ANTARCTICA SHOWS NEED FOR ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, BAN KI-MOON SAYS

ANTARCTICA SHOWS NEED FOR ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, BAN KI-MOON SAYS
New York, Nov 11 2007 1:00AM
Ban Ki-moon, during his historic visit to Antarctica, the first by a United Nations Secretary-General, has said warming temperatures on the continent show the growing dangers of climate change and the need for action to address it.

"It is here where our work, together, comes into focus," Mr. Ban said in a statement issued on Friday. "We see Antarctica's beauty -- and the danger global warming represents, and the urgency that we do something about it."

The Secretary-General, who has made climate change a priority issue and is working to galvanize support for an international conference to be held in Bali in December on global commitments to stop it, said he is personally determined to push forward.

He said the landscapes on Antarctica are "rare and wonderful" but also deeply disturbing as the ice continues melting at a fast pace.

"All this may be gone, and not in the distant future, unless we act, together, now," he warned.

"Antarctica is on the verge of a catastrophe -- for the world."

The Secretary-General offered stark figures to illustrate his point, noting that the glaciers on King George Island have shrunk by 10 per cent, while some in Admirality Bay have retreated by 25 kilometers. He also recalled how the 87-kilometer "Larsen B ice sheet" collapsed several years ago and disappeared within weeks and warned that the entire Western Antarctic Ice Shelf is at risk.

"It is all floating ice, one fifth of the entire continent. If it broke up, sea levels could rise by 6 meters or 18 feet," he noted, pointing out that 138 tons of ice are now being lost every year.

Other "deeply worrying signs" he mentioned were the shrinking penguin population of Chabrier Rock, which has dipped by 57 per cent in the last 25 years. "What will happen to the annual march of the penguins in the future? Will there even be one?"

At the same time, grass is growing for the first time ever on King George Island, where it rains r
summer.

"These things should alarm us all. Antarctica is a natural lab that helps us understand what is happening to our world. We must save this precious earth, including all that is here. It is a natural wonder, but above all, it is our common home," said Mr. Ban.

2007-11-11 00:00:00.000

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UN TRIES TO RESETTLE PALESTINIANS TRAPPED IN REFUGEE CAMPS ON IRAQI-SYRIAN BORDER

UN TRIES TO RESETTLE PALESTINIANS TRAPPED IN REFUGEE CAMPS ON IRAQI-SYRIAN BORDER
New York, Nov 9 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations refugee agency said today that it is continuing to search for feasible resettlement options for almost 2,000 Palestinians stuck in camps on or near the Iraqi-Syrian border as recent sandstorms worsen the already-difficult living conditions inside the camps.

The situation inside the Al-Tanf camp, located in the no-man's land between Iraq and Syria, and the Al-Waleed camp, located in the Iraqi desert near the Syrian border, "remains very precarious," especially as winter approaches, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/473439962.html">told journalists in Geneva.

The population inside Al-Tanf has swollen to 437 in recent weeks after Syrian authorities transferred 97 Palestinians who had entered the country from Iraq with forged documents.

The numbers are Al-Waleed, which is already home to 1,560 refugees, are also expected to increase as new families keep arriving from Baghdad to escape ongoing threats and attacks. UNHCR staff report that already 30 to 40 people arrive at Al-Waleed each week.

"We continue to seek better solutions, including resettlement options, for the refugees – both within and outside the region," Mr. Redmond said, stressing that vulnerable and sick children who do not have access to medical care in Iraq are getting priority attention.

So far, one family of eight that has several sick children has been resettled in Norway, while 11 other medical cases for resettlement are pending approval.

Mr. Redmond said Chile and Sudan are the only other countries to have given positive indications to resettling other Palestinian medical cases, such as cancer patients and children with birth defects.

In the interim, UNHCR is working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian and Syrian Red Crescent Societies to improve living conditions inside Al-Tanf and Al-Waleed.

In a related development, the last batch of Palestinian families who had been living in Ruweished camp in Jordan after fleeing in Iraq have been resettled in Brazil. The camp was once home to 1,000 refugees, who have now resettled in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States.

Another 13,000 Palestinians are estimated to still live in Baghdad, where they face ongoing threats and attacks, in part because of perceptions that Palestinians received preferential treatment under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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BILLION GRAINS OF RICE DONATED TO UN ANTI-HUNGER AGENCY THANKS TO INTERNET GAME

BILLION GRAINS OF RICE DONATED TO UN ANTI-HUNGER AGENCY THANKS TO INTERNET GAME
New York, Nov 9 2007 4:00PM
An Internet game in which a website donates 10 grains of race to the United Nations World Food Programme for every vocabulary question answered correctly by participants has <" http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2686">passed the 1 billion grain threshold after just one month of operations.

The amount donated by <" http://www.freerice.com">FreeRice.com, founded by the United States fundraising pioneer John Breen, reached 1,008,771,910 grains yesterday, 32 days after the site was launched. That is enough to feed more than 50,000 people for one day.

WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran hailed the FreeRice game as an example of how the Internet can mobilize millions of people worldwide to end want.

"Every grain of rice is essential in the fight against hunger," she said, noting that hunger claims more lives than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

"FreeRice really hits how the Web can be harnessed to raise awareness and funds for the world's number one emergency," said the WFP chief, praising the site's marketing success.

FreeRice relies on payments from companies that place advertisements on the site to underwrite its donations to WFP, the world's largest humanitarian agency.

On 7 October, the first day of the site's operations, only 830 grains were donated. But with the help of bloggers and social networking sites such as YouTube and Facebook, the numbers have grown exponentially, and yesterday more than 77 million grains – or the equivalent of seven million clicks – was donated.
2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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SOMALI PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN KENYA FOR TALKS WITH UN ENVOY

SOMALI PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN KENYA FOR TALKS WITH UN ENVOY
New York, Nov 9 2007 5:00PM
The senior United Nations envoy to Somalia is holding talks in Nairobi with the country's President and other political leaders as UN staff report that worsening humanitarian conditions inside the capital, Mogadishu.

Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf arrived in the Kenyan capital yesterday for the talks with the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, and other UN officials, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters today.

Mr. Ould-Abdallah and Mr. Yusuf will focus on the ongoing selection process for Somalia's next prime minister during their discussions, according to the UN Political Office for Somalia (<"http://un-somalia.org">UNPOS).

Earlier today the Special Representative also met with Ali Mahdi Mohammed, the Chairman of Somalia's National Reconciliation Congress.

The Nairobi meetings are taking place as the killings, violence and displacement continue across Mogadishu amid fighting between the insurgents and Ethiopian troops, which are in Somalia to support the country's Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

Mr. Haq said some 50 civilians were killed and another 30 wounded during the past 24 hours in the capital, and as many as 114,000 residents of Mogadishu have been forced to flee their homes in recent weeks. In total, an estimated 850,000 Somali civilians have been displaced this year by the intermittent but deadly violence across the Horn of Africa country.
2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN MAKES HISTORIC VISIT TO ANTARCTICA

SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN MAKES HISTORIC VISIT TO ANTARCTICA
New York, Nov 9 2007 6:00PM
Ban Ki-moon today became the first United Nations Secretary-General to make an official visit to Antarctica as he travelled to the frozen continent to see first-hand the effects of climate change on its melting glaciers.

Mr. Ban, who has made a climate change a priority issue during his term as Secretary-General, received a briefing from scientists at a Chilean Air Force base in Antarctica before visiting the Collins Glaciers and then the Sejong Research Centre, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York.

The Secretary-General is scheduled to return to Punta Arenas in southern Chile tonight to continue the South American stage of his tour. On Sunday he heads to Brazil to meet the country's President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

Last night, Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11269.doc.htm">addressed the Ibero-American Summit in Santiago, the Chilean capital, where he told the audience that the UN's work is "intimately linked" with the need to promote social cohesion worldwide.

"Our very mission for peace, development and human rights depends on fostering inclusive societies that are stable, safe, just and tolerant – societies that respect diversity, equality of opportunity and participation of all," Mr. Ban said.

He stressed the importance of building and strengthening social cohesion to tackling several key challenges and issues faced by the UN, from climate change to migration to upholding indigenous rights and those of peoples with disabilities.

Earlier on Thursday, he met with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, where they discussed Chile's contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, especially in Haiti, as well as the country's efforts to achieving the series of anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">MDGs).
2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: BAN KI-MOON WARNS AGAINST DELAYS IN DEPLOYMENT OF HYBRID FORCE

DARFUR: BAN KI-MOON WARNS AGAINST DELAYS IN DEPLOYMENT OF HYBRID FORCE
New York, Nov 9 2007 6:00PM
The hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission to the war-torn Darfur region (UNAMID) still lacks critical transport and aviation units and the Sudanese Government has not responded yet to the UN-AU submission on the force's composition, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, warning that delays to deployment will only exacerbate the humanitarian situation.

In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/653">report on UNAMID, Mr. Ban says the combination of the delays and the recent spike in security incidents across the western Sudanese region has left Darfur "at a crossroads."

He urges Member States which can do so to contribute the missing transport and aviation capabilities for the mission, which is expected to have more than 25,000 troops and police officers at full capacity.

"Without these critical units, the mission will not be able to implement its mandate," he writes.

The Secretary-General also calls on the Sudanese Government to cooperate concerning the acquisition of land, the approval of flight operations rights for UN aircraft and the composition of UNAMID so that the force can be quickly introduced.

"This force composition is predominantly African," he notes, in line with the Security Council resolution earlier this year establishing UNAMID, "and provides for a force that would meet United Nations standards and would be capable of deploying in a timely manner."

UNAMID is slated to assume authority by 31 December this year from the existing AU mission in the impoverished and largely arid region. Late last month the initial management, command and control capabilities for the hybrid force were launched in El Fasher, North Darfur.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others left homeless since rebels began fighting Government forces and allied militia known as the Janjaweed in 2003. The humanitarian crisis that has resulted is so widespread that some 4 million Darfurians now depend on aid to survive.

Mr. Ban says the start of peace talks last month in neighbouring Libya between some of the numerous Darfur rebel groups and the Sudanese Government "represents a unique opportunity to achieve a definitive end to the suffering of the people of Darfur," adding that the talks were the first phase of a multi-part process to obtain a political solution.
2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY SETS UP THINK TANK ON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

UN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY SETS UP THINK TANK ON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
New York, Nov 9 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations Environment Programme (<" http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=521&ArticleID=5700&l=en">UNEP) today announced the formation of a new global think tank on resource efficiency which is expected to tackle pressing issues including the environmental risks of biofuel production and metal recycling.

The new International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management will provide scientific assessments and expert advice on the use, security and environmental impact of selected products and services worldwide, the agency said in a news release.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said the new Panel will address the need to break the "links between economic growth and environmental degradation."

It is expected to provide hard scientific and empirical assessments about complex issues and reports which can be read by those in a position to take action, UNEP said.
2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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SIERRA LEONE: UN HELPS AMPUTEES PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL SPORTS EVENT

SIERRA LEONE: UN HELPS AMPUTEES PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL SPORTS EVENT
New York, Nov 9 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org">UNDP) is joining with other partners to help a group of amputees from Sierra Leone to participate in a global football competition for those who have lost a limb.

The agency is contributing $21,000 to help Sierra Leone's Single Leg Amputee Sports Club to compete in the World Amputee Football Championship being held next week in Turkey, as well as related activities.

In Freetown today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Executive Representative for Sierra Leone, Victor Angelo, hosted a reception for the team to show solidarity with the players.

The event showcased "the determination of the athletes to succeed despite their disabilities, and to enhance the image of Sierra Leone and its people in the international community," the UN Integrated Office in the country (<" http://www.uniosil.org/read.asp?newsID=641&cat=">UNIOSIL) said in a news release.

The ceremony included performances by members of a group called Artists for Peace which worked to promote violence-free presidential and parliamentary elections in August and September.

"The Single Leg Amputees Sports Club members and the Artists for Peace have demonstrated that Sierra Leone is endowed with lots of talents; if they are given a chance, they will contribute significantly to a better Sierra Leone," Mr. Angelo said.

Also helping to sponsor the team's participation in the Turkey competition was FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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UN'S TOP REFUGEE OFFICIAL HEADS TO CENTRAL ASIA

UN'S TOP REFUGEE OFFICIAL HEADS TO CENTRAL ASIA
New York, Nov 9 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees heads this weekend to Central Asia, where his agency is working to bring asylum procedures in line with international standards.

António Guterres will be in the Kyrgyz Republic for three days starting on 11 November to open the first refugee reception centre in Central Asia.

Kyrgyzstan hosts several hundred refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). The High Commissioner is expected to meet President Kurmanbek Bakiev to thank the Government for naturalizing some 9,000 refugees from Tajikistan, according to an agency spokesperson.

From 13 to 15 November, Mr. Guterres will be in Kazakhstan, where he is expected to meet President Nursultan Nazarbayev and to discuss the drafting of national refugee legislation.

There are some 3,700 Chechens from the Russian Federation and several hundred people from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and China who are of concern to UNHCR in the country.

"The High Commissioner plans to visit UNHCR's operations in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in spring 2008," a spokesman for UNHCR said today.

The agency's office in Uzbekistan was closed by the government in April 2006, "but UNHCR continues to seek solutions for some 1,200 refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, through the UN Development Programme (UNDP)," the spokesman added.

2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: UN AGENCY STEPS UP EFFORTS TO CURB SPREAD OF CHOLERA IN NORTH KIVU

DR CONGO: UN AGENCY STEPS UP EFFORTS TO CURB SPREAD OF CHOLERA IN NORTH KIVU
New York, Nov 9 2007 10:00AM
The United Nations refugee agency is intensifying its efforts to combat the spread of cholera in the troubled North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a spokesman for the agency said today.

This week, UNHCR and it partner ASODE, a non-governmental organization (NGO), distributed soap to nearly 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in two camps in Mugunga west of Goma in North Kivu.

"We hope that these efforts, improved water supply and sanitation, coupled with an intensive public awareness campaign on hygiene will contain the worrying spread of cholera in the camps," said Ron Redmond.

But he warned that poor conditions a nearby makeshift site at Lac Vert hosting more than 10,000 IDPs could contribute to the further spread of cholera.

On Wednesday, UNHCR began the transfer of IDPs from Lac Vert to a new camp called Buhimba which the agency built with the necessary basic health, water and sanitation facilities for more than 10,000 people.

Cholera broke out in early October in five camps hosting some 45,000 IDPs in the Mugunga area. According to health workers, by the end of October, there were a total of 439 suspected cases of cholera. Mr. Redmond said the latest reports from the camps "indicate that the cholera situation appears to be stabilizing as the number of new suspected cases is slightly dropping."

North Kivu province is facing the worst internal displacement since the end of the DRC's civil war in 2004, according to UNHCR. Fighting between government forces, renegade troops and rebels forced some 375,000 Congolese to leave their homes in North Kivu since last December, with more than 160,000 newly displaced just over the past two months.

"With sharpening inter-ethnic divides and a continuous build-up of military forces, UNHCR remains deeply concerned about the risks of severe human rights abuses and violence against civilians," Mr. Redmond said.

"We welcome al
confrontations and prevent further the suffering of the North Kivu population brought on by prolonged instability and fighting."

2007-11-09 00:00:00.000

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EARLY WARNING MECHANISMS VITAL TO PREVENTING GENOCIDE, SAYS UN ADVISER

EARLY WARNING MECHANISMS VITAL TO PREVENTING GENOCIDE, SAYS UN ADVISER
New York, Nov 8 2007 7:00PM
The best way to prevent genocide from occurring is to ensure that early warning measures are in place and used before the key phase of incitement to violence can begin, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities said today.

Francis Deng told a round-table discussion at United Nations Headquarters in New York on combating hatred that incitement to violence "is a hallmark and perhaps a prerequisite of genocide," citing the examples of the Holocaust against Jews in Nazi Germany, the killings of Bosnian Muslims in the former Yugoslavia and the massacre of Tutsis in Rwanda.

"People do not spontaneously rise up en masse to kill – incitement by their leaders is a key step in the process," Dr. Deng said, noting that incitement only works when prejudices already exist in a community or society.

He stressed that incitement to violence serves as an early warning signal for genocide or mass killings that can easily be detected.

"In universities, research institutions, human rights and humanitarian organizations, increased attention is being given to incitement to violence, its potential impact on the public, and the need for preventive action. The most effective prevention should come long before incitement has put potential killers on the verge of genocidal violence."

Dr. Deng, who was named to the post by Ban Ki-moon in May, said the UN, governments and other institutions and entities should also work towards implementing a political, economic and social framework in countries around the world that provides full respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

This, coupled with improving governance, boosting economic development and promoting inter-ethnic and communal tolerance, would help to foster an environment in which tensions are reduced and groups are less likely to seek violent responses to their grievances.

Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka noted that today's discussion was taking place one day before the sixtieth anniversary of Kristallnacht, a violent pogrom in Germany and Austria against Jews and their homes, businesses and synagogues.

The round-table discussion, which was <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/note6117.doc.htm">organized by the Holocaust and UN Outreach Programme, also heard from five other speakers on fighting hatred, promoting grassroots dialogue and the responsibility of governments to protect people – whether in their own country or not – from mass atrocities.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL COHESION FOCUS OF CHILEAN STOP DURING BAN KI-MOON TOUR

DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL COHESION FOCUS OF CHILEAN STOP DURING BAN KI-MOON TOUR
New York, Nov 8 2007 7:00PM
The struggle for economic development, the need to do more to tackle climate change and the value of greater social cohesion were all spotlighted today by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as he travelled to Chile, the second stop on his tour to South America.

After arriving in the capital, Santiago, Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2846">told a high-level panel on the Global Partnership for Development that the world has a mixed scorecard at the midpoint of the race to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals">MDGs), the series of anti-poverty targets which global leaders agreed to work towards by 2015.

While some progress has been made, he noted that almost one billion people still live on less than $1 a day, and that malaria, AIDS, other infectious diseases and malnutrition continue to exact an enormous death toll, especially among children.

More than half the population of many cities in poor and developing countries also live in slums, with little or no access to basic services such as sanitation and running water.

"Clearly, we are facing an emergency – and we need emergency action, while working with the strategic vision provided by the MDGs," Mr. Ban told the panel, which included Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Spanish President José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

"The 2015 target date is a goalpost that cannot be moved. The clock is ticking louder every day. To reach the Goals on time, we have to take concerted action now."

Mr. Ban also stressed the need for accelerated international action to deal with climate changes, which he described as "a serious threat to development everywhere."

He urged leaders to play their part to ensure that concrete results can be obtained at next month's negotiations in Bali, Indonesia, under the <" http://unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/items/2627.php">UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

After the panel, the Secretary-General held a meeting with Ms. Bachelet, and then tonight he is scheduled to address the Ibero-American Summit, which is also being held in Santiago.

Mr. Ban is expected to discuss how building and strengthening social cohesion, the theme of this year's summit, is crucial to all the key challenges and issues faced by the UN, from climate change to migration to upholding indigenous rights and those of peoples with disabilities.

After leaving Santiago, Mr. Ban is slated to head to Punta Arenas, in southern Chile, and Antarctica to learn more about climate change. Later on the trip, he will travel to Brazil before heading on to Tunisia and Spain.

Yesterday, while in Argentina on the first leg of his official trip, Mr. Ban met President Nestor Kirchner and President-elect Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. He also held talks with Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana and several senior Argentine parliamentarians.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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EXPULSION OF UN HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL FROM SOUTH DARFUR SPARKS CONCERN

EXPULSION OF UN HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL FROM SOUTH DARFUR SPARKS CONCERN
New York, Nov 8 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan is in contact with the country's authorities to find out why a senior UN humanitarian official has been expelled from South Darfur.

Preliminary reports indicate that Wael al-Haj-Ibrahim, the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline2.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline2.un.org/sudan">OCHA) in Sudan, has not been rendered persona non grata by the national Government, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters yesterday.

Rather, he has been forced to leave South Darfur under a directive from the State Governor, and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ameerah Haq has taken up the issue with the authorities in Khartoum, the national capital.

Ms. Okabe said the UN was extremely concerned about the potential ramification of the expulsion decision, especially given that it violated the letter and spirit of the Joint Communiqué on the Facilitation of Humanitarian Assistance in Darfur that was signed earlier this year by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

OCHA is extremely active in South Darfur – one of three states that comprise the war-torn Darfur region – and works with the Sudanese Government, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donors to assist up to one million internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs).

In total, more than 2.2 million Darfurians are now displaced because of the conflict there between rebels, Government forces and allied militias. Another 200,000 people have been killed since fighting began in 2003, and the <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=88&Body=Sudan&Body1=">UN and the African Union are in the process of deploying a landmark hybrid peacekeeping force (UNAMID) to try to quell the violence and suffering.

Meanwhile, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees L. Craig Johnstone has arrived in West Darfur state for a four-day mission to review the agency's operations. Mr. Johnstone plans to visit IDP settlements to obtain a first-hand understanding of the situation across the vast region.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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DR CONGO: DISARMAMENT IN ITURI PROGRESSES, BUT OTHER STEPS NEEDED - UN OFFICIAL

DR CONGO: DISARMAMENT IN ITURI PROGRESSES, BUT OTHER STEPS NEEDED – UN OFFICIAL
New York, Nov 8 2007 6:00PM
Disarmament in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) Ituri province is proceeding apace but more steps are needed to foster lasting stability in the area, which has a history of ethnic tensions and cross-border rebel activity, a United Nations official said today.

In an interview published on MONUC's <"http://www.monuc.org/Home.aspx?lang=en">website, Gustavo Gonzalez, operation coordinator for the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org">UNDP), said that in Ituri,
the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process unfolded in three phases: during the first, 15,941 fighters were demobilized, there were 6,728 fighters in the second, and in the latest, 1,795 of those who were "more recalcitrant."

The Ituri total represents about one quarter of the total demobilized soldiers in the DRC, he said.

He said the process could be fully evaluated only after the reinsertion phase, when the former fighters will have been reintegrated in their communities and "the whole population of the Ituri will be able to sleep in peace knowing that it will not be pillaged or robbed at any moment."

But he said that "with the surrender of the last commanders-in-chief, the problem of the fighters is resolved today in Ituri."

At the same time, he cautioned that "without concrete measures to fight poverty, without offering alternate means to the weapon usage, and without restoring the authority of the State," there is a risk that the cycle of conflict will be repeated.

Mr. Gonzalez said poverty is a key cause of conflict in Ituri, where there are more than 170,000 internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs) and about 700,000 returnees seeking jobs. The area also has a history of inter-ethnic tension and has been subject to cross-border rebel activity.

The DDR programme alone cannot resolve the militia problem in Ituri, he stressed, calling for measures to deal with the illegal trade in light weapons and the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

"DDR is only one chapter in a global process of conflict resolution, in which the fight against poverty, justice and security sector reforms are also equally important," he said.

The rehabilitation phase, he cautioned, is more complex and more sensitive. UNDP, along with the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF) and a network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is supporting a new approach to the process. Instead of paying subsidies to demobilized soldiers – a practice that could cause security problems – the initiative involves mobilizing them in the service of reconstructing communities affected by the war.

"This proved to be a tremendous tool of reinsertion and of reconciliation," Mr. Gonzalez said of the three-month service during which demobilized soldiers work with other members of the community. At the end of the process, they receive support in a chosen trade, the tools needed for work and financing to start up a community project.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN DECLARES 15 SEPTEMBER AS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY

UN DECLARES 15 SEPTEMBER AS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY
New York, Nov 8 2007 6:00PM
Stressing the continuing need to promote democratization, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the General Assembly today agreed to observe 15 September each year as the International Day of Democracy.

In <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10655.doc.htm">adopting by consensus a resolution on the issue, the 192-member body reaffirmed that "while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy and that democracy does not belong to any country or region."

In addition, the Assembly reaffirmed that democracy is "a universal value based on the freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of life."

The Assembly also invited all Member States, organizations of the UN system, regional and intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals to commemorate the Day "in an appropriate manner that contributes to raising public awareness."

In taking today's action, the Assembly recognized that 2008 marked the twentieth anniversary of the first International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, which offers a special opportunity to focus attention on the promotion and consolidation of democracy at all levels.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY FILLS SEATS ON UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

GENERAL ASSEMBLY FILLS SEATS ON UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
New York, Nov 8 2007 6:00PM
The General Assembly today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10655.doc.htm">elected 18 countries to serve on the United Nations Economic and Social Council (<" http://www.un.org/ecosoc/index.shtml">ECOSOC) for three-year terms beginning 1 January 2008.

The 11 new members are Cameroon, Congo, Malaysia, Mozambique, Moldova, Niger, Poland, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Sweden and Uruguay.

They will fill the seats vacated at the end of this year by Albania, Chad, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Denmark, Guinea, India, Lithuania, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand.

Brazil, China, Iceland, Pakistan, Russia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, which are already Council members, were also re-elected.

Members were elected by secret ballot according to the following pattern: four from African States, four from Asian States, three from Eastern European States, three from Latin American and Caribbean States and four from Western European and Other States.

In addition, Liechtenstein was elected to the Council for a one-year term of office beginning 1 January 2008, after Germany announced that it was relinquishing its seat for the remainder of its term, which expires at the end of next year, in favour of Liechtenstein.

The 54-member Economic and Social Council is the principal organ coordinating the economic, social and related work of the various UN specialized agencies, regional commissions and functional commissions.

As of 1 January 2008, the Council's membership will also include Algeria, Angola, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cuba, the Czech Republic, El Salvador, France, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, the Netherlands, Paraguay, the Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and the United States.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER READY TO COOPERATE WITH MYANMAR AUTHORITIES - UN ENVOY

PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER READY TO COOPERATE WITH MYANMAR AUTHORITIES – UN ENVOY
New York, Nov 8 2007 5:00PM
Detained pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi today stated her readiness to cooperate with the Myanmar Government as United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari wrapped up a visit to the troubled Asian nation by voicing confidence that substantive dialogue between authorities and the opposition can begin soon.

"In the interest of the nation, I stand ready to cooperate with the Government in order to make this process of dialogue a success and welcome the necessary good offices role of the United Nations to help facilitate our efforts in this regard," Ms. Suu Kyi said in a statement delivered to Mr. Gambari during their meeting earlier in the day in Yangon, and which he read out to reporters upon his later arrival in Singapore.

A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ms. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for four years, and has spent 11 years in detention since her party – the National League for Democracy – and its allies won the 1990 election with over 80 per cent of the parliamentary seats.

"I wish to thank all those who have stood by my side all this time, both inside and outside my country," she said, also expressing her gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his "unwavering support for the cause of national reconciliation, democracy and human rights in my country."

Ms. Suu Kyi recently held discussions with U Aung Kyi, Minister for Labour and Minister for Relations, who was appointed by the Myanmar authorities as a liaison officer to start dialogue between the Government and the opposition.

Describing their first meeting as "constructive," she said she expects that "this phase of preliminary consultations will conclude soon so that a meaningful and time-bound dialogue with the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] leadership can start as early as possible."

Also today, the Government announced its decision to allow Ms. Suu Kyi to meet with the leaders of her party tomorrow.

"We now have a process going which would lead to substantive dialogue between the Government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a key instrument in promoting national reconciliation in an all-inclusive manner," Mr. Gambari said in his own statement, issued at the conclusion of his second visit to the country since Government forces began using force to respond to peaceful protesters in August.

"The sooner such a dialogue can start, the better for Myanmar," he added.

While in Myanmar, Mr. Gambari held talks with senior Government officials on accelerating the process of inclusive national reconciliation, the restoration of democracy and full respect for human rights, stressing that returning to the status quo before the recent crisis broke out would not be sustainable.

He also met with the UN Country Team and the diplomatic corps in Yangon during his visit, which began on 3 November.

Mr. Gambari will now return to New York, where he will brief the Secretary-General on his mission.

He has been invited by the Government to return to Myanmar and expects to do so in the next few weeks, a spokesperson for the world body said.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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STUDENTS, TEACHERS, SCHOOLS FACE DELIBERATE ATTACKS IN CONFLICT AREAS - UNESCO

STUDENTS, TEACHERS, SCHOOLS FACE DELIBERATE ATTACKS IN CONFLICT AREAS – UNESCO
New York, Nov 8 2007 5:00PM
A major United Nations study on the impact of conflict on education finds students, teachers and schools under concerted and deliberate attack and calls for urgent measures to protect the academic future of children living in war zones.

The study by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) catalogues a range of assaults on education: pupils taken hostage, targeted by bombs or abducted to work as child soldiers; teachers assassinated in school; the blasting of schools with shells and rockets or their use as military bases; and teacher trade unionists unaccountably disappearing.

Principal author Brendan O'Malley, briefing reporters in New York, offered stark statistics on the problem, saying that 280 academics have been killed in Iraq between the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and April this year "in a campaign of liquidation." Iraq finds its education system "virtually on the point of collapse" with only 30 per cent of pupils attending school last year compared with 75 per cent the previous academic year.

He said there have been 190 bombing and missile attacks on educational facilities in Afghanistan in 2005-2006. In 2006, attacks prevented 100,000 Afghan children who had been in school the year before from attending.

In Colombia, 310 teachers have been murdered since 2000, while in Nepal, between 2002 and 2006, over 10,000 teachers and 22,000 students were abducted, and 734 teachers and 1,730 students arrested or tortured.

Myanmar, which Mr. O'Malley called the "child soldier capital of the world," had 70,000 minors enlisted in 2002.

The study, which is based on available statistics, finds that 40 per cent of the 77 million students not in school live in conflict-affected areas. Mr. O'Malley noted that the problem, which is difficult to document, could well be more widespread, and called for the establishment of a global system to monitor the situation.

Pointing out that "attacks on educational institutions are a war crime," the study charts the extent and nature of the violence and suggests actions to address it. Among other measures, it calls for campaigns to end impunity and steps to designate schools as sanctuaries in conflict zones. "One suggestion is that we create a symbol rather like the Red Cross to denote recognition of this status" protecting educational facilities, said Mr. O'Malley.

He called for international pressure to combat impunity for attacks. "We need urgent, collective action, including human rights campaigns, to set up a global database on education attacks, to end impunity for attacks, and to work towards acceptance of schools as zones of peace and safe sanctuaries."

The report also says that the UN Security Council should "recognize the role that education can play in both contributing to tension and in promoting peace, and should offer support for strategies to remove education as a factor in conflicts."

In an <"http://www.unesco.org/education/interviews/educationunderattack_en.pdf">interview published on UNESCO's website, the author suggests that the International Criminal Court (<"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">ICC) should be given more resources to bring education-related cases to trial. "This would widen its deterrent effect," he said.

Mr. O'Malley also discusses the reason the report does not deal with random acts of violence such as the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech University in the United States in April. "This study doesn't include attacks like the one in Virginia, because it was not politically motivated," he said.

But he adds that "there is one link," namely the easy availability of guns. "The likelihood of attacks in conflict-affected countries most likely increases partly because more people with grievances have the weapons and therefore the means to carry out a violent attack."

The report is dedicated to the memory of Safia Ama Jan, who worked throughout her life to get Afghan girls into school before she was shot and killed outside her home in Kandahar in September 2006.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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CHILD PROTECTION LAWS MUST BE RESPECTED, BAN KI-MOON SAYS AFTER ABDUCTION CASE

CHILD PROTECTION LAWS MUST BE RESPECTED, BAN KI-MOON SAYS AFTER ABDUCTION CASE
New York, Nov 8 2007 5:00PM
The recent attempt by a French non-governmental organization (NGO) to remove more than 100 children from Chad underlines the need to ensure that international laws relating to the protection of children are fully respected, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

In voicing his concern over the incident, Mr. Ban joins senior UN officials in the region who have already expressed their strong reaction to the actions of the NGO Arche de Zoé. Last month, the organization tried to transfer 103 children – who range in age from one to 10 years old – out of eastern Chad and into France for adoption, a move deemed "illegal and totally irresponsible" by the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_41723.html">UNICEF).

Chadian authorities prevented the children from leaving the town of Abeche and arrested members of Arche de Zoé.

"The Secretary-General believes that this incident underscores the urgent need for all concerned individuals, organizations and institutions to fully respect international legal instruments on the protection of children," according to a <"http://secint12/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2845">statement issued today by his spokesperson.

Mr. Ban expressed his support for the ongoing efforts by the Chadian Government to find a solution to the incident by addressing the immediate needs of the children, attempting to quickly identify and reunite them with their families, and ensuring that proper legal processes are followed.

The UN and its partner agencies have been helping Chad to protect the welfare of the children, who may originate from villages near the country's border with the war-torn Darfur region of western Sudan.

Mr. Ban also offered his assurances that UN humanitarian assistance will continue to be provided to vulnerable civilians in Chad, including for the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (<"http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs), refugees and host communities.

"He is confident that the Government of Chad will continue to work closely with the UN and its partners to address humanitarian and development needs in the country promptly," the statement added.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK FROM GAZA SCHOOL RUN BY UN AGENCY

BAN KI-MOON CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK FROM GAZA SCHOOL RUN BY UN AGENCY
New York, Nov 8 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has deplored a rocket attack against Israel that was launched from a school in the Gaza Strip run by the United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees.

UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters that Mr. Ban had asked the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA) to conduct a full investigation of last week's incident.

Inquiries made so far indicate that the school had been evacuated at the time of the rocket attack to ensure the safety of both the staff and the pupils during an Israeli military incursion. Palestinian militants entered the school while it was empty and then fired rockets from the compound.

"The Secretary-General condemns this abuse of UN facilities, which is a serious violation of the UN's privileges and immunities," Ms. Okabe said. "He calls on all involved in this conflict to avoid actions that endanger the lives of civilians, especially children, and that put at risk UNRWA's ability to carry out its humanitarian mission."

Yesterday UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen Koning AbuZayd <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2007/071107_UNRWA.doc.htm">said the agency's installations had also been violated in the past and it had complained many times to both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict about this.

"I think the powers in Gaza right now will try to do something," Ms. AbuZayd said. "They are willing to try to protect the UNRWA installations. They know they need to protect our presence in Gaza."
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY SEEKS $10 MILLION TO HELP WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CRISIS

UN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY SEEKS $10 MILLION TO HELP WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CRISIS
New York, Nov 8 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today <" http://www.undp.org/cpr/we_do/8_pa_press_release.shtml">appealed for $10 million for a two-year initiative to help women and girls affected by conflicts or natural disasters.

"Neglecting women and girls in crises makes no sense from a development perspective," said UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Crisis Bureau Kathleen Cravero. "Not only do we fail to address the needs of half the population, we also fail to gain from their insights and resourcefulness during the critical stages of the recovery process."

In seeking the funds, the agency pointed to the disproportionate impact of crises on women and girls while underscoring their potential to contribute to solutions.

"One of the most common and disturbing images of war is of women uprooted from their homes and communities, reeling from the effects of sexual violence and struggling to provide for their children in the harshest of environments," said Ms. Cravero.

"But if we continue to see women only as victims – and not as problem solvers and decision makers – we do so at their peril, and at the peril of peace. We need to seize opportunities to 'build back better' during the recovery period," she added.

The appeal is based on an Eight Point Agenda for Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality in Crisis Prevention which deals with: protecting women from violence in crisis; ensuring women have access to justice; strengthening women's voices and representation; building peace with and for women; promoting gender equality; putting women's needs first in the recovery effort; urging governments to work for women; and strengthening women's networks in crisis.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCIES SIGN PACTS TO BENEFIT PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

UN AGENCIES SIGN PACTS TO BENEFIT PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
New York, Nov 8 2007 2:00PM
Two United Nations agencies signed agreements today to help Portuguese-speaking countries in their efforts to reduce rural poverty and to streamline and improve their postal operations.

The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) reached agreement that "will consolidate their partnership and enable them to more effectively tap available resources to fight rural poverty," IFAD <"http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2007/48.htm">said in a news release after the pact was signed in Lisbon.

The agreement aims to optimize development funds in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste. To date, the Fund has invested some $336 million in support of 27 programmes and projects worth a total of $758 million in these countries.

Meanwhile, in Berne, Switzerland, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the Association of Post Office and Telecommunications Operators from the Portuguese Speaking Countries and Territories (AICEP) <"http://www.upu.int/news_centre/2007/en/2007-11-07_upu-aicep.html">signed a cooperation agreement that means $120,000 will be distributed among the five Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa over the next two years.

The funding in the deal will be used to introduce a series of measures to modernize the postal operations of those countries, as well as to broaden some reforms that began last year. New software will be introduced to better track postal items, a database of mail collection and delivery points will be created, an electronic money transfer network will be set up, and continuous testing and training will be provided to help staff.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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TERRORISM CANNOT DIVERT AFGHANISTAN FROM PATH TOWARD PEACE - SECURITY COUNCIL

TERRORISM CANNOT DIVERT AFGHANISTAN FROM PATH TOWARD PEACE – SECURITY COUNCIL
New York, Nov 8 2007 1:00PM
The <" http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/index.html">Security Council today strongly condemned the suicide attack which claimed the lives of numerous civilians in the northern Afghan town of Baghlan just days ago, reiterating that no act of terrorism can reverse the country's path toward peace.

In a statement read out to the press by Ambassador R. M. Marty M. Natalegawa of Indonesia, which holds the rotating Council Presidency for this month, the 15-member body noted that "this terrorist attack was one of the deadliest in Afghanistan in recent years and heinously targeted innocent people, including children and representatives of the Afghan democratic institutions."

Adding its voice to those of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN human rights chief Louise Arbour in condemning the 6 November attack, which killed over 40 people and injured many more, the Council urged the Afghan authorities to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators and organizers of the bombing to justice.

While expressing concern about the increasing level of violence in the country, the Council reiterated that "no terrorist act can reverse the path toward peace, democracy and reconstruction in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and the international community."
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY, ANGELINA JOLIE RECEIVE FREEDOM AWARD

UN REFUGEE AGENCY, ANGELINA JOLIE RECEIVE FREEDOM AWARD
New York, Nov 8 2007 1:00PM
The International Rescue Committee has given its annual Freedom Award to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/473311bf2.html">UNHCR) and its Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie in recognition of their contributions to the cause.

"The Freedom Award is a symbol that we will only be able to fully enjoy our freedom when everyone else is able to enjoy theirs," said High Commissioner António Guterres at a ceremony in New York on Wednesday.

Although unable to attend the event, Ms. Jolie in a video message hailed the close partnership between UNHCR and the International Rescue Committee.

People of concern to UNHCR include not only refugees, but related groups such as asylum-seekers, refugee returnees, stateless people and some of the estimated 25 million people who are displaced within their own countries, normally known as internally displaced persons (IDP).

Since 2006, the number of refugees worldwide has been increasing and now stands at some 10 million, UNHCR said, attributing the rise largely to the crisis in Iraq.

This year marked the second time the UN agency has been honoured by the International Rescue Committee for its work protecting refugees; in 1995, the then High Commissioner Sadako Ogata received the Freedom Award.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCES NEW PROJECTS TO BOOST CLEAN ENERGY

UN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCES NEW PROJECTS TO BOOST CLEAN ENERGY
New York, Nov 8 2007 12:00PM
The United Nations Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=521&ArticleID=5697&l=en">UNEP) today announced the launch of a pair of projects worth some $100 million in the tea and sugar industries designed to boost the use of clean energy and stimulate development in Africa.

Both projects aim to develop new forms of local energy generation to help rural areas overcome poverty, cut dependency on imported and expensive fossil fuels, and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, UNEP said in a news release.

The tea initiative, which will deliver small-scale hydro-electric power to plantations across East Africa, is expected to reach over 8 million people in the tea industry. Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia are among the countries which have already endorsed the initiative.

"Tea is known to be good for you; now it is also getting better for the environment," said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

He also hailed the decision by some countries in East Africa to establish power purchase agreements, which are contracts that allow unconventional generators of electricity to sell surplus power back to the grid, saying it "has opened up a raft of new opportunities for cleaner and renewable energy generation."

In a separate but related initiative, a project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will help farmers use waste from the sugar industry to generate electricity – a move UNEP said will fuel sustainable economic growth.

The project aims to reach approximately 10 million sugar farmers and their dependants in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda and Tanzania.

The sugar initiative builds on the successes achieved in Mauritius, where up to 40 per cent of the country's electricity needs are met by waste by-products from the sugar industry, UNEP said.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN RIGHTS CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER GEORGIA'S STATE OF EMERGENCY

UN RIGHTS CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER GEORGIA'S STATE OF EMERGENCY
New York, Nov 8 2007 11:00AM
Reacting with concern to the imposition of a state of emergency in Georgia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today said the independence of the country's Public Defender must be respected.

In a <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/79DAC51BD6D73124C125738D00462BD4?opendocument">statement released in Geneva, Louise Arbour said she was "particularly worried over reports of disproportionate use of force, including against Georgia's Public Defender, the detention of opposition leaders and the beating of demonstrators."

She also expressed concern that independent television stations have reportedly been raided by special forces and made to stop broadcasting.

"The High Commissioner expressed her support for the Public Defender and stressed that his independence and inviolability must be respected at all times."

Georgia is a State party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which stipulates that fundamental rights, such as the right to life, the prohibition of arbitrary detention, torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, cannot be suspended, even in times of emergency, the statement pointed out.

"Any restriction of rights must be proportionate and may only be applied to the extent and for the time strictly required by the situation," the High Commissioner said.
2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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TIMOR-LESTE: UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT LAUDS PROGRESS BUT WARNS GAINS STILL FRAGILE

TIMOR-LESTE: UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT LAUDS PROGRESS BUT WARNS GAINS STILL FRAGILE
New York, Nov 8 2007 9:00AM
The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) today released a report showing progress in promoting human rights in the nascent country while calling for further measures to help displaced persons and prevent impunity.

The citizens of Timor-Leste enjoy a range of human rights including freedom of speech, freedom to criticize the government, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion, according to the report, which reviews developments from August 2006-August 2007.

The security situation has largely been brought under control, and this year's presidential and parliamentary elections were largely held in an environment free from violence and intimidation where all sides were able to voice their opinions, the report notes.

It also hails progress in expanding the activities of the Office of the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice and in swearing in national judges, prosecutors and public defenders.

But the 32-page report voices concern about the high number of internally displaced persons who still live in makeshift camps and the lack of progress towards durable solutions to their plight. It points out that gender-based violence is common and a draft domestic violence law has been pending for several years.

Effective access to justice is constrained as the judicial system remains weak, particularly in the districts, according to the report. A considerable backlog of pending cases hampers the work of the courts, impeding the right of victims to legal remedy. Legal mechanisms to address property disputes, which are a serious obstacle to resolving internal displacement, do not yet exist.

The report also points to "serious cases of political bias compromising the impartiality of the police force" and warns that initiatives for the adoption of amnesty legislation risked fostering impunity.

"The ultimate aim of the country's leaders and the Timorese people of a peaceful and prosperous de
particular in combating poverty, in reforming the security sector and in strengthening respect for the rule of law," the report states.

"Timor-Leste still faces considerable challenges. However, the Timorese leadership's stated commitment to human rights will help create an environment from which all Timorese can benefit," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare.

Among its recommendations, the report calls for the President to promulgate a new penal code; for the parliament to pass laws on land and property rights; and on the government to adopt a comprehensive strategy to achieve a lasting solution to the problem of IDPs.

The Judiciary is called on to ensure criminal responsibility for crimes committed in April-May 2006. During that period, at least 37 people were killed and 155,000 others, or 15 per cent of the population, were driven from their homes in a spate of violence in Timor-Leste, which the UN helped shepherd to independence from Indonesia in 2002.

"UNMIT stands ready to support the Government and the people of Timor-Leste in this process," Mr. Khare stressed.

2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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MEXICO: UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME RUSHES AID TO FLOOD-HIT TABASCO

MEXICO: UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME RUSHES AID TO FLOOD-HIT TABASCO
New York, Nov 8 2007 9:00AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is rushing aid to 70,000 people affected by massive floods in Tabasco, Mexico.

A WFP truck convoy carrying enough ready-to-eat meals for those affected for over five days is on its way from WFP's emergency hub in El Salvador to the Mexican state.

"We are moving as swiftly as possible to bring critical help to the people of Tabasco, who are suffering the worst crisis in their recent history," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran from Lisbon, where she is attending the European Development Days -- a European Union-hosted forum on climate change.

She added that in addition to the emergency food supplies, WFP has deployed a team specializing in logistics and emergency assessment. The agency will be working closely with other UN agencies to support the Government following the flooding, which has affected up to 1 million people.

"Just as Mexico has consistently shown its generosity over the years to other countries in their hours of need, so too must we in the international community show our solidarity with the people of Tabasco," Ms. Sheeran said.

Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, urgent distribution of WFP high energy biscuits continued by helicopter to some of the over 130 isolated communities affected by the heavy rains and floods left in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel, which cut a swathe across the Caribbean early last week. The helicopters were provided by the US Coast Guard and the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance.

WFP said it used emergency funds to start airlifting food assistance and more is making its way by sea from an agency emergency regional logistics hub in Barbados and is due to arrive later this week.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has launched a joint appeal for $14 million to help those affected by the floods in the Dominican Republic over the next six months, including $4 million is for food assista

In Haiti, where Tropical Storm Noel also caused extensive damage, WFP is providing food to shelters and continuing its assessment of needs and food distributions where access is possible. So far, WFP emergency teams have been able to assist 19,000 of the worst affected.

2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TEAMS UP WITH ARAB FOUNDATION TO BOOST KNOWLEDGE

UN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TEAMS UP WITH ARAB FOUNDATION TO BOOST KNOWLEDGE
New York, Nov 8 2007 8:00AM
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, the largest private foundation in the Arab world, have signed an agreement paving the way for activities aimed at promoting knowledge in the region.

The $20 million agreement signed last month will span five years and includes support for "quality assessment of higher education in the Arab World," UNDP said in a news release. It will also fund publication of the Arab Knowledge Report, which the agency called "a policy and advocacy tool examining the state of knowledge in the Arab Region."

"The Arab world is in dire need to revisit the 'knowledge' concept, and to embrace the knowledge economy as the only path to success through the challenges of the third millennium," said Amat Al Alim Alsoswa, Regional Director of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Arab States.

The Arab Knowledge Report will follow the publication of UNDP's Arab Human Development Report 2003: Building a Knowledge Society, which stressed the need for Arab governments to "close a growing knowledge gap by enabling innovation and investing heavily in education," the agency said.

The agreement is the first partnership between UNDP and a private foundation in the region.

2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD AGENCY CHEF TO VISIT WEST AFRICA TO SPOTLIGHT 'SILENT EMERGENCIES'

UN FOOD AGENCY CHEF TO VISIT WEST AFRICA TO SPOTLIGHT 'SILENT EMERGENCIES'
New York, Nov 8 2007 8:00AM
The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will visit West Africa next week to spotlight the "silent emergencies" gripping the region, the agency announced today.

"WFP is working in partnership throughout West Africa to address chronic malnutrition and climatic shock, and to ensure food security," said Josette Sheeran, who will travel from 12 to 16 November to Mali and Senegal.

"I look forward to meeting national and village-level leaders, as well as our beneficiaries, to discuss how we can beat hunger at its root."

Ms Sheeran will visit WFP projects in Mali, one of the world's poorest countries where the rural poor are among the first to suffer new threats such as climate change and rising global commodity prices.

Ms Sheeran will conclude her trip by attending a regional meeting in Dakar.

West Africa, WFP said faces a "gathering storm" of desertification, land degradation, spiralling food prices in the face of the rise of biofuels, child malnutrition and low school enrolment rates.

2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL URGES PAKISTAN TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON THE MEDIA

UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL URGES PAKISTAN TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON THE MEDIA
New York, Nov 8 2007 8:00AM
Reacting with concern to the suspension of the Constitution in Pakistan, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today voiced hope that President Pervez Musharraf would lift restrictions on the media.

"I am concerned about the consequences of the emergency measures announced in Pakistan on the fundamental human right of freedom of expression," said Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.

"It is important that the citizens of Pakistan continue to have access to free information and sustain free and open debate. Freedom of expression and press freedom are integral to sustainable and peaceful democratic societies," he concluded.

On 3 November, President Musharraf suspended the Constitution and strict curbs were imposed on independent media in Pakistan.

2007-11-08 00:00:00.000

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NEW CLIMATE CHANGE ALLIANCE WILL BENEFIT MILLIONS OF WORLD'S POOR - UN AGENCY

NEW CLIMATE CHANGE ALLIANCE WILL BENEFIT MILLIONS OF WORLD'S POOR – UN AGENCY
New York, Nov 7 2007 7:00PM
A planned partnership between the European Union and developing countries will help millions of the world's poorest to tackle the effects of climate change, the head of the leading United Nations agency on weather and climate issues said today.

"Climate change is a global issue, but the world's least developed and other poor countries are the most vulnerable to the possible effects of climate change," said Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (<"http://www.wmo.ch/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_800_en.html">WMO).
"Therefore, a partnership with the European Union, like the Global Climate Change Alliance, can indeed be a way forward, since its benefits will also be global," he told participants at the European Development Days event in Lisbon, Portugal.

Mr. Jarraud welcomed the Initiative to establish a Global Climate Change Alliance between the European Union and poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change, which was proposed by European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Assistance Louis Michel.

Projections show that least developed and vulnerable countries, along with small island developing States, will be the hardest hit by climate change.

"These countries have much fewer resources to prepare accordingly," Mr Jarraud said. "If their populations must leave their livelihoods behind due to sea level rises or a lack of drinking water for example, millions will be forced to migrate to other regions of the world, including Europe."

The new initiative can help millions in the developing world respond to the impacts of climate change, such as water shortages and migration.

As part of its mandate, WMO is tasked with helping countries, particularly in the developing world, mitigate and adapt to climate change and prevent related extreme weather events from turning into natural disasters.
2007-11-07 00:00:00.000

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RESTRICTIONS ON GAZA BENEFITING EXTREMIST ELEMENTS, SAYS UN AGENCY

RESTRICTIONS ON GAZA BENEFITING EXTREMIST ELEMENTS, SAYS UN AGENCY
New York, Nov 7 2007 7:00PM
The restrictions imposed on the Gaza Strip are serving to boost the extremist elements of the Palestinian community in the crowded territory, the head of the United Nations agency tasked with helping Palestinian refugees said today.

Karen Koning AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), <" http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/071107_UNRWA.doc.htm">told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York that Gaza's population of about 1.4 million is facing critical humanitarian shortages.

She said that since May, when economic restrictions were introduced and many border crossings closed, the number of trucks bringing goods into Gaza has dropped from 253 to 74 each day.

The availability of medicines has been particularly hard hit. The latest information obtained by UNRWA indicates that Gaza has zero stocks of 91 key drugs, while health-care clinics have told the agency that their stocks of paediatric antibiotics have also been depleted.

Ms. AbuZayd said a senior UNRWA official met this morning with officials from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to discuss what can be done to alleviate the humanitarian situation.

"We are losing the fight to those who are on the extreme ends of the groups in Gaza, and they are the ones who are benefiting by this isolation and this continual squeeze on Gaza and its economy and the people of Gaza," she said.

Ms. AbuZayd, who is in New York to address the General Assembly on the work of UNRWA, said the agency incurred a deficit of more than $90 million this year and is forecasting a deficit of $112 million next year.

While UNRWA's major donors continue to pay for the basic social services, such as health care and education, that the agency provides, she said programmes to improve the infrastructure of the Palestinian refugee camps, especially the housing, remained underfunded.

<" http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/index.html">UNRWA helps an estimated 4.5 million beneficiaries across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It has 113 international staff and over 28,000 local staff to carry out its work. The agency has asked the Assembly's Fifth Committee, which handles budgetary and administrative matters, to approve a plan to add 10 new posts in the coming biennium.
2007-11-07 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR STEPPED-UP EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE ISRAELI-LEBANESE PEACE

BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR STEPPED-UP EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE ISRAELI-LEBANESE PEACE
New York, Nov 7 2007 7:00PM
The months ahead will be critical to fully implementing the Security Council resolution that ended last year's war between Israel and Hizbollah, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2007/641">
report in which he calls for greater progress on a series of fronts so that a permanent ceasefire can be reached.

Mr. Ban writes that he hopes that last month's humanitarian gestures, in which the remains of an Israeli civilian were swapped for a Lebanese prisoner and the bodies of two Hizbollah members, will spur action to meet the humanitarian demands contained in resolution <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1701(2006)"> 1701.

"Compliance with the humanitarian demands… especially the release of the two abducted Israeli soldiers [Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser] is expected and demanded by the international community," he says.

The Secretary-General stresses that progress is also necessary on releasing Lebanese prisoners, enforcing the arms embargo on the Syrian-Lebanese border, ending Israeli air violations of Lebanese sovereignty, delineating the border between Lebanon and Syria and resuming the national dialogue in Lebanon relating to the weapons of Hizbollah and other armed groups.

But he notes that progress depends in part on a quick resolution of Lebanon's ongoing political stalemate, which has entered its eleventh month.

"The election of a President before the end of President Emile Lahoud's mandate on 24 November is an important milestone that will pave the way for further normalization of political life in Lebanon, for effective dialogue on issues of national concern and for the unimpeded functioning of Lebanon's institutions."

The terrorist attack on 19 September that killed a Lebanese lawmaker and seven others also highlighted the grave security situation inside the Middle Eastern country, he writes.

Mr. Ban urges all Lebanese leaders to play their part in trying to achieve national unity and reconciliation, warning that he fears a scenario may emerge in which the State has two competing administrations or a constitutional vacuum.

Turning to the overall progress so far on the implementation of resolution 1701, Mr. Ban says he is pleased that both the Lebanese and Israeli Governments have "an enduring commitment" to achieving that end, and that the Lebanese armed forces are working with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (<" http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/index.html">UNIFIL) to ensure that the area south of the Litani River is free of unauthorized armed personnel or weapons and not used for any hostile activities.

Last year the Secretary-General appointed a senior cartographer to try to achieve an accurate definition of the contested Shab'a Farms area, and this report details the provisional conclusions of the cartographer.

Mr. Ban states that he intends to consult all the relevant parties and the members of the Security Council regarding any further developments.
2007-11-07 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR TREATY BANNING CLUSTER MUNITIONS

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR TREATY BANNING CLUSTER MUNITIONS
New York, Nov 7 2007 7:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged States to tackle the terrible humanitarian, human rights and developmental effects of cluster munitions by concluding a legally binding instrument banning this particular type of weapon.

"The atrocious, inhumane impact of cluster munitions requires urgent action," Mr. Ban told those gathered in Geneva for this year's meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the <" http://www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/4F0DEF093B4860B4C1257180004B1B30?OpenDocument">Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

In a <" http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2844">message delivered by High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Sergio Duarte, Mr. Ban drew attention to the fact that "the characteristics of these munitions, with their inherent inaccuracy and their frequent malfunctioning, make them particularly indiscriminate both at the time of use and long after conflicts have ended."

He urged States to address the horrendous effects of these weapons by concluding a legally binding instrument prohibiting the "use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians."

Mr. Ban emphasized that such a legal instrument should require the destruction of current stockpiles of these munitions, and provide for clearance and risk mitigation activities, victim assistance, cooperation, and compliance and transparency measures.

Until such a treaty becomes a reality, he urged States to take domestic measures to immediately freeze the use and transfer of all cluster munitions.

Noting that the Conventional Weapons Convention is still short of universal membership, Mr. Ban expressed appreciation for the practical steps being taken to achieve wider adherence, especially among developing countries and States affected by mines and explosive remnants of war.
2007-11-07 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL ARRIVES IN BUENOS AIRES FOR FIRST LEG OF SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR

SECRETARY-GENERAL ARRIVES IN BUENOS AIRES FOR FIRST LEG OF SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR
New York, Nov 7 2007 6:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon began his official visit to Argentina today, the first stop on a trip that will also take him also to Chile and Brazil in the coming days.

Mr. Ban is scheduled to meet Argentina's Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana in Buenos Aires today, as well as the presidents of the country's Senate and Chamber of Deputies.

This evening, the Secretary-General and Madame Ban Soon-taek will meet with the country's President and President-elect, Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Yesterday at UN Headquarters, Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1089">spoke to reporters about his visit to Argentina, Chile and Brazil, which he said were politically and economically important members of the UN that also play a key role in efforts to address climate change issues.

While in Chile, the Secretary-General is expected to attend the Ibero-American Summit, and meet with the country's leaders. He will also head to Punta Arenas, in southern Chile, and Antarctica to learn more about climate change – an issue Mr. Ban has said of his priority issues.

Mr. Ban will learn more about Brazil's efforts to confront climate change when he visits an ethanol plant near Sao Paulo, and Tapajós National Forest in the country's Amazon region. The Secretary-General is also scheduled to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

After his visit to Latin America, Mr. Ban will travel to Tunisia, where he will attend an international counter-terrorism conference, organized by the UN, the Tunisian Government and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

From there, he heads to Valencia, Spain, to participate in launching the latest report of the <"http://www.ipcc.ch">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

"This is going to be a very hectic, 12-day-long trip, but it will be, I am sure, very rewarding," Mr. Ban told reporters prior to his departure from New York.
2007-11-07 00:00:00.000

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ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT HIGHLIGHTS HUMAN-CENTRED APPROACH TO SECURITY

ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT HIGHLIGHTS HUMAN-CENTRED APPROACH TO SECURITY
New York, Nov 7 2007 6:00PM
A human-centred approach to security – one that extends beyond the State and focuses more on the protection and empowerment of people – lies at the core of an evolving new culture of international relations, <" http://www.un.org/ga/president/62">General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said today.

Addressing a meeting of the Friends of Human Security, held this afternoon at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Kerim said this new culture is one "based on the values of human rights, the rule of law, human security, the responsibility to protect and sustainable development."

Mr. Kerim argued that a human-centred approach to security goes hand in hand with individuals accepting greater responsibility for their own well-being, but added that it also has implications for the role of the State.

"States should place greater emphasis on their individual and collective responsibilities to care for the well-being of their citizens, as well as for the well-being of individuals that may be threatened wherever they may be," he stated.

Some States have already responded and given greater importance to human security in their national security agendas, he said. They did so by promoting the importance of the link between international development and stability, and between global inequality and national security.

"In our interdependent world more and more of the threats to peace and stability are challenges that States cannot deal with on their own," he said, adding that they must be addressed collectively through the multilateral system.

"The United Nations, in particular, has an important role to play to put positive peace, and not just the mere absence of conflict, at the heart of multilateral discourses on security," stated the President.

"We should try to make human security a principle that is better reflected in a wider range of UN activities – from peacebuilding, human rights, development, and migration, to the environment, gender equality and fighting organized crime and human trafficking," he added.
2007-11-07 00:00:00.000

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