UN-AU PEACEKEEPERS AID DARFUR VILLAGERS ATTACKED BY SUDANESE FORCES

UN-AU PEACEKEEPERS AID DARFUR VILLAGERS ATTACKED BY SUDANESE FORCES New York, May 3 2008 11:00AM The United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping operation has evacuated North Darfur villagers wounded in recent attacks by Sudanese forces that have left three dead and at least eight injured.

The joint operation -- known as UNAMID -- said it carried out successfully airlifted wounded civilians, "following SAF [Sudanese forces] air attacks on the village of Umm Sidir in North Darfur" on Thursday, according to a statement issued yesterday in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur and the mission's headquarters.

A UNAMID medical team flew to Umm Sidir to provide initial medical care to the victims of the attack -- which left two men dead and eight seriously injured. In El Hashim and Heles, one woman was killed, while property and live-stock were destroyed.

The wounded, ranging in age from 17 to 40, were later flown by UNAMID forces to El Fasher where they were admitted to hospital. "One man, who has suffered severe head injuries from shrapnel, is said to be in a critical condition, another is awaiting surgery," the mission said. The other men are in a stable condition.

The evacuation was conducted at the request of humanitarian organizations and in coordination with Sudanese authorities.

Initial reports suggest that the area, which is controlled by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), "has witnessed repeated aerial attacks and possible fighting between government and rebel forces during the course of the last few days."

Condemning attacks against civilians, UNAMID urged all parties to the Darfur conflict -- which have claimed more than 200,000 lives and displaced nearly 2.5 million others since 2003 -- to adhere to international humanitarian laws, which prohibit military attacks against civilians.

A UNAMID fact-finding mission is currently conducting an investigation on the ground, while the peacekeeping forces continue to monitor the situation, the mission noted.

2008-05-03 00:00:00.000

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FREE PRESS, ACCESS TO INFORMATION VITAL FOR DEVELOPMENT, TOP UN OFFICIALS STRESS

FREE PRESS, ACCESS TO INFORMATION VITAL FOR DEVELOPMENT, TOP UN OFFICIALS STRESS New York, May 3 2008 11:00AM Marking the annual World Press Freedom Day, top United Nations officials have stressed the role of a secure and independent media, and access to information, in empowering individuals and advancing development.

"When information flows freely, people are equipped with tools to take control of their lives," noted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11542.doc.htm">message for the Day, observed each year on 3 May. "When the flow of information is hindered -- whether for political or technological reasons -- our capacity to function is stunted."

Mr. Ban stressed that a free, secure and independent media is one of the foundations of peace and democracy. Attacks on freedom of the press are attacks against international law, humanity, and freedom itself -- everything the UN stands for, he said.

Alarmed at the increasing targeting of journalists around the world, and the failure to thoroughly investigate and prosecute such crimes, the Secretary-General called on all societies to spare no effort in bringing to justice the perpetrators of such attacks. He also paid tribute to all who work in difficult and dangerous conditions to provide the world with free, unbiased information.

The theme for this year's World Press Freedom Day, which was established by the UN in 1993, is "access to information and the empowerment of people."

In his <"http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=25876&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">message on the occasion of the Day, the head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) -- the body tasked with protecting freedom of expression -- stressed that press freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of empowering people by giving people the information that can help them gain control over their own lives.

"This empowerment supports participatory democracy by giving citizens the capacity to engage in public debate and to hold governments and others accountable," said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.

Access to information is primordial to the exercise of the basic human right of freedom of expression, Mr. Matsuura added. To be free, the media need to have access to information. Such access is also indispensable in fighting corruption, which has been defined as the primary obstacle to development.

The winner of this year's UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize is a Mexican reporter who has been a target of death threats, sabotage and police harassment because of her work uncovering prostitution and child pornography networks.

Freelance investigative journalist Lydia Cacho Ribeiro will receive the award today at a World Press Freedom Day ceremony in Maputo, Mozambique, organized by UNESCO.

General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim <"http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/wpfd010508.shtml">stressed the importance of press freedom, noting that "it is access to information that truly empowers the individual to become more active and more responsible. In this free press is a crucial ally."

He said the media contributes to the process of democratization, to the strengthening of the rule of law and ultimately to institution building by asking the "right and often difficult" questions, providing access to information and representing all views impartially.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights marked the Day by <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/52D2354733DF692FC125743D006D3FAC?opendocument">noting that harassment and secrecy laws are weakening press freedom. "It is a sad fact that many governments across the world persist in undermining the freedom of the press to report facts and opinions and, by extension, the right of people in general to be informed about events and policies that are shaping our world," Louise Arbour said.

Ms. Arbour noted that governments are becoming more secretive and offering propaganda disguised as objective information -- especially when alleged security-related issues are on the table.

The proliferation of new or strengthened secrecy laws means that the media are forced to resort to speculation, which can then be used against them to further undermine their credibility, or even as a justification for initiating legal proceedings against them, she added.

Echoing her comments, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression marked the Day by calling on governments to end censorship, protect a free and independent media and guarantee their right to criticize.

"Freedom of the press cannot be applicable exclusively for those with whom we agree," stated Ambeyi Ligabo. "On the contrary, the key to freedom of expression is to respect the rights of those with whom we disagree to voice their own opinion. Without this right, democracy itself cannot flourish."

In Afghanistan, Norah Niland, Chief Human Rights Officer for the UN Assistance Mission there, underlined the importance of press freedom as the country prepares for a fresh round of presidential and parliamentary elections next year.

"In the run-up to Afghanistan's elections in 2009 and 2010 press freedom will be more vital than ever, people can only make informed decisions about the political future of their country if they are empowered with balanced objective information," said Ms. Niland. "The media has a crucial role to play in this respect."

2008-05-03 00:00:00.000

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LANDMARK UN TREATY ON RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ENTERS INTO FORCE

LANDMARK UN TREATY ON RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ENTERS INTO FORCE New York, May 3 2008 11:00AM The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force today, one month after the required twentieth country ratified the landmark treaty which guarantees the rights of some 650 million people worldwide.

The Convention -- which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called "a powerful tool to eradicate the obstacles faced by persons with disabilities" -- was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 December 2006, and was opened for signature and ratification on 30 March 2007.

Since then it has been signed by 127 countries and ratified by 25. Jamaica was the first country to ratify the Convention, and on 3 April, Ecuador ratified, providing the sufficient number of parties for the Convention to enter into force.

The Convention does not create any new rights, but aims to ensure that the benefits of existing rights are fully extended and guaranteed.

"It had been argued that persons with disabilities were covered by existing human rights treaties, but the reality was very different," says Akiko Ito, the UN Focal Point on Disability. "Persons with disabilities have routinely suffered discrimination in the job market, in schools and in receiving public services. This Convention will make sure that these people will no longer be ignored."

The treaty asserts the rights of people with disabilities to education, health, work, adequate living conditions, freedom of movement, freedom from exploitation and equal recognition before the law for persons with disabilities.

It also addresses the need for persons with disabilities to have access to public transport, buildings and other facilities and recognizes their capacity to make decisions for themselves.

The convention's Optional Protocol, which will also be binding starting today, allows individuals to petition an international expert body with grievances.

By ratifying the Convention, States commit themselves to enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights, and also abolish legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities.

John Flanagan, Officer-in-Charge of the UN Mine Action Service, said the new treaty is particularly relevant for survivors of accidents with landmines and explosive remnants of war.

"Too often, landmine victims are excluded from their communities," he stated. "For example, child survivors of landmine incidents are often removed from school. Landmine victims are entitled to all the same human rights as every other member of their societies, and this new Convention will help level the playing field in terms of access to services and opportunities."

The Convention establishes a new body to monitor its implementation -- the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as a Conference of States Parties, which is expected to be convened within six months.

The UN will mark the treaty's entry into force with a special ceremony in New York on 12 May with participants from governments, UN agencies and civil society.

2008-05-03 00:00:00.000

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CLIMATE CHANGE COULD IMPERIL POVERTY GOALS, ECOSOC HEARS

CLIMATE CHANGE COULD IMPERIL POVERTY GOALS, ECOSOC HEARS New York, May 2 2008 6:00PM The Economic and Social Council (<"http://www.un.org/ecosoc/">ECOSOC) should send a strong message that efforts to achieve the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) could be reversed if climate change is not addressed, its President Léo Mérorès told Council members today.

In a discussion aimed at exploring the relationship between the development goals and climate change, Mr. Mérorès noted that several countries are off track in achieving the MDGs and said that climate change could further hamper countries' efforts to make headway.

ECOSOC's high-level ministerial session this summer will focus on climate change and development, and Mr. Mérorès said ministers should take action on development and climate change.

"In order to achieve the MDGs by the 2015 target date," he said, "we do not only need to step up our efforts particularly targeted at specific MDGs, but also need to step up our efforts to address the challenge of climate change. Otherwise, we risk seeing hard earned fragile economic and social progress reversed by the negative effects of climate change."

"Climate change is, fundamentally, a sustainable development challenge," said Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang, which involves not only environmental protection but also economic and social development.

"While the list of challenges might seem daunting," Mr. Sha said, "we should firmly reject a 'gloom and doom' approach. Today, we have the tools to tackle poverty and climate change in an integrated and balanced way."

He added that to move forward, it will be necessary "to bridge the divide between actors on the environment and on development which, despite our past efforts, continues to exist."

Ogunlade Davidson, a co-chair of one of the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, asserted that there was no question that climate change was occurring, and that despite the claims of climate sceptics, the evidence showed that the cause of climate change was due to human activity, not natural causes.

But he said it was possible to mitigate the emissions that cause climate change, although "not if we continue to do what we are doing." He said climate policy alone will not solve the climate change policy and that many other policies must be considered, including taxes, subsidies, trade policies, access to modern energy, bank lending policies and insurance policies.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL URGES INCLUSIVE AND CREDIBLE MYANMAR REFERENDUM, ELECTIONS

SECURITY COUNCIL URGES INCLUSIVE AND CREDIBLE MYANMAR REFERENDUM, ELECTIONS New York, May 2 2008 5:00PM The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9320.doc.htm">stressed the need for the upcoming referendum and elections in Myanmar to include the full participation of all political actors and respect for fundamental political freedoms.

In February authorities in the South-East Asian nation announced that a draft constitution will be put to voters in a national referendum in May, ahead of multi-party elections scheduled for 2010.

The Council underlined the need for the Government of Myanmar "to establish the conditions and create an atmosphere conducive to an inclusive and credible process," in a statement read out by Ambassador John Sawers of the United Kingdom, which holds the Council's rotating presidency for May.

"It further notes the commitment by the Government of Myanmar to ensure that the referendum process will be free and fair," the statement added.

The Council also expressed its appreciation for the work of the Secretary-General's Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari, who has visited the country three times since last summer's crackdown by the authorities on peaceful protesters, and is spearheading UN efforts to promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

Mr. Gambari recently stated that it is in Myanmar's interest to ensure that its upcoming referendum and elections are as credible and inclusive as possible and to engage without delay in dialogue with the detained pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr. Sawers later told reporters that although today's statement does not refer to Ms. Suu Kyi, it does reaffirm previous statements by the Council in which it mentions the need for Myanmar's authorities to engage in a genuine dialogue with her and all concerned parties.

Briefing the press on the Council's work for the month, he noted that the "centrepiece" of the UK presidency will be an open debate on post-conflict peacebuilding, to be chaired by Foreign Secretary David Miliband on 20 May.

"In the period immediately after peace agreement is achieved, there isn't sufficient change in the lives of ordinary people, there's not a re-establishment of security and far too many countries after conflict lapse back into conflict within five years of a peace agreement being reached," he stated. "That's partly because the international community does not have the capacity to quickly implement and follow through on peace agreements when they are reached."

Mr. Sawers added that Council members will embark on 31 May for a 10-day visit to Africa, with scheduled stops in Kenya, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Côte d'Ivoire.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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UN HANDS OVER REFURBISHED MINISTRY BUILDING TO LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT

UN HANDS OVER REFURBISHED MINISTRY BUILDING TO LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT New York, May 2 2008 5:00PM The United Nations has handed over a newly-refurbished Ministry of Internal Affairs building to the Liberian Government, calling the hand-over a crucial step in the country's post-war recovery.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, the UN Deputy Envoy in Liberia, Jordan Ryan, said on Wednesday that the Ministry was "a crucial arm of government in consolidating peace and fostering development," after the end of the country's civil war.

The UN provided $200,000, or nearly three-quarters of the cost, to rehabilitate the building.

Meanwhile, the UN Envoy to Liberia, Ellen Margrethe Løj, called on the country's parents to make some sacrifice to send their children to school.

Presenting school and sporting supplies to residents in Brewerville, close to the capital Monrovia, Ms. Løj said: "I know it is sometimes difficult to send your children to school. You may need them around the house to help you with some household tasks, but you need to make a little sacrifice today. By doing so you are building a better future or your children and your country."

The supplies were donated by the Jordanian medical contingent serving with the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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UN SAYS HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SOMALIA IS DETERIORATING

UN SAYS HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SOMALIA IS DETERIORATING New York, May 2 2008 5:00PM Soaring food prices and a worsening drought are causing a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO).

About 2.6 million Somalis now need assistance – more than a third of the country's population, representing a rise of 40 per cent since January. An additional 600,000 people in urban areas either do not have enough food to sustain their households, or have been forced to sell assets to buy food, leaving them vulnerable to further deterioration.

Adding to the problems, cereal prices, both for commercial imports of rice, and for locally produced maize and sorghum, have increased by up to 375 per cent in the last year and are now at record levels.

The UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) has signed an agreement with the Danish Refugee Council to continue providing cooked meals to 50,000 people a day in 10 districts in Mogadishu.

In the last week of April, WFP supplied food aid to nearly 400,000 people in Puntland, Somaliland and south-central Somalia.

CARE International also distributed food to nearly 90,000 people in Galgaduud and South Mudug.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY DEPLORES MURDER OF AID WORKER IN EASTERN CHAD

UN REFUGEE AGENCY DEPLORES MURDER OF AID WORKER IN EASTERN CHAD New York, May 2 2008 4:00PM The United Nations refugee agency today voiced its sadness at the killing of a senior aid worker in eastern Chad and warned that humanitarian staff operating in the region must endure an increasingly insecure environment in which to carry out their work.

Pascal Marlinge, the Country Director for the non-governmental organization (NGO) Save The Children, was shot yesterday by bandits while travelling in a three-vehicle convoy on the road between the towns of Farchana and Adre.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters today in Geneva that "this shocking incident underscores the highly insecure environment that humanitarian workers face in delivering protection and assistance" in eastern Chad.

More than 240,000 refugees from the neighbouring Darfur region of Sudan and 180,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) live in 12 camps across eastern Chad run by UNHCR.

This week's attack was the second targeting an aid worker in Chad in less than a year. A driver for UNHCR was shot and killed by gunmen late last year.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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UN EXPERT CALLS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO EXAMINE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS

UN EXPERT CALLS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO EXAMINE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS New York, May 2 2008 4:00PM The Human Rights Council should convene to discuss the current global food crisis because it is important to view the problem of soaring prices as "a massive violation of the right to adequate food," a United Nations expert on the subject <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/BC54DEAD8AED3B95C125743D0051778A?opendocument">said today.

Speaking in New York, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier de Schutter, called for a special session of the HRC so that the Council can "speak with one single voice."

Mr. de Schutter said the right to adequate food had been "for the moment totally absent" from the debate about economic and humanitarian aid to meet the current crisis.

"If we had 100 million persons arrested in a dictatorial regime [or] if we had 100 million persons beaten up by police, of course we would be marching on the streets and we'd be convening special sessions of the Human Rights Council," Mr. de Schutter said. "Every single of these 100 million individuals deserves the same degree of attention from the international community as if the person had been arbitrarily arrested or detained for his or her political opinions."

The Special Rapporteur, who took over the role yesterday from his predecessor, Jean Ziegler, added that "governments cannot remain passive in the current crisis," and called for a range of measures to tackle the issue.

He said that States should increase their support to humanitarian agencies and provide cash transfers to the neediest segments of populations in food-insecure countries. In the longer-term he called for greater financial support for small-scale farmers, action to combat climate change, and the phasing out of "market-distorting" agricultural subsidies.

Mr. de Schutter said that the world needed to do much more "not only to respond to this crisis but to prevent further similar crises from occurring. I would not want in 10 years' time to see another crisis of this amplitude. This is not a natural disaster. It's not an earthquake. It's a crisis which is man-made," he said.

Earlier this week the UN announced that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had assembled an international task force which would prepare a global plan of action to tackle the global rise in food prices.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN OFFICIAL OFFERS CONDOLENCES AFTER PLANE CRASH IN SOUTHERN SUDAN

TOP UN OFFICIAL OFFERS CONDOLENCES AFTER PLANE CRASH IN SOUTHERN SUDAN New York, May 2 2008 3:00PM The senior United Nations official in Sudan has offered his condolences to the Government of Southern Sudan after learning of the death today of one of its ministers and other military officials in a plane crash.

Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, also offered his deepest sympathies on behalf of the UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">UNMIS) and the wider Organization to the bereaved families of the crash victims, according to a statement issued by the mission in Khartoum.

Media reports state that the aircraft was flying from the town of Wau to the regional capital of Juba when it crashed, killing everyone on board. Around 20 people are thought to have lost their lives, including Dominic Dim Deng, a Government minister.

The UNMIS statement said it is making its helicopters available to bring aviation safety officials from the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan – established in the wake of the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement ending the long-running north-south civil war – to the scene of the accident so they can conduct their investigations.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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KOSOVO: UN PEACEKEEPING CHIEF HEADS TO REGION FOR FACT-FINDING TOUR

KOSOVO: UN PEACEKEEPING CHIEF HEADS TO REGION FOR FACT-FINDING TOUR New York, May 2 2008 2:00PM The United Nations peacekeeping chief travels today to the Balkans for a fact-finding mission on Kosovo, which earlier this year declared its independence from Serbia.

Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, will be holding talks with all stakeholders in both Pristina and Belgrade about the future of the international civil presence in Kosovo, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters today.

The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (<"http://www.unmikonline.org/">UNMIK) has been in place since mid-1999 after NATO forces drove out Yugoslav troops amid inter-ethnic fighting, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said it will continue to exercise its authority until the Security Council decides otherwise.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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AHEAD OF SLATED ELECTIONS IN MALDIVES, UN TEAM TO CONDUCT FACT-FINDING VISIT

AHEAD OF SLATED ELECTIONS IN MALDIVES, UN TEAM TO CONDUCT FACT-FINDING VISIT New York, May 2 2008 2:00PM An inter-agency United Nations fact-finding mission heads to the Maldives on Sunday for a six-day visit to determine whether the world body should provide assistance to forthcoming elections in the Indian Ocean island chain.

The mission, which is being led by the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA), is expected to meet with a broad range of people in the Maldives during the visit which follows a request from the Government, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

These include senior Government officials, political leaders, diplomats, members of civil society, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other important national actors.

Multi-party presidential elections are expected to be held in the Maldives by October this year, with parliamentary polls likely to be held by early next year.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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UN WELCOMES PRESIDENT BUSH'S CALL FOR US$770 TO FIGHT FOOD CRISIS

UN WELCOMES PRESIDENT BUSH'S CALL FOR US$770 TO FIGHT FOOD CRISIS New York, May 2 2008 2:00PM The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has thanked United States President George Bush "for his urgent call to action to combat the advance of hunger among the world's most vulnerable," after Mr. Bush asked the US Congress to provide an additional $770 million for food aid and development work.

Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2826">WFP, said yesterday that "urgent consideration by the US Congress will help prevent wide-scale human suffering due to soaring food prices." She added that, "today, for those living on less than US$1 a day, the impact of soaring food prices is catastrophic."

The President of the <"http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,pagePK:34382~piPK:34439~theSitePK:4607,00.html">World Bank Group, which provides funding for development around the globe, also welcomed the announcement by Mr. Bush.

"These funds will help put food in the mouths of millions of people who are struggling to survive as prices rise," Robert B. Zoellick said. "Importantly, US action goes beyond the critical short-term needs and aims to deal with the causes of the crisis so millions will not suffer again."

Mr. Zoellick also welcomed the fact that the announcement came after Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had assembled an international task force to tackle the global food crisis.

"By combining emergency support for the neediest, with support for agricultural production, and international action on trade, the US package takes us closer to the integrated international response needed to build sustainable solutions," he said.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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MIDDLE EAST QUARTET BACKS CONTINUING ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATION EFFORTS

MIDDLE EAST QUARTET BACKS CONTINUING ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATION EFFORTS New York, May 2 2008 2:00PM The <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=70&Body=Palestin&Body1=">Middle East diplomatic Quartet, which includes the United Nations, today expressed its strong support for ongoing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations aimed at reaching a settlement by the end of 2008 that will lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state in West Bank and the Gaza Strip and an end to the long-running conflict.

In a statement issued in London, after a meeting there of its principals, the Quartet – which comprises the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States – commended both sides "for their continuous and intensive negotiations" and emphasized that there was an urgent need for more progress.

Chaired by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Quartet meeting stressed the importance of visible signs of progress on the ground to both build confidence and create an atmosphere among Israelis and Palestinians that is supportive of negotiations.

While noting there have been positive steps recently, such as the removal of some roadblocks and an outpost by Israel and an improved security performance by the Palestinian Authority, the statement said a lot more was necessary to keep the political process on track and to boost daily living conditions in the West Bank.

Quartet members voiced deep concern at Israel's continued settlement activity and called on the country to freeze all such activity, including natural growth, and to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001.

They also called on the Palestinian Authority to fulfil its commitments to fight terrorism and to accelerate measures to rebuild and restructure its security apparatus.

Condemning the ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel, and the terrorist attack on a Jerusalem seminary on 6 March, as well as recent Palestinian civilian casualties, the statement called for an end to violence and terror and urged both sides "to take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of affected civilians."

It also called for continued emergency and humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the provision of essential services to Gaza without obstruction.

In addition, the statement emphasized the need for international donors to follow through on pledges made at the Paris Donors' Conference in December last year to support Palestinian institutional capacity building and economic development.

"Underlining the crucial role of Arab States in support of the peace process, and the importance of the Arab League peace initiative, the Quartet encouraged the Arab States to fulfil both their political and financial roles in support of the Annapolis process," it said, referring to the peace process launched in the US city of that name late last year.

After the Quartet meeting, Mr. Ban chaired an ad hoc meeting of Quartet members and the group's representative, the former United Kingdom prime minister Tony Blair, as well as representatives from Norway and Arab participants in the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee.

Mr. Ban also held a number of bilateral meetings today in London before heading back to UN Headquarters in New York.

The other participants at the Quartet meeting were Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the High Representative for European Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Dimitrij Rupel, the Foreign Minister of Slovakia, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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LACK OF FUEL, RISING FOOD PRICES HAMPERING UN AID EFFORTS IN GAZA, WEST BANK

LACK OF FUEL, RISING FOOD PRICES HAMPERING UN AID EFFORTS IN GAZA, WEST BANK New York, May 2 2008 2:00PM Fuel shortages and rising food prices are placing heavy burdens on the lead United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees and forcing it to cut back on life-saving activities in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, its spokesperson said today.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA) is currently facing a shortfall of more than $117 million in its General Fund, hampering efforts to provide emergency and regular food aid to nearly one million refugees in the West Bank and Gaza alone, spokesperson Matthias Burchard told reporters in Geneva.

Regarding the fuel situation, he said that although the Agency has received enough fuel to allow it to resume food aid distribution in Gaza, the haphazard supply is making it impossible to carry out any planning. And it is worried that it is again running out of fuel today.

According to UNRWA, the streets of Gaza are virtually empty of cars and public transportation has stopped. As a result, enrolment in UNRWA schools – which provides education to nearly 200,000 children – is now basically limited to those who are able to walk to school.

"Apart from all the other hardships, it is particularly heart-wrenching that education, once the trump card of Palestine refugees, proudly referred to also by its donors, is now reduced to who can still walk to school," Mr. Burchard told reporters in Geneva.

UNRWA's Director of Operations in Gaza has called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "shocking and shameful," and said the solution to reverse the current trend of human misery and violence is access for people and supplies to get into and out of Gaza.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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UN THROWS SPOTLIGHT ON PNEUMONIA, WORLD'S BIGGEST KILLER OF CHILDREN

UN THROWS SPOTLIGHT ON PNEUMONIA, WORLD'S BIGGEST KILLER OF CHILDREN New York, May 2 2008 1:00PM A new <"http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/5/08-053348/en/index.html">report from the United Nations says that pneumonia kills more children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined, and calls for greater coverage of vulnerable populations.

The report, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), was also welcomed by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Peter Salama, Chief of UNICEF's Health Section, <" http://www.unicef.org/media/media_43753.html">said yesterday that "pneumonia remains a significant problem in many countries but in particular in communities with a high rate of under-five mortality." He added that, "pneumonia control is therefore essential in achieving the Millennium Development Goal [<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/index.html">MDG] Four, which calls for a reduction by two-thirds in the under-five mortality rate by 2015."

WHO says that much more needs to be done to raise the profile of pneumonia and that the control of the disease in young children has been neglected.

Important underlying causes of childhood pneumonia are poverty, malnutrition and poor household environments, including overcrowding, poor hygiene and smoke.

WHO, UNICEF and other organizations have proposed a global action plan for pneumonia to increase awareness of the disease and to scale up interventions that have proven to be effective.

The organizations called on countries to develop plans for controlling pneumonia based on their existing child survival strategies and to focus on using vaccines, increasing breastfeeding rates, using zinc supplementation to manage diarrhoea, reducing indoor air pollution and preventing HIV infection.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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VIRUS OUTBREAK CLAIMS LIVES OF 20 YOUNG CHILDREN IN CHINA - UN HEALTH AGENCY

VIRUS OUTBREAK CLAIMS LIVES OF 20 YOUNG CHILDREN IN CHINA – UN HEALTH AGENCY New York, May 2 2008 1:00PM Twenty infants and young children have died in eastern China in an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by enterovirus infection and the number of cases may still not peak for another two months, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) <" http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_05_01/en/index.html">reports.

All 20 deaths occurred in the city of Fuyang in Anhui province, WHO said in an update released yesterday, with a total of 1,884 cases of enterovirus (EV-71) infection reported as of Tuesday.

WHO said Chinese authorities have introduced a series of measures, including enhanced monitoring of drinking water quality, increased training of health-care workers and greater surveillance, to try to curtail the spread of the outbreak.

The authorities are also keeping the UN agency and health officials in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Province of Taiwan informed of test results, which last week confirmed that EV-71 is the cause of the outbreak.

Cases started to emerge in early March but the number of people hospitalized has jumped since 19 April, WHO said, and public health experts have predicted the number of cases will not peak until June-July.

Non-polio <"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs174/en/index.html">enteroviruses are common worldwide, with young children most susceptible to infection and no vaccine currently available. The virus is contagious and can be transmitted through direct contact with the mucus, saliva or faeces of an infected person.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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NEPAL'S NEW CONSTITUTION MUST ENSHRINE PRESS FREEDOM, STRESSES UN OFFICIAL

NEPAL'S NEW CONSTITUTION MUST ENSHRINE PRESS FREEDOM, STRESSES UN OFFICIAL New York, May 2 2008 11:00AM Enshrining guarantees of freedom of expression and access to information in Nepal's new constitution will be crucial tasks for the recently elected Constituent Assembly, the top United Nations human rights official in the country said today, on the eve of the worldwide observance of <" http://www.un.org/events/pressday/2008/ ">World Press Freedom Day.

"However journalists, and all Nepalis, will be empowered only when those written guarantees are translated into real access to information on the ground," said Richard Bennett of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://nepal.ohchr.org/en/index.html ">OHCHR) in Nepal, as he addressed a gathering in the capital, Kathmandu, to mark the Day, observed annually on 3 May.

He stressed the important role of the media in a country such as Nepal, which is recovering from a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives until the Government and Maoist rebels signed a peace accord in 2006.

"In a post-conflict society such as Nepal, where tensions are sometimes high and challenges remain to human rights, governance, development and durable peace, the media plays an even more central role where accuracy and depth of reporting is especially crucial," stated Mr. Bennett, who also heads the human rights unit of the UN Mission in Nepal <" http://www.unmin.org.np/">(UNMIN).

OHCHR plans to conduct training for journalists next month on the media's role in reporting on the Constituent Assembly, including the drafting of a new constitution that will enshrine respect for human rights, including freedom of expression.

Mr. Bennett noted that while the activities of the media "are not without controversy," as the 10 April polls demonstrated, in general the media did its job of reporting in a balanced and responsible manner.

He also voiced concern about the incidents against journalists that were reported during the election process. According to the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), these included 20 cases of physical attacks, a dozen cases of threats and intimidation, and numerous other attempts to stifle freedom of expression.

In addition, a report released today by the Federation of Development Journalists (FODEJ) reveals that the number of incidents in which media workers were targeted jumped in the past year, from 294 to 474.

Mr. Bennett pledged the assistance of OHCHR to help ensure that the right to freedom of expression and information is respected by all in Nepal.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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LARGEST-EVER EASTERN EUROPE/CENTRAL ASIA AIDS CONFERENCE KICKS OFF - UN

LARGEST-EVER EASTERN EUROPE/CENTRAL ASIA AIDS CONFERENCE KICKS OFF – UN New York, May 2 2008 11:00AM The United Nations is taking part in the largest-ever AIDS conference covering Eastern Europe and Central Asia which kicks off tomorrow in Moscow.

Some 2,000 participants from 50 countries will gather for three days to assess regional achievements, share results and determine how to tackle the challenge of curbing the epidemic's regional impact.

Focusing on the theme "Accelerating Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment and Care for All," the event will be hosted by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2008/20080502_second_EECA_AIDS_Conference.asp">UNAIDS); the UN-backed <" http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/">Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the International AIDS Society; and the Federal Service on Surveillance Protection of Consumer Rights and Wellbeing of the Russian Federation.

"Eastern Europe and Central Asia is at a critical turning point in the epidemic," <"http://data.unaids.org/pub/PressRelease/2008/20080502_eecaac_opening_pr_en.pdf">said UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot, noting that governments, civil society and communities are displaying indications of enhanced leadership and cooperation.

"However, HIV-related stigma and discrimination continues to hamper HIV prevention efforts in the region and renewed political action is needed if real progress is to be achieved."

Efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS challenge have borne fruit in the region, with the estimated number of new HIV infections dropping from 230,000 in 2001 to 150,000 in 2007.

But the number of people living with the epidemic continues to grow, according to UNAIDS and the UN World Health Organization (<" http://www.who.int/en/">WHO).

The gathering will examine the feminization of the epidemic, which is affecting an ever-larger number of women; the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people; and increased heterosexual transmission.

This is the second Eastern Europe and Central Asia AIDS Conference (<" http://www.eecaac.org/en/index.phtml"> EECAAC II), following the inaugural session held in May 2006.
2008-05-02 00:00:00.000

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WOMEN HOLD KEY TO BREAKING OUT OF GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS, STRESSES MIGIRO

WOMEN HOLD KEY TO BREAKING OUT OF GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS, STRESSES MIGIRO New York, May 1 2008 6:00PM Not only do women suffer the most from global problems, such as the current crisis arising from the surge in food prices, but they can also contribute the most to its solutions, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

In a keynote address to the Women's Foreign Policy Group in New York, Ms. Migiro pointed out that the world is faced with an "unprecedented" rise of food prices, plunging many developing countries into a crisis that threatens to thwart efforts to achieve the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"The advances we have seen in achieving this collective vision for a better world could all be undermined by rising food prices," she said.

Highlighting some of the effects of the crisis, Ms. Migiro noted that families that do not have enough to eat are being forced to make terrible choices, such as deciding between food or medicine, or choosing whether to send their children to school or to the fields where they might earn money to help the family.

"And it's women who are hit the hardest," she said. "The development emergency engulfing whole communities is taking its heaviest toll on women."

The crisis has prompted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to form a new UN Task Force, bringing together heads of UN bodies along with international financial institutions, experts and leading global authorities to address the issue. He has also pointed out that the crisis offers an opportunity to re-invest in agriculture in Africa.

"Helping African farmers can have a decisive impact on women's lives," Ms. Migiro said, noting that for the most part it is women – who make up 80 per cent of Africa's farmers – that are out there under the hot sun, tending the fields and harvesting crops.

"But the same women hit hardest by the food crisis are ready to hit back," she added, stressing that with the right support, they can move their communities from subsistence farming to commercial farming and even industry. This is crucial not only for the continent but for the world, which is just not producing as much food as it consumes.

"We need to do much more… to empower women. Women can drive the Green Revolution in Africa. They hold the key to breaking out of the food crisis; to educating the young; to peace, progress and prosperity," the Deputy Secretary-General stated.
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST QUARTET TALKS, BAN KI-MOON MEETS WITH OFFICIALS IN LONDON

AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST QUARTET TALKS, BAN KI-MOON MEETS WITH OFFICIALS IN LONDON New York, May 1 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today in London with senior officials who will take part in tomorrow's meeting of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet – comprising the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States – being held as part of efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mr. Ban held talks with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commission for External Relations, and with Salam Fayad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority.

Later today and tomorrow, he plans to hold discussions with other officials, including Quartet envoy Tony Blair and European Union (EU) High Representative Javier Solana.

Tomorrow's Quartet meeting, which Mr. Ban will chair, will review all aspects of the peace process launched in the US city of Annapolis late last year and the situation on the ground.

While in London, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to take part in a session of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Palestinian Authority, a Norwegian initiative set up in 1992 to ensure that development assistance is used efficiently in relation to the peace process and to contribute to the development of Palestinian society.

Meanwhile in New York, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim held talks yesterday with Slovakian Deputy Foreign Minister Olga Algayerova.

The Minister "expressed her Government's support for the work of the President during the current General Assembly session, especially regards his efforts to advance on reforms related to the work and composition of the Security Council and to UN management practices," according to a statement issued by Mr. Kerim's spokesperson.

The two officials conferred on the Central European nation's involvement in UN activities, including its status as a newly emerging development donor, and also discussed the appointment of Miroslav Jenca, a Slovak diplomat, to head the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Next week, Mr. Kerim will travel to London to participate in a special private sector meeting convened by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline.

The President will then make stops in Turkey and Egypt for official visits.
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF CONDEMNS KILLING OF SENIOR AID WORKER IN CHAD

UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF CONDEMNS KILLING OF SENIOR AID WORKER IN CHAD New York, May 1 2008 4:00PM The United Nations humanitarian chief today strongly condemned the killing of Pascal Marlinge, Country Director of Save the Children-UK in Chad, and extended his condolences to the agency and to Mr. Marlinge's family.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said that "the targeting of humanitarian workers who are in Chad to help those suffering from civil strife is an inexcusable crime."

Mr. Marlinge, a French national who was based in the town of Abeché in Chad, was killed when a three-vehicle humanitarian convoy was stopped by two armed men in uniform. The incident happened about 20 kilometres east of Farchana, on the road to the town of Adre in eastern Chad.

Mr. Holmes said "the UN welcomes assurances by the Government of Chad that this crime will be investigated," and added that, "this despicable act is likely to exacerbate already challenging conditions in which humanitarian workers continue to provide much-needed relief to those in need."

The attack was the second targeting a humanitarian worker in Chad in less than a year. Gunmen shot and killed a driver working for the UN refugee agency (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) late last year.
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MOST AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MOST AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS New York, May 1 2008 2:00PM Indigenous peoples are "most directly affected by environmental degradation caused by climate change," and are "the stewards of some of the most precious biologically diverse regions of the world," the President of the General Assembly said today.

In a statement Srgjan Kerim said he was encouraged that the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which is currently meeting in New York, has chosen climate change as the special theme of this year's session.

He added that indigenous issues are inextricably linked to progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and that there was a "need to draw attention to what has been described as a 'development emergency', which is being exacerbated by rising high food and energy prices."

Mr. Kerim also welcomed the fact that this was the first session of the Forum since the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007.

He said "the Declaration marks a milestone in the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide. More than that, it is an important call for justice and to put an end to social exclusion and marginalization of approximately 370 million people worldwide and to ensure that their identity will be preserved."

He stressed that "indigenous people are affected in a disproportionate manner by a high level of poverty and extreme poverty as well as the lack of access to health and education services."

Some 3,300 delegates have gathered in New York for the seventh session of the Permanent Forum, a subsidiary of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is wrapping up tomorrow after two weeks.
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL GRANTS LEAVE TO FORMER SENIOR BOSNIAN CROAT FIGURE

UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL GRANTS LEAVE TO FORMER SENIOR BOSNIAN CROAT FIGURE New York, May 1 2008 2:00PM The United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst war crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s has <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pr1246e.htm">granted temporary provisional release to a former senior Bosnian Croat figure who is currently on trial.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), which sits in The Hague, ruled on Tuesday that Bruno Stoji&#263; be granted leave on humanitarian grounds until 5 May, when the defence case in his trial is scheduled to begin.

Mr. Stoji&#263; and five other co-accused, all 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.
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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MEETING BASIC FOOD NEEDS 'PROBLEMATIC' FOR MILLIONS OF AFGHANS, SAYS UN OFFICIAL

MEETING BASIC FOOD NEEDS 'PROBLEMATIC' FOR MILLIONS OF AFGHANS, SAYS UN OFFICIAL New York, May 1 2008 2:00PM Rising food prices in Afghanistan have left millions of people struggling and in need of assistance, a senior official from the United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=3">WFP) said today, after assessing the food security situation in the country.

"Right now meeting basic food needs is extremely problematic for millions of Afghans," Anthony Banbury, WFP's Regional Director for Asia, told a news conference in Kabul today.

Mr. Banbury noted that inflation in food costs hit 30 per cent in February, with wheat prices rising by 50 to 100 per cent in some parts of the country.

"Many people are able to endure these higher prices and perhaps even benefit from them," he stated. "But for millions of Afghans, the poorer segments of society, who spend up to 70 per cent of their meagre income on food, these food price rises put the basic necessities simply out of their reach."

He credited the Afghan Government for being one of the first in the world to identify the problems associated with the rising prices of food and to take action to address it. In January, the Government and the UN appealed for $79 million to deal with the humanitarian impact of the surge in prices.

The WFP portion of that appeal – $77 million – is fully funded and is being used to provide food assistance to 2.5 million Afghans.

UN agencies have already taken several measures to deal with the global crisis, and earlier this week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that he will lead a high-powered task force to coordinate the Organization's efforts in this area.

Meanwhile, Kai Eide, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, is meeting today in Ottawa with Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier and Defence Minister Peter Gordon MacKay, as part of his continuing consultations with concerned countries on ways to increase assistance for the strife-torn nation.

Mr. Eide arrived in Ottawa from Washington D.C., where he met with United States officials, including President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

The new envoy will be in New York tomorrow to talk to Secretariat officials about the conference to be held in Paris in June in support of the Afghan Government. He will also be discussing stepping up coordination efforts with Afghanistan's international partners.
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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JAMAICAN CHILDREN NEED HOPE TO RESIST VIOLENCE, SAYS EX-SOLDIER AND UN ADVOCATE

JAMAICAN CHILDREN NEED HOPE TO RESIST VIOLENCE, SAYS EX-SOLDIER AND UN ADVOCATE New York, May 1 2008 1:00PM Jamaican children need more opportunities, support and hope to resist and rise above violence, former child soldier and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Advocate for Children Affected by War Ishmael Beah <" http://www.unicef.org/media/media_43749.html">said at the end of a two-day visit to the Caribbean nation.

The 27-year-old Beah, who was forced as a child to fight in Sierra Leone's civil war, and was assisted with his rehabilitation by UNICEF, met with children in districts of Jamaica's capital, Kingston, which have been marred by violence. He discussed ways to stay away from gangs and to navigate difficult situations without resorting to violence.

"My life was all about weapons, drugs and violence," he said during his visit. "Now I teach people to resist violence and to use that energy to do other positive things with their lives. I encourage them to see that it is possible to have a life outside of violence."

Violence is a major threat to children in Jamaica, where 87 per cent of those aged 2 to 14 are subjected to at least one form of psychological or physical punishment. Only 28 per cent of children think their communities are safe. Children are pressed into gang warfare, where they are used as spies and look-outs and are often forced to conceal and use guns.

"Every child has the capacity to do great things," Mr. Beah said at a presentation to the University of the West Indies. "No one wants to take up a gun. It is circumstances that push children into violence. What you provide and how you engage with children is what makes the difference. It is possible to refocus and reshape their lives."
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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SISTER UN AGENCIES BOOST TIES TO BETTER SERVE WORLD'S VULNERABLE

SISTER UN AGENCIES BOOST TIES TO BETTER SERVE WORLD'S VULNERABLE New York, May 1 2008 1:00PM The United Nations agencies tasked with assisting refugees and promoting sexual and reproductive health rights have bolstered their partnership to tackle common challenges such as combating sexual and gender-based violence and addressing the needs of internally displaced persons (<" http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs).

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres and UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/481880224.html">signed a joint letter in Geneva yesterday formalizing the strengthened ties between the two bodies which have been working together for many years on issues of mutual concern.

"The newly signed letter is an attempt to broaden the cooperation between the agencies," said Karl Steinacker, head of UNHCR's field information and coordination support section.

The two agencies have collaborated to ensure that refugees and IDPs can enjoy their rights to good health, including in the preparation of health manuals, and to provide training, guidelines and resources to combat sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in refugee communities.

In addition, <" http://www.unfpa.org">UNFPA supplies UNHCR with items, including male and female condoms, to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections in conflict zones.

They have also worked together on a photographic and video project – "Positive Living, an exhibition for refugee settings" – designed to help de-stigmatize HIV/AIDS by showing that people living with HIV can lead a normal existence, which has toured refugee camps all over Africa.

Other areas where the two agencies stand to benefit from closer cooperation include obtaining accurate information on displaced populations, which will help to ensure that the vulnerable receive the assistance they need. Also, UNFPA's expertise in carrying out population censuses can help in identifying the world's stateless people.
2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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AT UN GATHERING, ASIA-PACIFIC NATIONS AGREE TO COOPERATE ON RENEWABLE ENERGY

AT UN GATHERING, ASIA-PACIFIC NATIONS AGREE TO COOPERATE ON RENEWABLE ENERGY New York, May 1 2008 10:00AM Asia-Pacific countries reached an agreement at a United Nations meeting in Bangkok to boost their collaboration on developing renewable energy in a bid to decrease their reliance on fossil fuels and enhance their long-term energy security.

The decision to share experiences and disseminate developing renewable energy technologies was taken yesterday before the closing of the annual session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which this year focused on the theme of energy security and sustainable development.

A recent ESCAP study showed that the region cannot rely on ongoing increases in the energy supply to spur economic growth. If the region's energy needs continue growing at the current rate, it will account for half of the world's energy demand by 2030, 80 per cent of which will be for oil, coal and other fossil fuels, which will result in massive carbon emissions.

Some 1.7 billion people in the region rely on traditional biomass fuels -- the largest number of victims from indoor air pollution caused by burning these fuels is in the Asia-Pacific -- and 1 billion do not have access to electricity.

At the meeting, Asia-Pacific countries asked ESCAP to collaborate with multilateral funding agencies, research institutions and public-private partnerships, among others.

Representatives from roughly 50 countries attended the session, which also adopted resolutions on boosting resilience to disasters, transport and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets to be met by 2015.

"Sustainable agriculture and food security" was selected as next year's session focus.

"The new theme reflects the serious concern that many delegates have expressed over the rocketing food prices," ESCAP Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer said in her closing remarks to the gathering.

2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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MARGINALIZED GROUPS MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN IN RESPONSE TO FOOD CRISIS -- UN RIGHTS CHIEF

MARGINALIZED GROUPS MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN IN RESPONSE TO FOOD CRISIS -- UN RIGHTS CHIEF New York, May 1 2008 10:00AM Solutions to the current food crisis spurred by soaring global food prices must include marginalized groups, the top United Nations human rights official said today, joining the call issued by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the international community to respond to the problem.

While acknowledging that addressing the crisis is fundamentally humanitarian in nature, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour stressed in a statement issued in Geneva that it is also an obligation, thus requiring non-discriminatory food distributions and analysis of communities' needs.

"More fundamentally, and for the more medium and longer term, the underlying inequalities and inabilities to access food must be addressed by a comprehensive solution," she noted. "When we focus on those most in need, we must include not only the poorest but also those that are particularly vulnerable to discrimination on any other grounds, including gender, ethnicity, or disability."

Ms. Arbour underscored that all voices must be heard -- directly or through representative organizations -- in tackling the food crisis.

She also pointed out that food-related social unrest could potentially threaten other human rights, such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Yesterday, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes announced that the UN is aiming to have a comprehensive plan to tackle the global food crisis in place by the beginning of June "around which the institutions and leaders around the world can coalesce."

Mr. Holmes is one of two coordinators, along with UN System Influenza Coordinator David Nabarro, of a new high-powered task force that was announced yesterday by the Secretary-General to organize responses to the global rise in food prices.

Speaking at a news conference today in Geneva, Mr. Holmes, who also serves as Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that although the breadth and complexity of the issue needed to be recognized, there was no need to panic.

"I think it is clear we can fix these problems," he said. The solutions can be found; the solutions are there. They are very difficult, some of them, in the short term, but they can be done."

2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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ERITREA UNDERMINED BASIS OF UN PEACEKEEPING MISSION'S MANDATE -- SECURITY COUNCIL

ERITREA UNDERMINED BASIS OF UN PEACEKEEPING MISSION'S MANDATE -- SECURITY COUNCIL New York, May 1 2008 9:00AM Recalling its prior condemnation of Eritrea's hindrances, the Security Council said the country's ongoing obstruction of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) has dealt a blow to the blue helmets' mandate.

The restrictions posed by Eritrea have induced UNMEE to relocate temporarily, according to a statement read out last night by Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, which held the rotating presidency of the Council for April.

"The Security Council will, in the light of consultations with the parties, decide on the terms of a future UN engagement and on the future of UNMEE," he noted.

The 15-member Council said that it is prepared to help the sides break the stalemate, but warned that -- as it has in previous statements -- the two countries are responsible for reaching a "comprehensive and lasting settlement" of their border dispute and for normalizing their relations.

Calling on the Horn of Africa neighbours "to show maximum restraint and to refrain from any threat or use of force against each other," the statement urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to follow up on commitments made in the 2000 Algiers Agreements, which ended the war between the countries.

Last week, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno told reporters following a closed Security Council meeting on the situation between the parties that "now we are reaching the end of what peacekeeping can achieve," given Eritrea's announcement that it no longer supports the UN peacekeeping presence.

He noted that peacekeeping can only make a difference if the countries involved have made a political commitment.

2008-05-01 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN MISSION IN WESTERN SAHARA FOR ANOTHER YEAR

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN MISSION IN WESTERN SAHARA FOR ANOTHER YEAR New York, May 1 2008 2:00AM The Security Council today extended until 30 April 2009 the mandate of the United Nations mission in Western Sahara (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minurso/index.html">MINURSO), tasked with monitoring the ceasefire between Morocco and the Frente Polisario and organizing a referendum on self-determination.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council called on the parties to enter into "a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations" to resolve their long-running dispute.

Morocco holds that its sovereignty over Western Sahara should be recognized, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the Territory's final status should be decided in a referendum that includes independence as an option.

In his recent report on the issue, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote that while he welcomed the commitment of the two parties -- outlined in a communiqué issued after UN-led talks held in March -- to continue their negotiations, so far there was no sign of any breakthrough in the dispute.

"Momentum can only be maintained by trying to find a way out of the current political impasse through realism and a spirit of compromise from both parties," he stated, a view endorsed by the Council in the resolution adopted today.

UN-sponsored talks on the issue are facilitated by Peter van Walsum, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, and include representatives of neighbouring States, Algeria and Mauritania.

The Council called on the parties to continue with negotiations without preconditions and in good faith, "with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution."

2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION SUPPORTING SOUTHERN SUDAN PEACE ACCORD EXTENDED FOR ONE YEAR

UN MISSION SUPPORTING SOUTHERN SUDAN PEACE ACCORD EXTENDED FOR ONE YEAR New York, Apr 30 2008 11:00PM The Security Council today voted to extend the United Nations mission set up to support a 2005 accord that ended the long-running civil war between north and south Sudan, and called on the parties to fully their commitments to achieve lasting peace.

In a resolution passed unanimously, the Council stressed the importance of "full and expeditious" implementation of all elements of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) -- signed by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) -- as it extended the UN mission in the country (<"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">UNMIS) until 30 April 2009.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a recent report, stated that the parties deserve credit for striving to overcome their tensions and problems through dialogue, but tangible progress has not been made in key areas, jeopardizing the agreement's implementation.

He noted in particular that recent clashes and tensions in the Abyei area, an oil-rich region which remains disputed by the two sides, are a potential threat to the agreement.

The Council today urged the parties to "address and find a mutually agreeable solution to the Abyei issue," and urged them to redeploy their forces away from the disputed 1 January 1956 border and fully establish an interim administration in Abyei in accordance with the CPA.

In addition, the 15-member body "calls for all parties to immediately accept full unrestricted UNMIS monitoring and verification in the Abyei region, without prejudice to the final agreement on the actual borders between the two sides." It also urged the Mission to consult with the parties and to deploy personnel to the Abyei region.

Resolution of that issue is just one of many which the report says must be overcome if the CPA is to be fully implemented, Mr. Ban noted in his report. The others include border demarcation; the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants; the formation of joint integrated units involving the two sides; and appropriate preparations for the current national census and next year's scheduled elections.

"Those issues are interlinked. Progress must be made in parallel; delay or confrontation in one area will affect implementation in the other areas," he warned.

To this end, the Council urged the Government of National Unity to carry out an inclusive, national census and to prepare for the holding of free and fair elections. It also urged UNMIS to prepare to support the national elections, and the international community to provide technical and material assistance for electoral preparations.

2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: HEAD OF UN/AU PEACEKEEPING FORCE VOICES 'IMPATIENCE' FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

DARFUR: HEAD OF UN/AU PEACEKEEPING FORCE VOICES 'IMPATIENCE' FOR POSITIVE CHANGE New York, Apr 30 2008 7:00PM The head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/index.html">UNAMID, said today that he is just as anxious as people on the ground are for progress.

"It has almost been 3 months into the launch of the joint peacekeeping mission in Darfur: The people of Darfur have endured enough," UN/AU Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada told reporters in Khartoum. "They are impatient to see positive change and I am just as impatient as they are."

At full deployment, UNAMID is expected to have some 26,000 troops and police officers, making it the world's largest peacekeeping operation, but to date, only 10,000 unformed personnel have been deployed.

According to the UN, as many as 300,000 people are now estimated to have died in Darfur since early 2003, when rebels began fighting Government forces and allied militiamen. This figure includes deaths from disease, malnutrition and reduced life expectancy, as well as from direct combat.

Aside from the death toll, more than 2.7 million Darfurians have been displaced by the fighting, the vast majority still living within the arid region on Sudan's western flank. Around 260,000 refugees have had to flee to the east of neighbouring Chad.

"Underdevelopment and poverty are among the root causes of the problem and they need to be addressed," Mr. Adada noted.

While calling on the international community to provide assistance, he stressed that Darfurians, too, must play their part "by upholding the rule of law, stopping banditry and committing to a peaceful solution."

On the political front, the Representative urged all sides to reach a ceasefire.

"UNAMID is a peacekeeping mission," he said. "And peacekeepers need a peace to keep."

However, Mr. Adada emphasized that despite its challenges, UNAMID is endeavouring to help Darfurians by protecting vulnerable groups and training community policing volunteers, among other efforts.

Addressing the Security Council last week, he said it was disturbing that while the region has remained near the top of the international agenda, this attention had not been matched with the necessary action to provide UNAMID with the means to accomplish the tasks assigned to it.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL TO HOST UPCOMING MIDDLE EAST QUARTET MEETING

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO HOST UPCOMING MIDDLE EAST QUARTET MEETING New York, Apr 30 2008 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will chair a meeting of the diplomatic Middle East Quartet – comprising the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States – later this week in London.

The 2 May gathering will review all aspects of the peace process launched in the US city of Annapolis late last year and the situation on the ground.

While in the United Kingdom's capital, he is also scheduled to take part in an expanded Quartet meeting with Arab foreign ministers.

He will then participate in a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Palestinian Authority, a Norwegian initiative set up in 1992 to ensure that development assistance is used efficiently to the peace process and to contribute to the development of Palestinian society.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to participate in the Committee's meeting, which will assess progress in Palestinian institutional and economic development since it met in New York last September.

Yesterday in Geneva, Mr. Ban launched a new lecture series on the topic "opportunity in crisis," where he underscored how the current food crisis threatens to undo all the recent efforts to lift people out of poverty around the world and could spark related economic, social and political crises.

Following his lecture, he fielded questioned on development, human rights, UN reform, the situation in Zimbabwe and this summer's Olympic Games.

In a related development, the Secretary-General today stated that he does not want to indicate his preference for any candidate contesting the two non-permanent seats in the Security Council for the 2009-2010 period.

The two seats are being contested by Austria, Iceland and Turkey. Mr. Ban "recognizes that they are all eminently qualified for the seats and wishes each of them success in their effort to secure the support of Member States of the Organization," according to a statement issued in Geneva by his spokesperson.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ MUST SPEND MORE ON BASIC SERVICES, PARTICULARLY FOR CHILDREN, SAYS UN ENVOY

IRAQ MUST SPEND MORE ON BASIC SERVICES, PARTICULARLY FOR CHILDREN, SAYS UN ENVOY New York, Apr 30 2008 5:00PM The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict has called on the Iraqi Government to spend more on basic services, noting that a large portion of the strife-torn nation's children are going to school or receiving proper care.

"The government of Iraq must use a large portion of its budget – that is the surplus – to deal with the provision of basic services to its population," Radhika Coomaraswamy told reporters in New York today, after a six-day visit to Iraq.

She said the "situation is quite intolerable for children, especially in central and south Iraq."

The Iraqi Government is dealing with large-scale reconstruction, but "there is just no attention to these basic services, and if there is, it is on a sectarian emphasis," she added.

Citing figures from the UN Children's Fund (<"www.unicef.org">UNICEF), she said that only half of Iraq's children are currently going to school, and that "the issue of psychosocial services remains extremely problematic with surveys in Basra and other places showing 80 per cent with psychological symptoms."

Ms. Coomaraswamy called for "diplomatic and political initiatives to secure humanitarian access for the major humanitarian actors. Supplying them with US military security is just not enough. There is a need to actually do the work, to try and get humanitarian access."

Saying that over 1,500 children are being held in detention by the Multinational Forces in Iraq (MNF) and by the Iraqi Government, she commented that both must "respect international norms and standards with regard to children in detention."

Although the MNF had made progress since the end of last year on family visits, education and recreation for the children in its custody, Ms. Coomaraswamy said that children "should not be held in military detention," without access to outside legal counsel. Of the more than 1,000 children in Iraqi detention, she said that "there is no education, no recreation – nothing being given to these children."

Citing anecdotal and eyewitness evidence, the UN envoy also said that "since the Samara bombing of 2006 a large number of children were being recruited by the militias and the insurgent groups, that in some cases payment is given as inducement and that there was a general belief among the various groups that children should be mobilized to protect the particular group – a total mobilization of the community."

She called on religious and community leaders to make sure that children "are not included in the conflict, to make the appeals and to raise awareness about this issue – so that they can be sent back to school."
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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GAZA POWER SUPPLIES CRITICALLY LOW, WARNS UN

GAZA POWER SUPPLIES CRITICALLY LOW, WARNS UN New York, Apr 30 2008 5:00PM Due to disruptions at the Nahal Oz fuel crossing – which was attacked earlier this month by Palestinian militants – fuel supplies for Gaza are critically low, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) warned today.

"Without additional fuel deliveries before Friday, the power plant could be forced to shut down this weekend," UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

The Nahal Oz depot is the sole overland conduit into the Gaza Strip.

In a related development, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA) reported that it has no benzene and is running dangerously low in diesel fuel due to distribution issues.

Passenger cars are grounded, while vehicles used for food distributions that rely on diesel will be inoperable again next week if no new supplies are provided.

<"http://www.unsco.org/Default.asp">UNSCO underscored the need for all sides to ensure that UNRWA has the necessary benzene and diesel it needs to carry out its work.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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UN TO DRAW UP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS WORLD FOOD CRISIS

UN TO DRAW UP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS WORLD FOOD CRISIS New York, Apr 30 2008 3:00PM The United Nations is aiming to have a comprehensive plan to tackle the global food crisis in place by the beginning of June, "around which the institutions and leaders around the world can coalesce," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said today.

Mr. Holmes is one of two coordinators, along with UN System Influenza Coordinator David Nabarro, of a new high-powered task force that was announced yesterday by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to organize responses to the global rise in food prices.

Speaking at a <"http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/FFA37D18A12FD182C125743B0052953E?OpenDocument">news conference today in Geneva, Mr. Holmes said that although the breadth and complexity of the issue needed to be recognized, there was no need to panic. "I think it is clear we can fix these problems. The solutions can be found; the solutions are there. They are very difficult, some of them, in the short term, but they can be done."

On the role of biofuel production in the current crisis, Mr. Holmes said: "It is something that needs a new look in present circumstances without wanting to fall in any sense into knee-jerk reactions of saying all biofuels are bad or good. We need to look at it in a careful, sophisticated and differentiated way, between different regions of the world and between different products."

The Under-Secretary-General also said the crisis was not affecting every country in the same way. "For many countries and population groups it is inconvenient, a problem for their daily budget and their purses, but it is not a matter of life and death. In some places and for some groups, particularly those living on less than a dollar a day, that quickly could become a matter of life and death, or certainly of increased suffering and malnutrition."

The UN's action plan is to be in place in time for a meeting of UN agencies in Rome at the beginning of June. The task force is chaired by Mr. Ban and consists of the heads of the <"http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (<"http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm">IMF), the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (<"http://www.ifad.org/">IFAD), the World Trade Organization (<"http://www.wto.org/">WTO), and other organizations which will be invited to join.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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SMALL ARMS THWART STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD

SMALL ARMS THWART STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD New York, Apr 30 2008 3:00PM The threat to international peace and security posed by the uncontrolled trade in small arms and their excessive accumulation and proliferation cannot be overemphasized, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.

"We have all witnessed how these weapons have been used to maim and kill; plunder and rape; instil fear and insecurity; block humanitarian aid; hold communities at ransom; destroy the social fabric of entire countries; and how their excessive accumulation and misuse has hindered stability and development in every way possible," said Hannelore Hoppe, Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

Opening today's <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9316.doc.htm">debate, which heard from dozens of speakers, Ms. Hoppe presented Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's first-ever report on small arms to the Council.

In that document, Mr. Ban observed that currently most conflicts are fought using mainly small arms and light weapons, being widely used in inter-State conflicts as well as in civil wars, terrorism, organized crime and gang warfare.

The report stressed the need for collaboration between the Council and the General Assembly to curb the illicit flows of arms and ammunition to crisis and conflict areas.

Additionally, it presents several recommendations directly involving the Council, including strengthening ties between its arms embargoes and its disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts, as well as to further apply its practice of tying arms embargo exceptions to security sector reform.

Ms. Hoppe told the debate that the "Secretary-General is committed to further improving coordination within the UN system with a view to strengthening its action regarding small arms issues."

As a result, one of his disarmament priorities for this year will be reviving the Coordinating Action on Small Arms (CASA), which was established in 1998 as a consultative mechanism, she pointed out.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN ENVOY DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN WITH UNITED STATES OFFICIALS

NEW UN ENVOY DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN WITH UNITED STATES OFFICIALS New York, Apr 30 2008 2:00PM The new United Nations envoy to Afghanistan has just wrapped two days of meetings with United States officials in Washington, D.C., during which they expressed their full support for the world body's efforts in the strife-torn nation.

Kai Eide, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://www.unama-afg.org/">UNAMA), met with President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Mr. Eide and President Bush discussed the upcoming Paris conference in support of the Afghan Government, the importance of the upcoming elections and Mr. Eide's key coordination role.

"They agreed that this is a crucial moment for Afghanistan," UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told journalists.

The past several days have witnessed an escalation in terrorist attacks in the country, including a suicide bombing yesterday that killed a number of civilians in the country's eastern Nangarhar province, and an attack on a parade in Kabul on Sunday that was attended by President Hamid Karzai and other dignitaries.

Mr. Karzai – who has survived three assassination attempts in recent years – escaped uninjured in the attack, which claimed the lives of two Parliament members and injured nine others, including two Afghan National Police officers.

Mr. Eide now heads to Ottawa, where he will meet with senior Canadian officials to discuss support for UN activities in Afghanistan ahead of the Paris conference.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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COLOMBIA: UN EXPERTS CALL FOR ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

COLOMBIA: UN EXPERTS CALL FOR ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS New York, Apr 30 2008 1:00PM A group of independent United Nations experts have called for urgent measures to protect those defending human rights in Colombia, following a recent surge in violence that includes killings, harassment and intimidation of civil society activists, trade union leaders and lawyers representing victims.

"We are deeply concerned by recent developments in Colombia indicating the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders in recent months," the experts said in a <"http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/170D9CEF62BB1414C125743B005846D4?OpenDocument">statement issued today in Geneva.

The group reports that so far this year there have been 21 killings of trade unionists and civil society leaders and dozens of reports of death threats against activists and defenders allegedly perpetrated by new illegal armed groups.

The recent escalation in violence against human rights defenders "confirms the need for a vigorous and immediate reaction from the Government for the protection of defenders in Colombia," they added.

While recognizing the measures taken by the Government to improve the security of human rights defenders, the group called for "more effective and consistent protection measures for defenders at risk as a matter of urgency."

These include effective protection of defenders at risk, more efficient investigations and conclusive prosecutions of perpetrators, and more open and firm cross-party political support and recognition to defenders and their work.

"Concrete and concerted action is needed to stop the endemic impunity for the crimes and violations committed against human rights defenders," said the experts, all of whom report to the Geneva-based UN <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/">Human Rights Council.

The statement was signed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston; and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy.

In a related development, Margaret Sekaggya will begin her duties as Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders on 1 May. Ms. Sekaggya, who has been the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission since 1996, succeeds Ms. Jilani who has been responsible for this mandate since 2000.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN-BACKED NETWORK TO LINK DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

NEW UN-BACKED NETWORK TO LINK DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA New York, Apr 30 2008 1:00PM The United Nations agency tasked with tackling rural poverty announced today that it will help finance a new knowledge network connecting development partners in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Executive Board of the UN International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD) <" http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2008/27.htm">approved a grant to create FIDAfrique-IFADAfrica, which will link existing networks in Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa.

The initiative will allow those working to reduce rural poverty throughout sub-Saharan Africa to share their experiences, possibly sparking innovative ideas, and will also connect IFAD-funded programmes and projects to each other.

The agency is contributing $2 million of the nearly $4 million needed for the three-year scheme.

<" http://www.fidafrique.net/rubrique52.html">FIDAfrique was set up in 1999 to enhance project management in Western and Central Africa by bolstering the capacity to spread knowledge, information and lessons learned across all IFAD projects in the region.

After it received positive evaluations in 2007, it was recommended that the network be enlarged to span all of sub-Saharan Africa.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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POSTAL SERVICES A KEY ELEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

POSTAL SERVICES A KEY ELEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, SAYS BAN KI-MOON New York, Apr 30 2008 1:00PM Marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) as a United Nations agency, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has <" http://www.upu.int/press/en/2008/un_secretary-general_pays_tribute_to_economic_value_of_postal_services_en.pdf">highlighted the important role of postal services, especially at a time when hundreds of millions of people have relocated from their country of origin and are anxious to share news and resources with their relatives.

"You may be one of the smallest specialized agencies, but the work you are doing is key to the broader mission of our Organization," Mr. Ban said on Monday while at the UPU's headquarters in Bern, Switzerland.

The Secretary-General said that the postal sector makes a well-known contribution to development, and pointed out that the UPU helps developing countries develop trade-related infrastructure and supply capacity, especially in Africa.

"The capacity of postal services to provide information, goods and fund transfers can lend valuable support to the growth of small businesses in developing countries and help them to access markets in industrialized States," he stated.

The <"http://www.upu.int/">UPU is the primary forum for cooperation between national postal services. It establishes the rules for international mail exchange among its 191 members and makes recommendations on increasing the volume of mail, and on improving the quality of services. Each year, 5 million postal workers deliver over 433 billion letters domestically, and 5.5 billion internationally, as well as over 6 billion parcels.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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NEARLY 175 TIMORESE FAMILIES DISPLACED IN 2006 FIGHTING TO RETURN HOME - UN

NEARLY 175 TIMORESE FAMILIES DISPLACED IN 2006 FIGHTING TO RETURN HOME – UN New York, Apr 30 2008 11:00AM Nearly 175 families uprooted in the violence that swept through Timor-Leste three years ago are set to return to their homes today, a move welcomed by the <" http://www.unmit.org/unmisetwebsite.nsf/MainFrame-EN.htm?OpenFrameset">United Nations as a breakthrough in efforts to tackle the issue internally displaced persons (<" http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs) in the young nation that the world body helped shepherd to independence in 2002.

The violence that engulfed Timor-Leste in April and May of 2006, attributed to differences between the eastern and western regions, led to the deaths of at least 37 people and large-scale displacement.

The United Nations estimates that there are some 100,000 IDPs in the country. About one third of those displace in 2006 fled to camps in the capital, Dili, while the rest found temporary housing with relatives in the districts.

The Seminario Maior Fatumeta Camp in Dili will close today after 173 families return to their homes. Each of the returning families will receive a grant from the Ministry of Social Solidarity to help them rebuild or repair their homes. In addition, each person will receive 16 kilograms of rice.

The closure of the camp is "the first significant breakthrough," said Pierre Bessuges, head of the UN's humanitarian aid office. "It's a strong sign of how the country is recovering from the violence that tore the capital apart in 2006."

Noting that the process of reintegrating IDPs back into their communities is a long process, Mr. Bessuges urged the country's international partners to support the $33.5 million humanitarian appeal launched last month by the UN and non-governmental organizations working in Timor-Leste to help the country's most vulnerable, including IDPs.
2008-04-30 00:00:00.000

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INFORMATION CHIEF URGES MEMBER STATES TO HELP SPREAD MESSAGE ABOUT UN'S WORK

INFORMATION CHIEF URGES MEMBER STATES TO HELP SPREAD MESSAGE ABOUT UN'S WORK New York, Apr 29 2008 8:00PM United Nations Member States must actively participate in explaining the work and role of the world body to the general public, the top UN communications official told the opening of the annual session of the Committee on Information today.

Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/pi1827.doc.htm">told the meeting that the Organization needed the cooperation of Member States to help ensure "we can make a difference for a better world."

He urged delegations to consider ways of how their governments and civil society organizations could partner with the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and other offices of the broader UN family to enhance the public understanding about the world body.

"Telling the United Nations story and building broad public support for the Organization and its aims cannot be achieved by DPI alone," he said.

Mr. Akasaka said the mission of DPI was inseparable from the overall objectives and aims of the UN, especially given that the world body has to deal with more and more issues of global significance – and rising expectations that it can or should deliver solutions.

The Under-Secretary-General also detailed a wide range of information efforts undertaken by the Department over the past year, explaining that he has focused on a strategic approach, improved coordination, new and expanded partnerships, multilingualism and evaluation.

In his address, the Committee's chairperson, Andreas Baum of Switzerland, said the body was meeting at a crucial time in the history of the UN, with the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the midpoint of the implementation of the series of eight internationally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Increasingly, people looked to the UN to better peace and security, improve development, guarantee human rights and tackle such complex challenges as climate change and food security.

For the UN to meet those expectations, Mr. Baum said, its actions, goals and aspirations needed to be understood, voicing praise for DPI's increased emphasis on cooperation with UN system partners and civil society organizations.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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STARTING NEW LECTURE SERIES, SECRETARY-GENERAL ISSUES WARNING ON FOOD CRISIS

STARTING NEW LECTURE SERIES, SECRETARY-GENERAL ISSUES WARNING ON FOOD CRISIS New York, Apr 29 2008 7:00PM The current food crisis threatens to undo all the recent efforts to lift people out of poverty around the world and could spark related economic, social and political crises, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today at the inaugural event in the Geneva Lecture series.

"We are familiar with the causes: rising oil prices, growing global demand, bad trade policies, bad weather, panic buying and speculation, the new craze of biofuels derived from food products and so on and so on," Mr. Ban said at the <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=227">lecture, jointly organized by the UN Office at Geneva (<"http://www.unog.ch/">UNOG) and the UN Institute for Training and Research (<"http://www.unitar.org/">UNITAR).

He warned that the recent surge in prices of basic foods, such as rice, wheat and corn, already having an enormous impact on poor people worldwide, could lead to further deleterious effects.

"If not managed properly, it [the food crisis] could touch off a cascade of related crises – affecting trade, economic growth, social progress and even political security around the world."

But the Secretary-General also said he was confident that the world has both the resources and the knowledge to deal with the problems, and he called on leaders to see the crisis as not just a problem, but as an opportunity.

"It is a huge chance to address the root problems of many of the world's poorest people, 70 per cent of whom live as small farmers. If we help them – if we offer aid and the right mix of sound local and international policies – the solution will come. And along the way we will have struck a mighty blow for social equity and development."

He called for a mix of short-term and long-term measures, including steps to immediately feed the most hungry people and actions to help farmers bring in their next harvests.

Today's lecture is the first of a series that aims to raise awareness to a wide audience in Geneva of the most pressing global challenges and focus on how individuals can contribute to resolving such problems.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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HAITIANS CAUGHT UP IN FOOD CRISIS RECEIVE HELPING HAND FROM UN VOLUNTEERS

HAITIANS CAUGHT UP IN FOOD CRISIS RECEIVE HELPING HAND FROM UN VOLUNTEERS New York, Apr 29 2008 7:00PM United Nations Volunteers (<"http://www.unv.org/">UNV) working in Haiti have helped provide emergency relief to elderly and handicapped residents suffering from the current global food crisis.

Working with the Community Violence Reduction (CVR) section of the UN mission in the Caribbean nation, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/facts.html">MINUSTAH, UNV assisted in providing some 1,000 elderly and handicapped people with rice and beans.

Earlier this month, violent protests erupted in the capital Port-au-Prince in response to the soaring price of staple foods.

In Haiti, the volunteers have focused on helping the country foster political and institutional stability, and played a pivotal role during the 2006 elections when they were the only monitors operating in parts of the Caribbean island nation.

"Volunteering to save lives brings me personal satisfaction," said Emmanuel Sannoh, UNV and team leader of the CVR section who has served with MINUSTAH since 2004.

Last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote to more than a dozen key Member States, asking for their urgent assistance in addressing the situation in Haiti, which has witnessed a rapid deterioration in socio-economic conditions that threatens to undo the gains achieved by the tiny nation, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT CALLS FOR ARREST OF CONGOLESE MILITIA LEADER

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT CALLS FOR ARREST OF CONGOLESE MILITIA LEADER New York, Apr 29 2008 7:00PM The International Criminal Court (<"http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/362.html">ICC) has called for the arrest of a militia leader accused of forcibly enlisting children as soldiers to fight in the volatile, resource-rich Ituri district in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from July 2002 until the end of 2003.

The ICC's pre-trial chamber yesterday published an arrest warrant for Bosco Ntaganda, currently alleged to be chief of staff of the militia known as the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), which has been active in Ituri and other parts of North Kivu province in the DRC.

The warrant was first issued in August 2006, but remained secret until prosecutors this week asked the pre-trial chamber to unseal it.

Prosecutors said Mr. Ntaganda is a former associate of the militia leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who in June is scheduled to become the first person to go on trial at the ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court.

"Today, he [Mr. Ntaganda] is active in the Kivus," prosecutors said in a statement to the media released today. "We count on all concerned States authorities and actors to contribute to his arrest and surrender him to the Court."

Mr. Ntaganda is accused of playing a central role in enlisting and conscripting children aged below 15 into the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo (FPLC), another militia group, and of using those children in active hostilities in 2002-03.

Prosecutors said Mr. Ntaganda remains at large in the Kivus and continues to be implicated in crimes committed in the DRC.

"He must be arrested. Like all the other indicted criminals in Uganda and the Sudan, he must be stopped if we want to break the system of violence. For such criminals, there must be no escape. Then peace will have a chance. Then victims will have hope."

The CNDP, a political-military group under the command of Laurent Nkunda, a former general with the Congolese national forces, is one of several groups facing "credible reports," prosecutors say, of serious crimes, "including sexual crimes of unspeakable cruelty."

Deadly violence involving militias and Government forces has continued to plague North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, which are rich in resources and border Rwanda and Uganda, despite the official end to the DRC civil war in 2003.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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FIRST OFFICIAL OF UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL ON LEBANESE KILLINGS STARTS WORK

FIRST OFFICIAL OF UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL ON LEBANESE KILLINGS STARTS WORK New York, Apr 29 2008 6:00PM The first official of the United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon to take up his functions, the registrar Robin Vincent, began his duties yesterday as the court continues to make progress in its start-up phase.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11538.doc.htm">statement issued today by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Mr. Vincent will work closely with the Special Tribunal's management committee and with the UN Secretariat to take the necessary steps to formally establish the court, in line with Security Council resolution 1757 from last year.

"He will initially concentrate his activities on preparing the premises of the Tribunal, coordinating the transition between the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) and the Tribunal, recruiting core staff, and finalizing the Tribunal's budget," the statement added.

The Council asked Mr. Ban last year to set up the court after Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora informed the 15-member body that all domestic options had been exhausted, due to the country's ongoing political crisis.

The Special Tribunal is designed to try those accused of recent political murders in Lebanon, particularly the February 2005 assassination of the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in a massive car bombing in downtown Beirut that killed 22 others.

Last month, in a report to the Council, Mr. Ban said the selection of the judges and the prosecutor has also been completed and a draft budget will be submitted soon to the management committee of the Tribunal.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES STEPS TOWARD HOLDING OF IVORIAN PRESIDENTIAL POLLS

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES STEPS TOWARD HOLDING OF IVORIAN PRESIDENTIAL POLLS New York, Apr 29 2008 6:00PM The Security Council today welcomed the news that Côte d'Ivoire will be holding previously delayed presidential elections on 30 November, and urged the West African nation to redouble its efforts to meet that vital goal on the path to peace.

The announcement of the election date, supported by all Ivorian parties, and the signing by President Laurent Gbagbo of related decrees, constitute "an important step forward," according to a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9315.doc.htm">statement read out by Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, which holds the rotating Council presidency for April.

Côte d'Ivoire became divided in 2002 between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north, but last year's Ouagadougou Peace Agreement paved the way for an end to the conflict and included a provision calling for free and fair elections to be held.

Presidential polls were to be held as far back as 2005, but have been delayed several times since then.

During his visit to the country last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encouraged all the main political actors in Côte d'Ivoire to continue making progress in the country's peace process.

"We all know however that considerable challenges remain to be addressed," Mr. Ban said. "The road to the elections, to sustainable peace and reconciliation, may be treacherous and we should be vigilant."

In addition to the setting of the election date, the Council said it was encouraged by the signing last week, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, of a Code of Good Conduct for elections by all political parties.

The 15-member body also encouraged the parties to build on the ongoing mobile courts' process for the identification of the Ivorian population and registration of voters, and said it looked forward to the publication of the electoral list "as a crucial step in the electoral process."

The Council adopted the presidential statement after receiving a closed-door briefing by the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Côte d'Ivoire, Choi Young-Jin.

Mr. Choi's active engagement, as well as the continued support of President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso to the country's peace process, "has been instrumental towards achieving the establishment of a consensus among all political parties to hold presidential elections in 2008," the Council added.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN CONTINUE IN PHILIPPINES, UN FINDS

GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN CONTINUE IN PHILIPPINES, UN FINDS New York, Apr 29 2008 6:00PM Both rebel and Government forces have killed and maimed children during ongoing conflicts in the Philippines, according to a report released today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/272">report states that 19 children were killed in conflict situations between July 2005 and November 2007, while 42 were maimed. Just over half of these cases were perpetrated by Government security forces, a fifth were attributed to the Abu Sayyaf Group/Jemaah Islamiya rebels, and 8 per cent to the communist insurgents, the New People's Army (NPA).

The report also says there is evidence that Government paramilitary forces and rebel groups, including the NPA and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, recruited children during the same period.

Overall, the Secretary-General's report finds that around half of verified grave violations against children were carried out by Government security forces, a third by the NPA, and 15 per cent by the Abu Sayyaf Group/Jemaah Islamiya. But the report adds that the lower number of cases reported for the rebels is most likely due to a lack of access to these groups.

The Secretary-General recommends that State and non-State actors enter into dialogue with the UN to end the recruitment of children as well as other grave violations of children's rights.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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PAYING TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS, BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR DESTRUCTION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

PAYING TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS, BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR DESTRUCTION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS New York, Apr 29 2008 6:00PM Marking the Remembrance Day for Victims of Chemical Warfare, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all States to ratify the international treaty banning the deadly weapons.

The Day is "a solemn occasion for the world to pay tribute to all victims of chemical warfare, and to ensure their suffering will not be forgotten or repeated," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11539.doc.htm">message.

Today also marks the 21st anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention – which provides for the eradication of these instruments of mass destruction – entering into force. All States Parties to the pact are obliged to destroy their existing stockpiles by 29 April 2012.

Currently, 183 States, representing 98 per cent of the world's population, have signed on to the treaty.

"However, I remain gravely concerned that a number of key States have not adhered to the Convention," Mr. Ban said, calling on nations not party to the treaty to ratify or accede to it immediately.

The memory of the victims of chemical warfare can be honoured through the total elimination of the deadly weapons as well as through worldwide adherence to the Convention, he noted.

"On this Remembrance Day, let us renew our commitment to realize a world free of chemical weapons. Let us redouble our efforts to build a safer place for this and future generations."

Earlier this month, the Secretary-General called on States to redouble their efforts to eliminate the scourge of chemical weapons.

"Our efforts to build a world free of chemical weapons require that all States Parties adopt, enhance and strengthen the national implementation measures called for under the Convention," Mr. Ban told the gathering, in a message delivered by Tim Caughley, Deputy Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, at a meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, of countries which have ratified the pact.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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NEARLY $1 BILLION PAID OUT BY UN REPARATIONS PANEL FOR INVASION OF KUWAIT

NEARLY $1 BILLION PAID OUT BY UN REPARATIONS PANEL FOR INVASION OF KUWAIT New York, Apr 29 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which settles the damage claims of those who suffered losses because of Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, today announced the disbursement of some $972.4 million to 26 successful claimants.

Today's amount brings the overall total compensation issued by the UNCC to individuals, corporations, governments and international organizations to $24.3 billion.

Eighteen other claims, including five environmental claims, remain to be paid in the future, the UNCC said.

The vast majority of funds for compensation payments have come from the sale of Iraqi petroleum under the so-called Oil-for-Food programme, which came to an end in 2003, and later within the scope of arrangements made under Security Council resolutions.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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UN OFFERS TO HELP TO RESOLVE POLITICAL CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE

UN OFFERS TO HELP TO RESOLVE POLITICAL CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE New York, Apr 29 2008 5:00PM The United Nations stands ready to support regional diplomacy to help end the political crisis in Zimbabwe, where violence has flared after last month's presidential elections, the world body's political chief, B. Lynn Pascoe, said today.

Speaking after briefing the Security Council, Mr. Pascoe said he had a great deal of concern about violence in the country, particularly from the Government's side, though he added that there had been reports of violence from both sides.

He said that the Secretary-General was ready to use his "good offices" to work alongside the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help resolve Zimbabwe's problems.

Mr. Pascoe also said he was very concerned about the humanitarian situation, stating that the political turmoil had prevented some aid agencies from delivering food and other relief.

Unrest and violence have been widespread in Zimbabwe following the 29 March presidential election, in which the incumbent Robert Mugabe was challenged by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Full results of that poll have still not been announced.

Mr. Pascoe's comments echo an earlier statement by the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, who called on the country's political leaders to restrain their supporters and renounce the use of threats, intimidation and violence against opponents.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL TO FOCUS ON GLOBAL HEALTH DURING UPCOMING VISIT TO ATLANTA

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO FOCUS ON GLOBAL HEALTH DURING UPCOMING VISIT TO ATLANTA New York, Apr 29 2008 5:00PM Global health will be the focus of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to Atlanta, Georgia, next week, part of his ongoing tour of major cities in the United States.

Mr. Ban will be convening a meeting at the Carter Center with the Elders – a small group of world figures ranging from civil society leaders to past heads of State – on critical global health priorities, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

Participants in the meeting will include top UN officials, philanthropists, and global health leaders from the private sector, non-governmental organizations and academia. Mr. Ban also plans to tour the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While in Atlanta, the Secretary-General is scheduled to attend a luncheon hosted by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.

He will also join Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin in viewing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Collection at the Robert W. Woodruff Library.

In addition, he plans to visit CIFAL Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization affiliated with the UN Institute for Training and Research, and attend a luncheon with the Atlanta business community.

Since taking office in January 2007, the Secretary-General has travelled to San Francisco and Chicago, where he saw first-hand how these two major cities are tackling climate change, as well as to Washington D.C.

In February this year he made his first visit to the state of Texas, where he participated in the William Waldo Cameron Forum on Public Affairs at the Bush Presidential Library, located in College Station.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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EFFORTS TO REACH ASIA-PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT TARGETS THREATENED BY GAPS - UN

EFFORTS TO REACH ASIA-PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT TARGETS THREATENED BY GAPS – UN New York, Apr 29 2008 4:00PM Without filling gaps in key areas – including child and maternal mortality, environmental sustainability and water and sanitation – countries of the Asia-Pacific region may not be able to meet all of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a new United Nations-backed report cautioned.

The report, entitled "A Future Within Reach 2008," is the third such study on the MDGs jointly produced by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Colombo, Sri Lanka-based MDG Initiative team of the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The eight MDGs – ranging from eradicating extreme poverty and hunger to combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases – were agreed upon by all of the world's countries and leading development institutions at the historic Millennium Summit in 2000.

Noeleen Heyzer, <"http://www.unescap.org/unis/sub_unis/press_releases.asp">ESCAP Executive Secretary, said that on the plus side, the Asia-Pacific region has been able to lift over 350 million people out of extreme poverty between 1990 and 2004.

"But that's just not enough, we cannot rest for a minute – the gaps cited in the report need to be filled and they need to be filled immediately," she said.

The area is currently home to 641 million of the world's poorest, or nearly two-thirds of the global total.

The eighth <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDG calls for global cooperation through official development assistance (ODA), debt sustainability and international trade, and the new study underscored the importance of improved coordination by international organizations in assisting countries trying to reach the development goals.

"Everyone involved – from all the agencies and funds of the United Nations and regional development entities to bilateral donors – needs to lift their game in this respect," Ms. Heyzer observed. "It's essential that development partners contribute according to their unique strengths, yet uphold the spirit, principle and practice of uniting to 'deliver as one.'"

Efforts to boost youth employment are also facing hurdles. "Youth unemployment is on the rise almost every where and in several countries has reached double-digit levels," according to the report. "Although some countries they have narrowed the gap, overall young women seem to have higher levels of unemployment than young men."

An increase of 1 per cent in per capita gross domestic product (GDP) leads to a 0.86 per cent drop in the headcount poverty ratio, but the report warned that economic growth alone does not have as large of an effect on other MDGs such as under-nutrition and child mortality.

"To achieve the MDGs [Asia-Pacific countries] will need to improve the structure and quality of economic growth as well as make appropriate changes to national development strategies," Ms. Heyzer pointed out.

"The effectiveness of all efforts at achieving MDGs will depend critically on the quality of governance," said David Lockwood, acting head of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. "Raising standards of governance will assist countries in their efforts to achieve 'pro-poor' growth."
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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SLOVAK DIPLOMAT SET TO HEAD UN PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY CENTRE IN CENTRAL ASIA

SLOVAK DIPLOMAT SET TO HEAD UN PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY CENTRE IN CENTRAL ASIA New York, Apr 29 2008 4:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Security Council of his plan to appoint an experienced Slovak diplomat as the head of the new United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).

Miroslav Jenca will serve as head of the centre – which is located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – and also as Mr. Ban's Special Representative, the Secretary-General's spokesperson told reporters today.

UNRCCA was established by the UN last year to help the countries of Central Asia respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats before they become costlier and more difficult to control.

According to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), the centre is tasked with assisting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan "in building capacities to peacefully prevent conflict, in facilitating dialogue, and in catalyzing international support behind projects and initiatives."

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

Mr. Jenca, currently the Director of the Office of Slovakia's Foreign Affairs Minister, recently served as head of mission for the OSCE centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He has also served in an array of other diplomatic posts for his country.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF GROUP MONITORING FLOW OF ARMS IN SOMALIA

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF GROUP MONITORING FLOW OF ARMS IN SOMALIA New York, Apr 29 2008 3:00PM The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9314.doc.htm">extended the mandate of an expert group monitoring the arms flow to Somalia.

In a unanimously-adopted resolution, the Council called on the four-member group to "continue to investigate any means of transport, routes, seaports, airports and other facilities used in connections with arms embargo violations."

The expert group was created by a 2003 resolution to analyze the movement of weapons to and through the war-torn nation, which has not had a functioning government in nearly two decades.

In today's resolution, the Council condemned "flows of weapons and ammunition supplies to and through Somalia in violation of the arms embargo as a serious threat to peace and stability in Somalia."

Earlier this week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) reported that some 7,000 people fled the Somali capital Mogadishu after a recent round of fighting that killed a significant number of civilians and reportedly wounded 200 people, including women and children.

Violence drove approximately 700,000 people from Mogadishu last year alone.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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MIDDLE EAST PEACE MUST INCLUDE SOLUTION FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES, BAN KI-MOON SAYS

MIDDLE EAST PEACE MUST INCLUDE SOLUTION FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES, BAN KI-MOON SAYS New York, Apr 29 2008 3:00PM A sustainable peace in the Middle East will have to factor in a viable and just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a United Nations meeting convened in Paris to assess the condition of the refugees and examine the role of the world body in alleviating their plight.

"The Palestinian people's desire or right to live a normal daily life in their own sovereign land remains undiminished, as do the individual and collective rights of Palestine refugees," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3126">message to the conference, read out by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Angela Kane.

"This year marks the 60th year of Palestinian dispossession, an anniversary that underlines the importance and urgency of finding a solution to the question of Palestine and of addressing the plight of the Palestine refugees," he noted.

The Secretary-General said that the peace process launched in the United States city of Annapolis and the negotiations under way between the Israelis and Palestinians are the only way to settle the conflict and address all permanent status issues, including that of the refugees.

"Negotiations are the only means of realising the legitimate aspirations of both parties – Palestinian statehood and self-determination, and security for Israel," Mr. Ban stated, as he pledged the UN's continued support to the Palestinian and Israeli leaders as they seek to reach an agreement by the end of this year.

At the same time, he drew attention to the worrying situation on the ground, including the daily violence that besets the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel, as well as the food and fuel shortages that are worsening the already dismal living conditions of those in Gaza.

Noting that the UN now provides assistance to approximately 75 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip, Mr. Ban welcomed efforts to end violence and re-open the Gaza crossings, which would allow all legitimate and necessary humanitarian and commercial supplies to reach the population.

The Secretary-General also lauded the efforts of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/index.html">UNRWA), which has for the past 60 years been providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to over 4.5 million refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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TIMOR-LESTE: UN WELCOMES SURRENDER OF FUGITIVES LINKED TO ATTACK ON PRESIDENT

TIMOR-LESTE: UN WELCOMES SURRENDER OF FUGITIVES LINKED TO ATTACK ON PRESIDENT New York, Apr 29 2008 2:00PM The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) today welcomed the surrender of 12 armed fugitives wanted in connection with the assassination attempt on the President in February.

The <"http://www.unmit.org/unmisetwebsite.nsf/MainFrame-EN.htm?OpenFrameset">UNMIT head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, said that the attacks of 11 February had threatened the country, and that he shared "the feelings of the entire community in welcoming the peaceful submission of Gastão Salsinha and his men. They must now face justice."

President José Ramos-Horta was shot and wounded by rebel soldiers in the attack on his home. He recently returned to Timor-Leste from Australia after recovering from his injuries.

In today's statement Mr. Khare praised the people of Timor-Leste "for the calm manner in which the events of these past months have been handled." He said that the lessons learned should serve to strengthen the country's security institutions, and urged all Timorese to work together toward a "peaceful, prosperous and stable nation, securely anchored in a culture of democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights."
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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ONLY 4 PER CENT OF IRAQIS IN SYRIA PLAN TO RETURN HOME: UN REPORT

ONLY 4 PER CENT OF IRAQIS IN SYRIA PLAN TO RETURN HOME: UN REPORT New York, Apr 29 2008 1:00PM Only 4 per cent of Iraqi refugees currently plan to return to their own country, while almost all have fled their homeland because of direct threats or general insecurity, <" http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4816ef534.html">according to a report out today from the United Nations refugee agency.

The report found that 65 per cent of refugees who do not wish to return said that they were under direct threat in Iraq. Some 30 per cent do not want to return because of the general insecurity in their home country and 8 per cent said their home in Iraq had been destroyed or was occupied by others.

A total of 4.7 million Iraqis have been uprooted as a result of the crisis in their country. Of these over 2 million are living as refugees in neighbouring countries – mostly Syria and Jordan – while 2.7 million are internally displaced inside Iraq.

An estimated 44 per cent of Iraqi refugees left Iraq between 2003 and 2006, while 54 per cent left after 2006.

In January, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/iraq?page=press&id=47834b574">appealed for $261 million to support Iraqi refugees and Iraqis displaced inside the country, but so far the agency has received just under half of that amount.

The survey was carried out with nearly 1,000 Iraqis refugees in the Syrian capital, Damascus, at UNHCR's registration and food distribution sites, as well as in community centres or during home visits.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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AFGHANISTAN: UN MISSION VOICES OUTRAGE AT LATEST SUICIDE ATTACK

AFGHANISTAN: UN MISSION VOICES OUTRAGE AT LATEST SUICIDE ATTACK New York, Apr 29 2008 1:00PM The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has strongly condemned the suicide bombing that killed a number of civilians in the country's eastern Nangarhar province today, just two days after terrorists struck a parade in Kabul that was attended by President Hamid Karzai and other dignitaries.

"We share the outrage of all Afghans at such indiscriminate targeting of innocent people," the Mission said in a <"http://www.unama-afg.org/news/_statement/Spokesman/2008/08april29-suicide-attack-nangarhar.html">statement.

At least 15 people were reportedly killed and 14 others wounded in the blast which occurred in Khogiani district, as an anti-drugs meeting was taking place.

"The circumstances of this attack illustrate the unmistakable bonds of partnership between terrorists and drug traffickers," UNAMA added.

A terrorist attack against an official ceremony in the capital on Sunday killed two members of Parliament and injured nine others, including two Afghan National Police. Mr. Karzai escaped uninjured in the attack, for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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SURGING FOOD PRICES NOT JUST THREAT, BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITY, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL

SURGING FOOD PRICES NOT JUST THREAT, BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITY, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL New York, Apr 29 2008 1:00PM The world must not only take immediate action to address the current food crisis, but also take advantage of the higher food prices by assisting farmers in developing countries to thwart similar situations in the future, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

"The time for re-launching agriculture is now and the international community should not miss the opportunity," the agency's Director-General Jacques Diouf said in a statement.

A two-pronged approach – policies to assist the millions worldwide whose livelihoods are at risk and measures to help poor farmers take advantage of the rising prices – is necessary, he said.

"We must produce more food where it is urgently needed to contain the impact of soaring prices on poor consumers, and simultaneously boost productivity and expand production to create more income and employment opportunities for the rural poor," the Director-General noted.

He said that small holders must have access to land and water, as well as to essential inputs including seeds and fertilizers. This will allow them to increase their supplies when prices are high, enhancing their incomes and livelihoods.

Countries must boost their spending on public resources for agriculture and rural development, which could spur private investment, according to <"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000832/index.html">FAO.

Historically, farmers in the developing world have had to contend with low prices and poor infrastructure, and limited access to technology and credit.

When many Asian governments faced climbing food prices in the 1970s, they responded by stepping up their spending on irrigation and agricultural research, leading to growth and preventing the descent of millions into hunger and poverty.

"A similar response is urgently needed today – particularly in sub-Saharan Africa," which is grappling with the problem of the lack of irrigation, Dr. Diouf observed.

The food crisis will be discussed in early June at the FAO-sponsored "High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy," which will be attended by such Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil.

In a related development, the UN rural development arm has made nearly $72 million in loans and grants available for anti-poverty initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The funds were approved by the Executive Board of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (<"http://www.ifad.org/">IFAD) in Rome last week.

Programmes receiving IFAD assistance include an initiative in Cape Verde to improve the lives of 60,000 poor rural people by integrating them into the island nation's rapidly expanding economy; a scheme in India seeking to improve the employment prospects of 95,000 poor households; and an initiative in the Philippines to reduce poverty among indigenous peoples in the north of the country.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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UN EXPERTS CONDEMN 'INTIMIDATION, VIOLENCE AND TORTURE' IN ZIMBABWE

UN EXPERTS CONDEMN 'INTIMIDATION, VIOLENCE AND TORTURE' IN ZIMBABWE New York, Apr 29 2008 1:00PM Intimidation, violence and torture are being used to take retribution against supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) after last month's presidential elections in Zimbabwe, according a <" http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/40BB017BDC8356CDC125743A003F633A?OpenDocument">statement issued today by a group of United Nations human rights rapporteurs.

They say there is reliable evidence that security forces, paramilitary groups and gangs have attacked the homes of MDC supporters, and of workers with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, in areas where the MDC received more votes than the ruling ZANU-PF party. The UN experts report that at least 351 people have been hospitalized, nearly 300 homes have been destroyed through politically motivated arson, 15 women have been abducted, and several people have been murdered.

As a result of the violence, which has been taking place mainly in rural areas, townships and farms, hundreds of families and individuals, mainly women and children, have been displaced internally or are seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.

The UN human rights rapporteurs, who serve in an unpaid and independent capacity, express grave concern that the attacks are coordinated and say that it is particularly worrying that State-controlled media is airing programmes that encourage the violence.

The experts "strongly urge the authorities of Zimbabwe to restore peace in the country and put an end to organized and politically motivated violence". They also urge the authorities to grant free access to independent observers and media personnel to all regions of the country.

The Special Rapporteurs who issued the statement are: Philip Alston (extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions); Yakin Ertürk (violence against women); Miloon Kothari (adequate housing); Ambeyi Ligabo (freedom of opinion and expression); Hina Jilani (human rights defenders); Manfred Nowak (torture).
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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DONORS URGED TO FUND UN APPEAL AS FIRST STEP IN TACKLING GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS

DONORS URGED TO FUND UN APPEAL AS FIRST STEP IN TACKLING GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS New York, Apr 29 2008 11:00AM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on donors to urgently provide the $755 million in emergency funds needed for the United Nations to feed millions of hungry people worldwide, as the first of a series of measures to tackle the global food crisis.

The recent escalation of food prices around the world has become "an unprecedented challenge of global proportions that has become a crisis for the most vulnerable," Mr. Ban told a news conference in the Swiss city of Bern, after chairing a two-day meeting of the Chief Executive Board (<" http://unsystemceb.org/">CEB), which brings together 27 heads of UN agencies, funds and programmes.

"The CEB calls upon the international community and, in particular, developed countries to urgently and fully fund the emergency requirement of $755 million for the World Food Programme and honour outstanding pledges," said Mr. Ban, standing alongside WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran and other leaders of UN bodies on the frontline in dealing with food security.

Last week <" http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP called for urgent action to tackle the "silent tsunami" of rising food prices which threatens to push more than 100 million people worldwide into hunger.

"We see mounting hunger and increasing evidence of malnutrition which has severely strained the capacities of humanitarian agencies to meet humanitarian needs, especially as promised funding has not yet materialized," said Mr. Ban.

The Secretary-General warned that "without full funding of these emergency requirements, we risk again the spectre of widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale."

Protests and riots have broken out in some countries over the rising cost of many basic foods, such as rice, wheat and corn. Mr. Ban noted that the causes of the crisis were many and included escalating energy prices, lack of investment in agriculture over the past years, increasing demand, trade distortion subsidies and recurrent bad weather.

In addition to the immediate priority of feeding the hungry, the Secretary-General emphasized the need to "ensure food for tomorrow," urging support for farmers in developing countries. "We must make every effort to support those farmers so that in the coming years we do not see even more severe food shortages."

UN agencies are already taking concrete measures to address the crisis. The Food and Agriculture Organization (<" http://www.fao.org/index_en.htm">FAO) has proposed an emergency initiative to provide low-income countries with the seeds and inputs to boost production and is calling for $1.7 billion in funding.

In addition, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (<" http://www.ifad.org/">IFAD) is making available an additional $200 million to poor farmers in the most affected countries to boost food production.
2008-04-29 00:00:00.000

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PROLONGED PRESIDENTIAL STAND-OFF IN LEBANON MUST END, UN REPORT STRESSES

PROLONGED PRESIDENTIAL STAND-OFF IN LEBANON MUST END, UN REPORT STRESSES New York, Apr 28 2008 7:00PM Lebanon's people "have a unique opportunity to open a new chapter in their difficult history" and they and their political representatives must rise to the occasion and elect a president without any preconditions other than those outlined in the national constitution, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/264">report on the troubled country.

"Such an election would signify a major milestone on the road towards the full re-assertion of Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence, as is the goal of resolution 1559," Mr. Ban writes, referring to the Security Council resolution from 2004 that calls for free and fair presidential elections without interference from foreign influences.

The Lebanese Parliament has been unable to agree on a president for months, with the top office having been vacant since last November, despite repeated scheduled plans to conduct a vote.

"I regret that, despite the numerous calls of the Lebanese people and the international community, such an election has still not taken place in Lebanon," Mr. Ban says in the report, published today.

"I firmly believe that the leaders of Lebanon must think first and foremost about the future of their country and transcend sectarian and individual interests. Parliament, which has not met in more than a year, must be allowed to convene urgently to fulfil its constitutional duties in order to elect a president without further delay."

He adds that free and fair elections must be held immediately, warning that further delay will only complicate the adoption of electoral laws and the holding of parliamentary polls on schedule next year.

The Secretary-General also states that, "three years after Syria's military withdrawal from Lebanon, [the] time has come for a re-definition and formalization of ties between the two historically close neighbours, in mutual respect for their sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence."

He calls on the two countries to establish full diplomatic relations and delineate their shared border, especially in the Shab'a Farms area, to promote the normalization of relations. In addition, the issue of Lebanese detainees in Syrian custody should also be tackled.

Turning to the disbanding of militias operating in Lebanese territory, the report says it is high time "to set aside this remaining vestige of the past" and disarm and disband all such remaining groups.

"Hizbollah's maintenance of a paramilitary capacity poses a key challenge to the Government's monopoly on the legitimate use of force."

But it notes that the disarming and disbanding process should occur "through an inclusive political dialogue that addresses the political and economic interests of all the Lebanese."

The report also voices concern about the continued challenges posed by the conditions inside Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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UN PLAYING ENHANCED ROLE IN IRAQ, POLITICAL CHIEF TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

UN PLAYING ENHANCED ROLE IN IRAQ, POLITICAL CHIEF TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL New York, Apr 28 2008 7:00PM The international community has a duty and an interest in showing sustained commitment to helping to bring peace and prosperity to Iraq as the country undergoes "a painful transition," the senior United Nations political official told the Security Council today.

<"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9311.doc.htm">Briefing Council members on his recent visit to Iraq, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe said he was "absolutely convinced that the United Nations is doing its best…. the United Nations is playing an enhanced role in Iraq."

He said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has increased the world body's presence in Baghdad to 140 and the number of international staff in Erbil to 40, while still taking strict measures to deal with the security situation.

The UN has also re-established its presence in Basra and is considering expanding its presence in the cities of Najaf, Ramadi and Kirkuk. An outreach programme that places national liaison officers in each governor's office has deployed nine officers so far.

"UNAMI [the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq] and the Country Team have also adopted an area-based approach that expands activities where circumstances are more permissible," Mr. Pascoe said, adding that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a "valuable presence" in the national capital as well.

The Under-Secretary-General detailed some of the UN assistance, such as field visits to help Iraqis resolve internal disputed territories, support for the holding of provincial elections scheduled for October and aid to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

In his briefing Mr. Pascoe – who last week also attended the regional meeting, in Kuwait, of Iraq and its neighbours – commended the Secretary-General's Special Representative Staffan de Mistura and his staff for their dedication and esprit de corps.

"Several times during my visit, I was reminded of the risks that our staff face when the alarm systems sounded and instructed staff to take cover from the threat of indirect fire. We remain deeply conscious of the security threat and are constantly upgrading our mitigating measures in order to enhance the safety of our personnel in Iraq."

While the UN remains grateful of Council members' support of UNAMI's work, he urged Member States to provide additional financial and logistical resources for the mission.

"Iraq is going through a political transition," Mr. Pascoe stressed at the start of today's open debate on the issue in the Council.

"The challenges of national reconciliation, reconstruction and development after decades of dictatorship and war are massive. I was impressed, however, by the seriousness and commitment of the Government of Iraq to address these challenges with a view to ending the suffering and achieving a tangible improvement in the lives of the Iraqi people. This is a long-term endeavour that requires the sustained support of the international community."
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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UN PROMOTES PEACEBUILDING IN KENYA AFTER ELECTION CRISIS

UN PROMOTES PEACEBUILDING IN KENYA AFTER ELECTION CRISIS New York, Apr 28 2008 6:00PM United Nations Volunteers (<"http://www.unv.org/">UNV) and the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) have brought together 120 national leaders from around Kenya for a peacebuilding workshop following the violence and unrest that broke out after the country's recent election.

Kenyans from the sports, music, media and education professions took part in the training, as well as members of faith organizations. The aim of the workshop, which ended on Saturday, was to promote community dialogue in collaboration with the Government.

Volunteer leaders from the workshop will use their skills to carry out conflict resolution in their own communities, as well as to promote control of small arms and to provide humanitarian relief.

Jeremiah Kemboi, a 32-year-old marathon runner, said that holding dialogues with his fellow athletes would contribute to peace and reconciliation. "I look forward to using my skills as a team leader to urge athletes to broker peace among the villages and the internally displaced persons [IDPs] from Nyakinyua farm close to my village Usamala," he said.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: UN CONDEMNS ATTACK WHICH LEAVES EIGHT CIVILIANS WOUNDED

DR CONGO: UN CONDEMNS ATTACK WHICH LEAVES EIGHT CIVILIANS WOUNDED New York, Apr 28 2008 6:00PM The United Nations mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC) today condemned what it called a "criminal attack" on a lorry transporting civilians in the country's South Kivu province, which left eight civilians injured, three of them seriously.

The attack took place shortly before midday today, 60 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital Bukavu. Seven masked assailants, wearing civilian clothes, opened fire on the lorry before ransacking it. Government soldiers from a nearby military post arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and forced the attackers to flee after a twenty-minute fire-fight.

Pakistani peacekeeping troops with MONUC arrived 45 minutes later, evacuated the three most seriously wounded to a hospital in Bukavu and treated the others on site.

MONUC has launched a search for the assailants and called on all illegal armed groups in both South and North Kivu provinces to cease their attacks on civilian populations and to lay down their arms.

The east of DRC has been plagued in recent years by violence committed by rival armed groups.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN CHAIRS MEETING OF TOP OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS THE UN

SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN CHAIRS MEETING OF TOP OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS THE UN New York, Apr 28 2008 6:00PM The current global food crisis triggered by soaring prices, the safety and security of United Nations personnel and climate change dominated talks today involving Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other senior officials from the world body.

The topics were discussed at the spring session of the Chief Executives Board, which brings together the heads of the world body's various entities for regular meetings, in Bern, the Swiss capital, where Mr. Ban is on an official visit.

At a panel in Vienna last Friday, the Secretary-General <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=225">stressed the urgency of tackling the food issue, noting that it is "very closely interlinked with development issues, climate change, food prices, our fight against disease and other equally important areas."

He noted that the food crisis has hurt the world's poorest and pushed 100 million people further into poverty, impeding the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight targets to slash a host of social ills by 2015.

"This has been a global challenge, so we need to address it in a collective way – globally," Mr. Ban said in his remarks to a forum entitled "The United Nations and the European Union: Joining Forces for the Challenges of the 21st Century."

Also participating in the events were Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik of Austria and Dimitrij Rupel, Foreign Minister of Slovenia, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.

<"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1152">Speaking to reporters in Vienna, the Secretary-General said that as a short-run response to the food crises, all humanitarian crises must be addressed.

"In the longer term, the international community, particularly the leaders of the international community, should sit down together on an urgent basis and address how we can, first of all, improve these economic systems, distributions systems, as well as how we can promote the improved production of agricultural products," he added.

Later today, Mr. Ban is scheduled to meet with Pascal Couchepin, the President of Switzerland.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL URGES PERPETRATORS OF KABUL ATTACK BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE

SECURITY COUNCIL URGES PERPETRATORS OF KABUL ATTACK BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE New York, Apr 28 2008 5:00PM The Security Council has strongly condemned yesterday's terrorist attack on an official ceremony in the Afghan capital, Kabul, which was attended by President Hamid Karzai and other dignitaries, and urged that those responsible for this "reprehensible" act be brought to justice.

Mr. Karzai – who has survived three assassination attempts in recent years – escaped uninjured in the attack, which claimed the lives of two Parliament members and injured nine others, including two Afghan National Police officers.

While expressing their condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the people and Government of Afghanistan, members of the Council "underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice," and urged all States to cooperate with the Afghan authorities in this regard.

In a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member body for April, the Council noted that the Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack.

It went on to stress that "no terrorist act can reverse the path to peace, democracy and reconstruction in Afghanistan which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and the international community."

The incident also sparked outrage from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who, in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sgsm11533.doc.htm">statement issued yesterday by his spokesperson, stressed that "the attack against the legitimate institutions of the Afghan state and the Afghan people is unacceptable."

Mr. Ban also lauded the country's security forces for their quick response to the attack which averted more deaths and for protecting Afghan officials and foreign diplomats at the event.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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GUINEA-BISSAU: UN FUND TO SPEND $6 MILLION ON PEACEBUILDING EFFORTS

GUINEA-BISSAU: UN FUND TO SPEND $6 MILLION ON PEACEBUILDING EFFORTS New York, Apr 28 2008 5:00PM The United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, set up to help countries emerging from conflict avoid relapsing into violence, has agreed to provide Guinea-Bissau with $6 million to support the Government's efforts relating to the upcoming legislative elections, security sector reform, the judiciary, the police and youth employment.

Senior UN peacebuilding officials have provisionally approved Guinea-Bissau's Interim Priority Plan on priority issues for funding. This follows Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's decision last month to declare Guinea-Bissau eligible for support from the Fund following the request of the Peacebuilding Commission.

A National Steering Committee co-chaired by the Secretary-General's Representative in Guinea-Bissau, Shola Omoregie, was sworn in earlier this month, coinciding with the visit to the country of a delegation from the Peacebuilding Commission. Bringing together representatives of the UN, the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors and civil society, the Committee is tasked with overseeing the selection of projects and the allocation of funding.

Set up last year by the Secretary-General, the Peacebuilding Fund is designed to serve as a bridge between the phases of conflict and recovery, a period when other forms of financing are often not available to struggling nations. So far more than $248 million have been committed.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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UN OFFICIALS DENY COVER-UP OVER PEACEKEEPER PROBE IN DR CONGO

UN OFFICIALS DENY COVER-UP OVER PEACEKEEPER PROBE IN DR CONGO New York, Apr 28 2008 5:00PM The United Nations has rebutted allegations that there was a cover-up of an internal investigation into alleged misconduct by UN peacekeepers working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Senior UN officials said that while the UN took the allegations very seriously, it believed the reports were misleading and false, and neglected to mention a number of important factors. Where allegations had been substantiated, action had been taken with the countries concerned, they added.

The reports, initially aired by the BBC, alleged that Pakistani troops with the mission to the DRC (known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC) had engaged in illegal gold trafficking and re-arming of a militia group in eastern DRC, that the UN's investigation into the case had been blocked for fear of alienating Pakistan, and that Indian troops were involved in illegally buying gold and using a UN helicopter to effect an exchange of ivory for ammunition.

A spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Marie Okabe, told a media briefing that the allegation that the UN had sought to cover up charges of weapons trafficking because of political sensitivities was false. She said the UN was following up with the Member States in question on the disciplinary action they had taken on the basis of the UN's internal investigation.

Ms. Okabe said much of the information in the latest reports was based on hearsay or came from sources, including militia leaders, whose integrity and motivations were "highly questionable," as they themselves had been arrested and imprisoned by UN peacekeepers.

The head of the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, addressed the allegations in detail in a letter to the BBC, saying there was no evidence for many of the charges, and that UN investigators had taken action against those involved when they had been able to substantiate allegations of misconduct.

Mr. Guéhenno said that while it was impossible to have no incidents of abuse among more than 110,000 UN peacekeepers, the UN was committed to zero tolerance, zero complacency and zero impunity. He added that the UN had asked the governments of Pakistan and India to take appropriate action against military personnel who were implicated in wrongdoing, and was waiting to hear what measures had been taken.

"We are committed to working with our partners in the troop and police contributing communities… to address incidents of misconduct when they do occur and to ensure that the unacceptable actions of a few do not undermine the good work being done by so many," Mr. Guéhenno said.

Answering journalists' questions, a senior official from the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) said that investigators had followed up every allegation against MONUC peacekeepers, but had been unable to substantiate most of them. He added that in some cases, investigators had interviewed the sources cited by the BBC, but had been given different information.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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KOSOVO DUO FACING TRIAL AT UN TRIBUNAL OVER ALLEGED INTIMIDATION OF WITNESS

KOSOVO DUO FACING TRIAL AT UN TRIBUNAL OVER ALLEGED INTIMIDATION OF WITNESS New York, Apr 28 2008 5:00PM Kosovo's ex-minister for culture, youth and sport and a former newspaper editor will appear tomorrow before the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) after being charged with contempt of court for allegedly trying to intimidate a witness in a war crimes trial.

Astrit Haraqija and Bajrush Morina are accused by prosecutors – in an indictment filed in January and made public by the <"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY on Friday – of attempting to persuade a protected witness with the codename PW not to testify against Ramush Haradinaj, the former prime minister of Kosovo.

Mr. Haradinaj, who was a prominent commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the conflict with Serb forces in 1998-99, was acquitted by the ICTY earlier this month of a series of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, torture, abduction, cruel treatment, imprisonment and the forced deportation of Serbian and Kosovar Roma civilians.

When they announced the verdict, the judges said the tribunal had encountered many difficulties in securing testimony from witnesses during the trials of Mr. Haradinaj and his two co-accused.

The indictment released on Friday states that Mr. Haraqija, a former minister of culture, youth and sport in Kosovo, was one of the three co-founders of the "Defence Committee for Ramush Haradinaj." Mr. Morina was his employee, working as a political adviser, and then also as a part-time editor at Bota Sot, a Kosovo newspaper.

PW was granted protective measures in 2005 and early last year his unredacted witness statements were disclosed by prosecutors to the defence teams of Mr. Haradinaj and his co-accused.

The indictment alleges that after learning of the identity of the witness last July, Mr. Haraqija instructed Mr. Morina to travel to PW's country of residence to persuade him not to testify, and that Mr. Morina met with the witness on 10-11 July in a trip paid for by the ministry.

PW eventually did testify at the trial, according to the indictment.

Meanwhile, a former senior Bosnian Croat figure, Jadranko Prli&#263;, facing trial on war crimes charges has been granted temporary provisional leave by the ICTY on humanitarian grounds. On Friday the tribunal agreed to release Mr. Prli&#263; until the start of his defence case, scheduled for Monday.

Mr. Prlic and five other co-accused, all 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.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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UN TO ASSIST AFRICAN FARMERS THREATENED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

UN TO ASSIST AFRICAN FARMERS THREATENED BY CLIMATE CHANGE New York, Apr 28 2008 4:00PM Some 10,000 farmers in five African countries, where crops are expected to be badly affected by climate change, are to receive help from the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the form of low-cost rain gauge equipment and roving seminars provided by agricultural experts.

With the help of Spain, <"http://www.wmo.ch/pages/index_en.html">WMO will distribute the rain gauges to volunteer farmers in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal, and train them in using rainfall data to plan sowing, fertilizer application and harvesting. The goal of the roving seminars is to support farmers' self-reliance by supplying them with information on weather and climate risk management.

In West Africa, the area suitable for agriculture, the length of the growing season, and crop yields, especially along the margins of arid and semi-arid areas, are all expected to decrease, according to projections by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In some African countries, yield from rain-fed farming could be reduced by up to 50 per cent by 2020.

The assistance plan was announced on Friday after a meeting in Niamey, Niger, which was organized by WMO and the State Meteorological Agency of Spain.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES ISRAEL TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT AFTER LATEST VIOLENCE IN GAZA

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES ISRAEL TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT AFTER LATEST VIOLENCE IN GAZA New York, Apr 28 2008 4:00PM Condemning today's loss of civilian life in the Gaza Strip – including the "tragic" deaths of a mother and four of her children – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to Israel to exercise maximum care and restraint.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3123">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban reminded the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) "of its responsibility to protect civilians under international humanitarian law during its military operations."

The Secretary-General spoke out against the continuing attacks and rockets fired by Hamas today against Israel, calling on it and other militant groups to end such acts of terrorism. He also noted that they should not use Gaza as a base of operations.

"The mounting loss of civilian life in and around Gaza is deeply worrying," Mr. Ban said, appealing for the situation to calm down immediately.

In a related development, the Palestinian Petrol Association today delivered 55,000 litres of diesel to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA), according to the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (<"http://www.unsco.org/Default.asp">UNSCO).

Today's supply will allow UNRWA, which has not been able to deliver food supplies for the past three days, to resume its distribution for roughly six days.

However, the agency warned that the fuel delivery does not address the wider humanitarian problems in Gaza; the lack of diesel has impacted doctors' commutes to hospitals and the ability of teachers and students to reach schools. Additionally, crops are not being irrigated, while cooking gas shortages have forced almost half of Gaza's 47 bakeries to shut down operations.

UNSCO said that in a bid to come up with a proper distribution plan and the resumption of all services in Gaza, the Petrol Association is seeking a commitment from the Israeli Government for sufficient fuel supplies.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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TRIAL OF CONGOLESE DEFENDANT 'CRUCIAL STEP' TO END IMPUNITY - SENIOR UN OFFICIAL

TRIAL OF CONGOLESE DEFENDANT 'CRUCIAL STEP' TO END IMPUNITY – SENIOR UN OFFICIAL New York, Apr 28 2008 3:00PM The trial of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who has been charged by the International Criminal Court (<"http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/360.html">ICC) with recruiting child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), will be "a crucial step in the fight against impunity and will have a decisive deterrent effect against perpetrators of this outrageous crime against humanity," according to the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.

Mr. Lubanga is the founder and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots in the Ituri region of DRC. He will be tried for the conscription and enlistment of children under the age of 15, and the use of children for active participation in hostilities.

Special Representative Radhika Coomaraswamy spoke today after submitting a legal brief to the court, which is located in The Hague in the Netherlands.

The brief contains observations on the definition of "conscripting and enlisting" children and on the interpretation of the term "participation in hostilities." Ms. Coomaraswamy is urging a case by case approach with a broad definition of the terms in order to capture the true reality of what has happened in DRC.

The trial of Mr. Lubanga will be the first to be held by the court, and is set to begin in June.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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BIOFUEL PRODUCTION IS 'CRIMINAL PATH' LEADING TO GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS - UN EXPERT

BIOFUEL PRODUCTION IS 'CRIMINAL PATH' LEADING TO GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS – UN EXPERT New York, Apr 28 2008 2:00PM The United States and the European Union have taken a "criminal path" by contributing to an explosive rise in global food prices through using food crops to produce biofuels, according to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food.

Speaking at a press conference today in Geneva, Jean Ziegler said that fuel policies pursued by the US and the EU were one of the main causes of the current worldwide food crisis. Mr. Ziegler said that last year the US used a third of its corn crop to create biofuels, while the European Union is planning to have 10 per cent of its petrol supplied by biofuels. The Special Rapporteur has called for a five-year moratorium on the production of biofuels.

Mr. Ziegler also said that speculation on international markets was behind 30 per cent of the increase in food prices. He said that companies such as Cargill, which controls a quarter of all cereal production, have enormous power over the market. He added that hedge funds are also making huge profits from raw materials markets, and called for new financial regulations to prevent such speculation.

The Special Rapporteur warned of worsening food riots and a "horrifying" increase in deaths by starvation before reforms could take effect. Mr. Ziegler was speaking before a meeting today in Bern, Switzerland, between Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of key UN agencies.

Meanwhile, speaking in Rome today, a nutritionist with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), said that "global price rises mean that food is literally being taken out of the mouths of hungry children whose parents can no longer afford to feed them."

Andrew Thorne-Lyman said that even temporarily depriving children of the nutrients they need to grow and thrive can leave permanent scars in terms of stunting their physical growth and intellectual potential. He said that families in the developing world are "finding their buying power has been slashed by food price rises, meaning that they can buy less food or food which isn't as nutritious."
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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ASIA-PACIFIC MUST ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE, EFFICIENT ENERGY USE - BAN KI-MOON

ASIA-PACIFIC MUST ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE, EFFICIENT ENERGY USE – BAN KI-MOON New York, Apr 28 2008 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on Asia-Pacific countries to promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy, given the backdrop of surging oil prices and the health problems caused by traditional fuels.

"The Asia-Pacific is lagging behind in providing access to energy services," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.unescap.org/unis/index.asp">message to the ministerial segment of the 64th session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), delivered by its Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer.

He pointed out that 1.7 billion people in the region rely on traditional biomass fuels – the largest number of victims from indoor air pollution caused by burning these fuels is in the Asia-Pacific – and 1 billion lacking access to electricity.

The Secretary-General stressed that while climbing energy prices have dominated the news, their impact on people is often forgotten.

"The victims are very poor people who have no access to affordable and reliable energy supply to meet their daily subsistence requirements," he observed. "They pay a much higher price – in terms of failing health; lost opportunities for education or employment, especially for girls and women; and degraded environment."

With per capita energy consumption more than doubling between 1990 and 2004 in the Asia-Pacific region – outpacing the rest of the world – Mr. Ban appealed to attendees to encourage more efficient use of energy, better management, cleaner production and consumption.

During the session, some 350 government officials, business leaders and civil society representatives are meeting today as part of the annual Asia-Pacific Business Forum with the theme, "Energy Security: Opportunities through Regional Energy Cooperation and Public-Private Partnerships."

Discussions at this one-day meeting are expected to culminate in policy recommendations which will be conveyed to a Ministerial Round Table on energy security and sustainable development on 28 April.

In a study prepared for the Commission session entitled "Energy Security and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific," ESCAP stressed how energy deprivation in the region's developing countries impacts poverty reduction efforts and impedes the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets.

The report warned that the Asia-Pacific cannot rely on continuing increases in its energy supply to spur its economic growth. If the region's energy needs continue growing at the current rate, it will account for half of the world's energy demand by 2030, 80 per cent of which will be for oil, coal and other fossil fuels, which will result in massive carbon emissions.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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ALARMED BY POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE, UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES RESTRAINT

ALARMED BY POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE, UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES RESTRAINT New York, Apr 28 2008 12:00PM The United Nations human rights chief, alarmed at reports of continuing post-election hostilities in Zimbabwe, has called on the country's political leaders to restrain their supporters and renounce the use of threats, intimidation and violence against opponents.

The humanitarian and political situation has worsened in Zimbabwe following the 29 March presidential election, in which the incumbent Robert Mugabe was challenged by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The results of that poll have still not been announced.

"I am particularly concerned about reports of threats, intimidation, abuse and violence directed against NGOs [non-governmental organizations], election monitors, human rights defenders and other representatives of civil society," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/press/newsFrameset-2.htm">said in a statement issued on Sunday.

"The information I have received suggests an emerging pattern of political violence inflicted mainly, but not exclusively, on rural supporters of the opposition MDC party," stated Ms. Arbour. "However, there are also some reports of MDC supporters resorting to violence and intimidation."

The High Commissioner warned that if serious and systematic human rights violations persist, they will threaten efforts to resolve the current political crisis.

"If tolerance and respect for human rights continue their steep decline, the consequences will be grave for all Zimbabweans, and lead to further problems for neighbouring States," she said.

Mr. Tsvangirai has appealed to the UN and the African Union to intervene in the situation in Zimbabwe. Meeting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week in Accra, during the UN chief's official visit to Ghana, Mr. Tsvangirai lamented the lack of progress with the Southern African Development Community, which held a summit on the crisis earlier this month.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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UN GARDENING SCHEME PROVIDES FRESH START FOR AFGHAN WOMEN, EX-COMBATANTS

UN GARDENING SCHEME PROVIDES FRESH START FOR AFGHAN WOMEN, EX-COMBATANTS New York, Apr 28 2008 10:00AM A United Nations gardening and literacy project for Afghan women and ex-combatants seeks to pave the way to peace and prosperity in the war-torn nation.

Aimed at reversing environmental damage wrought by decades of conflict, uncontrolled grazing and illegal logging, the Green Afghanistan Initiative (GAIN) – run by six UN agencies, led by the World Food Programme (WFP) – will give participants the chance to make a fresh start through literacy classes and setting up their own nurseries to generate an income.

"These nurseries are making a huge difference to the lives of ordinary Afghan people and also to our environment," said Obaidulla Ghafouri, the programme's coordinator, at the GAIN's Heart centre, noting that rural communities and farmers' livelihoods have been impacted by deforestation.

He noted that the nurseries provide regular jobs for ex-combatants and also for women, who can support their families with income earned while attending literacy classes.

More than 500 GAIN nurseries have been set up throughout Afghanistan since 2005, and by the end of this year, more than 5 million plant saplings will have been grown and over 1 million trees planted.

The country is prone to desertification, and this has been exacerbated by limited rainfall, mismanagement, abuse of natural resources, droughts, floods and population growth.
GAIN-backed provincial re-forestation centres – seeking to boost public awareness on the issue – will be established, serving as both agricultural knowledge centres and high-yield nurseries.
2008-04-28 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ATTACK ON AFGHAN LEADER

BAN KI-MOON SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ATTACK ON AFGHAN LEADER New York, Apr 27 2008 9:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned today's attack against Afghan President Hamid Karzai that occurred during a victory parade in the war-torn nation's capital Kabul, claiming the lives of two Parliament members and injuring nine others, including two Afghan National Police.

"The attack against the legitimate institutions of the Afghan state and the Afghan people is unacceptable," Mr. Ban said in a statement issued in Bern, Switzerland, by his spokesperson.

Reiterating the UN's support for the rebuilding of Afghanistan through "legitimate state institutions, in a manner that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable and that provides both justice and security," he urged the international community and the Government to continue their cooperation towards reaching these goals, "undeterred by vicious attacks as the one today."

The Secretary-General lauded the country's security forces for their quick response to the attack which averted more deaths and for protecting Afghan officials and foreign diplomats at the event.

He also sent his condolences to the families of those killed, wishes for a swift recovery to those injured and sympathies to President Karzai and his Government.

2008-04-27 00:00:00.000

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