CRIMINAL NETWORK RESPONSIBLE FOR HARIRI ASSASSINATION, SAYS UN PROBE

CRIMINAL NETWORK RESPONSIBLE FOR HARIRI ASSASSINATION, SAYS UN PROBE New York, Mar 28 2008 7:00PM Evidence shows that a criminal network was responsible for the massive car bombing that killed the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others in Beirut in February 2005, the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) says in a new report to the Security Council.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has submitted the latest report of the IIIC, which is headed by Daniel Bellemare, to the 15 Council members.

In that report the IIIC – which was set up by the Council – said it has evidence that a network of individuals acted in concert to carry out the assassination of Mr. Hariri and that this same network, or parts of it, is linked to some of the other cases that fall within the mandate of the commission.

Mr. Ban and the UN are taking steps to set up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to try those responsible for the death of Mr. Hariri and earlier this week Council members welcomed a report that showed the Secretary-General is making significant progress.

A headquarters agreement has been signed with the Netherlands, a prosecutor and a registrar has been appointed, and a management committee has been established. Financial contributions and pledges have also come from several UN Member States.

Once it is formally established, it will be up to the Special Tribunal to determine whether other political killings in Lebanon since October 2004 were connected to the assassination of Mr. Hariri and could therefore be dealt with by the tribunal.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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LATEST ROUND OF UN CLIMATE TALKS TO START NEXT WEEK

LATEST ROUND OF UN CLIMATE TALKS TO START NEXT WEEK New York, Mar 28 2008 6:00PM A fresh round of United Nations-sponsored climate change talks, expected to draw 1,000 participants, will kick off next week in Bangkok, Thailand.

This five-day meeting seeks to push the so-called "Bali Roadmap" – agreed upon by 187 countries at the landmark UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, last December – forward. Under this guide, key issues during the upcoming negotiations will be adaptation, mitigation, the deployment of climate-friendly technology and financing.

In Bangkok, attendees are expected to lay out a work plan for the negotiations for a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012, as well as discuss how developed nations can curb their emissions.

"The challenge is to design a future agreement that will significantly step up action on adaptation, successfully halt the increase in global emissions within the next 10 to 15 years, dramatically cut back emissions by 2050, and do so in a way that is economically viable and politically equitable worldwide," said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/meetings/intersessional/awg-lca_1_and_awg-kp_5/items/4288.php">UNFCCC).

The negotiations process is scheduled to conclude next year at a major summit in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In a related development, the Kyoto Protocol's Adaptation Fund Board wrapped up its inaugural meeting today in Bonn, Germany.

The Fund seeks to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries.

Characterizing it as "unique," Mr. de Boer pointed out that it is "not reliant on donor funding or overseas development assistance. This is the climate regime beginning to become self-financing."

At present, the Fund is backed by a 2 per cent levy on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allows industrialized countries to generate credits through investment in emission reduction projects in developing countries. It is worth some €37 million currently, and its value is expected to surge to $80 million to $300 million in the 2008-2012 period.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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MAOIST ARMY PERSONNEL, WEAPONS MUST STAY IN CANTONMENTS - UN ENVOY TO NEPAL

MAOIST ARMY PERSONNEL, WEAPONS MUST STAY IN CANTONMENTS – UN ENVOY TO NEPAL New York, Mar 28 2008 6:00PM The top United Nations official in Nepal today vowed that the world body would play its part to try to ensure that Maoist army personnel and weapons are contained to the agreed cantonments during the current election campaign for the Constituent Assembly.

Ian Martin, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the UN Mission in Nepal (<"http://www.unmin.org.np/">UNMIN), met with the country's independent Election Commission in Kathmandu, the capital, to discuss the effective monitoring of the cantonments through the Joint Monitoring and Coordination Committee.

Mr. Martin told election commissioners that the mission had made it clear to the leadership of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) that it was a breach of the Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies for personnel and/or weapons from Maoist army cantonments to be present at meetings outside the cantonments – including for the purpose of providing leadership security.

While UNMIN recognizes the importance of adequate security arrangements for leaders and candidates of all parties, special security arrangements for the Maoist leadership were agreed upon in a signed understanding between the Government and the Maoists.

Nepalese voters go to the polls on 10 April to elect members of the Constituent Assembly, which will be tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country. The polls, which have been delayed several times because of political violence, are part of a democratization process following the end of the decade-long civil war, which killed an estimated 13,000 people until the Government and Maoists signed a peace accord in 2006.

Meanwhile, 21 Tibetans aged between 15 and 18 climbed into the UN compound in Kathmandu this morning, and then peacefully presented a banner to UN staff with slogans along the lines of "Free Tibet."

After apologizing for entering the compound, the teenagers were given lunch and then taken home, with the UN asking local authorities to not take any action against the children.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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KICKING OFF NEW REVIEW REGIMES, HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL NEARS END OF SESSION

KICKING OFF NEW REVIEW REGIMES, HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL NEARS END OF SESSION New York, Mar 28 2008 6:00PM Having initiated the first periodic review of the human rights performance of all States and established rapporteurs on groundbreaking new rights topics, the seventh session of the United Nations Human Rights Council finished the bulk of its work today in Geneva.

The session, which was opened by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 3 March, did not conclude formally today as expected, but instead decided to continue for one more half-day session to be held next week, to finish hearing statements from delegations and to adopt its report to the General Assembly.

Among the major accomplishments of the session was the inauguration of the first Universal Periodic Review, under which all UN Member States will be examined to assess whether they have fulfilled their human rights obligation, at the rate of 48 a year.

In addition, 11 special rapporteurs were nominated, including an independent expert with a new mandate to cover rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Among other achievements, the 47-member Council elected the 18 members of its Advisory Committee, which will hold its first session from 4 to 15 August.

The Committee's experts will function as a think-tank for the Council, which was created in 2006 to replace the Human Rights Commission as part of ongoing UN reform.

At the Council's eighth session, which will take place from 2 to 13 June, the Council will examine the first report of its working group on the Universal Periodic Review, which will start its work on individual countries on 7 April.

Speaking to reporters today, Council President Doru Costea said he was "rather optimistic" about the start of the Universal Review. However, he cautioned: "The proof of the pudding is in eating eat it."
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ: UN PREPARED TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF IN VIOLENCE-TORN IN BASRA

IRAQ: UN PREPARED TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF IN VIOLENCE-TORN IN BASRA New York, Mar 28 2008 5:00PM United Nations humanitarian agencies in Iraq announced today that they are ready to provide assistance in Basra, where a large-scale military operation is under way.

Veronique Taveau of the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) voiced concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in both Basra, in the country's south-east, and Sadr City, a neighbourhood in the capital Baghdad. Half of the 3.2 million-strong population of these areas are children, she said.

Basra's inhabitants are drinking tap water, said Ms. Taveau, because of the high salt content and poor quality of the drinking water. UNICEF is equipped to help 70,000 families by providing water and sanitation support, including 39 million water purification tablets and 40,000 sachets of oral rehydration salts to treat young children for diarrhoea.

However, she warned that movement and access to Basra's population is currently impossible.

The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) has prepositioned 1,600 blood bags and trauma kits to treat injuries, while the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) has 200 tons of food ready to distribute outside Basra.

For its part, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) is prepared to hand out non-food items, such as blankets, cooking stoves and water containers, for up to 8,000 families.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH LEADERS IN FINLAND

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH LEADERS IN FINLAND New York, Mar 28 2008 5:00PM Climate change, economic development and United Nations reform topped the agenda during talks between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Finnish Government leaders over the past two days in Helsinki.

In a meeting with Finland's President Tarja Halonen today, Mr. Kerim focused on the priority topics of the current Assembly session, including climate change and the efforts to achieve the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

Ms. Halonen and Mr. Kerim also discussed the gender aspects of these issues and of sustainable development, the Assembly President's spokesperson told reporters.

The Assembly's priority topics were also the focus of discussions today with Sauli Niinistö, the Speaker of Parliament, and with a group of parliamentarians from different political parties.

Last night Mr. Kerim held talks with Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and with Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Väyrynen, and the three men agreed that reform of the UN needed to reflect changes in the international system. Mr. Vanhanen also accepted an invitation to address next week's high-level debate at the Assembly on the MDGs.

While in Finland, Mr. Kerim spoke at a seminar in Espoo on the subject of the UN in the era of globalization, stressing that the world had outgrown what he called the rigid parameters of existing institutional frameworks.

The President said in his keynote address that two major interdependent shifts currently occurring in world affairs offered the opportunity of "achieving a new culture of international relations."

The first was a move away from State-centred policies towards human-centred approaches that emphasized the individual as the main subject and agency of policy. The second was a gradual move away from a preoccupation with rights to the acceptance of responsibilities that go with those rights, both for the State and for the individual.

He said any reform of the UN had to aim to ensure that its forums were more flexible, dynamic and capable of acting on the basis of an "equilibrium of interests" rather than on the principle of maintaining a balance of power.

Earlier this week, Mr. Kerim also visited Rome and met Pope Benedict XVI, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and other leaders.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC ON NEW FORCE

UN ENVOY MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC ON NEW FORCE New York, Mar 28 2008 4:01PM The United Nations' top envoy for Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) has consulted with CAR President François Bozizé on deployment of an innovative peacekeeping mission in the two countries, a UN spokesperson said today.

The UN mission, known as MINURCAT, was set up by the Security Council last September to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted due to insecurity in the northeast of the CAR and eastern Chad and in the neighbouring Darfur region of Sudan.

It is a multidimensional operation supported by European Union military forces and comprising 300 police and 50 military liaison officers, as well as civilian staff, focusing on the areas of civil affairs, human rights and the rule of law.

Visiting CAR's capital, Bangui, yesterday, Victor Da Silva Angelo, Special Representative of Secretary-General in Chad and the CAR, told President Bozizé that MINURCAT and the EU force are "twin sisters that are intimately linked by the nature of their work and are, in fact, complementary."

While the EU Force provides a security umbrella, he said, the UN Mission trains those tasked with protecting refugees and the internally displaced inside UN-run camps.

Earlier this week, Mr. Angelo signed a status of mission agreement, setting up the legal basis for MINURCAT's operations, with authorities in Chad.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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CALL FOR JUDGES AT UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL TO INVESTIGATE MORE KHMER ROUGE CRIMES

CALL FOR JUDGES AT UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL TO INVESTIGATE MORE KHMER ROUGE CRIMES New York, Mar 28 2008 4:00PM Co-prosecutors at the United Nations-backed tribunal trying Khmer Rouge leaders accused of mass killings and other crimes in Cambodia in the late 1970s have called for new investigations of possible crimes committed at a security and detention centre in the South-East Asian country during the notorious era.

In a formal submission to co-investigating judges on Wednesday, the co-prosecutors at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh, the capital, have requested a probe into allegations raised by civil society groups and victims.

The allegations relate to a security centre where numerous Cambodians were unlawfully detained, subjected to inhumane conditions and forced labour, tortured and executed between 1975 and 1979.

Co-prosecutor Robert Petit said that "these factual allegations, if founded, could constitute crimes against humanity, and violations of the 1956 Penal Code punishable under ECCC law and we have so alleged in our supplementary submission."

The co-prosecutors have also requested that Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Thirith and Kaing Guek Eav – who are all currently in the custody of the ECCC – be investigated for their involvement in these crimes.

The supplementary submission was accompanied by about 1,500 pages of analytical reports, witness statements and other documents from the era.

Under an agreement signed by the UN and Cambodia, the ECCC was set up as an independent court using a mixture of Cambodian staff and judges and foreign personnel. It is designated to try those deemed most responsible for crimes and serious violations of Cambodian and international law between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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NUMBER OF SOMALIS SEEKING ASYLUM ON THE RISE, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS

NUMBER OF SOMALIS SEEKING ASYLUM ON THE RISE, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS New York, Mar 28 2008 4:00PM As many as 15,000 Somalis have sought asylum since the start of this year in neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan to escape the violence engulfing many parts of their homeland, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today.

"Growing numbers of asylum-seekers and migrants are now making their way to Djibouti, raising fears that the tiny Horn of Africa nation could become the alternative migration route for Somalis looking for better opportunities in the Middle East," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond <" http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47ecd8bd2.html">said today.

Over 2,000 Somali asylum-seekers and migrants have crossed the border into Djibouti since January, compared with 700 people who went there in all of 2007.

Once in Djibouti, many Somalis attempt to cross the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. Some 200 of them are intercepted daily and are detained in an old jail in the port city of Obock, which was built to hold 20 detainees but now houses 200 at a time.

According to UNHCR, there are limited resources to care for the intercepted Somalis who are served meals in flimsy plastic bags because there are no utensils.

In the capital Djibouti City, Government offices are packed with large numbers of refugees. Once registered, these asylum-seekers are transferred to UNHCR-backed Ali Adeh camp sheltering 7,000 Somalis.

Kenya has received almost 8,000 Somali asylum-seekers, who have made their way directly to the Dabaab camps which house 184,000 people, mainly Somalis.

Almost 4,000 Somalis have arrived in the eastern town of Jirga in Ethiopia, joining the 8,500 Somalis who arrived in the area last year. The Tereri Ber camp with a 10,000-person capacity is almost full, and a new site is being sought.

Meanwhile, 1,300 Somalis asylum-seekers – the majority of whom are single young men and women fleeing Mogadishu – have entered eastern Sudan so far this year, six times more people than all of 2007.

In a related development, the UN and <" http://www.worldbank.org">World Bank – in tandem with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government – are meeting in Nairobi to discuss the country's economy.

The two-day talks will cover the advancement of peace, economic prospects, investment in African nations, youth employment and job creation, among other issues.

Yesterday, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) appealed to Somalia's international partners to step up their humanitarian efforts.

"The international community must put Somalia at the top of its agenda and press for change before it is too late," <" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2805">said Peter Goossens, WFP's Country Director for Somalia. "We call on all authorities in Somalia to help us reach those in need and urge donors not to give up on this country."

In another development, the UN Special Representative for Somalia has welcomed the announcement by the country's transitional government that it is ready to hold talks with the opposition.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said the opposition had also informed him of their willingness to meet Government representatives and resume long-stalled reconciliation talks.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF WELCOMES RELEASE OF HIJACKED DRIVERS IN DARFUR

UNICEF WELCOMES RELEASE OF HIJACKED DRIVERS IN DARFUR New York, Mar 28 2008 3:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_43404.html">UNICEF) expressed relief today at the release of four drivers from the State Water Corporation in Sudan's violence-wracked North Darfur state, who were abducted more than a week ago.

The four have now been reunited with their families, but valuable drilling equipment – which was part of a project to provide clean water for tens of thousands of people in North Darfur – has not been recovered, a United Nations spokesperson said.

Unidentified gunmen hijacked an engineering team of the water corporation, UNICEF's main counterpart in providing water and sanitation services across northern Sudan, last Thursday night in Um Tajok.

Banditry has become increasingly frequent in Darfur, where in the past five years more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others displaced from their homes because of fighting between rebels, Government forces and allied militiamen.

A hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force known as UNAMID is being deployed to the region to try to quell the violence and the humanitarian suffering, but the mission is still lacking key capacities and remains far short of the 26,000 uniformed personnel expected when it reaches full capacity.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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DEMOCRATIZATION IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN

DEMOCRATIZATION IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN New York, Mar 28 2008 3:00PM Democratization requires careful nurturing through participation and institutions, despite being on the rise around the globe, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in New York today.

This morning, he <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11482.doc.htm">addressed the Advisory Board of the United Nations Democracy Fund, which was established in 2005 and awards grants to projects that aim to promote and consolidate new and restored democracies.

"As you know better than anyone, democratization is a process, not an event," Mr. Ban said.

"It seeks rule of law over rule of man, it requires respect for civil and political rights, and it demands constant interaction between those who govern and those that are governed."

He also characterized democratization as more of a "marathon than a sprint," as it is a "long struggle that must be waged by individual citizens, myriad communities and entire nations."

Pledging the UN's support to those undertaking the "challenge of democratization," the Secretary-General highlighted that efforts to promote democratic governance are intertwined with the world body's work in human rights, development and peace and security.

The Fund received almost 2,000 project applications for its second round. As of 12 March, it has received nearly $73 million in contributions.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE CHIEF TO VISIT TAJIKISTAN NEXT WEEK

UN REFUGEE CHIEF TO VISIT TAJIKISTAN NEXT WEEK New York, Mar 28 2008 2:00PM The United Nations refugee chief heads to Tajikistan next week for a three-day visit to the Central Asian country, which is home to more than 1,700 refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from Afghanistan.

António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47ecd8bd11.html">UNHCR), is expected to meet the Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and key Government ministers for discussions on the national asylum system, the integration of about 1,000 Afghans who have lived in Tajikistan for up to 20 years, and closer cooperation between the UN agency and the Government.

UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters today that Mr. Guterres will also participate in the opening of vocational training projects set up at a refugee training centre in Dushanbe, the capital.

In 1993 Tajikistan became the first country in Central Asia to accede to both the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and it was also the first country in the region to adopt national legislation on refugees.

The High Commissioner visited Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan late last year and Mr. Redmond said he also plans to travel to Turkmenistan soon.

Before arriving in Dushanbe on Monday, Mr. Guterres is scheduled to attend an Arab League summit in Damascus, Syria, over the weekend.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO DEPLORES SEPARATE KILLINGS OF TWO RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS

UNESCO DEPLORES SEPARATE KILLINGS OF TWO RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS New York, Mar 28 2008 2:00PM The head of the United Nations agency mandated to defend freedom of the press and freedom of expression today condemned the separate murders of two Russian journalists over the past week, calling them "heinous crimes."

Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=26326&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO), said in a statement that he hoped that the killers of both Ilyas Shurpayev and Gadzhi Abashilov are found and brought to justice.

"Attacking journalists means attacking society as a whole, since journalists exercise a profession that is vital for informed democratic debate and responsible decision-making," Mr. Matsuura said.

Mr. Shurpayev, a 32-year-old reporter for Russian state television's Channel One who often worked in the Russian republics of Dagestan and South Ossetia and Georgia's secessionist region of Abhazia, was found in his Moscow apartment last Friday. He had been strangled and stabbed.

Mr. Abashilov, 58, the head of the state broadcasting company, was reported to have been shot dead in his car in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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UN-ASSISTED REFUGEE REPATRIATION IN SOUTH SUDAN TOPS 100,000

UN-ASSISTED REFUGEE REPATRIATION IN SOUTH SUDAN TOPS 100,000 New York, Mar 28 2008 1:00PM More than 100,000 people who fled the decades-long civil war in southern Sudan have returned home to restart their lives in a repatriation programme that began after the signing of a 2005 peace agreement, the United Nations refugee agency said today.

"The 100,000 milestone was passed this week as the pace of return convoys picked up from countries neighbouring South Sudan to get refugees home ahead of the rainy season in May, and for those who want to return for the national census on 5 to 30 April," Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47ecd8bb2.html">announced in Geneva.

Mr. Redmond said that the agency is now helping some 4,500 refugees return each week to southern Sudan – an increase from 3,000 a fortnight ago. By mid-April that figure is expected to jump to 6,000 returnees a week as transport for returnees from Uganda and Ethiopia are increased.

The largest number of refugees is returning from Uganda, with some 2,700 returnees a week and more than 5,000 refugees have returned from Kakuma camp in Kenya this year, with another 2,000 expected to go home in April, according to UNHCR.

Returns from Ethiopia, now running at the rate of 1,200 returnees a week, are expected to result in the closure of two camps there.

A total of 251,000 refugees have returned to Sudan – 100,000 in organized programmes and the rest on their own – since the signing in January 2005 of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended the north-south civil war that killed as many as two million people and displaced 4.5 million others.

The return movements are being organized in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the German agency GTZ, refugee host governments and the Government of Southern Sudan.

In February, UNHCR launched an appeal for $63 million to fund its 2008 southern Sudan operations.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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ESTONIA THE FIRST TO SIGN UN-BACKED SEA WRECK TREATY

ESTONIA THE FIRST TO SIGN UN-BACKED SEA WRECK TREATY New York, Mar 28 2008 1:00PM Estonia today became the first country to sign up to an international convention on the removal of lurking shipwrecks that pose dangers to navigation and the sea environment, while the head of the United Nations marine agency urged other States to follow suit.

"The Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention, once in force, can fill a gap in the existing international legal framework by providing the first set of uniform international rules aimed at ensuring the prompt and effective removal of wrecks beyond the territorial sea," Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (<"http://www.imo.org/home.asp">IMO), said at the London signing ceremony.

Although the incidence of marine casualties has decreased dramatically in recent years, the number of abandoned wrecks, estimated at almost 1300 worldwide, has increased along with the threat they pose to coastal States and shipping in general, according to the IMO.

The wreck convention, adopted in May 2007, will provide the legal basis for States to remove these hulks, or have them removed, in part by making the registered owner liable for costs of locating, marking and removing them and requiring insurance to cover this liability.

The <" http://www.imo.org/About/mainframe.asp?topic_id=1472&doc_id=8070">Convention is open for signature until 18 November 2008 and, thereafter, will be open for ratification, accession or acceptance. It will enter into force 12 months following the date on which 10 States have taken such approval actions.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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CONDEMNING 'OFFENSIVELY ANTI-ISLAMIC' VIDEO, BAN KI-MOON APPEALS FOR CALM

CONDEMNING 'OFFENSIVELY ANTI-ISLAMIC' VIDEO, BAN KI-MOON APPEALS FOR CALM New York, Mar 28 2008 1:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned the Internet broadcast of a video made by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders, describing it as "offensively anti-Islamic," while he also called on those upset by the film to remain calm.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson after last night's airing of the film, entitled Fitna, Mr. Ban said "there is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence. The right of free expression is not at stake here.

"I acknowledge the efforts of the Dutch Government to stop the broadcast of this film and appeal for calm to those understandably offended by it. Freedom must always be accompanied by social responsibility."

The Secretary-General stressed that the United Nations stands at the locus of global efforts to advance mutual respect, understanding and dialogue between different cultures, religions and groups.

"We must also recognize that the real fault line is not between Muslim and Western societies, as some would have us believe, but between small minorities of extremists, on different sides, with a vested interest in stirring hostility and conflict."

In 2005 Spain and Turkey established the <"http://www.unaoc.org/">Alliance of Civilizations under the auspices of the UN to promote better cross-cultural relations around the world, and last year Mr. Ban appointed the former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio as the High Representative for the Alliance
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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VOWING SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT, NEW UN ENVOY ARRIVES IN AFGHANISTAN

VOWING SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT, NEW UN ENVOY ARRIVES IN AFGHANISTAN New York, Mar 28 2008 10:00AM Pledging to boost assistance to the Government of Afghanistan, the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<http://www.unama-afg.org/>UNAMA) for the war-ravaged nation touched down in Kabul today.

"I come to Afghanistan with the utmost respect for its people, religion and history and I am grateful for the support and confidence of President [Hamid] Karzai and the international community," said Kai Eide, calling on the international community to rally behind efforts to rebuild the country.

"Afghanistan has been calling for stronger coordination of international assistance – we need to better respond to this demand," he noted, adding that the Security Council has recently sharpened UNAMA's mandate.

"In the past there has been much focus on the security situation," Mr. Eide observed. "This needs to be balanced with the political dimension of our work to deliver much needed peace, stability and visible progress for all the peoples of Afghanistan."

The Special Representative will meet with President Karzai and other key Government and UN officials over the coming days before departing for an international meeting on Afghanistan in Bucharest, Romania, next week.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: IN DANGER OF CLOSURE, UN HUMANITARIAN AIR OPERATION GETS REPRIEVE

DARFUR: IN DANGER OF CLOSURE, UN HUMANITARIAN AIR OPERATION GETS REPRIEVE New York, Mar 28 2008 10:00AM Thanks to the infusion of much-needed funds, the United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2806">WFP) announced today that its critical air transports for aid workers in war-ravaged Darfur will be operational for an additional month.

Some 8,000 relief workers in Darfur use the Humanitarian Air Service (WFP-HAS) monthly to provide much-needed food, water and health care services, but WFP announced last month that it would be grounded by 31 May due to a lack of funds.

With contributions totalling over $6 million, WFP-HAS will not be able to keep 24 helicopters and airplanes in the air until the end of April.

"Thanks to the European Commission, Ireland and other donors, humanitarian work in Darfur and other parts of Sudan will not be interrupted – for the time being," said Kenro Oshidari, WFP Representative in Sudan.

He voiced hope that more donors will step up, noting that $77 million is needed to keep WFP-HAS, which is vital amid deteriorating security conditions on the roads, running this year.

The service also received $500,000 each from the UN Common Humanitarian Fund and 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.

Insecurity and banditry plague the roads, with WFP announced this week that three drivers of agency-contracted trucks had recently been murdered in Sudan, making the air operation more important than ever.
2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

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EXCESSIVE FORCE USED AGAINST PROTESTS IN TERAI, UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT CONCLUDES

EXCESSIVE FORCE USED AGAINST PROTESTS IN TERAI, UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT CONCLUDES New York, Mar 27 2008 7:00PM Nepal's public security institutions such as the police need to show greater respect for human rights if they are to prevent a repeat of the deadly violence that roiled the Terai region of southern Nepal in February, United Nations human rights officials in the South Asian country said today.

Releasing a report on the Terai protests that took place from 13-29 February, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) <"http://nepal.ohchr.org/en/resources/Documents/English/pressreleases/MAR2008/2008_03_27_tarai_protest_E.pdf">said excessive force was sometimes used in policing the demonstrations and the bandhs, or general strikes, which often paralyzed daily life in the region.

An investigation of the deaths of six people, five of whom died as a result of police fire, concluded that in all cases the use of lethal force was unjustified, the report noted.

International standards state that "when law enforcement officials disperse assemblies that are illegal but not violent, they must avoid using force or, where this is not practicable, must restrict force to the minimum extent necessary."

Firearms should only be used in self-defence or in defence of others against imminent threat of death or serious injury, to prevent crimes posing a grave threat to life or to arrest people who are presenting this kind of threat and resisting efforts to stop the threat. Firearms should also be used only when less extreme means are insufficient.

The report calls for standard operating procedures to be set up regarding the use of force by police, for training to be provided in this area for police and for journalists to be allowed to report on protests free of intimidation and violence.

Allegations of ill-treatment of civilians in detention or during protests – or of any deaths or serious injuries – should also be promptly investigated.

More broadly, <"http://nepal.ohchr.org/en/index.html">OHCHR-Nepal recommended that the Government implement wide-ranging reforms aimed at improving institutional accountability in these areas, making sure that all public security institutions such as the police operate under democratic oversight and within international human rights standards.

The authors of the report also call on the organizers of bandhs and protests to fulfil their responsibility to ensure that violence is avoided, the human rights of others are always respected and children are not exposed to potentially violent situations.

Richard Bennett, OHCHR's representative in Nepal, said he recognized that Nepalese authorities, including the police, were making efforts to improve public security and he pledged the support of his office to the Government on the human rights aspects of public security.

"This report notes that the performance of police during the Terai protests fell short of international human rights standards. However, it also acknowledges that police were working under difficult conditions, including during incidents when protesters attacked them," Mr. Bennett said.

Meanwhile, the Security Council today welcomed the overall progress being made in Nepal towards the holding of Constituent Assembly elections on 10 April. This followed a briefing on the latest developments from Angela Kane, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9288.doc.htm">statement to the press read out by Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, the members said they looked forward to the polls being conducted in a free and fair manner.

They also "urged all Nepalese parties to uphold public security and create an atmosphere that is conducive for a successful forthcoming election."

Once elected, Constituent Assembly members will 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 postponed several times because of political violence.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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UN RIGHTS BODY SAYS STATES MUST REFRAIN FROM PROFILING WHILE COMBATING TERRORISM

UN RIGHTS BODY SAYS STATES MUST REFRAIN FROM PROFILING WHILE COMBATING TERRORISM New York, Mar 27 2008 6:00PM The United Nations <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/">Human Rights Council in Geneva today passed a resolution calling on States to not resort to racial, ethnic or religious profiling while countering terrorism.

Adopted without a vote, the text urges States to fully comply with their obligations regarding torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

It also "opposes any form of deprivation of liberty that amounts to placing a detained person outside of the protection of the law."

Additionally, the 47-member body adopted five other resolutions.

It extended the mandates by three years of its Independent Experts on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights; on human rights and solidarity; and on minority issues.

The Council also adopted texts pertaining to the staff composition of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR), as well as on the enhancement of global cooperation in the field of human rights.

The body will wrap up its seventh session, which began on 3 March, tomorrow.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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AZERBAIJANI MUSICIAN BECOMES UNESCO ARTIST FOR PEACE

AZERBAIJANI MUSICIAN BECOMES UNESCO ARTIST FOR PEACE New York, Mar 27 2008 6:00PM The Azerbaijani composer and pianist Franghiz Ali-Zadeh has become the latest performer to be nominated to represent the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Koïchiro Matsuura, Director General of <"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO, announced yesterday that Ms. Ali-Zadeh will be formally designated to the post of Artist for Peace for the next two years at a ceremony in Paris, headquarters of the UN agency, on 3 April.

The designation will focus on Ms. Ali-Zadeh's efforts "to raise public awareness on musical education for orphans and children in need, her contribution to spreading UNESCO's message of peace and tolerance and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization."

A trained pianist, Ms. Ali-Zadeh composes works that combine the traditional music of her country – especially a genre known as the mugham – with modern music, and her compositions have been played at concerts and festivals worldwide.

Earlier this month the Portuguese actress and film director Maria de Medeiros was nominated as a UNESCO Artist for Peace in recognition of her commitment to arts education and to furthering the ideals of the UN agency.

The Indonesian actress and producer Christine Hakim was named a Goodwill Ambassador by UNESCO at a separate ceremony in Bali earlier this month, with the nomination citing her efforts to raise awareness about the plight of teachers in Indonesia.

Other UNESCO Artists for Peace include the Korean soprano Sumi Jo, the Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil, the Venezuelan actress Patricia Velasquez and the Russian conductor Valery Guerguiev. The agency's ranks of Goodwill Ambassadors include the former South African president Nelson Mandela, the actress Claudia Cardinale and Princess Firyal of Jordan.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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BURUNDI'S GOVERNMENT, REBELS BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEACE - UN COMMISSION

BURUNDI'S GOVERNMENT, REBELS BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEACE – UN COMMISSION New York, Mar 27 2008 6:00PM The Burundian Government and a major rebel group are primarily responsible for implementing the ceasefire pact they signed in late 2006, the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission – which seeks to prevent post-conflict nations from sliding back into war – has concluded in a new <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=pbc/2/bdi/7">report made public today.

The small Great Lakes nation is rebuilding after a brutal civil war between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority. In September 2006, the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement was signed between the Government and the last major rebel hold-out group, Forces Nationales de Libération (Palipehutu-FNL).

The UN, along with such groups as the Regional Peace Initiative and the African Union (AU), are working in tandem to assist in putting the Agreement into effect, the Commission noted.

"There is consensus among the international community that the political, security and socio-economic reintegration dimensions of the peace process must be addressed simultaneously to ensure the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement."

The Commission reported that a new Political Directorate – comprising representatives from the Government, Palipehutu-FNL, AU, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and the European Union (EU), among others – has been established in the capital, Bujumbura, aiming to promote dialogue on any obstacles to implementing the Agreement.

The report voiced concern over the Palipehutu-FNL's withdrawal last July from the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, which was established to monitor the ceasefire, and called on the group to restart its participation. It also called on the FNL to take part in the work of the Political Directorate.

Additionally, the Commission recommended that the Government "continue to explore all ways to resolve its differences with leaders of Palipehutu-FNL with the aim of addressing them politically… and take the measures necessary to build confidence and create the conditions for the return of Palipehutu-FNL and their reintegration into national institutions."

Earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern at the simultaneous grenade attacks in Bujumbura on the homes of four parliamentarians.

In a statement, Mr. Ban urged "the Government of Burundi and all political leaders to work together through the national democratic institutions to ease the current tensions."
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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HEAD OF FRENCH-SPEAKING BLOC TO HOLD TALKS WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN

HEAD OF FRENCH-SPEAKING BLOC TO HOLD TALKS WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN New York, Mar 27 2008 5:00PM Climate change, cultural diversity, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and several ongoing crises in African countries are expected to top the agenda tomorrow when the head of the organization of the world's French-speaking countries holds talks with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Abdou Diouf, the Secretary-General of La Francophonie and a former Senegalese president, will be on an official visit to UN Headquarters in New York at the invitation of Mr. Ban, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today.

More than half of all UN Member States hold either full-fledged or observer-status membership of La Francophonie, which signed a cooperation agreement with the UN in October 2006.

Mr. Ban and Mr. Diouf are expected to discuss crisis situations in various French-speaking countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Comoros, Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), as well as joint UN-Francophonie peace projects and the grouping's support of UN conflict resolution initiatives.

Ms. Montas said the two men are also likely to discuss the MDGs, climate change, the Alliance of Civilizations initiative and public advocacy in favour of the Convention on Cultural Diversity.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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UN UNVEILS LATEST LIST OF '10 STORIES THE WORLD SHOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT'

UN UNVEILS LATEST LIST OF '10 STORIES THE WORLD SHOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT' New York, Mar 27 2008 5:00PM From the hidden world of stateless people to the often overlooked advances in malaria protection to the steps taken to bring peace after separate conflicts in southern Sudan and Uganda, the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) has compiled its fourth annual list of stories it believes deserve greater public and media attention.

"<"http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/07/index.shtml">Ten Stories the World Should Know More About," launched today, aims to draw attention to UN-related issues or developments that are sometimes overlooked by the global media.

Kiyo Akasaka, the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said that while the media were the UN's partners in spreading the word about what needs to be reported around the world, the constraints and priorities of media outlets meant that some stories can be forgotten.

"So when we talk about the fight against malaria, for example, we are not discounting the importance of AIDS or tuberculosis," he said. "But since we hear more about those diseases, we could also try and raise the profile of the strides made to eradicate malaria, an entirely preventable and curable disease."

The list, drawn in consultation with various UN departments and agencies, reflects only a portion of the overall work of the Organization and the 10 stories are not ranked in any order.

This year's list includes three stories of efforts to either bring or consolidate peace after protracted conflicts and internal problems in northern Uganda, southern Sudan and Afghanistan. It also details the suffering of girl soldiers – who are often recruited as combatants and/or as "sex slaves" – during conflicts and of the growing law-and-order role played by UN policemen and women in peacekeeping missions.

The other five stories include two connected to health: bird flu and malaria. After first appearing in 2003, the avian influenza virus has not spread as rapidly as feared, but the threat of a human pandemic remains and urgent preparations for potential outbreaks are still critical. And while malaria continues to kill more than one million people a year, new medicines and treated mosquito nets are making vital inroads on the spread of the scourge.

In addition, the list highlights the plight of the world's stateless; as many as 15 million people may be in this position, lacking critical rights and protections, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR).

Meanwhile, so-called extreme weather events are becoming increasingly normal, due in part to the consequences of climate change, and much of the world is still unprepared to respond to catastrophic natural hazards and disasters.

The work of the UN's special rapporteurs and other independent human rights experts who monitor violations in certain countries or connected to certain themes, otherwise known as the Special Procedures function of the UN Human Rights Council, is also often overlooked.

Additional information on all the stories on the list can be found on a special page on the UN website, <"http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/07/index.shtml">www.un.org/events/tenstories.

2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES REPORT OF PROGRESS ON LEBANON TRIBUNAL

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES REPORT OF PROGRESS ON LEBANON TRIBUNAL New York, Mar 27 2008 4:00PM Members of the Security Council today welcomed a report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that showed he was making "substantial progress" in setting up an international tribunal to try those responsible for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

After the 15-member body was briefed by Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel, the Council President for March, Vitaly Churkin of the Russian Federation, read out a press <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9287.doc.htm">statement saying that Mr. Ban's efforts in establishing the court were "based on the highest international standards of criminal justice."

Among the progress noted by the Council was the signing of a headquarters agreement with the Netherlands, the appointment of the Prosecutor as well as the Registrar of the Special Tribunal, and the establishment of a management committee.

The Council also welcomed the contributions and pledges received by the tribunal. In the report, the Secretary-General said that adequate start-up funds had been deposited into a trust fund made up of contributions of UN Member States.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Michel said that $60.3 million dollars had been received as of today, in both contributions and pledges.

In addition, Mr. Michel said he could not predict when the tribunal would actually begin trying cases, but he said that decision would be made by the Secretary-General based on funding, consultation with the Lebanese Government and progress in the related international investigation.

The International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) is charged with probing the murder of Mr. Hariri, who was killed along with 22 others in a massive car bombing in Beirut on 14 February 2005.

Once it is formally established, it will be up to the tribunal to determine whether other political killings in Lebanon since October 2004 were connected to Mr. Hariri's assassination and could therefore be dealt with by the tribunal.

"In implementing the mandate entrusted to the Secretariat by the Security Council, the Secretariat has acted in keeping with the spirit that animated the early foundations of the Tribunal," Mr. Michel stressed, recalling that the court had been requested by the President of Lebanon and endorsed by all parties in the so-called Lebanese Dialogue.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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HEAD OF UN UNIT ON INTER-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

HEAD OF UN UNIT ON INTER-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING LOOKS TO THE FUTURE New York, Mar 27 2008 4:00PM The head of the United Nations campaign for understanding between cultures, known as the Alliance of Civilizations, has visited the Organization's New York Headquarters to discuss the initiative's future plans with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other world leaders.

Jorge Sampãio, High Representative and former President of Portugal, presented the campaign's annual report yesterday to Mr. Ban and discussed its role within the UN system.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Sampãio met with the 85 member governments and multilateral organizations that constitute the Alliance Group of Friends.

He briefed them on the follow-up to the Alliance of Civilizations Forum, held in Madrid in January, which launched projects aimed at promoting understanding among cultures in the areas of media and youth.

He also met with members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to discuss the growing problem of Islamophobia, stressing the important role that the Alliance could play in generating joint action to address this issue.

The Alliance of Civilizations campaign was launched by the UN in 2005 to help overcome prejudices between nations, cultures and religions.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE POLLS IN GUINEA-BISSAU

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE POLLS IN GUINEA-BISSAU New York, Mar 27 2008 4:00PM The Security Council today welcomed this week's announcement that Guinea-Bissau will hold legislative elections in November and called on the Government of the impoverished West African country to both speed up its preparations for those polls and to continue its efforts to consolidate peace.

The 15-member panel "further appealed to the international community to provide the financial and material resources necessary to ensure the effective and timely organization of the polls," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9286.doc.htm">statement to the press.

Shola Omoregie, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) briefed the Council yesterday on the latest developments, including the announcement by President João Bernardo Vieira on Tuesday that legislative elections will be held on 16 November.

In the statement, Mr. Churkin said Council members welcomed news that the UN Peacebuilding Commission, which tries to prevent countries emerging from war or misrule from sliding back into chaos, has established a strategic framework to determine how best to assist Guinea-Bissau, which has suffered from civil war, coups and widespread unrest in recent years.

UN officials have recently voiced deep concern about the impact of organized crime, illegal drug trafficking and the emerging threat of terrorism on Guinea-Bissau, one of the world's poorest countries, and today's statement from Council members praised the initiative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to convene a regional conference on drug trafficking.

Council members also "appealed to the international community to assist the government and provide enhanced support and training for Guinea-Bissau's law enforcement and criminal justice system within the wider framework of security sector reform and the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorism."
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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SIERRA LEONE: UN RAISES AWARENESS OF LAWS TO CURB VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

SIERRA LEONE: UN RAISES AWARENESS OF LAWS TO CURB VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN New York, Mar 27 2008 3:00PM Two United Nations agencies have joined forces with a local non-governmental organization (NGO) in Sierra Leone to heighten awareness of three new gender laws, passed by the West African nation's Parliament, in a bid to reduce the level of violence and abuse against women.

The UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) and the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), together with the Grassroots Empowerment for Self Reliance (GEMS), are running a three-day workshop targeting over 150 men and women in three communities in the capital Freetown.

"I will not change you but will tell you how to change your attitude in your community," said Orla Fagan of <"http://www.unifem.org/">UNIFEM. "My message is not only to the women, but also to all men so that you may respect the rights of women, especially your partners."

She also noted that women perform the bulk of the housework, yet do not have the equal right as men to inherit property.

"Sierra Leoneans are silent about gender violence and human rights abuse against women, and the workshop aims at encouraging particularly women to speak out against ill-treatment meted on them by men," GEMS Programme Coordinator Catherine Greywood told participants.

In a related development, the 12th high-level gathering of the heads of UN peace missions in West Africa will be held tomorrow at <"http://www.uniosil.org/">UNIOSIL Headquarters in Freetown.

Chaired by the Secretary-General's Special Representative for West Africa (<"http://www.un.org/unowa/">UNOWA) Lamine Cissé, the meeting will be attended by the Special Representatives of the region: Ellen Margrethe Løj of the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://unmil.org/">UNMIL); Y.R. Choi of the UN Mission in Côte d'Ivoire (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI) and Gebremedhin Hagoss, UNIOSIL Officer-In-Charge.

The heads of the missions will address the meeting regarding the security situation and the latest political developments.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN POLITICAL OFFICIAL TO TRAVEL TO CYPRUS NEXT WEEK

TOP UN POLITICAL OFFICIAL TO TRAVEL TO CYPRUS NEXT WEEK New York, Mar 27 2008 3:00PM Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe will travel to Cyprus on Sunday to assess how the United Nations can best assist the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach a settlement to the long-running dispute on the Mediterranean island.

Mr. Pascoe will remain in Cyprus through Wednesday before returning to New York, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told journalists, adding that he intends to travel soon thereafter to Athens and Ankara to continue his consultations.

At a meeting held last week, the Greek Cypriot leader, Demetris Christofias, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, agreed to start full-fledged negotiations within three months on resolving the dispute.

The agreement was welcomed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who pledged the world body's "full support to the Cypriot people in their efforts to reach a settlement."

The meeting, hosted by the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Michael Møller, also resulted in the leaders' decisions to set up a number of working groups and technical committees in advance of talks, as well as to open a crossing at Ledra Street in Nicosia as soon as technically possible.

The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unficyp/index.html">UNFICYP), established in March 1964 following the outbreak of inter-community violence on the island, has been working to prevent a recurrence of fighting, contribute to a return to normal conditions and maintain law and order.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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REAL CHANGE FOR WORLD'S POOR REQUIRES GREATER EFFORTS BY ALL, MIGIRO SAYS

REAL CHANGE FOR WORLD'S POOR REQUIRES GREATER EFFORTS BY ALL, MIGIRO SAYS New York, Mar 27 2008 2:00PM With the global scorecard for reaching the bold pledges world leaders made to halve poverty and other social ills by 2015 showing mixed progress among countries, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today called for accelerated action to achieve real change for the world's poor.

"Today, the world must refocus its attention, and its resources, on the places and people that are being left behind," she said in a keynote address to Columbia University's State of the Planet Conference.

In doing so, she stressed the need to view people living in poverty as agents of change. This requires encouraging national ownership of development strategies, citizens actively participating in policy-making, and governments becoming more accountable in their efforts to achieve development targets, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"Above all, it requires a true partnership for development where rich countries do their part in delivering resources and productive employment opportunities through market access," Ms. Migiro said. "Tremendous gains are possible if the international community translates its commitments into results."

She noted that the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day has fallen, and experts predict that the MDG target of halving extreme poverty may be met. "But this welcome progress is uneven with Africa lagging far behind in many of our grand promises," she added.

At the same time, the systems, knowledge and tools needed to reach the MDGs, and thereby save millions of lives and empower African countries to achieve sustained growth, are in place.

"To finance these programmes, African countries need to mobilize domestic resources, and developed countries must provide the support they promised on an adequate, sustained and predictable basis.

"The facts on the ground in many poor countries are clear: with carefully designed programmes and sound policies, backed up by strong government leadership and support from the international community, real change can happen," she stated.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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WORLD CITIES AT UN FORUM UNITE TO REDUCE POVERTY AND BOOST DEMOCRACY

WORLD CITIES AT UN FORUM UNITE TO REDUCE POVERTY AND BOOST DEMOCRACY New York, Mar 27 2008 2:00PM Representatives of cities from 100 countries around the world are meeting in Athens, Greece, to create local plans to achieve international development goals through the promotion of democracy, the United Nations Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) said today.

More than 1,000 delegates are taking part in the sixth global forum of the World Alliance of Cities against Poverty, meeting from 26 to 28 March, in an effort to work together on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), targets to slash extreme poverty and other global ills by 2015.

At the forum, municipalities are sharing their experiences in the areas of hunger, access to primary education, water and sanitation, child mortality, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and gender gaps. Richer cities will commit to cooperation with cities in the developing world, UNDP said.

One of the innovative outcomes expected from the meeting is the adoption of time-bound and quantified local "road maps" that will determine targets to be reached on various facets of poverty in each city.

The meeting, according to UNDP, is a response to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's call to intensify efforts to meet the 2015 deadline for achieving the MDGs, now that the midpoint between that year and 2000 has been passed.

Greece, which is marking the 2500th anniversary of the birth of democracy in Athens, was chosen for this event because of the meeting's focus on the role of local participatory processes as a lever for better progress towards poverty eradication.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO SPRINT TO FIGHT HUNGER - UN

OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO SPRINT TO FIGHT HUNGER – UN New York, Mar 27 2008 1:00PM More than one million people will take part in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-backed <"http://www.worldharmonyrun.org/about">World Harmony Run, the world's longest global relay, which took a running start today in a bid to tackle hunger and poverty.

Relay teams will carry a torch over the seven month-long Run, which will span 24,000 kilometres in dozens of countries in Europe and North Africa, as well as the United States and Australia.

"For FAO, the twinning together of sports and development is a long tradition," <" http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000819/index.html">said the agency's Deputy Director-General James Butler.

He noted that last year, 10,000 people took part in the FAO Run For Food Race to mark World Food Day. "Sports events such as this are an excellent way to help raise awareness."

The two decade-old World Harmony Run kicked off at FAO Headquarters in Rome at a ceremony attended by Africa's first New York City Marathon winner and UN Children's Fund (<" http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) Ambassador Tegla Loroupe and FAO Goodwill Ambassador Gina Lollobrigida.

After the lighting of the torch, runners took off for the Colosseum and the Campidoglio. From there, the runners will cover from 100 to 150 kilometres daily in teams of 10 to 12, aiming to arrive in Prague, Czech Republic, by early October. Some 500 children are expected to assist every day with the run to help provide food and lodging for the participants.

Similar events will take place in other regions of the world in parallel to raise awareness of the crucial problem of hunger.
2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

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NEW MANUAL WILL BOOST EFFORTS TO DEVELOP TIMORESE POLICE FORCE - UN ENVOY

NEW MANUAL WILL BOOST EFFORTS TO DEVELOP TIMORESE POLICE FORCE – UN ENVOY New York, Mar 27 2008 11:00AM The top United Nations official in Timor-Leste has hailed a new textbook and handbook to be given to every national police officer, stating that they will assist in