FORMER MAYOR PLEADS GUILTY AT UN TRIBUNAL ON RWANDAN GENOCIDE

FORMER MAYOR PLEADS GUILTY AT UN TRIBUNAL ON RWANDAN GENOCIDE
New York, Jul 13 2007 1:00PM
A former mayor pleaded guilty today before the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the Rwandan genocide to a charge of extermination as a crime against humanity over his role in the mass killings that engulfed the small country in 1994.

Juvénal Rugambarara, who was mayor of Bicumbi commune in Kigali-Rural Prefecture in Rwanda from September 1993 to late April 1994, made the plea to the single charge after two years of negotiations with prosecutors, who agreed to withdraw eight other charges that included genocide, torture and rape.

Addressing the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (<" http://69.94.11.53/default.htm">ICTR), which sits in Arusha, Tanzania, after pleading guilty, Mr. Rugambarara apologized for his actions in the genocide.

"I pay sincere tribute to all the innocent victims of the shameful cowardice and humbly bow and plead for forgiveness from the bottom of my heart… I solemnly pledge to join the rallying cry of those who say 'never again'," he said.

The ICTR found that Mr. Rugambarara failed as mayor to take the necessary and reasonable measures to establish an investigation into the killings committed in Bicumbi commune or to apprehend and punish the perpetrators.

The trial chamber – Judges Asoka de Silva (presiding), Taghrid Hikmet and Seon Ri Park – has scheduled a sentencing hearing for Mr. Rugambarara for 17 September.

Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, mostly by machete or club, across Rwanda in less than 100 days starting in early April 1994. Later that year the Security Council established the ICTR to deal with the worst cases.
2007-07-13 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCIES WARN OF LOOMING DISASTER AS TENSIONS RISE IN EASTERN DR CONGO

UN AGENCIES WARN OF LOOMING DISASTER AS TENSIONS RISE IN EASTERN DR CONGO
New York, Jul 13 2007 9:00AM
United Nations agencies have begun assisting more than 10,000 people who have recently fled fighting, pillaging, rape and other atrocities in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while warning that the situation could worsen amid military manoeuvres that threaten even greater instability.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) are making a joint distribution to the displaced in the Buganga area in the North Kivu province, which is facing the worst displacement situation in three years, with 163,000 people forced to flee since January. A total of 650,000 people have been internally displaced in the province.

"We are increasingly concerned by the spiralling displacement and atrocities in eastern DRC," said UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis. "With heightened tensions and the build-up of military forces, the situation risks turning into humanitarian and human rights disaster," she warned.

"We are concerned that fresh military operations by renegade brigades, militia groups or government forces will result in greater suffering for the civilian population without leading to more stability."

The displaced people receiving aid today -- blankets, kitchen sets, water containers and soap -- fled fighting between mixed brigades and militia groups in May and are now living with host families, according to UNHCR.

But those homes are under strain, and the number of sites for displaced has expanded to nine, leaving people more exposed to disease and violence as the militarization of the area continues, warned the agency, which has deployed camp management teams to North Kivu province to help improve living conditions.

But despite their efforts, humanitarian agencies face difficulties in accessing the sites because of the worsening security situation. "Our field monitoring teams are regularly visiting displacement areas to assess the needs and reco

The agency is coordinating its efforts with UN peacekeeping troops to deploy mobile teams to sites where displaced need physical protection, and plans to visit more sites in the Kisharu area, where Ms. Pagonis said "the situation is rapidly deteriorating."

She urged all armed parties in North Kivu to "immediately halt direct attacks on civilians and atrocities which include burning of villages, widespread pillaging and raping of women."

2007-07-13 00:00:00.000

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UN-SPONSORED MEETINGS ON THWARTING TERRORISM WRAP UP

UN-SPONSORED MEETINGS ON THWARTING TERRORISM WRAP UP
New York, Jul 12 2007 7:00PM
Two days of United Nations-backed discussions to discuss putting into practice a Security Council resolution to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by non-State actors for terrorist purposes have concluded.

Yesterday at UN Headquarters in New York, Ambassador Peter Burian of Slovenia, who chairs the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 of April 2004, convened the first-ever meeting of Member States and international organizations on efforts made to further the implementation of the resolution.

"The international community must accord high priority to this area," Mr. Burian told reporters today.

Over two dozen Member States, the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the European Union attended the meeting.

The participants considered a range of topics, including how to better "shape the assistance programs and how to help countries which are facing some facing objective difficulties or which are lacking capacities to deal with the threats on a national basis to over come those problems through an increase in international assistance," Mr. Burian noted.

Also for the first time, Mr. Burian and the Committee today met with a half dozen non-governmental organizations (NGOs) regarding their approaches and programmes to promote the resolution's implementation.

"We had an opportunity to hear from the NGOs how much has been done in this area by the NGO community in terms of providing concrete legislative advice, by dealing with concrete challenges of implementation of resolution 1540 on the ground," the Chairman said.

"We agreed that the NGO community is an important partner for the 1540 Committee and the process of implementation of 1540," he added.

One of the meeting's participants expressed her gratitude that the Committee has recognized the unique contributions made by NGOs.

"The NGOs have a flexibility, a responsiveness, and in some cases, actual technical assistance capacity that they can bring to the table in facilitating the Committee's efforts and/or filling in gaps in terms of what's resident within the Committee or what's missing from the Committee," said Elizabeth Turpen, Senior Associate with the Henry L. Stimson Center based in Washington.

Underscoring the value of the resolution in countering the convergence of threats posed by non-State actors, she said that today's meeting was an "incredible opportunity" that allowed NGOs to update each other on their respective projects as well as highlight "the set of skills they bring to the table that might facilitate implementation of the resolution in one form or another."
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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SPIRALLING IRAQI REFUGEE PROBLEM FORCES UN AGENCY TO DOUBLE AID TARGET

SPIRALLING IRAQI REFUGEE PROBLEM FORCES UN AGENCY TO DOUBLE AID TARGET
New York, Jul 12 2007 6:00PM
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) announced today that it is doubling to $123 million its budget to help the hundreds of thousands of uprooted Iraqis who are either internally displaced or living in neighbouring states.

The target has been revised to meet the spiralling number of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), UNHCR António Guterres said. UN officials estimate that 2,000 Iraqis are now fleeing their homes every day, and about 2 million have become IDPs and another 2.2 million are refugees, mainly in Jordan and Syria, since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.

"Host governments and communities [are] struggling to cope" with "the needs of the Iraqi refugees and internally displaced [that] are enormous and growing by the day," Mr. Guterres said.

The revised budget includes an earlier UNHCR appeal in January for $60 million, an amount already surpassed by donors. So far, the Office has received $67 million for its Iraq operations and another $10 million is pledged or in the pipeline.

But the appeal notes that much more will need to be done in the future as, according to UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis, "the situation continues to worsen."

The revised appeal focuses on supporting both the refugees themselves and those hosting them through addressing problems that are apparent domestically and outside of Iraq.

In Iraq, the agency plans to boost its provision of aid supplies that includes makeshift shelter for up to 100,000 vulnerable people, and to promote the establishment of inter-agency humanitarian aid depots.

Outside Iraq, <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/469641494.html">UNHCR will focus on five areas of assistance – education, health, food, social and legal counselling and shelter. UNHCR already hopes to increase the number of Iraqi children in schools in the region from 60,000 to 200,000 by the end of the 2007-08 school year and to increase the number of refugee medical referrals from 10,000 a month to 20,000 by the end of this year by working closely with the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP).
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UN HUMAN RIGHTS ARM CONDEMNS MURDER OF OFFICIALS IN COLOMBIA

UN HUMAN RIGHTS ARM CONDEMNS MURDER OF OFFICIALS IN COLOMBIA
New York, Jul 12 2007 6:00PM
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today condemned a spate of rebel murders of local politicians in different parts of Colombia.

A statement released by OHCHR cited information it received indicating that Blanca Inés Marín, the Mayor of San José del Palmar, was killed on 6 July and her body was thrown into an abyss. The following day, the politician Antonio Colorado, from Valle, was murdered as he left the headquarters of Radical Change, a political party. Three days later, on 10 July, Argemiro Medina and Ofelia Betancur, both council members in Doncello, were killed in their homes.

The Office also received information indicating that various armed men were directed to the homes of seven of the eight councilmen that live in the municipality of Doncello. Five councilmen were spared because they were not home when illegal armed groups entered.

Members of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC-EP) were responsible for the crimes and death threats against the councilmen of Doncello, according to the authorities.

The Office urged the members of the FARC-EP to respect the fundamental rights of all people that occupy public offices or participate in the electoral process. It pointed out that killing civilians constitutes a serious breach of international law, including the Geneva Conventions. OHCHR also expressed its solidarity with the relatives and friends of the victims.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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SIERRA LEONE: UN FUND APPROVES PROJECTS TO ASSIST PEACEBUILDING EFFORTS

SIERRA LEONE: UN FUND APPROVES PROJECTS TO ASSIST PEACEBUILDING EFFORTS
New York, Jul 12 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations fund set up to help address the immediate needs of countries emerging from conflict today approved four new projects to support the ongoing electoral process and improve the judiciary, water, sanitation and health facilities in Sierra Leone.

"The approval of these projects is timely and demand-driven," Christian Holger Strohmann, Spokesperson for the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), said following the action taken today by the UN Peacebuilding Fund's Steering Committee for Sierra Leone.

This brings the total number of projects approved by the Fund to date to seven, amounting to a little over $16 million, according to UNIOSIL. Previously, the Fund approved three projects related to youth employment and empowerment, and support to the country's police and the National Human Rights Commission.

In March, Sierra Leone was allotted $35 million from the Fund, established from voluntary contributions to aid post-conflict countries from slipping back into turmoil.

The projects approved by the Fund seek to address critical gaps in priority areas identified jointly by the Government and the UN, in consultation with other partners including civil society organizations.

Launched in 2006, 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.

"While the Commission's engagement in the country was more medium-term and went beyond resource mobilization, the Fund concentrated on the short-term, making funds available for things that need and could be done at the present time," stated Frank Majoor, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the UN and chairperson the Commission's country specific meetings on Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, in Freetown, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Executive Representative, Victor Angelo, hosted representatives of political parties contesting the August polls to a second inter-party dialogue.

Together they discussed ways to build confidence and mutual trust, as well as other preparations for the upcoming general elections in the West African country, which after 11 years of civil war has now entered a peace consolidation phase.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF SOUNDS ALARM ABOUT IMPACT OF RECENT ASIAN FLOODS ON CHILDREN

UNICEF SOUNDS ALARM ABOUT IMPACT OF RECENT ASIAN FLOODS ON CHILDREN
New York, Jul 12 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (<" http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40312.html">UNICEF) is raising the alarm about the toll faced by millions of children across Southern and Eastern Asia after an especially fierce monsoon season has led to a series of deadly floods in Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Afghanistan.

"The monsoon season hits South Asia with regularity, but we've seen it strike with special fury this year," UNICEF spokesperson Rafael Hermoso said today. "You can look at a map and make an arc over the affected countries."

The worst affected is Pakistan, where an estimated 2 million people – mainly women and children – have been hit by floods that followed four days of heavy rain in the wake of Cyclone Yemyin late last month. UNICEF has issued an appeal for $5 million to deal with immediate needs.

At least 300,000 children under the age of five are suffering, according to UNICEF, with many areas still cut off by flood waters, and many water distribution systems damaged or destroyed, leading to poor hygiene, unsanitary conditions and outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

The hardest-hit regions in Pakistan, Balochistan and Sindh, are among the country's most disadvantaged, leaving the children and women there especially vulnerable, Mr. Hermoso said.

He said UNICEF's experience in responding to Asian floods had revealed the importance of pre-positioning emergency supplies so that stocks are in place before a disaster strikes.

"The tsunami [in December 2004] underscored the critical need for this and we have seen it work in all four countries," he said, referring to Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Afghanistan.

"In Pakistan and Myanmar, we have been able to distribute essential life-saving materials in part because of supplies that were pre-positioned following the earthquake [in Pakistan in October 2005] and tsunami respectively. Of course, those supplies need to be replenished so that we can respond in the future."

In Myanmar, UNICEF has been able to distribute essential drugs, oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets and family kits to affected areas after floods struck the regions near the western, central and southern coasts, destroying homes, covering other buildings in mud and contaminating drinking wells.

Emergency UNICEF supplies have now arrived in the town of Thandwe in Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh and has particularly hard hit by recent torrential rains. UNICEF staff who had been in Rakhine for a polio vaccination campaign have now begun a rapid post-flood assessment mission.

Flash floods have also struck the Indian states of West Bengal and Orissa in the east and Rajasthan in the west after recent monsoon rains, and UNICEF has started responding to local government requests for assistance.

Last month in Afghanistan flooding led to the deaths of more than 100 people and the displacement of thousands of others, and UNICEF has started handing out emergency health kits, water bladders and other supplies and pre-positioning further supplies for over 5,000 affected families.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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NO OUTRIGHT WINNER AFTER TIMORESE PARLIAMENTARY POLLS - UN

NO OUTRIGHT WINNER AFTER TIMORESE PARLIAMENTARY POLLS – UN
New York, Jul 12 2007 4:00PM
Timor-Leste's Court of Appeals has formally proclaimed the results of last month's national parliamentary elections in the small Asian country, where no single political party has won an absolute majority, a United Nations spokesperson said today.

Five parties and two coalitions have won parliamentary seats in proportion to their share of the vote on 30 June, in line with expectations following preliminary results, according to a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11085.doc.htm">statement released today by the spokesperson of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. But no party will have an absolute majority of the 65-seat parliament, where members will serve five-year terms.

The statement said a date for the start of the new parliament has not yet been set and political parties have begun discussions about the formation of a new Government. The parliamentary polls follow elections earlier this year that led to the swearing-in of José Ramos-Horta as President.

Mr. Ban's spokesperson stressed that the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) is committed to working with the new Government and parliament when they are formed, especially in the areas of democratic governance, the rule of law, security sector reform and social and economic development.
UNMIT, deployed following an outbreak of deadly violence last year, has helped with all aspects of the 2007 electoral processes, including technical and logistical support, electoral policy advice and verification.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH INDIAN OFFICIALS

MYANMAR: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH INDIAN OFFICIALS
New York, Jul 12 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Adviser on Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, today wrapped up his meetings in New Delhi with Indian officials, part of his current round of consultations in major Asian capitals, a spokesperson for the world body said.

Mr. Gambari had a "candid discussion" with the Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

The two found agreement on the need to "recognize positive steps made by Myanmar, while at the same time encouraging it to make further progress towards democratization and human rights," she added.

Speaking to reporters in the Indian capital, Mr. Gambari reiterated that he intends to visit Myanmar soon, although specific dates have not yet been determined.

New Delhi is the second stop on Mr. Gambari's current trip to discuss Myanmar with some of the key countries in the region. He met with Chinese Government counterparts in Beijing on Monday and will be meeting senior Japanese officials on Friday in Tokyo before returning to New York.

Since being appointed Special Adviser in May, Mr. Gambari has consulted broadly on the situation in Myanmar, including a visit to Washington two weeks ago.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UN MEETING ON BOLSTERING COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS IN WEST AFRICA CONCLUDES

UN MEETING ON BOLSTERING COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS IN WEST AFRICA CONCLUDES
New York, Jul 12 2007 4:00PM
More than a dozen West African nations met with donors and international organizations at a meeting sponsored by the United Nations this week to discuss regional technical needs to bolster regional counter-terrorism measures.

Characterizing the one-day meeting yesterday as successful, Sergey Karev, Officer-in-Charge of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee's Executive Directorate (CTED), told reporters today that the meeting's objectives – to hear first-hand of West African countries' technical needs while donors relayed information about their resources and expertise – had been fulfilled.

The implementation of Security Council measures pertaining to counter-terrorism, in particular resolution 1373 (2001), a landmark text adopted in the wake of the September 2001 attacks on the United States.

The resolution calls on countries to implement a number of measures to enhance their ability to counter terrorist activities nationally, regionally and globally. It also established the CTED to monitor compliance with its provisions.

There will be two tracks of action following this meeting, Mr. Karev said. While an action plan will be prepared regarding assistance for West African nations, these countries will also be in direct contact with donors and providers of technical assistance.

"We hope that we will reach good results in the near future," he said.
Sixteen States – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo participated in yesterday's meeting, which was also attended by nearly two dozen donor nations and international organizations.

While committed to combating terrorism, most nations in the region lack the technical and financial resources to fully carry out their counter-terrorism efforts.

Mr. Karev highlighted the benefits of providing assistance on a regional, and not bilateral, level. Regions often experience common problems – such as porous borders – and thus a collective approach results in saving time and in donors saving money because help would reach several countries simultaneously and avoid duplication.

As part of its work to facilitate technical assistant to States, the CTED seeks to line up countries needing support with the various counter-terrorism programmes that donors and organizations have available in such areas as drafting terrorism-related legislation, financial law and practice, training for law enforcement personnel, customs control and enhancing financial regulations.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL RECEIVES LATEST REPORT OF INQUIRY INTO HARIRI ASSASSINATION

SECURITY COUNCIL RECEIVES LATEST REPORT OF INQUIRY INTO HARIRI ASSASSINATION
New York, Jul 12 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today sent to the Security Council the latest report of the independent commission charged with investigating the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and many other killings in the Middle Eastern country.

UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters that the report of the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) provides information on its inquiries into the killing of Mr. Hariri – who died in a massive car bombing in Beirut in February 2005 that took the lives of 22 other people – and into 17 other cases.

Those other cases include the killing of the Lebanese lawmaker Walid Eido, who was killed with seven others last month in another explosion in Beirut.

IIIC head Serge Brammertz is expected to brief the Security Council on this report next Thursday at UN Headquarters in New York.

In April 2005 the Council set up the IIIC after an earlier UN mission found that Lebanon's own inquiry into the Hariri assassination was seriously flawed and that Syria was primarily responsible for the political tensions that preceded the attack.

Mr. Brammertz told the Council last September that evidence obtained so far suggests that a young, male suicide bomber, probably non-Lebanese, detonated up to 1,800 kilograms of explosives inside a van to assassinate Mr. Hariri.

Last month Mr. Ban also began taking steps and measures to formally establish a special tribunal of an "international character" to try the suspected killers of Mr. Hariri, and possibly those responsible for the subsequent assassinations in Lebanon as well.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UN SCHEME TO KEEP TABS ON GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

UN SCHEME TO KEEP TABS ON GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
New York, Jul 12 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=514&ArticleID=5630&l=en">UNEP) today launched an over $8 million initiative to monitor conservation efforts to protect the world's biological diversity.

Receiving funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), an independent financial organization, the 2010 Biodiversity Indicator Partnership hopes to create a set of benchmarks to assess whether protection measures are effective.

"This new partnership helps ensure that the bar is raised around the globe for accounting for biodiversity loss," said Monique Barbut, CEO of the GEF, which includes UNEP as a partner.

"The biodiversity challenge is no less urgent a public issue than the climate change crisis; this effort helps move biodiversity to the front burner to help ignite policy makers to take informed action."

The new indicators created by this new programme will augment ones already in existence.

For example, the Red List of Threatened Species – which is compiled by the World Conservation Union – estimates that almost one in four mammals, one in three amphibians and one in eight birds is threatened with extinction, primarily propelled by human factors, such as deforestation and pollution.

Another existing indicator examines protected areas, and shows that only 0.6 per cent of the ocean's surface area and 1.4 per cent of coastal shelf area is protected. The sustainability of marine resources, such as fish and shellfish, as well as the livelihoods of people living in coastal regions, are impacted.

The Partnership will introduce new indicators, such as the level of protection for diversity in forests, farmlands and fisheries and the level to which humans are affected by changing biodiversity.

"It is more important than ever for the biodiversity community to elevate its discourse and to reinforce the relevance of biodiversity conservation to sustainable economic development in the 21st century," Ms. Barbut noted.

The 2010 Biodiversity Target was established in 2002 by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to which 189 States and the European Community belong.

Coming on the heels of last month's summit of Group of Eight (G8) industrialized countries in Germany where leaders committed to intensify efforts to slash biodiversity loss by 2010, "the launch of this project could not come at a better time," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL TO MEET WITH US PRESIDENT BUSH NEXT TUESDAY

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO MEET WITH US PRESIDENT BUSH NEXT TUESDAY
New York, Jul 12 2007 2:00PM
Darfur, climate change and United Nations reform will be on the agenda when Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon holds talks next week in Washington with United States President George W. Bush, Mr. Ban's spokesperson announced today.

Marie Okabe told journalists that Mr. Ban and Mr. Bush are scheduled to meet at the White House on Tuesday, a day after he arrives in the US capital.

The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including the continuing crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur, climate change, UN reform, as well as UN-US relations and other pressing geopolitical issues, she said.

The Secretary-General is also scheduled to meet with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee during his visit to Washington. In addition, on Monday night he will attend a private dinner with political leaders and experts on climate change.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AGENCY HONOURS TURKISH PRIME MINISTER

UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AGENCY HONOURS TURKISH PRIME MINISTER
New York, Jul 12 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has conferred its highest award, the Agricola Medal, on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his contribution to agricultural and social development in Turkey.

At a ceremony held yesterday in Ankara at FAO's newly inaugurated Subregional Office for Central Asia, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf <"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000626/index.html">presented the Prime Minister with the award which is "for all your admirable efforts on behalf of your country's agriculture and food security."

Under Prime Minister Erdogan, Turkey has launched a major agricultural reform project aiming to provide direct incentives to farmers to significantly increase production and exports and raise rural incomes and food security, FAO said in a news release.

Mr. Diouf noted that Turkey is one of the few emerging countries directly participating in food aid operations, to which it has donated millions of dollars through the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english">WFP) over the past few years.

Previous recipients of the Agricola Medal include King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, French President Jacques Chirac, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Pope John Paul II, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, and President Johannes Rau of Germany.

While in Turkey, Mr. Diouf also took part in an international conference on making globalization work for the least developed countries (<"http://www.un.org/ohrlls">LDCs). The three-day meeting in Istanbul, attended by more than 20 ministers from LDCs, senior UN figures, academics and experts, discussed the challenges and opportunities presented by globalization to the world's poorest nations.
2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UN EXPERTS URGE ACTION TO FACILITATE FOOD AID DELIVERIES TO MALNOURISHED SOMALIS

UN EXPERTS URGE ACTION TO FACILITATE FOOD AID DELIVERIES TO MALNOURISHED SOMALIS
New York, Jul 12 2007 9:00AM
With insecurity, massive displacement and piracy hampering efforts to delivery food aid to Somalis suffering from malnutrition, two independent United Nations experts today urged international action to address the problem.

Difficulties in delivering life-saving assistance "exacerbate the widespread chronic nutrition crisis that in certain regions of Somalia has reached emergency levels of global acute malnutrition," said the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, and the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Ghanim Alnajjar, in a statement released in Geneva.

They noted that 200,000 Somalis in the Gedo region, many suffering from severe malnutrition, only recently received an aid delivery after awaiting humanitarian assistance for six months.

The experts voiced alarm at the difficulties and delays encountered at crossing points on the Kenya-Somalia border, some of which have been closed or operating at a very low level since January. They noted that trucks are now being allowed to cross, and expressed for a permanent solution for humanitarian shipments across the Kenya-Somalia border.

"The experts are also disturbed to learn that incidents, including theft of food from beneficiaries particularly from minority groups, continue to occur during and immediately after food distribution," the statement said, blaming hundreds of roadblocks for impeding food delivery and allowing for "abusive taxation by rogue officials and assorted militias."

The experts urgently call on the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to facilitate the transport of food aid, end abusive taxation and ensure security and non-discrimination in the distribution of food aid.

They also urged the Government of Kenya to cooperate to facilitate the swift delivery of food assistance, while calling for neighbouring countries as well as the international community to support the TFG in f

2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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LEBANON: UNICEF PLEDGES CONTINUED AID 1 YEAR AFTER CONFLICT

LEBANON: UNICEF PLEDGES CONTINUED AID 1 YEAR AFTER CONFLICT
New York, Jul 12 2007 9:00AM
One year after conflict erupted in southern Lebanon, ongoing political instability and security threats continue to hamper the progress of children there, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today, pledging ongoing efforts to address their plight.

"We can see visible signs of recovery from the 2006 conflict, such as the rebuilding of water reservoirs and children completing their school year," said Roberto Laurenti, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, where Israel and Hizbollah fought a war for 34 days.

He pointed out that the suffering of children is not always evident but must be addressed. "Emotional recovery takes much longer than rebuilding a bridge, and in a country in chronic crisis, this will be a long-term, ongoing process."

UNICEF noted in a news release that the past several months have seen bombing incidents throughout the country and conflict and resulting displacement in Palestinian refugee camps in the north, provoking a renewed sense of insecurity and anxiety for Lebanon's children.

The agency pledged today to continue helping the children of Lebanon, including through continued efforts to improve water quality in villages, enhance the quality of education, strengthen the primary health care system and foster peace and tolerance by providing opportunities for children and youth to interact with peers from different religious, political and social backgrounds.

"Children throughout Lebanon now live their lives under the constant shadow of political instability, and all of us -- from humanitarian organizations to families, from the private sector to government decision-makers -- need to keep children's wellbeing in the forefront of our minds. Together we are responsible for their road to the future," said Mr. Laurenti.

The 2006 war, which began on 12 July, killed more than 1,100 people in Lebanon and forced 900,000 to flee their homes in the south of the country, according to the Gove

UNICEF was among the agencies rushing aid to thousands of children affected, providing safe drinking water, emergency health and hygiene kits, and essential pediatric medicines, measles and polio vaccinations.

The agency also helped to assist families returning to their homes after the hostilities ceased, bolstering water supply systems to benefit more than 300,000 people, vaccinating more than 300,000 children against polio providing learning materials to 400,000 students, and training more than 600 people to help children recover from distress.

2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY WORKS TO AID FLOOD VICTIMS IN CENTRAL SUDAN

UN FOOD AGENCY WORKS TO AID FLOOD VICTIMS IN CENTRAL SUDAN
New York, Jul 12 2007 9:00AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today launched an emergency relief effort to deliver food and supplies to displaced people in Central Sudan, where recent floods destroyed an estimated 15,000 homes.

"WFP has joined forces with other UN agencies and the Sudanese Government to get emergency supplies, including food and non-food items, moving quickly to the victims of the flooding," said Kenro Oshidari, WFP Sudan Representative.

Thousands of Sudanese people were driven from their homes by floods that began late last week and have now inundated dozens of communities across central Sudan.

The agency plans to distribute food to 20,000 people in five locations near the city of Kassala, close to the Eritrean border, where the Gash River has burst its banks. WFP has 3,000 metric tons of food stockpiled in Kassala, enough to feed the flood victims for three weeks.

The agency said in a news release that it will work in the coming days with other UN agencies to determine the full extent of the damage and the level of assistance that may be required in affected central Sudanese cities. The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is providing helicopters for the effort.

2007-07-12 00:00:00.000

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UN CONVENTION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS REACHES MILESTONE IN SIGNATORIES

UN CONVENTION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS REACHES MILESTONE IN SIGNATORIES
New York, Jul 11 2007 7:00PM
United Nations officials say the global treaty to protect the rights of the world's estimated 650 million people with disabilities could take effect by early next year after Qatar this week became the 100th country to sign the landmark pact.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will enter into force 30 days after the 20th country ratifies the treaty, but so far only Jamaica has taken the step of ratification.

The UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities estimates that the next 19 ratifications could be reached by as early as the end of this year.

UN disability expert Thomas Schindlmayr said today that the pact is designed to maintain human rights "standards that the international community has agreed upon for all."

He said as many as two-thirds of UN Member States do not have any legal protection for people with disabilities, even though they comprise one in 10 of the global population.

The Convention is supposed to "ensure that people with disabilities enjoy the same human rights that everyone else does in their respective societies… It is not granting any 'new' human rights."

Since opening for signature on 30 March, the Convention has quickly garnered support from Member States. The 100 signatories to the treaty so far include 55 countries that have also signed the Optional Protocol. That protocol allows for individuals and groups to petition the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities once all national recourse and procedures have been exhausted.

"We are pleased by the commitment shown by so many Member States," Mr. Schindlmayr said.

Adopted by the General Assembly last December, the Convention was one of the fastest treaties ever negotiated at the UN. The pact provides that States which ratify it should enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights, and also abolish legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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CALLS FOR BETTER TREATMENT OF AFRICAN PASTORALISTS AT WORKSHOP CO-HOSTED BY UN

CALLS FOR BETTER TREATMENT OF AFRICAN PASTORALISTS AT WORKSHOP CO-HOSTED BY UN
New York, Jul 11 2007 6:00PM
Africa's pastoralists deserve year-round attention from Governments and policymakers, and not just in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster, a United Nations official told a workshop convened in Kenya to help preserve the nomadic herders' distinctive lifestyle on the continent.

The three-day workshop, which concluded today, was organized by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Pastoralist Communication Initiative (UN OCHA-PCI) and the African Union, and attracted more than 70 participants, including pastoralists, policymakers and AU and UN officials.

Millions of pastoralists in Africa live in remote areas away from political and economic centres, leaving them marginalized from policymaking processes that directly affect their lives. They seek greater influence over decisions on governance, access to land, education of their children, access to markets, reduction of conflict, poverty and general vulnerability, and animal diseases and livestock development.

Many participants told the workshop, held at the Shaba National Reserve, that pastoralists are regularly misunderstood or stereotyped in political processes and that they only emerge on the public agenda when they are affected by disasters and need emergency assistance.

"We must look beyond the immediate emergency response and into medium- and long-term solutions. The ad hoc response of the past is not enough," said Ahunna Eziakonwa, Chief of OCHA's Africa section, stressing the Office's current emphasis on disaster risk reduction and early-warning mechanisms.

African pastoralists are particularly vulnerable to climatic shocks such as drought and floods and their livelihoods can be threatened by animal diseases. Pastoralist communities are also regularly either involved in or victims of violent conflicts that spill over national borders.

The workshop kicked off a process of future consultations between pastoralists and national Governments that will prepare the groundwork for an AU summit next year, when member States are expected to agree to a pastoral policy framework.

Pastoralist leaders from countries such as Mali, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya and Cameroon acknowledged at the workshop that pastoralists themselves need to build their capacities. They also called for increased coordination and collaboration between their own organizations, regional African institutions and the wider international community.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO URGES GREATER SUPPORT FOR GUINEA-BISSAU AND OTHER POST-CONFLICT NATIONS

MIGIRO URGES GREATER SUPPORT FOR GUINEA-BISSAU AND OTHER POST-CONFLICT NATIONS
New York, Jul 11 2007 5:00PM
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today called for greater international support to Guinea-Bissau and other African nations emerging from conflict, following a visit to the small West African nation last week.

"The fact remains that Guinea-Bissau as well as other countries in the region that are coming out of conflict need more and sustained support from the international community if they are to consolidate peace and address the socio-economic and other root causes of conflict," Ms. Migiro said at a press conference in New York.

Briefing reporters on her recent trip, which also took her to Austria, Ghana and Kenya, she said Guinea-Bissau remains in a "fragile, post-conflict period," noting that the country is now facing a growing problem of drug trafficking and organized crime, in addition to its long-standing development challenges.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his latest report on the activities of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), also described organized crime, particularly drug trafficking, as presenting "a new and growing" problem in the country, while the Security Council raised similar concerns in a press statement yesterday.

Ms. Migiro said that although the UN is supporting the Government in addressing the country's "daunting challenges," long-term international assistance to the country – which has witnessed rising political and social tensions and a deteriorating economic situation – remains crucial.

Ms. Migiro's visit – intended to reaffirm UN support for Guinea-Bissau's ongoing efforts to consolidate peace, national reconciliation and constitutional governance – was the first-ever official visit of a Secretary-General or Deputy Secretary-General since that nation joined the Organization in 1974.

She added that she was particularly struck by a visit to an HIV and AIDS counselling and treatment centre in the country, noting that "like in many other countries in Africa, AIDS is having a devastating impact on the lives and economies of communities in Guinea-Bissau."

Therefore, fighting the spread of HIV cannot be achieved without the sustained involvement of all sections of society, including civil society organizations, the Government, media and the health-care community, she stated.

In Nairobi, where she attended a conference with women leaders, the Deputy Secretary-General also highlighted the UN's role in fighting the alarming spread of HIV, especially among women and girls.

She stressed the need to tackle the "drivers of the spread of the disease," particularly the issue of gender inequality, and emphasized that "we must all work together to promote women's empowerment as a way to fight HIV and AIDS."

Ms. Migiro stopped off in Guinea-Bissau following an official visit to Austria, where she addressed the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government hosted by the UN in Vienna, and just prior to attending the annual summit of the African Union in Accra, Ghana, which she addressed on behalf of Mr. Ban.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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DPR KOREA: UN NUCLEAR AGENCY EXPERTS TO EMBARK ON MISSION

DPR KOREA: UN NUCLEAR AGENCY EXPERTS TO EMBARK ON MISSION
New York, Jul 11 2007 5:00PM
An inspection team from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will travel to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the next few days to implement agreements to monitor the shutdown and eventual abandonment of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities.

The <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/MediaAdvisory/MA200709.html">IAEA received an invitation from the DPRK yesterday, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York today.

Late last month, IAEA inspectors visited Pyongyang and reached agreement with authorities regarding arrangements for the agency's monitoring and verification of the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear facility and the reactor under construction in Taechon.

Earlier this week, the IAEA's Board of Governors decided to dispatch inspectors after approving a report detailing the agency's future activities in the Asian country.

"This is the beginning of a long and complex process, but I welcome the return of the DPRK to the verification process," IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei told reporters after briefing the Board on 9 July.

Mr. ElBaradei predicted that the shutdown of the facilities should only take "a few days," and cameras and other equipment will also need to be installed to monitor the sites.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES PLANNED CONTINUATION OF WESTERN SAHARA TALKS

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES PLANNED CONTINUATION OF WESTERN SAHARA TALKS
New York, Jul 11 2007 4:00PM
The Security Council today welcomed news that United Nations-sponsored talks on Western Sahara between Morocco and the Frente Polisario, along with neighbours Algeria and Mauritania, are set to resume next month, voicing hope that "substantial negotiations" will take place.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9076.doc.htm">statement to the press read out by Ambassador Wang Guangya of China, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, the 15-member body said it was very pleased that the two parties and the neighbouring States had met for talks outside New York on 18-19 June.

"The members of the Security Council support the agreement by the parties that negotiations will continue in the second week of August under UN auspices and expresses their hope the parties will use the next round of negotiations to engage in good faith in substantial negotiations on the way forward," Mr. Wang said.

In a communiqué issued after last month's talks, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, said the parties had agreed to continue their negotiations, which were held at the Greentree Estate in Manhasset, in the second week of August.

Mr. van Walsum briefed the Council in a closed session this morning on the latest developments in Western Sahara and on the most recent report of the Secretary-General on the status and progress of negotiations.

Speaking to reporters after today's Council meeting, Mr. van Walsum said the recent talks had been "a positive first step" towards resolving the situation in Western Sahara, where the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has been in place since September 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the Frente Polisario, which contest the territory.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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COMPLEX GLOBAL CHALLENGES LEAVE UN READY TO THRIVE - BAN KI-MOON

COMPLEX GLOBAL CHALLENGES LEAVE UN READY TO THRIVE – BAN KI-MOON
New York, Jul 11 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations is entering an era when it can prosper because the world's major challenges have become so complex that individual countries cannot resolve them on their own, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

Calling on the world body to "grow and take on new roles" and to "develop and deliver on new fronts," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2665">told the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London that the UN was well placed to tackle issues ranging from climate change to disarmament.

"You will know that our world of complex and global challenges is exactly the environment in which our United Nations should thrive – because these are challenges that no country can resolve on its own," he said.

The Secretary-General stressed that it was unrealistic to expect the UN to provide a solution to every challenge.

"But we can, and should, serve as a forum to set a global agenda and consensus. We can, and should – given the necessary political resolve – implement the clearly defined will of the international community. We can, and should, be visionary and proactive."

To deal with this, the world needs greater dialogue, patience, resources and reform, he said.

During his address to the Royal Institute, Mr. Ban outlined the major priorities facing the UN in the three pillars of its work: peace and security, development and human rights.

He said the crises in Darfur, the Middle East, Lebanon and Iraq are at the top of his peace and security agenda, as well as efforts to fight terrorism and to overcome the current stalemate in disarmament and non-proliferation, particularly regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran.

Turning to development, he urged Governments to take more concerted action towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the set of eight targets for slashing poverty and other social and economic ills, all by 2015.

Mr. Ban also called on leaders to "accept their historical responsibilities" towards future generations and reach concrete agreements on reducing emissions and other ways of combating climate change.

"I am convinced that this challenge, and what we do about it, will define us, our era, and ultimately, our global legacy. It is time for new thinking."

He added that greater attention must be paid to human rights, so that it is a pillar of the UN's work "not only on the drawing board, but in reality, on the ground."

The Human Rights Council, introduced last year to replace the discredited Commission on Human Rights, must be scrutinized "to ensure that it delivers on its promise and shines a spotlight on the darkest places in the world."

Mr. Ban also detailed some of the internal UN reforms he has introduced to strengthen the world body's capacity, especially in peacekeeping as the number of UN personnel in the field reaches a historic high of nearly 100,000.

While in London today, Mr. Ban held talks with the new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN OFFICIAL APPEALS FOR AID TO ENABLE LESOTHO TO RESPOND TO FOOD CRISIS

TOP UN OFFICIAL APPEALS FOR AID TO ENABLE LESOTHO TO RESPOND TO FOOD CRISIS
New York, Jul 11 2007 3:00PM
The top United Nations humanitarian official today called for international assistance to help Lesotho which is facing its worst food crisis, with 400,000 people – or a fifth of the population of the small southern African nation – in need of emergency food aid.

"The situation is critical for those already living on the edge, struggling to cope with the combined impact of successive crop failures, poverty and HIV/AIDS," said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes. "The international community must respond rapidly to assist the Government in averting a crisis."

Yesterday, Lesotho appealed for international support and declared a food security emergency, based on reports by the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2526">WFP) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) which noted that the country's cereal production plummeted from 126,200 tons last year to 72,000 this year.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/OchaLinkClick.aspx?link=ocha&docId=1054899">OCHA) notes that the current crisis was triggered by the small landlocked country's worst drought in the last three decades, which lead to the maize crop, a staple, being slashed by 40 per cent.

According to authorities, there will be a 30,000 ton deficit in cereals. The harvest, commercial imports and existing food aid combined still fall short of the almost 330,000 tons needed to feed the population.

Price surges have resulted from the drop in cereal production as well as reduced harvests in South Africa, Lesotho's main regional supplier, with many households now unable to afford food. Those who will be hardest hit by price increases are people who rely on markets for food, including the landless and residents of urban areas.

Those living with HIV and AIDS stand to suffer the most from food shortages, as a healthy diet is essential to benefit from life-saving antiretroviral medicines. According to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/Regions_Countries/Countries/lesotho.asp">UNAIDS), roughly 270,000 people – or 14 per cent of Lesotho's 1.9 million people – suffer from the pandemic.

Lesotho is not the only country in the region facing food shortages in the coming months. Approximately five million people throughout southern Africa, including 400,000 people in Swaziland and as many as four million people in Zimbabwe – will be in need of the world's help due to droughts and other factors.

The UN and its partners are supporting impacted countries, and an international appeal for assistance for Swaziland will be issued shortly, according to OCHA.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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UN SUMMIT AIMS TO HARNESS TECHNOLOGY FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT

UN SUMMIT AIMS TO HARNESS TECHNOLOGY FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT
New York, Jul 11 2007 1:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have strongly endorsed a summit to be held later this year aiming to boost information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in Africa to advance development on the continent.

The <"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/18.html">Connect Africa Summit, to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 29 to 30 October, will bring together the private sector, governments and international organizations to seek ways to address the "digital divide" across the continent and to promote the use of information technology to achieve development goals.

Stressing that the gathering "will not be just another summit," ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré said it was vital to mobilize the world's human, financial and technical resources to support economic growth, employment and development across Africa.

While investment in ICT infrastructure in Africa has improved dramatically in recent years, representing a total of $8 billion in 2005 -- up from $3.5 billion in 2000 -- and growth in mobile phones has increased by as much as 400 per cent, Africa has fallen back in overall connectivity, according to the ITU.

While mobile telephone use has surpassed fixed line telephone access, fewer than 4 out of every 100 Africans have Internet access; broadband penetration remains below 1 per cent; and 70 per cent of all Internet traffic within Africa is re-routed outside the continent, driving up costs for businesses and consumers.

During a visit to the ITU last week, Mr. Ban <"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/17.html">expressed his full support to the Connect Africa initiative and said that it represented an important step not only in overcoming the digital divide but also to help countries achieve the set of global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals">MDGs).

"This is an important vision," he said. "We need to make our best efforts, as part of our MDG programme, to bridge this gap."

With less than eight years left to meet the 2015 target date of the MDGs, drastic steps are required. Dr Touré pointed out that meeting ICT connectivity targets would act as a catalyst in achieving the broader development goals. "ICT is a means of creating wealth and sustainable economic growth," he said.

The Connect Africa Summit will be organized by the ITU, the <"http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,pagePK:34382~piPK:34439~theSitePK:4607,00.html">World Bank and the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (<"http://www.un-gaid.org/en/about/whatisgaid">GAID), in partnership with the African Development Bank, the African Telecommunication Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (" http://www.uneca.org">ECA).
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY HAILS RESUMPTION OF FOOD DELIVERY TO WESTERN AFGHANISTAN

UN AGENCY HAILS RESUMPTION OF FOOD DELIVERY TO WESTERN AFGHANISTAN
New York, Jul 11 2007 12:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today <" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2558">announced that, following forced suspension in May due to insecurity, food delivery has resumed along the southern ring road – a major artery linking Kandahar to the western province of Herat and the site of most incidents involving WFP deliveries.

"While there are still major problems, getting trucks moving again along the major ring road is an important breakthrough for our operations, particularly in the western region where WFP has been unable to distribute promised food to tens of thousands," said the agency's Afghanistan Country Director Rick Corsino.

He noted that roughly 100,000 poor Afghans have been waiting for food for weeks.

Between 4 and 9 July, 280 metric tons of WFP food supplies were moved from Kandahar to Herat, which has faced a shortage of stocks since deliveries were halted on 28 May due to attacks on the southern ring road.

As a result of the suspension, vulnerable families – including many deported from Iran – in Herat, Farah, Badghis and Ghor faced food scarcity.

Among these were 65,000 people who work for their communities in exchange for food as well as 55,000 participating in food-for-training programmes.

An additional 4,000 tuberculosis patients who receive rations to spur them to receive treatment were impacted.

"We are planning to gradually increase movements along the southern ring road as long as the security conditions remain acceptable and our transporters feel confident of their safety," said Mr. Corsino.

"We want to get back to normal operations as quickly as possible, where 1,500 to 2,000 tons is shipped along the road each week."

WFP aims to supply over half a million metric tons of food to 6.6 million people in Afghanistan yearly.

Since June 2006, there have been 26 incidents involving vehicles transporting WFP food, threatening projects in the western, southern and eastern parts of the war-wracked country.

On 6 July, four WFP-contracted commercial trucks traveling with armed escort were attacked by unknown assailants on the way to Khashrod District in south-western Afghanistan. Two police officers and 13 attackers are reported to have died, with a driver and his helper being held hostage for two days. Approximately 40 tons of food were lost in the incident.

Insecurity on the southern ring road has also impeded deliveries in the reverse direction from Herat to southern and eastern portions of Afghanistan, preventing WFP from providing 1,200 tons of biscuits for almost one million children.

However, other projects in western Afghanistan remain uninterrupted by the insecurity. Since late April, food has been supplied to 1,500 Afghan families who have been deported from Iran, while schoolchildren
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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UN OFFICIALS URGE MALE INVOLVEMENT IN MATERNAL HEALTH TO SAVE WOMEN'S LIVES

UN OFFICIALS URGE MALE INVOLVEMENT IN MATERNAL HEALTH TO SAVE WOMEN'S LIVES
New York, Jul 11 2007 10:00AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) marked World Population Day today by calling for greater participation by men in maternal health to reduce the number of women who die each day in childbirth and to ensure safe motherhood.

Mr. Ban and UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid seized the occasion of the <"http://www.unfpa.org/wpd">Day – whose theme this year is "men as partners for maternal health" – to highlight the role of men in supporting women's rights, including their right to sexual and reproductive health.
Today, more than half a million women die each year during pregnancy and childbirth, 99 per cent of them in developing countries, Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2664">noted in his message marking the Day. Many more suffer serious complications that can have a severe impact on the quality of life for women and their families.

"As partners for maternal health, men can save lives," he stated. "The support of an informed husband improves pregnancy and childbirth outcomes and can mean the difference between life and death in cases of complications, when women need immediate medical care."

He called on men to become "partners and agents for change," supporting human rights and safe motherhood in every way possible.

In her message for the Day, Ms. Obaid <"http://www.unfpa.org/wpd/2007/docs/wpd_statement_eng.doc">emphasized that "experience shows that male involvement can make a substantial difference when it comes to preserving the health and lives of women and children."

Men, she said, make most of the decisions within the family and in government, where they preside over policy and programmes that directly affect women and girls.

"Today, too many women die from easily preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Every minute, another woman loses her life," said Ms. Obaid. "Let us go forward with the message: No woman should die giving life. Let us do all we can to promote the right of every woman to enjoy a life of health, dignity and equal opportunity."

Observed annually on 11 July, World Population Day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, particularly in the context of overall development. The Day is marked around the world with rallies, exhibitions and public awareness campaigns highlighting its theme.
2007-07-11 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES IMMEDIATE AND EFFECTIVE ACTION TO AID PLIGHT OF MIGRANTS

BAN KI-MOON URGES IMMEDIATE AND EFFECTIVE ACTION TO AID PLIGHT OF MIGRANTS
New York, Jul 10 2007 7:00PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged immediate and effective action to aid the plight of the world's 200 million migrants, characterizing the phenomenon of migration as "one of the great global challenges of our century."

"We can ensure that people move in a way that is safe and legal, and which protects their rights," Mr. Ban said in his <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11084.doc.htm">address to the inaugural Global Forum on Migration and Development in Brussels, Belgium.

"We can work to strengthen the positive impact of migration on the development of migrants' home countries. We can encourage destination countries to promote the success of migrants, both in their original and their adopted homes."

Mr. Ban noted that the emergence of migration – a "sensitive" issue – as a top priority was a slow process, culminating in the launch of the Forum.

"As we have grasped migration's powerful potential for good, old stereotypes have crumbled, and new opportunities have captured our imaginations," he said, observing that migrants are propelled by the "age-old pursuit of a better life, as well as by increasingly understood phenomena such as climate change."

Therefore, he said, "we accept that we must take effective action without delay."

Although migrants have been assisting their families and communities for decades, it is only recently that there has been a deepened understanding of how effective policies can augment the positive boon on development posed by migration.

Mr. Ban stressed that migrants have much to offer – in the economic, social and cultural realms – to developed countries.

"Their cultures, values and traditions not only enrich our societies, but enable us to adapt successfully to a world that is growing fast," he said, citing how migrants have founded prominent companies such as eBay, Mittal, Google and Intel, as well as becoming innovators in research.

He pointed out that lesser-skilled migrants also have much to contribute, performing "many of the most essential tasks that undergird our well-being."

Underscoring his commitment to the Forum's efforts, Mr. Ban pledged the UN's support through his Special Representative for Migration and Development, Peter Sutherland, who was reappointed to his post today.

Also speaking at the Forum was Director Carmen Moreno of the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (<"http://www.un-instraw.org/en/">UN-INSTRAW), who emphasized the important role women play with regard to remittances.

Noting that half of all remittance senders and the greater part of remittance recipients are women, she said that "unless the entire migration process is examined from a gender perspective, projects that aim to maximize the pros and reduce the cons of remittances are doomed to fail."

Over 120 Governments, 200 civil society representatives, and numerous international organizations and UN institutions are expected to attend the Forum, which concludes tomorrow.

While in Brussels, Mr. Ban also <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1045">met today with Javier Solana, the European Union High Representative, and highlighted the "very friendly and cooperative relationship" between their respective offices.

Following their discussions, Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1046">told reporters that he discussed the issue of Kosovo at length with Mr. Solana.

"Because of the lack of progress in taking action on the recommendation of my Special Envoy for the future status of Kosovo, my position is that any further delay or prolongation of this issue will not be beneficial, not only for the Balkan States but also for the unity of the European Union."

He asked the parties involved to "not take any premature unilateral actions which may further complicate this already complicated issue."
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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LEBANESE-ISRAELI PEACE THREATENED BY REPEATED ATTACKS - BAN KI-MOON

LEBANESE-ISRAELI PEACE THREATENED BY REPEATED ATTACKS – BAN KI-MOON
New York, Jul 10 2007 7:00PM
Lebanon is mired in a debilitating political crisis, facing continuing attacks aimed at undermining its sovereignty and territorial integrity, which makes it harder to fully implement the Security Council resolution ending last year's war between Israel and Hizbollah, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says.

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/392">report on the implementation of <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1701(2006)">resolution 1701, Mr. Ban says the ongoing instability within Lebanon is limiting progress and posing "a direct challenge… to the stability of the country as a whole."

He cites the fighting between Fatah al-Islam militants and Lebanese security forces at a Palestinian refugee camp, the worst internal fighting since the civil war ended in 1990; the series of explosions around Beirut, including that which killed a Lebanese parliamentarian and nine others; a bomb attack last month on a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy that killed six peacekeepers; and the firing of Katyusha rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel.

The Secretary-General stresses that the deadly attack against the UNIFIL convoy or other incidents will not deter the UN from playing its part to implement resolution 1701.

But he emphasizes that greater progress is needed on several key issues – including the enforcement of the arms embargo in Lebanon – if the cessation of hostilities is to become a permanent ceasefire.

"I am disturbed by the persistent reports pointing to breaches of the arms embargo along the Lebanese-Syrian border," he writes, noting that the report of the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team, which he commissioned, concludes that the border is not sufficiently secure and that Lebanese capabilities are lacking.

Existing border crossing points are not well controlled by Lebanese authorities, and the procedures for these crossings are not uniform, resulting in an unregulated flow of passengers, vehicles and cargo, according to the border assessment report.

That <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/382">report, also released today, recommends a series of measures to "significantly improve" Lebanon's border security regime, and Mr. Ban urges the country's Government to implement the report in full.

The recommendations include: the establishment of a dedicated border guard agency; the creation of a multi-agency mobile force focused on arms smuggling, with the power to make arms seizures; and the redesign and restructure of border crossing points to ensure there is greater control of the border.

In the progress report on resolution 1701, Mr. Ban says he remains hopeful that a long-term solution can be found as the region nears the first-year anniversary of the 34-day conflict, which led to the deaths of an estimated 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis, the destruction of much of Lebanon's infrastructure and severe damage to both nations' economies.

He stresses that, aside from the enforcement of the Lebanese arms embargo, progress is needed on several fronts, including on the release of the abducted Israeli soldiers and the Lebanese prisoners, the halting of Israeli air violations and the issue of sovereignty over Shab'a Farms.

He also urges the international community to provide support to the Lebanese armed forces to make sure that they can extend and exercise full authority over all of the country's territory.
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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RISING ORGANIZED CRIME IN GUINEA-BISSAU ALARMS SECURITY COUNCIL

RISING ORGANIZED CRIME IN GUINEA-BISSAU ALARMS SECURITY COUNCIL
New York, Jul 10 2007 6:00PM
Voicing concern about the "alarming increase in organized crime, drug trafficking and the proliferation of illicit small arms in Guinea-Bissau," the Security Council today called on the international community to step up its efforts to bolster the security institutions of the small African country.

In a statement read to reporters by Ambassador Wang Guangya of China, which this month holds the Council's revolving presidency, the 15-member body said it was disturbed by the continuing deterioration of Guinea-Bissau's socio-economic and financial situation.

The <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9075.doc.htm">press statement comes as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his most recent <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/401">report on the activities of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), described organized crime, particularly drug trafficking, as presenting "a new and growing" problem in the country.

"The use of Guinea-Bissau as a transit point for illegal drugs from Latin America bound for Europe remains an issue of major concern to the authorities and international partners," Mr. Ban wrote.

His report, made public yesterday, cites the interception in April, of 635 kg of cocaine in a vehicle carrying two military personnel and one civilian. The military personnel were handed over to the military authorities, and an investigation was initiated. However, the two officers were later released.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (<"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/news_and_publications.html">UNODC) will post a senior law enforcement specialist to the capital, Bissau, to assist in the development of a country strategy to combat drug trafficking. The specialist, whose assignment will be funded by the UN Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/">UNDP), will operate under the overall supervision of <"http://www.unogbis.org/homepage.html">UNOGBIS.

But today's Council statement – which followed a briefing by the Secretary-General's Special Representative Shola Omoregie – also welcomed the creation of a new Government, which it hoped would spur a "genuinely inclusive reconciliation process, thereby strengthening political, parliamentary and government stability."

Additionally, the Council "encouraged the Government to implement its commitments to ensure discipline and transparency in fiscal management and pursue a permanent and constructive dialogue with all sectors of society, in order to create a politically conducive climate for free, fair and transparent legislative elections next year."

The upcoming elections follow the conclusion of a national political stability pact this March by the three main political parties in Guinea-Bissau – the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde and Guinea, the Social Renewal Party and the United Social Democratic Party. The agreement led to the swearing-in on 17 April of the Government of Prime Minister Martinho Dafa Cabi.

UNOGBIS was established in 1999 to help Guinea-Bissau, one of the poorest nations in the world, emerge from the devastation of a civil war and various coups in which thousands of people were killed, wounded or forced from their homes.
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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MIGIRO STRESSES CIVIL SOCIETY'S KEY ROLE IN SUPPORTING UN AGENDA

MIGIRO STRESSES CIVIL SOCIETY'S KEY ROLE IN SUPPORTING UN AGENDA
New York, Jul 10 2007 6:00PM
Engaging with civil society has become crucial to the work of the United Nations, helping the world body to promote its agenda on issues ranging from peace and security to human rights and humanitarian assistance, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

In an address in New York to the annual meeting of the UN Civil Society Focal Points, Ms. Migiro said a closer relationship between UN agencies, funds and programmes and the world's many civil society groups would produce benefits to key causes.

"Our civil society partners help advance this agenda in myriad ways: they bring expertise and information on current and emerging issues – be it climate change, poverty eradication or rural development," she said. "This expertise often provides important new thinking and research on matters of global importance."

Noting that UN Member States were increasingly aware of the role that civil society groups can play in tackling key global issues, Ms. Migiro said the "outstanding outreach capacity" of those groups had the potential to mobilize millions of people worldwide in support of the UN agenda.

This included the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the set of eight shared goals for fighting poverty and other social and economic ills that world leaders agreed to work towards by 2015.

"Credible civil society organizations possess legitimacy, embodying as they do the aspirations of the people of the world. The UN must always be guided by these aspirations if we are to truly reflect the first phrase of the Charter, 'We The Peoples,' and if we are to meet the challenges of the 21st century."

Ms. Migiro told the focal points that they played an especially important role "in nurturing and deepening the partnerships between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the institutions of global governance" and she thanked them for their efforts.

"You provide a channel through which the innovative ideas and dynamism of the NGO community can cross into and positively impact the work of the United Nations. And you are a vital resource for increasing the understanding of NGOs about the unique nature – and the sometimes bewildering intricacies – of the UN system."
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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ATTACKS ON AID WORKERS IN DARFUR THREATENING RELIEF EFFORTS, WARNS UN OFFICIAL

ATTACKS ON AID WORKERS IN DARFUR THREATENING RELIEF EFFORTS, WARNS UN OFFICIAL
New York, Jul 10 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations humanitarian chief warned today that increasing attacks on aid workers in Darfur are jeopardizing relief efforts, and called for an immediate end to violence in the strife-torn region of Sudan.

"Every day, more people need our help, yet humanitarian colleagues are under increasing threat from all sides," said John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Despite repeated appeals from UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Darfur, continuing violence and targeting of civilians have displaced nearly 160,000 people so far this year, pushing the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to 2.1 million, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The total number of civilians requiring relief assistance has reached 4.2 million, or nearly two-thirds of the entire Darfur population.

At the same time, OCHA reports that attacks against the relief community have increased by 150 per cent in the past year, threatening the lifeline to this ever-increasing number of displaced and conflict-affected people.

In June, one out of every six convoys that left provincial capitals in Darfur was hijacked or ambushed. Since January, some 64 vehicles used by agencies have been hijacked, with 132 staff temporarily detained, often at gunpoint. Such lawlessness has forced relief organizations to suspend programming, temporarily depriving over one million beneficiaries of life-saving assistance, OCHA said.

There are some 13,000 relief workers in Darfur trying to reach a total of four million people. As a result of insecurity on the ground, aid workers are forced to rely on expensive helicopter transport to keep operations going in many areas.

"Obviously, we will not give up – the needs are too great. We will continue to adapt operations to ensure that the most vulnerable in Darfur receive at least some relief," Mr. Holmes said.

"But what we most need is an effective ceasefire. This is possible – the rebel groups and the Government could and should choose now to stop the violence."
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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FLOODS IN MYANMAR PROMPT UNICEF RELIEF EFFORT

FLOODS IN MYANMAR PROMPT UNICEF RELIEF EFFORT
New York, Jul 10 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) has begun distributing emergency supplies such as medicines, clothing, cooking utensils and water purification tablets in Myanmar in the wake of flooding that has struck the centre of the country.

Media reports say thousands of people have been left homeless by the floods, which come two weeks after the start of the annual monsoon season. Schools have had to close, rail services have been suspended in some areas and bridges have also been washed out.

A spokesperson for the UN said UNICEF had been able to distribute the relief supplies so quickly in part because they were pre-positioned after the emergency response to the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.

Aside from the medicines and water purification tablets, the supplies provided include basic family kits, which contain clothing, a blanket, soap, cooking utensils, candles, matches, a knife, plastic buckets and tarpaulin.
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: UN ENVOY DEPLORES MURDER OF POLITICIAN IN VOLATILE EAST

DR CONGO: UN ENVOY DEPLORES MURDER OF POLITICIAN IN VOLATILE EAST
New York, Jul 10 2007 5:00PM
The senior United Nations envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has condemned yesterday's murder of a local politician in the far east of the country, saying it seems to be part of an emerging pattern of assassinations of political and business leaders in that region of the vast nation.

The body of Floribert Bwana Chuy Bin Kositi, the provincial secretary of the Congolese Rally for Democracy political party, was found yesterday in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which borders Uganda and Rwanda.

William Lacy Swing, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, called the killing of Mr. Chuy Bin Kositi an "odious crime" that had occurred as efforts were being stepped up to bring lasting peace to North Kivu, one of the most volatile regions of the country.

Mr. Swing – who is also head of the UN Organization Mission in the DRC (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html">MONUC) – called on Congolese authorities to do their utmost to ensure that the sponsors and perpetrators of the murder are located and brought to justice.

"MONUC is preoccupied by the murders and kidnappings who have recently taken place in the region" around North Kivu, Mr. Swing said in a press statement issued yesterday in Kinshasa, the DRC capital.

He stressed that the culture of impunity around such killings and abductions, whether they are targeted or apparently random, must stop.
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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PLIGHT OF REFUGEES CROSSING GULF OF ADEN DRAWS CALL TO ACTION FROM UN AGENCY

PLIGHT OF REFUGEES CROSSING GULF OF ADEN DRAWS CALL TO ACTION FROM UN AGENCY
New York, Jul 10 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46939aa54.html">UNHCR) has used a halt in the annual flow of Somali boatpeople travelling across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen to draw attention to their plight and call for more action to help those who endure such harsh journeys.

UNHCR Jennifer Pagonis <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46934f9e2.html">told reporters today in Geneva that the flow across the Gulf of Aden "to seek safety or a better life has temporarily halted because seas are too rough to make the crossing in July and August."

Still, each year between September and the following June, "irregular travel to Yemen has also become increasingly difficult as a result of increased crackdowns on smugglers in Somalia's Bosaso region and heightened security patrols along the Yemen coastline," she said.

For those refugees who do secure a trip, the risks of death or sickness have increased. Because of a need to find new routes, trips are more indirect and take around three days rather than the regular two.

The treatment of the refugees by smugglers who have managed to remain active despite the crackdown is increasingly horrendous, Ms. Pagonis noted. After paying $50, many refugees are forced to disembark while still in deep water, where most are then beaten with clubs, drown or are attacked by sharks.

The solution lies not only in cracking down on smugglers, but on tackling the root causes of persecution, poverty and conflict that drive so many people to leave their homes and risk such perilous sea journeys, Ms. Pagonis said.

Countries receiving migrants should have more help in managing the inflows so that people who need protection can get it and those who do not can return home safely.

She stressed that anyone in distress at sea should be rescued, allowed to disembark and given access to proper screening procedures upon arrival.

For the first six months of this year, UNHCR has recorded the arrival of 77 smuggling boats carrying more than 8,600 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, mainly Somalis and Ethiopians, across the Gulf of Aden.

Although these figures are below those equivalent statistics from the first half of 2006, when over 11,700 people made the journey, the trip has become more deadly: at least 367 people have been killed so far this year, compared to 266 for the same period last year.

Ms. Pagonis added that while smuggling in the Gulf of Aden has come to a temporary seasonal halt, it has started again in the Mediterranean Sea.

"UNHCR has repeatedly expressed its concerns about the situation in the Gulf of Aden, the Mediterranean and other waters, as some of those who risk their lives making such crossing are refugees and asylum seekers," she said.

The number of irregular arrivals into Italy fell by 31 per cent compared to the first six months of last year, but in June alone 200 people were reported dead or missing reported in the Strait of Sicily.

Last year UNHCR presented a Ten-Point Plan of Action on Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration that sets out a number of measures to assist States in dealing with the issue.
2007-07-10 00:00:00.000

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