UNESCO KICKS OFF PROJECT FOR ITALY TO RETURN ETHIOPIAN ARTIFACT

UNESCO KICKS OFF PROJECT FOR ITALY TO RETURN ETHIOPIAN ARTIFACT
New York, Jun 22 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) World Heritage Centre has signed a contract with an Italian construction company to re-erect the Aksum obelisk on its original location in Ethiopia beginning this July.

Measuring 24 metres high and weighing 150 tonnes, the obelisk was transported to Rome by Mussolini's troops in 1937.

In April 2005, the Italian Government – after UNESCO's mediation – decided to return the artifact to Ethiopia.

Due to its enormity, it was cut into three pieces before being flown to Aksum, in the country's north-east, where archaeological digs were underway to prepare for the installation.

Italy is providing the over $2.3 million cost of the project, slated to take 18 months.

The 1,700-year-old obelisk symbolizes the Ethiopian people's identity, and the Kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia. Currently an archaeological park with ruins dating between the 1st and 13th century A.D., Aksum was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON SAYS UN READY TO SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES IN BOLIVIA

BAN KI-MOON SAYS UN READY TO SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES IN BOLIVIA
New York, Jun 22 2007 7:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he is "following with interest" the process Bolivia is undergoing to bolster democracy and pledged the world body's full support in this endeavour.

Mr. Ban "underscores the exceptional opportunity that Bolivia's Constituent Assembly represents to establish, through broad national agreement, a democratic society based on ethnic and cultural diversity, inclusion, equal opportunities and social justice," his spokesperson said in <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11058.doc.htm">statement.

Mr. Ban also pledged the world body's support in Bolivia's efforts to strengthen democracy.

Jan Egeland, his Special Adviser, visited the South American country from 29 May to 2 June.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN TRIBUNAL BEGINS TRIAL OF RWANDAN PRIEST CHARGED WITH GENOCIDE

UN TRIBUNAL BEGINS TRIAL OF RWANDAN PRIEST CHARGED WITH GENOCIDE
New York, Jun 22 2007 7:00PM
The trial before the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) of a priest and former college rector charged with genocide, murder and extermination against the Tutsi ethnic group began today in Arusha, Tanzania.

Hormisdas Nsengimana, a priest and formerly a Rector of Christ-Roi College in Nyanza, Nyabisindu Commune in Butare Prefecture, is charged with four counts of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and crimes against humanity for murder and extermination.

In her opening remarks, the Chief of Prosecution, Sylvana Arbia, said that she will call on two dozen witnesses, including members of the clergy; members of the Hutu ethnic group who were College employees; victims and survivors of mass attacks; former College students; and experts who will put Mr. Nsengimana's activities during Rwanda's 1994 genocide in context.

The 53-year old suspect is alleged to have been one of the organizers of the Tutsi slaughter in Nyanza, Butare, in 1994, and is accused of been a leader in "Les Dragons," or "Escadrons de la Mort" ("Death Squad"), which allegedly played a key role in the murder of Tutsis in and around the College and other parts of the region.

He is alleged to have worked in concert with soldiers in the prefecture to commit these crimes.

The defendant is also alleged to have been instrumental in the killing of Tutsi priests from his College. In one incident, he allegedly paid several people to obtain the whereabouts of three Tutsi priests who had fled the College, and sent the information to his co-perpetrators who killed them.

Mr. Nsengimana's counsel, David Hooper, said that his client believes this trial will vindicate him. The accused disputes all allegations, was caught up in the deadly events of 1994 and lost family members and friends, Mr. Hooper said.

On a 24 April appearance before the Tribunal, Mr. Nsengimana pleaded not guilty to three counts of genocide, murder and extermination as crimes against humanity.

He was arrested in Cameroon on 21 March 2002 and transferred to the UN Detention Facility in Arusha on 10 April 2002.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

DR CONGO: UN COLLEAGUES MOURN SLAIN JOURNALIST SERGE MAHESHE

DR CONGO: UN COLLEAGUES MOURN SLAIN JOURNALIST SERGE MAHESHE
New York, Jun 22 2007 7:00PM
United Nations colleagues are mourning the death of Serge Maheshe, a journalist for Radio Okapi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who was shot last week while entering a UN car.

Sebastien Lapierre, a former Radio Okapi colleague, recalled the victim as "one of the best journalists on our team" dedicated to covering breaking news events.

"Given his extensive contacts in South Kivu, Serge always had his finger on the pulse of this volatile region and was often at the forefront of breaking news," said Mr. Lapierre, who now serves as a Team Leader in the Peacekeeping Best Practices Section of the Department for Peacekeeping Operations.

Mr. Maheshe contributed to both news and analysis stories, often acting as the Bukavu correspondent for Dialogue Entre Congolais, Radio Okapi's flagship political analysis programme. "The fact that he had recently taken on additional responsibilities as the local head of the radio station is an indication of the confidence of the management in his abilities and professionalism," Mr. Lapierre told the UN News Service.

The slain journalist was remembered for his commitment to peace in the DRC, where in 2004, during a crisis in Bukavu, he helped bring threatened civilian families to the safety of the UN compound while at the same time gathering information for news coverage of the events.

"Above all, Serge was a friend. He was very sociable, and loved music," Mr. Lapierre said. "We will miss him dearly, and our thoughts are with his family in these difficult times."

The 31-year old, who had worked for Radio Okapi since 2003, was shot dead on 13 June by two men on a street in Bukavu, in eastern DRC, as he and two friends were about to enter a UN-marked vehicle. He left behind his wife and two children.

Jean-Jacques Simon, who met Mr. Maheshe when he headed Radio Okapi in South Kivu, recalled how he had learned a great deal in a short period of time. Once he was hired full-time, he "instilled a completely different dynamic" in the newsroom, said Mr. Simon, "first by his good mood and then by his energy."

Mr. Maheshe's timely reports earned him the nickname, "quick intervention journalist," Mr. Simon, who now works as Head of Outreach & Advocacy in the Public Information Office of the UN Assistance Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), told the UN News Service.

Mr. Simon also shared an enduring personal bond with Mr. Maheshe's. "I will always have for Serge a deep friendship. His kindness, his respect for those around him, his intelligence and his expansive courage as a journalist will remain forever engraved in my memory."

At a tribute ceremony in honour of Mr. Maheshe on Monday, the senior UN envoy to the DRC, who had condemned the murder, called for strict measures to ensure the safety of journalists in the country.

"It is high time, it is urgent that strict measures are taken to protect journalists and guarantee freedom of expression," he said.

Mr. Maheshe's death also prompted a statement from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose spokesman on 15 June called it "a great loss for the United Nations and the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as they continue their efforts to build a sustainable peace in their country."

The Secretary-General said the UN "will do everything possible to support the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to identify the perpetrators of this crime and bring them to justice."

Adding his voice to those of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUC) in speaking out against the murder of Mr. Maheshe, who worked at the country's most popular radio station, Radio Okapi, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said that "a famous voice in the DRC has been silenced."

Calling on Congolese authorities to do everything possible to find and punish those responsible for the murder of the 31-year-old, Mr. Matsuura said, "it is essential that media professionals, the true pillars of democracy, are protected and that crimes against them do not go unpunished."

Radio Okapi is a partnership between MONUC and the Hirondelle Foundation, a Swiss non-governmental organization (NGO).

According to UNESCO – tasked with defending press freedom worldwide – Mr. Maheshe is the third Congolese journalist to be murdered since November 2005. Bapuwa Mwamba, from daily newspaper Le Phare, was killed at his home by three armed men in July 2006. Franck Kangundu, a journalist for La Référence Plus, was killed with his wife in November 2005.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECURITY COUNCIL URGES GREATER PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT

SECURITY COUNCIL URGES GREATER PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT
New York, Jun 22 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations Security Council today called for greater protection for civilians, who continue to account for the majority of casualties in situations of armed conflict.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9058.doc.htm">press statement following an <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9057.doc.htm">open debate, the 15-member Council expressed its "grave concern" at the suffering of civilians and underscored that parties to armed conflict are primarily responsible for making efforts to ensure that civilians are protected.

The statement, which was read out by Council President Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke of Belgium, noted that international humanitarian law obliges sides to shield civilians from harm, and "urged all concerned parties to allow full, safe and unimpeded access by humanitarian personnel to civilians in need of assistance in situations of armed conflict."

Addressing the Council, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said that "if there is one thing we need to do above all, it is to end the culture of impunity which underlies so many abuses."

He cited rule of law and judicial redress as key, and noted that greater participation by women in all aspects of protection – including peacekeeping – would substantially improve attitudes regarding sexual violence.

Since taking office four months ago, Mr. Holmes has visited such areas as Darfur, Chad, the Central African Republic, Northern Uganda and Somalia.

"In each of these, and in too many other places as well, I have seen how hundreds of thousands of civilians have been uprooted from their ordinary lives by the effects of conflict and left stranded, their fate of no apparent consequence to those who fight around them," he said, adding that many thousands have been "killed, injured, maimed, assaulted, humiliated, ignored and treated as less than human."

He mentioned three main areas of concern: the targeting of civilians, forced displacement and access and security for humanitarian workers.

"Civilians bear the brunt of indiscriminate firing and violence in populated areas, including cities, where warring parties fail to distinguish, or even try to distinguish, between combatants and the civilian population," Mr. Holmes, who also serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told the Council.

He cited Somalia, where hostilities between March and early May killed 400 civilians and wounded more than 700, as well as the fighting in the occupied Palestinian territory and violence in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Civilians are too often deliberately targeted in order to create a climate of fear and to destabilize populations," he said, mentioning Janjaweed attacks on innocent villagers in Darfur and Chad as examples.

Mr. Holmes voiced concern over continued forced displacement of civilians due to – "or sometimes as the very purpose of" – conflict.

For the first time since 2002, the number of refugees worldwide has increased, surging to 9.9 million at the end of 2006 primarily because of refugee flows from Iraq.

To remedy the situation, the Emergency Relief Coordinator appealed for attention to the right to voluntary and safe return in his address to the Council debate, which saw the participation of more than two dozen countries.

"To do otherwise is to condemn millions to lasting misery and degradation," he said.

He also pointed out that targeting aid workers threatens the survival of those trapped in conflict.

"Killing humanitarian staff and arbitrarily denying access violates international humanitarian law," Mr. Holmes said. "It also threatens the lifeline to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people."
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN AGENCIES WARN OF FOOD SHORTAGE UNLESS GAZA BORDER CROSSINGS RE-OPEN

UN AGENCIES WARN OF FOOD SHORTAGE UNLESS GAZA BORDER CROSSINGS RE-OPEN
New York, Jun 22 2007 6:00PM
United Nations agencies aiding Palestinian refugees warned today that Gaza could face general food shortages within weeks if the border crossing points into the area remain closed.

Matthias Burchard of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA) told reporters in Geneva that the re-opening of the Karni crossing, which used to handle 200 to 300 trucks each day is particularly crucial in order prevent a food shortage in two weeks' time.

He told a press briefing in Geneva that the refugee poverty rate has now risen to 88 per cent, with UNRWA now providing food aid to 860,000 people in Gaza alone.

The UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) said it has been able today to use one crossing point, at Kerem Shalom, to transport some 400 tons of food aid to Gaza, and added that more food aid needs to come in, with commercial stocks running low.

Food and other humanitarian supplies must continue to enter Gaza if a major humanitarian crisis is to be averted, WFP's Simon Pluess told the press briefing.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40072.html">UNICEF) said it is delivering emergency medical supplies and vaccines to help prevent outbreaks of measles, tuberculosis and other diseases among children in Gaza.

With little access in or out of Gaza, stocks of essential medicines are at critical levels, and health facilities are struggling to address the needs of an "exhausted and traumatized population," according to a press release from the agency, which said it is working to treat children suffering from shock and extreme stress.

Despite shortages of everything from fuel to medicines, the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) confirmed today that hospitals inside Gaza were staying open.

WHO also confirmed that Israel had allowed a brief opening at the Erez crossing so that urgent medical cases from Gaza could be transferred to Israeli hospitals.

Amid the worsening humanitarian situation, UNRWA announced it will start a ten-week programme of games for 192,000 children and youth in Gaza tomorrow.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN AGENCY SEEKS TO ENSURE PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY IN HIV DATA COLLECTION

UN AGENCY SEEKS TO ENSURE PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY IN HIV DATA COLLECTION
New York, Jun 22 2007 5:00PM
Aiming to protect the almost 40 million men, women and children living with HIV from potential stigma and discrimination, the main United Nations agency dealing with AIDS today released new guidelines to ensure that patient confidentiality is not compromised in the process of collecting and storing information on the virus.

The Interim Guidelines on Protecting the Confidentiality and Security of HIV Information were developed through a workshop supported by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/MediaCentre/PressMaterials/FeatureStory/20070621_confidentiality_guidelines.asp">UNAIDS) and the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

According to the guidelines, using data for public health goals must be balanced against the rights of individuals to privacy and confidentiality. Among the recommendations, they call for countries to adopt privacy and confidentiality laws.

"Ensuring this information is securely stored and confidentially maintained will avoid potential stigmatization and discrimination of individuals and communities, and enhance the quality of the information collected," said Eddy Beck, UNAIDS Senior Technical Officer.

Together, stigma and discrimination constitute one of the greatest barriers to dealing effectively with the epidemic, according to UNAIDS. They discourage governments from taking timely action against AIDS, and they deter individuals from finding out about their HIV status.

They also inhibit those who know they are infected from sharing their diagnosis and taking action to protect others and from seeking treatment and care for themselves, the agency said.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

INSECURITY HAMPERS FOOD AID DELIVERY IN AFGHANISTAN - UN AGENCY

INSECURITY HAMPERS FOOD AID DELIVERY IN AFGHANISTAN – UN AGENCY
New York, Jun 22 2007 5:00PM
With food stocks running short in Afghanistan and security problems hampering relief operations there, the United Nations food agency warned today that thousands of vulnerable Afghans may soon see critical food supplies suspended.

The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) said it has been unable to move food to the country's western region for four weeks due to insecurity.

Unless the agency can resume movement along the southern ring road – a major artery linking Kandahar to Herat and the site of most incidents involving WFP deliveries – it will have to reduce or suspend distributions to many of the poor families, children and internally displaced people living in those areas.

"We continue to work with Government authorities at central, provincial and district level, as well as our own transporters, to enable deliveries to resume, hopefully as soon as possible," Rick Corsino, WFP Country Director for Afghanistan, said.

WFP currently has 14,800 metric tons of food ready to move in Quetta, Pakistan, with transporters and trucks available to resume shipments across the border into Afghanistan when conditions permit.

Since June 2006, there have been 25 incidents involving trucks carrying WFP food throughout Afghanistan, the agency reports. An estimated 600 tons of food – valued at about $400,000 – has been lost.

While significant, Mr. Corsino said the loss represented only a fraction of overall deliveries. "In the past 12 months, WFP Afghanistan has moved over 150,000 tons of food to needy people throughout the country. The losses from the attacks and looting during this time account for less than .4 per cent of the total but transporters insist on minimum security guarantees."

WFP aims to provide 520,000 metric tons of food aid to 6.6 million Afghans between January 2006 and December 2008 – at a cost of $372 million.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN REPORT SAYS ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRIGGERING TENSIONS IN SUDAN

UN REPORT SAYS ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRIGGERING TENSIONS IN SUDAN
New York, Jun 22 2007 2:00PM
Environmental degradation is among the root causes of decades of conflict in Sudan, a new United Nations report argues, warning that the country is unlikely to see lasting peace unless it is addressed.

The UN Environment Programme's (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=512&ArticleID=5621&l=en">UNEP) investigation "has shown clearly that peace and people's livelihoods in Darfur as well as in the rest of Sudan are inextricably linked to the environmental challenge," said Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the agency, which carried out the Sudan Post-Conflict Assessment at the request of the new Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan.

"Just as environmental degradation can contribute to the triggering and perpetuation of conflict, the sustainable management of natural resources can provide the basis for long-term stability, sustainable livelihoods, and development."

Mr. Steiner saw positive signs in the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in 2005 and recent developments including the decision to deploy a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force to Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced since clashes erupted in 2003 between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups.

But he warned the rehabilitation of Sudan's environment is critical to peace efforts. "Sudan's tragedy is not just the tragedy of one country in Africa – it is a window to a wider world underlining how issues such as uncontrolled depletion of natural resources like soils and forests allied to impacts like climate change can destabilize communities, even entire nations."

The most serious concerns are land degradation, the spread of deserts southwards by an average of 100 kilometres over the past four decades, and the overgrazing of fragile soils by a livestock population that has "exploded" from close to 27 million animals to around 135 million, according to the report.

It also cites mounting evidence of long-term regional climate change in several parts of the country, as witnessed by "a very irregular but marked decline in rainfall" especially in Kordofan and Darfur states.

While the tensions and conflicts in Darfur are currently in the headlines, the report warns that other parts of Sudan, particularly in the north-south border zones, could see resumptions of historical clashes driven in part by the erosion of environmental services.

Investment in environmental management, financed by the international community and from the country's "emerging boom in oil and gas exports," will be a vital part of the peacebuilding effort.

The report contains specific recommendations for action in such areas as desertification, industrialization, urbanization, resources, agriculture, wildlife and displacement.

The total cost of carrying out these proposed measures is estimated at approximately $120 million over three to five years, states the report. "These are not large figures when compared to the Sudanese GDP in 2005 of $85.5 billion," it adds.
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UNESCO CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER POTENTIAL BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

UNESCO CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER POTENTIAL BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
New York, Jun 22 2007 2:00PM
The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) today expressed concern over a threatened boycott of Israeli academic institutions by the British University and College Union, stressing that opportunities for peace and dialogue must be seized especially in conflict situations.

"Academics are responsible for gathering, processing and distributing information, which are tasks necessary for building stable, prosperous and democratic societies," said UNESCO's Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. "We need to preserve the universality of research, exchange and learning, and support all joint academic activities that foster the sharing of experiences and expertise."

Academic work and institutions are centred on the free flow of ideas and knowledge, which is the core of all intellectual activity, he added.

The request for the boycott is current being circulated to all local Union branches for discussion.

"If we are serious about the need to promote sustained peace, democracy and development, I believe that we have the moral responsibility to share knowledge and promote understanding," said the UNESCO chief, noting that cooperation among the world's university is a necessity, not a luxury.

"We must therefore continue to support all efforts within civil societies to nurture contacts in the spirit of respect and mutual understanding which characterize peaceful relations."
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

CONCERNED AT ABUSE OF ORPHANS IN IRAQ, UNICEF URGES MEASURES IN RESPONSE

CONCERNED AT ABUSE OF ORPHANS IN IRAQ, UNICEF URGES MEASURES IN RESPONSE
New York, Jun 22 2007 2:00PM
Reacting to broadcast images of children in a Baghdad orphanage suffering "horrific neglect and abuse," the United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40071.html">UNICEF) today urged the Iraqi Government to assess conditions nationwide and take measures to address the problem.

"Even in a country overshadowed by daily scenes of violence, these images are truly shocking," said UNICEF Representative for Iraq, Roger Wright. "Making children suffer in this way is totally unacceptable."

The agency said all Iraqi children are at risk in the current conflict, but orphans – and those with special needs – are particularly vulnerable, while the plight of institutionalized children is exacerbated by the decline in qualified childcare workers.

In a statement, UNICEF welcomed Prime Minister Nuri El Maliki's call for a national enquiry into the conditions of children in orphanages, and urged the Iraqi Government "to enable a rapid assessment of all the country's orphanages and juvenile centres as soon as possible."

UNICEF called for an open monitoring system for the management of children's institutions and measures to improve the skills of caregivers and accelerating community-based childcare alternatives.

At the same time, the agency paid tribute to the "tremendous determination of the majority of the Iraqi people to extend helping hands and to protect children" and urged that these efforts continue.

"Caring for children is our primary responsibility as human beings, no matter what the circumstances," said Mr. Wright. "I hope these terrible images from the Baghdad orphanage will spur us all on to do even more for Iraq's children."
2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN FOOD AGENCY MOVES FROM RELIEF TO RECOVERY IN DJIBOUTI

UN FOOD AGENCY MOVES FROM RELIEF TO RECOVERY IN DJIBOUTI
New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM
Aiming to help pastoralists hit by drought in Djibouti, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today it is gradually transitioning from emergency assistance to Food for Work projects in the country.

"The shift aims at leaving permanent structures for pastoralists in most projects in partnership with the Government and other UN agencies," said WFP Djibouti Country Director Benoit Thiry.

Food for Work projects involve WFP, other organizations and the Government contracting local communities to build lasting infrastructure such as gardens and wells that will help them cope with droughts.

Some 5,600 Food for Work participants will receive a five-person family ration in exchange for their work, according to the agency.

At the peak of the last lean season in September 2006, when food from the last harvest ran out, a fifth of the population of Djibouti lacked adequate food, WFP said.

This year, without assistance, many people will be forced to move to Djibouti city, where they lose their pastoralist lifestyle and are often forced to dwell in the spreading slums on the outskirts of the capital. "We are trying to help those who want to stay in rural areas by improving water access and gardens," said Mr. Thiry.

Despite shifting from free food distributions to Food For Work programmes, WFP will still maintain a contingency food stock in Djibouti to use in case of an emergency. Assistance to refugees from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, school feeding and food for nutritional centres will continue.

2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN REFUGEE AGENCY HAILS PLANNED COOPERATION PACT WITH MOROCCO

UN REFUGEE AGENCY HAILS PLANNED COOPERATION PACT WITH MOROCCO
New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today welcomed Morocco's announced intention to sign a cooperation agreement with the agency, saying it would pave the way for improved coordination to help those who have fled to the North African country.

The announcement, made on Wednesday to coincide with World Refugee Day June 20, will pave the way for upgrading the status of the UNHCR office in Rabat. "UNHCR staff in Morocco will benefit from open channels of communication with all relevant governmental departments, central and local authorities, and partner organizations," agency spokesman Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.

The imminent signature of the accord "is a clear expression of the expanding and deepening cooperation between the Moroccan authorities and UNHCR in the country," he said. "This cooperation is aimed at protecting refugees within broader migratory movements affecting the country, and at finding durable solutions for refugees, including voluntary return, self-reliance and targeted use of resettlement."

Morocco was the first country on the African continent to receive UNHCR staff in 1959 and to allow UNHCR to open an honorary delegation in 1965. The agency's office in Rabat currently has registered some 600 refugees recognized under its mandate, while some 1,000 asylum applications are pending, mainly from nationals from sub-Saharan African countries.

2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

ONE IN FIVE TIMORESE NEEDS FOOD ASSISTANCE, UN REPORT SAYS

ONE IN FIVE TIMORESE NEEDS FOOD ASSISTANCE, UN REPORT SAYS
New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM
A new United Nations report says one in five people in East Timor needs food assistance, blaming crop losses on persistent drought and locust plagues.

The report issued today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that to avert a major food crisis, up to 220,000 vulnerable people living in outlying areas across the country will require more than 15,000 tonnes of emergency food assistance, particularly during the six months of the coming 'lean season' starting in October.

"A poor harvest this year has worsened the already fragile livelihoods of people all over Timor but especially among the poorest people living in rural and more remote districts," said Anthony Banbury, WFP's Regional Director for Asia.

"And for many of those displaced by the conflict during last year's crisis, who continue to live outside of their communities, a restricted domestic food supply means they will continue to rely on food assistance."

The new report, based on a joint assessment mission carried out by the two UN agencies in March and April, suggests substantial reductions in all of the country's crops due in large part to recurring drought, especially on the north coast, and an outbreak of locust infestations in the western regions.

Production of maize, Timor's most important crop, declined by 30 per cent to 70,000 tonnes. Output of cereals, cassava and other tubers dropped by 25 30 per cent while rice production decreased by 20 per cent, the report says.

"We need to continue to closely monitor the drought situation and any further locust infestations to help provide Timorese farmers with the best information and assistance," said Henri Josserand, Chief of FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System.

The FAO/WFP report also noted that the severe food crisis earlier this year, with commodity price hikes and the virtual disappearance of rice from the market, highlighted the need
strategies and implementation mechanisms.

In addition to those affected by crop failure, Timor also has nearly 100,000 internally displaced people living in Dili or with relatives in the districts as a result of a political crisis that began in 2006 in the country, which the UN helped to shepherd to independence in 2002.

2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN APPEALS TO KENYA TO ALLOW FOOD INTO SOMALIA

UN APPEALS TO KENYA TO ALLOW FOOD INTO SOMALIA
New York, Jun 22 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations food relief agency today appealed to Kenyan authorities to allow assistance for more than 100,000 people to be trucked into Somalia, where piracy is hampering deliveries by sea.

One hundred and forty WFP-contracted trucks carrying the food left the Kenyan port of Mombasa and were unexpectedly stopped at the Northeast Kenyan border crossing of El-Wak since they first started arriving there on 25 May.

"The Kenyan overland route was chosen because of major problems with sea routes to Somalia plagued by pirate attacks," said WFP Somalia Country Director Peter Goossens.

"Delays in distributing food this month to 108,000 people in Gedo district risks further aggravating the alarming rates of malnutrition that are already reported there," he warned. The supplies in the trucks are intended to last for three months.

"We are in intense contacts with Kenyan authorities to facilitate the passage of this cargo into Somalia so that food distributions can urgently resume in southern Gedo," he said, recalling that Kenya had allowed the agency to use El-Wak since January "because it is the most direct route to southern Gedo, where food assistance is urgently needed."

Many of the 140 WFP-contracted trucks had waited so long at El-Wak that they were unloaded in recent days and the food assistance moved to a local warehouse, the agency said.

The Nairobi Government has closed its border with Somalia since January to people and commercial traffic, but humanitarian assistance was previously allowed across into the war-ravaged country, where fighting between the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and anti-TFG factions caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes earlier this year.

In the coming days, a third round of WFP food distributions to people driven from their homes by fighting in Mogadishu is due to start, with a total of 150,000 people slated to receive food.

2007-06-22 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN KI-MOON MARKS TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF PEACE AGREEMENT IN TAJIKISTAN

BAN KI-MOON MARKS TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF PEACE AGREEMENT IN TAJIKISTAN
New York, Jun 21 2007 8:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11056.doc.htm">congratulated the people and Government of Tajikistan on the tenth anniversary of the signing of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord.

"The signing of the Peace Agreement was eloquent testimony to the wisdom and patriotism of the Tajik people and leadership," he said in a statement. "The 10 years that have passed since this auspicious event have reinforced the understanding that there is no viable alternative to the road of peace and national reconciliation."

Mr. Ban cited the UN's instrumental role in aiding the restoration of peace and stability in the Central Asian country.

"And today," he observed, "Tajikistan stands as an excellent illustration of a UN success story, achieved jointly with the Tajik people and the guarantor countries."

During the past decade, the people of Tajikistan have endeavoured to rebuild their country, he said, expressing the UN's continued commitment to assisting the Government.

"On this joyous anniversary, I wish the Government and the people of Tajikistan every success on the road to economic and social development, national revival and prosperity," he said.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON IRAN SANCTIONS

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON IRAN SANCTIONS
New York, Jun 21 2007 8:00PM
The chairman of the United Nations committee monitoring sanctions on Iran in relation to its uranium enrichment activities <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9055.doc.htm">briefed the Security Council today on Member States' implementation measures.

Security Council resolution 1737 of last year banned trade with Iran in all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to the country's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.

A subsequent resolution adopted this March further tightened the sanctions, imposing a ban on arms sales and expanding the freeze on assets.

Of the documents the committee has received in the past three months, "38 States reported that they already had legislation in place" regarding the sanctions, while 12 have given details on measures they have taken or will take to put the necessary legal framework into place, said Belgian Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke, who serves as the committee's chairman.

Iranian authorities have stated that their nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but other countries contend that it is driven by military ambitions.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN-BACKED $2 BILLION RESPONSE PLAN TO CONTAIN TB LAUNCHED

UN-BACKED $2 BILLION RESPONSE PLAN TO CONTAIN TB LAUNCHED
New York, Jun 21 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership today launched a $2.15 billion two-year programme to save over 100,000 lives.

The new initiative lays out steps to prevent, treat and control drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

If fully implemented, the plan, which sets out measures to allow laboratories in countries with high levels of the disease to increase their detection of MDR-TB cases, will lead to a ten-fold surge in the number of XDR-TB and MDR-TB patients who will be treated and cured under WHO guidelines.

It also underscores the urgency with which basic tuberculosis control and investment in crucial areas – such as bolstering diagnostic laboratories, increasing infection control and surveillance and stepping up funding for research – are needed.

"XDR-TB is a threat to the security and stability of global health," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. "This response plan identifies costs, milestones and priorities for health services that will continue to have an impact beyond its two-year time line."

The plan, called the Global MDR-TB and XDR-TB Response Plan 2007-2008, also jumpstarts efforts towards reaching a 2015 goal of providing access to drugs and testing to all patients affected by these two disease types, potentially rescuing the lives of 1.2 million people.

XDR-TB first came to the world's attention in March 2006 when researchers reported that emerging global threat posed by highly-resistant strains of the disease, and six months later, there was a spate of cases resulting in over 50 deaths of "virtually untreatable" cases in an area of South Africa with a high prevalence of HIV.

Meanwhile, last month, an air passenger from the United States infected with XDR-TB heightened concerns about the tuberculosis epidemic.

"We have sounded the alarm on the potential for an untreatable XDR-TB epidemic," said Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO Stop TB Department. "Today we issue our response on behalf of all patients and communities whose lives are most at risk."

The initiative is an ambitious one and must be "fully supported if we are to keep a stranglehold on drug-resistant TB," he added.

A key element of the scheme is a steady supply of quality drugs to treat tuberculosis in underserved countries from the Global Drug Facility, which, since its establishment in 2006, distributes more anti-tuberculosis drugs free of charge to poor countries than any other group.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN ENCOURAGES SIERRA LEONE TO IMPROVE PRISONERS' RIGHTS

UN ENCOURAGES SIERRA LEONE TO IMPROVE PRISONERS' RIGHTS
New York, Jun 21 2007 7:00PM
The top United Nations envoy in Sierra Leone today presented the Government with a report aimed at encouraging it to improve prisoners' rights, noting that failure to protect them constitutes "a threat to peace and stability" in the West African nation.

"In a country that has endured a decade-long war, peace consolidation is only achieved once all the potential threats to stability are addressed. The failure to protect and promote human rights for a particular group of people is one such threat," stated Victor Angelo, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Executive Representative in Sierra Leone.

The report – entitled "Behind Walls: An Inventory and Assessment of Prisons in Sierra Leone" – was presented to Sierra Leone's Minister of Internal Affairs, Pascal Egbenda, in a brief ceremony held at the Freetown headquarters of the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), which Mr. Angelo heads.

Major challenges facing prisons in Sierra Leone include overcrowding and squalid living conditions, including the lack of adequate food, clothing, medicine, hygiene and sanitation.

The result of physical inspection of the country's 13 prisons and interviews with inmates and staff, the report highlights that though the 13 prisons have a combined capacity of 1,495 detainees, there are a total of 1,693 persons detained as of 13 April 2007. Twenty of them, including one woman, were on death row.

UNIOSIL has already put in place measures for emergency relief assistance to the prisons and is supporting the Government in developing a project to strengthen the prisons through the UN Peacebuilding Fund, which was launched in October 2006 in response to the growing global demand for sustained support to countries emerging from conflict.

The Fund supports countries before the UN Peacebuilding Commission, currently Burundi and Sierra Leone, but is also available to countries in similar circumstances as designated by the Secretary-General.

UNIOSIL has also been conducting training programmes for prison officials, which is one of the recommendations of the report released today.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SIERRA LEONE: UN OFFICIAL APPLAUDS GUILTY VERDICTS FOR REBEL LEADERS

SIERRA LEONE: UN OFFICIAL APPLAUDS GUILTY VERDICTS FOR REBEL LEADERS
New York, Jun 21 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations envoy for children and armed conflict has <"http://www.un.org/children/conflict/pr/2007-06-21specialcourtfors158.html">welcomed the judgment of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (<"http://www.sc-sl.org/">SCSL), which found three former rebel leaders guilty of multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity – including the recruitment of child soldiers – during the West African country's prolonged civil war in the 1990s.

Yesterday's judgements were not only the first from the Special Court, but they marked the first time that an international tribunal has ruled on the charge of recruitment of child soldiers into an armed force.

"This first verdict sends a strong signal to the perpetrators and it will have a crucial deterrence effect," said UN Special Representative Radhika Coomaraswamy, stressing that such crimes need to stop. "This first triple conviction will motivate the international community to pursue its fight against impunity."

Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu were each found guilty on 11 charges, including committing acts of terrorism, murder, rape and enslavement and conscripting children under the age of 15 into armed groups. A sentencing hearing has been set for 16 July.

The SCSL, the second international war crimes tribunal established in Africa, was mandated to try those bearing the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian and Sierra Leonean law within Sierra Leone's borders since 30 November 1996.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN MISSION REPORTS CONTINUING ATTACKS ON AID CONVOYS IN DARFUR

UN MISSION REPORTS CONTINUING ATTACKS ON AID CONVOYS IN DARFUR
New York, Jun 21 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmis/">UNMIS) reports that attacks are continuing on humanitarian convoys operated by international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country's strife-torn Darfur region.

On Tuesday, an unknown armed man shot at a vehicle in South Darfur hired by an international NGO, while in West Darfur, two men stopped an international NGO convoy made up of two vehicles with five staff members, and robbed them of personal effects and communication equipment.

Also in West Darfur, an international NGO vehicle with four staff members was carjacked on Tuesday. All staff members were rescued by Government police, UNMIS said.

Meanwhile, the Mission also reports that Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, Tayé-Brook Zerihoun today concluded a two-day visit to the capitals of the three Darfur States.

During the trips to Nyala, El Geneina and El Fasher, he met with UN staff to brief them on the recent agreement on the deployment of a hybrid operation in Darfur and on the coordination of UN support to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in preparation for the hybrid operation.

Mr. Zerihoun also met with local Government officials to discuss the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and recent political developments.

Last week, the Sudanese Government announced its acceptance of a proposal for a hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping operation to be deployed in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced since clashes erupted in 2003 between Government forces, allied Janjaweed militias and rebel groups.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECURITY COUNCIL LAUDS ACCORD BETWEEN BURUNDIAN GOVERNMENT AND REBEL GROUP

SECURITY COUNCIL LAUDS ACCORD BETWEEN BURUNDIAN GOVERNMENT AND REBEL GROUP
New York, Jun 21 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations Security Council today welcomed the 17 June agreement between Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza and Agathon Rwasa, leader of the Palipehutu-National Liberation Forces (PALIPEHUTU-FNL), to implement the ceasefire they reached last year.

"The resumption of the dialogue represents a major milestone on the way to peace consolidation in Burundi," Council President and Belgian Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9056.doc.htm">press statement.

The 15-member body commended the efforts of Tanzania – which hosted the recent talks between the two sides in Dar-es-Salaam – as well as those of South Africa, Uganda and the African Union in supporting the peace process.

Appealing for "continued dialogue, consensus-building and inclusiveness in order to achieve a successful transition," the Council called on both sides to press forward with efforts to fully implement the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement of 7 September 2006.

The Council's statement echoes that of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who welcomed the same agreement earlier this week, expressing the hope that "both parties will maintain the momentum created in Dar-es-Salaam to allow for the earliest recovery and consolidation of peace."

Yesterday, the UN Peacebuilding Commission – which focuses on reconstruction, institution-building and the promotion of sustainable development to prevent countries from sliding back into bloodshed – endorsed the framework to engage Burundi, the UN and other international partners to work together to consolidate peace in the African country.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ADDRESS AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT IN GHANA

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ADDRESS AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT IN GHANA
New York, Jun 21 2007 4:00PM
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro will address the annual summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), to be held in Ghana in early July, as part of a four-nation tour that will also take her to Austria, Guinea-Bissau and Kenya.

Ms. Migiro will represent Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the AU summit, where she will speak at the opening session and hold a number of bilateral meetings, UN spokesperson Michele Montas announced today.

Prior to her participation at the summit, she will make an official visit to Austria, where she will address the opening ceremony of the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government, which is being hosted by the UN in Vienna. Since 1999, the Global Forum has addressed the need for improvements in governance and public administration worldwide.

From Vienna, Ms. Migiro is scheduled to visit Guinea-Bissau in what will be "the first-ever official visit of a Secretary-General or Deputy Secretary-General since that country joined the Organization in 1974," Ms. Montas noted. The visit is intended to reaffirm UN support for the West African country's ongoing efforts to consolidate peace, national reconciliation and constitutional governance.

Following her stop in Accra, Ghana's capital, the Deputy Secretary-General will visit Nairobi, Kenya, where she will address the opening ceremony of the International Women's Summit on Women's Leadership on HIV and AIDS and meet with Government officials and civil society organizations.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN AGENCY HELPING COUNTRIES FIGHT ILLEGAL FISHING IN INDIAN OCEAN

UN AGENCY HELPING COUNTRIES FIGHT ILLEGAL FISHING IN INDIAN OCEAN
New York, Jun 21 2007 4:00PM
Representatives from 13 Indian Ocean countries are meeting in Mauritius, under the auspices of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000608/index.html">FAO), to focus on strengthening port security – a key tool for combating illegal fishing.

"We are now on the threshold of a new era in addressing [illegal] fishing through the key compliance tool of port State measures… widely regarded to be one of the most cost-effective means of combating [illegal] fishing," Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General of FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, told participants.

Tighter port controls make it harder for illegal fishers to offload, refuel and take on supplies, and can include requiring boats to radio in prior to docking and in-port inspections.

Illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean takes on many forms, including fishing without permission or out of season, harvesting prohibited species, using outlawed fishing gear and disregarding catch quotas.

It is a particular concern in the western Indian Ocean and along the eastern coast of Africa, where fishing boats have taken advantage of the lack of strong enforcement measures in coastal countries.

The two-day workshop comes on the heels of an international symposium organized by the Indian Ocean Commission in partnership with FAO, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission, during which country representatives, intergovernmental organizations, industry and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) discussed new measures taken in recent years against illegal fishing in the region.

The stakes are high, particularly for the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, whose Executive Secretary, Alejandro Anganuzzi, warned that unless effective control measures are implemented soon, the sustainability of tuna fisheries in the region "might be compromised," adding that port controls offer an attractive option, given their cost-effectiveness.

In March 2007, 131 countries attending a high-level FAO meeting agreed to start work on a legally binding global agreement establishing common port control measures.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

RESTRICTIONS ON GAZA CROSSING POINTS HURTING PALESTINIANS, SAYS UN OFFICIAL

RESTRICTIONS ON GAZA CROSSING POINTS HURTING PALESTINIANS, SAYS UN OFFICIAL
New York, Jun 21 2007 4:00PM
The humanitarian situation inside the Gaza Strip could worsen unless Israel eases the restrictions and closures at its border crossings with the strife-torn area, a senior United Nations official warned today.

David Shearer, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline3.un.org">OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory, told reporters at a briefing at UN Headquarters in New York that Gaza only has enough supplies of wheat flour to make bread for the next two to three weeks.

"The situation we have at the moment is an extremely serious one," Mr. Shearer said, noting that about 1.4 million Palestinians are already crowded into Gaza's relatively small 360-square-kilometre area.

Gaza has been largely cut off from the outside world since deadly intra-Palestinian fighting between members of the Fatah and Hamas movements erupted earlier this month, although in the past few days Israel has allowed some relief supplies – including food and medicines – to be brought in by truck.

But Mr. Shearer said the aid supplies must be complemented by commercial deliveries to meet the local demand for staples. OCHA has estimated that 450 tons of flour is required in Gaza each day.

"As a series of agencies in the UN, we cannot support the whole of the Gaza Strip with aid flows. The market has to be able to work, and at the moment it is not working."

He called for the re-opening of the Karni crossing, which used to handle 200 to 300 trucks each day and was the main commercial crossing point into Gaza.

Meanwhile, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) today <"http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/releases/pr-2007/jer_21Jun07.pdf">welcomed the United States' announcement that it would <a contribute $40 million to the agency's emergency appeal.

Commissioner-General Karen AbuZayd said the funds would be used to provide food aid, temporary jobs, health care and other basic services to refugees in Gaza and the West Bank.

The UNRWA appeal remains severely under-funded, however. After the US donation, the agency – which assists more than 4.3 million refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria – is still $136 million short of its $246 million target for 2007.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES DEATH OF IRAQI EDITOR

UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES DEATH OF IRAQI EDITOR
New York, Jun 21 2007 3:00PM
The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom worldwide today condemned the murder of the Iraqi journalist Filaih Wadi Mijthab, who was kidnapped on 13 June and then executed by his abductors.

"His abduction and execution add yet another name to the long list of journalists and other media professionals who have been murdered," <"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=38523&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">said Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Mr. Mijthab was the managing director of the daily newspaper al-Sabah, part of the Iraqi Government-owned media. Under the previous regime, he was a columnist for al-Thawra, a daily newspaper.

He was abducted on 13 June while driving to his office in the Al-Habibiya district of Baghdad's Sadr City neighbourhood, and his body was found on 15 June near a mosque in the same area.

Journalism as a profession "is regularly targeted in Iraq, when it has a crucial role to play in the country's reconstruction," Mr. Matsuura noted. "It is in everyone's interest, and in the interest of democracy, that the press be better protected."

The Director-General reiterated his appeal to both Iraqi and international authorities to bolster security for media professionals and those who work for them.

The latest murder brings the total to 29 journalists who have been killed in Iraq in the last six months alone, averaging more than one weekly, according to the organization Reporters without Borders. Currently, 14 journalists are being held hostage, some having already spent months in captivity.

In another development, a conference on the significance of cultural diversity <" http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=38525&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">wrapped up at UNESCO headquarters in Paris today.

About 300 participants from 57 States Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, as well as observers and civil society representatives, attended the gathering.

The <" http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=33232&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">Convention aims to strengthen ties between culture and sustainable development, while respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms, equal dignity of cultures and cultural openness. It also recognises that nations have the sovereign right to determine policies to promote the diversity of cultural expressions within their borders.

During the meeting, rules of procedure were adopted and 24 members of the Intergovernmental Committee were elected, with several seats having been reserved for developing countries. This Committee will be responsible for such matters as promoting the Convention's objectives and ensuring its implementation.
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN-ASSISTED MINE CLEARANCE ENABLES 1,000 AFGHAN FAMILIES TO RETURN HOME

UN-ASSISTED MINE CLEARANCE ENABLES 1,000 AFGHAN FAMILIES TO RETURN HOME
New York, Jun 21 2007 12:00PM
Some 1,000 Afghan families can now return to their homes on a hilltop in downtown Kabul and live in a more secure environment thanks to the efforts of the United Nations-supported Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA).

During a handover ceremony today, MAPA released 70,000 square meters of cleared residential area to 1,000 families on Kabul's "TV Hill" – where a total of 103 anti-personnel mines and nearly 2,600 unexploded ordnance have been destroyed since December 2006.

Following the ouster of the Taliban in 2001, some 500,000 square meters of land were found contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance on the TV Hill area. According to media reports, almost 1,000 people were killed or injured by such weapons in that area in 1998. Today more than 440,000 square meters have been cleared and nearly 2,000 anti-personnel mines and almost 7,400 unexploded ordnance destroyed.

"Thanks to the work of manual clearance teams almost 7,000 families have already retuned to the Hill and rebuilt their houses. TV Hill is now one of the most populated areas in the centre of the city," the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (<"http://mineaction.org/org.asp?o=17">UNMACA), which coordinates MAPA's activities in areas such as minefield clearance, mine risk education and support for mine victims, said in a press release.

Afghanistan became a State party to the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention in March 2003 and is working towards clearing all minefields by 2013.

Also in Kabul today, the UN Development Programme (<" http://www.undp.org.af/about_us/overview_undp_afg/psl/prj_sup_mine_act.htm">UNDP) inaugurated the AliceGhan project, which will provide housing and support for livelihoods to 1,400 Afghan returnees and internally displaced persons (<" http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs) in Qarabagh District.

Those selected to participate in the project, which enjoys $7.3 million in funding from the Australian Government, will receive housing construction materials to build their own earthquake-resistant houses, as well as vocational training.

The name "AliceGhan" is derived from the combination of Alice Springs – a town in Australia which has strong links with Afghan migrants to Australia – and Afghanistan, symbolising the partnership and commitment between the two countries.

The project is implemented by UNDP in close partnership with several Afghan ministries, and with the support of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (<" http://www.unhabitat.org">UNHABITAT).
2007-06-21 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECURITY COUNCIL REQUESTS PANEL TO ASSESS SITUATION IN LIBERIA

SECURITY COUNCIL REQUESTS PANEL TO ASSESS SITUATION IN LIBERIA
New York, Jun 20 2007 7:00PM
The Security Council today called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to set up a panel of financial and diamond experts to renew investigations of whether UN sanctions against Liberia are being broken after learning of "credible allegations" that the notorious former president Charles Taylor may still have access to considerable wealth.

In a unanimous <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9051.doc.htm">resolution, the Council asked Mr. Ban to establish a panel of up to three members to carry out a follow-up assessment mission in Liberia and neighbouring countries to determine the effectiveness and impact of the measures introduced against Mr. Taylor and others.

A Council resolution in 2004 ordered all governments to freeze the assets of Mr. Taylor and his immediate family and barred them from using "misappropriated funds and property" to obstruct the restoration of peace and stability in the region.

The panel, which must be set up within a month, is expected to draw "as much as possible on the expertise" of the existing panel of experts, whose mandate expires today, which monitors Liberia.

That group, in a report released earlier this month, found there are "credible allegations" that Mr. Taylor – who is facing war crimes charges before the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) – has investments in Nigeria that have been unfrozen. Mr. Taylor has called on the SCSL to cover his legal costs at his trial, claiming he is indigent.

The panel report also noted allegations "of a large sum of money being with Charles Taylor at the time of his arrest in Nigeria" last year and his continuing ties to a cell phone company in Liberia. It added that the Nigerian Government had not allowed the panel to pursue the allegations and Liberia has not adopted laws authorizing a freeze.

But in its resolution today, the Council lauded the "sustained progress" made by the Liberian Government since January 2006, when the inauguration of a democratically-elected president, Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, capped the peace process envisaged in a 2003 peace accord ending the country's bloody civil war.

The Government has made great strides "in rebuilding Liberia for the benefit of all Liberians, with the support of the international community," the 15-member body noted.

The new experts' panel is also expected to probe the Government's compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a mechanism introduced to prevent so-called "blood diamonds" from reaching international markets.

Meanwhile, the Council extended the mandate of the Group of Experts monitoring the arms embargo in Côte d'Ivoire until 31 October, determining that the situation there still constitutes a threat to regional peace and security.

This Group was created in early 2005 to gather and analyze information on arms caches and flows in the region, and was asked by the Council today to submit a written update before 15 October.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

ASIA-PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT ARM OF UN SIGNS COOPERATION DEAL ON MIGRATION

ASIA-PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT ARM OF UN SIGNS COOPERATION DEAL ON MIGRATION
New York, Jun 20 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (<"http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2007/jun/g25.asp">UNESCAP) today signed an agreement to bolster its cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (<"http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/newsArticleAS/cache/offonce?entryId=14419">IOM) on issues concerning the cross-border movement of people searching for better opportunities or greater human security.

Of the 190 million international migrants in the world, the Asia-Pacific region accounts for one-third – or 58 million – of them.

"Member States of [UNESCAP] increasingly view international migration as an emerging issue with ramifications on the broader development agenda," said Kim Hak-Su, the agency's Executive Secretary.

In 2004, UNESCAP's member countries received approximately $85 billion in remittances, which have become crucial for the region's economy by contributing to the sustaining and local and national economies.

"Migration management challenges such as human trafficking remain and need to be curbed through concerted and coordinated action," said Irena Vojackova-Sollorano, IOM's Regional Representative for South-East Asia.

It is hoped that closer cooperation between the two organizations will allow common socio-economic development goals – such as boosting migrants' livelihoods and reducing poverty through the positive contributions of international migration – to be implemented more effectively.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

WEST AFRICA: UN HOLDS WORKSHOP ON AVIAN FLU PREPARATIONS

WEST AFRICA: UN HOLDS WORKSHOP ON AVIAN FLU PREPARATIONS
New York, Jun 20 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline3.un.org/">OCHA) is holding a three-day workshop this week in Bamako, Mali, to prepare humanitarian relief providers for an avian influenza pandemic.

More than anywhere else in the world, Africa's efforts to curtail such viruses are thwarted by weak health systems, limited financial resources and insufficient technical capacity.

"Preparing to contain this disease rapidly is high priority for human, economic and social security in West African countries," said Hervé Ludovic de Lys, OCHA's Regional Director for West Africa.

In response to cases of avian influenza which first emerged on the continent in 2006, government authorities have taken measures to respond to the threat.

Since poultry and poultry products are key components of the basic diet in many African countries, people would have to locate other sources of protein if a pandemic broke out. This would result in stock keepers losing income, a surge in prices and population movements to unaffected areas.

Therefore, improved surveillance, swift diagnostics, an informed population and behavioural changes are necessary for a rapid response.

The three-day workshop which ends tomorrow brings together 14 nations, regional organizations, civil society representatives and UN agencies and their partners.

Participants will evaluate their levels of preparedness, take part in a simulation exercise using UN contingency plans and endeavour to improve communication with government institutions and civil society organizations.

This meeting is the second in a series, with the first having been held in Accra, Ghana, last week.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION BACKS STRATEGY FOR ENSURING PEACE IN BURUNDI

UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION BACKS STRATEGY FOR ENSURING PEACE IN BURUNDI
New York, Jun 20 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, established to help countries recovering from war avoid a relapse into violence and chaos, today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/pbc15.doc.htm">endorsed the framework to engage Burundi, the UN and other international partners to work together to consolidate peace in the African country.

Meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, the Commission agreed that the strategic framework devised by the Burundian Government last month offered the best way forward for mobilizing financial and political support to overcome the internal challenges threatening the country's long-term recovery.

That framework identifies several major objectives in the years ahead, especially the implementation of a ceasefire between the Burundian Government and the National Liberation Forces (Palipehutu-FNL). Reforming the justice and security systems, generating jobs and making radical improvements in governance are key priorities as well.

The framework also stresses the responsibility of Burundi's leaders towards achieving stability, as well as the role that the UN Integrated Office for Burundi (BINUB) can play.

The Commission's Vice-Chair, Ambassador Johan Løvald of Norway, said the framework was the first strategic partnership of its kind and "the fruit of an intense multi-stakeholder process that evolved in parallel in Burundi and here in New York at the UN."

Established in December 2005, the Commission focuses on reconstruction, institution-building and the promotion of sustainable development in post-conflict countries. Its first two country cases are Burundi and Sierra Leone.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

DR CONGO FINAL STOP ON SECURITY COUNCIL'S WEEK-LONG AFRICA TRIP

DR CONGO FINAL STOP ON SECURITY COUNCIL'S WEEK-LONG AFRICA TRIP
New York, Jun 20 2007 6:00PM
Members of the Security Council wrapped up their week-long mission to Africa today, holding meetings with United Nations and Government officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The DRC was the last stop on the Council's five-nation tour which also took the 15-member body to Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, in support of ongoing peace efforts on the continent.

When the delegation arrived in Kinshasa yesterday, they received briefings from the Secretary-General's Special Representative, William Swing, and other UN officials about the work of the UN Mission in that country (<"http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=14807">MONUC), a spokesperson for the world body said.

With MONUC's support, the country last year held its first fully democratic vote since independence, resulting in the election of President Joseph Kabila and a parliament.

French Ambassador Jean Marc de la Sablière, the head of this leg of the Council trip, congratulated the Congolese people for "the political maturity which they showed at the crucial stage of the elections, which allowed them to finally emerge from crisis and the transition."

Speaking to reporters in Kinshasa, he added "there are now new challenges that are a matter for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to strengthen what has been made, to create a strong democratic society on the basis of these elections."

During their meeting with President Kabila today, Council members discussed the post-electoral situation in the DRC, security issues and the reform of the military. The President also brought up proposals for a Great Lakes security summit.

The delegation also met with Acting Prime Minister Nzanga Mobutu and other Cabinet officials, along with members of the Senate and National Assembly and civil society and community leaders.

Council members are scheduled to arrive back in New York tomorrow.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN-BACKED PARTNERSHIP AIMS TO USE SATELLITES TO BOLSTER GLOBAL DISASTER RESPONSE

UN-BACKED PARTNERSHIP AIMS TO USE SATELLITES TO BOLSTER GLOBAL DISASTER RESPONSE
New York, Jun 20 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations International Telecommunications Union (<"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/15.html">ITU) today joined forces with a communications firm and a business organisation to employ satellites to bolster the global response to natural disasters.

The poor – especially those living in remote and isolated areas – are most vulnerable to calamities, which wreak havoc and impede sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts.

"Satellite communication provides a platform to deliver a wide range of services and applications even to remote areas," said Hamadoun Touré, ITU's Secretary-General.

Last year alone, nearly 22,000 people lost their lives due to natural disasters, with 95 per cent of the deaths occurring in the least developed countries.

"In the digital age, we are able to provide an [information and communications technology] lifeline to disaster victims and humanitarian personnel entrusted with coordinating rescue and relief operations, especially when terrestrial communications infrastructure is disrupted, overloaded or destroyed," Dr. Touré said.

In the new scheme, satellite provider ICO Global Communications will provide airtime on its F2 satellite – through voice and other telecommunication methods – to effectively respond to disasters, while the Commonwealth Business Council supply content and oversee the entrepreneurial skill development initiative.

ITU will manage and coordinate emergency telecommunications, as well as provide an hour's worth of airtime daily to assist countries in their preparedness efforts, convey early-warning information and elicit quick response. Should a disaster occur, this hour-long window will be extended as needed.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON DETAILS OF UN HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON DETAILS OF UN HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW
New York, Jun 20 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the Human Rights Council's agreement setting out how its universal periodic review mechanism will work, saying it "sends a clear message" that the rights record of every country faces serious and meaningful examination.

"No country – big or small – will be immune from scrutiny," Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11053.doc.htm">statement, adding that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society groups need to play an active role in the review to ensure the process works.

"The periodic review holds great promise for opening a new chapter in human rights promotion and underscores the universality of human rights."

Council members agreed yesterday on the modalities for universal periodic review after several days of marathon discussions. Each year 48 nations, comprising a mixture of Council members and observer States, will be reviewed to assess whether they have fulfilled their human rights obligations.

The modalities were decided as part of a package of new measures and decisions that includes the continuation of the work of Special Rapporteurs and other independent human rights experts.

But in today's statement, Mr. Ban voiced disappointment at the Council decision to single out Israel as the only specific regional item on its agenda, "given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations throughout the world."

The 47-member Council also agreed to end the mandate of the Special Rapporteurs on the situations in Belarus and Cuba, while retaining the other 39 mandates under the so-called "special procedures" system.

Mr. Ban noted "that not having a Special Rapporteur assigned to a particular country does not absolve that country from its obligations under the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and every other human rights treaty."

The statement from his spokesperson added that the Secretary-General "trusts that members of the Council will take seriously their responsibilities and continue to seek out ways to improve the Council's work in the months and years ahead." He also noted that Council members "worked hard to reach consensus on a number of issues."

Meeting today in Geneva, the Council also adopted resolutions on the situation in Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory and Darfur.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

MIDDLE EAST: UN ENVOY VOICES CONCERN ON 'HIGHLY VOLATILE' REGION

MIDDLE EAST: UN ENVOY VOICES CONCERN ON 'HIGHLY VOLATILE' REGION
New York, Jun 20 2007 5:00PM
Hamas' violent seizure of de facto political authority in Gaza, the demise of the Palestinian National Unity Government and the declaration of a state of emergency by President Mahmoud Abbas have created new political realities and worrying conditions across the occupied Palestinian territory, the United Nations Middle East envoy warned today.

Addressing an <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9053.doc.htm">open meeting of the Security Council, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Michael Williams also said that renewed violence has threatened the stability of Lebanon and that Israel has faced fresh rocket attacks on its northern front.

"The region as a whole is highly volatile and unstable, overshadowing efforts to make political progress," Mr. Williams said during his briefing on the Middle East's latest developments.

Describing Hamas' takeover of control in the Gaza Strip as "well planned and executed," he condemned "the brutal violence… and the attacks on the legitimate institutions of President Abbas and the PA [Palestinian Authority] government" as totally unacceptable and said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon regretted the failure of the National Unity Government.

"Despite what has happened, Gaza and the West Bank remain one Palestinian territory, legally administered by one Palestinian Authority headed by President Abbas, who has appointed an emergency government led by Prime Minister [Salam] Fayyad."

Mr. Williams said it was now vital that Israel and the international community immediately deliver political and financial support to Mr. Abbas and the Palestinian government, including by releasing all previously withheld Palestinian customs and tax revenue.

"What is also needed is action on previous Israeli commitments, including the evacuation of settlement outposts, removal of roadblocks and checkpoints and release of prisoners. Equally, Fatah and the PA should act on previous commitments, not only to end violence, but to thoroughly reform its institutions."

The UN's most immediate humanitarian concern is to re-open the crossings between Israel and Gaza for commercial and humanitarian imports, the envoy told the Council, especially as the situation in Gaza has stabilized and food and medical shortages there have mounted.

In response later to a question from journalists, Mr. Williams welcomed Israel's move this morning to allow a number of people seeking urgent medical care to cross from Gaza.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline3.un.org/">OCHA) said that crossing points into and out of Gaza remain largely closed, and increasing food shortages are expected in the coming weeks.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes called on Israel and the Palestinian authorities to regularize access for essential goods to prevent a further deterioration of the situation.

The World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2537">WFP) reported that seven of its trucks successfully crossed into Gaza yesterday, and another nine trucks crossed today, carrying basic commodities. A separate truck brought medical supplies yesterday as well.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) is aiming to send vaccines and medical and emergency kits, as well as fuel for urgent sanitation and water needs, to Gaza.

Turning to Lebanon in his briefing, Mr. Williams expressed concern about last week's assassination of the lawmaker Walid Eido and nine others in a Beirut bombing, and the continuing violence between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Fatah el-Islam gunmen at a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country.

He also noted that two Katyusha rockets were fired on Sunday from southern Lebanon at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, causing minor damage but no casualties, and called it "a most serious violation" of the Security Council resolution ending last year's war between the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICIAL NAMED DEPUTY ENVOY TO NEPAL

UN POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICIAL NAMED DEPUTY ENVOY TO NEPAL
New York, Jun 20 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sga1073.doc.htm">appointed a senior United Nations political officer as his Deputy Special Representative for Nepal and deputy head of the UN mission in that country (<"http://www.un.org.np/unmin.php">UNMIN), his spokesperson announced today.

Tamrat Samuel of Eritrea has served with the world body since 1983, most recently as Senior Political Affairs Officer responsible for the South Asia region within the Department for Political Affairs, spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

His efforts in that capacity were focused primarily on UN efforts to help resolve the conflict in Nepal, which has emerged from a 10-year civil war.

"He was closely involved in the conceptualization and operationalization of the current UN role in support of the Nepalese peace process, which is being implemented by UNMIN under the leadership of the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Ian Martin," Ms. Montas said.

UNMIN is a special political mission established by the Security Council in January to assist with the follow-up to the landmark Nepalese peace deal, reached in November 2006 between the Government and the Maoists, and also to support this year's planned elections in the Himalayan country.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN, SUDAN AGREE TO TALKS TO IMPROVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE DEAL IN SOUTH

UN, SUDAN AGREE TO TALKS TO IMPROVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE DEAL IN SOUTH
New York, Jun 20 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and the Sudanese Government will hold high-level consultations shortly on how to better implement the comprehensive peace agreement from 2005 that ended the country's protracted civil war between north and south.

The peacekeeping mission and the Government agreed to hold the talks after a meeting on Saturday between the Secretary-General's Acting Special Representative for Sudan Tayé-Brook Zerihoun and Idris AbdelGadir, the State Minister to the Sudanese Presidency.

The consultations "will be held in the near future," <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmis/">UNMIS reported today, adding that they would focus on how to make the peace deal more effective. Under that accord, which ended a 21-year civil war, the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) was brought into a new Government of National Unity.

UNMIS said it is continuing its monitoring and verification duties under the peace agreement, although both the Sudanese armed forces and the SPLA have restricted access to the north and south of the town of Abyei.

In Juba, the Mission is also continuing to promote reconciliation between the Mundari and Bari communities, and has begun an assessment to see whether some Mundari communities can be resettled to the Tali and Terekeka areas.

Meanwhile, in Sudan's western region of Darfur, where a separate conflict has raged since 2003, UNMIS reported that an unknown armed man yesterday shot at a vehicle in South Darfur hired by an international non-governmental organization (NGO).

In West Darfur, two men stopped an international NGO convoy of two vehicles with five staff members, and robbed them of personal effects and communication equipment.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced from their homes in Darfur since rebel groups began clashing with Government forces and allied Janjaweed militias.
2007-06-20 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/