SPIRALLING VIOLENCE IN FAR EASTERN DR CONGO LEADS UN MISSION TO SEND TROOPS

SPIRALLING VIOLENCE IN FAR EASTERN DR CONGO LEADS UN MISSION TO SEND TROOPS
New York, Aug 31 2007 7:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has sent in reinforcement troops and stepped up the diplomatic pressure on both sides of the opposing factions of the armed forces in the volatile far east of the country in a bid to stop the fighting there that has forced thousands of Congolese to flee their homes.

The mission, known as <"http://www.monuc.org/Home.aspx?lang=en">MONUC, reported today that it has dispatched 200 reinforcement troops to the area around the town of Katale in the Masisi district of North Kivu province, where the worst clashes have been taking place.

These troops have been transferred from elsewhere in the two Kivu provinces, which have remained unstable since the official end of the country's civil war and last year's historic national presidential and parliamentary elections.

MONUC said it has also increased the number of helicopter overflights so it can both obtain a better picture of the situation on the ground and deter further fighting.

It is also exerting pressure on both sides of the national armed forces, known as FARDC, which are supposed to have integrated with soldiers from former rebel groups after the conflict.

But elements supportive of renegade Gen. Nkunda have been clashing with regular FARDC forces in recent days, and MONUC is trying to urge the two groups to settle their differences through dialogue.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, is due to arrive in the DRC on Monday for a week-long visit that is expected to include a trip to the Kivu provinces.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d7f4e72.html">UNHCR) reported today that at least 9,000 people have had to flee Masisi and neighbouring Rutshuru districts in the past month because of the spiralling tensions.

UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis warned reporters in Geneva that "with heightened tensions and the build-up of military forces, the situation risks turning into a humanitarian and human rights disaster."

More than 20 makeshift camps for internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs) have emerged in North Kivu since last December as the capacity of local host families to absorb the new arrivals has been overwhelmed.

In one camp, at Mugunga, some 15 kilometres west of the regional centre of Goma, some 9,000 people have arrived in the past three weeks, swelling the overall number of residents to 18,000. UNHCR staff in the region report that more IDPs are arriving at other sites each day.

More than 650,000 people are now internally displaced within North Kivu, including at least 180,000 since last December. Tens of thousands of others have fled over the border to neighbouring Uganda.

The deteriorating security situation means humanitarian agencies have limited access to the IDPs, but UNHCR said it was organizing camp management training for IDP leaders and local authorities in Mugunga.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN DARFUR DETERIORATING, SENIOR UN OFFICIAL SAYS

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN DARFUR DETERIORATING, SENIOR UN OFFICIAL SAYS
New York, Aug 31 2007 7:00PM
A United Nations official today warned that the humanitarian situation is worsening in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region, with more people being displaced, increased security risks to aid workers and potentially rising malnutrition rates.

"We believe it's important to keep reminding ourselves that a credible ceasefire and controlling the lawlessness in Darfur are really the two bottom lines that need to be sustained and this is, of course, the intent of the international community," UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlström told reporters at the world body's Headquarters in New York.

In the period from June until 21 August, 55,000 people have been newly displaced, which bring the total of those fleeing their homes since January to a quarter million. Out of a total population in Darfur of 6.4 million, 2.2 million are displaced while four million are dependent on humanitarian assistance, she noted.

"Also, the trend for aid workers is not positive," she said, with a 150 per cent surge in incidents – including car hijackings, attacks on convoys and other acts of violence – against humanitarian staff. She also reminded reporters that attacks on relief providers are having an impact on Darfurians as well.

Ms. Wahlström expressed concern regarding the recent expulsion by Sudanese officials of the country director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) CARE International. "We obviously think that this sends a very wrong signal to the international community and we would like to hope that the Sudanese authorities will reverse this decision," she said.

Recent spot surveys indicate that malnutrition is on the rise in the region, where at least 200,000 people have died since 2003 because of fighting between rebel groups, Sudanese Government forces and allied Janjaweed militias.

The results show current malnutrition rates are "well over 17 per cent" in some areas, Ms. Wahlström said.

"With the huge effort of the international humanitarian community from 2004, the situation stabilized from a health and nutritional perspective, so this is the first time we see the potential of a deterioration for which we are very worried and we put this in the context of the very unstable situation in the area," she said.

Ms. Wahlström voiced hope that the deployment of the hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force in <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=88&Body=Sudan&Body1=">Darfur (UNAMID) from the start of next year will have a positive impact and contribute to improving the humanitarian situation.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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PAKISTANI PEACEKEEPERS IN LIBERIA REBUILD KEY BRIDGE DAMAGED BY HEAVY RAINS

PAKISTANI PEACEKEEPERS IN LIBERIA REBUILD KEY BRIDGE DAMAGED BY HEAVY RAINS
New York, Aug 31 2007 7:00PM
Peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.unmil.org">UNMIL) have rebuilt a key bridge linking the capital, Monrovia, with the western part of the country and neighbouring Sierra Leone that collapsed just days ago, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The Kiakpu River Bridge, which is about 15 kilometres west of Monrovia, is a vital route used for travel and commerce by both Liberians and Sierra Leoneans.

Opening the new bridge today, UNMIL Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor commended the Pakistani engineers – who completed the bridge in 14 hours – for their expeditious work, saying it was a clear manifestation of UNMIL's desire and commitment to help Liberians move forward with rebuilding their country.

"We are here to deliver," he stated. "We are here to make sure that Liberians are empowered to go about their normal lives and enjoy peace."

Yesterday, Lt.-Gen. Obiakor encouraged a group of young Liberians to pursue a different type of rebuilding as he presented certificates to 40 men and women who completed a community development programme organized by UNMIL's Bangladeshi contingent in the port city of Buchanan.

Participants underwent a seven-week course that included basic computer skills and training relating to air conditioner and generator repair, and pump maintenance and repair techniques.

Presenting the certificates, Lt.-Gen. Obiakor urged the young people to apply the knowledge they acquired to improve their environments and their lives.

The Force Commander also commissioned a children's park in Buchanan built by the Bangladeshi contingent.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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ISRAELI INFRASTRUCTURE DIVIDES WEST BANK INTO ENCLAVES, HURTS PALESTINIANS - UN

ISRAELI INFRASTRUCTURE DIVIDES WEST BANK INTO ENCLAVES, HURTS PALESTINIANS – UN
New York, Aug 31 2007 6:00PM
Almost 40 per cent of the West Bank is now taken up by Israeli infrastructure, which limits Palestinians' ability to move freely and fragments their communities from each other, according to a new <"http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/TheHumanitarianImpactOfIsraeliInfrastructureTheWestBank_full.pdf">report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<" http://www.ochaopt.org">OCHA) on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The analysis, covering the month of July, finds that more than 38 per cent of the West Bank consists of Israeli settlements, outposts, military bases, closed military areas, Israeli-declared nature reserves and related infrastructure that is either closed to Palestinians or tightly restricted.

The settlements on the West Bank are linked to each other and to Israel by an extensive road network, which Palestinians are largely banned from using or have limited access to.

The West Bank is now dissected into dozens of enclaves by the settlements and the related infrastructure, separating Palestinians from each other and negatively affecting the social and economic life of most Palestinians.

OCHA, which said the findings are based on detailed fieldwork and spatial analysis derived from satellite imagery, warned that the socio-economic conditions inside the West Bank are likely to worsen if current trends continue.

"Freedom of movement for Palestinians is crucial to improving humanitarian conditions and reviving socio-economic life," the introduction to the analysis stated, adding that Palestinians have to compete with the settlers for often scarce resources such as land and water.

It also noted that the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank keeps growing steadily – by about 5.5 per cent each year – despite the transfer of Israeli civilians into the occupied Palestinian territory being illegal under international law. This rate of increase is three times greater than that of Israel itself.

As of this year, some 450,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and 2.4 million Palestinians. If current trends continue, the number of settlers will double in 12 years, while the number of Palestinians, increasing at an annual rate of 2.5 per cent, will double within less than 30 years.

"The problem is obvious: the West Bank's resources are finite," the analysis concluded. "As both settler and Palestinian populations expand, it is inevitable that the pressure on natural resources – namely land and water – will increase. It is equally inevitable, based on trends of the last 40 years, that the growth of settlements, roads and other infrastructure will come at the expense of Palestinian development and freedom of movement around the West Bank."
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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MYSTERY DEADLY ILLNESS IN CENTRAL DR CONGO PROMPTS UN TO SEND IN HEALTH EXPERTS

MYSTERY DEADLY ILLNESS IN CENTRAL DR CONGO PROMPTS UN TO SEND IN HEALTH EXPERTS
New York, Aug 31 2007 6:00PM
United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) experts have arrived in the centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where there has been an outbreak of an unknown but highly deadly illness that is proving to be particularly harmful for young children.

<"http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_08_31a/en/index.html">WHO said in a statement today that the exact number of cases and deaths is unknown, but the illness – which so far has no known cause – has a high mortality rate. Most sufferers experience fever, headaches, diarrhoea, vomiting and colicky abdominal pain, and more than 50 per cent of cases involve children under the age of 10.

A joint investigation team from WHO, the DRC's provincial and national health ministries and the National Institute of Biological Research (known by its French acronym INRB) has reached the source of the outbreak, in Kasai Occidental province, and taken clinical samples for laboratory testing.

WHO said it was also mobilizing support to mount an epidemiological investigation and to provide logistics, such as water, sanitation and other supplies, should they be required in any emergency response.

National health authorities in the DRC have already begun implementing measures to improve hygiene, strengthen infection controls, ensure the safety of the water supply and promote safe burial practices to try to limit the outbreak.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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PAKISTANI FLOOD VICTIMS NOT OUT OF DANGER, WARNS UN AS IT CALLS FOR MORE DONATIONS

PAKISTANI FLOOD VICTIMS NOT OUT OF DANGER, WARNS UN AS IT CALLS FOR MORE DONATIONS
New York, Aug 31 2007 5:00PM
An estimated 250,000 Pakistanis still face a critical humanitarian situation, more than two months after a cyclone and torrential rains brought floods to the South Asian country, United Nations aid agencies warned today as they urged donors to contribute more to their emergency appeal.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) spokesperson Elizabeth Byrs <"http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/186DFA3D1B38EFEDC12573480041DFB8?OpenDocument">told reporters in Geneva that donors have provided only 20 per cent of the $38 million which UN aid agencies requested on 18 July in their flash appeal for Pakistan.

"A lot of aid has been distributed to the affected people, but it is not enough," Ms. Byrs said, referring to the 2.5 million people in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces of southern Pakistan who were estimated to need assistance in the wake of the floods.

She said about 250,000 people face a critical situation because floodwaters have not yet receded in many areas and extensive tracts of farmland remain under water. Many displaced people are living in makeshift roadside settlements and public buildings such as schools.

The crisis began when Cyclone Yemyin struck Pakistan in late June, causing at least 300 deaths and hundreds of injuries and disrupting commercial activity in many areas, including the major city of Karachi, for days.

Pakistan is not the only South Asian nation to have suffered from the effects of floods this year, with Nepal also hard hit. The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en">WHO) reported in its latest bulletin that floods and landslides have killed more than 146 people, displaced over 22,000 families and affected some 467,000 people in 47 districts. WHO is one of several UN aid agencies providing relief to the Nepalese.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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COUNTRIES AGREE ON NEED OF GLOBAL RESPONSE AT UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

COUNTRIES AGREE ON NEED OF GLOBAL RESPONSE AT UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE
New York, Aug 31 2007 5:00PM
A United Nations climate change conference, preparing the way for a major December summit in Bali, wrapped up in Vienna today, with countries reaching agreement that a global approach is crucial in tackling the issue.

"Countries have been able to reassess the big picture of what is needed by identifying the key building blocks for an effective response to climate change," said Yvo de Boer, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<" http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/20070831_vienna_closing_press_release.pdf">UNFCCC) said at the five-day conference. "There is a consensus that the response needs to be global, with the involvement of all countries and that it needs to give equal importance to adaptation and mitigation."

The upcoming Bali summit, scheduled to take place from 3 to 14 December in Bali, Indonesia, seeks to determine future action on mitigation, adaptation, the global carbon market and financing responses to climate change for the period after the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol – the current global framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions – in 2012.

"This is the first step that has laid the groundwork for the Bali Conference," Mr. de Boer noted. "It shows that Parties have the necessary level of ambition to move this work forward."

The "Vienna Climate Change Talks 2007" were attended by nearly 1,000 representatives from over 150 governments, business and industry, environmental organizations, journalists and research institutions.

Country delegates also discussed a recent UNFCCC report which underscores the major changes to patterns of investment and financial flows required to tackle climate change in the next quarter century.

"The report clearly shows that energy efficiency can achieve real emission reductions at low cost," the Executive Secretary said. "It also shows that many cost-effective opportunities for reducing emissions are in developing countries, but also that industrialized countries need aggressive emission reduction strategies."
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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DEATH PENALTY GIVEN IN JOURNALIST MURDER CASE ALARMS UN MISSION IN DR CONGO

DEATH PENALTY GIVEN IN JOURNALIST MURDER CASE ALARMS UN MISSION IN DR CONGO
New York, Aug 31 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today expressed serious <" http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=15295">concern at the death penalty verdict given to four men convicted of murdering a journalist working for a UN-sponsored radio station with the largest Francophone audience in sub-Saharan Africa.

Two men were sentenced as the assassins by a military tribunal and the other two were convicted of sponsoring and organizing the killing of Serge Maheshe, which took place on 13 June in Bukavu in the far east of the DRC, as Mr. Maheshe and two friends were about to enter a UN-marked vehicle. His friends were not injured in the attack.

In a statement to the press today in Kinshasa, the DRC capital, the mission (MONUC) said that while it respected judicial independence in the vast African country, it considered that the tribunal did not base its verdict on the results of the autopsy or on any ballistic expert testimony.

"In fact, the tribunal noted that the confessions of the two principal accused contained contradictions and that certain allegations made by them cannot be corroborated," the press statement said. "The tribunal itself underlined that doubts remained."

MONUC stressed the UN principle, enshrined in a 1984 resolution of the Economic and Social Council (<" http://www.un.org/ecosoc">ECOSOC), that a verdict of capital punishment must be based on "clear and convincing evidence that does not leave room for any other interpretation of the facts." The judicial proceeding must also offer all possible guarantees of a fair trial.

Noting that an appeal had been launched by the convicted men, the mission said all guarantees of a just and equitable trial must be respected and all the pieces of evidence considered, and it pledged to provide legal authorities in DR Congo with any technical or logistical help they required.

Mr. Maheshe had been a senior journalist with Radio Okapi, a partnership between MONUC and the Hirondelle Foundation, a Swiss non-governmental organization (NGO), since 2003. Aged 31 at the time of his death, he left behind a wife and two children.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON NAMES AUSTRALIAN AS SENIOR UN COUNTER-TERRORISM OFFICIAL

BAN KI-MOON NAMES AUSTRALIAN AS SENIOR UN COUNTER-TERRORISM OFFICIAL
New York, Aug 31 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Security Council that he intends to appoint Australian Mike Smith as the new head of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee's Executive Directorate.

Mr. Smith would replace Javier Ruperez of Spain, who stepped down as Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate in June.

The position was established by the Security Council in a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1535(2004)">resolution in 2004 to bolster the 15-member body's ability to monitor the implementation of a landmark <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1373(2001)">resolution adopted in the wake of the September 2001 attacks on the United States, which calls on countries to adopt a number of measures to enhance their ability to counter terrorist activities nationally, regionally and globally.

The Council also intended the Executive Director post – which is at the Assistant Secretary-General level – to improve Member States' counter-terrorism capacities by facilitating the provision of technical assistance as well as promoting cooperation and coordination with international, regional and sub-regional organizations.

Currently, Mr. Smith serves as Australia's Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism, and he previously held senior diplomatic postings in such countries as Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and the United States.

From 2002 to 2006, he was his country's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, and from 1998 to 2002, he served as Chief of Staff to Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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KOSOVARS WILL GO TO POLLS IN NOVEMBER, UN ENVOY SAYS

KOSOVARS WILL GO TO POLLS IN NOVEMBER, UN ENVOY SAYS
New York, Aug 31 2007 4:00PM
The senior United Nations envoy to Kosovo <" http://www.unmikonline.org/dpi/pressrelease.nsf/0/2494F176CFDFB541C1257348005BAD33/$FILE/pr1692.pdf">announced today that municipal, assembly and mayoral elections will be held on 17 November in the Serbian province administered by the United Nations since 1999.

However, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative in Kosovo Joachim Rücker stressed that the future status of Kosovo takes precedence.

"It is crucial that democracy runs its course, notwithstanding the paramount importance of concluding the status problem," he said, following his meeting with the Team of Unity, a group of representatives of Kosovo Albanian institutions and all major political parties.

"I wish to make it clear that the Team of Unity and I are in complete agreement that the status process has absolutely priority," he said. "I reserve the right to postpone the elections date should there be a conflict – in particular, should the holding of the elections be used as an excuse to delay status."

The <" http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/index.html">Security Council has been deadlocked over a proposal by Mr. Ban's Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari for a phased process of independence for the province. Earlier this month, the Secretary-General <" http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2692">welcomed an agreement to have a troika comprising the European Union, Russian Federation and United States lead further negotiations on Kosovo's future status.

Kosovars will cast ballots in November for Assembly Members and Municipal Assembly Members and, for the first time, will also directly elect a mayor for each of the 30 municipalities of Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and others by nine to one.

The electoral system has been changed, with the upcoming polls introducing an open list for seats, according to an <"http://www.unmikonline.org/index.html">UNMIK press release issued in Pristina. Voters will elect both a political entity and up to 10 individuals within the same entity's candidate list.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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MEMBER STATES AND UN TO ENHANCE POLICE PEACEKEEPING TRAINING FOR DARFUR

MEMBER STATES AND UN TO ENHANCE POLICE PEACEKEEPING TRAINING FOR DARFUR
New York, Aug 31 2007 3:00PM
Top United Nations and Member States' police and human security officials today pledged to enhance training for UN Police (UNPOL) officers preparing to serve as peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region in what will be the largest single UN Police contingent ever with more than 6,400 officers.

This outcome came at the end of two days of meetings by the International Policing Advisory Council (IPAC) in the Australian capital Canberra. It followed a call yesterday by new UN Police Adviser Andrew Hughes for the global policing community to cooperate ever more closely with the world body.

The new hybrid UN-African Union (AU) peacekeeping force in <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=88&Body=Sudan&Body1=">Darfur, to be known as UNAMID, will be made up of over 30,000 personnel, including more than 19,500 military. Among its final outcomes, IPAC also recognized military and police relations as critical to the success of international policing in peacekeeping operations.

As well as facing the challenges of policing in Darfur, IPAC further recommended that the UN and Member States need to work together to enhance pre-deployment training for police officers serving in other global peacekeeping missions. The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations' (DPKO) <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/police/division.shtml">Police Division also pledged to develop more manuals and handbooks for police on the ground.

In addition, IPAC agreed on the need for the Police Division to look into ways of cooperating more closely with regional organizations such as the AU, European Union, the Pacific Island Chiefs of Police and ASEANAPOL, which groups the Chiefs of Police from the Association of South-East Asian Nations region.

The 24 academics, senior level police and UN representatives who met also identified a number of new challenges facing the world body, in particular the need for enhanced efforts to fight corruption in post-conflict environments.

The meeting was run in cooperation with the Australian Federal Police and, along with Mr. Hughes, was also chaired by his predecessor as UNPOL chief, Mark Kroeker. Key participants included high-level academics and police chiefs from Australia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Interpol.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR: UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF PROTESTERS

MYANMAR: UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF PROTESTERS
New York, Aug 31 2007 3:00PM
Deploring the arrests of more than 100 peaceful protesters following demonstrations in Myanmar over the recent surge in fuel prices, a United Nations independent human rights expert today appealed for the immediate release of the detainees.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/748D3479B48B5BD8C12573480054C339?opendocument">said in a statement that he "believes that the future of the political transition process in the country must be directed by the people and the Government of Myanmar."

Mr. Pinheiro expressed his "serious concern" about yesterday's start of a hunger strike by a group of detainees at the Kyaikkasan Detention Centre after authorities denied medical treatment to a detainee who was severely beaten at the protest. He also noted that he has heard allegations of the detainees also being beaten and tortured.

The Rapporteur deplored what he described as the severe treatment of citizens peacefully expressing their views, and called on the South-East Asian nation's authorities to participate in a dialogue and in consultations with demonstrators regarding their concerns.

He recalled the statement of 26 August by Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/97F59E2DFC0F51D0C12573440020C571?opendocument">stressed that freedoms of expression and association are "touchstones of human rights" and said that allowing greater space for citizens to express their views and discontent will be essential in fostering the way towards a democratic transition and reconciliation in Myanmar.

Last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2711">called on authorities to utilize restraint in responding to any demonstrations and urged all parties to avoid any provocative action.

He also appealed for "constructive dialogue towards national reconciliation at this important time in Myanmar's history."
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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HELPING PERUVIAN CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER DEADLY QUAKE IS TOP PRIORITY - UN

HELPING PERUVIAN CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER DEADLY QUAKE IS TOP PRIORITY – UN
New York, Aug 31 2007 3:00PM
United Nations agencies are working with the Peruvian Government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help more than 220,000 children in southern Peru return to school after this month's devastating earthquake.

"Getting back to school is one of the most effective ways for children to resume a sense of normalcy in their lives after a traumatic event," the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EDIS-76KPVR?OpenDocument">said in a report from Pisco, the town worst hit by the quake which killed over 500 people, injured more than 1,000 others and destroyed at least 37,000 houses and four hospitals.

<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40766.html">UNICEF is joining forces with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO), the Ministry of Education, NGOs specializing in education, and local and regional government officials to help the children get back to school as quickly as possible.

According to the Ministry, children in nearly 1,000 affected schools will most likely continue their studies in prefabricated classrooms erected near the damaged buildings. More than 300 temporary classrooms are being installed in Pisco as well as in three urban areas hit hardest by the earthquake.

The task of reopening schools will be a major challenge on many fronts. Engineers and civil defence officials must inspect all schools in the quake-affected areas to ensure that they are safe. According to reports, hundreds more prefabricated classrooms will be required.

Children and parents will require psychological counselling after living through this traumatic period. Many are still hungry and homeless and are afraid to be separated from their families. Students who have lost all of their belongings will also need UNICEF-supplied back-to-school kits to begin studying again.

Some 1,500 teachers fled the region after the disaster. Prior to classes starting, the returning teachers will receive psychological counselling to help them cope with the tragedy as well.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO POLICE OFFICERS MAKE THEIR DEBUT ON UN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS

DR CONGO POLICE OFFICERS MAKE THEIR DEBUT ON UN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS
New York, Aug 31 2007 2:00PM
Twelve officers from the Congolese national police force (PNC) are starting year-long tours of duty with the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Haiti and Côte d'Ivoire, the first time that police officers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will <" http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=15292">serve under the flag of the world body.

Two of the 12 have already begun work with <" http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/minustah">MINUSTAH, the UN mission in Haiti, while eight men and two women – who participated in a handover ceremony in the DRC yesterday – are expected to head early next month for <" http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unoci">UNOCI, the UN operation in Côte d'Ivoire.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative to the DRC, William Lacy Swing, hailed the PNC for the initiative and voiced pride at taking part in yesterday's "historic event."

Mr. Swing said "it is a strong signal to the world that Congo is in the process of regaining its proper place of leadership for the African continent, and in international affairs."

One of the officers departing for UNOCI, Col. Henrietta Kitoko, said it was a great joy to see her country "joining other countries in assisting the countries that have a need, that have problems and conflicts, like it was in my country. I'm very proud to represent my country as a police officer."
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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MAURITANIA: UN REFUGEE AGENCY APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO AID REFUGEE RETURN

MAURITANIA: UN REFUGEE AGENCY APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO AID REFUGEE RETURN
New York, Aug 31 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today launched a $7 million appeal to help 24,000 refugees voluntarily return to Mauritania from Senegal and Mali.

This return "will help resolve one of the most protracted refugee situations in the world," the agency's spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d7f3042.html">told reporters in Geneva.

The newly-elected Government in the West African nation, which has prioritized the return and reintegration of refugees, announced that it would invite refugees to return home on World Refugee Day, on 20 June this year.

A long-standing border dispute between Mauritania and Senegal escalated into ethnic violence in April 1989, with 60,000 Mauritanians fleeing to Mali and Senegal.

The programme, under which UNHCR will organize safe transport and provide initial reintegration assistance to refugees, which is expected to last 17 months, will kick off in October, but faces some major logistical challenges, such as the lack of adequate roads in Mauritania along repatriation routes.

Most refugees returning from Senegal, a majority of whom live in rural areas where they have been granted access to land and public services, will travel across the 600-kilometer Senegal River to Mauritania. They will then require transportation on off-road vehicles to return to their places of origin which are far from the main roads. To minimize travel difficulties, the operation has been carefully timed to avoid the rainy season.

"Due to limited absorption capacity and poor infrastructure in return areas we plan to repatriate up to 7,000 refugees before the end of this year," Ms. Pagonis said, adding that other refugees will return next year.

The initiative also seeks to bolster the welfare of impoverished communities which will absorb the refugees. "We plan to strengthen the existing education and health services and help to increase income from agriculture and animal husbandry," she noted.

According to early results of a UNHCR survey conducted in concert with Senegal, 24,000 Mauritanians residing in more than 250 different locations in Senegal have expressed their desire to return to 50 communities in four regions of Mauritania. Additionally, several hundred refugees in Mali have also said they wish to repatriate.

The agency provided assistance to refugees in northern Senegal until 1995 and helped 35,000 returnees who repatriated voluntarily reintegrate.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY FEARS RESUMPTION OF DEADLY EXODUS FROM AFRICA ACROSS GULF OF ADEN

UN AGENCY FEARS RESUMPTION OF DEADLY EXODUS FROM AFRICA ACROSS GULF OF ADEN
New York, Aug 31 2007 1:00PM
Thousands of Ethiopians and Somalis have already gathered in a northern Somalia port preparing to brave the perilous trip across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen when good weather returns, prompting fears among United Nations refugee officials that the new people-smuggling season will be as bad as the last, when nearly 400 died.

The bad weather that kept smugglers' boats ashore in July and August is coming to an end and the people traffic is expected to begin in earnest in the next few days. Some 3,000 Ethiopians have poured into the dusty port of Bossaso, joining Somalis already there preparing for the exodus.

"With insecurity on the rise in Mogadishu [the Somali capital] and tensions increasing in the Ethiopian Ogaden [region in neighbouring Somalia], many more people might arrive in Bossaso," <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d816664.html">UNHCR Somalia representative Guillermo Bettocchi said during a recent visit to the port.

"Some humanitarian workers even report having seen a few Kenyans, Eritreans, Ugandans and Tanzanians in Bossaso, which means the town might become a hub for East Africans wishing to cross towards the Gulf countries," he warned, calling the mixed migration of Ethiopians and Somalis a "deep human tragedy."

Those who risk the journey face the hazards of rough seas, brutal smugglers who sometimes murder the migrants and throw their bodies overboard or steal their meagre belongings, and the possible capsizing of their flimsy vessels in attempts to flee Yemeni coastguard patrols.

In February at least 107 bodies were found along a remote stretch of the Yemen coastline after a people-smuggling boat capsized in one of the deadliest single incidents of the exodus route that brought over some 30,000 people since January 2006.

A month later, at least 28 people died from asphyxiation, beating or drowning and many were badly injured by the smugglers who boat threw dozens of Somalis into the water while forcing hundreds of others to disembark, many with their hands bound by ropes, closer to the shore.

Mr. Bettochi was in Bossaso to help launch a multi-agency action plan aimed at saving lives, providing basic services to vulnerable migrants and identifying those who have protection needs, including asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors and victims of human trafficking.

An advocacy campaign is also being launched here to warn people about the risks of crossing the Gulf of Aden and to stress that migrants have rights and should not be deported or returned to other areas of Somalia indiscriminately. It will also explain asylum procedures and who is eligible to pursue them.

"I reckon that about 10 per cent of the Ethiopians in Bossaso fled their country for refugee-related reasons," Mr. Bettocchi said. "The advocacy campaign will make sure they know that they don't need to cross the sea because they can claim asylum in Somalia and receive assistance from UNHCR in Puntland [northern Somalia] once they have been recognized as refugees."

Somalis account for half of the migrant flow and most have fled conflict in southern and central parts of the country, including Mogadishu. There are nearly 90,000 registered refugees in Yemen, almost all of them
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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TWO SWEDES MOTORBIKE ROUND WORLD TO HIGHLIGHT UN WORK FOR REFUGEES, CHILDREN

TWO SWEDES MOTORBIKE ROUND WORLD TO HIGHLIGHT UN WORK FOR REFUGEES, CHILDREN
New York, Aug 31 2007 1:00PM
Two Swedes, one a student and the other a stockbroker, set off from Stockholm this week on a round-the-world motorbike trip during which they plan to raise awareness about United Nations work on behalf of refugees and children.

Highlighting the mission of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d700c74.html">UNHCR) and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF), student Marcus Berneström, 29, and stockbroker Gustav Röken, 25, plan to ride up neighbouring Norway to northern Scandinavia before heading down through Eastern Europe, across the Middle East and Asia to Japan, where they will fly to Alaska.

They will then ride down the west coast of the Americas to the southernmost city of Ushuaia and then up to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The final leg will take them up through Africa from Cape Town and back across Europe to Sweden – overall covering about 80 countries, where they will visit UNHCR and UNICEF projects.

"Please help us support their work," the two say of the two agencies on their special <"http://www.dustytravellers.com">website.

"We chose these two organizations because they work with two very vulnerable groups of people," Mr. Röken said at the start of their odyssey on Wednesday.

"We thank them for their interest in the situation of refugees worldwide and in particular for their planned efforts to draw attention to the plight of refugees," UNHCR regional representative Hans ten Feld said.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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COLOMBIANS WHO FLED TO ECUADOR START RETURNING HOME, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS

COLOMBIANS WHO FLED TO ECUADOR START RETURNING HOME, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS
New York, Aug 31 2007 12:00PM
Nearly 1,600 Colombians who fled to Ecuador over the past week after an outbreak of violence have started returning home although the situation remains tense throughout the area, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

So far, only 27 asylum requests have been received by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d7f5c32.html">UNHCR) and the Ecuadorian Government's Office for Refugees.

"The rest of the group opted to return to Colombia," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told a news briefing in Geneva today. "The group's leaders negotiated their return with Colombian authorities, and UNHCR monitored the voluntariness of the process."

Meanwhile, the situation remains volatile throughout the southern Colombian department of Nariño, Ms. Pagonis said. More than 250 persons were displaced in the town of Samaniego late Wednesday due to clashes between irregular armed groups. "These groups are also using landmines, posing a high risk for civilians," she added.

More than 40 years of fighting throughout Colombia between the Government, leftist rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and criminal gangs have uprooted some 3 million people.

UNHCR coordinated the distribution of humanitarian aid to the latest group while they were in the Ecuadorian towns of San Lorenzo and Ibarra.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON ORDERS INQUIRY INTO HAZARDOUS MATERIAL FROM IRAQ FOUND IN UN BUILDING

BAN KI-MOON ORDERS INQUIRY INTO HAZARDOUS MATERIAL FROM IRAQ FOUND IN UN BUILDING
New York, Aug 31 2007 11:00AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has launched an immediate internal investigation backed by outside expertise to determine how potentially hazardous material removed by United Nations arms inspectors from Iraq in 1996 ended up in a UN office instead of a properly equipped laboratory and remained there undetected for the past 11 years.

Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and Mr. Ban's Chef de Cabinet Vijay Nambiar both cancelled their participation in a senior leadership meeting in Turin, Italy, to stay behind at UN Headquarters in New York and closely monitor the situation on Mr. Ban's behalf, a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2716">statement issued by his spokesperson said today.

Mr. Ban also asked Under Secretary-General for safety and security services David Veness and Under Secretary-General for Management Alicia Barcena in charge of the safety and security of staff and Secretariat premises to immediately return to headquarters.

The statement stressed that the materials posed no risk to the staff or the general population. "All necessary safety measures continue to be taken," it added of the two small plastic packages with metal and glass containers, ranging in size from small vials to tubes the length of a pen holding liquid substances. These have since been handed over to United States authorities.

According to an inventory one of them may contain phosgene suspended in oil – an old-generation chemical warfare agent used widely in World War I, which in both its gaseous and liquid forms can be life-threatening, causing the lungs to collapse and damaging the eyes, nose, throat and skin. The other contains nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) reference standards in sealed glass tubes, used to calibrate chemical analytical equipment.

The materials came to light a week ago when UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) staff discovered the packages while they were archiving their offices a few blocks from UN Headquarters as the Commission winds down after the Security Council terminated its mandate in June.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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UN USES TEXT MESSAGING TO ALERT IRAQI REFUGEES ON NEW FOOD AID

UN USES TEXT MESSAGING TO ALERT IRAQI REFUGEES ON NEW FOOD AID
New York, Aug 31 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations is using text messaging on mobile phones to alert more than 33,000 vulnerable Iraqi refugees in the Syrian capital, Damascus, of the launch of the first food distribution programme for them tomorrow.

"We have found text messages to mobile phones are one of the most effective ways of communicating with the refugees who often do not have a stable address but either they or someone close to them in their immediate community has a mobile phone," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d7f5762.html">UNHCR) spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told a news briefing in Geneva today.

The first ration will cover two months in anticipation of the needs of many families during the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan. Some 10,000 text messages have already been sent by UNHCR and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the two agencies together with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) will start the distribution tomorrow, mainly to women, children and the most vulnerable refugees.

More than 200 volunteers will hand out the food at the SARC warehouses in the old Damascus fairground and UNHCR trucks will also transport food packages to neighbourhoods where Iraqi refugees concentrate.

The packages consist of dry food items from WFP such as oil, rice and lentils as well as additional items provided by UNHCR such as sugar, cheese, canned meat, pasta, beans, cracked wheat, tea, jam, tomato paste and canned fish.

Rations will be distributed on a monthly basis and are expected to benefit 50,000 refugees by the end of the year. UNHCR is providing $2.2 million for the additional food items, covering four months of rations for 50,000 refugees. The agency plans to build facilities in the SARC warehouse compound and to purchase four trucks to help distribute food to Iraqi refugees outside Damascus.

Syria estimates that 1.4 million Iraqis have taken refuge there in the last three years, fleeing the ongoing violence following the United States-led invasion that ousted the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003.

Overall, some 2.2 million Iraqis have fled abroad and 2 million more are currently displaced within their country. An estimated 60,000 Iraqis are fleeing their homes monthly.

Assistant UN High Commissioner for Refugees for Protection Erika Feller leaves tomorrow on a week-long mission to Syria and Lebanon to assess the protection needs of Iraqis in both countries.
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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TALIBAN SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF FOR SEIZING CIVILIANS, SAYS UN ENVOY IN AFGHANISTAN

TALIBAN SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF FOR SEIZING CIVILIANS, SAYS UN ENVOY IN AFGHANISTAN
New York, Aug 31 2007 10:00AM
While welcoming last night's final release of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, the top United Nations envoy in the country said the Taliban rebels who took them captive and killed two of them should be ashamed of themselves for attacking civilians.

"This campaign of abductions and murders must stop," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Tom Koenigs said in a <"http://www.unama-afg.org/_latestnews/2007/English/07Aug31SRSG_statement_hostage_release.pdf">statement. "To those Taliban who were responsible for this crime I say shame on you. What gain can there be from bringing harm upon innocent civilians? What honour is there in kidnapping and mistreating women, and so many of them?"

Mr. Koenigs called for the immediate release of other people still being held, including Afghans and a German citizen.

"The Taliban, as one of the parties to the current conflict, must recognize its responsibility to protect civilians from harm," he said.

The 23 civilians from the Republic of Korea (ROK) were seized in southern Afghanistan more than a month ago. Two hostages were subsequently killed and two others were freed before all the rest were released in two batches this week.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2715">statement issued by his spokesperson last night, Mr. Ban commended the efforts of the Afghan authorities and of all those who assisted with the negotiations to obtain their release.

"Despite the tragic death of two of the hostages in July, he is happy that those released are now on their way to being safely reunited with their loved ones," the statement said.

"The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned for the safety and welfare of the other nationals who are being held against their will in Afghanistan," it added. "The Secretary-General deplores the ongoing abductions and senseless murders of innocent civilians in Afghanistan."
2007-08-31 00:00:00.000

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BANGLADESH: UN SEEKS CONFIRMATION ON CONVICTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT

BANGLADESH: UN SEEKS CONFIRMATION ON CONVICTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT
New York, Aug 30 2007 6:00PM
A United Nations expert on the independence of judges and lawyers today <" http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/5C8435ADBF62B292C12573470058151A?opendocument">voiced concern regarding the trial proceedings of Sigma Huda, a fellow Special Rapporteur who was sentenced to three years in prison by a Bangladeshi court.

Leandro Despouy said that the sentence was handed down by the Special Anti Corruption Court of Bangladesh for aiding and abetting extortion found to have been committed by the husband of Ms. Huda, the UN independent expert on trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

However, Mr. Despouy has "received information indicating that the right to legal representation and the independence of the court were severely affected during her trial."

He added that Ms. Huda's attorneys – who had no opportunity to confer with their client in prison – felt pressured, having only met with her at the end of hearings. The lawyers also had difficulties accessing case files and other important information, "thus compromising their ability to ensure an adequate defence," he said.

"The atmosphere during the trial was reportedly intimidating, with military and police presence both outside and inside the courtroom, and access of the public and the media to the courtroom was considerably restricted."

Mr. Despouy said that these alleged irregularities violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (<" http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm">ICCPR), which Bangladesh has ratified, and also called on the country's authorities to respect Ms. Huda's right to a fair and public trial during any appeals process.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today said that her Office is seeking clarification about the situation surrounding Ms. Huda's conviction and possible appeal.

OHCHR is requesting it receive confirmation directly from the South-East Asian nation's Government, the UN presence in the capital Dhaka and Ms. Huda's relatives.

The High Commissioner noted that in a <" http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2674">statement last month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, after requesting and receiving information from Bangladesh on the nature of the charges brought against Ms. Huda and their linkages to her functions as Special Rapporteur, concluded that she is not being tried on charges related to her work as a UN independent expert.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: UN AGENCIES ALARMED BY REPORTS THAT HIV SUFFERERS ARE BURIED ALIVE

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: UN AGENCIES ALARMED BY REPORTS THAT HIV SUFFERERS ARE BURIED ALIVE
New York, Aug 30 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations human rights chief and the world body's HIV/AIDS agency today issued a joint statement voicing alarm at reports that people living with HIV have been buried alive in the Southern Highlands region of Papua New Guinea.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/english/press/media.htm">OHCHR) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en">UNAIDS) backed the announcement that the Government of Papua New Guinea will investigate the reported crimes, and called on authorities to take "appropriate legal action" against any perpetrators.

"Worldwide, UNAIDS and OHCHR condemn acts of violence, stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and are fully committed to supporting governments to protect their people from such human rights violations," according to the statement, issued in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

The two agencies said they also welcomed the Government's efforts to widen access to HIV services in rural areas, such as around Tari in the province of Southern Highlands.

"Widespread ignorance about HIV in isolated rural communities increases the risk of HIV infection and can fuel acts of violence, stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV," the agencies added.

The latest update on the disease by UNAIDS and the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/hiv/en">WHO), released last December, described the AIDS epidemic as "serious and growing" in Papua New Guinea.

About 57,000 people over the age of 15 are estimated to be living with HIV, which gives the country an adult national prevalence rate of 1.8 per cent, and at least 2,000 new infections have been reported every year since 2002, by far the worst figures in all of Oceania.

The report said the data could worsen soon as Papua New Guinea has many risk factors, including high rates of concurrent sexual partnerships, sexually transmitted infections, 'transactional sex' and acts of sexual and physical violence against women, comparatively early sexual initiation and low rates of condom use.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE RECEIVE UN FOOD RATIONS IN WAKE OF HURRICANE DEAN

MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE RECEIVE UN FOOD RATIONS IN WAKE OF HURRICANE DEAN
New York, Aug 30 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2618">WFP) is providing emergency daily rations to more than 10,000 people in Jamaica and Belize as they try to rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricane Dean's deadly and destructive sweep through the region earlier this month.

For the next two weeks, some 5,500 Jamaicans will receive a 450-kilocalorie ration each day of high-energy biscuits, while another 5,000 people in Belize will receive a daily ration for the next two months consisting of pulses, vegetable oil and the biscuits.

WFP said it is paying for the rations, which are expected to cost about $256,000, from its Immediate Response Account, a special revolving fund it can draw on in the immediate aftermath of emergencies when contributions from donors have not yet arrived.

Carlo Scaramella, who is managing WFP's response to the hurricane in Belize, said the rations represent "a key first step" for people whose livelihoods have been destroyed or drastically reduced by the hurricane damage.

"While Hurricane Dean may have vanished from the front pages of the newspapers, the reality of its destructive power remains for thousands of very poor people who must begin to put their lives back together," Mr. Scaramella said.

Media reports estimate that at least 40 people were killed across the Caribbean and Central America as Hurricane Dean crossed the region earlier this month, leaving a trail of damage to key infrastructure.

WFP said in a press release issued today from Panama City that it was able to respond quickly to the disaster because of preparations it took before the storm ensure that supplies could flow swiftly from its storage centres in El Salvador and Barbados to those affected.

The Programme's Deputy Regional Director Gordana Jerger said the speed of the response will prove even more critical in the years ahead, "given that the region faces a future of weather-related disasters whose intensity and number may well increase."
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG CHIEF CIRCULATES LATEST REPORT ON IRAN

UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG CHIEF CIRCULATES LATEST REPORT ON IRAN
New York, Aug 30 2007 5:00PM
The head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (<" http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/IaeaIran/index.shtml">IAEA) has circulated his latest report on the nuclear programme of Iran to the agency's Board of Governors.

The report covers the developments since the last report of IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei, which was issued in May, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

The 35-member Board will now consider the report at its next meeting, scheduled to begin at IAEA headquarters in Vienna on 10 September.

In his last report, Mr. ElBaradei voiced concern over the situation with Iran, which he said needed to do more to dispel the fears of the international community regarding the country's nuclear programme.
Last December, the Security Council adopted a <" http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1737(2006)">resolution banning 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. It tightened the measures in March, banning arms sales and expanding the freeze on assets.
Earlier this week, however, the IAEA published on its website, at the request of Iran, the text of a joint work plan which states that Iran has addressed the agency's questions about its past plutonium programme and both parties now consider that matter resolved.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN ENVOY CONGRATULATES SOMALIS ON CONCLUSION OF RECONCILIATION DEBATE

TOP UN ENVOY CONGRATULATES SOMALIS ON CONCLUSION OF RECONCILIATION DEBATE
New York, Aug 30 2007 4:00PM
The top United Nations <"http://www.un-somalia.org/UN_Special_Representative/index.asp
">envoy to Somalia today lauded the success of the national reconciliation summit, which ended today, but cautioned that much work remains to foster better internal relations in the war-ravaged country.

"For me, today's ceremony is of particular significance," the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Somalia François Lonsény Fall told participants at the National Reconciliation Congress in the capital Mogadishu. "It heralds the successful conclusion of a Somali-driven and owned reconciliation process within the country."

He warned that while the end of the Congress "marks yet another milestone in the quest for peace and reconciliation process in Somalia, it does not however signify the end of the reconciliation process" as the East African nation must overcome many hurdles, including engaging all opposition groups in a dialogue.

"Dealing with these challenges will require political will, commitment and perseverance by all parties concerned, as well as concerted international assistance and support by Somalia's friends and development partners," he said.

The envoy, who led a delegation of the International Advisory Committee (IAC), recommended that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) receive support to extend its authority and bolster respect for human rights throughout Somalia, which has had no functioning government since Muhammad Siad Barre's regime was toppled in 1991.

He called for the strengthening of AMISOM, the African Union-led mission in Somalia, which he said is a "prerequisite for improving stability and for providing the space for the political process, including the dialogue between the TFG and the opposition groups, to move forward."

Regarding terrorism, Mr. Fall said it is crucial to decouple the issue from that of settling the Somali political crisis to allow the reconciliation process to move forward. "The best way to fight terrorism in this country is to pursue open dialogue and genuine reconciliation among all parties in Somalia," he said.

The reconciliation congress kicked off on 14 July but was followed by a series of deadly attacks targeting locations where the conference, which was suspended for several days, took place. The attacks have wounded and killed innocent bystanders, including children, and prompted scores of others to flee.

Hostilities in the country flared up last year, culminating in the expulsion from Mogadishu in December of Islamist groups by the TFG, backed by Ethiopian troops. According to UN figures, 340,000 people, or roughly one-third of Mogadishu's population, have fled the city because of ongoing hostilities since February.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON 'ENCOURAGED' BY RECENT PROGRESS IN MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT

BAN KI-MOON 'ENCOURAGED' BY RECENT PROGRESS IN MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT
New York, Aug 30 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he was encouraged by recent international efforts to return Palestinians and Israelis to the path of negotiations, but warned the leaders of both sides still face internal obstacles that may prevent any serious momentum towards peace.

In a message to the opening of the two-day <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/gapal1059.doc.htm">UN International Conference of Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace taking place in Brussels, Mr. Ban said several recent initiatives "all have the potential to result in a significant breakthrough" in the long-running conflict.

He cited the Arab Peace Initiative, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's recent appointment of the Representatives of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet and United States President George W. Bush's decision to convene a major meeting on the issue in November.

"Amidst this activity, I particularly welcome the decision by [Israeli] Prime Minister [Ehud] Olmert and [Palestinian] President [Mahmoud] Abbas to meet regularly to discuss a range of issues," Mr. Ban said in his <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2714">message, which was delivered by Angela Kane, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

"I hope that the internal challenges each faces will not deter them from moving forward with discussions on the political horizon."

Mr. Ban stressed that a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains "one of the foremost priorities of the United Nations. The continued occupation of the Palestinian territory prolongs hardship and injustice for millions of Palestinians, yet it has also failed to ensure the security of Israeli civilians."

Both sides need to demonstrate renewed commitment to a two-State solution, he said, calling on Israel to stop settlement activity and construction of the barrier and to ease restrictions of Palestinian movements, and urging Palestinians to make every effort to end the violence of militants and to make more progress on building robust institutions.

The Secretary-General said the UN's efforts to bring peace "would prove close to impossible without the active participation and support of innumerable civil society groups and individuals in Israel, in the occupied Palestinian territory, and around the world" who provide humanitarian relief and help to build bridges between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

But he also warned that any political progress "cannot obscure the dire humanitarian situation on the ground," with the conditions in the Gaza Strip particularly acute because of the closure of border crossings.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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UN WEAPONS INSPECTORS IN IRAQ SAY DISCOVERED VIALS POSE NO IMMEDIATE THREAT

UN WEAPONS INSPECTORS IN IRAQ SAY DISCOVERED VIALS POSE NO IMMEDIATE THREAT
New York, Aug 30 2007 3:00PM
United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq archiving their headquarters in New York have discovered vials that may contain a potentially deadly chemical removed from an Iraqi facility 11 years ago, but they said today that the containers are properly secured and pose no immediate threat to the public.

The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (<"http://www.unmovic.org">UNMOVIC) said the relevant packages were being handed over to United States authorities for removal and destruction, and a spokesperson for the UN said an investigation would soon begin into how the hazardous materials came to be in the Commission's headquarters.

Last Friday, UNMOVIC staff discovered two small plastic packages with metal and glass containers – ranging in size from small vials to tubes the length of a pen – holding unknown liquid substances, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

The find was made during the process of archiving UNMOVIC's offices in New York, near the UN Headquarters building, as the Commission winds down after the Security Council terminated its mandate in June.

Ms. Okabe said an initial probe revealed that the packages were recovered in 1996 from Al Muthanna, a former Iraqi chemical weapons facility, by inspectors with the UN Special Commission (<" http://www.un.org/Depts/unscom">UNSCOM), the predecessor of UNMOVIC.

Yesterday, however, the relevant inspection report was found, and it contained an inventory of items recovered that shows one of the items may contain phosgene suspended in oil – an old-generation chemical warfare agent.

Phosgene is a chemical weapon that was used widely in World War I, and in both its gaseous and liquid forms can be potentially life-threatening, causing the lungs to collapse and damaging the eyes, nose, throat and skin. It is also an industrial chemical that can be used in the production of plastics.

The inventory also indicated that the other package contains nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) reference standards in sealed glass tubes. These standards are used to calibrate chemical analytical equipment.

Such items would normally be transported directly to laboratories for analysis and not to UNMOVIC or UNSCOM headquarters, and the Commission said it is unaware of how the materials came to be in New York.

UNMOVIC chemical weapons experts sealed the packages and placed them in a safe that was then isolated in a secured room at the headquarters. They also tested the environment surrounding the packages and found no concentration of toxic vapours in the air.

The Commission has stated that it believes the packages are properly secured and the materials pose no immediate risk or danger to the public, while a subsequent sweep of the entire office revealed no further potentially dangerous materials.

UNMOVIC was established by the Security Council in December 1999 to replace UNSCOM and continue the work – begun in 1991 in the aftermath of the war that followed the invasion of Kuwait – of verifying Iraq's compliance with its obligations to be rid of weapons of mass destruction, whether chemical, biological or long-range missiles. It was also tasked with ensuring that Iraq did not reacquire these weapons.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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NEPAL: UN ENVOY APPEALS FOR END TO VIOLENCE AHEAD OF NOVEMBER POLLS

NEPAL: UN ENVOY APPEALS FOR END TO VIOLENCE AHEAD OF NOVEMBER POLLS
New York, Aug 30 2007 3:00PM
The top United Nations envoy to Nepal today called for a halt to violence and threats of communal attacks to ensure a "good climate" for the Constituent Assembly elections scheduled for later this year in the Himalayan nation.

"It is very clear that in some districts at the moment the security climate is not conducive for a Constituent Assembly election unless action is taken soon," the Secretary-General's Special Representative Ian Martin said at a press briefing in Biratnagar, the eastern regional headquarters of the UN Mission in Nepal (<"http://www.un.org.np/unmin.php">UNMIN).

Mr. Martin, who is the head of UNMIN and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Nepal, was on a tour of the region to assess the situation ahead of the polls, which were to have been held in mid-June but were postponed to 22 November due to technical problems and then the onset of the monsoon season. During the course of the visit, he was briefed on preparations for the elections, including security arrangements.

He said it is a "crucial time in the history of Nepal," where a decade-long armed conflict that killed some 13,000 people came to a formal end when the Government and the Maoists signed a peace accord late last year.

To create a conducive climate for the elections, Mr. Martin stressed the need for a successful outcome to dialogue with marginalized groups, stating that "it is not going to be possible in the future for groups that have been marginalized in the past to continue to be marginalized."

"Whether they be Madhesis, or women, or Janajatis, Tharus, Dalits, Limbu – marginalisation will change through the restructuring of the State," he stated, adding "but that requires a Constituent Assembly election in a good climate."

Creating a conducive atmosphere for the elections will also require the beginning of election activity at the local level by political parties; dialogue among civil society and political parties to create a context of public security; and then appropriate action by the security forces, Mr. Martin said.

Asked if insecurity would lead to the holding of the election in two stages, Mr. Martin said it was the intention of the Election Commission to hold the election simultaneously in all districts. "I think it would be very undesirable that the election be held in two stages unless that became absolutely essential."
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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UN GROUP SOUNDS ALARM ON RISING NUMBER OF DISAPPEARANCES ON INTERNATIONAL DAY

UN GROUP SOUNDS ALARM ON RISING NUMBER OF DISAPPEARANCES ON INTERNATIONAL DAY
New York, Aug 30 2007 2:00PM
Marking the International Day of the Disappeared, a United Nations working group voiced concern over the increasing number of enforced disappearances worldwide and reaffirmed its solidarity with victims and human rights defenders working on their behalf.

The Geneva-based <" http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disappear/index.htm">UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances noted in a <" http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/E3131D0B4E6346E6C12573460056D0C8?opendocument">statement that "in view of the continuous nature of this offense, victims of enforced disappearances whose fate or whereabouts remain unknown should not only be commemorated once a year. Rather, every day is a day of the disappeared."

Reminding States of their obligations under the Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance which was adopted in 1992, the Group called for effective investigations to be conducted for all disappearance cases.

The Group, comprising five independent experts, said it was particularly troubled by amnesty laws or other measures which result in impunity and are contrary to the Declaration.

"States should refrain from making or enacting amnesty laws that would exempt the perpetrators of enforced disappearance from criminal proceedings and sanctions," it said.

Underreporting of cases in some areas is also problematic, the Group pointed out, as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are not present, organized or have the resources needed to deal with disappearances.

The Group called on the international community to provide ongoing support for the creation of associations of families and NGOs tackling the issue.

Established in 1980, the Working Group is mandated to assist the relatives of disappeared persons by ascertaining their fate and whereabouts, as well as to act as a conduit between the families and Governments concerned.

In the statement, it reiterated its commitment to promptly take up allegations received from family members or NGOs regarding difficulties encountered in implementing the Declaration.

The Group also welcomed the adoption of the International Convention to Protect all Persons from Enforced Disappearances, calling it a "significant step forward." It urged all States to ratify the new instrument, which will help to prevent future disappearances.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF RUSHING EMERGENCY AID TO CHOLERA VICTIMS IN NORTHERN IRAQ

UNICEF RUSHING EMERGENCY AID TO CHOLERA VICTIMS IN NORTHERN IRAQ
New York, Aug 30 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (<" http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40758.html">UNICEF) is providing life-saving assistance to thousands of victims of a cholera outbreak in northern Iraq, as local authorities and their partners try to limit the spread of the infectious and often fatal water-borne disease.

Yesterday the World Health Organization (<" http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs107/en">WHO), which is leading the UN response to the outbreak, reported that Sulemaniyah governorate experienced close to 5,000 cases since 10 August, with 10 deaths reported and 51 confirmed cases in Kirkuk. Two hospitals in the stricken governorate also reported treating 2,000 diarrhoea cases.

To help area hospitals treat the overwhelming number of victims, UNICEF has delivered medical supplies including 15,000 sachets of oral rehydration salts, which are critical to prevent death from the dehydration caused by severe diarrhoea.

In addition, 4,000 safe water kits are being delivered today to families in Sulemaniyah, where significant numbers of displaced people are also at risk.

UNICEF's team is also helping to run a comprehensive monitoring and community awareness programme to better detect cases and help families stay away from contaminated water, the likely source of the outbreak.

The agency is appealing to families in the affected areas to ensure that children are kept away from areas contaminated with raw sewage, always wash their hands with soap and only drink water that has been purified or boiled.

Serious problems with water quality and sewage treatment are being blamed for the outbreak. Local reports indicate that only 30 per cent of the population in Sulemaniyah has an adequate water supply.

If the epidemic spreads, there will be an urgent need for additional support including delivery of additional oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets, short-term water tankering and hygiene promotion campaigns.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY HELPS NEW WAVE OF COLOMBIANS FLEEING TO ECUADOR

UN REFUGEE AGENCY HELPS NEW WAVE OF COLOMBIANS FLEEING TO ECUADOR
New York, Aug 30 2007 11:00AM
The United Nations refugee agency is working with its partners to help more than 1,500 Colombians who have fled an outbreak of violence in their home areas and sought safety in Ecuador over the past week – the latest influx in a years-long exodus that has sent some 250,000 Colombians fleeing to their southern neighbour.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has mobilized resources on both sides of the border to address the crisis, with a team visiting the Colombian coastal town of Tumaco over the weekend to try and learn more about the current flight.

They found a combination of factors pushing people to leave, including fear of violence erupting between the armed forces and irregular armed groups in a country which has seen some 3 million people uprooted by more than 40 years of fighting between the Government, leftist rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and criminal gangs.

People also indicated they feared that a state campaign to eradicate illegal coca crops could affect them adversely.

The latest refugees have turned up in the coastal Ecuadorean town of San Lorenzo, where they are being registered and housed in eight schools, a church and a municipal centre. About 40 per cent of the new arrivals are children. They have been given food and medicine as well as non-food items such as mattresses and blankets. To ease pressure on the shelters in San Lorenzo, 170 of them were moved on Monday to the inland city of Ibarra.

The municipal authorities of San Lorenzo are providing all the resources available to them. Civil Defence forces are also involved, while extra medics have arrived in the town and have been providing free medical attention to the Colombians, including 14 people who were injured in a road accident on their way to the town.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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UN HIGHLIGHTS GROWING ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL POLICING AS GLOBAL MEETING OPENS IN AUSTRALIA

UN HIGHLIGHTS GROWING ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL POLICING AS GLOBAL MEETING OPENS IN AUSTRALIA
New York, Aug 30 2007 11:00AM
Highlighting the unprecedented global demand for United Nations peacekeepers in general and police officers in particular, the new UN Police (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/police/index.shtml">UNPOL) chief today stressed the importance of Member States and international policing organizations co-operating ever more closely with the world body to face the challenges of Darfur and other missions worldwide.

Police Adviser Andrew Hughes, the first Australian UNPOL chief, made his remarks at the start of a two-day meeting of the International Policing Advisory Council (IPAC) in Canberra, the Australian capital. The Council is an ad hoc advisory group of policing and law enforcement experts brought together by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations' (DPKO) Police Division to help improve global policing.

"The demand for UN Police officers is growing worldwide. This is especially true with the mission authorized for Darfur, which will require the largest single UN Police contingent ever with more than 6,400 police officers out of a total of over 30,000 personnel. Developing the national police capacity there will be a massive task and the UN needs full co-operation from all Member States for the mission to be successful," said Mr. Hughes at the opening press conference.

"This IPAC meeting brings together the world's top policing experts and we're looking to tap into this wealth of global expertise over the next two days to assist in further developing international policing strategy. But this is not just an academic exercise because we want to hammer out what works in practice in the field and how we move on in terms of international cooperation to build on past successes."

The meeting is being run in co-operation with the Australian Federal Police and along with Mr. Hughes, it will also be chaired by his predecessor as UNPOL chief Mark Kroeker. Key IPAC participants will also include high-level academics and police chiefs from Australia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Interpol.

"IPAC comes at a critical time because of the urgent need in particular for UN Police officers in Darfur and the necessity to ensure that these officers have sufficient pre-deployment training to deal with the very difficult conditions they'll face. We need Member States and all police services behind us for this," said Mr. Kroeker.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said the challenges faced in dealing with increasingly complex conflicts in the 21st century made stronger international policing co-operation essential.

"Australia has always supported UN peacekeeping missions worldwide and policing is an essential and growing part of these operations. We welcome all IPAC participants to Canberra and believe that the contribution of the senior police, law enforcement and human security experts at the meeting will provide valuable insight and direction to the discussions," Commissioner Keelty said.
2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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MICRO-CREDIT HELPS HARD-PRESSED PALESTINIANS SURVIVE, UN OFFICIAL SAYS

MICRO-CREDIT HELPS HARD-PRESSED PALESTINIANS SURVIVE, UN OFFICIAL SAYS
New York, Aug 30 2007 11:00AM
With Palestinians going through "one of the most dramatic and difficult periods of their troubled history," micro-credit can play a vital role for survival and recovery in the occupied territory, a senior United Nations official said today.

"Palestinian small businesses and micro-enterprises face formidable challenges as they operate in a state of economic and financial siege that is limiting their capacity for normal development and growth, with markets severed from customary trading partners," said Filippo Grandi, Deputy Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA), which cares for millions of Palestinian refugees.

"Much has been said -- and rightly so -- about restrictions imposed upon the movement of people and goods in and around the West Bank and Gaza," he noted at a signing ceremony in Vienna for a $4.5 million contribution by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) to UNRWA, referring to Israel's closure of crossings.

"By continuing to support micro-enterprises in difficult political and economic times, UNRWA is making a commitment toward survival, recovery and transition," he added.

Mr. Grandi said the unique partnership between OFID and UNRWA through the PalFund had created a resource of hope that PalFund clients can draw on to secure their businesses, sustain their lives and invest in the education and health of their families.

OFID's earlier contribution of $2.5 million enabled UNRWA to finance over 2,600 loans to Palestinian micro-enterprises. As clients repaid these loans, UNRWA was able to finance a further 6,600 loans worth $7.5 million. Thus, over the past three years the PalFund financed over 9,200 micro-enterprise loans valued at just under $10 million, almost a quarter of which were to women micro-entrepreneurs.

The latest contribution will extend the PalFund to almost $7 million, making OFID the largest single sponsor o
activities -- activities that have financed a portfolio of 118,500 loans worth $126 million to Palestinian micro-enterprises over the past 15 years.

"In these difficult times, Palestinians -- and the Palestine refugees whom UNRWA continues to serve -- need above all concrete signs to rebuild hope and confidence. These signs are crucial for the much-threatened stability and prosperity of the Middle East," Mr. Grandi said.

The contribution will help "combat the dangerous symptoms of economic despair and loss of dignity, by providing crucial resources that Palestinian households and businesses can use to build a better future," he added.

2007-08-30 00:00:00.000

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