IRAQ: UN REPORT ON RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SAYS VIOLENT ATTACKS IN DECLINE

IRAQ: UN REPORT ON RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SAYS VIOLENT ATTACKS IN DECLINE New York, Mar 15 2008 6:00PM In its latest report on human rights in Iraq, the United Nations mission in the war-torn nation noted that violent attacks have decreased significantly in the capital Baghdad, but cautioned this reduction might not be sustainable as the security situation continues to deteriorate in other areas.

The twelfth report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (<" http://www.uniraq.org/ ">UNAMI) -- covering the second half of 2007 -- said that the decline in such attacks, such as suicide attacks and car bombings, is a result of the ongoing "surge" within the Baghdad Security Plan launched last February.

"The extent to which the decrease in violence was sustainable remained unclear, with the security situation still precarious in many parts of the country," it observed. "As security improved in parts of Baghdad and other locations, it deteriorated elsewhere with heightened activity by insurgent groups and others in governorates such as Mosul and Diyala."

Civilians were deliberately targeted by Sunni and Shi'a armed groups through suicide bombings, car bombs and other attacks, UNAMI said.

"Such systematic or widespread attacks against a civilian population are tantamount to crimes against humanity and violate the laws of war, and their perpetrators should be prosecuted," the mission said.

Also vulnerable to attack were: Government officials; religious figures; state employees; law enforcement personnel; professional groups including academics, journalists, lawyers and judges; religious and ethnic minorities; and women in so-called "honor killings," it reported.

During the reporting period, thousands were forced to flee due to the continued sectarian violence. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/">UNHCR), as of last December, there are over 4.4 million displaced Iraqis worldwide, with 2.5 million inside Iraq and about 1.9 million in neighbouring countries.

The new report welcomed the expanded capacity of the Iraqi judiciary to process cases as the detainee population continues to grow.

Despite this progress, UNAMI voiced concern over "continuing prolonged delays in reviewing detainee cases; the lack of timely and adequate access to defense counsel for suspects; the failure to promptly and thoroughly investigate credible allegations of torture and to institute criminal proceedings against officials responsible for abusing detainees; and the procedures followed by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) and other criminal courts, which fail to meet basic fair trial standards."

Additionally, although the Multi-National Force (MNF) has taken steps towards speeding up reviews and decisions on the release of detainees, UNAMI said that its concerns regarding their due process rights within the Force's legal framework remains unaddressed.

The mission cited gender-based violence as cause for serious concern in the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq's north. In spite of the creation by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of an Interior Ministry department to tackle violence against women, the report called for scaled up efforts and political will to bring those responsible to justice.

UNAMI also welcomed Iraq's decision to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture, and noted there has been "a greater degree of transparency and access to information pertaining to law enforcement issues on the part of both Iraqi officials and their international advisers."

2008-03-15 00:00:00.000

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EASTERN PROVINCE OF DR CONGO HEADING TOWARDS STABILITY - UN OFFICIAL

EASTERN PROVINCE OF DR CONGO HEADING TOWARDS STABILITY – UN OFFICIAL New York, Mar 14 2008 7:00PM Public safety and security are steadily increasing in the Ituri province of the militia-ridden eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a top United Nations official said today after a two-day visit.

"I am confident that stability will take place soon," Ross Mountain, the Secretary-General's deputy Special Representative for the DRC, <"http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=16888">said, following his participation in a consultative meeting on the Action Plan for Stabilization and Community Recovery in Ituri.

The action plan seeks to coordinate the Ituri efforts of the UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org">UNDP) and the Congolese Government.

As evidence of progress in Ituri, Mr. Mountain noted that in 2003 there were 800,000 displaced persons in the province and that today, the figure stands at 115,000.

He also noted that out of the seven armed groups in 2003, only two remain active and that 25,000 militiamen and 11,000 children associated with armed groups have been demobilized.

However, he added that "there is still a small number of armed people who prevent the people in Ituri from living in peace."

He told participants in the consultative meeting that they must now help create an environment where the population feels at ease and the remaining displaced are encouraged to return home.

An important part of that effort is reinforcing the authority of the State at all levels - administrative, military, security, judicial, economic and social, he said.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY STEPS UP PACE OF REFUGEE RETURNS TO SOUTHERN SUDAN

UN AGENCY STEPS UP PACE OF REFUGEE RETURNS TO SOUTHERN SUDAN New York, Mar 14 2008 7:00PM The United Nations refugee agency is accelerating its programme for the voluntary repatriation of tens of thousands of people to southern Sudan from neighbouring countries.

The organized return of some 15,700 Sudanese refugees has taken place so far this year, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47da5a5ee.html">told reporters in Geneva today, noting the figure is three times more than for the comparative period last year.

The weekly return rate is also increasing – up from about 600 at the immediate beginning of this year to around 3,000 at the start of this month.

Mr. Redmond said the trend is likely to continue over the coming months now that UNHCR and its aid partners have established 16 land and air routes for people to repatriate to southern Sudan, mainly from Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

About two-thirds of this year's influx has come from Uganda, and many others are believed to have spontaneously returned since late last year without UNHCR assistance. That leaves about 101,000 Sudanese still living in settlements and camps in Uganda.

UNHCR is aiming to organize the voluntary repatriation of as many as 80,000 southern Sudanese this year, with the arrivals coming from Uganda (an estimated 45,000), Kenya (17,000), Ethiopia (16,000) and Egypt (2,000).

The agency has been progressively expanding its repatriation programmes since the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in January 2005 ending the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR ERITREA'S FULL COOPERATION FOR BLUE HELMETS' RELOCATION

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR ERITREA'S FULL COOPERATION FOR BLUE HELMETS' RELOCATION New York, Mar 14 2008 7:00PM The Security Council has called for Eritrea's full cooperation in the temporary relocation of the personnel and equipment of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (<" http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/index.html">UNMEE).

"The members of the Council recognize the difficult burden which has been carried by the UN troops being relocated and express their appreciation to the troop-contributing countries," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which currently holds the rotating monthly presidency of the 15-member body, told reporters after a closed meeting yesterday.

The Council was briefed by Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, on the ongoing efforts to relocate UNMEE forces.

The statement also noted that Council members underscore that the temporary move is "without prejudice to the Algiers Agreements," which ended the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The decision to temporarily move UN personnel and equipment out of Eritrea was made last month after the country cut off fuel supplies to UNMEE, paralyzing the operation on that side of the disputed border with Ethiopia.

As of earlier this week, over 700 blue helmets – 397 Jordanian and 305 Indian peacekeepers – have temporarily returned to their respective countries from Eritrea, and UNMEE announced that more flights out of Asmara are scheduled for next week to fly remaining UN personnel home.

In his latest <" http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2008/145">report to the Council on UNMEE made public on 6 March, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon characterized Eritrea's hindrance of the temporary relocation of UNMEE peacekeepers as "unacceptable," noting that the country is obliged 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.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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MARKING LIONS DAY AT UN, BAN KI-MOON PRAISES CLUB'S INTERNATIONAL WORK

MARKING LIONS DAY AT UN, BAN KI-MOON PRAISES CLUB'S INTERNATIONAL WORK New York, Mar 14 2008 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today praised the international work of the Lions Club for the benefit of vulnerable groups and the environment, as the fraternal organization celebrated its 30th annual meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

"As you know, the relationship between our two organizations dates back more than 60 years," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sgsm11465.doc.htm">statement delivered by Kiyotaka Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

"Over the course of these many decades, the Lions Club has worked side by side with the United Nations in pursuit of our shared goals," he added.

Mr. Ban expressed gratitude, in particular, for the club's work with the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) to prevent and reverse blindness through a programme called SightFirst.

"This programme does more than just help individuals to retain their eyesight; it constitutes a vision for a world where we stop diseases before they strike," he said.

He added that the Lions Clubs' observation of <"http://www.unep.org/wed/2008/english/ ">World Environment Day in communities around the world is "precisely the kind of self-motivated engagement that gives real meaning to United Nations commemorations."
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF ARMENIAN FORCES FROM NAGORNO-KARABAKH

GENERAL ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF ARMENIAN FORCES FROM NAGORNO-KARABAKH New York, Mar 14 2008 6:00PM The General Assembly today <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/ga10693.doc.htm">adopted a resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in which it called for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces "from all the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

With 39 votes in favour, seven against and 100 abstentions, the Assembly adopted a text that also called for "continued respect and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders."

The resolution reaffirmed "the inalienable right of the population expelled from the occupied territories" of Azerbaijan to return to their homes, and to achieve that end it underlined the need for the comprehensive rehabilitation of all conflict-affected territories.

No State should recognize as lawful the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, nor provide aid or assistance to maintain that situation, according to the text, which also called for "normal, secure and equal conditions of life for Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region" so that "an effective democratic system of self-governance" can be built up.

In addition, the resolution voices support for international mediation efforts to the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly the work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairmen.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN WELCOMES NEW AGREEMENT BETWEEN CHAD AND SUDAN

SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN WELCOMES NEW AGREEMENT BETWEEN CHAD AND SUDAN New York, Mar 14 2008 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended Chad and Sudan for reaching an agreement regarding reconciliation and the normalization of relations between the neighbouring African nations.

Mr. Ban, who as an observer witnessed the signing of the deal at the Presidential Palace in Dakar, Senegal, "is encouraged by their stated determination and commitment to normalize their bilateral relations," according to a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sgsm11464.doc.htm">statement issued by his spokesperson.

He urged both sides to "remain steadfast in their resolve to restore peace and stability along their shared border, as this would contribute to wider stability in the region as a whole."

The agreement – signed by Chadian President Idriss Déby and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir – took place during a mini-summit convened by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.

On Wednesday evening and yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General took part in closed-door discussions with the two delegations and the facilitators: President Wade, President Omar Bongo of Gabon and African Union Commission Chair Alpha Oumar Konaré.

Also participating in the summit as observers were the President of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and representatives of the European Union (EU), the United States and France.

During the talks, Mr. Ban urged the sides to come to an agreement on implementing previous accords reached in Tripoli, Cannes and Riyadh, and to create means to follow-up on stopping the violence, his spokesperson told reporters in New York today.

In his statement today, he said the UN will continue to support ongoing regional peace efforts, and he noted that he looks forward to working closely with all parties to "ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Dakar Agreement."

The Secretary-General is back at UN Headquarters in New York after attending the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Dakar, and while in Senegal, he also held bilateral meetings yesterday with the President of the Palestinian Authority, the Indonesian President, the Egyptian Foreign Minister and the King of Morocco.

Also yesterday, Mr. Ban received a briefing from his Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari on his recent visit to <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=134&Body=Myanmar&Body1=">Myanmar.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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ALL LIBERIANS MUST PLAY THEIR PART IN ANTI-RAPE CAMPAIGN, SAYS UN ENVOY

ALL LIBERIANS MUST PLAY THEIR PART IN ANTI-RAPE CAMPAIGN, SAYS UN ENVOY New York, Mar 14 2008 5:00PM The United Nations has joined forces with the Liberian Government and civil society groups in a campaign in the southeast of the West African country to try to reduce the appallingly high rates of rape of women and girls.

At a ceremony today in Harper, the capital of Maryland county, officials with the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.unmil.org/">UNMIL) spoke out against the devastation that rape – the highest reported crime in the country – exacts on individuals, families and entire communities.

The Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu noted that while the UN has previously teamed up with the Government and civil society groups to form a gender-based violence task force, it was vital that members of the public became directly involved in the anti-rape campaign.

"Everyone has a role to play," said Ms. Mensa-Bonsu. "This is not a women-only matter; the men must take action. I believe rape can be prevented and stopped only when men and boys get actively involved and concerned enough."

The anti-rape campaign includes a parade through the streets of Harper, promotional soccer matches, a concert and the screening of videos in large public spaces.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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THREE SENIOR UN APPOINTMENTS UNVEILED BY BAN KI-MOON

THREE SENIOR UN APPOINTMENTS UNVEILED BY BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 14 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the details of three new appointments to senior positions in the world body in positions ranging from peacekeeping to the new mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) to the ombudsman's office.

Susana Malcorra of Argentina becomes the head of the <" http://www.lsd.unlb.org/default.aspx ">Department of Field Support, an Under-Secretary-General level position in which she will direct all support for the various UN peace missions around the world. More than 100,000 military, civilian and police personnel currently work in 32 UN field operations.

Ms. Malcorra, who will take over from Jane Holl Lute, who has been leading the Department since its inception last July, presently serves as the Deputy Executive Director and the Chief Operating Officer of the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/ ">WFP).

Johnston Barkat of the United States becomes the new <"http://www.un.org/ombudsman/ ">UN Ombudsman at the level of Assistant Secretary-General, with responsibility for the UN Secretariat as well as its many funds and programmes. In that post, he functions independently of any UN organ or official and has direct access to the Secretary-General as needed.

Mr. Barkat has worked as an ombudsman at Pace University in the US and has a background in mediation and conflict resolution.

Jordan's Rima Salah has also been appointed as the new Deputy Special Representative in the UN Mission in the CAR and Chad (known as <" http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/minurcat/ ">MINURCAT), which was set up last year by the Security Council to bolster security in the two countries, which also border the volatile Darfur region of Sudan.

Ms. Salah has worked for 20 years with the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org ">UNICEF), and most recently served as Deputy Executive Director.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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PACIFIC ISLAND STATES, FACING UNIQUE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES, WIN UN BOOST

PACIFIC ISLAND STATES, FACING UNIQUE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES, WIN UN BOOST New York, Mar 14 2008 5:00PM The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will strengthen its Pacific Operations Centre as part of its campaign to provide greater support for the region's island nations, which are facing critical development challenges given their size, relative isolation and vulnerability to climate change.

Under-Secretary-General Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, committed the regional body to the strengthening of the centre during a two-day <"http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2008/mar/g06.asp">meeting that ended yesterday in Noumea, New Caledonia.

The enhancement of the operations centre, based in Suva, Fiji, will include new arrangements for South-South cooperation and opportunities to increase the voice of Pacific island States at ESCAP and within the wider UN system, as well as more capacity for data collection and statistical analysis.

"Pacific island States are facing unique development challenges requiring one to look at new potentials and opportunities, including the building of stronger partnerships and closer collaboration between Asia and the Pacific," Ms. Heyzer said, according to a press statement released by ESCAP.

The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) were among the participants at the Noumea meeting this week.

Ms. Heyzer added that ESCAP is undertaking a review of the implementation so far of the social and economic targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) among Pacific island nations.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN ENVOY IN SOMALIA WELCOMES REACTION TO GOVERNMENT'S RECONCILIATION PLAN

TOP UN ENVOY IN SOMALIA WELCOMES REACTION TO GOVERNMENT'S RECONCILIATION PLAN New York, Mar 14 2008 5:00PM The senior United Nations envoy for Somalia has welcomed the positive reaction to the announcement by the Transitional Government in the Horn of Africa country that it will hold discussions with the political opposition.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN Special Representative for Somalia, issued a statement today in Nairobi saying he was "very pleased" by the reaction from several Somali groups, especially the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia.

Mr. Ould-Abdallah said he would now discuss the timing, agenda and venue for the talks with all the concerned parties in Somalia, which has not had a functioning national government since 1991.

"I would like thank all the parties for finally thinking of the fate of the Somali people and for realizing that reconciliation can lead to a win-win situation for all sides," the envoy said, according to a press release issued by the UN Political Office for Somalia (<"http://www.un-somalia.org/">UNPOS).

In recent months, Somalia has been wracked by violence which has displaced around one million people and has caused some three million others to flee the country as refugees.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org">OCHA) says there are up to two million vulnerable people in need of humanitarian aid within the country. In addition, aid workers face difficulties and the transport and delivery of crucial items such as food is being impeded by roadblocks, taxes and banditry.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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CHINA: UN RIGHTS CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER TENSIONS IN TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION

CHINA: UN RIGHTS CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER TENSIONS IN TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION New York, Mar 14 2008 5:00PM The top United Nations human rights official today voiced concern over the rising tensions between protesters and security forces in the Tibet Autonomous Region and surrounding areas of China, noting that there have been reports of deaths and property destruction.

UN High Commissioner for <"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">Human Rights Louise Arbour issued a statement calling on the Chinese authorities to allow demonstrators to exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly.

Ms. Arbour also called on the Chinese Government to "refrain from any excessive use of force while maintaining order, and to ensure those arrested are not ill-treated and are accorded due process in line with international standards."

It has been reported that on 10 March, roughly 60 monks were arrested in Lhasa during a peaceful demonstration. The following day, Chinese police fired tear gas at some 600 monks who were demanding the release of the arrested monks. There have been further reports of violence today.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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NEW ROUND OF UN-LED TALKS ON WESTERN SAHARA BEGINS

NEW ROUND OF UN-LED TALKS ON WESTERN SAHARA BEGINS New York, Mar 14 2008 4:00PM Starting this Sunday, the United Nations will lead a fourth round of talks on Western Sahara, bringing together representatives from Morocco and the Frente Polisario on the outskirts of New York City, a UN spokesperson said today.

The talks, to be held at the Greentree Estate in Manhasset on Long Island will also include representatives of neighbouring states, Algeria and Mauritania and will be facilitated by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Peter van Walsum.

Following the third round of discussions this past January, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that while it was a positive sign that the two sides had committed to a process of negotiations, they remained far apart on substantive issues.

He said the talks were limited largely to preliminary discussions on thematic subjects such as administration, competencies and organs, and the parties discussed but did not agree on any confidence-building measures.

Mr. Ban noted, however, in a communiqué issued by Mr. van Walsum after the talks, that the two sides "agreed on the need to move the process into a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations."

Last month Mr. van Walsum visited the region for in-depth consultations with the parties.

The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (<"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/minurso/">MINURSO) has been in the Territory since September 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the Frente Polisario.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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OVER 100 MILLION EUROPEANS LACK ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING REPORT, UN SAYS

OVER 100 MILLION EUROPEANS LACK ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING REPORT, UN SAYS New York, Mar 14 2008 4:00PM More than 100 million Europeans still lack access to safe drinking water, resulting in the deaths from diarrhoea of nearly 40 children every day, the United Nations <" http://www.unece.org/press/pr2008/08env_p02e.htm">reported today, noting that many people across the region do not enjoy the basic human right to healthy water.

More than 170,000 cases of water-related diseases – including over 120,000 cases of viral hepatitis A – were reported in 2006.

In Eastern Europe, some 16 per cent of the population does not have access to drinking water in their homes, while in rural areas, more than half of all people do not have a reliable supply of safe water and adequate sanitation.

A new and independent Compliance Committee has been created to promote the prevention, control and reduction of water-related diseases and to increase the number of Europeans access to adequate sanitation.

It will also ensure compliance with the London Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, which seeks to increase access to safe water.

The new body, which was established by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (<" http://www.unece.org">ECE) and the Regional Office for Europe of the UN World Health Organization (<" http://www.who.int/en/">WHO), comprises nine experts, including scientists and environmental lawyers.

In its first meeting earlier this week, it appointed Attila Tanzi, an Italian professor of international law, as its Chair and Ilona Drulyte, a Lithuanian public health expert, as Vice-Chair.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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MALDIVIAN ACQUITTAL OF OPPOSITION ACTIVIST WELCOMED BY UN RIGHTS EXPERT

MALDIVIAN ACQUITTAL OF OPPOSITION ACTIVIST WELCOMED BY UN RIGHTS EXPERT New York, Mar 14 2008 2:00PM An independent United Nations human rights expert today <" http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/56CAEF82BE482F28C125740C0059CFF4?OpenDocument">welcomed the recent decision of a court in the Maldives to acquit an opposition party member of accusations of "causing disharmony through an unlawful assembly," saying the ruling demonstrated that the island chain was making progress towards having an independent judiciary.

Leandro Despouy, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, issued a statement after the decision of the Criminal Court on 5 March to acquit Imran Zahir, a member of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), of an accusation that is punishable under the penal code.

Mr. Despouy visited the Maldives in February last year, after which he voiced concern that the Maldivian constitution placed the judges under the control of the President and that there was "a serious lack of trained judges and lawyers."

He also noted that since 2004 a number of political activists have been charged under the current penal code with such offences as disobedience to order, disruption of religious harmony, unlawful assembly, peace disruption and obstructing police duty.

"The current effort of the Government of the Maldives, through the Attorney General's Office, to review these cases represents an important step towards the effective implementation of the human rights obligations of Maldives under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (<" http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm">ICCPR)," Mr. Despouy's statement said.

"The political determination of the Government of the Maldives to comply with its international human rights obligations prior to the first multi-party election is very encouraging. The Special Rapporteur is committed to offer his assistance to support the current effort of the Government to review the remaining cases."

Special Rapporteurs are unpaid experts serving in an independent personal capacity who report to the Geneva-based <" http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/">Human Rights Council.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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IN CHAD, UN AGENCY TO RELOCATE CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES FLEEING MARAUDERS

IN CHAD, UN AGENCY TO RELOCATE CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES FLEEING MARAUDERS New York, Mar 14 2008 2:00PM As refugees in Chad who are fleeing a fresh wave of village raids in the Central African Republic (CAR) swell to 14,000 in number, the United Nations refugee agency said today it will begin moving them to more accessible areas away from the border.

"We plan to begin the first refugee transfers today, Friday, to a temporary site near the village of Dembo, 25 kilometres inland from the border where tents, blankets, plastic sheeting, jerry cans, and food aid will be distributed," a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47da5a5d4.html">said in Geneva.

The refugees say they have been fleeing armed raids, looting and house torching in the lawless reaches of north-eastern CAR and blame most of the violence on rival armed groups and on the zaraguina – bandits – who rustle cattle and abduct children for ransom.

There is disagreement, however, about moving from the border among the refugee leaders, many of whom told UNHCR official Fatta Kourouma during a recent visit to the town of Maya, where refugees have overburdened local resources, that they want to remain close to their homes in CAR.

"I know many of you feel attached to your homes even though you're here in Chad, but we can't accept leaving you so close to the border," Kourouma, who heads the refugee agency's office in Danamadji, <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47d94bba4.html">told them. "When the rainy season arrives [in April], we won't be able to get food and supplies here by road."

Other factors that lead to the move, UNHCR said, include the conflict within Chad last month, which saw rebel forces briefly enter the capital N'Djamena. Thousands of Chadians fled to neighbouring Cameroon, while the refugee agency evacuated much of its staff.

Before the latest influx, Chad was hosting some 45,000 CAR refugees at four sites in the south. There are a further 240,000 refugees at 12 UNHCR-run camps in eastern Chad, while a further 180,000 Chadians have been displaced in the south-east.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General today appointed Rima Salah of Jordan as the new Deputy Special Representative for the UN Mission in the CAR and Chad (<"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/minurcat/">MINURCAT), established by the Council last September to help bolster regional security in the countries bordering the war-ravaged Darfur area of Sudan.

Ms. Salah is the former Deputy Executive of the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF), where she had worked for nearly twenty years.

The mission aims to be an innovative, multidimensional security presence including European Union military forces and comprising 300 police and 50 military liaison officers, as well as civilian staff that focus on civil affairs, human rights, the rule of law and mission support.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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UN APPEALS FOR $6 MILLION TO FEED 90,000 BURUNDIAN REFUGEES

UN APPEALS FOR $6 MILLION TO FEED 90,000 BURUNDIAN REFUGEES New York, Mar 14 2008 2:00PM The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today appealed for $6 million so that it can continue to feed up to 90,000 Burundian refugees returning to their home country from neighbouring Tanzania.

The agency warned that without an influx of funds, it may have to halt its food assistance by May or June when the returns are expected to peak.

"WFP needs donors to provide for the vital needs of the returnees – most of whom are women and children – at this critical moment," <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2795">said the agency's Burundi country director, Jean-Charles Dei. ""It would be a tragedy if we are unable to provide the full support refugees will need when returning to Burundi."

Hundreds of thousands of Burundians have sought refuge in neighbouring countries over the years to escape deadly ethnic tensions or outright civil war.

Last year, a tripartite commission – comprising the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news.html">UNHCR) and the Governments of Burundi and Tanzania – agreed that those who fled Burundi in 1993 should repatriate, with as many as 60,000 of these refugees expected to return to Burundi.

The commission also decided that the so-called "1972 Burundians" – some 218,000 people who fled to Tanzania that year – be given the choice to either remain and apply for Tanzanian citizenship or return to their home country. Tens of thousands of refugees have expressed their desire to return to Burundi.

WFP and its partners are supplying six-month food rations for each repatriating family, and UNHCR is providing a 50,000 Burundian franc cash grant – equivalent to $45 – to each returning refugee. Each family leaving Tanzania also receives WFP prepared meals in transit camps.

However, to meet the urgent needs of these refugees, WFP has already been forced to scale back rations to other recipients of its aid in Burundi, including schoolchildren and mothers. To keep its Burundian operations – which provide food for 600,000 people monthly – running the agency requires an additional $20 million.

"It's crucial for the consolidation of peace in Burundi that not only the returnees, but also the communities that are receiving them, receive the assistance they need at this seminal time in the country's history," Mr. Dei noted.

Last weekend, UNHCR kicked off a landmark two-year programme to repatriate those "1972 Burundians" wishing to return to their home country. The new programme – which the agency deems as one of its most important in Africa this year – is heavily dependent on contributions, and so far, $9 million of the $34 million UNHCR has appealed for has been received.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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TENSIONS HIGH ON CHAD-DARFUR BORDER AS REFUGEE MOVEMENTS CONTINUE - UN

TENSIONS HIGH ON CHAD-DARFUR BORDER AS REFUGEE MOVEMENTS CONTINUE – UN New York, Mar 14 2008 1:00PM The border between Chad and Sudan's Darfur region remains volatile as the United Nations refugee agency continues to move thousands of civilians who fled recent air and ground attacks against towns in West Darfur further inside their neighbouring country.

"The constantly changing security situation regularly affects our relocation operation," Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47da5a5d4.html">said today in Geneva.

Heavy explosions are frequently heard coming from the border area, and there are continuous sightings of armed groups in vehicles and on horseback, he said.

Despite these obstacles, Mr. Redmond reported, through yesterday UNHCR convoys managed to transfer 1,063 refugees of the 13,000 who fled fighting that erupted in early February in West Darfur to the Kounongou refugee camp in eastern Chad.

Some refugees said they had buried bags of grain in their villages before fleeing and had returned to find that their supplies had been discovered and destroyed by the Janjaweed militia, leaving them with nothing and forcing them to return to Chad.

Others said they had previously fled Darfur for Chad in 2003 and 2004, but had returned to Darfur in 2007 following inter-ethnic tensions in Chad between Zaghawas and Tamas. The latest fighting in northern Darfur has forced them to flee to Chad yet again.

UNHCR and its partners already take care of 240,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur in 12 camps scattered across eastern Chad, Mr. Redmond said.

He added that UNHCR teams also report that in the past three weeks, hundreds of Chadians have recently arrived in areas of West Darfur, stating that they are fleeing inter-tribal violence in Chad.

In northern West Darfur, meanwhile, UNHCR is carrying out field missions to the locations affected by the recent attacks as part of a joint UN assessment process to identify humanitarian needs.

In some areas, the vast majority of the population has started to return to their villages, although some family members are still spread along the Chad-Sudan border, the missions report. In other places, like Sileah, most residents remain displaced.

Meanwhile in Cameroon, UNHCR said it has now relocated some 8,400 Chadian refugees, who had fled fighting between Government forces and rebel groups in the country's capital, N'Djamena, in early February.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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TOP ENVOY STRONGLY CONDEMNS ATTACK ON UN MISSION'S COURT BUILDING

TOP ENVOY STRONGLY CONDEMNS ATTACK ON UN MISSION'S COURT BUILDING New York, Mar 14 2008 11:00AM The Secretary-General's Special Representative today strongly <"http://www.unmikonline.org/dpi/pressrelease.nsf/0/AF8D8D9012182903C125740C003B9D4F/$FILE/pr1726.pdf">condemned an attack on the District Court building of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (<"http://www.unmikonline.org/">UNMIK) in North Mitrovica, which took place when a large mob overwhelmed UNMIK Police.

"Those who turned to violence in North Mitrovica have crossed one of UNMIK's red lines. This is completely unacceptable," said Joachim Rücker, adding that he has instructed the mission's police to restore law and order.

This morning, the Special Representative notified the Serbian Government of the events, asking it to prevent such attacks.

Mr. Rücker underscored that any differences of opinion must be dealt with in a civilized manner.

"Once again, I appeal to all communities to refrain from violence and to help us ensure a safe and secure environment in Kosovo," he said. "UNMIK will defend its mandate throughout the whole territory of Kosovo without exception."

The Special Representative has informed both President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Thaçi of the most recent developments and of UNMIK's course of action.

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.
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY HELPS MAURITANIAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM SENEGAL

UN REFUGEE AGENCY HELPS MAURITANIAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM SENEGAL New York, Mar 14 2008 10:00AM The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47da5a5f19.html">UNHCR) has resumed assisting Mauritanian refugees return to their home country from Senegal where they have been in exile for nearly two decades.

Yesterday, a UNHCR convoy took 257 refugees from 61 families from four settlements on the southern bank of the Senegal River to the Mauritanian town of Rosso.

"We plan to step up the pace of voluntary returns and organize bi-weekly convoys to reach a target of 3,000 returns per month," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva, adding that the next two convoys will take over 400 returnees to Mauritania on 18 and 22 March.

Currently, some 24,000 Mauritanian refugees are residing in northern Senegal, along the border with their home country.

In April 1989, a long-standing border dispute between the two countries erupted into ethnic violence, and some 60,000 Mauritanians fled to Senegal and Mali. UNHCR assisted the refugees in northern Senegal until 1995 and facilitated the reintegration of 35,000 who decided on their own accord to return home between 1996 and 1998.

Yesterday's repatriation follows the voluntary return of 103 refugees in late January, and the current UNHCR programme will come to a close this December.

Those repatriating receive an assistance package, which includes kitchen sets, blankets, buckets, mosquito nets, soap and sanitary kits. They are also given a three-month food ration from the UN World Food Program (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP).

In the areas to which refugees are returning, reintegration projects are underway in the health, water and education sectors
2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

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EASTERN CHAD UNDER SEVERE HUMANITARIAN STRAIN, UN OFFICIAL SAYS

EASTERN CHAD UNDER SEVERE HUMANITARIAN STRAIN, UN OFFICIAL SAYS New York, Mar 13 2008 7:00PM The swelling numbers of Darfur refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in eastern Chad is seriously straining the capacity of both the arid local environment and the region's basic infrastructure, a United Nations aid official said today, warning that the humanitarian situation remained extremely precarious.

Kingsley Amaning, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad, <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2008/080313_Chad.doc.htm">told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York that more than 10,000 people from Darfur in neighbouring Sudan had fled across the porous border and sought refuge in the 12 official camps in eastern Chad.

The new arrivals join some 240,000 Darfurians who have lived in Chad since 2004 because of fighting in their homeland, as well as an estimated 180,000 internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs).

The numbers of displaced Chadians are rising because of the recent deadly clashes between Government forces and armed rebels, and the roughly 700,000 to 800,000 people who usually live in the area – and depend on trade with Darfur for their livelihoods – are also increasingly vulnerable to insecurity, inter-tribal fighting and armed attacks, Mr. Amaning said.

He said the area of eastern Chad that houses the 12 refugee camps is so arid and inhospitable that it normally could not sustain more than 20,000 people. The influx of Sudanese and Chadians is thus placing enormous pressure on the water supply, the energy supply, education facilities and health care.

Mr. Amaning added that the situation was exacerbated by the remoteness of the eastern part of Chad, a landlocked country. Food aid often has to arrive by overland convoy from Tripoli, Libya, over long distances, sand dunes and treacherous roads that become inaccessible during the annual rainy season.

Bandits and armed groups are also increasingly willing to attack the vehicles of relief organizations, including UN agencies, and some 80 vehicles have been hijacked or stolen in the area in recent years.

Mr. Amaning said the international community has been relatively generous in recent years in trying to remedy the situation, relieve the suffering of the refugees and IDPs and limit the deterioration of living standards for people in the area.

"If they are alive today, it is thanks to the international support that we as humanitarians have received and what you've translated into vigorous assistance and protection programmes for these hundreds of thousands of people," he said.

But the Humanitarian Coordinator added that the growing population of people in need in eastern Chad meant aid agencies required even more funding to carry out their work. An appeal launched last December for $240 million has only received 2 per cent of its funding so far, he noted.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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DISPLACED KENYANS RELUCTANT TO RETURN HOME, UN REPORTS

DISPLACED KENYANS RELUCTANT TO RETURN HOME, UN REPORTS New York, Mar 13 2008 6:00PM Many of the tens of thousands of Kenyans driven from their homes by the violence that has gripped the east African country following last December's contested elections are reluctant to return to their homes, the United Nations <" http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-7CPKFA?OpenDocument&query=kenya">reports.

At several settlements in Eldoret in western Kenya, which was recently visited by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR), internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs) expressed their disinclination to leave their camps until the Government provided solid assurances regarding security and a system were put in place to restore their property.

Late last month, a power-sharing pact was signed between the Party of National Unity and the opposition Orange Democratic Movement. Some 1,000 people were killed and more than 300,000 others forced to flee after the disputed elections in which President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Humanitarian agencies on the ground have reached consensus that regardless of what happens on the political or humanitarian sphere, Kenya faces a food security crisis that could potentially last until next year as a result of the recent violence combined with the drought that has impacted much of the country.

The UN assessed that the many of the displaced would prefer to wait for further in national reconciliation talks before risking returning home, which means that many farmers might not cultivate their fields before the rainy season kicks off in mid-March.

Earlier this month, 134 people – many having taken part in or being victims of post-election violence in Nairobi's slums – participating in a training programme sponsored by the UN and the Government completed a course in conflict resolution, peace building and reconciliation.

A similar scheme, which seeks to promote further national reconciliation and bolster slum protection, is being considered for western Kenya and the Rift Valley.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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RWANDAN ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN DR CONGO MUST SURRENDER - SECURITY COUNCIL

RWANDAN ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN DR CONGO MUST SURRENDER – SECURITY COUNCIL New York, Mar 13 2008 6:00PM The Security Council today called on all Rwandan armed groups operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to surrender immediately to Congolese authorities and the United Nations peacekeeping mission known as <" http://www.monuc.org/Home.aspx?lang=en">MONUC.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member body <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9275.doc.htm">demanded that all members of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), ex-Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR)/Interahamwe and other groups present themselves to be disarmed, demobilized, repatriated, resettled and reintegrated.

The Council also said these groups must "immediately stop recruiting and using children, release all children associated with them, and put an end to gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse," adding that those responsible need to be brought to justice.

Today's resolution called on both the Governments of the DRC and neighbouring Rwanda to scale up their cooperation in implementing last November's so-called Joint Nairobi Communiqué, under which the two countries agreed to work together against threats to peace and stability in the region.

Council members welcomed the DRC's decision to hold a meeting in Kisangani to address the issue of the presence of Rwandan armed groups in the country.

They also voiced their "grave concern" at the ongoing presence of other militias in eastern DRC, which perpetuates a "climate of insecurity in the whole region."

The body noted that the agreement reached between the Government and armed groups in the east on 23 January represents "a major step towards the restoration of lasting peace and stability in the Great Lakes region," and urged its signatories to implement its provisions immediately.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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RWANDAN ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN DR CONGO MUST SURRENDER - SECURITY COUNCIL

RWANDAN ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN DR CONGO MUST SURRENDER – SECURITY COUNCIL New York, Mar 13 2008 5:00PM The Security Council today called on all Rwandan armed groups operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to surrender immediately to Congolese authorities and the United Nations peacekeeping mission known as <" http://www.monuc.org/Home.aspx?lang=en">MONUC.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member body <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9275.doc.htm">demanded that all members of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), ex-Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR)/Interahamwe and other groups present themselves to be disarmed, demobilized, repatriated, resettled and reintegrated.

The Council also said these groups must "immediately stop recruiting and using children, release all children associated with them, and put an end to gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse," adding that those responsible need to be brought to justice.

Today's resolution called on both the Governments of the DRC and neighbouring Rwanda to scale up their cooperation in implementing last November's so-called Joint Nairobi Communiqué, under which the two countries agreed to work together against threats to peace and stability in the region.

Council members welcomed the DRC's decision to hold a meeting in Kisangani to address the issue of the presence of Rwandan armed groups in the country.

They also voiced their "grave concern" at the ongoing presence of other militias in eastern DRC, which perpetuates a "climate of insecurity in the whole region."

The body noted that the agreement reached between the Government and armed groups in the east on 23 January represents "a major step towards the restoration of lasting peace and stability in the Great Lakes region," and urged its signatories to implement its provisions immediately.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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AFRICAN UNION, UN ENVOYS TO HOLD CONSULTATIONS TO SPARK DARFUR PEACE PROCESS

AFRICAN UNION, UN ENVOYS TO HOLD CONSULTATIONS TO SPARK DARFUR PEACE PROCESS New York, Mar 13 2008 4:00PM The United Nations and African Union envoys spearheading efforts to bring peace to Sudan's war-wracked Darfur region will hold informal consultations early next week with regional partners and international observers in a bid to find new momentum for the political process.

Jan Eliasson of the UN and Salim Ahmed Salim of the AU will meet in Geneva with the regional partners next Monday and then with the international observers on Tuesday, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

She said the aim of the consultations was to review the current status of the political process in Darfur given both the prevailing security situation and delays in the parties' preparations for substantive talks.

The two Special Envoys hope to reach an understanding with the regional partners and the international observers on the road ahead for the political process, Ms. Okabe added.

A spike in recent attacks in West Darfur, particularly from Sudanese Government forces and allied militiamen, has displaced thousands of people and led senior UN officials to issue public warnings about the deteriorating conditions in the region.

A hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force known as <"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID has been in place across Darfur since the start of the year, having replaced an earlier AU-only force, to try to quell the violence and the humanitarian suffering.

Ms. Okabe said the Egyptian contingent of UNAMID is starting to deploy this week, arriving with an advance team of 72 and accompanying equipment. The first company of 158 people is due to arrive later this month.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since 2003 because of fighting between rebels, Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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UN, ISLAMIC GROUP MUST WORK TOGETHER ON TERRORISM, TOLERANCE - BAN KI-MOON

UN, ISLAMIC GROUP MUST WORK TOGETHER ON TERRORISM, TOLERANCE – BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 13 2008 3:00PM The United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) "stand side by side" in forcefully rejecting any linkages between terrorism and Islam and in confronting a raft of other issues, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

"You have spoken up against those who seek to justify violence in the name of religion," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=200">told the Conference's summit in Dakar, Senegal.

"Your efforts reinforce the UN's own steps to promote tolerance and understanding through the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, and I look forward to increasing UN-OIC collaboration in this area," he added.

Calling the UN and the OIC, which represents one-fifth of the worlds population, natural allies, the Secretary-General also called for sustained cooperation on Middle East conflicts, Darfur, Somalia, extreme poverty and other pressing issues.

He warned them that the situation in the Middle East remains precarious, nowhere more so than in the Gaza Strip, and urged Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take urgent measures to ease the suffering in Gaza and give hope to its people.

He also expressed his regret that regional interests and domestic Lebanese dynamics have forestalled any breakthrough in the selection of a President there, and discussed the situations in Iraq and Iran.

Speaking on Darfur, Mr. Ban emphasized that the deployment of the UN/AU Mission there, known as <"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID, is no substitute for a political process, adding: "That remains the key to lasting peace in the region."

He noted that the OIC was particularly well-placed to promote peace within and between Chad and Sudan in combination with UN efforts to end suffering in the region.

A mini-summit on that topic to be hosted by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade had been planned for yesterday evening in Dakar, to bring together President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and President Idriss Deby of Chad.

However, that event did not occur as scheduled and the Secretary-General is consulting on the matter with the Senegalese, Sudanese and Chadian Presidents.

Mr. Ban spent most of his day today in meetings with heads of state and government on a range of issues, from the Middle East to Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Sudan and Chad.

He met this morning with Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, among others, and is later expected to meet with more national leaders, including the presidents of Afghanistan and Indonesia
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ: UN OFFICIAL DEPLORES KILLING OF CHALDEAN CHRISTIAN LEADER

IRAQ: UN OFFICIAL DEPLORES KILLING OF CHALDEAN CHRISTIAN LEADER New York, Mar 13 2008 2:00PM The top United Nations official in Iraq today strongly condemned the murder of Monsignor Paul Faraj Rahu, the Archbishop of the Chaldean Church of Mosul, who had been kidnapped by gunmen last month.

Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org/">UNAMI), described the killing as "especially abhorrent, committed in cold blood against a man who has dedicated his entire life to the pursuit of peace, non-violence and reconciliation between different faiths and groups."

In a statement issued by his office Mr. de Mistura called on Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to safeguard the protection of minorities and their human rights. The envoy has previously emphasized that the protection of minorities is enshrined in the national constitution.

Archbishop Rahu had been kidnapped in Mosul in northern Iraq on 29 February after leaving his church in an attack that led to the killing of his driver and two of his bodyguards.

The religious leader is only the latest of many members of the Christian and other minority communities in Iraq to be killed, abducted or forced to flee their homes.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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AT MEETING OF AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, UN OFFICIAL URGES LONG-TERM VIEW

AT MEETING OF AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, UN OFFICIAL URGES LONG-TERM VIEW New York, Mar 13 2008 2:00PM The head of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (<" http://www.uneca.org/">ECA), kicking off a series of forums meant to boost dialogue with donors and other partners, said that economic growth on the continent must be pursued in the context of a long-term development.

"Efforts to continue improving economic and political conditions in the continent must be assessed against the goal of long-term development and structural transformation," ECA Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh said as he opened the first Partners Forum of 2008 at ECA headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The six monthly forums are linked to the efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to highlight challenges facing Africa in its effort to develop new, sound economies through his Africa Working Group on the Millennium Development Goals (<" http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), a set of time-bound targets to slash extreme poverty and other global ills.

In his opening address, Mr. Janneh said the response to current challenges, including a recession in key industrial countries and high international oil and food prices, must also take the long-term perspective.

"The cumulative impact of these challenges could compound efforts to scale-up and sustain growth and extend its benefits to socially excluded groups including women and children," he said.

The ECA Partners' Forum continues today with technical discussions of development topics that are scheduled to conclude tomorrow.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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HOLLYWOOD HUMANITARIANS ASSIST CRITICAL UN AIR OPERATIONS IN DARFUR

HOLLYWOOD HUMANITARIANS ASSIST CRITICAL UN AIR OPERATIONS IN DARFUR New York, Mar 13 2008 12:00PM A few days after the United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2792">WFP) warned its air transports for aid workers in war-ravaged Darfur could be grounded for lack of funds, an organization of Hollywood celebrities has provided the first donation of the year to keep it running.

WFP's Humanitarian Air Service (WFP-HAS) has received $500,00 from Not On Our Watch, the humanitarian organization founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub and civil rights lawyer David Pressman, the agency said today.

WFP-HAS announced earlier this week that by the end of March it would be
forced to ground the helicopters and aeroplanes that carry 8,000 relief workers, along with supplies, to remote parts of the vast region because no confirmed donations had arrived toward its $77 million budget this year.

Most passengers using the service, which began operations in 2004, are staff members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing assistance in health care, water and sanitation or food relief.

"Having seen first hand the epic humanitarian challenge in Darfur, George
Clooney and his colleagues know the life saving power of the Humanitarian
Air Service," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said.

"This contribution will make a difference to the millions of vulnerable women and
children trapped there, and we hope it will inspire other donations," she added.

In 2007, Not On Our Watch granted $1 million dollars to the WFP-HAS, whose monthly budget to run its 24 aircraft throughout North and South Sudan, including Darfur, runs to $6.2 million.

"We are proud to help ensure the survival of this lifesaving program and strongly encourage others to do the same," said UN Messenger of Peace and award-winning actor George Clooney, who recently returned from a visit to Darfur with peacekeeping officials.

"Protection of these victims should not fall solely in the hands of charitable organizations," he added. "Governments have a responsibility to help those who cannot defend themselves."
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: SOUTH AFRICAN UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR MEETS RAPE SURVIVORS

DR CONGO: SOUTH AFRICAN UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR MEETS RAPE SURVIVORS New York, Mar 13 2008 11:00AM Women who have survived sexual violence endure a "triple tragedy" – physical, psychological and social – in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South African singer and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000810/index.html">FAO) Goodwill Ambassador Miriam Makeba has said.

Ms. Makeba, on a four-day visit to the capital Kinshasa, is touring small farming projects which seek to help rape survivors feed their families and boost their self-reliance. The women taking part in the scheme have received seeds, tools and agricultural training from FAO.

"Women guarantee the survival of 80 per cent of the households in DRC. Yet despite their crucial role for the well-being of the family, they are frequently victims to rape and sexual violence," she said, adding that the systematic rape of women in recent years is the "most horrifying feature of the complex emergency" in the vast Central African nation.

In the volatile North Kivu province alone, 27,000 cases of sexual violence were recorded in 2006, the singer, who was appointed FAO Goodwill Ambassador in 1999, noted.

She also pointed out that despite the DRC's "vast potential for economic growth," 70 per cent of the population faces food insecurity, malnutrition rates are rising and approximately 3.5 million people have lost their lives in the past two decades to violence, famine and disease.

In concert with other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local authorities, FAO's Emergency Coordination and Rehabilitation Unit has helped 500,000 households, or over two million people, and intends to increase their assistance to aid some 800,000 households this year.

The agency's projects, prioritizing vulnerable groups such as internally displaced persons (IDPs), malnourished children and ex-combatants, have provided farming and fishing equipment, seeds and disease-free plants and road repairs to bolster market access.

"I would like my visit to this country to be an opportunity to renew and strengthen our commitment and ensure that innocent victims suffering from hunger have access to the necessary resources to cultivate their hope for a better life," said Ms. Makeba, recipient of the 1986 Dag Hammarskjöld Prize for Peace.

While in the DRC, she also plans to visit a project for families impacted by HIV/AIDS, as well as meet with high-ranking Government officials and representative of UN agencies and NGOs.
2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION BEGINS SELECTION INTERVIEWS FOR EIGHT IRAQI GOVERNORATE SLOTS

UN MISSION BEGINS SELECTION INTERVIEWS FOR EIGHT IRAQI GOVERNORATE SLOTS New York, Mar 13 2008 10:00AM Selection interviews have begun for the remaining eight directorships of Iraq's governorate election offices (GEOs), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org/">UNAMI) announced today.

After the applications were vetted, candidates are now being interviewed by a UNAMI panel of international experts, who will create a shortlist of applicants to be forwarded to the Council of Representatives, who in turn will select five to send to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).

"By ensuring transparency and professionalism in the process of selecting these candidates we hope the Iraqi Parliament and the Independent High Electoral Commission will accomplish one of the number of conditions for holding successful elections," said Staffan De Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNAMI.

Concerns had been raised by the UN and many political leaders in Iraq about the way in which the previous selection of 11 of Iraq's 19 governorate election office directors were conducted in September 2007, and last month, UNAMI urged an improved selection process.

Over 800 valid applications -- including submissions by 54 women -- for the eight GEO directorship positions in seven Iraqi governorates were received by UNAMI's website.

The professional qualifications of candidates short-listed for the Karkh and Rusafa GEOs of Baghdad are being evaluated by a three-member UNAMI expert team, and the 14-day interview process for the other six GEOs of Nenawa, Basra, Wasit, Najaf, Kerbala and Diyala is expected to be completed by 25 March.

The entire process has been open to observers, who have so far included Iraqi parliamentarians, IHEC representatives and an Iraqi group from the Al-Yaqeen Center.

2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

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INAUGURAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION FORUM CAN PLAY VITAL ROLE, SAYS ECOSOC

INAUGURAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION FORUM CAN PLAY VITAL ROLE, SAYS ECOSOC New York, Mar 12 2008 7:00PM This year's inaugural Development Cooperation Forum (<"http://www.un.org/ecosoc/newfunct/develop.shtml">DCF) will play a key role in determining how the current "architecture of international cooperation" can better serve the world's poor and achieve the globally agreed targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), the President of the Economic and Social Council says.

Participants at the forum – to be held in New York in early July – are also set to discuss financing for development and how to enhance so-called South-South cooperation, Ambassador Léo Mérorès of Haiti told the UN News Centre in an interview this week.

But he stressed that "issues regarding the architecture of international cooperation and how that can help development" will be central to the meeting's agenda.

Dozens of representatives of developing countries, affluent nations, UN agencies, the <" http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,pagePK:34382~piPK:34439~theSitePK:4607,00.html">World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (<" http://www.imf.org/external/news/default.aspx">IMF), bilateral organizations, regional bodies, banks, civil society and the private sector are expected to gather for the DCF, the first of its kind.

Member States agreed at the <"http://www.un.org/summit2005/">2005 World Summit to establish a biennial forum that would review the latest trends in international development cooperation and promote greater coherence between countries and organizations in their efforts to boost development.

Last week <" http://www.un.org/ecosoc/">ECOSOC held a preparatory meeting on both the work of the DCF and that of the Annual Ministerial Review, another mechanism set up at the World Summit. The AMR's purpose is to assess the progress being made towards the eight MDGs – which have a target date of 2015 – and to spur accelerated efforts towards development.

Mr. Mérorès said he was optimistic that the DCF would provide an opportunity for both rich and poor countries to voice their concerns and opinions as part of a dialogue and to see how they can work more closely together to promote development.

Financing for development would be an important question for discussion, he said, ranging from official development assistance (ODA) to trade to debt relief to foreign investment.

He added that he expects the issues raised and clarified during the forum will contribute to two key international meetings taking place in the latter half of this year: the Monterrey Follow-Up Conference (being held in Doha, Qatar) and the Accra High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.

Earlier this year, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also said the DCF would help pave the way for a more inclusive framework for dealing with the latest trends in development cooperation and the critical issues of aid quality and quantity.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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NEPALESE ASSEMBLY POLLS BACK ON TRACK, SAYS UN MISSION LEADER

NEPALESE ASSEMBLY POLLS BACK ON TRACK, SAYS UN MISSION LEADER New York, Mar 12 2008 7:00PM Nepal's Constituent Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in less than a month, are on track after previous delays, the head of the United Nations mission to the South Asian country said today as he pledged the world body's support in efforts to ensure the ballot is free, fair and credible.

Ian Martin, the Secretary-General's Special Representative to Nepal and the head of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), told a <"http://www.unmin.org.np/downloads/pressreleases/2008-03-12-UNMIN.SRSG.Press.Statement.ENG.pdf">press conference in the capital, Kathmandu, that the country "is very close to achieving an historic step in its democratic transition" when its voters go to the polls on 10 April.

"An inclusive Constituent Assembly, elected in a free and fair atmosphere, will provide the democratic basis for decisions to shape the future of this highly diverse country, as well as for a government with the broad legitimacy necessary to address the challenges of peace and development," he said.
Once elected, Assembly members are supposed to draft a new constitution for Nepal, where an estimated 13,000 people were killed during the decade-long civil war that ended when the Government and the Maoists signed a peace accord in 2006. The polls were supposed to be held last year, but had to be delayed several times because of political disputes.
Mr. Martin stressed that <"http://www.unmin.org.np/">UNMIN would work very closely with the national electoral commission and had already dispatched almost all of its electoral advisers to the country's various regions and districts.

"The focus now is on ensuring that the election takes place in an environment that enables all parties to campaign and organize freely anywhere in the country, and allows the people of Nepal to cast their votes in accordance with their free will and conscience, without intimidation or infringement of their rights."

This means that the ceasefire code of conduct and the comprehensive peace agreement must be observed by all parties, as well as the arms monitoring agreement, starting with the restriction of the Nepal Army and the Maoist army to their designated locations.

He added that while efforts to reach out to groups or individuals with grievances should continue, the international community would have no sympathy for any group that carried out acts of violence in pursuit of its ends or attempted to disrupt the electoral process.

The UNMIN chief also told reporters that a memorial ceremony will be held next week to honour the 10 people who died when a mission helicopter crashed in eastern Nepal on 3 March.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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SOMALIA: UN ENVOY LAUDS GOVERNMENT'S WILLINGNESS TO TALK WITH OPPOSITION

SOMALIA: UN ENVOY LAUDS GOVERNMENT'S WILLINGNESS TO TALK WITH OPPOSITION New York, Mar 12 2008 5:00PM The top United Nations envoy to Somalia today welcomed the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that it is ready to hold talks with the opposition in the Horn of Africa nation which has not had a functioning government since 1991.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah in particular lauded the official confirmation by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and Speaker Sheikh Hassan Madobe of their commitment to talk about stability.

"Their brothers in the opposition, civil society organizations and the diaspora have repeatedly expressed to me the same desire to join the discussion for peace and reconciliation," Mr. Ould-Abdallah said in a press release issued by the UN Political Office for Somalia (<"http://www.un-somalia.org/index.asp">UNPOS).

"I have no doubt that all Somalis and their concerned friends, governments and organizations will support this move and that everyone would refrain from any action that might hinder these important steps."

The Special Representative noted that, as requested by the parties, he will take on a leadership role and will be in contact with all sides regarding the timing of future discussions.

In recent months, Somalia has been wracked by violence which has displaced around 1 million people and has caused some 3 million others to flee the country as refugees.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org">OCHA), there are up to 2 million vulnerable people in need of humanitarian aid within the country. In addition, aid workers face difficulties and the transport and delivery of crucial items such as food is being impeded by roadblocks, taxes and banditry.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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MADAGASCAR: UN AGENCIES DISTRIBUTE MORE AID FOLLOWING DEADLY CYCLONE

MADAGASCAR: UN AGENCIES DISTRIBUTE MORE AID FOLLOWING DEADLY CYCLONE New York, Mar 12 2008 5:00PM United Nations agencies are stepping up their efforts to bring relief in Madagascar, where more than 190,000 people are homeless, at least 93 people have died and tens of thousands of hectares of ricefields have been flooded in the wake of a cyclone last month.

Almost 335,000 Malagasy have been affected by Cyclone Ivan, which struck the island nation on 17 February, bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 200 kilometres per hour, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/EDIS-7CMRCG?OpenDocument&query=madagascar">reported.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) is providing medicines for 9,000 people and diarrhoea treatments for another 6,000, and is also supplying blankets and mosquito nets to needy households.

In addition, the agency has distributed hygiene kits – containing cups, jerry cans, buckets, soap, tanks, water purifiers, mobile latrines and other items – to some 7,000 households and intends to distribute 29,000 more kits in the coming days.

The World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) and its non-governmental organization (NGO) partners have already distributed three tons of enriched flour and high-energy biscuits to 2,000 people living in camps for internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs), and plan to give out about 22 tons of vegetables to 11,000 people over the next two weeks.

UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations have already appealed for more than $36 million to provide relief across Madagascar, which is prone to cyclones, particularly at this time of the year. Local authorities have said that Cyclone Ivan was the worst storm of its kind to hit the country since the 1980s.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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UN AIDS FLOOD VICTIMS IN KAZAKHSTAN AS HEAVY SNOWS MELT

UN AIDS FLOOD VICTIMS IN KAZAKHSTAN AS HEAVY SNOWS MELT New York, Mar 12 2008 5:00PM United Nations units are coming to aid of flood victims in southern Kazakhstan, where heavy rains and rapidly melting snow have displaced more than 13,000 people following Central Asia's harshest winter in decades.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) has provided an emergency grant of $40,000 to the UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan for nearly 2000 hygiene kits.

At the same time, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) has made $50,000 available for water purification tablets, water reservoirs, filters, disinfectants and other sanitation needs.

The overall flooding situation remains a matter of concern for the immediate future, according to an OCHA <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EDIS-7CMTF5?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=kaz">report, since there is a possibility of further flooding along the Syr-Darya river basin.

That occurrence could affect over 250,000 people living in the country's South Kazakhstan and Kzylorda provinces, it said.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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UN TRIBUNAL INCREASES SENTENCE FOR RWANDAN PRIEST TO LIFE IN PRISON

UN TRIBUNAL INCREASES SENTENCE FOR RWANDAN PRIEST TO LIFE IN PRISON New York, Mar 12 2008 5:00PM A Roman Catholic priest in Rwanda who directed the demolition of a church where about 1,500 Tutsis were trying to take shelter during the 1994 genocide, killing those trapped inside, has been sentenced to life in prison after a United Nations war crimes tribunal today increased his jail term.

Both prosecutors and Athanase Seromba, the former priest of Nyange parish in Kivumu commune in the west of the country, had appealed against the original verdict and the 15-year jail term imposed by the trial chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 2006.

The ICTY appeals chamber <"http://69.94.11.53/default.htm">overturned Mr. Seromba's conviction for aiding and abetting genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity, replacing it with convictions for committing genocide and extermination. The court then quashed the sentence of 15 years' jail and sentenced him to life in prison.

Judges at the Tribunal, which is based in Arusha, Tanzania, upheld one of Mr. Seromba's other convictions for aiding and abetting genocide but quashed another conviction on a similar charge.

During his trial, prosecutors showed that a large number of Tutsis had sought refuge at Mr. Seromba's church in Nyange parish on or about 12 April 1994 as Interahamwe militiamen and gendarmes surrounded the building and began to attack with grenades.

Mr. Seromba later spoke to the driver of a bulldozer, encouraging and identifying when to start demolishing the parish building and which parts were the weakest. All those Tutsis inside the church were killed when the church was bulldozed and its roof subsequently crashed.

Mr. Seromba was arrested by Tanzanian authorities in February 2002 after surrendering to the ICTR following his arrival from Italy, where he had been working as a priest under a false identity in two parishes near Florence.

Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, mostly by machete or club, across Rwanda in just 100 days starting in April 1994. The Security Council set up the ICTR in November that year to prosecute people responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON ATTENDS 'MINI-SUMMIT' ON SUDANESE-CHADIAN RELATIONS

BAN KI-MOON ATTENDS 'MINI-SUMMIT' ON SUDANESE-CHADIAN RELATIONS New York, Mar 12 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived today in Dakar, Senegal, where this evening he is scheduled to participate as an observer in a mini-summit that brings together the Presidents of Sudan and Chad, whose common border has become a source of tension.

Also this afternoon, he is expected to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, one of the leaders who have come to Dakar for the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Mr. Ban has already met today with OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to discuss terrorism, Islamophobia, freedom of expression, Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and Kosovo, according to a UN spokesperson.

The mini-summit, hosted by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, is expected to include King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania – Chair of the AU – and Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chair of the AU Commission, as well as Presidents Idriss Deby of Chad and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.

Refugees and armed groups have been regularly crossing the border between the strife-torn Darfur region of Sudan and Chad, including, it is alleged, many of the rebels that attacked the latter's capital N'Djamena in early February.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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THREE CROSSINGS INTO GAZA STRIP OPEN TODAY, UN REPORTS

THREE CROSSINGS INTO GAZA STRIP OPEN TODAY, UN REPORTS New York, Mar 12 2008 5:00PM Three crossings into the Gaza Strip, where severe restrictions by Israel on the movement of people and goods have been in effect since Hamas' takeover in June 2007, are open today, the United Nations reports.

Because of the openings, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) has been able to import a refrigerator truck into Gaza for transporting vaccines, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org">OCHA).

In addition, OCHA reports that 10 transformers have reached Gaza's electricity supply company. Power cuts are down to around three hours a day, from highs over 12 hours a day during the winter, because of the warm weather.

That will lead to a reduction in the amount of sewage being pumped into the sea and will allow the health services to conserve fuel, OCHA adds.

UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, have repeatedly expressed concern in recent weeks about the humanitarian impact of the restrictions on daily life for Palestinians in Gaza, coming on top of years of difficulty and economic decline.

Describing the consequences as increasingly severe, the officials have said that the closures have brought most industry and agriculture to collapse, raised unemployment and poverty to new heights and led to the deterioration of basic infrastructure.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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UN TRIBUNAL INCREASES SENTENCE FOR RWANDAN PRIEST TO LIFE IN PRISON

UN TRIBUNAL INCREASES SENTENCE FOR RWANDAN PRIEST TO LIFE IN PRISON New York, Mar 12 2008 4:00PM A Roman Catholic priest in Rwanda who directed the demolition of a church where about 1,500 Tutsis were trying to take shelter during the 1994 genocide, killing those trapped inside, has been sentenced to life in prison after a United Nations war crimes tribunal today increased his jail term.

Both prosecutors and Athanase Seromba, the former priest of Nyange parish in Kivumu commune in the west of the country, had appealed against the original verdict and the 15-year jail term imposed by the trial chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 2006.

The ICTY appeals chamber <"http://69.94.11.53/default.htm">overturned Mr. Seromba's conviction for aiding and abetting genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity, replacing it with convictions for committing genocide and extermination. The court then quashed the sentence of 15 years' jail and sentenced him to life in prison.

Judges at the Tribunal, which is based in Arusha, Tanzania, upheld one of Mr. Seromba's other convictions for aiding and abetting genocide but quashed another conviction on a similar charge.

During his trial, prosecutors showed that a large number of Tutsis had sought refuge at Mr. Seromba's church in Nyange parish on or about 12 April 1994 as Interahamwe militiamen and gendarmes surrounded the building and began to attack with grenades.

Mr. Seromba later spoke to the driver of a bulldozer, encouraging and identifying when to start demolishing the parish building and which parts were the weakest. All those Tutsis inside the church were killed when the church was bulldozed and its roof subsequently crashed.

Mr. Seromba was arrested by Tanzanian authorities in February 2002 after surrendering to the ICTR following his arrival from Italy, where he had been working as a priest under a false identity in two parishes near Florence.

Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, mostly by machete or club, across Rwanda in just 100 days starting in April 1994. The Security Council set up the ICTR in November that year to prosecute people responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON ATTENDS 'MINI-SUMMIT' ON SUDANESE-CHADIAN RELATIONS

BAN KI-MOON ATTENDS 'MINI-SUMMIT' ON SUDANESE-CHADIAN RELATIONS New York, Mar 12 2008 4:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived today in Dakar, Senegal, where this evening he is scheduled to participate as an observer in a mini-summit that brings together the Presidents of Sudan and Chad, whose common border has become a source of tension.

Also this afternoon, he is expected to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, one of the leaders who have come to Dakar for the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Mr. Ban has already met with OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to discuss the OIC meeting, as well as Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.

The mini-summit, hosted by President Wade, is expected to include King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania – Chair of the AU – and Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chair of the AU Commission, as well as Presidents Idriss Deby of Chad and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.

Refugees and armed groups have been regularly crossing the border between the strife-torn Darfur region of Sudan and Chad, including, it is alleged, many of the rebels that attacked the latter's capital N'Djamena in early February.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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THREE CROSSINGS INTO GAZA STRIP OPEN TODAY, UN REPORTS

THREE CROSSINGS INTO GAZA STRIP OPEN TODAY, UN REPORTS New York, Mar 12 2008 4:00PM Three crossings into the Gaza Strip, where severe restrictions by Israel on the movement of people and goods have been in effect since Hamas' takeover in June 2007, are open today, the United Nations reports.

Because of the openings, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) has been able to import a refrigerator truck into Gaza for transporting vaccines, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org">OCHA).

In addition, OCHA reports that 10 transformers have reached Gaza's electricity supply company. Power cuts are down to around three hours a day, from highs over 12 hours a day during the winter, because of the warm weather.

That will lead to a reduction in the amount of sewage being pumped into the sea and will allow the health services to conserve fuel, OCHA adds.

UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, have repeatedly expressed concern in recent weeks about the humanitarian impact of the restrictions on daily life for Palestinians in Gaza, coming on top of years of difficulty and economic decline.

Describing the consequences as increasingly severe, the officials have said that the closures have brought most industry and agriculture to collapse, raised unemployment and poverty to new heights and led to the deterioration of basic infrastructure.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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CYPRIOT LEADERS AGREE TO DIRECT TALKS UNDER UN AUSPICES LATER THIS MONTH

CYPRIOT LEADERS AGREE TO DIRECT TALKS UNDER UN AUSPICES LATER THIS MONTH New York, Mar 12 2008 2:00PM The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed to hold direct talks under United Nations auspices in Nicosia on 21 March, the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) <" http://www.unficyp.org/News/Press/2008_03-12_leaders%20meeting%20announced.htm">announced today.

Senior aides to Dimitris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat agreed to the talks at a meeting today hosted by Michael Møller, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus, according to the UNFICYP news release, which added that the 21 March meeting will take place in the UN Protected Area in Nicosia.

Mr. Møller described today's encounter between George Iacovou and Ozdil Nami, aides to Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat respectively, as taking place "in a very cordial and constructive atmosphere."

The aides "reached a great degree of convergence on the issues discussed, including on the possible future opening of the Ledra Street crossing" in Nicosia, UNFICYP noted.
<" http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/">UNFICYP was established in March 1964 following the outbreak of intercommunal violence on the Mediterranean island and the mission is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, contributing to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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WOMEN HOLD KEY TO REACHING DEVELOPMENT GOALS - MIGIRO

WOMEN HOLD KEY TO REACHING DEVELOPMENT GOALS – MIGIRO New York, Mar 12 2008 2:00PM Efforts to meet international development goals must focus on empowering women, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/dsgsm380.doc.htm">said last night in a speech delivered at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

"Empowering women is not just an end in itself; it is a prerequisite for reaching all of the Millennium Development Goals – our common vision to build a better world in the 21st century," she said of the targets, known as <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs, that aim to slash a host of global ills by 2015.

At the moment the news is quite sobering, she said: systematic discrimination against girls and women in the world's poorest countries will make it impossible for these States to meet the priority goal to halve the number of people living in extreme poverty by that year.

"Women and girls form the majority of the world's poor and hungry, girls are dropping out of primary school at rates far greater than boys, and the spread of HIV disproportionately affects women and girls," Ms. Migiro said, adding that efforts to cut maternal mortality rates were also lagging.

As national legal structures were still not adequately addressing this situation, women's leadership was crucial, she said.

In that context, the Deputy Secretary-General noted that MDG number three, promoting gender equality and women's empowerment, recognized this by including an indicator for women's political leadership.

To achieve this, it was crucial to promote affirmative action, human rights protection and leadership training, including apprenticeship programmes for young women in political parties, as well as programmes to develop a "women's manifesto of policy priorities."

In addition, she said, it was imperative to boost women's economic leadership and to protect women against violence. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's recent launch of a UN campaign to end violence against women would bring about the kind of high-level commitment needed to fight that global scourge.

To strengthen all these efforts, she 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.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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ALL EYES ON POTATOES IN UN PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

ALL EYES ON POTATOES IN UN PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST New York, Mar 12 2008 2:00PM A world photography contest to highlight the role of the potato, the planet's fourth largest food source, in the fight against hunger and poverty was announced today by the United Nations agricultural agency, as part of 2008's <" http://www.potato2008.org/en/index.html">International Year dedicated to the tasty tuber.

The contest, entitled Focus on a global food, invites photographers to capture the spirit of the International Year in images that illustrate potato biodiversity, cultivation, processing, trade, marketing, consumption and utilization, according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000799/index.html">FAO).

"Photographers who explore the world of the potato will find plenty of subject matter," said FAO's NeBambi Lutaladio, the coordinator of the International Year, which aims to raise global awareness of the potato's potential to help countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), a set of targets for reducing extreme poverty and other global ills by the year 2015.

"It is grown in more than 100 countries, from the Andes and China's Yunnan plateau to the subtropical lowlands of India, on the plains of northern Europe and the steppes of the Ukraine," Mr. Lutaladio noted.

Sponsored by Nikon, the contest has separate categories for professional and amateur photographers, and will accept single digital images or 'photo stories' of four to eight related images, in either black-and-white or colour.

The winning photographs will be chosen by a selection panel that includes some of the world's leading professionals in the field of photography. Winners will be awarded cash prizes totalling some $11,000 as well as Nikon cameras.

The deadline for entries is 1 September 2008.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN ENVOY MEETS WITH SENIOR IRAQI RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS IN NAJAF

TOP UN ENVOY MEETS WITH SENIOR IRAQI RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS IN NAJAF New York, Mar 12 2008 1:00PM The senior United Nations envoy to Iraq has met with Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Sistani and other senior religious officials in the holy city of Najaf, south of the capital Baghdad.

While in Najaf yesterday, the Secretary-General's Special Representative Staffan de Mistura – who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org/">UNAMI) – also visited the Shrine of Imam Ali.

In a two-hour meeting, the Special Representative informed Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Sistani of UNAMI's scaled-up political and humanitarian activities.

In response to Mr. de Mistura's request for advice on what the UN can do to help the war-torn nation tackle its challenges, Grand Ayatollah Sistani underscored "the importance of Iraqi national reconciliation, the usefulness of increased UN presence and assistance, as well as more frequent contacts with the Marja-iya, and above all the need for the Iraqi people to be able to participate in fair, free and inclusive elections," according to a press release issued by the Mission.

Additionally, the Grand Ayatollah emphasized the need for fairness and transparency in all election-related activities.

During his talks with Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Said Al-Hakim, the Special Representative voiced the UN's appreciation for last February's decision by Shiite leader Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr to continue the suspension of Jaysh Al Mehdi's activities, also known as the Mahdi Army, which is key to promoting stability.

Mr. de Mistura also held meetings in Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Sheik Mohammad Al-Yacoubi, Sayyed Hazim Al-Araji of the office of Al-Shahid Al-Sadr, the Governor of Al Najaf, Asa'ad Abu Kalal and others.

At the end of his visit to Najaf – which was coordinated with Iraqi authorities – the Special Representative expressed the UN's commitment for "increased engagement" in both the city and governorate of Najaf as well as all of Iraq.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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CARIBBEAN TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM TO TAKE STEP FORWARD WITH UN-BACKED GROUP

CARIBBEAN TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM TO TAKE STEP FORWARD WITH UN-BACKED GROUP New York, Mar 12 2008 1:00PM An independent tsunami early warning system for the Caribbean region, in place by 2010 at the latest, is likely to be a major step closer today when a United Nations-backed coordination group decides whether to give the go-ahead for a regional data-sharing system.

The creation of the real-time sharing system for existing seismic monitoring networks will be discussed at the <"http://www.ioc-tsunami.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=261&Itemid=942">third session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS) taking place in Panama through Friday, according to 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).

An implementation plan for the system, drafted by a group of experts from the Member States and the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), will be submitted for approval by Member States during the meeting, UNESCO said.

The new system will replace the temporary service being provided by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

UNESCO's IOC set up a tsunami early warning system for the Pacific Ocean as early as 1965 and, after the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, has been instrumental in putting rapid warning systems in place in that region as well as in the Mediterranean, North-East Atlantic and the Caribbean.

The goal, according to UNESCO, is a rapid tsunami early warning system for the entire globe.

The Caribbean region, with its population of nearly 40 million, is by no means spared the risk of tsunamis, the agency said. The most recent catastrophes occurred in the San Blas Islands of Panama in 1882, Puerto Rico in 1918 and the Dominican Republic in 1946.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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UN KICKS OFF REPATRIATION PROGRAMME FOR BURUNDIAN REFUGEES IN TANZANIA

UN KICKS OFF REPATRIATION PROGRAMME FOR BURUNDIAN REFUGEES IN TANZANIA New York, Mar 12 2008 11:00AM The United Nations refugee has launched a landmark two-year programme to bring an end to one of the world's oldest protracted refugee situations: the exile of some 218,000 people from neighbouring Burundi who fled their country in 1972 to Tanzania.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47d6a6e74.html">UNHCR) António Guterres kicked off the initiative over the weekend in Ulyankulu and Katumba settlements – two of the three camps in western Tanzania where the refugees have been living – and underscored that the operation's success depends on strong donor support.

"It is the moment for the international community to show solidarity with the government and people of Tanzania to solve the long-standing problem of Burundian refugees from 1972," he said on Sunday in Katumba, where he saw a first group of 255 refugees – who headed by train to the port of Kigoma and then travelled by road to Burundi – off.

"It is the moment to make a choice for the future. Those who want to go back to Burundi to take part in the reconstruction will be able to do so with our support. Those who feel that they are now part of Tanzania and would like to remain here, will have the possibility to ask for citizenship," Mr. Guterres told a cheering crowd of 15,000 refugees.

Sophia Habonimana, 49, arrived in Tanzania as a 13-year-old orphan. Although she noted at the Katumba ceremony that she has no relatives in Burundi, the widow and mother of eight said she is returning to Makumba province because "I know the authorities there will help me when I arrive."

Others, such as Gabriel Baramizigiyi, a father of 12, do not want to go back to Burundi. "I like Tanzania. I will ask to remain here because I can farm," he said, adding that he plans to apply for citizenship.

The so-called "1972 Burundians" are among the hundreds of thousands of Burundians who sought refuge in neighbouring countries that year to escape ethnic violence which killed an estimated 200,000 people. They are distinct from the 108,000 Burundian refugees who arrived subsequently.

After more than three decades, a breakthrough came last year when Tanzania announced its intention to close the three so-called 'Old Settlements' which have been hosting Burundians who arrived in 1972, and the Governments of both countries have been working with UNHCR to find a solution.

The agency has called the new repatriation programme one of its most important African operations this year, it will help over 46,000 Burundians return to their home country and assist another 172,000 – including some 76,000 people over the age of 18 who are eligible to register and apply for Tanzanian citizenship – with integrating locally.

On Monday, the High Commissioner met with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who voiced his Government's commitment to finding lasting solutions for the Burundians through voluntary repatriation and integration.

The new programme is heavily dependent on contributions, and so far, $9 million of the $34 million UNHCR has appealed for has been received.

In addition to the 218,000 "1972 Burundians," Tanzania also hosts over 100,000 Burundians and 96,000 Congolese refugees.
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON AFGHANISTAN

BAN KI-MOON TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON AFGHANISTAN New York, Mar 12 2008 10:00AM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced that he will attend an international meeting on Afghanistan to be held in Bucharest, Romania, early next month.

Also in attendance at the 3 April meeting will be President of the strife-torn South Asian nation, high-level NATO representatives, non-NATO contributing nations of the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and representatives of key international organizations, such as the European Union (EU) and the World Bank, according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2008/159">report to the Security Council on Afghanistan, the Secretary-General wrote that the country continues to face a number of serious challenges, including terrorism and a booming drug industry, and called for an integrated approach among all international partners to stabilize the fledgling democracy."The Taliban and related armed groups and the drug economy represent fundamental threats to still fragile political, economic and social institutions," he noted. "Despite tactical successes by national and international military forces, the anti-Government elements are far from defeated."
2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

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LANDMARK UNICEF RESEARCH SHOWS INJURIES A FATAL PROBLEM FOR ASIAN CHILDREN

LANDMARK UNICEF RESEARCH SHOWS INJURIES A FATAL PROBLEM FOR ASIAN CHILDREN New York, Mar 11 2008 8:00PM Injuries resulting from drowning, suffocation and road accidents are among the leading killers of Asian children, <" http://www.unicef.org/media/media_43157.html">according to groundbreaking research by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which is appealing for scaled-up injury prevention initiatives.

The survey, conducted jointly with the Alliance for Safe Children (TASC) over the past seven years, highlights that the risk of death from injuries rises after infancy as children become more independent and as the danger from infectious and non-communicable diseases drops.

"If we are ultimately going to meet the Millennium Development Goal (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDG) to reduce child mortality, it is imperative that we take action to address the causes of childhood injury," said Anupama Rao Singh, Regional Director of UNICEF East Asia and Pacific, urging bolstered investment in public awareness campaigns and arming children and their parents with knowledge and skills.

Working in partnership with local public health teams, in-person interviews for the study were done in over half a million households, comprising more than 2 million people in five countries: Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The causes of death and disability among a representative sample of all children up to 18 years of age were reliably recorded for the first time ever in these nations.

Research uncovered that the causes of injuries differ by age group. Infants under 12 months are not as exposed to injury, while toddlers between one and four years of age are at the greatest risk of drowning. Schoolchildren aged five to nine years, who spend much time outside their homes, are at the greatest danger from drowning and road traffic incidents.

Meanwhile, the survey alarmingly concluded that the leading cause of death among adolescents is intentional injury, or homicide and suicide. Researchers pointed out that due to the difficulty and sensitivity of the subject, the problem is underreported.

The fact that many injuries – especially fatal ones – are rarely reported to hospitals also poses a challenge in accurately monitoring child mortality.

Both UNICEF and TASC are appealing for improved systems to record births and deaths, and beefed-up injury prevention programmes incorporating road safety, swimming lessons and education to prevent suffocation, falls, poisoning and insect bites.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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ANY WEAKNESS IN UN'S DEVELOPMENT STRUCTURE REFLECTS GLOBALLY - BAN KI-MOON

ANY WEAKNESS IN UN'S DEVELOPMENT STRUCTURE REFLECTS GLOBALLY – BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 11 2008 7:00PM The entire international system's efforts to boost development are weakened if the United Nations' machinery in this area is not backed by appropriate resources, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cautioned today.

In an informal briefing to the General Assembly on proposals to reform the world body's development work, Mr. Ban warned that in spite of increased mandates, the UN's resources to deliver on them has decreased.

He announced that a report he prepared in response to an Assembly resolution on reforming the Organization's development efforts will be formally introduced to the Fifth Committee, the main body dealing with administrative and budgetary matters.

The Secretary-General warned against over-reaching by the Secretariat with more mandates and a simultaneous drop in resources, noting that the creation of 150 additional posts at the cost of around $25.5 million has been proposed.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION MUST CONTINUE CONTROL OVER KOSOVO, SERBIA TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

UN MISSION MUST CONTINUE CONTROL OVER KOSOVO, SERBIA TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL New York, Mar 11 2008 7:00PM The situation on the ground in Kosovo has deteriorated since its Provisional Institutions of Self-Government declared independence last month, Serbia's Foreign Minister told the Security Council today, calling for Belgrade and Pristina to meet again to try to work out a different resolution to their dispute over Kosovo's status.

Vuk Jeremic told a Council meeting that the "unilateral, illegal and illegitimate declaration of independence" had brought dangerous consequences to both the region and to global affairs, including "a direct assault on the innate operating logic of the international system."

He said "those 20-something countries that furthered the secessionist cause of the Kosovo Albanians [by recognizing the declaration of independence] have contributed to making the international system more unstable, more insecure, and more unpredictable" as they were legitimizing the doctrine of imposing solutions to ethnic conflicts.

"It supplies any ethnic or religious group with a grievance against its capital with a play book on how to achieve their ends."

Stressing that Serbia would never recognize Kosovo's unilateral secession, Mr. Jeremic called for the 1999 Security Council resolution that placed Kosovo under UN administration to be observed in full.

"This is the only way to prevent a further deterioration of the situation on the ground. There must be no erosion" of the mandates of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (<"http://www.unmikonline.org">UNMIK), he said, adding that no further transfers of competencies from UNMIK to another body be allowed to take place.

Serbia's representative said his country was "committed to open dialogue and good-faith negotiation with all," including on issues such as the Kosovo Serb population and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo.

"Every day that goes by without working towards some sort of agreement creates unsustainable hopes, irrational fears, and dangerous, uncoordinated outcomes on the ground."

He said Serbia would not impose an embargo on Kosovo or resort to force and he apologized for the damage to foreign embassies caused by protesters in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, on 21 February.

"It is in our vital interest that all of Kosovo's communities prosper – and prosper together in peace, security and reconciliation as neighbours in a progressive society of hope and forgiveness."

After Mr. Jeremic's briefing, Council members then went into consultations on the issue.

Belgrade and Pristina have been unable to reach agreement on Kosovo's status, which had been the subject of months of negotiations led by the troika, comprising the European Union, Russia and the United States. That group was set up after a stalemate emerged over a proposal by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, for a phased process of independence for Kosovo.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON FULFILS PLEDGE OF $10,000 TO ASSIST SURVIVORS IN RWANDA

BAN KI-MOON FULFILS PLEDGE OF $10,000 TO ASSIST SURVIVORS IN RWANDA New York, Mar 11 2008 7:00PM Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday fulfilled his promise to provide a donation of $10,000 for survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Mr. Ban handed a check in that amount, from the Secretary-General's Trust Fund for Special Projects, to Rwandan Ambassador Joseph Nsengimana in New York.

During a trip to the tiny African country in January, Secretary-General made the pledge to the "Fonds d'Assistance aux rescapés du genocide," a fund set up by the Government to assist the survivors and help in the education of hundreds of orphans.

On 29 January, after touring the genocide memorial in Kigali, Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/search_full.asp?statID=178">called for an "end to impunity that can ensure that our cry of 'never again' will become an enduring reality, not only for Rwanda, but for our common humanity."

He reiterated his commitment yesterday to the survivors and to the orphans he met during the trip. "The United Nations will never forget," he said.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF FORMER TOP CROATIAN GENERALS BEGINS AT UN TRIBUNAL

WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF FORMER TOP CROATIAN GENERALS BEGINS AT UN TRIBUNAL New York, Mar 11 2008 6:00PM The trial of three former senior Croatian generals accused of murdering, persecuting and displacing ethnic Serbs during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s got under way at a United Nations war crimes tribunal today.

Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac have pleaded not guilty before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY) to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to 'Operation Storm,' a 1995 military offensive in the Krajina region of Croatia.

Prosecutors accuse the three men of being key members of a joint criminal enterprise – along with four other men, including the former president of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman, who have since died – to forcibly and permanently remove ethnic Serbs from the Krajina region.

The indictment states that the men, or the forces under their command, murdered at least 37 Serbs, persecuted many others and plundered their property, and failed to prevent the crimes or take action against subordinates.

The joint trial, being held in The Hague in the Netherlands, is expected to take more than a year.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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UN AND PARTNERS PINPOINT UNMET HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN LIBERIA

UN AND PARTNERS PINPOINT UNMET HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN LIBERIA New York, Mar 11 2008 6:00PM The United Nations system in Liberia, along with the Government and humanitarian partners, today issued a list of basic needs in health care, clean drinking water, sanitation, and food security that are not being met in the West African country.

"The delivery of basic services is vital for Liberia's continued stability and development," noted Jordan Ryan, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the country, which is recovering from a devastating 15-year civil war.

"Today, donor resources expressly for humanitarian action are drying up. The time is now for Liberia's most important humanitarian gaps to be addressed," he added.

The projects identified by the survey, which require $28 million in 2008, will serve as a strong foundation for Liberia's recovery and development, according to the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.unmil.org/article.asp?id=2684">UNMIL).

The partners are appealing to donors to provide funding as a matter of urgency.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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UN RUSHES AID TO 60,000 FLOOD-BELEAGUERED ECUADORIANS

UN RUSHES AID TO 60,000 FLOOD-BELEAGUERED ECUADORIANS New York, Mar 11 2008 6:00PM United Nations agencies are rushing food, medicines and other assistance to Ecuador to assist tens of thousands of people in need after heavy rains have inundated much of the South American country.

Some 3,000 families, or around 13,000 people, have been forced from their homes by the two weeks of flooding, some of the country's worst in two decades, and are residing in over 300 shelters.

Heavy rains have <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/KKAA-7CM3CM?OpenDocument&query=ecuador">impacted 13 of the country's 24 provinces, with approximately 60,000 people being affected by the rains in total. As of late last month, nearly two dozen people have lost their lives, including several children, and some $82 million worth of crops have been lost.

The UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) has distributed 135 metric tons of high-energy biscuits and 10,000 food rations. Additionally the agency is launching a food-for-work programme in May for a three-month period.

For its part, the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org">UNDP) is continuing efforts to bolster early recovery efforts and is also organizing a three-day training event on risk identification and emergency management.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF), through 500 young volunteers, is distributing some 10,000 information leaflets from the UN Development Fund for Women (<"http://www.unifem.org">UNIFEM) on the prevention of sexual violence and HIV/AIDS.

Meanwhile, the UN <"http://www.who.int/en/">World Heath Organization is helping the national health ministry with the provision of vaccinations in Ecuador's coastal region.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT JOINS CASES OF TWO CONGOLESE REBEL LEADERS

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT JOINS CASES OF TWO CONGOLESE REBEL LEADERS New York, Mar 11 2008 6:00PM The pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that it will < "http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/347.html">join the cases of two rebel leaders facing charges for crimes allegedly committed by their militia groups in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2003.

Judges at the ICC, which is based in The Hague, determined yesterday that Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui will have their trials held together, starting later this year.

Currently a colonel in the DRC's national armed forces, Mr. Ngudjolo Chui is a former commander of the rebel National Integrationalist Front (FNI), and he faces three counts of crimes against humanity and six of war crimes. He is alleged to have played a key role in designing and carrying out a deadly attack on the village of Bogoro, in the north-eastern DRC province of Ituri, in February 2003.

Mr. Katanga, a senior commander from the group known as the Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI), faces three counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of war crimes over the same attack on Bogoro, in which hundreds of people were killed and many women forced into sexual slavery.

The ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern – namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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AS HALF A MILLION FACE HUNGER, AID TO TAJIKISTAN UNDERFUNDED - UN

AS HALF A MILLION FACE HUNGER, AID TO TAJIKISTAN UNDERFUNDED – UN New York, Mar 11 2008 6:00PM More than half a million Tajiks could soon face food shortages as a severe winter turns to flooding and an appeal for $25 million remains only one-quarter funded, a United Nations spokesperson said today.

<"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KKAA-7CM2KT?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=tjk">According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA), long-awaited warmer temperatures have replaced snow with intense rains and avalanches, mudflows and floods threaten much of the country.

At the same time, the eastern areas and mountains continue to experience the harshest temperatures seen in decades, which are expected to continue at least until the end of March.

Herders and farmers have sustained losses of around $250 million, according to an assessment made by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org">FAO), in cooperation with the national agricultural ministry.

During April and May a number of UN agencies are planning to conduct an in-depth assessment of livelihoods and food security in the country while setting up a structure that could be expanded to deal with possible future emergencies.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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MOZAMBIQUE: UN AGENCIES BEGIN RELIEF EFFORTS FOLLOWING DEADLY CYCLONE

MOZAMBIQUE: UN AGENCIES BEGIN RELIEF EFFORTS FOLLOWING DEADLY CYCLONE New York, Mar 11 2008 5:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SHIG-7CMH4V?OpenDocument">are spearheading the world body's relief efforts in northern and central Mozambique, where Cyclone Jokwe struck the coast at the weekend with winds of up to 200 kilometres per hour.

At least seven people are reported killed and thousands left homeless after their houses were partially or totally destroyed, while many towns and villages have no electricity because of damage to power line infrastructure.

Authorities in Mozambique fear the situation could worsen in some areas as the storm, which is still active, moves south. The northern province of Nampula is currently the most affected, but the flooding is expected to worsen in the central provinces.

<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF and <"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP have mobilized staff to the areas affected, including specialists in water and sanitation, education and social policy. UNICEF is also sending water purification products and plastic sheeting to cover the houses that no longer have their roofs.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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OVER 700 BLUE HELMETS RELOCATED OUT OF ERITREA

OVER 700 BLUE HELMETS RELOCATED OUT OF ERITREA New York, Mar 11 2008 5:00PM More than 700 peacekeepers have been temporarily relocated to their home countries from Eritrea, the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/index.html">UNMEE) reported.

A total of 397 Jordanian blue helmets and 305 Indian troops have returned to their respective countries, and the Mission notes that more flights out of Asmara are scheduled for next week to fly remaining UN personnel in Eritrea home.

The decision to temporarily move UN personnel and equipment out of Eritrea was made last month after the country cut off fuel supplies to UNMEE, paralyzing the operation on that side of the disputed border with Ethiopia.

In a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/145">report to the Security Council made public last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Eritrea's restrictions on the mission's activities breach the fundamental principles of peacekeeping and raise serious implications for the safety and security of blue helmets deployed around the world.

Calling the country's hindrance of the temporary relocation of 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.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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UN UNVEILS HANDBOOK FOR CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATION IN HUMANITARIAN CRISES

UN UNVEILS HANDBOOK FOR CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATION IN HUMANITARIAN CRISES New York, Mar 11 2008 5:00PM As the number and scale of humanitarian responses to both natural disasters and conflicts keeps rising, the United Nations and the European Commission today <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KMIN-7CMHAR?OpenDocument">launched a new handbook to help humanitarian staff coordinate with military forces during emergency operations.

The UN Civil-Military Coordination Officer Field Handbook seeks to provide those working in the field with information to help carry out their tasks, given there are more situations in which the military and civilian relief providers are working in the same atmosphere, such as the transport of emergency food and medicine supplies to remote areas by heavy-lift military helicopters.

"Coordination between civilian and military actors is often essential during an emergency response," said John Holmes, who serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and as Emergency Relief Coordinator.

He noted that the new guidelines will help aid workers ensure that this coordination is effective and is based on internationally recognized principles and guidelines.

These principles specify that the objectives and procedures of civilian groups and military forces in the context of humanitarian emergencies remain distinct. They also stipulate that any relief aid provided be neutral, impartial and based on identified needs.

The EC funded the workshop and preparatory work for the creation of the Handbook.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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PEACEKEEPING GROWS YET INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT UNEVEN - UN OFFICIALS

PEACEKEEPING GROWS YET INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT UNEVEN – UN OFFICIALS New York, Mar 11 2008 5:00PM The international community's often faltering support for United Nations peacekeeping operations was making it difficult to maintain gains in key conflict areas, even though the UN has greatly boosted its operations in this field, top officials of the Organization have warned.

"A serious failure in one of our missions would be enough to put at risk the credibility of the whole of peacekeeping, which we have worked so hard to restore over the past few years," Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/gapk196.doc.htm">told the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations yesterday.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (<"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/dpko/index.asp">DPKO) is now managing 20 operations, comprising nearly 130,000 authorized military, police and civilian personnel. In Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Timor-Leste and elsewhere, great strides were being made, Mr. Guéhenno said.

In some countries, however, "at the very moment when international assistance is most needed, the attention of the world is waning."

He said the extension of State authority and political dialogue in Afghanistan, as well as security gains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), will suffer without coherent, strategic engagement.

In Sudan, a lack of key support for the hybrid African Union-United Nations operation in Darfur (<"http://unamid.unmissions.org/Default.aspx#">UNAMID) – including critical air and ground transport, diplomatic and political engagement with the parties – was exacerbating the operational difficulties the mission already faced due to the region's remote and inhospitable terrain.

In addition, the recent temporary relocation of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (<"http://www.unmeeonline.org/">UNMEE) from the latter country was seriously challenging the Security Council's authority.

The UN had set up a new Office of Military Affairs and upgraded the Military Adviser's post, and will soon appoint an Under-Secretary-General for the newly created Department of Field Support, among many structural changes. It required the support and unified vision of Member States to meet the challenges ahead, however.

"It is clear to me that peacekeeping works best when the Membership shares a common vision, remains engaged with national actors and views the peace operation as a common endeavour of the international community," he said.

Also addressing the Special Committee, Jane Holl Lute, Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support, echoed Mr. Guéhenno's concerns.

Given the growing scope and complexity of the Organization's peacekeeping operations, as well as the huge challenges faced across the board, it was more important than ever that Member States support peacekeeping mandates, she said.

In addition to higher expectations from Member States and expanding mandates, there were enormous increases in logistical expenses, including those for aircraft fleets, engineering system contracts, satellite links and other technological advances that would make it possible to meet more peacekeeping challenges.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN OFFICIAL URGES PRESSURE ON DARFUR COMBATANTS TO LAY DOWN ARMS

TOP UN OFFICIAL URGES PRESSURE ON DARFUR COMBATANTS TO LAY DOWN ARMS New York, Mar 11 2008 4:00PM Recent fierce fighting in Sudan's devastated Darfur region makes it clear that the international effort to protect the population is at dire risk unless the parties are pressured to negotiate a peace, at top United Nations peacekeeping official said today.

"With the Government intent on military action and the rebels either fighting or fragmenting, it is difficult to see an opening for political negotiations," Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said as he <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9271.doc.htm">briefed the Security Council on UNAMID, the hybrid African Union-UN force in Darfur.

"A peacekeeping operation alone cannot bring security to Darfur," Mr. Mulet said of UNAMID, which took over from an AU-only mission on 1 January in a bid to stop the fighting that has killed more than 200,000 people and uprooted over 2.2 million others since 2003.

In a little more than the past month alone, a rebel offensive in West Darfur, followed by Government and Janjaweed militia ground and air attacks against towns and rebel strongholds, resulted in at least 70 civilians being killed and tens of thousands displaced or pinned down, with some 13,000 fleeing to Chad, he said.

In addition, he said that tensions between Chad and Sudan and the fighting carried out by proxy rebel forces had the potential to regionalize the crisis and derail international peace efforts on both sides of the border.

Meanwhile, he said, <"http://unamid.unmissions.org/Default.aspx#">UNAMID was pressing forward with deployment, doing "all we can to improve the situation," though it faced still faced force shortfalls, inconsistent cooperation from the Government, insecurity and logistical difficulties.

As of 10 March, he reported, the mission's total strength was 9,178 uniformed personnel (out of an authorized strength of 26,000), with the majority inherited from the AU mission, AMIS.

During the coming weeks, he said looked forward to the strengthening of the mission through enabling units from Egypt and Nigeria, along with troops from Egypt, Ethiopia, Thailand and Nepal and formed police units (FPUs) from Egypt, Nepal and Indonesia.

The remaining five infantry battalions are not expected to deploy before mid-2008, when they will have completed their major equipment procurement and initial training programmes.

"The timely deployment of these battalions will be linked to donor countries' efforts to support them with equipment, training and self-sustaining capability," he said, expressing gratitude to the United States and Canada for their "Friends of UNAMID" initiative.

While warning that there is little prospect for beginning substantive negotiations with the parties any time soon, he said that UN and AU Special Envoys Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim are convening informal consultations with regional and international partners in Geneva on 17 and 18 March to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile tomorrow, in Dakar, Senegal, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend a mini-summit on the relationship between Sudan and Chad on the margins of the 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, according to a UN spokesperson.

The meeting, hosted by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal will include President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, President Idriss Deby of Chad, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania – Chair of the AU – and Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chair of the AU Commission.

The Secretary-General will address the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference on Thursday and will hold bilaterals with some of the heads of states attending the meeting.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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FORMER BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS REFUSED TEMPORARY LEAVE BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

FORMER BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS REFUSED TEMPORARY LEAVE BY UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL New York, Mar 11 2008 4:00PM The United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst war crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s today overturned last month's decision to grant provisional release to five former senior Bosnian Croat figures who are currently on trial.

The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), which is based in The Hague, reversed the release order issued by the Tribunal's trial chamber, having already stayed the earlier ruling because of concerns that the men could be flight risks.

Jadranko Prlic, Bruno Stojic, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petkovic and Valentin Coric – jointly on trial in what is known as the 'Prlic and others' case – had been granted conditional release for varying periods of time until the scheduled beginning of the defence case on 5 May.

But the five accused will now remain in the custody of the ICTY detention facility. The other co-accused, Berislav Pušic, was not involved in the order for temporary release.

The appeals chamber found that the "various justifications for release offered by the accused are not sufficiently compelling."

The men, former high-level leaders in the Bosnian Croat wartime entity known as Herceg-Bosna, stand accused of war crimes committed in 1992 and 1993 against Bosnian Muslims and other non-Croats in south-western and central Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the municipalities of Prozor, Gornji Vakuf, Jablanica, Mostar, Ljubuški, Stolac, Capljina and Vareš.

The many charges include murder rape, unlawful deportation, imprisonment, cruel treatment, unlawful labour, the wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages, and persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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GRENADE ATTACKS AGAINST BURUNDIAN LAWMAKERS ALARM SECRETARY-GENERAL

GRENADE ATTACKS AGAINST BURUNDIAN LAWMAKERS ALARM SECRETARY-GENERAL New York, Mar 11 2008 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern at the simultaneous grenade attacks at the weekend in Bujumbura, the Burundian capital, on the homes of four parliamentarians.

Mr. Ban "calls on national authorities to continue to give this serious incident the attention it deserves and to bring the perpetrators to justice without delay," his spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3043">statement released today.

"The Secretary-General urges the Government of Burundi and all political leaders to work together through the national democratic institutions to ease the current tensions," the statement added. "He will continue to monitor the situation in Burundi very closely."

The United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (<"http://binub.turretdev.com/">BINUB) has been in place in the Great Lakes country since the start of last year to help implement the previous year's comprehensive ceasefire agreement between the Government and the rebel group known as Palipehutu-FNL.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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ATTACK BY LIBERIAN CONTRACTORS CONDEMNED BY UN MISSION

ATTACK BY LIBERIAN CONTRACTORS CONDEMNED BY UN MISSION New York, Mar 11 2008 2:00PM The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has condemned today's early morning attack on its personnel and vehicles close to its logistics headquarters in the capital, Monrovia, that forced at least three staff to seek medical attention.

Between 16 and 20 individuals, believed to be former individual contractors with the mission angry over a change to its maintenance contract, burned two jeeps and damaged a third vehicle at Star Base on Bushrod Island, Monrovia, about 6:30 a.m., UNMIL <"http://www.unmil.org/article.asp?id=2683">said in a statement.

Liberia National Police, backed by UNMIL military and formed police units (FPUs), responded and brought the situation under control, arresting 17 people in the process. But three UNMIL personnel received injuries and had to receive medical attention at the mission facility at Star Base.

The mission condemned "in the strongest terms" the acts of violence against UN staff and the destruction of UN personnel and said it would take all necessary security measures across the country to prevent a recurrence of this morning's attack.

"UNMIL personnel are in Liberia to support the people and Government of Liberia, and these acts constrain the ability of the UN to carry out its mandate," the mission statement said.

In a statement last month, UNMIL said it had taken steps to ensure that all qualified and high-performing contractors are given the opportunity to be interviewed and considered for jobs with the private Liberian company that has taken over their maintenance responsibilities.

That company has reported that 24 of 98 individual contractors based in Monrovia have been hired, as well as 114 of 128 contractors based outside the capital. Of the 226 contractors affected by the new maintenance contract, as of today only nine have not picked up their final pay.

The mission, which stressed that its recruitment and employment procedures are in line with UN rules, regulations, directives, standards and codes of conduct, also said that those affected contractors with the necessary qualifications and experience would be considered favourably for any future jobs with UNMIL.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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UN LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE INTERNET ACCESS IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

UN LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE INTERNET ACCESS IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION New York, Mar 11 2008 2:00PM The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has <" http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2008/mar/g05.asp">launched a new database to promote the development of telecentres – community centres where people in the poorest and most remote areas, from farmers to students, gain access to computers and the Internet.

The<" http://www.unescap.org/icstd/applications/cec/"> Telecentre Online Database, covering over 12,000 telecentres in 16 countries, seeks to support research and information exchange for those involved with these e-centres. It also provides statistical data and information on individual countries and specific projects, with information accessible by a keyword search.

The project is part of a larger initiative of the UN's five regional commissions called "Knowledge networks through ICT access points for disadvantaged communities," which aims to empower poor and disadvantaged communities – women in particular – by converting selected e-centres into global knowledge hubs to bolster communities' abilities to organize, share and disseminate knowledge.

Meanwhile, a UN-backed <"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2008/04.html">meeting focusing on expanding affordable broadband access has opened in Pattaya, Thailand.

The three-day meeting, organized by the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Thai Government, will also assess new regulatory measures targeted at encouraging investment and growth in information and communication technologies (ICT).

"Sharing of views, experiences and best practices among regulators is the only way to address the challenges posed by today's technological and market developments," ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré noted.

"It is only by working together that smart policies and practices can be put into place to ensure that the target of connecting the world to ICT within the next seven years can be met."
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL DEPLORES DOUBLE SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN PAKISTAN

SECRETARY-GENERAL DEPLORES DOUBLE SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN PAKISTAN New York, Mar 11 2008 1:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his shock and sadness at learning of this morning's twin suicide bombings in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore that have killed more than two dozen people and injured scores of others.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3041">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban "strongly condemns these indiscriminate acts of terrorism and expresses condolences to the families of the victims."

The statement added that the Secretary-General was concerned by the increase over the past few months in the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan and welcomed the resolve of the country's Government and its people "to unite against the scourge of terrorism."
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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UN AGRICULTURAL AGENCY URGES INVESTMENT TO CONTAIN SOARING FOOD PRICES

UN AGRICULTURAL AGENCY URGES INVESTMENT TO CONTAIN SOARING FOOD PRICES New York, Mar 11 2008 1:00PM In the wake of world food prices leaping almost 40 per cent last year, the United Nations agricultural agency is calling on governments and businesses to boost production through investment.

"A supportive institutional and regulatory environment is mandatory to attract private investment at all levels of the food chain," according to a paper presented by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000808/index.html">FAO) at a conference in London yesterday.

"Improving policy dialogue between private stakeholders and policymakers will be instrumental," it concluded.

At the conference, co-sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (<"http://www.ebrd.com/">EBRD), agribusiness leaders met with government officials from Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which is believed to have great untapped agricultural potential, especially Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

In these countries around 23 million hectares of arable land were withdrawn from production in recent years, and at least 13 million hectares could be returned to production, with no major environmental cost, FAO said.

In a speech delivered by Charles Riemenschneider, Director of FAO's Investment Centre, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf noted that current predictions for CIS grain production point to a rise of seven per cent to 159 million tons between 2007 and 2016.

"But let us be bolder and imagine the removal of the institutional and financial constraints that limit production in the region. The region's cereal output and its contribution to world exports would then be well above those projections," Mr. Diouf said.

An EBRD paper submitted to the conference shows that governments have responded to rising food prices by introducing price controls, increased subsidies, reduced import barriers and restrictions on exports designed to benefit consumers.

The Bank maintains that many of these measures could prove to be counterproductive on a long-term basis, and encourages governments to limit interventions that would distort domestic markets or disadvantage producers and traders.

Protection of the poorest consumers, the paper suggests, could be achieved through targeted income support to the most vulnerable segments of the population.

The Bank said it would target its own investments to the development of local supply chains and to the development of new rural financing methods.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON NAMES TOP OFFICIAL FOR LEBANON TRIBUNAL

BAN KI-MOON NAMES TOP OFFICIAL FOR LEBANON TRIBUNAL New York, Mar 11 2008 11:00AM A veteran of numerous international court proceedings has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the Registrar of the tribunal being set up to try those responsible for political killings in <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=110&Body=Lebanon&Body1=">Lebanon, particularly the 2005 attack that killed former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

Robin Vincent of the United Kingdom will start his duties on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon at a date yet to be determined, but "the appointment of the Registrar reflects the steady progress being accomplished in establishing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon," according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Vincent served as Registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Since then, he has served as the temporary Deputy Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and has advised on the establishment of other international tribunals, including the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The Security Council set up the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) in April 2005 after an earlier UN mission found that Lebanon's own inquiry into the Hariri assassination was seriously flawed and that Syria was primarily responsible for the political tensions that preceded the attack. Mr. Hariri died in a massive car bombing in Beirut in February 2005 that also took the lives of 22 others.
2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

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PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES LACK OVERSIGHT AND REGULATION - UN WORKING GROUP

PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES LACK OVERSIGHT AND REGULATION – UN WORKING GROUP New York, Mar 10 2008 7:00PM A growing number of private security and military companies are operating domestically and internationally without effective oversight or accountability, the United Nations working group on the use of mercenaries warned today.

Presenting its report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the working group <"http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/BF0717B5AAD16B29C125740800617B69?OpenDocument">said that private security companies in such conflict-wracked countries as Iraq, Colombia and Afghanistan are recruiting former policemen and members of the military from developing countries as "security guards" in their operations.

Once there, those guards in fact become "militarily armed private soldiers," which is essentially a new way to describe mercenaries, who are often responsible for serious human rights abuses, the working group stated.

War-torn States also frequently lack the capacity to control and regulate the private companies, the report noted, with national legislation granting immunity to the companies – which are sometimes transnational – in some cases. When this happens, the private guards are only accountable to their employers, and the working group said immunity can soon turn into impunity.

The <" http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/mercenaries/index.htm">working group, established in 2005 and composed of five independent experts serving in personal capacities, called for the wider ratification of the <" http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/mercenaries/docs/1989UNConvention_English.pdf ">International Convention against the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries.

It noted that as holders of the monopoly of the legitimate use of forces, States are and should be the main actors responsible for protecting and promoting human rights.

The working group's members are José Luis Gómez del Prado of Spain (chairperson-rapporteur), Libya's Najat al-Hajjaji, Amada Benavides de Pérez of Colombia, Russia's Alexander Nikitin and Shaista Shameem of Fiji.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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UN EXPERT DECRIES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY BOTH SIDES IN DARFUR

UN EXPERT DECRIES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY BOTH SIDES IN DARFUR New York, Mar 10 2008 6:00PM Sudanese Government military forces and Darfur's rebel movements have both committed human rights abuses in the war-wracked region, carrying out killings, acts of sexual violence, looting, the destruction of property, arbitrary arrests and forced displacement, an independent United Nations envoy said today.

Sima Samar, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/">Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in Sudan, issued a statement after completing a 13-day visit to the country in which she said she was "extremely disturbed" by the ongoing situation, especially in West Darfur, the scene of a major military offensive in recent weeks.

"The Government and the movements have failed in their responsibility to provide protection to civilians in areas under their control and are violating international human rights law and international humanitarian law," Ms. Samar said. "I received reports of killings, sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention and impunity for such crimes."

She cited a Government air and ground attack, supported by allied militiamen, on 8-9 February on the West Darfur towns of Sirba, Silea and Abu Suruj in which at least 100 locals were reported killed and an estimated 12,000 forced to flee over the nearby border to neighbouring Chad.

"The attacks were marked by indiscriminate killings, destruction of property and looting and plundering," she said, adding that the Sudanese armed forces carried out similar attacks on 18-19 and 22 February on villages in the Jebel Moon area of West Darfur.

"Bombs were reportedly dropped on several locations populated by civilians, including one near an internally displaced camp in Aro Sharrow."

She called on the Government and the movements to comply with all obligations under international law and to protect civilians in areas they control in Darfur, the scene of fierce fighting between rebels, Government forces and allied militia since 2003.

More than 200,000 people have been killed there in the past five years and at least 2.2 million others displaced, and at the start of this year a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force known as <" http://unamid.unmissions.org/Default.aspx# ">UNAMID was deployed in a bid to quell the fighting and humanitarian suffering.

The Special Rapporteur also spoke out today about the case of 19 Massalit men who were arrested by the Minni Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), a rebel movement, in September 2006 after an attack on the South Darfur town of Gereida by a Massalit armed group.

"In October 2006 a mass grave was found containing the remains of some of those who had been arrested. I call on the Government to investigate and inform the families of the fate of their relatives and bring the perpetrators of human rights violations to justice."

During this visit, her fifth to Sudan, Ms. Samar was not allowed access to Kajbar, Amri, Merowe and Makabrab in Northern state, where she had planned to meet with local authorities and communities affected by the construction of two hydropower dams in the Nile valley.

"The visit was cancelled by the state security committee the day before I was scheduled to travel to the area. The reasons provided by the Government did not justify their decision to prevent access."

Ms. Samar added that she was particularly concerned about the lack of accountability for the killings of protesters in Amri and Kajbar in 2005 and 2006.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS TO BE TRAINED IN SOUTHERN SUDAN THROUGH JAPANESE GRANT: UN

HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS TO BE TRAINED IN SOUTHERN SUDAN THROUGH JAPANESE GRANT: UN New York, Mar 10 2008 6:00PM A Japanese grant of $8.7 million to the United Nations refugee agency will make it possible for hundreds of teachers to be formally trained in southern Sudan in the next three years, the partners announced today.

The funding will support the construction of Teacher Training Institutes (TTIs) in Juba and Aweil, two key cities of southern Sudan, where a decades-long civil-war decimated the education system, Japan and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a <" http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/RMOI-7CKNCQ?OpenDocument">joint press release.

Along with these TTIs, the project will also cover the building of five satellite primary schools where teachers in training will conduct classes as part of their hands-on experience.

"The programmes developed by the UN and Partners for the education sector are aligned to achieve the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology's overall goal of ensuring equitable access to quality education services for sustainable development," UNHCR Representative Chrysantus Ache said at a signing ceremony held on Friday in Juba, the capital of southern Sudan.

In addition to <" http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR, the project also involves the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF), the education sector lead, as well as the UN World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) and the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (<" http://www.fao.org">FAO), which are expected to provide nutritional assistance and help with school gardens, respectively.

The South Sudan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology aims to have 10,000 fully qualified teachers by 2011.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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VACCINATIONS CONTINUE IN PARAGUAY AFTER YELLOW FEVER OUTBREAK - UN AGENCY

VACCINATIONS CONTINUE IN PARAGUAY AFTER YELLOW FEVER OUTBREAK – UN AGENCY New York, Mar 10 2008 5:00PM More than 1.27 million Paraguayans have now been vaccinated against the deadly outbreak of yellow fever in the South American country, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has <" http://www.paho.org/English/DD/PIN/pr080306.htm">reported.

Residents in all of Paraguay's 18 departments have received vaccines, with coverage reaching as much as 83 per cent of the population in Asunción, the capital, and close to the centre of the current outbreak.

The number of confirmed cases across Paraguay has risen by six to 22 since late last month, according to an update issued by WHO on Friday. So far six people have died, while another 12 suspected cases are under investigation by health authorities.

Officials from Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru agreed at a recent joint meeting to coordinate and monitor – with the assistance of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) – yellow fever immunization activities for the populations in their border areas.

The officials also concurred that the key measure to prevent the outbreak widening further is to reduce the breeding sites for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes found throughout the region.

Yellow fever derives its name from the jaundice that affects some sufferers, who tend to experience fever, muscle pain, headaches, loss of appetite, vomiting and/or nausea. While most patients recover, the disease can be deadly and the number of infected people has risen in recent years, despite the availability of an effective vaccine.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OFFICIALS MEET DELEGATION FROM UGANDAN REBEL GROUP

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OFFICIALS MEET DELEGATION FROM UGANDAN REBEL GROUP New York, Mar 10 2008 4:00PM Officials from the International Criminal Court (<"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">ICC) met today with a delegation from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the Ugandan rebel group whose leadership is under indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during its protracted conflict with Government forces in the African country.

The LRA delegation and the officials with the ICC registry discussed procedural issues related to the legal representation of the four men from the rebel group who face arrest warrants, according to a media statement issued by the court in The Hague, where it is based.

They also discussed standards for the filing of documents and materials with the court's registry, a neutral organ which is responsible for providing support, assistance and information to defence counsel.

In October 2005 the ICC's pre-trial chamber unsealed arrest warrants against Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen and Raska Lukwiya for alleged crimes committed since July 2002 in Uganda. Mr. Lukwiya has since been confirmed dead and the proceedings against him discontinued.

Last week ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo declined to meet with the same delegation of the LRA.

Ugandan Government forces have been fighting the LRA in the north of the country since the mid-1980s and during that conflict the rebels have been notorious for their human rights abuses.

Last month representatives of both Kampala and the LRA signed a series of agreements, including a ceasefire, that could lead to a permanent accord ending the deadly war.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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APPOINTMENT OF LATVIAN JUDGE BOOSTS RANKS ON UN TRIBUNAL FOR THE BALKAN WARS

APPOINTMENT OF LATVIAN JUDGE BOOSTS RANKS ON UN TRIBUNAL FOR THE BALKAN WARS New York, Mar 10 2008 4:00PM A Latvian judge was today sworn in before the United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the Balkan wars of the 1990s so that the court can handle more of its remaining workload.

The appointment of Uldis Kinis to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia brings the total number of ad litem (or temporary) and reserve judges serving on the <"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY to 16, the maximum amount approved last month by the Security Council.

Judge Kinis, 54, will join Judge Alphons Orie (presiding) and Judge Elisabeth Gwaunza, another ad litem judge, on the trial bench sitting on the so-called Gotovina and others case.

The trial of Ante Gotovina and two other Croatian generals, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, who face a series of war crimes charges related to the events of a 1995 offensive in Croatia, is scheduled to begin tomorrow.

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 <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1800(2008)">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.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES SUMMIT FURTHER REDUCING LATIN AMERICAN TENSIONS

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES SUMMIT FURTHER REDUCING LATIN AMERICAN TENSIONS New York, Mar 10 2008 3:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today applauded the outcome of this weekend's Rio Group Summit, which ended with the further resolution of tensions between Colombia and Ecuador.

According to media reports, the Summit, held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, ended with the leaders of the two South American nations shaking hands and declaring their dispute to be resolved.

Ecuadorian and Venezuelan troops amassed at their borders with Colombia following the 1 March attack in Ecuador claiming the life of a senior leader of the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), as indicated by press reports.

The weekend meeting supplements last week's gathering by the Organization of American States (OAS) and "underlines the effective role that can be played by regional mechanisms to promote dialogue and cooperation," according to a <" http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3038">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

Last week, he hailed the leadership shown by the OAS in addressing the tensions between Colombia and Ecuador. "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," the Secretary-General noted in an earlier statement.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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PARTNERSHIP IN SLASHING HIV/AIDS TO BE FOCUS OF UN-BACKED MEETING

PARTNERSHIP IN SLASHING HIV/AIDS TO BE FOCUS OF UN-BACKED MEETING New York, Mar 10 2008 3:00PM Major actors in the worldwide struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic will share experiences of how partnerships can expand the reach of their programmes at a <"http://data.unaids.org/pub/PressRelease/2008/20080307_pr_implementers_meeting_en.pdf">meeting co-sponsored by the United Nations this June in Uganda, where the infection rate has been slowed and around half those infected reached by treatment.

"Sharing best practices and lessons learned in implementing programmes is an essential part of informing future AIDS programming," Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS said of the meeting, entitled: "Scaling Up Through Partnerships: Overcoming Obstacles to Implementation."

The so-called Implementers' Meeting, to take place in Uganda's capital Kampala from 3 to 7 June, will be hosted by the Government of that country and build on a similar gathering held last year in Kigali, Rwanda, according to a joint press release send out by the sponsors.

Those sponsors include UNAIDS, the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Topics for the meeting will include monitoring and evaluation, human capacity development, increasing knowledge, coordination and harmonization, linking people with resources and integration of services, the sponsors said.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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AS ISRAEL APPROVES NEW SETTLEMENT HOUSING, UN'S BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR HALT

AS ISRAEL APPROVES NEW SETTLEMENT HOUSING, UN'S BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR HALT New York, Mar 10 2008 3:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the Israeli Government to halt the expansion of settlements after it approved the resumption of the construction of 750 housing units in Givat Zeev in the West Bank.

"Any settlement expansion is contrary to Israel's obligations under the Road Map and to international law," Mr. Ban said through a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3039">statement released by his spokesperson.

Addressing the parties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Secretary-General re-emphasized the importance of fulfilling obligations under the Road Map, the peace framework drawn up by the Middle East diplomatic Quartet consisting of the UN, European Union, United States and Russian Federation.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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PARTNERSHIP IN SLASHING HIV/AIDS TO BE FOCUS OF UN-BACKED MEETING

PARTNERSHIP IN SLASHING HIV/AIDS TO BE FOCUS OF UN-BACKED MEETING New York, Mar 10 2008 2:00PM Major actors in the worldwide struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic will share experiences of how partnerships can expand the reach of their programmes at a <"http://data.unaids.org/pub/PressRelease/2008/20080307_pr_implementers_meeting_en.pdf">meeting co-sponsored by the United Nations this June in Uganda, where the infection rate has been slowed and around half those infected reached by treatment.

"Sharing best practices and lessons learned in implementing programmes is an essential part of informing future AIDS programming," Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS said of the meeting, entitled: "Scaling Up Through Partnerships: Overcoming Obstacles to Implementation."

The so-called Implementers' Meeting, to take place in Uganda's capital Kampala from 3 to 7 June, will be hosted by the Government of that country and build on a similar gathering held last year in Kigali, Rwanda, according to a joint press release send out by the sponsors.

Those sponsors include UNAIDS, the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Topics for the meeting will include monitoring and evaluation, human capacity development, increasing knowledge, coordination and harmonization, linking people with resources and integration of services, the sponsors said.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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AS ISRAEL APPROVES NEW SETTLEMENT HOUSING, UN'S BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR HALT

AS ISRAEL APPROVES NEW SETTLEMENT HOUSING, UN'S BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR HALT New York, Mar 10 2008 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the Israeli Government to halt the expansion of settlements after it approved the resumption of the construction of 750 housing units in Givat Zeev in the West Bank.

"Any settlement expansion is contrary to Israel's obligations under the Road Map and to international law," Mr. Ban said through a statement released by his spokesperson.

Addressing the parties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Secretary-General re-emphasized the importance of fulfilling obligations under the Road Map, the peace framework drawn up by the Middle East diplomatic Quartet consisting of the UN, European Union, United States and Russian Federation.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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URGENT ACTION CRUCIAL FOR AFRICA TO MEET ITS DEVELOPMENT TARGETS - BAN KI-MOON

URGENT ACTION CRUCIAL FOR AFRICA TO MEET ITS DEVELOPMENT TARGETS – BAN KI-MOON New York, Mar 10 2008 1:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged scaled-up action – including raising agricultural productivity across Africa – so that the continent can meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target date of 2015.

This year could be "the year of opportunity for the 'bottom billion,'" Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3040">told reporters after chairing the second meeting of the so-called MDG Africa Steering Group in New York. "Tremendous gains are possible if the international community translates commitment to deliverables."

He pointed to examples of achievements made, such as Malawi's lowering of child mortality rates, Senegal's accomplishments in enhancing its water and sanitation facilities and Tanzania's improvements in primary education. "The challenge is now to replicate these successes in more countries," he observed.

Today's meeting identified several key programmes that need to be implemented in the near future, including launching an African "Green Revolution" to speed up economic growth and tackle hunger, control infectious diseases, provide comprehensive AIDS treatment and deliver emergency obstetric care to all.

The Secretary-General noted that there are several pressing challenges, especially that of rising food prices. It is essential to raise the productivity of farmers while also mobilizing resources to combat malnutrition and hunger, he said, adding that $500 million is required to meet the "most urgent needs."

Mr. Ban noted that on 25 September, he and the General Assembly President will convene a high-level meeting on the MDGs bringing together world leaders, civil society and the private sector. He voiced hope that this upcoming gathering will "make a real difference in bridging the implementation gap."

The 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 targets.

Also participating in today's meeting were: Donald Kaberuka of the African Development Bank; Alpha Oumar Konaré of the African Union (AU); 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); Mohammed Ennifar of the Islamic Development Bank; and Angel Gurría of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (<"http://www.oecd.org/">OECD).
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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AFGHANISTAN'S POLITICAL TRANSITION FACES SERIOUS CHALLENGES - UN REPORT

AFGHANISTAN'S POLITICAL TRANSITION FACES SERIOUS CHALLENGES – UN REPORT New York, Mar 10 2008 1:00PM The political transition in strife-torn Afghanistan continues to face a number of serious challenges, including terrorism and a booming drug industry, according to a new United Nations report, which urges an integrated approach among all international partners to stabilize the fledgling democracy.

"The Taliban and related armed groups and the drug economy represent fundamental threats to still fragile political, economic and social institutions," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2008/159">report to the Security Council on Afghanistan.

"Despite tactical successes by national and international military forces, the anti-Government elements are far from defeated," he adds.

The report notes that 36 out of the country's 376 districts, including most districts in the east, southeast and south, remain largely inaccessible to Afghan officials and aid workers. "This hinders the delivery of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people, a situation exacerbated by the harsh weather conditions of the past few months."

Other challenges include poor governance and limited progress on human rights, as noted by UN High Commissioner for <"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">Human Rights Louise Arbour during her November 2007 visit. "Some continue to argue that human rights contradict local traditions and are a 'luxury' Afghanistan cannot afford," the report points out.

The Secretary-General stresses the need for all partners to intensify their efforts in order to consolidate the gains that have been achieved and to face the challenges ahead. "To meet the security challenge and stabilize Afghanistan, a common approach is needed that integrates security, governance, rule of law, human rights and social and economic development," he states.

In this regard, the partnership between the world body, the Government, the UN-led International Assistance Force (ISAF) and the international community remains "essential."

In his report, the Secretary-General also highlights the need to begin preparations on voter registration and planning for the next elections, scheduled to be held next year, as well as "decisive" action by the Government to tackle the growing threat posed by poppy cultivation and drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ban's Deputy Special Representative in Afghanistan said he believes that while the country faces numerous challenges, the Afghan Government "is now stronger than ever," and that over the past six months the level of international engagement in Afghanistan has continued to increase.

"There remains a strong consensus among partners and donors that this commitment should continue and even deepen," Chris Alexander, who oversees the political efforts of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://www.unama-afg.org/Index.htm">UNAMA), said at a press briefing in Kabul today.

"But the conviction is stronger than ever that the key to peace and security here remains the success of state institutions. For this reason, all of us, international organizations and donors, are preparing to support the Afghanistan National Development Strategy," he added, referring to the Government's overarching plan for promoting growth, generating wealth and reducing poverty and vulnerability.

Last week, Mr. Ban informed the Security Council of his intention to <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25898&Cr=afghan&Cr1=">appoint Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide as his Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, replacing Tom Koenigs of Germany, who completed his assignment last December.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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EDUCATION FOR ALL IN HIGH-POPULATION COUNTRIES DISCUSSED AT UN-BACKED MEETING

EDUCATION FOR ALL IN HIGH-POPULATION COUNTRIES DISCUSSED AT UN-BACKED MEETING New York, Mar 10 2008 1:00PM Ministers and educational experts from nine countries that contain half the world's people and are plagued by illiteracy convened today to strategize on ways to more quickly achieve universal education, according to the United Nations cultural agency.

Officials from the world's nine high population countries - known as the E-9 group and comprising Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan – are <"http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=56078&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">meeting this week in Bali, Indonesia, under the auspices of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO).

In 1993, working with UNESCO, these countries launched the E-9 Initiative to address basic education, teacher training and gender disparities.

They have pledged to universalize primary education and significantly reduce illiteracy in their respective countries by 2015, in keeping with the goals set by over 160 countries at the 2000 World Education Conference in Dakar.

However, the 2008 Education for All Global Monitoring <"http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=55025&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">Report published by UNESCO warns that while significant progress has been achieved, only two of the nine countries are likely to reach literacy goals and only three are likely to achieve gender parity by the target year.

Improving the number and quality of teachers is seen as a key to further progress and the subject is high on the agenda, since in many of the E-9 countries less than half of the teachers have educational training.

The use of information and communication technologies, as well as open and distance learning for teachers will also be discussed, along with global teaching trends and funding, UNESCO said.

The seventh meeting of the E-9 group will run until Wednesday.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY MEETS PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER AGAIN BEFORE WRAPPING UP MYANMAR VISIT

UN ENVOY MEETS PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER AGAIN BEFORE WRAPPING UP MYANMAR VISIT New York, Mar 10 2008 11:00AM The Secretary-General's Special Adviser on <" http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=134&Body=Myanmar&Body1=">Myanmar has concluded his latest mission to spur democratic change in the South-East Asian nation, meeting today for the second time during his visit with detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The meeting between Ibrahim Gambari and Ms. Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy, follows discussions between the two on Saturday. The opposition leader 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.

Prior to leaving Yangon, Mr. Gambari also briefed the diplomatic corps on the outcome of his mission, which began on 6 March, and met with the UN Country Team.

He also met again with Myanmar's Government Authoritative Team, with whom he held talks last Friday.

The Special Adviser, who has now visited the country three times since the Government's crackdown on peaceful protesters last summer, will report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his mission upon his return to New York.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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DRUG CONTROL EFFORTS SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON HEALTH THAN CRIME, SAYS UN OFFICIAL

DRUG CONTROL EFFORTS SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON HEALTH THAN CRIME, SAYS UN OFFICIAL New York, Mar 10 2008 11:00AM The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (<" http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2008-03-10.html">UNODC) has urged measures to address the "image problem" of global drug control efforts, which he says tend to focus more on the criminality of the problem and not enough on health-related issues.

UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/speeches/2008-03-10.html">told the 51st session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs – the central policy-making body within the UN system dealing with illicit drugs and the governing body for UNODC's drugs-related work – that it is time to move beyond just containing the problem and move forward in the fight against drug abuse.

"Drug control has an image problem: too much drug-related crime; too many people in prisons, and too few in health services; too few resources for prevention treatment, and rehabilitation; too much eradication of drug crop, and not enough eradication of poverty," he said in his address to the gathering in Vienna.

He pointed out several successes of global anti-narcotics efforts, including the fact that illicit drug use has been contained to less than 5 per cent of the world's adult population, as opposed to 5 to 6 times this amount for those addicted to tobacco or alcohol.

Also, global drug cultivation has been slashed – with the exception of Afghanistan – and adherence to the international drug control regime is practically universal, he added.

In moving past just the criminal aspect of the problem, Mr. Costa underscored the need for a stronger focus on health. "Scientific evidence shows that drug addiction is an illness that can and must be treated. There are no ideological debates about curing cancer or diabetes; left and right are not divided on the need for treating tuberculosis or HIV. So why are there political contrapositions about drugs?"

First and foremost, countries must prevent and treat drug abuse, he stressed. In addition, more funding is crucial for development projects to give farmers alternative livelihoods rather than growing cannabis, coca and opium, he said, adding that "the eradication of poverty must go hand-in-hand with the eradication of drug crops."

Calling for grass-roots efforts to help fight drug abuse, he urged civil society and the media "to promote consumer boycotts against the fashion houses, recording companies, and sport enterprises that hire celebrities proud, rather than shameful, of their addiction."
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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HIJACKINGS IMPEDING DELIVERY OF CRITICAL FOOD SUPPLIES IN DARFUR, UN SAYS

HIJACKINGS IMPEDING DELIVERY OF CRITICAL FOOD SUPPLIES IN DARFUR, UN SAYS New York, Mar 10 2008 11:00AM Banditry is hindering the delivery of vital food aid on the ground in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region, but limited funding could ground the air transport service run by the United Nations World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=3">WFP), the agency warned today.

"This is an unprecedented situation," said Kenro Oshidari, WFP's Sudan Representative. "Our humanitarian air operation for aid workers could be forced to stop flying because we have no money, at a time when our helicopters are needed more than ever because of high insecurity on the roads."

At present, WFP is transporting only half as much food to Darfur as it normally would at this time of the year because truckers are not willing to risk making deliveries on the dangerous roads.

There are some 60,000 metric tons of WFP food aid – enough to feed the two million people in Sudan who are now relying on the agency's assistance – in the region. Needs are expected to surge by 50 per cent as the May-October rainy season approaches, but the agency could be forced to slash rations in some areas.

This year alone, five of the agency's passenger vehicles and 45 trucks contracted by WFP have been hijacked, and 37 trucks remain missing with 23 drivers unaccounted for.

In the most recent incident, on 4 March, seven trucks were stolen and the driver abducted while on their way to El Fasher, in North Darfur. The bandits unloaded the food and left it behind, driving off with the vehicles.

Meanwhile, for its budget of $77 million this year, WFP's Humanitarian Air Service (WFP-HAS) – utilized by approximately 8,000 humanitarian workers per month, 3,000 of whom use helicopters to reach remote areas – has received no confirmed donations. Without an immediate contribution towards the $6.2 million needed for monthly costs, the Service will be forced to halt operations.

Most passengers using WFP-HAS, which began operations in 2004, are staff members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing assistance in health care, water and sanitation or food relief.

"With a recent upsurge in insecurity in West Darfur and increased banditry on the roads throughout the region, the air operation is more important that ever," said Mr. Oshidari, noting the heavy reliance of the humanitarian community on the Service. "If it [is] shut down, even for a brief period, vital relief would be denied to vulnerable civilians in Darfur."

Last year, 160,000 people from 170 agencies and NGOs were served by WFP-HAS on two dozen aircraft, including six helicopters costing $4,000 per helicopter per hour, in Darfur. In addition to Darfur and other parts of northern Sudan, it also serves the country's south, which is rebuilding from a 21-year north-south civil war that ended in 2005.

Although it has received no funding this year, it has been able to remain airborne until now thanks to $11 million carried over from 2007. WFP-HAS funds are raised separately from the agency's Sudan food aid budget for this year of nearly $700 million to feed 5.6 million people.

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.

Meanwhile, troops from the hybrid UN-African Union (AU) peacekeeping operation deployed to Darfur, known as <" http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unamid/ ">UNAMID, have donated their own warm clothes and blankets to internally displaced persons (<" http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html ">IDPs) taking refuge in Mallit, a small town in North Darfur.

"We have come to realize that Darfur still has a long way to go," said one soldier who preferred to stay anonymous. "Yet we are believers that each and every one of us as individuals can and has to make a difference."

UNAMID peacekeepers also contributed their own money towards purchasing stationery and school fees to ensure that one of the pre-schools in Mallit re-opened to hold new classes.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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IRAQI PARLIAMENTARIANS WRAP UP UN-BACKED STUDY TOUR OF NORTHERN IRELAND

IRAQI PARLIAMENTARIANS WRAP UP UN-BACKED STUDY TOUR OF NORTHERN IRELAND New York, Mar 10 2008 11:00AM Iraqi parliamentarians have concluded a weeklong United Nations-backed tour to meet with their counterparts in Northern Ireland to discuss issues including conflict resolution and consensus building.

Organized by the Office of Constitutional Support (OCS) of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org/">UNAMI) as well as the UN Office for Project Services (<"http://www.unops.org/unops">UNOPS), the visit took place from 2-8 March.

The purpose of the tour was to give participants the chance to talk directly with elected members of Northern Ireland's Assembly, public officials and members of civil society.

"Both the Iraqi and the Northern Ireland parliamentarians agreed on the importance of establishing a framework for inclusive dialogue and reiterated commitment to non-violence," according to a press release issued by UNAMI.

Last May, an historic power-sharing accord was signed in Northern Ireland, creating a new Government involving politicians from Protestant and Roman Catholic communities.
2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS

MYANMAR: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS New York, Mar 9 2008 3:00PM Continuing his latest mission to promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser today met with senior Government ministers in Yangon.

Ibrahim Gambari met with U Soe Tha, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Kyaw Myint, Minister for Health, Dr. Than Nyun, Chairman of Civil Service Selection and Training Board and U Kyaw Thu, Deputy Foreign Minister, according to a statement released by the UN.

The talks, which took place at the National Defence College Guest House, follow Mr. Gambari's meeting yesterday with detained opposition leader and Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her party, the National League for Democracy.

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.

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

Mr. Gambari has also met with other senior Government officials, as well as the UN Country Team, the diplomatic corps, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and representatives of several political groups during his latest visit, the third to the country since the Government's crackdown on peaceful protesters last summer.

2008-03-09 00:00:00.000

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