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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INSECURITY HINDERING EFFORTS TO AID DISPLACED SOMALIS, SAYS UN RELIEF OFFICIAL

INSECURITY HINDERING EFFORTS TO AID DISPLACED SOMALIS, SAYS UN RELIEF OFFICIAL New York, Mar 5 2008 3:00PM Deteriorating security in Somalia in recent months has made it more difficult for aid workers to assist hundreds of thousands of people uprooted by fighting in the strife-torn nation, a senior United Nations relief official said today.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) says there are now more than 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled the fighting in the capital, Mogadishu, and set up shelters along the 15-kilometre route from the city to Afgooye.

About 25,000 people per month have been displaced from Mogadishu in January and February, bringing the total number of those needing assistance in the country to between 1.8 million and 2 million, according to OCHA.

"Somalia is the most difficult place in the world for humanitarians to do their job, due to the ever-shifting insecurity," noted William Paton, the acting UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator there.

Rising insecurity has forced the cancellation of several missions to Afgooye in February. In addition, there are nearly 400 checkpoints around the country where humanitarian convoys are often subject to threats and violence. There have been nine shooting incidents at checkpoints in the first two months of this year alone.

"We are going to continue to work hard to improve security for our staff members and thus deliver more," stated Mr. Paton, who recently visited some of the more than 100 settlements that have sprung up along the road to Afgooye.

Amid the difficulties, UN agencies and their partners are continuing to provide food, water and other vital supplies to the affected populations throughout the country, which has not had a functioning government since 1991. In addition, some 56,000 children and 11,200 pregnant mothers have been immunised and mobile clinics are providing maternal and child health services.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that some 850,000 Somalis in the country's central regions – including some 170,000 IDPs – are suffering the consequences of a prolonged drought that is threatening livestock and the livelihoods of pastoralists.

High rates of acute malnutrition and possible disease outbreaks due to water scarcity are among the major concerns right now. UN agencies are trucking in water and have already handed out 4,300 tons of food to around 230,000 people.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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RWANDA REACHES DEAL TO ENFORCE SENTENCES IMPOSED BY UN GENOCIDE TRIBUNAL

RWANDA REACHES DEAL TO ENFORCE SENTENCES IMPOSED BY UN GENOCIDE TRIBUNAL New York, Mar 5 2008 2:00PM Rwanda has become the seventh country to sign an agreement to enforce a jail sentence imposed by the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during that country's 1994 genocide.

Anyone convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (<"http://69.94.11.53/ENGLISH/PRESSREL/2008/557.htm">ICTR) – which is based in Arusha, Tanzania – and given a prison term can now serve that sentence in a Rwandan jail after the agreement was signed yesterday in Kigali.

Mali, Benin, Swaziland, France, Italy and Sweden have already entered into similar agreements with the Tribunal.

ICTR Registrar Adama Dieng, who signed the agreement on behalf of the UN, said the accord marked a milestone in cooperation between the Tribunal and Rwanda.

He said Rwanda had made significant progress in ensuring it meets the necessary standard of prisons to accommodate ICTR convicts.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA WANTS TO SOLVE NAME ISSUE - UN ENVOY

FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA WANTS TO SOLVE NAME ISSUE – UN ENVOY New York, Mar 5 2008 2:00PM The leadership of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is committed to solving its dispute with Greece over the "name issue," the United Nations envoy dealing with the subject said today after holding another round of talks in Skopje.

Matthew Nimetz, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, met with President Branko Crvenkoski, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Skopje's primary negotiator on the issue, Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov.

Mr. Nimetz said he received detailed feedback from the leadership on his latest proposals and they explored the possibilities for a solution to the dispute between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over the official name of the latter country and related matters.

The envoy noted that the leadership in Skopje has a strong desire to resolve the matter, consistent with what they regard as an acceptable and fair solution.

Earlier this week, after a round of talks with representatives of both sides, Mr. Nimetz said that a substantial gap remains between their positions, despite their willingness to continue the process of UN-led negotiations.

Tonight, Mr. Nimetz plans to meet Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, a representative of Greece, in Thessaloniki.

The Interim Accord of 13 September 1995, which was brokered by the UN, details the difference between the two countries regarding the official name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It also obliges the two sides to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to try to reach agreement.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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UN PROGRAMME TO WORK TOWARD ELIMINATION OF HIV TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

UN PROGRAMME TO WORK TOWARD ELIMINATION OF HIV TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS New York, Mar 5 2008 1:00PM Calling travel restrictions on HIV positive people, in place in 104 countries, discriminatory and unnecessary, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has set up an international task force to work toward their elimination.

"Travel restrictions based on HIV status again highlight the exceptionality of AIDS, especially short-term restrictions," Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said in a <"http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2008/20080304_HIVrelated_travel_restrictions.asp">news release published on its website yesterday.

"No other condition prevents people from entering countries for business, tourism, or to attend meetings. No other condition has people afraid of having their baggage searched for medication at the border, with the result that they are denied entry or worse, detained and then deported back to their country," he added.

According to data collected by the European AIDS Treatment Group, a total of 104 countries have some form of HIV-specific travel restrictions, 12 of which ban HIV-positive people from entering for any reason or length of time.

Most of the restrictions require people to indicate their HIV status before entering or remaining in a country, with some countries having them undergo mandatory HIV testing, without safeguards, to which UNAIDS objects particularly strongly.

The most common arguments give for the restrictions involve the protection of public health and the high possible costs associated with care, support and treatment of people living with HIV.

Whatever the reason, UNAIDS said, HIV-related travel restrictions raise fundamental human rights issues involving non-discrimination and freedom of movement in a mobile world in which the World Tourist Organization (<"http://www.unwto.org/index.php">WTO), in 2000, estimated that there were 698 million international arrivals worldwide, most as part of short trips.

The International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions convened for the first time in Geneva on 25-26 February, in a meeting, co-chaired by UNAIDS and the Norwegian Government.

In that meeting, it brought together representatives of governments, inter-governmental organizations, civil society groups, the private sector and networks of people living with HIV, UNAIDS said.

The next regular meeting of the task team is scheduled to take place from 31 March to 2 April in Geneva.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO AWARDS FELLOWSHIPS FOR 15 FEMALE SCIENTISTS

UNESCO AWARDS FELLOWSHIPS FOR 15 FEMALE SCIENTISTS New York, Mar 5 2008 1:00PM The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the cosmetics company L'Oréal today <" http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=42009&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">awarded annual fellowships to 15 promising young women scientists as part of their efforts to foster global scientific cooperation.

Today's recipients join a group of 120 fellows from 67 countries who have benefited from the UNESCO-L'Oréal Fellowships, which allow doctoral and post-doctoral female scientists to conduct research in laboratories outside their home countries, since the programme's inception in 2000.

The fellowships seek to promote cross-cultural networks, and candidates' projects are forwarded to the selection committee by UNESCO National Commissions.

The research topics selected often pertain to local populations' needs or original fields of research such as the characterization of a protein with healing properties that is produced by catfish.

Four of this year's recipients represent countries new to the programme: Gabon, Mongolia, Nepal and Slovenia. The other countries of origin of the winners are Mozambique, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Italy and the Netherlands.

UNESCO and L'Oréal joined forces in 1998 to create the "<" http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=3597&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">For Women in Science" initiative, and in the decade since its establishment has become one of the largest programmes promoting women's contributions in science.

In addition to the fellowships awarded today, five outstanding women scientists – one from each continent – are chosen every year to receive the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science to serve as role models for future generations. The 2008 honourees will be announced tomorrow at UNESCO's Paris headquarters.

Additionally, to date, 340 women from 35 countries have received national fellowships from UNESCO and L'Oréal.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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DANGEROUS WHEAT-KILLING FUNGUS DETECTED IN IRAN - UN

DANGEROUS WHEAT-KILLING FUNGUS DETECTED IN IRAN – UN New York, Mar 5 2008 12:00PM A dangerous new fungus with the ability to destroy entire wheat fields has been detected in Iran, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) <" http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000805/index.html">reported today.

The wheat stem rust, whose spores are carried by wind across continents, was previously found in East Africa and Yemen and has moved to Iran, which said that laboratory tests have confirmed its presence in some localities in Broujerd and Hamedan in the country's west.

Up to 80 per cent of all Asian and African wheat varieties are susceptible to the fungus, and major wheat-producing nations to Iran's east – such as Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – should be on high alert, FAO warned.

"The fungus is spreading rapidly and could seriously lower wheat production in countries at direct risk," said Shivaji Pandey, Director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division.

He urged the control of the rust's spread to lower the risk to countries already impacted by high food prices.

Iran has said that it will bolster its research capacity to tackle the new fungus and develop wheat varieties that are rust-resistant.

Called Ug99, the disease first surfaced in Uganda and subsequently spread to Kenya and Ethiopia, with both countries experiencing serious crop yield losses due to a serious rust epidemic last year. Also in 2007, FAO confirmed that a more virulent strain was found in Yemen.

The agency appealed to countries to bolster disease surveillance and step up efforts to control it.

The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) – founded by Norman Borlaug, Cornell University, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the Internatioanl Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and FAO – will continue its work in assisting countries develop drug-resistant wheat varieties, upgrading their plant protection measures and creating contingency plans.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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AFGHANISTAN MUST DO MORE TO REIN IN 'UNPRECEDENTED' DRUG TRADE - UN AGENCY

AFGHANISTAN MUST DO MORE TO REIN IN 'UNPRECEDENTED' DRUG TRADE – UN AGENCY New York, Mar 5 2008 11:00AM The United Nations anti-drugs agency today called on the Afghan Government to do more to dismantle major trafficking and criminal networks in the strife-torn nation which remains the world's largest producer of opium and heroin.

"The networks are very powerful because the drug traders are linked to corrupt officials and to criminal networks outside Afghanistan," Christina Gynna Oguz, the Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Afghanistan, <"http://www.unama-afg.org/news/_pc/_english/2008/08march05.html">told reporters in Kabul today.

Echoing the just-released report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), she noted that Afghanistan remains the world's largest producer of opium and heroin.

"The Government must therefore widen its efforts to include the fight against drug traders, who profit the most from the illicit opium industry and who collectively earn more than $3 billion."

She called on the Afghan Government to do more to ensure that the drug laws are applied to all who are involved – directly or indirectly – in the industry.

"Everybody who is involved in the drugs industry and in corruption must be investigated, prosecuted and – if found guilty – punished to the full extent of the law," she added. "Without this happening the drugs problem will not be solved and criminality, corruption and insecurity will prevail in the country."

<"http://www.unodc.org/afg/ ">UNODC is assisting the Government in several ways to tackle the drug problem, including by training intelligence officers within the Afghan Police and providing legislative assistance on issues such as extradition.

The agency is also working with the authorities on the implementation of the Government's anti-corruption strategy and the establishment of an independent anti-corruption body.

Ms. Oguz stressed the vital need to address the threat posed to Afghan society by the drug industry. "It is so important because the drug business stands in the way of the Afghan in the village or the Afghan in the street from getting what he or she wants more than anything else in life, and that is security."
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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BARBADOS OFFICIAL, NEW YORK-BASED NGO WIN 2008 UN POPULATION AWARD

BARBADOS OFFICIAL, NEW YORK-BASED NGO WIN 2008 UN POPULATION AWARD New York, Mar 5 2008 11:00AM The Foreign Minister of Barbados and a New York-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that helps to save the lives of women in developing countries are the recipients of this year's <" http://www.unfpa.org/about/popaward/">United Nations Population Award.

Dame Billie Antoinette Miller, Senior Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, and Family Care International (FCI) were chosen from among 11 individual and seven institutional nominees from around the world.

The Award is given each year to individuals and institutions for their "outstanding work in population and in improving the health and welfare of individuals," according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Dame Miller, an attorney by profession, was elected Member of Parliament in 1976 and was the first woman to be named minister in Barbados, according to a news release from UNFPA. In addition to holding a numerous ministerial portfolios, including health and education, she has been promoting population and gender issues in several capacities.

In 2004, she was honoured by International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region for her lifelong contributions to sexual and reproductive health.

Established in New York in 1986, Family Care International has been helping to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women in the developing world by promoting sexual and reproductive health for adolescents and by supporting safe motherhood. The organization also works to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Family Care International was a co-organizer of last October's Women Deliver conference in London, which drew some 2,000 participants, including cabinet ministers and lawmakers from 110 countries, and produced new global commitments to maternal health.

The winners were selected by the Population Award Committee, administered by <" http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA and comprising 10 Member States, elected by the Economic and Social Council (<"http://www.un.org/ecosoc/">ECOSOC). Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNFPA's Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid are ex-officio members of the Committee.

The awards will be presented at UN Headquarters in New York on 22 May.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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IN NORTHERN UGANDA, UN REFUGEE HEAD VOWS TO DO MORE FOR DISPLACED

IN NORTHERN UGANDA, UN REFUGEE HEAD VOWS TO DO MORE FOR DISPLACED New York, Mar 5 2008 11:00AM On his visit to northern Uganda, where an estimated 850,000 people live in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), the head of the United Nations refugee agency pledged more support for the return of those driven from their homes by decades of violence.

"All of us in the international community are ready to work in support of the Ugandan Government," António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told hundreds of <"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs gathered in a dusty football field in Kalongo, which he <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47cd97962.html">visited with Minister Jean-Louis Schiltz of Luxembourg, UNHCR's largest donor per capita.

"If we join hands, if we work together it will be possible to make sure that roads, water, education and health facilities are built," Mr. Guterres added.

Two decades of fighting between the Ugandan Government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) drove almost two million people from their homes in northern Uganda and devastated infrastructure and services.

An estimated one million people have returned home over the past 18 months as talks take place in Sudan in an attempt to end the violence, UNHCR said.

Mr. Guterres, who was in Kalongo on the second day of his eight-day visit to Uganda and Tanzania, also visited a transit centre in eastern Uganda which houses some 1,600 of the nearly 12,000 Kenyans who fled the violence that erupted in their country after elections in late December.

The High Commissioner welcomed the recent signing of a political settlement in Kenya and said he hoped this might spur the return home of the refugees. He called for forgiveness on all sides, saying it was needed for reconciliation.

"Justice and forgiveness, that is what you need to be able to return and live in peace in your communities. The international community must step in and support your efforts towards reconciliation," he told the Kenyan refugees.
2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

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COMMUNITIES NEED MORE SOPHISTICATED METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES, SAYS UN AGENCY

COMMUNITIES NEED MORE SOPHISTICATED METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES, SAYS UN AGENCY New York, Mar 4 2008 7:00PM Governments, businesses and the general public need more sophisticated information from their national weather services if they are to prepare adequately against natural disasters and better adapt to the threats posed by climate change, the head of the United Nations meteorological agency says.

Michel Jarraud, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), told a workshop yesterday in Cape Verde that there is "a vital need to better understand the linkage between environmental protection and sustainable development."

Mr. Jarraud noted that the global economy had become increasingly sensitive to the fluctuations of weather, climate and water phenomena. Climate change, the growing competition for water, ozone depletion and the impact of desertification all require countries to have access to the best available information.

"There are also raised expectations and demands for newer and more sophisticated types of services by most sectors of the economy, all of which are highly relevant to your respective societies," he said.

The workshop, help on Sal Island on Cape Verde, runs until Friday and is aimed at helping Portuguese-speaking countries develop greater partnerships between government and civil society on environmental and climate issues.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO HOLD TOP-LEVEL MEETING ON AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT IN SEPTEMBER

GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO HOLD TOP-LEVEL MEETING ON AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT IN SEPTEMBER New York, Mar 4 2008 7:00PM The General Assembly today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/ga10692.doc.htm">agreed to convene a high-level meeting this September, on the eve of its annual general debate, on how to better meet the development needs of Africa, which is struggling to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) by the target date of 2015.

In a resolution adopted without a vote, Assembly members agreed both to hold the meeting on 22 September and that it should result in a formal political declaration on the issue.

The text calls for participation at the highest possible political level, including heads of State and government, and it also asks Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to submit in advance a comprehensive report, including recommendations, on African development needs.

The meeting "will constitute a significant event that will review the implementation of all commitments made to and by Africa in order to comprehensively address the special development needs of the continent," the Assembly said in the resolution.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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ACTRESS, AVON LEND SUPPORT TO UN-LED CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

ACTRESS, AVON LEND SUPPORT TO UN-LED CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN New York, Mar 4 2008 7:00PM Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon and cosmetics giant Avon have agreed to lend their voices to United Nations-led efforts to stamp out violence against women as part of a public-private partnership announced today.

Avon is committing $1 million to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which was created by the General Assembly in 1996 and is administered by the UN Development Fund for Women (<"http://www.unifem.org/">UNIFEM). Avon's donation will be the largest corporate grant ever made in a single year to the Trust Fund.

"Violence against women is the hidden pandemic," UNIFEM's acting Executive Director Joanne Sandler said at a <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2008/080304_UNIFEM.doc.htm">press briefing in New York today.

But she also stressed that "violence is a problem with solutions," welcoming Avon's donation as a means to bolster the work of the Trust Fund, which has disbursed $18 million to 250 innovative programmes in more than 100 countries in the past decade.

Ms. Witherspoon, who serves as Avon Global Ambassador, pointed out that two-thirds of those living in poverty around the world are women and that in all countries, women earn less than men do in similar jobs.

"When you hear statistics like that, it's impossible not to feel motivated to do something," she told reporters.

Avon's contribution to the Trust Fund will be generated by the company matching the first $500,000 in sales of a new women's empowerment bracelet.

"I hope to see this bracelet on the wrists of women worldwide as a sign of solidarity and hope," Ms. Witherspoon said.

Also today, UNIFEM and Avon co-sponsored an event, ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March, called "Global Summit for a Better Tomorrow" bringing together Liliana Rainero – a Trust Fund grantee from Argentina – and television personality and best-selling author Suze Orman, among others.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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FIRST GROUP OF UN PEACEKEEPERS TEMPORARILY RELOCATE OUT OF ERITREA

FIRST GROUP OF UN PEACEKEEPERS TEMPORARILY RELOCATE OUT OF ERITREA New York, Mar 4 2008 6:00PM The first group of United Nations peacekeepers left Eritrea today, travelling by plane out of the capital, Asmara, as part of the temporary relocation of the mission personnel after the force's operations were paralyzed when the Horn of Africa country cut off fuel supplies.

Fifty peacekeepers from the Jordanian battalion of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/index.html">UNMEE) are now en route to Amman, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told journalists.

In recent weeks UNMEE personnel – including peacekeepers and military observers – have regrouped from the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) that separates Eritrea and Ethiopia, which fought a bloody border war in 2000, to Asmara.

The mission decided to temporarily move its personnel from Eritrea because the country cut off fuel supplies. Its personnel in Ethiopia are not affected.

UNMEE stressed today that the relocation is only temporary while the Security Council determines the future of the peacekeeping operation.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL HAILS HIS PREDECESSOR'S MEDIATION EFFORTS IN KENYA

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAILS HIS PREDECESSOR'S MEDIATION EFFORTS IN KENYA New York, Mar 4 2008 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1136">hailed the leadership of his predecessor, Kofi Annan, in the mediation efforts to bring an end to two months of post-election violence in Kenya.

"His role has brought not only peace and stability in Kenya but also the whole region," said Mr. Ban, adding that the United Nations will continue its engagement in the process.

The two men held talks in Geneva, and during a photo opportunity afterwards, Mr. Ban appealed to President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, the rivals in last December's disputed elections, to faithfully implement the agreement reached last week.

That 'Acting together for Kenya' deal contains principles for a coalition Government and was announced in Nairobi on 28 February.

The Secretary-General is on his way back to New York from Geneva, where he met this morning with High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour and her deputy Kyung-Wha Kang; Margaret Chan, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO); and Sahana Pradham, Nepal's Foreign Minister.

Yesterday, Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11445.doc.htm">addressed the seventh session of the UN <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/">Human Rights Council, calling on its members to ensure that all nations are held equally accountable for the protection of rights as the new body begins its first-ever universal review of their performance.

"No country, however powerful, should escape scrutiny of its record, commitments and actions on human rights," Mr. Ban said, hailing the start of the Universal Periodic Review, under which all UN Member States – at the rate of 48 a year – will be reviewed to assess whether they have fulfilled their human rights obligations.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL WILL NOT ENDORSE USE OF FORCE TO DEAL WITH IRAN - PRESIDENT

SECURITY COUNCIL WILL NOT ENDORSE USE OF FORCE TO DEAL WITH IRAN – PRESIDENT New York, Mar 4 2008 5:00PM The Security Council, which yesterday imposed additional sanctions against Iran for its nuclear activities, will not support the use of force to deal with that issue, the 15-member body's President for March stated today.

On Monday the Council authorized the inspection of cargo suspected of carrying prohibited goods, the tighter monitoring of financial institutions and the extension of travel bans and asset freezes, after Iran failed to comply with requests to suspend uranium enrichment activities. The measures follow Council sanctions imposed in 2006 and 2007.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called resolution 1803 "a very carefully drafted resolution," focused exclusively on concerns associated with nuclear and missile proliferation activities.

Speaking to reporters in his capacity as Council President for March, he noted that the resolution was necessary because Iran had not complied with previous demands by the body and insisted on continuing with its enrichment activity.

At the same time, he stressed that all the resolutions make clear that "there is no indication at all of any willingness of the Security Council in any form to sanction or approve or condone the use of force against Tehran in order to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue."

He noted that yesterday's resolution is part of a package that included the joint statement issued by "the Six" – China, France, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom and United States – in which they stated their willingness to develop "all-round relations and wider cooperation with Iran," starting with direct talks and negotiations, if it was willing to suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.

"Greater opportunities are there for Iran if it responds positively to the offers by the Six," Mr. Churkin stated, including opportunities of "overcoming its problems with the United States of America."

The joint statement indicates that the Six will be developing their proposals to provide benefits to Iran and the region in political, economic and security fields, and speaks about the need to have creative approaches regarding negotiations with Tehran.

It is dealing with Iran in a very respectful way, "oriented towards reaching a political and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue," said Mr. Churkin. "We hope that Iran is going to consider the opportunities very carefully."
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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FUEL SHORTAGES CONTINUE TO HAMPER BASIC FUNCTIONS IN GAZA - UN AID AGENCY

FUEL SHORTAGES CONTINUE TO HAMPER BASIC FUNCTIONS IN GAZA – UN AID AGENCY New York, Mar 4 2008 5:00PM The Gaza Strip continues to be plagued by fuel shortages, leaving many ambulances unable to function and ensuring most residents have only an intermittent water supply, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported today.

Some 30 out of 87 ambulances run by the Health Ministry and the Red Crescent in Gaza cannot operate because of the lack of fuel, <"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA said, while all 140 water wells in the area have now run out of fuel.

The fuel shortages have been a persistent problem because of Israel's tight restrictions on the passage of goods into or out of Gaza since the middle of last year, and senior UN officials have called on Israel to ease those restrictions to allow the passage of goods needed for basic functions.

The situation is particularly difficult in the wake of the upsurge of violence over the past week that has led to the deaths of dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as the deaths of at least two Israeli soldiers and an Israeli civilian.

UNRWA reported that four of its schools in Gaza City and Rafah sustained damage as a result of Israeli operations in the area in recent days.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed Australia's Maxwell Gaylard as his Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO).

In this capacity, Mr. Gaylard will also serve as the UN Coordinator for humanitarian and development activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Mr. Gaylard, who has been acting as Deputy Special Coordinator since last November, has previously served as Director of the UN Mine Action Service and as a senior UN humanitarian and coordination official in Somalia, Sudan and northern Iraq.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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UN-AFRICAN UNION POLICE BEGIN PATROLS IN NORTH DARFUR

UN-AFRICAN UNION POLICE BEGIN PATROLS IN NORTH DARFUR New York, Mar 4 2008 4:00PM Police units of the new United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) conducted their first "confidence-building" patrols in areas controlled by the Minni Minawi-led rebel group in the violence-torn region of Sudan, the mission said today.

"The safety of the citizens of Darfur is a priority for <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID," said UNAMID Police Commissioner Michael Fryer, in announcing activities in the domain of the rebel group, which is a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).

"But curbing crime also involves the full cooperation of the entire community," he added, explaining that the patrols aimed to strengthen cooperation and trust between the UN and the population and local police.

Fighting between rebels, the Government and allied militias has caused the deaths of over 200,000 and the displacement of more than two million people in Darfur over the past five years.

There are currently over 1,600 police officers, including 252 female officers, from 32 different countries serving with UNAMID, which took over from an African Union force at the beginning of the year.

The UN refugee agency, meanwhile, says it is continuing to provide emergency aid to small groups of Sudanese refugees from West Darfur who are still arriving on a daily basis in eastern Chad, fleeing a wave of aerial and ground attacks that began on 8 February.

Over the weekend, teams from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) distributed emergency kits to some of the refugees in the border area, which now number some 13,000.

The kits include blankets, as most of the new arrivals have been sheltering under trees for the past three weeks.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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BOSNIAN SERB POLITICIAN CONVICTED BY UN TRIBUNAL TO SERVE JAIL TERM IN DENMARK

BOSNIAN SERB POLITICIAN CONVICTED BY UN TRIBUNAL TO SERVE JAIL TERM IN DENMARK New York, Mar 4 2008 4:00PM A prominent former Bosnian Serb political figure convicted by a United Nations war crimes tribunal for his role in the ethnic cleansing that took place during the Balkan wars of the 1990s will serve the remainder of his 30-year jail term in Denmark.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), which sits in The Hague in the Netherlands, <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pr1222e.htm">announced today that Radoslav Brdanin has been transferred to detention in Denmark.

In 2004 Mr. Brdanin – who held various senior positions with the so-called Autonomous Region of Krajina (ARK), a self-styled state created by Bosnian Serbs within Bosnia and Herzegovina – was convicted by the ICTY of the wilful killing, torture and persecution of non-Serbs and of instigating forcible transfers and deportations from the Krajina region.

He was also convicted over his role in the destruction of cities, towns and villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The trial chamber then sentenced him to 32 years in prison, although in 2007 this term was reduced slightly to 30 years after the ICTY appeals chamber reversed some of the convictions.

Denmark is one of 14 European countries that have signed an agreement with the ICTY to enforce sentences imposed by the Tribunal on convicted individuals, and nearly 40 people either have served or are currently serving their sentence in one of those countries.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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LIBERIA: NIGERIAN UN UNIT HANDS OVER ELECTRICAL TRAINING WORKSHOP

LIBERIA: NIGERIAN UN UNIT HANDS OVER ELECTRICAL TRAINING WORKSHOP New York, Mar 4 2008 4:00PM A Nigerian peacekeeping unit of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (<"http://unmil.org/">UNMIL) has handed over an electrical technicians training workshop it established through the expertise and financial contribution of its personnel, the mission said today.

At a ceremony outside of the country's capital, Monrovia, the Nigerian Signal-Six (NISIG-6) unit was commended by Ellen Margrethe Løj, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative, for funding and identifying the need for the workshop, which will now be run by the Catholic-run Don Bosco Youth Centre.

"We need these kind of skills that can be implemented with little capital to set up small ventures and business activities," the UN Envoy said, stressing the importance of vocational and technical training for Liberian youth in assisting them to become productive members of society following the country's brutal 15-year civil war.

"The training provides income generation, creates livelihoods, and at the same time provides skilled labour force to support the recovery of the Liberian economy," she added.

She urged the people of the area to assume ownership of the project to respond to Liberia's urgent need for skilled and qualified personnel in the area of electrical maintenance.

The Commander of Sector One of UNMIL, Brigadier General Olayemi Abidoye, said the contributions of the NISIG-6 unit honour the memory of soldiers who gave their lives during the peacekeeping operations of the West African regional forces in Liberia.

The Nigerian unit, which maintains communications between UNMIL Force and Sector headquarters, employs a wide-range of advanced equipment and skilled manpower, UNMIL said.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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STABILITY IN SOUTHERN LEBANON THREATENED, DESPITE RECENT PROGRESS - BAN KI-MOON

STABILITY IN SOUTHERN LEBANON THREATENED, DESPITE RECENT PROGRESS – BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 4 2008 3:00PM Although southern Lebanon is relatively stable at present, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expresses deep concern over the effects of the ongoing political crisis, arms smuggling and Israeli overflights there in a new report on compliance with the Security Council decision that helped end fighting between Israel and Hizbollah in 2006.

"I am pleased to report that both the Governments of Lebanon and Israel express continued commitment to the implementation of resolution 1701," Mr. Ban says in the report on the decision, which called for renewed respect for the Blue Line separating Israeli and Lebanese forces, the disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling, among other measures.

"Only the enduring commitment of the parties to all the provisions of the resolution, without selectivity, will create the required basis for a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution," he adds in the report, which covers the period since the end of October last year.

He states that the expanded activities of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces have contributed a new strategic environment, acknowledged by Israel, in the area south of the Litani River.

At the same time, however, Lebanon has remained in the grip of an intense political crisis which has shut down the work of key State institutions, he says, with continuing assassinations heightening tensions throughout the country.

Though Mr. Ban affirms that UNIFIL has found no evidence of new military infrastructure in its area of operations, rocket firings against Israel and attacks against the mission "indicate that there are still hostile elements and unauthorized arms."

In addition, Hizbollah has admitted, on several occasions, replenishing its military capacity since the 2006 war, indicating that the Syrian border remained vulnerable to arms smuggling, he adds.

For that reason, he says he intends to dispatch a team to Lebanon to look at the implementation of the recommendations of the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team: "It is clear that significant challenges remain to be addressed in effective border management."

The report also highlights the Secretary-General's concern at Israel's continuing air violations, and the limited data it has provided for cluster bomb clearance.

He also expresses great concern at the threats of open war against Israel, made by the Secretary-General of Hizbollah on both 14 and 22 February. "This goes against the spirit and intensions of resolution 1701 (2006), which aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire."
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION REASSERTS ITS CONTROL OVER STRETCH OF RAIL LINE IN NORTHERN KOSOVO

UN MISSION REASSERTS ITS CONTROL OVER STRETCH OF RAIL LINE IN NORTHERN KOSOVO New York, Mar 4 2008 2:00PM The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today reasserted control of a rail line in northern Kosovo, a day after Serbian Railways had challenged its authority over the stretch.

Joachim Rücker, the head of <"http://www.unmikonline.org/">UNMIK and the Secretary-General's Special Representative, said that the intervention of UNMIK Border Police "reverses the challenge to UNMIK's authority that occurred yesterday when Serbian Railways illegally sent two of its trains south of Leshak/Lešak."

In a statement issued in Pristina, Mr. Rücker noted that about 9.35 a.m. today UNMIK Border Police at the Leshak/Lešak train station informed a representative of Serbian Railways that their train would not be allowed to travel south, and Serbian Railways complied.

"UNMIK and its partners will continue to meet any challenges to law and order throughout Kosovo," he said.

The envoy stressed that "any movement south of Leshak/Lešak by Serbian Railways is a clear challenge to UNMIK's authority as well as a breach of the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding that Yugoslav Railways [now Serbian Railways] signed with UNMIK Railways [also called Kosovo Railways] and will not be tolerated."

Last month the Assembly of Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government declared independence from Serbia, and since then both Mr. Rücker and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have underlined the need for restraint from all sides.

Ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities by nine to one in Kosovo, which was administered by the UN after Western forces drove out Yugoslav forces amid inter-ethnic fighting in 1999.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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ARAB NATIONS SHOULD INVEST OIL REVENUES IN AGRICULTURE, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL

ARAB NATIONS SHOULD INVEST OIL REVENUES IN AGRICULTURE, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL New York, Mar 4 2008 2:00PM The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today urged Arab countries to invest oil profits into boosting agriculture in their region, which has to tackle with such challenges as food insecurity, land degradation and water scarcity.

"Investment in agriculture, from both domestic and external sources, remains low in most countries of the region," Director-General Jacques Diouf told those gathered in Cairo for the 29th <"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000803/index.html">FAO Regional Conference for the Near East.

He stressed the need for "ambitious policies" to address the decline in overall external assistance to the agriculture sector in the Near East region which has been falling since 1995.

"It would also be desirable for the countries of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which contribute 17 per cent of total regional aid to the agricultural sector, to increase their support by allocating more funds to agriculture," he added.

According to FAO, hunger and undernourishment are on the rise in the region, and some 13 countries are currently facing emergencies, caused by natural disasters, conflicts and trans-boundary animal diseases such as avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease.

In addition, the agency noted that water will be among the major challenges facing the agriculture sector in the years to come. "With less than two per cent of the world's freshwater resources but 11 per cent of its population, the region's food security is dependent on extracting extra output from each drop of water. Despite improved water use and more effective irrigation thanks to advances in technology, results remain inadequate," he said.

FAO is assisting countries in dealing with these and other issues, including through technical support, the provision of tools and seeds, and techniques to rationalize the use of water and land resources.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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SURGE IN NUMBER OF MIGRANT BOATS - AND DEATHS - IN GULF OF ADEN, UN REPORTS

SURGE IN NUMBER OF MIGRANT BOATS – AND DEATHS – IN GULF OF ADEN, UN REPORTS New York, Mar 4 2008 1:00PM The number of migrants making the hazardous journey across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen has spiked this year, but so too has the number of deaths, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.

In the first two months of this year, 182 boats carrying 8,713 people arrived in Yemen, with at least 113 people perishing during the voyage and over 200 missing and presumed dead, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond <" http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47cd36024.html">told reporters in Geneva.

Two dozen boats with 2,946 people crossed the Gulf of Aden in the first two months of 2007, with 139 people losing their lives and 19 having gone missing.

The surge in crossings this year is partly a result of the use of new smuggling routes, with smugglers having started bringing people across the Red Sea from Djibouti, as well as the more traditional route from Somalia.

Although some routes are new, the smugglers' tactics have not changed, with people paying an average of between $130 and $150 to travel on small, fast boats, while those making the journey on crowded, bigger vessels spend between $50 and $70. The voyage can take from 12 to 36 hours, depending on the weather, as well as the smugglers' knowledge of the water conditions and routes.

Passengers are sometimes forced overboard or an alternate route is taken if smugglers encounter patrol boats or see coast guards upon arrival.

"The armed smugglers are often brutal," Mr. Redmond noted, with smugglers last month on two boats, together carrying more than 300 people, forcing passengers to disembark in deep and rough waters. A total of 182 people safely reached the shore, while 36 drowned and 84 others remain missing.

"The new arrivals told us that the smugglers had severely beaten the passengers on the boat and taken their money and clothes by force," he added. "One person – severely traumatized by the beating – jumped overboard and drowned."

An additional three people died from asphyxiation and dehydration, and others had also been stabbed. All of the injured were tended to by staff at UNHCR's May'fa reception centre in Yemen.

The agency has been appealing for bolstered efforts to prevent deaths in the Gulf of Aden and other bodies of water. Since last year, it has stepped up its work in Yemen as part of a $7 million operation by providing extra staff and more shelter for refugees in the Kharaz camp.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY AWAITING ACCESS TO BOAT PEOPLE RESCUED OFF SRI LANKAN COAST

UN AGENCY AWAITING ACCESS TO BOAT PEOPLE RESCUED OFF SRI LANKAN COAST New York, Mar 4 2008 11:00AM The United Nations refugee agency has lauded the Sri Lankan Government for rescuing 71 boat people who had been adrift at sea for nearly two weeks, and said it is now awaiting access to the survivors of the perilous voyage.

The group of 50 Myanmar nationals and 21 Bangladeshis had been adrift since 20 February after their boat encountered engine failure, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47cd360411.html">told reporters in Geneva.

"Twenty of those on board, including 17 Myanmar nationals and three Bangladeshis, reportedly died due to starvation and dehydration," he said.

The boat was found adrift in high seas off Sri Lanka's northern district of Mullaitivu. All of the victims are now receiving medical care at the naval base in eastern Trincomalee harbour.

Mr. Redmond commended the Government for allowing the survivors to disembark and providing them with assistance, noting that "aiding those in peril at sea is one of the oldest of maritime obligations."

The agency is in close contact with Sri Lankan officials and is awaiting unhindered access to the survivors, once they are moved out of the restricted military zone where the naval base is situated and to a police- and civilian-administered area.
2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: UN REINFORCES PEACEKEEPERS IN WEST TO QUELL FLARE-UP OF VIOLENCE

DR CONGO: UN REINFORCES PEACEKEEPERS IN WEST TO QUELL FLARE-UP OF VIOLENCE New York, Mar 4 2008 10:03AM The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC) is dispatching additional peacekeepers to Bas-Congo province in the far west of the vast African country following renewed outbursts of deadly violence there.

Condemning the latest incidents, in which seven people were killed and a dozen injured, Alan Doss, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative, today appealed to the parties for restraint, saying further violence could only worsen local problems.

Earlier this month, MONUC reported that at least 70 people were killed in several towns in Bas Congo amid clashes that followed controversial local elections, after which the mission sent police reinforcements and deployed two teams to probe the situation.

MONUC also released today its human rights report for January, in which it details numerous alleged violations by members of the national armed forces, known as FARDC, the national police (PNC), as well as non-governmental militias.

The report also describes hearings and convictions of violators in all three categories, along with persistent incidents of mob justice.

Most of the killings, rapes, abductions and beatings reported took place in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, where it is hoped that violence will be reduced by an agreement between militias and the Government signed after the Goma Peace Conference on 23 January.

In the worst incidents of the reporting period, at least 30 people were killed by militia members using firearms, machetes and hammers in several coordinated attacks near Kalonge in North Kivu. The victims had apparently fled territory controlled by the militia.

The report also says that 31 children are among a group of 79 detainees transferred from Goma to the capital Kinshasa for interrogation by the Congolese military on suspicions of spying and treason. UN human rights officers are holding discussions with Congolese authorities to find a solution to their situation in the context of recent accords.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZES MORE SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN OVER NUCLEAR ISSUE

SECURITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZES MORE SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN OVER NUCLEAR ISSUE New York, Mar 4 2008 10:03AM The Security Council today imposed additional sanctions against Iran, including the inspection of cargo suspected of carrying prohibited goods, the tighter monitoring of financial institutions and the extension of travel bans and asset freezes, over its nuclear programme.

Fourteen Council members <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9268.doc.htm">voted in favour of the resolution, which voiced concern at "the proliferation risks presented by the Iranian nuclear programme," while Indonesia abstained. The resolution adds to Council sanctions imposed in 2006 and another round last year.

Under the resolution, the International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/index.html">IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei has been asked to report within 90 days on whether Iran has fully suspended uranium enrichment activities, in line with a previous Council demand.

The Council's five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – and Germany (currently not a Council member) also said they were willing to develop "all-round relations and wider cooperation with Iran," starting with direct talks and negotiations, if it was willing to suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.

Member States are called on to inspect cargo entering or leaving Iran reasonably suspected of transporting goods prohibited as part of any one of the three Council resolutions on this issue, and then to report to the Council on the details of those inspections.

In addition, the resolution bans the trade and supply of "dual-use" items, materials and technologies that can be adapted for military as well as civilian purposes.

Travel bans have been imposed on an extra five Iranian officials and 12 Iranian companies face having their assets frozen, while all States are asked to step up their monitoring of financial institutions in their territories that have dealings with banks based in Iran, particularly Bank Melli and Bank Saderat.

If Iran does not comply with the resolution, and with the earlier two resolutions imposing sanctions, Council members reserved the right to take further steps to pressure Tehran to comply.

In a statement of behalf of China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, the US and the European Union, British Ambassador John Sawers said the text reflected the international community's ongoing serious concerns about the issue.

Mr. Sawers said the countries remained ready to undertake the necessary diplomatic and political efforts to reach a negotiated solution, and that a top EU official has been asked to meet with a senior Iranian official to address the concerns of both sides.

For his part, Indonesia's Ambassador Marty M. Natalegawa told the Council meeting that Jakarta was not convinced that "more sanctions, however incremental, well targeted and reversible, would move us forward in resolving the question of Iran's nuclear programme."

Iran's representative Mohammed Khazaee said that today's resolution did not meet "the minimum standards of legitimacy and legality," and emphasized that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely peaceful and did not belong within the purview of the Council.

Meanwhile, Mr. ElBaradei told a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna that the agency has been "able to clarify important outstanding issues regarding the scope and nature of Iran's declared enrichment programme."

He said the "one outstanding issue that is relevant to Iran's past activities is the so-called alleged studies involving possible weaponization activities," which the IAEA became aware of in 2005.

Mr. ElBaradei said that after Iran was initially reluctant to fully discuss the issue, it has since agreed in a joint work plan to tackle it, while maintaining that the alleged studies either relate only to conventional weapons or are fabricated.

"However, a full-fledged examination of this issue has yet to take place," he noted, stressing that the IAEA will follow due process in determining the authenticity of documents related to the alleged studies.

The Director General called on Iran to be as "active and cooperative as possible in working with the Agency to clarify this matter of serious concern."
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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UN RUSHES AID TO OVER 8,000 BHUTANESE AFTER FIRE DESTROYS REFUGEE CAMP IN NEPAL

UN RUSHES AID TO OVER 8,000 BHUTANESE AFTER FIRE DESTROYS REFUGEE CAMP IN NEPAL New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM United Nations agencies, the Nepalese Government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are sending emergency aid to about 8,000 Bhutanese refugees left homeless after a fire swept through a camp in eastern Nepal at the weekend.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47cc007c4.html">UNHCR) reports that around 100 people were slightly injured in Saturday's fire, which destroyed almost 90 per cent of the buildings in the Goldhap camp. Its cause is being investigated.

The agency distributed plastic sheeting and bamboo for building new huts, while the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) provided emergency food aid for the refugees.

The Nepalese army has built 200 emergency shelters in the camp, which is one of seven in the eastern part of the country housing some 108,000 refugees who left Bhutan in the early 1990s.

The disaster was "absolutely traumatic" for the camp residents, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. "We are urgently mobilizing all resources, with a lot of help from the Government, to get them shelter, food and comfort."

Daisy Dell, UNHCR's representative in Nepal, hailed the emergency response as remarkable. Some humanitarian organizations and local residents have also joined the relief effort, distributing hygiene kits, cooking utensils, clothing and food.

The Nepalese Government is assisting by giving 500 rupees – or about $8 – per family, while UNHCR will provide cash grants to help the refugees meet basic needs.

Recently, Nepal announced that it will issue exit permits to refugees from Bhutan, including those in Goldhap, so they can be resettled in third countries.

UNHCR, which lauded the Government's decision, has submitted the details of some 10,000 interested refugees for consideration by the resettlement countries and the first refugees are expected to begin departing this month.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVELS TO VIENNA AND BRUSSELS

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVELS TO VIENNA AND BRUSSELS New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro is currently in Vienna, where she will be meeting with senior United Nations staff as well as Austrian officials, before travelling to Brussels on Wednesday.

Ms. Migiro will attend a meeting on achieving greater coherence and effectiveness across the UN system, convened by the Vienna-based UN Industrial Development Organization (<"http://www.unido.org/">UNIDO).

While in Vienna, she will also meet with Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.

After arriving in Brussels on Wednesday, Ms. Migiro will attend an extraordinary joint meeting of the European Parliament's External Relations and Development Committees, and hold a private meeting with the Crown Prince and Princess of Belgium.

On Thursday, she will attend a high-level conference entitled "Women: Stabilizing an Insecure World," before travelling back to New York.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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AID WORKERS MUST HAVE FULL ACCESS TO VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE IN WEST DARFUR - UN

AID WORKERS MUST HAVE FULL ACCESS TO VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE IN WEST DARFUR – UN New York, Mar 4 2008 10:00AM United Nations officials in Sudan are calling on all parties to the recent surge in violence in West Darfur to grant aid workers unhindered access to victims caught up in the deadly clashes in the already war-wracked region.

"We must have guarantees from all sides of unimpeded access to affected areas now," UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ameerah Haq told a press conference in Khartoum today. Her call was echoed by local representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news.html">UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (<http://www.unicef.org>UNICEF), the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/index.htm">WFP) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA).

Ms. Haq, who is also the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sudan, stressed it was particularly important that aid workers have access to the Jebel Moun area of West Darfur – which Sudanese national security forces have granted but the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has denied.

Up to 58,000 people in West Darfur remain affected by the recent spike in fighting, according to the latest UN estimates, with whole communities forced to flee after attacks on a string of villages north of the state capital, El Geneina. Dozens of civilians have died and many more were injured.

Two inter-agency assessment teams visited the affected area, finding that in the towns of Sirba and Sileah many homes were burned and health clinics, schools, water systems and aid agency compounds had been either looted or destroyed.

"The impact on communities is devastating," Ms. Haq said. "The United Nations in <" http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">Sudan seeks strong assurances that civilians and their communities will be protected from such indiscriminate attacks. These civilians have a right to protection."

The priorities for aid agencies include food, medical supplies, plastic sheeting and blankets, she added, noting that it was also vital to restore and treat water supplies.

UN agencies are especially concerned about the impact of the fighting on women and children, with many children becoming separated from their families or otherwise remaining unaccounted for.

Ted Chaiban, a representative of UNICEF, told reporters that it was not yet clear how many children had been separated because many had fled from their schools during the attacks. None of the parties to the conflict had taken steps to prevent the use of child soldiers, he added.

Across Darfur's three states, more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others injured since 2003 because of fighting between rebels and Government forces backed by allied militia known as the Janjaweed.

Since the start of this year the hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping mission known as <"http://unamid.unmissions.org/Default.aspx#">UNAMID has been deployed in Darfur in a bid to quell the suffering and violence.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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UN CONFIRMS 10 DEAD IN NEPAL HELICOPTER CRASH

UN CONFIRMS 10 DEAD IN NEPAL HELICOPTER CRASH New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM The United Nations confirmed today that seven of its staff and three crew members died when one of its helicopters crashed in eastern Nepal yesterday.

The flight, which left the Maoist cantonment site at Sindhuli and was bound for the capital, Kathmandu, crashed in Ramechhap district on Monday afternoon.

In a statement released today, the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) confirmed that three Nepali UN personnel died in the crash. They are Bhim Bahadur Gurung and Rabindra Khaniya, liaison officer and language assistant with the UNMIN Arms Monitoring Office, and Rajesh Maharjan, an UNMIN vehicle mechanic.

In addition, four international arms monitors -- from Gambia, Indonesia, Republic of Korea and Sweden -- died in the accident, as well as three crew members, two from Russia and one from Belarus.

Expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Nepal and head of UNMIN paid tribute to his fallen colleagues.

"They died while working to sustain peace in Nepal, and UNMIN will continue in the midst of this tragedy to apply its best efforts to this purpose," said Ian Martin.

The Mission is in the process of recovering the remains of the deceased so that they can be returned to Kathmandu as early as possible.

An UNMIN team has arrived at the crash site, some 85 kilometres east of Kathmandu, to assess the situation. Investigation of the accident is primarily for Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, with the participation of the Mission and the Russian aircraft company.

2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

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WIDESPREAD FLOODS IN ECUADOR PROMPT UNICEF TO BEGIN DISTRIBUTING AID

WIDESPREAD FLOODS IN ECUADOR PROMPT UNICEF TO BEGIN DISTRIBUTING AID New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) will soon begin distributing mosquito nets, mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits, water tanks and other basic items to communities in Ecuador, which has been hit by some of the worst flooding in two decades.

UNICEF is also supplying oral rehydration salts to help prevent diarrhoea-related diseases and training 100 officials in charge of organizing emergency shelters, the agency reported on Friday. Officials are also concerned about the potential outbreak of dengue fever, malaria, respiratory infections and problems caused by snake bites.

A disaster assessment and coordination (UNDAC) team with the world body is currently evaluating the situation inside the small Andean nation to determine how best to assist Government relief efforts. UNICEF is already requesting $800,000 so that it can respond to the most urgent needs of the population.

At least 14 of Ecuador's 23 provinces have been hit by the floods, with the Government declaring a nationwide state of emergency late last month. So far, 19 people are confirmed dead, including five children, and some $82 million worth of crops have been lost.

The latest estimates indicate that more than 16,000 people have been forced into emergency shelters, and at least 315,000 people have been directly affected by the floods, which have swollen rivers to overflowing, destroyed homes and fields and submerged croplands.

In a situation report issued today, UNICEF said national meteorological officials have predicted that rains are likely to continue and in some provinces even increase, with flooding expecting to last until as late as May.

Ecuador is not the only Andean nation to suffer from heavy flooding this year – Bolivia has also been hard hit, and UN agencies are also operating there to bring relief.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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HEALTH-CARE WORKERS, THE 'TRUE LIFESAVERS,' MUST BE SUPPORTED - BAN KI-MOON

HEALTH-CARE WORKERS, THE 'TRUE LIFESAVERS,' MUST BE SUPPORTED – BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM The time has come to focus on supporting and retaining health workers – "the true lifesavers in the society of every nation"– Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the first-ever world forum on the topic, which convened in Kampala, Uganda, today.

"Almost 60 countries – most of them in Africa – face such critical shortages of health workers that they cannot provide basic health care to all their people," Mr. Ban said at the Global Forum for Human Resources in Health, which expects over 1,000 government leaders and experts to meet under the auspices of the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO).

In his statement to the gathering, Mr. Ban emphasized the crucial part that health care plays in economic development and in reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to reduce extreme poverty and other global ills by 2015.

"I appreciate that the issues are complex," he said, maintaining that the crisis in the world's health workforce requires different stakeholders to take action in a range of areas – migration, development, education, finance and more.

However, he pointed to renewed momentum throughout the international community to tackle large challenges in health care, as well as advances in knowledge.

"We have the resources and the know-how," he concluded: "Let us work together, with coherent and coordinated action, to translate commitments into protected livelihoods and saved lives."

The first Global Forum for Human Resources in Health will run through 7 March.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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MADAGASCAR: UN AID AGENCIES APPEAL FOR $36 MILLION AFTER DEADLY CYCLONES

MADAGASCAR: UN AID AGENCIES APPEAL FOR $36 MILLION AFTER DEADLY CYCLONES New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM United Nations agencies and their partners in the international humanitarian community have appealed for more than $36 million to help bring relief to the parts of Madagascar that have been buffeted by cyclones in the past month.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) announced on Saturday that it is seeking the funds to tackle the immediate needs of the more than 239,000 Malagasy affected either by the cyclones themselves or by other heavy rains and winds during the annual cyclone season in the impoverished country.

So far almost $6.5 million has been committed, OCHA said, and a formal request has been sent to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for money to be disbursed.

UN aid agencies are working with the Malagasy Red Cross Society, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help the affected population, ranging from emergency food rations to measures that protect water quality and prevent the spread of diseases.

At least 73 people are confirmed to have been killed from the cyclones, which brought heavy rainfall to most of the island nation but struck the northwest and northeast especially hard. Subsequent floods have reached many heavily populated areas, including the capital, Antananarivo, and important farming areas, such as the Alaotra Mangoro region.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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THREE EXTRA JUDGES TO SERVE ON UN TRIBUNAL FOR THE BALKAN WARS

THREE EXTRA JUDGES TO SERVE ON UN TRIBUNAL FOR THE BALKAN WARS New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM Three temporary judges were today sworn in before the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s so that the court can handle more trials simultaneously.

Judges Pedro R. David of Argentina, Elizabeth Gwaunza of Zimbabwe and Michele Picard of France were sworn in before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pr1221e.htm">ICTY), bringing the total number of ad litem, or temporary, judges serving on the Tribunal to 15.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Judges David and Picard to sit on the Jovica Stanišic; and Franko Simatovic; case, scheduled to begin later this month, while Judge Gwaunza will serve on the Gotovina and others case, also expected to start this month.

The appointment of the three new judges to the ICTY, which is based in The Hague, means it can now hear eight trials concurrently, an all-time high for the Tribunal.

As well as the ad litem judges appointed to specific trials, the ICTY has 16 permanent judges who are elected by the General Assembly. The ad litem judges are chosen by the UN Secretary-General – at the request of the Tribunal's President – from a pool of 27 selected by the Assembly.

Last month the Security Council approved a temporary increase in the number of ad litem ICTY judges from a maximum of 12 to a maximum of 16 during this year so that the Tribunal can better meet its Council-imposed target of trying all defendants by the end of 2008.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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ACTRESS DREW BARRYMORE DONATES $1 MILLION TO UN ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAMME

ACTRESS DREW BARRYMORE DONATES $1 MILLION TO UN ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAMME New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM The United States actress Drew Barrymore today announced that she would donate $1 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP), where she is an Ambassador Against Hunger, to help the agency feed thousands of Kenyan schoolchildren.

The personal donation kicks off WFP's 'Fill the Cup' challenge to the US to raise enough funds to help feed 59 million children around the world for a year.

Speaking on the <i>Oprah Winfrey Show</i> on US television, where she announced the donation, Ms. Barrymore said she had witnessed first-hand the impact hunger has on poor children during two visits to Kenya in the past two years.

"I have seen with my own eyes what a difference a simple cup of nutritious porridge can make in a child's life," she said. "It helps them learn, stay healthy and sets them on track for a bright future."

WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran thanked Ms. Barrymore for her donation, and urged others in the United States to contribute to the Fill the Cup campaign.

Ms. Sheeran noted that for only 25 cents a day, WFP can provide an entire school meal to a child in a developing country.

"Just $50 fills a child's cup for a year, and we call on everyone to click on <"https://www.kintera.org/site/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=7oIJLSOsGpF&b=3930733&en=rvKVL4OQJeLOL3MRLjJRI3PPJnL9IfOTImK2JhNVLfLQI5PWLzH">wfp.org and make a donation," she said.

The agency is seeking $3 billion in total so that it can feed 59 million hungry schoolchildren around the globe for the next year, often with porridge, rice or beans. Up to 70 per cent of the food used for school meals is bought from farmers in poor nations.

Today Ms. Sheeran will also meet with commodity traders at the Chicago Board of Trade and civic and business leaders in the US city to discuss the fight against hunger and the impact of rising food prices on the world's poor.

WFP is trying to jump-start school feeding programmes in many developing countries so that local communities can then run them once they have the capacity.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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DEADLY CLASHES DURING PROTESTS IN ARMENIA ALARM SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN

DEADLY CLASHES DURING PROTESTS IN ARMENIA ALARM SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his deep concern about the deadly clashes between demonstrators and police forces in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where the results of recent presidential elections have been disputed.

"It is his hope that these events, during which eight people died, will be thoroughly investigated," Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3030">statement.

"The Secretary-General calls on all parties to exercise full restraint and to find a way out of the current crisis. He also urges the Armenian authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure a return to normalcy, including through a speedy lifting of the state of emergency."

The statement was issued a day after Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/A1B086787D61D9AAC1257400007F9420?opendocument">voiced alarm about the violent clashes in Yerevan and urged authorities to exercise maximum restraint.

She noted that Armenia is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which states that, even during states of emergency, fundamental rights such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment cannot be suspended.

Protests began in Armenia after Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner of the 19 February presidential poll, a result that is disputed by the opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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RWANDAN OFFICIAL CONVICTED BY UN TRIBUNAL LEAVES JAIL AFTER COMPLETING SENTENCE

RWANDAN OFFICIAL CONVICTED BY UN TRIBUNAL LEAVES JAIL AFTER COMPLETING SENTENCE New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM A former Rwandan local government official convicted and jailed by the United Nations genocide tribunal for failing to prevent the massacre of Tutsis seeking refuge in a church has been released from prison after completing his sentence.

Vincent Rutaganira, who had been sentenced in March 2005 to six years' jail, was released yesterday from the UN detention facility in Arusha, Tanzania, where the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (<"http://69.94.11.53/">ICTR) is based. Mr. Rutaganira had been in custody since he was arrested in March 2002.

A councillor from 1985 to 1994 in the Mubuga sector of Kibuye prefecture in western Rwanda, Mr. Rutaganira had pleaded guilty to one count of extermination as an accomplice by omission to a crime against humanity.

In sentencing the councillor, the ICTR judges said that he had known about the planned massacre in which thousands of Tutsis were killed and yet he did not use his authority to prevent the attacks or to protect and assist the group as they sheltered in the local church.

The Security Council set up the ICTR in 1994 in response to that year's genocide in the small African country, where some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed – mostly by machete or club – in just 100 days starting in early April.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY DEPARTS FOR MYANMAR ON TUESDAY

UN ENVOY DEPARTS FOR MYANMAR ON TUESDAY New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM The Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Myanmar is set to depart tomorrow for his third visit to the troubled South-East Asian nation since the Government forcefully cracked down on peaceful protesters last year.

Ibrahim Gambari, who will arrive in the country on 6 March, "hopes to stay as long as necessary and to consult with a broad range of representatives of Myanmar society, including all the groups which he was not able to see during his last visit," UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York today.

Ms. Montas added that the details of the Special Adviser's programme are being discussed with the authorities, and he looks forward to the continued cooperation of the Myanmar Government.

Mr. Gambari last week wrapped up a series of meetings with leaders in Beijing, Jakarta, Singapore and Tokyo as part of his efforts to promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

In February the authorities in Myanmar announced a constitutional referendum to be held this May, to be followed by "multi-party democratic elections" in 2010.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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MATERNAL HEALTH BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING AFGHAN WOMEN - UN AGENCY

MATERNAL HEALTH BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING AFGHAN WOMEN – UN AGENCY New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM Some 24,000 Afghan women die every year while giving birth, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is working with the Government and other partners to reduce maternal mortality and improve the overall health of women and girls in the war-torn nation.

"The biggest challenge that Afghan women face is maternal health and high maternal mortality," Ramesh Penumaka, <"http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA Country Representative in Afghanistan, told journalists in Kabul today.

Mr. Penumaka noted that 1,600 out of every 100,000 women that give birth die in the process. "That is a staggering 24,000 a year, about 25 times the number of people dying of security-related violent incidents," he stated.

The reasons why so many Afghan women die while giving birth range from early marriage – more than half the girls are married before they are 18 – and lack of health facilities and skilled birth attendants to lack of education.

Noting some of the progress made in recent years, Mr. Penumaka said that there are today 16,000 community health workers and a sizeable increase in the number of institutions training local midwives.

Last year, 30 per cent of pregnant women received some kind of attention from a health professional, up from only 4 per cent in 2001. And while only 6 per cent of deliveries were conducted by a skilled attendant in 2001, that number was 80 per cent last year.

"The progress made is significant but nowhere near sufficient," he stated, noting that 40 per cent of mothers do not have access to an emergency obstetric care service and not all women have access to skilled birth attendants.

UNFPA is working with the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) on a joint programme for maternal mortality reduction. It is also helping the Ministry of Public Health to develop action plans for maternal health and emergency obstetric care, increase the number of skilled birth attendants, and train doctors and midwives.

As the problems relating to maternal health cannot be tackled by women alone, UNFPA is also working with men who have a vital role to play in ensuring the health and well-being of their mothers, sisters and wives.

In addition, in cooperation with the UN Development Fund for Women (<"http://www.unifem.org/">UNIFEM) and other agencies, UNFPA is working to eliminate violence against women, which affects 80 per cent of women at some time in their lives, according to Mr. Penumaka. "This is a major challenge that all of us need to confront, and especially those of us who are men."

Ziad Sheikh, Deputy Director at UNIFEM Afghanistan, drew attention to the recent establishment of a special fund for the elimination of violence against women, an initiative undertaken in partnership with UN partner agencies, the donor community and the Ministry of Women's Affairs.

The special fund will be formally launched on 8 March, which is observed annually as International Women's Day.

In a related development, 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) has received a $13 million grant from Japan to help improve literacy in Afghanistan, which has one of the highest rates of illiteracy in the world.

The grant will enable UNESCO to help almost 600,000 Afghans in 18 provinces who cannot read or write through its Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) programme.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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LEBANON: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH EGYPTIAN LEADER OVER PRESIDENTIAL STALEMATE

LEBANON: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH EGYPTIAN LEADER OVER PRESIDENTIAL STALEMATE New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM The United Nations envoy tasked with helping implement the September 2004 Security Council resolution that calls for free and fair presidential elections in Lebanon without interference from foreign influences and for the disbandment of all militia groups operating in the country has held talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Terje Roed-Larsen, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Implementation of Resolution 1559, met yesterday with Mr. Mubarak, to whom he gave a letter from Ban Ki-moon about the situation in Lebanon, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told journalists today.

Mr. Roed-Larsen also met with Amr Moussa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, to discuss the current impasse inside Lebanon over the country's presidential election.

After his discussions with Mr. Mubarak, Mr. Roed-Larsen told the press in Cairo that Egypt and the UN share the same deep concerns about the stalemate in Lebanon.

Resolution 1559 also calls for the strict respect of Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese Government.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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GREECE, FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA STILL AT ODDS ON NAME ISSUE - UN

GREECE, FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA STILL AT ODDS ON NAME ISSUE – UN New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM A substantial gap remains between the positions of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the official name of the latter country, despite their willingness to continue the process of negotiations, the United Nations envoy on the issue reports after the latest round of talks.

Matthew Nimetz, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, met with representatives of both sides in New York on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, while meeting the representatives separately, Mr. Nimetz received detailed feedback from them on his latest proposal concerning a resolution of the "name issue" and related matters.

Then on Saturday, he met with the two sides together, where both Athens and Skopje indicated they wanted to continue the process of UN-led negotiations and make progress, and also wanted to consult with their respective governments on the next steps to take.

But Mr. Nimetz reported that no new proposals were made by the two countries and "a substantial gap remains between the two sides' positions," UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today.

The Interim Accord of 13 September 1995, which was brokered by the UN, details the difference between the two countries regarding the official name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It also obliges the two sides to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to try to reach agreement.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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GLOBALIZATION MUST BENEFIT 'BOTTOM BILLION' OF POOR - BAN KI-MOON

GLOBALIZATION MUST BENEFIT 'BOTTOM BILLION' OF POOR – BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM This year must be devoted to helping the "bottom billion" of the world's poorest to tap into global economic growth, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) today.

"In a globalizing world, we require an international economic environment that fosters development," Mr. Ban said to UNCTAD's Executive Committee, which is gearing up for this April's UNCTAD-XII Conference in Accra, Ghana.

"The Accra Conference can advance this aim by galvanizing support for a more development-friendly global economic, trading and financial system. Accra must also articulate an effective strategy to leverage globalization, trade and investment for poverty reduction and economic growth," he added.

The Conference, Mr. Ban continued, must also help build consensus on how the current impasse in the Doha Round of negotiations on international free trade can be broken. The talks stalled last year amid disputes between developed and developing countries over agricultural subsidies.

Established in 1964, <"http://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2068">UNCTAD promotes the integration of developing countries into the world economy. It also helps shape policy debates on development, with a focus on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable growth.

Noting that 2008 is a pivotal year in the effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), which aim to reduce extreme poverty and other global ills by 2015, Mr. Ban said that UNCTAD-XII must promote financial policies that help meet the MDGs in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, as a matter of urgency.

The Secretary-General said he will be spending much of this year rallying support for development initiatives in national capitals and at international institutions.

Mr. Ban added that he is also striving to increase the UN's own effectiveness in advancing its development priorities, and had already formulated recommendations in key areas such as scaling up of activities in support of the MDGs, and bolstering economic development, trade and finance.

"Today's UN cannot simply champion development, it must deliver every day on its promises," he said.

While in Geneva today, the Secretary-General also conducted a number of bilateral discussions, meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store among other national officials.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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DESPITE HINDRANCES, UN COMPLETES REGROUPING OF BLUE HELMETS IN ERITREA

DESPITE HINDRANCES, UN COMPLETES REGROUPING OF BLUE HELMETS IN ERITREA New York, Mar 4 2008 10:02AM After more than a week of repeated blockages by Eritrean forces, United Nations peacekeepers in the Horn of Africa country have finally completed regrouping to the capital, Asmara, in preparation for their planned temporary relocation across the border to Ethiopia.

According to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/index.html">UNMEE), all staff have now left the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) that separates the two countries, which fought a bloody border war that ended in 2000.

Except for 112 military personnel who are awaiting further instructions in the port city of Assab, all of the approximately 980 peacekeepers – mainly from Jordanian, Indian and Kenyan battalions – along with most military observers in the country are now in the capital city.

UNMEE decided to temporarily move its personnel from Eritrea after the country cut off diesel fuel supplies to the mission, paralyzing its operations. UN military personnel in Ethiopia have not been affected by the relocation.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES RESTRAINT AS TENSIONS RISE ALONG COLOMBIAN BORDER

BAN KI-MOON URGES RESTRAINT AS TENSIONS RISE ALONG COLOMBIAN BORDER New York, Mar 4 2008 10:00AM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged restraint among Colombia and its neighbours as troops from Ecuador and Venezuela amassed at their borders with Colombia following a weekend attack that left a rebel leader dead.

Mr. Ban is concerned about the "increased tensions and heightened rhetoric emerging over the weekend" involving the three South American nations, his spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11446.doc.htm">statement.

According to media reports, Ecuador and Venezuela deployed their troops to the border after Colombia struck inside Ecuador on Saturday, killing senior Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) commander Raul Reyes.

The Secretary-General called on all three countries to address their shared concerns "in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation that has traditionally characterized their relations."
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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FATALITIES REPORTED AFTER UN HELICOPTER CRASHES IN EASTERN NEPAL

FATALITIES REPORTED AFTER UN HELICOPTER CRASHES IN EASTERN NEPAL New York, Mar 4 2008 10:00AM The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has sent a team to the eastern part of the country after one of its helicopters crashed there today, amid reports that there have been fatalities.

UNMIN said it lost contact with the helicopter at 4 p.m. local time. The flight, which left the Maoist cantonment site at Sindhuli, was carrying seven <"http://www.unmin.org.np/?d=activities&p=activity_detail&aid=109">UNMIN personnel and three crew members. It had been bound for Kathmandu, the capital.

"UNMIN has had contact with local authorities at Ramechhap district, who advise that a helicopter has crashed in the vicinity of the Bethan village, that the helicopter has been located and that there are fatalities," the Mission said in a statement.

The Mission has sent a team by road to the crash site, about 85 kilometres east of Kathmandu, to assess the situation and confirm the reports.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had learned of the news with "great sorrow," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3029">statement issued by his spokesperson.

UNMIN said it would provide further updates as more confirmed information becomes available.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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MURDER OF JOURNALIST 'COWARDLY BLOW' TO IRAQI SOCIETY, SAYS UNESCO CHIEF

MURDER OF JOURNALIST 'COWARDLY BLOW' TO IRAQI SOCIETY, SAYS UNESCO CHIEF New York, Mar 4 2008 10:00AM The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom has condemned the killing of Iraqi journalist Shihab al-Tamimi, declaring that the crime constitutes "a cowardly blow" to the fledgling democracy.

Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=41966&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO), stressed that "those who seek to muzzle the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, and press freedom, are sabotaging the reconstruction of Iraq as a free, democratic country.

"When they attack journalists, they attack every Iraqi's right and ability to make informed decisions and play a part in the development of the country," he added.

Mr. al-Tamimi, the head of the Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate, died on 27 February from gunshot wounds sustained four days earlier when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a car carrying the 74-year-old, his son and a colleague in Baghdad. His son is reported to be recovering from his wounds while the colleague was not injured.

Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Iraq, last week said that attacks against media representatives are tantamount to "repressing press freedom and freedom of expression that are an essential component of democracy."

He added that Mr. al-Tamimi's killing is an example of the dangers faced daily by journalists in the war-torn nation.

2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR EQUAL SCRUTINY OF ALL COUNTRIES BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGAN

BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR EQUAL SCRUTINY OF ALL COUNTRIES BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGAN New York, Mar 4 2008 10:00AM Opening the seventh session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on its members to ensure that all nations are held equally accountable for the protection of rights as the new body begins its first-ever universal review of their performance.

"No country, however powerful, should escape scrutiny of its record, commitments and actions on human rights," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3027">said, hailing the start of the Universal Periodic Review, under which all UN Member States – at the rate of 48 a year – will be reviewed to assess whether they have fulfilled their human rights obligations.

"The Review must reaffirm that just as human rights are universal, so is our collective respect for them and our commitment to them. It must help prevent the distrust that surrounded the work of the Commission on Human Rights in its final years," he added, recalling the accusations of bias and politicization that dogged the predecessor body whose work was taken over by the new Council in 2006.

Looking back at progress since the issuance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which will celebrate its sixtieth anniversary in December, Mr. Ban said that it had become clear that commitments and accountability are crucial factors in the effort to make those rights a reality for all.

That accountability, in turn, depends on the collective scrutiny of international organizations, governments and civil society, he said, calling it "a duty of the highest order for each individual State, and the raison d'être of the Human Rights Council."

As for the record of the Council itself, Mr. Ban said that the establishment of its mechanisms and procedures had been on the right track over the nearly two years of its existence.

But he posed the question to Council members of whether they were fully meeting the high expectations of the international community, which included the application of human rights values "without favour, without selectivity, without being impacted by any political machinations around the world."

"If you meet this benchmark," he said, "you can count on my fullest support and defence in the face of criticisms and attacks, wherever they may come from."

The Council's <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/7session/index.htm">seventh session, including a high-level portion for the views of government representatives, as well as expert panels and presentations by Special Rapporteurs, will run through 28 March.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES PROBE INTO GAZA KILLINGS

UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES PROBE INTO GAZA KILLINGS New York, Mar 4 2008 10:00AM The top United Nations human rights official, alarmed by the recent violence in Gaza and Israel, has <"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx">called for an investigation into the reported killing of dozens of civilians, including children, by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).

While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour condemned the IDF's "disproportionate use of force," in a statement issued today in Geneva.

"Israel, as the occupying power, bears a particular responsibility under international human rights and humanitarian law to protect the civilian population and civilian installations in Gaza," the statement added.

She called on the Israeli Government "to conduct impartial investigations into the killings of civilians, make the findings public and hold any perpetrators accountable."

Ms. Arbour also strongly condemned the rocket attacks by Palestinian militants against Israeli civilian targets, stressing that they are in clear violation of international humanitarian law and "those responsible must be held to account."

The UN estimates that at least 59 Palestinians -- including 39 civilians -- were killed last Saturday in Gaza and hundreds more injured. In addition, two Israeli soldiers are reported to have been killed in the fighting and an Israeli civilian was killed in Sderot following a rocket attack and at least five other civilians were injured in Ashkelon.

Both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council -- which met in emergency session over the weekend -- have condemned the escalating violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel.

Meanwhile, the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has confirmed that Israel has pulled back its ground forces from Gaza today.

In addition, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has resumed its activities to deliver assistance in Gaza, and reopen the schools that were closed there. In the north of Gaza, attendance at <"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA schools was reported to be zero, while elsewhere in the Strip it was between 40 and 65 per cent.

At the same time, UNRWA Commissioner General Karen AbuZayd noted problems for Gaza hospitals. "It's the medical sector that's been suffering the most already, with the hospitals having their problems with having enough medicines and equipment and spare parts for equipment," she said in an interview with UN Radio.

For her part, Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, expressed profound concern about the upsurge in violence in the Gaza Strip, denouncing both the use of force by the IDF and the continued rocket attacks into Israel.

"I am profoundly disappointed to see that once again children and their families are becoming targets for military activities," Ms. Coomaraswamy said. "The need for security must not ignore humanitarian concerns."

The Special Representative also voiced her concern over the participation of children in political activities, which, she said, can expose them to further violence, after several hundred children from 20 schools took part in a Hizbollah-organized demonstration outside UN headquarters in Beirut.
2008-03-03 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL, SECRETARY-GENERAL ALARMED BY DEADLY VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST

SECURITY COUNCIL, SECRETARY-GENERAL ALARMED BY DEADLY VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST New York, Mar 2 2008 6:00PM The Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have condemned the escalating violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, which has claimed dozens of civilian lives in recent days.

Council members met in emergency session late last night and early today to discuss the situation in the Middle East, where the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have launched air and land attacks on targets in Gaza and Palestinian militants have fired dozens of rockets at targets in southern Israel, including the city of Ashkelon.

The United Nations estimates that at least 59 Palestinians -- including 39 civilians -- were killed yesterday in Gaza, and hundreds more injured, while two Israeli soldiers are reported to have been killed in the fighting and an Israeli civilian was killed in Sderot following a rocket attack and at least five other civilians were injured in Ashkelon.

Following the meeting, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which currently holds the monthly rotating presidency of the Council, today read out a summary of the discussions that was agreed to by all 15 members of the panel.

Voicing deep concern about the loss of civilian life and the escalation of violence in the region, Council members called on all sides to respect their obligations under international law and to immediately cease all acts of violence.

"These acts must not be allowed to deter the political process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, aimed at establishing two States -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side in peace and security," Mr. Churkin said.

Earlier, Mr. Ban told the Council meeting that he has contacted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and League of Arab States Secretary-General Amr Moussa as part of UN efforts to push for a calming of the violence.

UN humanitarian agencies operating on the ground, especially the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), are also continuing their efforts to help people in distress.

Mr. Ban condemned and urged an end to the Palestinian rocket attacks, which he noted "serve no purpose, endanger Israeli civilians, and bring misery to the Palestinian people."

The Secretary-General also said that while Israel has a right to defend itself, "I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed and injured so many civilians, including children. I call on Israel to cease such attacks. Israel must fully comply with international humanitarian law and exercise the utmost restraint. Incidents in which civilians have been killed or injured must be investigated and accountability must be ensured."

All schools operated by UNRWA in Gaza have been closed and many families are trapped inside their homes because of the violence, and Mr. Ban called on Israel to facilitate full access to hospitals and medical centres for the injured.

The Secretary-General urged all parties to "step back from the brink of even deeper and more deadly clashes."

In addition, he voiced extreme concern about the effect they are having on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiation process, and he called on members of the international community and other stakeholders to use their influence on the parties to both stop the violence and allow humanitarian relief to flow.

2008-03-02 00:00:00.000

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DEADLY POST-ELECTION PROTESTS IN ARMENIA CONCERN UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF

DEADLY POST-ELECTION PROTESTS IN ARMENIA CONCERN UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF New York, Mar 2 2008 6:00PM The United Nations human rights chief today voiced deep concern at reports that at least eight people have been killed and many others injured during demonstrations in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where the results of recent presidential elections have been disputed.

Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a statement in which she said she was particularly concerned that force was used against peaceful demonstrators yesterday and that opposition protesters have been detained.

Ms. Arbour called on the authorities in Armenia -- where a state of emergency has been declared -- to "exercise the utmost restraint and to ensure that due process is followed in the case of any detentions."

The High Commissioner noted that Armenia is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which states that, even during states of emergency, fundamental rights such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment cannot be suspended.

"Any restrictions of rights must be proportionate and may only be applied to the extent and duration strictly warranted by the circumstances," the statement added.

Protests began in Yerevan after Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner of the 19 February presidential poll, a result that is disputed by the opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

2008-03-02 00:00:00.000

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