UN ADOPTS NEW INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT TO PROTECT WORLD'S FORESTS

UN ADOPTS NEW INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT TO PROTECT WORLD'S FORESTS
New York, Apr 28 2007 11:00PM
After 15 years of discussions and negotiations on a global approach to protect the world's forests, countries meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York have adopted a landmark agreement on international forest policy and cooperation following two weeks of intense negotiations.

The final agreement was reached after delegates to the UN Forum on Forests worked through the night, concluding just after dawn this morning. Exhausted delegates nevertheless called the agreement a milestone, noting it was the first time States have agreed to an international instrument for sustainable forest management."

Forum on Forest Chair Hans Hoogeveen, hailed the agreement as an "outstanding achievement" and said it ushered in "a new chapter" in forest management. Mr. Hoogeveen earlier told the delegates that the livelihoods of over a billion of the world's poor are at stake. "We have only one planet to share, and we must ensure its health and sustainability."

The new agreement, although not legally binding, sets a standard in forest management that is expected to have a major impact on international cooperation and national action to reduce deforestation, prevent forest degradation, promote sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty for all forest-dependent peoples.

More than 1.6 billion people, according to World Bank estimates, depend on forests for their livelihoods. The forest product industry is a source of economic growth and employment, with global forest products traded internationally in the order of $270 billion.

At the same time, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 13 million hectares of the world's forests are lost due to deforestation every year, which, in turn accounts for up to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The world's forests and forest soils store more than one trillion tons of carbon – twice the amount found in the atmosphere.

Pekka Patosaari, Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, told delegates that the agreement was a major step toward the creation of a new "people-centred" forest policy. "You have sent a clear message to the global community on the critical role of forests in internationally development."

For years countries debated whether to negotiate a formal treaty or a non-legally binding instrument on forest management. But many developing countries with significant forest cover objected to any action that would compromise their sovereignty or control over their natural resources.

The resulting agreement, however, is considered a reflection of a strong international commitment to promote on the ground implementation of sustainable forest management through a new, more holistic approach that brings all stakeholders together. In addition, the agreement is expected to reinforce practical measures at the country-level to integrate forests more closely with other government policies.

Another area of disagreement that has long plagued forest negotiations concerned a financing mechanism to mobilize funding for sustainable forest management. The agreement calls on countries to adopt, by 2009, a voluntary global financing mechanism for forest management.
2007-04-28 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL TEAM'S MEETINGS IN KOSOVO CAUSE FOR CONFIDENCE, OFFICIAL SAYS

SECURITY COUNCIL TEAM'S MEETINGS IN KOSOVO CAUSE FOR CONFIDENCE, OFFICIAL SAYS
New York, Apr 28 2007 9:00PM
The head of a United Nations Security Council team travelling in the Balkans today said its meetings in Kosovo give cause for confidence on the future of the Serbian province that has been run by the United Nations since Western forces drove Yugoslav troops out in 1999.

Following talks with the President and Prime Minister in Pristina, Belgian Ambassador Johan Verbeke said the delegation he is leading "got a message of confidence, a clear and articulated view on what the current and future policies may be."

Commenting on meetings with Serbian political leaders, he added: "We saw that their view is also one which is one of a belief in the future of Kosovo, but that still we will have to work on further confidence and willingness to work together for a multi ethnic society."

The aim of the trip is to provide Council members with a first-hand understanding of the social, political and economic situation in Kosovo. In particular, the mission will assess whether agreed standards – a set of eight overall targets that include building democratic institutions, enforcing minority rights, creating a functioning economy and setting up an impartial legal system – have been implemented.

Last month, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the future status process Martti Ahtisaari asserted that the only viable option for Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities by nine to one, is independence in a phased process with initial supervision by the international community.

Calling Kosovo "a unique case that demands a unique solution," Mr. Ahtisaari said in a report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that independence is the only way the province, where unemployment is close to 60 per cent, can become politically stable and economically viable.

Council members "are now seized by these reports and will have to act upon them," said Ambassador Verbeke. "Acting is for the future; where we are now is collecting all the necessary elements of information which must enable us to act responsibly in the coming weeks."

While in Kosovo, administered now by the UN Interim Administration Mission (UNMIK), the delegation met also with members of different communities and visited the divided city of Mitrovica.

"The most important message which we registered was one of confidence, of willingness of building a strong multiethnic society, work to the future, make sure that commitments and engagements are being properly kept so that all communities living here can trust each other, work together with each other for the better future of Kosovo," said Ambassador Verbeke.
2007-04-28 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY WELCOMES $55 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM SOUTHERN SUDAN

UN FOOD AGENCY WELCOMES $55 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM SOUTHERN SUDAN
New York, Apr 28 2007 11:00AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a $55 million contribution from the Government of Southern Sudan for the agency's rebuilding projects in the region, which is recovering from a 21-year conflict.

In a meeting between WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran and southern Sudan's Minister of Roads and Transport, Rebecca Garang Nyandeng, the minister announced that the Government would donate $41 million to the agency's Road Building and Demining Programme plus an additional $14 million towards refurbishing several airstrips in southern Sudan.

"Now that peace has been restored to the south, WFP is moving from emergency programming to helping people restore their independence and livelihoods. Rebuilding roads destroyed during the war is critical to that effort," Ms. Sheeran told the transport minister during their meeting in Juba on Friday.

"Where we have been able to rebuild roads, food costs have gone down 50 per cent and the cost of transportation has gone down as much as 60 per cent," she said.

This is the second major humanitarian donation made to WFP by the southern Sudan Government, which last year donated $30 million to the roads project, which has rebuilt nearly 2,000 kilometres of roads and removed more than 200,000 unexploded ordnance in the region since 2004.

A further 1,000 km of roads are scheduled to be rebuilt in 2007. The total cost of the roads project is $183 million.

The roads project was launched to make it easier to deliver food assistance in southern Sudan after the end of the North-South civil war, but the long-term benefits to the region's economy are its lasting contribution to food security, said Ms Sheeran, who also met with southern Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit during a one-day visit to Juba.

She reiterated WFP's commitment to helping build the peace with programmes such as Food for Work, which will increase by 25 per cent this year, and School Fe
the South. WFP will also provide three-month rations to an estimated 430,000 returnees.

Ms Sheeran continued her tour of the region with a trip to Chad, where she was scheduled to meet with government officials regarding humanitarian challenges on the country's border with Sudan.

2007-04-28 00:00:00.000

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UN HEALTH AGENCY CALLS FOR PREVENTION OF CANCER THROUGH WORKPLACE SAFETY

UN HEALTH AGENCY CALLS FOR PREVENTION OF CANCER THROUGH WORKPLACE SAFETY
New York, Apr 28 2007 11:00AM
Spotlighting the many preventable deaths caused by exposure to carcinogens, the United Nations health agency marked World Day for Safety and Health at Work with a call for the removal of these dangerous substances from job sites.

Every year, at least 200,000 people die from cancer related to their workplace, WHO said in a message on the occasion, observed every year on 28 April, stressing that "the risks for occupational cancer are preventable."

Lung cancer, mesothelioma and bladder cancer are among the most common types of occupational cancers, according to WHO. Currently about 125 million people around the world are exposed to asbestos at work, and at least 90,000 people die each year from asbestos-related diseases. Thousands more die from leukemia caused by exposure to benzene, an organic solvent widely used by workers, including in the chemical and diamond industries.

"The tragedy of occupational cancer resulting from asbestos, benzene and other carcinogens is that it takes so long for science to be translated into protective action," said Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health and Environment.

"Known and preventable exposures are clearly responsible for hundreds of thousands of excess cancer cases each year. In the interests of protecting our health, we must adopt an approach rooted in primary prevention -- that is to make workplaces free from carcinogenic risks," Dr. Neira said.
Most cancer deaths caused by occupational risk factors occur in the developed world, WHO said, blaming the wide use of different carcinogenic substances such as blue asbestos, 2-naphthylamine and benzene 20 to 30 years ago. But it warned that if the current unregulated use of carcinogens in the developing world continues, a significant increase in occupational cancer can be expected there in the coming decades.

"The control of carcinogens in the workplace should be a key component of every national cancer control progr
WHO Medical Officer for cancer control. "To achieve this, WHO supports countries in developing comprehensive national cancer prevention and control plans, which are essential to prevent millions of cancer deaths each year."

The agency urged governments and industry to ensure that workplaces are equipped with adequate measures to meet health and safety standards and that they are free from dangerous pollutants. It called for stopping the use of asbestos, introducing benzene-free organic solvents and technologies that convert the carcinogenic chromium into a non-carcinogenic form, banning tobacco use at the workplace, and providing protective clothes for people working in the sun.

2007-04-28 00:00:00.000

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ATTACKS TARGETING SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL STAFF ON THE RISE - UN REPORT

ATTACKS TARGETING SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL STAFF ON THE RISE – UN REPORT
New York, Apr 27 2007 7:00PM
Deliberate political or military violence targeting education systems, from the assassination or abduction of teachers and students to the bombings and burnings of schools and universities, has jumped dramatically in a number of countries around the world, according to a United Nations report released today.

The report from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) found that the perpetrators of most attacks committed them with impunity and there was limited if any systematic monitoring of incidents against schools or people connected to them.

It recommended the introduction of urgent measures to deter further attacks, including by giving extra resources to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to bring more education-related cases to trial.

<i><"http://www.unesco.org/education/attack/educationunderattack.pdf">Education under attack</i> concluded that it was not clear yet whether the recent rise in targeted attacks on students, educational staff and institutions reflected a disturbing new trend or merely the fluctuating levels of conflict around the world.

The situation is worst in Iraq, where only 30 per cent of the country's 3.5 million pupils attend classes now, down from 75 per cent a year ago. At least 3,000 academics have fled the country – partly in response to the killing of 280 of their colleagues since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 – and Baghdad's universities say that attendance there has slumped by two thirds.

But violent attacks are also preventing pupils from attending school or university in other countries, especially Afghanistan, Colombia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.

The nature of the attacks varies widely, from the abduction of thousands of children to work as child soldiers to the multiple bomb blasts that have killed dozens of students at schools in Iraq.

Launching the report today at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura urged national authorities and the international community to stand united against such attacks.

"Education is one of the pillars of development, prosperity and peace," Mr. Matsuura said. "It is a human right. We must do our utmost to defend and ensure the security of those who are working in this vital area."

The report calls for stepped-up action worldwide to end impunity for attacks and the need for wider application of human rights instruments to protect students and teachers who face attacks.

It is dedicated to the memory of Safia Ama Jan, who UNESCO lauds as "a champion of efforts to get Afghan girls into school, who was shot and killed outside her home in Kandahar in September, 2006."
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF CONDEMNS INDISCRIMINATE MORTAR ATTACK ON SOMALI HOSPITAL

UNICEF CONDEMNS INDISCRIMINATE MORTAR ATTACK ON SOMALI HOSPITAL
New York, Apr 27 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today condemned a mortar attack on a hospital in the Somali capital Mogadishu, which has been wracked by escalating violence in recent weeks.

"We deplore the indiscriminate shelling of a medical facility," said Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF's Representative in Somalia. "It is an action that is totally unacceptable and one for which no justification can be given."

According to UN estimates, 340,000 people – roughly one-third of the city's population – have fled the deadly clashes in the capital Mogadishu since the start of February, and this number is expected to increase as more information becomes available.

"Where is the accountability in this conflict?" Mr. Balslev-Olesen asked. "Every day thousands of displaced people – most of them women and children – are living a nightmare of violence" and "enduring a perilous and intolerable existence."

He also voiced frustration that the agency's efforts to deliver urgently needed relief supplies is being hampered by the insecurity. "We cannot access our warehouses in Mogadishu and we cannot effectively reach the people who need our assistance the most."

According to <"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_39476.html">UNICEF, child protection monitors in the capital report that children have been victims of indiscriminate shooting and shelling. Displacement is also forcing women to leave their children unattended as they search for food, water and shelter. The agency is working with its partners on the ground to identify and reunite hundreds of children who have lost their parents during the violence with their families.

Since January, almost 17,000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) have been reported in central and southern Somalia, which includes Mogadishu and surrounding areas. As of mid-April, there have been 593 deaths and nearly 40 confirmed cases of cholera.

UNICEF also appealed for $11.5 million to meet the nutrition, health, education and protection needs of children affected by the conflict.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) and other organizations have finished their first round of supplying aid in the small town of Afgooye, 30 kilometres west of the capital, and now home to 35,000 people who escaped the hostilities in Mogadishu.

Among other supplies, the agency provided plastic sheeting to the displaced, who had previously been sleeping under trees.

"They now at least have a shelter to protect them and their children from the scorching sun, the chilly nights and the soaking rains," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler said at a press briefing in Geneva.

UNHCR plans to begin another phase of distributing relief supplies tomorrow morning, which will help a further 13,500 people. Supplies were airlifted from Dubai to the town of Baidoa, 200 kilometres from Afgooye. Trucks carrying the items arrived in Afgooye after being blocked yesterday when Ethiopian soldiers closed a bridge on the town's outskirts.

The agency's Somali staff in the town state that Mogadishu has become a ghost town, with more than half of its neighbourhoods now deserted.

Meanwhile, according to his spokesperson Michele Montas, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week informed the Security Council in a letter that he intends to extend the mandate of his Special Representative for the country François Lonsény Fall by one year.

With the renewed mandate, Mr. Fall will serve in his current position until 8 May 2008.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED FUND AGAINST DISEASE SEEKS TO RAMP UP SPENDING BY 2010

UN-BACKED FUND AGAINST DISEASE SEEKS TO RAMP UP SPENDING BY 2010
New York, Apr 27 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations-backed Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria needs to treble its spending by 2010 to keep up with demand for its financing that is projected to rise around the world, especially in developing countries, the Fund's Board agreed today.

The Fund is seeking between $6 billion and $8 billion each year from 2008 to 2010, depending on the level of demand in the world's poorest countries, the Board concluded at a meeting in Geneva.

Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine called the new projected spending "an inspiring challenge" to both donors and the people who work on Fund-backed projects in more than 130 nations.

"The Board's vision of tripling or even quadrupling the size of the Global Fund is a strong vote of confidence for our work. Programmes we support are currently saving 3,000 lives per day," Dr. Kazatchkine said.

"The increase in funding will allow the world to do much, much more, to reach G-8 and UN goals like providing AIDS treatment to all who need it, having every African child sleep under a bed net, and cutting the death toll of TB in half."

Recognizing that raising $6-8 billion per year requires substantially increased contributions, the Board called on all stakeholders to play their part to mobilize the extra funding. Donors will meet in Berlin in September to secure initial funding pledges for the 2008-2010 period.

Set up in 2002 on the initiative of then Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Global Fund is a public-private partnership that has committed $7.1 billion so far to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in 136 countries. The three diseases kill more than 6 million people a year, and that number is growing.

The Fund the Fund works closely with international partners, including the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO), on many of the projects it supports.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION DISCUSSES STRATEGY FOR BURUNDI

UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION DISCUSSES STRATEGY FOR BURUNDI
New York, Apr 27 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, which was established to help countries recovering from war avoid a relapse of violence, today held talks in New York on its strategy for Burundi, which suffered decades of ethnic conflict pitting the Hutu majority against the Tutsi minority.

"The strategic framework is a document that should highlight the make or break priorities for sustaining peace in Burundi, and outline those commitments needed from the government and the international community to meet those priorities," said Norway's Ambassador Johan Løvald, who chaired the informal meeting and recently led a mission to the country.

"To be most useful, the framework should not include a listing of needs, all of which are already well documented in existing frameworks and strategies, but should rather articulate those issues that will be critical for safeguarding peace in Burundi."

The strategic framework recognizes the responsibility of the country's leaders towards achieving stability, said Youssef Mahmoud, Executive Representative of the Secretary-General in Burundi.

"This vision is one of a country where the ghost of the ethnic conflict and civil war will wiped out forever," he declared.

But he stressed that the most immediate priority is effective implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and the Palipehutu-National Liberation Forces (Palipehutu-FNL).

Another major challenge is the urgent need to quickly reach a national consensus on the justice mechanisms of transition and to assure progress toward national reconciliation, he said, calling for consolidation of democratic culture. Security forces, he stressed, must always act in the interests of the population, while ex-fighters must be reintegrated into society.

International support for Burundi is also key to the consolidation of peace, he said, proposing a series of consultations next month with all partners in this effort.

Established in December 2005, the Commission focuses on reconstruction, institution-building and the promotion of sustainable development in post-conflict countries.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN LAUNCHES LEADERSHIP CAPACITY SCHEME FOR WORLD'S POOREST COUNTRIES

UN LAUNCHES LEADERSHIP CAPACITY SCHEME FOR WORLD'S POOREST COUNTRIES
New York, Apr 27 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations has launched a programme to develop the national leadership capacity in the world's least developed countries (LDCs), a group of States on the lowest economic rung.

To be carried out in partnership with UN agencies, donor countries and civil society organizations, the programme aims to use methods that have proven successful in development and corporate worlds to strengthen the ability of LDCs to address core development challenges, ranging from fighting HIV/AIDS to reducing poverty.

"This is a very important initiative that will build the capacity of LDCs to address major development concerns in a sustainable manner by tapping the unique strengths of individuals, communities and organizations in those countries," said Anwarul K. Chowdhury, the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States during Wednesday's launch at UN Headquarters in New York.

Mr. Chowdhury said that the programme was a timely response to the observation made during last year's mid-term review of the Programme of Action for LDCs in Cotonou, Benin, where participants called for "support to LDCs in their efforts for leadership and capacity development with special focus on the young people and women."

The programme will initially be implemented in nine countries – Cambodia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Mr. Chowdhury said that it will be extended to 20 more by the end of the year, with the target of covering all of the 50 LDCs in the following year.

At the launch, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Executive Director Kul Gautam observed that a large proportion of the population of LDCs is composed of young people, who could be a major resource if given the necessary opportunities, but also a reservoir for discontent if neglected.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT GROUP ON DARFUR TO HOLD MEETING WITH SUDAN

UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT GROUP ON DARFUR TO HOLD MEETING WITH SUDAN
New York, Apr 27 2007 6:00PM
The Group of Experts on Darfur established by the United Nations Human Rights Council last month <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/9E27420BC543CEF8C12572CA00474B8A?opendocument">announced plans today to meet with senior Sudanese Government officials next month to discuss how to introduce practical measures to improve the human rights situation in the war-torn region.

Wrapping up its first consultative meeting in Geneva, the seven-member group of independent experts said they would meet the Sudanese representatives in the Swiss city from 23 to 25 May.

"The meeting will identify practical steps to be taken as a matter of priority to implement the relevant resolutions of the UN human rights mechanisms with regards to Darfur," according to a statement issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/english/">OHCHR).

"In addition, the meeting will assess the needs of the Sudan in order to ensure effective implementation of those steps."

The Group of Experts on Darfur was created on 30 March in a Council resolution adopted by consensus, and it is expected to report to the next session in June on the results of its meeting later next month.

That meeting has been scheduled amid mounting international concern at the human rights situation inside Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others forced to flee their homes since 2003 because of fighting between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups. Numerous towns and villages have been torched and there have reports of deliberate targeting of civilians.

Sima Samar, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan, presides over the experts' group. The other members are: the Secretary-General's Special Representative for children and armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani; the Secretary-General's Representative on human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Walter Kälin; the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, Manfred Nowak; and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Yakin Ertürk.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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DEATH OF MASTER RUSSIAN CELLIST AND UNESCO GOODWILL AMBASSADOR MOURNED

DEATH OF MASTER RUSSIAN CELLIST AND UNESCO GOODWILL AMBASSADOR MOURNED
New York, Apr 27 2007 6:00PM
The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=37657&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) today expressed his "profound sadness" at the death of the great Russian cellist who also served as Goodwill Ambassador for the agency.

"I have always admired this exceptional musician, who knew how to turn his immense talent into an instrument for the defence of human rights," Koïchiro Matsuura said in a statement. "His genius enabled him to practice his art unrelentingly at the service of tolerance, the sound of his cello moving us to the quick."

Mr. Rostropovich participated in the 1999 UNESCO-backed programme, the International Appeal for the Arts Education and Creativity at School.

With his wife, the famed singer Galina Vichnievskaia, he created a programme to provide measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations to children in Azerbaijan, and as a result, more than 700,000 children are immunized every year through the Vishnevskaya-Rostropovich Foundation.

"In his life Rostropovich embodied a high idea of the dialogue among cultures and civilizations," Mr. Matsuura said. "Committed to promoting freedom of expression alongside UNESCO, he lent his support to many cultural and educational projects throughout the world."

On the occasion of his 80th birthday, Mr. Matsuura awarded UNESCO's Mozart gold medal to Mr. Rostropovich for his work as a Goodwill Ambassador.

"He was always ready to help, present at our sides," Mr. Matsuura remembered of the celebrated musician.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL LIFTS BAN ON DIAMOND EXPORTS FROM LIBERIA

SECURITY COUNCIL LIFTS BAN ON DIAMOND EXPORTS FROM LIBERIA
New York, Apr 27 2007 6:00PM
The Security Council <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9006.doc.htm">voted today to lift its six-year-old ban on the export of diamonds from Liberia that was introduced to stop proceeds from the sale of these so-called "blood diamonds" from fuelling wars across West Africa.

In a resolution adopted unanimously, the Council agreed that Liberia has made enough progress towards establishing the necessary internal controls to satisfy the minimum requirements of the Kimberley Process to justify ending the embargo.

But the 15-member body also agreed to review, if necessary, its decision to lift the embargo within 90 days.

Begun in 2000 by southern African diamond-producing countries, the Kimberley Process led to the adoption in November 2002 in Interlaken, Switzerland, of the international Certification Scheme for rough diamonds, based primarily on national certification schemes and on internationally-agreed minimum standards.

Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of the United Kingdom, which holds the rotating Council presidency for this month, said after today's resolution that he was hopeful Liberia would soon fully join the Kimberley Process.

"That's a reflection of our confidence in that country [and] in its leadership, and I wish that it should now progress quickly," Mr. Jones Parry said.

Liberian Ambassador Lami Kawah said the decision "means a lot to Liberia and the people of Liberia as we move forward," adding that the Government was happy to continue with the monitoring process over its diamond trade.

Trafficking in blood diamonds is considered one of the root causes of the civil wars that have plagued West Africa, especially in Liberia and neighbouring Sierra Leone.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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MILLIONS EXCLUDED FROM ECONOMIC GROWTH IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA - UN

MILLIONS EXCLUDED FROM ECONOMIC GROWTH IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA – UN
New York, Apr 27 2007 6:00PM
Millions of people, especially children, across Eastern Europe and Central Asia are not reaping the benefits of rapid economic expansion in the region, according to figures released by the United Nations today.

The collection of statistics, entitled "Regional MDGInfo," was culled by the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF), the UN Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/">UNDP) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (<"http://www.unece.org/">UNECE), and spans the period from 1988 to 2005.

According to the findings, children in the region are suffering as badly as other children in the poorest parts of the world, with Tajikistan and Albania having the same levels of stunted growth among children below the age of five as the least developed countries.

There is also a large number of children in institutions. Russia has the highest rate of children in residential care, with the study showing that 1,200 children out of every 100,000 are placed in institutions.

Women are also being left behind in spite of the economic growth. With Romania and Bulgaria as the exception, the rest of the countries surveyed in 2003 reflected a 30 per cent different between the average wages of men and women. In some countries, the gap was greater than 50 per cent.

Half of the populations of five of the region's nations are living on less than $2 per day.

"These statistics, or welfare measurements, are vital, said Maria Calivis, UNICEF's Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. "They tell us that too many children, women and families in rural areas of our region are not doing well, that they and their families are excluded from the current economic bonanza."

The figures show that rural people are more disadvantaged. Between half and 80 per cent of homes are connected to regular water supplies, but in rural areas, this percentage dips to below 30 per cent in half of the countries surveyed.

"Studying these statistics is like surveying a car dashboard," said Marek Belka, Executive Secretary of UNECE. "The engine is working hard, but we have warning signs of major problems. If we don't address each problem, the overall economic and social welfare performance will be seriously affected."

He added that some countries are not armed with the mechanisms to monitor such issues as poverty, unemployment and gender inequality, and urged for a strengthening of UN efforts to create a stronger and independent statistical system.

"Only the joint efforts of all the UN agencies can bring the countries of our region closer to the achievement of their commitments towards Millennium Development Goals," referring to the eight targets aimed at slashing social ills, including extreme poverty and hunger, by 2015, said Jafar Javan, who serves as UNDP's Chief of Policy Support and Programme Development in Bratislava, Slovakia.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE CHIEF VOWS TO SPOTLIGHT 'FORGOTTEN' SITUATION IN EASTERN SUDAN

UN REFUGEE CHIEF VOWS TO SPOTLIGHT 'FORGOTTEN' SITUATION IN EASTERN SUDAN
New York, Apr 27 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/463207904.html">UNHCR) pledged today to shine the spotlight on the "forgotten situation" in eastern Sudan, where the agency has been running camps since 1968 for displaced Eritreans and Ethiopians, but has attracted little international attention.

António Guterres concluded a four-day visit to Sudan by touring camps in Kassala state, one of two in the country's east – the other is Gedaref – that currently host about 136,000 refugees.

That number, spread across 12 camps in the arid and harsh region, keeps rising as new arrivals from Eritrea appear every week, UNHCR said in a statement today.

Mr. Guterres visited the Wad Sherif and Kilo 26 camps and held talks in Kassala with local authorities and officials from UNHCR's Sudanese Government counterpart, the Commissioner for Refugees.

Many of the people Mr. Guterres spoke to said eastern Sudan's infrastructure and environment have been severely affected by the presence of the thousands of refugees from the two neighbouring States.

"We have a huge refugee population here to whom nobody is paying attention," Mr. Guterres said. "These are forgotten people… Today, the whole world focuses on Darfur and South Sudan and nobody thinks of the refugees in the east. People also forgot that Sudan has been one of the most generous countries [for] hosting refugees for 40 years. Personally I believe this generosity is rooted in Islam."

UNHCR is trying to transform its operations in eastern Sudan from care and maintenance programmes to projects that enhance the refugees' self-reliance, especially given that voluntary repatriation is not an option in the short term.

Mr. Guterres voiced shock at the living conditions inside the camps, which lack adequate health care facilities and decent water supplies and often have bad sanitation or are marked by residents' malnutrition.

The first UNHCR camp in the region opened in 1968, while Kilo 26 (currently home to 12,500 people) began in 1979 and Wad Sherif (33,370 refugees) in 1982.

UNHCR also has operations in the war-torn region of Darfur in western Sudan, where some 2 million locals have become internally displaced and 25,000 others from neighbouring Chad are living because of fighting in their own country.

In southern Sudan, UNHCR is assisting the return home of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) following the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in early 2005 ending the long-running civil war between north and south.

Yesterday, the UNHCR programme to voluntarily repatriate southern Sudanese from Ethiopia reached a milestone when the 20,000th returnee made the journey back to Upper Nile state.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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CLIMATE CHANGE TOPS BAN KI-MOON'S MEETINGS WITH EC PRESIDENT, AL GORE

CLIMATE CHANGE TOPS BAN KI-MOON'S MEETINGS WITH EC PRESIDENT, AL GORE
New York, Apr 27 2007 6:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today held separate meetings on climate change with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and former United States Vice President Al Gore.

"You are fully aware of my strong commitment to address the global warming issue and I am going to take an important role in mobilizing political will in close coordination with the European Commission when I attend the G-8 Summit meeting in June," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1025">told reporters following his meeting with Mr. Barroso.

The Secretary-General was briefed by Mr. Barroso on recent decisions taken by the European Union (EU) regarding global warming.

"We were very happy to take the lead in the matter and so we welcome all efforts that can be pursued at the United Nations level," said the European Commission chief.

"Now what we need is the political will to give an answer to that challenge" of climate change, he added.

Mr. Ban, who met the Commission's president earlier this year in Europe, welcomed an EU scheme to slash emissions of harmful gases by 20 per cent by 2020, calling it a "very important initiative" and pledging his support. He also lauded the EU's efforts to garner the participation of developing countries to reduce their emissions.

On his separate meeting with former US Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore today, Mr. Ban said he was "very much encouraged by his firm commitment, as well as voluntary willingness to help the cause of the United Nations" regarding global warming.

Mr. Ban stated that he hopes to work closely with Mr. Gore to mobilize countries and "enhance the awareness of the international community with this issue."

Among the other issues discussed by Mr. Ban and Mr. Barroso were the Darfur situation and UN reform.

Regarding Darfur, Mr. Barroso stated that the EU has made a commitment to boost support to Africa and expressed his gratitude to the Secretary-General for shedding light on what "we can and should be doing to put an end to that very dramatic situation."

He also underscored the importance of UN reform, saying that restructuring is vital to maintain the world body's credibility. To further the causes of development, human rights and global security, "a more efficient, more modern United Nations" is necessary, he argued.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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NEPAL HAS MADE RAPID ADVANCES, BUT OBSTACLES LIE AHEAD - REPORT BY BAN KI-MOON

NEPAL HAS MADE RAPID ADVANCES, BUT OBSTACLES LIE AHEAD – REPORT BY BAN KI-MOON
New York, Apr 27 2007 6:00PM
The peace process in Nepal has made "remarkable progress" since the start of last year, but complex questions remain about how to monitor the management of arms and armed personnel, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest report to the Security Council on the situation in the Himalayan country.

Mr. Ban also warns that the upcoming election of a Constituent Assembly must be conducted in a manner that reflects the genuine will of the Nepalese people, including those communities that have been marginalized traditionally.

In his progress report to the Security Council, Mr. Ban says "few could have imagined at the beginning of 2006 that an end to the armed conflict would have been declared," the UN would have started implementing an agreement on managing arms and armed personnel, and that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) would have entered an interim legislature with the Government.

"These are historic achievements," the Secretary-General writes, praising all parties for the willingness to strive towards consensus on some of the most divisive issues, but also noting that some of the underlying causes of the conflict are yet to be tackled.

Mr. Ban's report is being released one year after a 19-day "people's movement" which saw hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets in cities and towns across the country culminated in the king relinquishing executive power and reinstating Parliament. Last November's comprehensive peace agreement then formally ended a decade-long conflict that killed 13,000 people and paralyzed life in the countryside.

That agreement includes provisions for the storage of arms used by the two sides, but Mr. Ban warns in his report that much remains to be done on that front, as well as on the cantonment of armed personnel.

"Conditions at cantonment sites have been of great concern to the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN)," particularly given the scheduled arrival in mid-June of the annual monsoon rains, Mr. Ban says.

One of UNMIN's core roles is to help the Nepalese elect a Constituent Assembly later this year, and the Secretary-General stresses that this will also require support from the country's Election Commission, most notably in voter education.

"It will also require a cooperative effort to establish public security through effective law enforcement that respects human rights, in a country previously divided between State and non-State actors and where the police have yet to be deployed nationwide."
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN GEARS UP TO SUPPORT WEEKEND ELECTIONS IN HAITI

UN GEARS UP TO SUPPORT WEEKEND ELECTIONS IN HAITI
New York, Apr 27 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has announced plans to continue its support for the country's electoral process when polls are held this weekend to fill a number of public offices.

"We are mobilizing nearly 600 <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/">MINUSTAH staff, 200 vehicles and 11 helicopters," Marc Plum, head of electoral support in the mission's Civil Affairs Bureau, told a press briefing in Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

The elections will affect some 300,000 voters in the country, filling offices such as mayor and city delegate in several regions.

As with the preceding three rounds of elections, MINUSTAH will support the Haitian authorities in the electoral process, including by bolstering the security efforts of the national police, Mr. Plum said.

On Sunday, "the Haitian people can show to the international community that democracy is alive in Haiti," he said.

In another development, the mission continues to help victims of Tuesday's ferry accident at Jérémie, where 15 people were killed and 49 injured when the boat suddenly pitched, throwing scores of passengers overboard.

UN Police (UNPOL) arrived on the scene in support of efforts by their Haitian counterparts to evacuate the injured. MINUSTAH military officers also arrived to help with security. In addition, members of the mission's human rights team helped reunite two young children with their parents.

MINUSTAH and the authorities continue to temporarily shelter the passengers that could not go back to their homes, according to a UN spokesperson.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL REGRETS FATAL VIOLENCE DURING PROTEST AT STATUE REMOVAL IN ESTONIA

SECRETARY-GENERAL REGRETS FATAL VIOLENCE DURING PROTEST AT STATUE REMOVAL IN ESTONIA
New York, Apr 27 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed dismay today after one person was reported killed and dozens of other were injured in the Estonian capital amid unrest after authorities removed a contentious Soviet-era war memorial.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm10964.doc.htm">statement issued by his spokesperson in New York, Mr. Ban said he "regrets the violence and the loss of life" in Tallinn, and "appeals to all concerned with the issues at hand in a spirit of respect and conciliation."

Media reports say one person was killed and more than 40 others were injured during overnight protests at the moving of the monument, which is a bronze statue of a Soviet Union soldier.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON HEADS TO SHARM EL-SHEIKH NEXT WEEK FOR IRAQ COMPACT LAUNCH

BAN KI-MOON HEADS TO SHARM EL-SHEIKH NEXT WEEK FOR IRAQ COMPACT LAUNCH
New York, Apr 27 2007 4:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon heads to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, next week for the formal launch of the International Compact with Iraq (<"http://www.iraqcompact.org/">ICI), a five-year peace and development plan which envisages a reciprocal relationship between peace-building and economic prosperity in the war-ravaged country.

Mr. Ban, who will co-chair the launch with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, also plans to attend a high-level meeting to include the foreign ministers of the "expanded Iraq neighbours, representatives of the Permanent Members of the Security Council and members of the G-8 countries," spokesman Michele Montas told reporters in New York. The Group of 8 brings together Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ban's Special Adviser for the International Compact with Iraq and Other Political Issues, Ibrahim Gambari, continued his meetings in various capitals to widen support for the initiative and discuss commitments of Member States before the 3 May launch in Sharm el-Sheikh.

"He met in Brussels today with Javier Solana, the European Union's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, who confirmed his attendance at the launch event, as well as that of several ministers of the European Union (EU)," Ms. Montas reported.

Earlier in the week, Mr. Gambari, who is travelling with Sinan Mohammed Rida Al-Shabibi, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, held high-level meetings in London, Kuwait City and Sofia.

An initiative of the Iraqi Government for a new partnership with the international community, the Compact is a five-year national plan that includes benchmarks and mutual commitments from both partners with the aim of helping the country on the path towards peace, sound governance and economic reconstruction.

Under the plan, the Government will work to meet basic needs, protect the rights of all citizens and ensure the optimal use of the country's resources for the common good. National reconciliation, improved security, better governance and continued economic and social reforms should help unlock Iraq's own development potential, according to the ICI, which calls on the country's international partners to provide financial, technical and political support to help meet these challenges on the basis of mutual commitments.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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FIJI: UN FACT-FINDING MISSION ON POST-COUP SITUATION FINISHES WORK

FIJI: UN FACT-FINDING MISSION ON POST-COUP SITUATION FINISHES WORK
New York, Apr 27 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations fact-finding mission dispatched to Fiji to assess the political and electoral situation in the Pacific island nation in the wake of the coup d'état last December wrapped up its work today.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas told journalists that the inter-agency mission held a wide range of talks with various interlocutors while in Fiji, with discussions focusing on elections, human rights, the rule of law and the restoration of democracy, peace and stability.

Led by Jehangir Khan of the UN Department of Political Affairs, the mission included electoral and political experts, as well as representatives from the UN Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/">UNDP) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/english/">OHCHR).

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon dispatched the team last week in response to a Security Council call for the restoration of democracy and a peaceful resolution of political tensions.

The mission will submit confidential recommendations to Mr. Ban when it returns, Ms. Montas said, adding that report would form the basis of continued consultations between the UN and Fiji.

The trip took place after the Council, Mr. Ban and other UN officials condemned the military coup on 5 December last year and urged that a peaceful restoration of the democratically elected Government take place as soon as possible. Fiji has had four coups since 1987.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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MORE MUST BE DONE TO LIFT FISHERMAN OUT OF POVERTY AND PRESERVE FISH STOCKS - UN

MORE MUST BE DONE TO LIFT FISHERMAN OUT OF POVERTY AND PRESERVE FISH STOCKS – UN
New York, Apr 27 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today said that greater efforts must be made to lift fishermen out of poverty and reduce the overexploitation of threatened fish stocks.

"While fishing's role in helping people in the world's poorest communities feed themselves and stave off destitution cannot be understated, our studies reveal that despite the food and income that fishing provides many fisherfolk still live in poverty," said Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General of FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture Department.

Fishing communities are often overcrowded and are characterized by sub-standard living conditions, with residents having low levels of education and lack of access to services, such as schools and health care, and infrastructure, such as roads and markets. Many fishers also do not have the rights to the property on which they live.

Opportunities for employments in fields other than fishing – an extremely hazardous occupation – are limited.

Due in part to their poverty and vulnerability, fishing communities also face problems such as a high rate of HIV infection. In developing countries in Africa, Asia and Central America, the rate of infection is as much as five to 14 times greater in fishing areas than in the general population.

"Stronger efforts to tackle the diverse factors underlying this reality are needed, or else these communities will simply continue to tread water, surviving from day to day, living in poverty, and not managing local fish stocks as well as they might," Mr. Nomura said.

<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO asserts that poverty also contributes to poor fishing management, resulting in the shrinking coastal and inland fish stocks.

"Poor people can rarely afford to defend their long-term interests of securing access to healthy fish stock," Mr. Nomura noted.

According to the agency, greater strides to bolster education, income and health issues in fishing communities will not only help combat poverty and social problems, but will have the added benefit of solving problems related to fish stocks.

In addition, by granting small-scale fishermen legal access to fishing sites, increasing their responsibility in managing local fisheries and providing training, the issues of poor management and stock degradation could be addressed.

The topic of poverty and social problems in small fishing communities was discussed by 131 countries participating in FAO's Committee on Fisheries meeting last month, who called for the "adoption of human rights principles" in social development and a "rights-based approach to managing small-scale fisheries."
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO WRAPS UP TRIP TO BRAZZAVILLE FOLLOWING MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER

MIGIRO WRAPS UP TRIP TO BRAZZAVILLE FOLLOWING MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER
New York, Apr 27 2007 2:00PM
The relationship between the United Nations system and the Republic of Congo topped the agenda in talks held between the country's Prime Minister and Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose-Migiro, who has concluded her official visit to the country.

During her meeting with Prime Minister Ifidoru Mvouba, the two also discussed the challenges facing the region as well as UN support to the Republic of Congo, according to UN officials.

Also on Wednesday, Ms. Migiro addressed the opening of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) 2007 Regional Management Team Meeting, which this year is dealing with Africa's development agenda in the context of reforming the UN system.

While in Brazzaville, the Deputy Secretary-General met on 26 April with the UN Country Team and had a town hall meeting with UN staff in the Republic of Congo. In addition, she met with a group of civil society women leaders before returning to New York via Kinshasa.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES TAJIKISTAN TO TAKE FURTHER STEPS ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES TAJIKISTAN TO TAKE FURTHER STEPS ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE
New York, Apr 27 2007 2:00PM
Tajikistan must take active steps to ensure there is wider access to justice and it should also allow local and international monitors to visit places of detention, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said today after concluding official talks in her visit to the country, the second leg of her four-nation trip to Central Asia.

Ms. Arbour met with senior Tajik Government officials, including President Emomali Rakhmon, Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Rauf Yousoupov, during several days of talks in Dushanbe, the Tajik capital.

She also spoke with Supreme Court Chairperson Nusratullo Abdulloev, Justice Minister Bakhtyor Khudoyorov and Deputy Prosecutor-General Abdusami Dadabaev, according to a <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/CFD34F1053B6702FC12572CA00485D8B?opendocument">statement issued by her office (<"http://www.ohchr.org/english/">OHCHR).

During these meetings Ms. Arbour discussed Tajikistan's ongoing reforms of its justice system, particularly the areas of law enforcement, criminal procedures and the independence of the judiciary.

The High Commissioner described access to justice as "a major challenge that needs to be addressed in a participatory manner and in compliance with international standards," and called on the Government to implement the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Leandro Despouy, after his visit in 2005.

Ms. Arbour also encouraged the Government to provide greater access for human rights monitors, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to Tajikistan's places of detention, and suggested that the country consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, which contains a framework for monitoring places of detention.

Noting that Tajikistan has furnished reports required under six of the key human rights instruments it has ratified, Ms. Arbour called on the Government to take steps to ensure that the recommendations made by the experts who reviewed them are fully implemented.

The High Commissioner also held meetings with Vladimir Sorokov, the Head of the UN Tajikistan Office of Peacebuilding (UNTOP), as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the diplomatic corps, political parties and civil society groups.

Ms. Arbour urged the Government to "engage in a continuous dialogue" with civil society groups and opposition parties and to "ensure democratic space for their activities."

She wraps up her visit to Tajikistan on Sunday and then heads to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan as part of her efforts to increase OHCHR's efforts in Central Asia. The first leg of her 11-day trip took her to Kyrgyzstan.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF CALLS ON SRI LANKAN FIGHTING FACTION TO STOP USING CHILDREN AS SOLDIERS

UNICEF CALLS ON SRI LANKAN FIGHTING FACTION TO STOP USING CHILDREN AS SOLDIERS
New York, Apr 27 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_39477.html">UNICEF) today voiced concern about a paramilitary group which sides with the Government of Sri Lanka against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels that the agency believes is not living up to public assurances to eschew recruitment of children as soldiers to fight in the country's bloody civil conflict.

Although the so-called Karuna faction – which split from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and now supports Government troops – denies that it is actively enlisting children as soldiers, UNICEF says there are consistent reports that contradict this.

After returning from a mission last week to a conflict area where the Karuna group was supposed to provide UNICEF access to a camp, the agency's head of protection in Sri Lanka, Andrew Brooks, described the level of cooperation as "stalemated."

"We seriously question whether the Karuna group is acting in good faith," he said in the capital, Colombo.

"Our supposed cooperation is obscured by the faction's apparent determination to delay, frustrate, and mislead the process to end the use of children as combatants in this country's conflict."

Last week's assessment was intended to be the first of regular inspection of known locations of the Karuna faction and its political offshoot, known as the TMVP, to verify that no children are being used as soldiers.

However, the leader of the UN team reported that he had been led to hastily created mock site in a jungle area, and despite the Karuna group's repeated promises to fully cooperate, requests by the world body to inspect known locations were spurned.

After a UN fact-finding mission to Sri Lanka last November, the faction's leader, Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, known as "Colonel Karuna," reassured the UN that his group would cooperate in efforts to curtail child combatant recruitment.

Despite these assurances, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned in a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2006/1006">report to the Security Council in January that "a particularly disconcerting development during the reporting period was the increase in abductions and recruitment of children in the east by the Karuna faction." The report also cited the Sri Lankan army's complicity in the group's efforts to enlist children.

"Unfortunately, despite exhaustive approaches to the Karuna group and TMVP officials since then, the few children they're released falls well short of the public commitments they've made," Mr. Brooks said. "We continue to receive reports of children being recruited."

According to UNICEF, as of the end of last month, out of the 285 children known to have been recruited as soldiers by the Karuna faction, there were 194 outstanding cases.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEETING IN SEARCH FOR BALANCED SOLUTIONS ON ENERGY

UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEETING IN SEARCH FOR BALANCED SOLUTIONS ON ENERGY
New York, Apr 27 2007 7:00AM
Energy policies that can fuel economic and social development while reducing air pollution and the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change will be considered by more than 2,000 participants at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development's (CSD) annual session, which starts on Monday in New York.

Almost 80 government ministers are expected to attend the Commission, which will attempt to chart a sustainable course of action on the interlinked issues of energy, climate change, air pollution and industrial development.

The chair of this year's session, Abdullah Hamad Al-Attiyah, Qatar's Energy Minister, stressed ahead of the opening that all delegates should remember that many people still do not have access to modern energy services.

About one in four people around the world do not have electricity, and an estimated 2.4 billion use traditional fuels such as firewood or dung for cooking or heating.

"As long as women and children have to forage for firewood, for as long as students cannot read after sunset, and as long as new businesses and industries cannot get the power they need to operate, we cannot expect to achieve development that is economically, socially and environmentally balanced," he said.

Noting the gravity of the challenges ahead, Mr. Al-Attiyah said the task for this year's CSD session is to decide specific policy options and practical measures that can work.

"I am optimistic about the future," he said. "The coming decades will witness significant investments in energy infrastructure, as well as in industrial development. We must seize the opportunity to make a difference by making the right policy decisions and choices."

This year's CSD will mark the 20th anniversary of the Brundtland Commission report, Our Common Future, that was seen as a landmark document on sustainable development. To mark the anniversary, Gro Harlem Brundtland -- a former Norwegian prime
the UN World Health Organization (WHO) -- is planning to address the high-level portion of the meeting on 9 May.

Energy use is expected to grow by 50 per cent over the next 25 years, with two thirds of that increase in developing countries. But there are numerous competing national and global energy issues that are also under consideration, including access to affordable energy, as well as reliable and clean energy supplies.

The CSD brings together government delegates and representatives of civil society, including women, children and youth, indigenous people, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business, academia, local authorities, scientists, workers and trade unions.
2007-04-27 00:00:00.000

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UN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY SECURES DPR KOREA RECORDS AS LAST STAFF PREPARE TO DEPART

UN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY SECURES DPR KOREA RECORDS AS LAST STAFF PREPARE TO DEPART
New York, Apr 26 2007 7:00PM
As auditors comb through the records of United Nations activities in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) following on a request from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN Development Programme (UNDP) documents are being secured ahead of the impending departure of the agency's last two staff members, an official said today.

David Morrison, Communications Director of <"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/">UNDP, said he had been asked to clarify aspects of the suspension of its activities in the country following the announcement earlier this week that the staff members would depart.

The internal audit was triggered by press reports suggesting that the agency's own audits raised concerns about payments being channelled to the Government, which is under Security Council sanctions because of its proclaimed nuclear test. UNDP announced the suspension last month, and said it would withdraw all but two of its international staff over the failure to implement conditions set up following reports that UN funds improperly went to the Government.

These conditions included ending all hard currency payments and discontinuing sub-contracting of national staff via Government recruitment as of 1 March, as well as adjusting the content of current programmes to support sustainable human development goals.

Mr. Morrison told journalists in New York that UNDP's country-office assets, such as computers, records and vehicles – "the equipment that we need to do our job" – have been safeguarded and transported to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) country office in Pyongyang. These are all "fully accessible to the auditors," he added.

Regarding so-called "project assets," which are purchased as part of programme activities, he noted that some came from projects which were operationally finished and required only paperwork to wind down. In those cases, as was standard practice, the assets were transferred to the DPRK authorities, he said.

Mr. Morrison recalled that in late January, the UNDP Executive Board had called for the agency to narrow the scope of its activities in DPRK to those that directly benefited the country's people, rather than to build the capacity of Government. In response, 15 projects were cancelled. "Anything that was already in the possession of the DPRK authorities they were given title to, and anything that had not yet been transferred was simply interrupted."

The remaining projects were put on hold in accordance with UNDP's decision to suspend its activities in DPRK, not end them. "To implement the suspension, what we did was simply ask the DPRK authorities to sign notes of custody for the fiscal assets that they already had in their possession, and that's what they've done so we can account for exactly where the projects were as we interrupted them," he said.

"The future of those projects will depend on guidance we receive from the Executive Board as this plays out, and obviously the audit will figure into that."

In all cases mentioned, physical assets were already possessed by the DPRK authorities, "There have been no cases when we've gone and transferred something new to the DPRK authorities," he said.

To questions that have been raised about Timo Pakkala, the UNDP Resident Coordinator in DPRK, Mr. Morrison said, "he remains the designated Resident Coordinator in DPRK – there's been no transference of that function to any other agency."

Mr. Pakkala left the country on 15 March, travelled to New York where he was made available to the auditors, and then proceeded to join his family. "My understanding is that he is now with his family on special leave with pay in Europe, and he is fully available to continue assisting with the audit or any other measures relating to DPRK," Mr. Morrison said.

On the withdrawal of staff, Mr. Morrison said that on 26 March at a meeting in Pyongyang, the DPRK authorities "told us that given that we were soon not to have any more programmatic activities, we should withdraw our final two staff by the 30th of April, so we are in the process of doing so."

He expressed confidence that "everything that needs to be prepared for the audit has been prepared and that everything that needs to have been done to wind down the programme has been done."

Any Executive Board decision on the future of UNDP would be informed by the results of the audit, he said.

Responding to questions, he said an interim audit was being prepared and would be submitted to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) – a powerful UN budget watchdog – but added that he had no time frame on when that would happen.
After the issue came to light in January, the Secretary-General promised an external, system-wide probe of UN activities in the field, targeting as his first priority countries where hard currency transactions, independence of staff hiring and access to review local projects were an issue and beginning with the DPRK.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN AGENCIES SEND AID CONVOY TO TROUBLED NORTHEAST

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN AGENCIES SEND AID CONVOY TO TROUBLED NORTHEAST
New York, Apr 26 2007 7:00PM
Three United Nations agencies have sent a seven-truck relief convoy from the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR) to the troubled northeast of the country, where recent rebel attacks on villages and clashes with Government forces have displaced hundreds of thousands of people and sparked a widening humanitarian crisis.

The convoy, organized by the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) in collaboration with the French non-governmental organization (NGO) Triangle Generation, left Bangui on Saturday.

Bound for Vakaga prefecture on the border with Sudan's war-torn Darfur region and Chad, it is carrying 41 metric tons of food from WFP, seed supplies from FAO and educational materials from FAO.

Triangle Generation will distribute the supplies to populations around the towns of Birao, Ouanda and Djalle, which were some of the hardest hit in recent rebel attacks.

Last month, almost the entire population of 14,000 people fled Birao following the attack by the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR), in which more than 700 houses were burned and vital stocks of food and seeds for the upcoming planting season were destroyed. The burning of houses by rebels and other militants has become a widespread tactic in the CAR.

The convoy is part of follow-up efforts to an inter-agency assessment mission to Birao and surrounding areas at the end of last month.

Nearly 300,000 Central Africans have had to flee their homes over the past year, either to become internally displaced or to live as refugees in neighbouring countries, because of the escalating fighting, banditry and rebel attacks. Many people are living in the open bush, too afraid to return to their former homes.

The UN has so far received just over $17 million of the $54.5 million it is appealing for to fund humanitarian relief work across the CAR, one of the world's poorest countries, this year.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR WORLD'S ASSISTANCE TO BRING STABILITY TO SOMALIA

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR WORLD'S ASSISTANCE TO BRING STABILITY TO SOMALIA
New York, Apr 26 2007 6:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his grave concern about the intensified violence in Somalia, and called on the world to step up its assistance to the war-torn East African nation.

The country has been wracked by deadly clashes in recent weeks, and according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 340,000 people – roughly one-third of the city's population – have fled the violence in the capital Mogadishu since the start of February, while at least 1,000 have sustained injuries.

"The international community should fully cooperate and give some concerted efforts to restore peace and security in that country," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1024">told reporters in New York.

Since the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), backed by Ethiopian forces, dislodged the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) from the capital and much of the country last December, there has been an upsurge in violence. Clan-based militias have also been involved in the clashes.

"I am also very much troubled by the fact that the Transitional Federal Government is [not] able to sustain the momentum thus created politically," Mr. Ban noted.

He also urged for plans to convene a National Reconciliation Congress, which have been postponed until next month, to continue. Recognizing that such a Congress will have logistical and financial difficulties, he appealed to the international community for assistance.

"We have seen in the last 10 days or so some of the worst fighting in Mogadishu that the city has seen in the last 15 or 16 years," John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said at a press briefing in Geneva today.

He stressed that "the rules of international humanitarian law are being flouted by all sides in Mogadishu," which has witnessed the largest displacement of people in the world this year. He added that civilians have been caught in the crossfire, there is indiscriminate shelling and missiles have been seen hitting hospitals.

Mr. Holmes argued that the dire humanitarian situation is not entirely a question of adequate resources, but rather of access and security. Aid workers endeavouring to assist those in need have been thwarted by the unstable security situation as well as by the TFG.

"Getting aid to [those who have fled Mogadishu] is proving very difficult" due to both the insecurity and the blockage of roads by the military. He also mentioned a distribution by the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2460">WFP) "which was halted because the Government said they had not inspected the food themselves, which seems inappropriate in an emergency situation."

Although the TFG agreed during a meeting with the UN's Somalia Country Team this week to allow humanitarian workers access to Mogadishu's airports, he said that <"http://ochaonline.un.org/webpage.asp?Page=873&Lang=en">OCHA is "waiting to see whether that agreement in principle is translated into practice."

Another major public health concern is the outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea, which OCHA reports has affected 17,000 people and killed 600 in south-central Somalia, which includes Mogadishu and surrounding areas.

"A particular concern is that the rainy season is approaching, which will obviously exacerbate these health problems very considerably," Mr. Holmes said.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/462f7d4f4.html">UNHCR) and its partners on the ground have distributed urgently needed supplies to over 35,000 people who have fled the capital and are currently residing in the small town of Afgooye, 30 kilometres west of Mogadishu.

Despite the influx of aid, the town, sheltering more than 41,000 displaced, is overwhelmed by the constant stream of desperate people who are seeking help and safety.

"People living in Afgooye are scared because the fighting might spread along the road from Mogadishu," a UNHCR staff member said of the increasingly chaotic situation in the town. "They also fear the increasing theft and burglary and the gangs that roam the town, which used to be safe."

Many residents have already taken in family members and friends who have escaped the capital, and the town has run out of shelter space. Many families are living under plastic sheeting supplied by UNHCR to protect them from the weather, and prices have surged in local shops due to the increased demand. Local landowners are even charging rent to people seeking sanctuary under their trees.

"People in Afgooye are extremely poor, most of them live on less than a dollar a day, and now they can no longer afford the prices which rise day after day," the UNHCR staffer said. "Some shopowners and landowners make a lot of money by demanding unaffordable prices."

Explosions and military activity on the road linking the town to Mogadishu have forced it to close, and the closure of a bridge on the town's end has blocked trucks carrying UNHCR supplies.

Despite the obstacles, the agency plans to distribute a second round of relief items – including plastic sheeting, mattresses and kitchen utensils, all of which have been airlifted from Dubai – this week for an additional 13,500 people.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO MEETS WITH REPUBLIC OF CONGO PRESIDENT

MIGIRO MEETS WITH REPUBLIC OF CONGO PRESIDENT
New York, Apr 26 2007 6:00PM
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today met with the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, in Brazzaville, wrapping up an official visit which also took her to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

While in Brazzaville, the Deputy Secretary-General also met with the Congolese Prime Minister and addressed an annual meeting of the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/dpa/journalists/">UNDP) African Regional Management team.

In addition, at a conference on African development priorities, the Deputy Secretary-General chaired a panel on the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) – a set of global anti-poverty targets set at a 2000 UN summit.

Ms. Migiro then departed for Kinshasa en route back to New York.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE CHIEF SPOTLIGHTS WATER ACCESS ISSUE DURING VISIT TO CAMPS IN DARFUR

UN REFUGEE CHIEF SPOTLIGHTS WATER ACCESS ISSUE DURING VISIT TO CAMPS IN DARFUR
New York, Apr 26 2007 5:00PM
Visiting camps in the west of Sudan's war-torn Darfur region that are home to thousands of Chadians fleeing conflict in their own neighbouring country, the United Nations refugee chief has pledged to step up efforts to improve local access to water in the arid region.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres toured areas adjacent to the Sudanese-Chadian border and met with African Union (AU) officials in West Darfur yesterday, the third day of his visit to Sudan.

An estimated 25,000 Chadians have sought refuge in West Darfur, despite the conflict in that part of Sudan, because of fighting across eastern Chad in recent months between rebels and Government forces.

During his talks with the refugees and the AU officials, Mr. Guterres acknowledged the vital importance of water to everyone living in the region, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

He promised that <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/463053024.html">UNHCR and its non-governmental organization (NGO) partners would do their utmost to find better solutions for the refugees and Darfur's own swelling population of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Mr. Guterres is travelling today to Kassala state in eastern Sudan to visit Kilo 26 and Wad Sherife, two camps for Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees.

Eastern Sudan is home to about 136,000 refugees and there have been camps in that part of the country since 1968, but the situation there is largely forgotten because of the better-known refugee situations of Darfur and southern Sudan.

UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2456">WFP) Executive Director Josette Sheeran has also been in Darfur as part of her own visit to Sudan, which is home to the agency's largest operation in the world. Some 5.5 million Sudanese are expected to receive food aid from WFP this year.

Ms. Sheeran toured an IDP camp in North Darfur state, where she met women residents and distributed hand mills for grinding cereals.

In a separate statement, the Programme welcomed the Sudanese Government's decision to expedite a shipment of 100,000 metric tons of cereals that had been delayed at Port Sudan.

WFP also hailed Egypt's donation of more than 250 tons of wheat flour, rice and vegetable oil to Sudan and Somalia, which is beset by its own humanitarian crisis.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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BLUE HELMETS IN HAITI RETURN SCHOOL ONCE USED BY DRUG GANGS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES

BLUE HELMETS IN HAITI RETURN SCHOOL ONCE USED BY DRUG GANGS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES
New York, Apr 26 2007 5:00PM
Brazilian peacekeepers working with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/">MINUSTAH) have handed back to local authorities in a notorious district of the capital a school that was seized from drug gangs earlier this year.

The Ecole Nationale de Cité Soleil, from the slum district of the same name, will be rehabilitated with funds from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN spokesperson Michele Montas said today.

The hand-over took place during a short ceremony yesterday involving Col. Barrosso Magno, commander of the Mission's Brazilian contingent, which had been using the site its temporary headquarters.

The return of the school "is a sign of change for Cité," Col. Magno said, referring to the district of the capital, Port-au-Prince, where crime and gang activity has been most rampant in recent decades.

MINUSTAH has been working actively with UN Police (UNPOL) and Haitian National Police (PNH) to locate and arrest key gang leaders and to disrupt and reduce their criminal activities.

Elected officials in Cité Soleil yesterday also returned to work at the bullet-scarred town hall, which has become functional again, thanks to a joint effort by the Haitian Government, the PNH and the Brazilian contingent in MINUSTAH.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL'S BALKANS MISSION IN BELGRADE TO MEET WITH SERBIAN AUTHORITIES

SECURITY COUNCIL'S BALKANS MISSION IN BELGRADE TO MEET WITH SERBIAN AUTHORITIES
New York, Apr 26 2007 5:00PM
A Security Council delegation on a fact-finding mission to the Balkans today made a stop in Belgrade to meet with leaders there as the 15-member body deliberates the future of Kosovo, the ethnic Albanian-majority province of Serbia that has been run by the United Nations since Western forces drove Yugoslav troops out in 1999.

Led by Belgian Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke, the delegation met with Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

This is second leg of their six-day tour of the region, and tonight they will depart for Pristina, in Kosovo, after which they will conclude their visit by stopping in Vienna. Yesterday, the delegation, comprising representatives from current Council Member States, visited Brussels to confer with European Union (EU) and NATO officials.

The aim of the trip is to provide Council members with a first-hand understanding of the social, political and economic situation in Kosovo. In particular, the mission will assess whether agreed standards – a set of eight overall targets that include building democratic institutions, enforcing minority rights, creating a functioning economy and setting up an impartial legal system – have been implemented.

Last month, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the future status process Martti Ahtisaari asserted that the only viable option for Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities by nine to one, is independence in a phased process with initial supervision by the international community.

Calling Kosovo "a unique case that demands a unique solution," Mr. Ahtisaari said in a report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that independence is the only way the province, where unemployment is close to 60 per cent, can become politically stable and economically viable.

Meanwhile, as part of an outreach effort, Mr. Ban's Special Representative in Kosovo, Joachim Rücker, explained the current state of the future status process of the province and discussed concerns with Kosovo Serbs in a town hall meeting in Parteš/Partesh, a village in the east.

Appearing on a panel, Mr. Rücker told attendees that under the proposal, the village would become part of a new municipality also called Parteš/Partesh, which would have increased responsibilities and comprise three villages.

In 1999 when NATO intervened in the conflict, an estimated 250,000 Serbs and other fled Kosovo after Serbian troops withdrew from the province. Since then, only about 16,000 of them have returned.

"We would like to see more returns," Mr. Rücker said at the town hall meeting. "It is my perception, however, that many displaced persons are awaiting the decision on the status."

He reiterated his invitation to Kosovo's Serbian community to actively participate in the province's institutions and in the status process.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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UN MOURNS LOSS OF DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF ITS TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT ARM

UN MOURNS LOSS OF DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF ITS TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT ARM
New York, Apr 26 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations today mourned the death of Dirk Jan Bruinsma, the Deputy Secretary-General of the world body's Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), who passed away at age 56 in The Hague, Netherlands, on 22 April following a brief illness.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Bruisnsma," his spokesperson Michele Montas said in New York today.

"He extends his condolences to Mr. Bruinsma's family, friends and colleagues."

In a press release, UNCTAD said that "Mr. Bruinsma was instrumental in strengthening the organization, and particularly its work on science and technology, technical cooperation and communications."

The agency also said that Mr. Bruinsma was represented the organization in several international meetings, and was also actively involved in efforts to reform the UN.

Before joining UNCTAD last January, he served as the Director-General of Foreign Economic Relations in the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands. He had a strong interest in development cooperation and led his country's delegation to the economic policy committees of the European Union (EU) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Prior to entering the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Mr. Bruinsma held positions in the Dutch Ministry of Finance and also worked in the private sector, managing his own consulting firm.

Based in Geneva, UNCTAD promotes the integration of developing countries into the world economy, aiming to help shape current policy debates, with a particular focus on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development.
2007-04-26 00:00:00.000

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