AFRICA'S MENINGITIS SEASON LESS DEADLY SO FAR THAN LAST YEAR, UN REPORTS

AFRICA'S MENINGITIS SEASON LESS DEADLY SO FAR THAN LAST YEAR, UN REPORTS New York, Feb 22 2008 7:00PM Africa's "meningitis belt" is so far experiencing much lower levels of cases than at the same time during last year's annual epidemic season, the United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) reported today.

Preliminary reports from 13 countries under the greatest surveillance indicate 2,312 cases – which include 324 deaths – during the first six weeks of this year in the belt, which stretches from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east. This is 29 per cent below the corresponding figures from last year, when 3,274 cases had been reported and 413 people had died.

However, major outbreaks have still been reported in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo have all reported cases of the highly contagious disease, but not enough to reach epidemic levels. There have been no cases so far in Cameroon or Chad.

WHO said that major vaccination campaigns are being carried out in both Burkina Faso and the CAR, while assessments are still taking place in the DRC and in neighbouring southern Sudan and Uganda.

Meningitis bacteria, which affect the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord, are transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions. Close and prolonged contact such as kissing, sneezing and coughing, and sharing eating or drinking utensils, facilitates the spread. Symptoms include stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting. The disease can result in brain damage, hearing loss or learning disability in 10 to 20 per cent of survivors.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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POOR STATE OF AFRICAN ROADS KEEPING THE CONTINENT POOR, UN ADVOCATE SAYS

POOR STATE OF AFRICAN ROADS KEEPING THE CONTINENT POOR, UN ADVOCATE SAYS New York, Feb 22 2008 7:00PM The sorry state of much of Africa's transport and communication networks is holding the continent back and preventing its countries from competing on the global market, the United Nations advocate for the world's poorest States has told the World Bank.

In an address a meeting at the Bank's headquarters in Washington, the UN Special Adviser on Africa, Cheick Sidi Diarra said road transport – which accounts for 90 per cent of inter-urban transport in Africa – was particularly poor.

Less than a third of Africa's estimated two million kilometres of roads are paved, Mr. Diarra noted, and transport costs comprise as much as 77 per cent of the value of African exports.

"There is an urgent need for supporting African countries to develop affordable transport systems that would promote trade expansion, economic growth and competitiveness," he said, especially in landlocked countries.

Mr. Diarra, who also serves as the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, said cumbersome border crossing procedures only further exacerbated the problems for landlocked nations.

"Because of such realities, landlocked developing countries find themselves among the poorest developing countries today, beset with anaemic growth rates and deteriorating social conditions. The widening development gap between landlocked developing countries, especially those in Africa and the rest of the developing world, is a clear and unmistakable trend," he added.

He called for donor-supported public funding to boost or upgrade Africa's stocks of roads, buildings and other forms of infrastructure so that it can better compete and work towards the globally agreed set of socio-economic targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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MORE COLOMBIAN REFUGEES NEED SUPPORT IN ECUADOR, SAYS UN AGENCY

MORE COLOMBIAN REFUGEES NEED SUPPORT IN ECUADOR, SAYS UN AGENCY New York, Feb 22 2008 7:00PM Almost three quarters of the 80,000 Colombians living in northern Ecuador need protection and support, and that number is likely to rise, according to a new survey by the United Nations refugee agency, which warns that many host communities are being overstretched by the arrivals.

Preliminary results from the survey by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) indicate that at least 59,000 Colombians living in Ecuador's five northern provinces need protection, the agency said today in a press statement.

UNHCR, which has shared the findings with the Ecuadorian Government, said it expects the total will rise once figures from other provinces in the small Andean country are taken into account.

Authorities are working on a plan to quickly register and provide documentation for the Colombian refugees, some of whom arrived more than a decade ago, while others fled violence in their homeland only weeks or months ago.

UNHCR is opening an office in Esmeraldas, the capital of the northern Ecuadorian province of the same name, to help the thousands of Colombian refugees with education, health care and other services.

The agency said the local economy in many border communities is also under strain from the burden of having so many extra residents, and it is working with authorities on projects to help those communities.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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NEPALESE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT TAKE PART IN VIOLENT POLITICAL ACTION, SAY UN AGENCIES

NEPALESE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT TAKE PART IN VIOLENT POLITICAL ACTION, SAY UN AGENCIES New York, Feb 22 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today issued a joint warning to all Nepalese to keep the country's children free from harm amid mounting concern that they are frequently participating in violent protests and general strikes.

In a statement issued in Kathmandu, the capital, <"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF and <"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR said they had received confirmed reports of children's involvement, especially in the Terai region, in violent activities.

Earlier this month in Nepalgunj, "a considerable number of children aged between seven and 15," some carrying sticks, were seen supporting the enforcement of a bandh or general strike. In another case, children aged between eight and 12 were observed manning a roadblock in Sunsari district armed with sticks.

More than 100 children, some in school uniforms, also took part in a violent attack on Nepali Congress members in Darchula district on 5 February.

UNICEF and OHCHR urged all parties in Nepal to respect the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to take all measures to avoid exposing boys and girls under the age of 18 to risk of harm. The country's recently enshrined electoral code clearly states that no children should be brought to participate in any kind of procession, mass meeting or election-related activity.

"Furthermore, it is unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of children in the Terai and some Eastern hill districts have been prevented from attending school due to the imposition of bandhs," the statement noted. "The indefinite closure of schools has forced girls and boys to stay at home and is depriving them of their fundamental right to education."
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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DESTRUCTION IN WEST DARFUR TOWN SHOCKING, REPORTS UN REFUGEE AGENCY

DESTRUCTION IN WEST DARFUR TOWN SHOCKING, REPORTS UN REFUGEE AGENCY New York, Feb 22 2008 6:00PM United Nations refugee agency staff participating in a joint assessment of the West Darfur town of Sirba, which came under air and ground attack from the Sudanese Government and allied militia groups earlier this month, say they were shocked at the level of destruction they witnessed.

A joint UN humanitarian mission involving the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) as well as the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP), the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and Ameerah Haq, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, visited Sirba yesterday, as some locals drift back to the town in the wake of the deadly attack on 8 February.

The residents who stayed or returned pleaded with the assessment mission for help in securing their town and nearby villages from further attacks, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters today in Geneva.

The residents also warned that fleeing across the nearby Chadian border was dangerous because of the continuing conflict in the area and the widespread banditry, and they voiced concern about their compatriots who have been living in eastern Chad since the attacks on Sirba and on the villages of Sileah and Abu Suruj.

UN agencies have been distributing emergency items such as food and shelter material since the attacks, while the Sudanese Government has also provided tents.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and over 2.2 million others displaced since 2003 because of fighting across Darfur, an arid region on Sudan's western flank, between Government forces, allied militia groups and rebels.

The UN and the African Union (AU) have dispatched a hybrid peacekeeping mission (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID) to the region to try to quell the violence and humanitarian suffering, but the most recent UN report on its deployment found that the worsening security situation in West Darfur was undermining basic aid distribution efforts.

WFP has lost 28 of its trucks to thieves and bandits so far this year and 14 of its drivers remain missing as a result of the robberies and abductions.

The agency issued an urgent appeal to all parties to improve security and road conditions so that its capacity to feed up to 3.2 million Darfurians with emergency food aid is not restricted.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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GATES FOUNDATION AND UN JOIN FORCES TO MECHANIZE WOMEN'S WORK IN WEST AFRICA

GATES FOUNDATION AND UN JOIN FORCES TO MECHANIZE WOMEN'S WORK IN WEST AFRICA New York, Feb 22 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said today it had joined forces with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in an effort to empower rural West African women with diesel engines, and, in doing so, boost their incomes.

The centrepiece of the project is a diesel-run engine mounted on a chassis, called a multifunctional platform, or MFP, to which a variety of processing equipment can be attached, including a cereal mill, husker, battery charger, and joinery and carpentry equipment, according to a <"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2008/february/gates-foundation-grants-west-african-women.en">UNDP press release.

The MFP takes domestic tasks such as milling and husking sorghum, millet, maize and other grains, normally done with a mortar and pestle or a grinding stone, and mechanises them, making them profitable economic activities.

The machine, which the project will distribute in Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal, can also generate electricity for lighting, refrigeration and water pumps.

"By investing in this simple power source for rural communities, women no longer need to spend all their time grinding grains or pumping water," UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis said as he announced the initiative in Dakar, Senegal. "They have more hours in the day to develop profitable activities that could boost their productivity, enabling them to sell better quality products and increase their income using low-cost, effective technology," he added.

A $19 million, four-year grant from the Gates Foundation will help establish 600 new sustainable, rural agro-enterprises based on the machine in West Africa, with at least 24 of the MFPs to be biofuel-based, according to UNDP.

As part of the enterprise projects, UNDP and its extensive network of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will back the women's groups with literacy and management training and support.

The benefits of the MFP have already been proven in parts of West Africa, the agency said. In Senegal, S. Sakho of Batantinty explained that before the platform was introduced in her village she rarely earned more than 25,000 CFA ($55) from processing and selling shea butter from nuts.

"With the platform I easily earn 100,000 CFA ($220) at the end of the harvest," Mrs Sakho said. The yield is high because the time is there. The platform has improved my life. I spend the earnings for the children's education and clothing; I no longer look like a peasant," she said.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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OUTSTANDING ISSUES REMAIN FOR IRAN, DESPITE PROGRESS - UN ATOMIC WATCHDOG CHIEF

OUTSTANDING ISSUES REMAIN FOR IRAN, DESPITE PROGRESS – UN ATOMIC WATCHDOG CHIEF New York, Feb 22 2008 6:00PM The head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today that it has made "quite good progress" in clarifying unresolved issues over Iran's past nuclear programme, but several hurdles remain.

"We have managed to clarify all the remaining outstanding issues, including the most important issue, which is the scope and nature of Iran's enrichment programme," Mohamed ElBaradei, the agency's Director General, told reporters after circulating his latest report on Iran's nuclear safeguards to the <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2008/iranreport0208.html">IAEA Board of Governors, which is scheduled to discuss it in Vienna on 3 March.

But the agency has yet to get to the bottom of the country's alleged past weaponization studies, he said.

Although the IAEA has no indication that such studies pertained to nuclear material, Mr. ElBaradei noted that it is crucial to clarify the issue.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring that "Iran's current activities are also exclusively for peace purposes."

To this end, the IAEA has requested the country to conclude the Additional Protocol, which gives the agency additional authority to visit sites and access additional documents to ensure that there are no undeclared nuclear activities.

"On that score, Iran in the last few months has provided us with visits to many places that enable us to have a clearer picture of Iran's current programme," the Director General said. "However, that is not, in my view, sufficient."

The country's nuclear programme – which Iranian authorities have stated is for peaceful purposes, but some other countries contend is driven by military ambitions – has been a matter of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that Iran had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In December 2006, the Security Council adopted a 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.

However, a United States intelligence report released late last year concluded that there has been no ongoing nuclear weapons programme in Iran since the fall of 2003, which Mr. ElBaradei said tallies with the findings of the IAEA.

Since Iran did not declare its nuclear programme for nearly two decades, he told the press today that there is a "confidence deficit" on the part of the international community towards the country regarding its future nuclear intentions.

"I hope that Iran will continue to work closely with the Security Council, to create the conditions for Iran and the international community to engage in comprehensive negotiation that would lead to a durable solution," the Director General, who visited the country last month, said.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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THOUSANDS FALL VICTIM TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - UN

THOUSANDS FALL VICTIM TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – UN New York, Feb 22 2008 5:00PM Over 15 per cent of women and girls in the violence-ridden north of the Central African Republic (CAR) are victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said today.

Reports coming in on a weekly basis describe such incidents as two 12-year-old girls being raped while searching for firewood in the bush and a 13-year-old girl assaulted on her way to sell palm oil at a market.

"Sexual violence is a disturbingly common feature of the insecurity in the north of the Central African Republic," said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes. "We must ensure that those responsible are brought to justice."

Over 1,000 rape survivors among 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region have received medical and psychological care, including HIV testing and counselling, in the past six months from aid groups.

"There is a dire need to expand the programmes that support the survivors of sexual violence and help communities to prevent it in the future," noted Toby Lanzer, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country.

This year's joint aid programme between the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the CAR – for which there has been an appeal for over $90 million – will include seven projects to assist those who have endured sexual violence.

Earlier this month, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) reported that some 6,000 to 7,000 Central Africans have fled their homeland for southern Chad since late January because of the increasing risk of bandit attacks in their home country.

Mostly women and children, the refugees are in poor condition, arriving with no possessions and relying on the generosity of locals, the agency said. There are now an estimated 50,000 Central African refugees living in Chad.

Both Chad and the CAR have been plagued by violence, instability and impoverishment and last year the Security Council authorized the establishment of a multi-dimensional UN presence – including a peacekeeping mission known as MINURCAT – to try to remedy the situation.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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ASEAN PLAYS KEY ROLE IN HELPING MYANMAR, UN ENVOY STRESSES

ASEAN PLAYS KEY ROLE IN HELPING MYANMAR, UN ENVOY STRESSES New York, Feb 22 2008 5:00PM Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have a significant role to play in helping Myanmar on the path to democratization and national reconciliation, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Myanmar said in Jakarta today.

Ibrahim Gambari told the press that ASEAN members made their position clear last September at the United Nations and then the following month at their summit in Singapore. He also stressed that he will continue engaging these countries, since Myanmar itself is an ASEAN member.

Mr. Gambari was speaking to reporters following his meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, in which they discussed how the UN and Indonesia can increase their collaboration with respect to Myanmar, where authorities cracked down on peaceful protesters last summer.

From Jakarta, the Envoy, who is in the region to promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar, will travel to Singapore and Tokyo for further consultations. Before arriving in Indonesia, he had stopped in Beijing.

Yesterday, Mr. Gambari said that he hopes to return to Myanmar in the first week of March and that the South-East Asian nation's authorities are in the process of inviting him.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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UGANDA AND REBELS MAKE MORE PROGRESS TOWARDS PEACE ACCORD, SAYS UN ENVOY

UGANDA AND REBELS MAKE MORE PROGRESS TOWARDS PEACE ACCORD, SAYS UN ENVOY New York, Feb 22 2008 5:00PM The United Nations envoy for the peace process between the Ugandan Government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) says more progress is being made in the talks between the two sides as they try to reach a comprehensive peace accord ending their long-running conflict.

Joaquim Chissano, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the LRA-Affected Areas, remains in Juba, where the Government of Southern Sudan is mediating peace talks between Uganda and the LRA, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

Mr. Chissano reports that the parties signed a protocol that covers the issue of rehabilitation, recovery and development of northern Uganda, as well as the question of fair representation of that region in the national government and institutions such as the army.

The two sides are now discussing a ceasefire and have indicated they may come to an agreement on that within days, Mr. Haq added.

Today's protocol comes days after Kampala and the LRA reached a deal – a move welcomed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon – on mechanisms to implement the principles for accountability and reconciliation agreed to in an earlier accord.

Ugandan armed forces and the LRA have fought since the mid-1980s but signed a ceasefire in 2006 and have been engaged in peace talks in recent months in a bid to obtain a permanent settlement.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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REPORTS OF POLITICAL DETENTIONS IN CHAD ALARM UN HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY

REPORTS OF POLITICAL DETENTIONS IN CHAD ALARM UN HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY New York, Feb 22 2008 5:00PM The United Nations human rights agency says it is concerned by the reported abduction and detention of several opposition leaders and members of civil society organizations in Chad, following the recent rebel assault on the capital, N'Djamena.

"While appreciating that the Chadian Government has faced a major crisis, the Office has called for fundamental human rights and freedoms to be respected during the state of emergency," Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR), said.

"We remain concerned about reports of killings of large numbers of civilians during the fighting and call upon the Government of Chad to fully investigate these allegations and hold those responsible to account," he added.

A 15 February presidential decree that declared a nationwide state of emergency authorized house searches and press controls, as well as limiting movement of people and vehicles and banning most meetings, according to OHCHR.

"We call on the Government of Chad to respect fundamental human rights and freedoms during the period of the state of emergency, which we hope will be as brief as possible," Mr. Colville said.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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ZAMBIAN FLOODS PROMPT UNICEF TO HAND OUT $1 MILLION OF EMERGENCY AID

ZAMBIAN FLOODS PROMPT UNICEF TO HAND OUT $1 MILLION OF EMERGENCY AID New York, Feb 22 2008 5:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_42933.html">UNICEF) will provide over $1 million worth of emergency assistance to about 70,000 Zambian families whose homes have been washed away during deadly recent flooding that has also devastated crop harvests.

Tents, school supplies and basic household items are among the materials that UNICEF will distribute across Zambia, the agency said in a press statement released today in Lusaka, the capital.

UNICEF is working to ensure that latrines are limed and shallow wells buried to avoid outbreaks of cholera, while chlorine, water purification tablets, collapsible water tanks and soap are also being distributed.

Claudia Hudspeth, the agency's Emergency Coordinator, warned that as floodwaters recede, the risk of outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera, malaria and other infectious diseases increases, particularly given the presence of contaminated wells and stagnant water sources.

"Urgent action is crucial to prevent outbreaks of disease, which are of great concern at the onset of a crisis, especially among children," she said.

The recovery operation is complicated by the high prevalence rates of HIV in some of the most flood-affected provinces, such as Lusaka and Southern, and UNICEF warned that anti-retroviral therapy and HIV prevention messages must continue to be available.

The agency's officials added that more help is on the way, in the form of therapeutic milk supplies for severely malnourished children and emergency kits – which include a jerry cans, cooking pots, a bucket and other essential household items – being flown in from neighbouring Malawi.

Zambia is one of a handful of southern African countries to have been hard hit by flooding this season, along with Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It also suffered from major inundations last year. An estimated 45 per cent of this year's crop harvest in Southern Province has been lost so far this season.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR 'UTMOST RESTRAINT' IN TURKEY-IRAQ BORDER ACTIONS

BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR 'UTMOST RESTRAINT' IN TURKEY-IRAQ BORDER ACTIONS New York, Feb 22 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern today over the latest escalation of tension along the Turkish-Iraqi border, appealing for "utmost restraint" in actions there and for respect of the border between the two countries.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11436.doc.htm">statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban also reiterated his previous calls for an immediate end to continued incursions by elements of the armed Kurdish group, PKK, carrying out terrorist attacks in Turkey from northern Iraq.

"The protection of civilian life on both sides of the border remains the paramount concern," the statement added, as the Secretary-General appealed to the Governments of Iraq and Turkey to work together to promote peace and stability.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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NO OBSTRUCTIONS TO REGROUPING OF PEACEKEEPERS IN ERITREA, UN SAYS

NO OBSTRUCTIONS TO REGROUPING OF PEACEKEEPERS IN ERITREA, UN SAYS New York, Feb 22 2008 4:00PM With Eritrea still hindering the temporary relocation of United Nations peacekeepers to Ethiopia, the UN mission to the two countries said today that there were as yet no obstructions to its regrouping in the Eritrean capital of Asmara.

UN convoys en route to Asmara are moving troops, equipment and supplies from all sectors of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) that divides the Horn of Africa countries which fought a bloody border war that ended in 2000, according to the UN Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/index.html">UNMEE).

Earlier this month, UNMEE decided to relocate to Ethiopia after Eritrea cut off diesel fuel supplies to the Mission, paralyzing the operation on that side of the border.

Additionally, food stocks are also running extremely low for blue helmets after a commercial company supplying rations to UNMEE said it would no longer fulfil its contractual obligations.

The mission's personnel and equipment began regrouping this weekend in a bid to speed up the relocation.

Yesterday, Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), briefed the Security Council on UNMEE's temporary relocation efforts, after which Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the rotating Council presidency, told journalists that the 15-member panel "condemned Eritrea's systematic violations of successive Security Council resolutions."
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY REBUILDS HOMES OF 18,000 LEBANESE AIR-RAID VICTIMS

UN AGENCY REBUILDS HOMES OF 18,000 LEBANESE AIR-RAID VICTIMS New York, Feb 22 2008 4:00PM The United Nations shelter agency said today that it has completed the repair of thousands of buildings in Lebanon that provide homes to some 18,200 people and which were hit by Israeli air raids during the fierce war with Hizbollah in mid-2006.

The renovated homes, renovated by UN-Habitat with €1.2 million in funding from the European Union's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), are in neighbourhoods of the capital, Beirut, as well as in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

Partners in the projects included the municipality of Choueifat, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Danish Refugee Council and local neighbourhood committees.

"We consider this project essential," Mayor Bassam Raad of Baalbak said. "We wish this to continue with this project so that the city of Baalbak will become more organized and more developed."

Since November 2006, <"http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5579&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0">UN-HABITAT in Lebanon was able to secure some €3 million from several donors, mainly from ECHO and the governments of the Netherlands, Cyprus and Finland, it said.

Its mandate in post-crisis environs includes reconstruction efforts as well as projects to strengthen communities and lay the foundation for long-term sustainable recovery, the agency said.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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SIERRA LEONE: UN-BACKED COURT UPHOLDS JAIL SENTENCES FOR REBEL LEADERS

SIERRA LEONE: UN-BACKED COURT UPHOLDS JAIL SENTENCES FOR REBEL LEADERS New York, Feb 22 2008 4:00PM The United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) today upheld the long jail sentences it handed down last year to three former rebel leaders convicted of multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the country's brutal civil war in the 1990s.

Alex Tamba Brima and Santigie Borbor Kanu are each serving 50-year prison terms and Brima Bazzy Kamara is serving 45 years after each being found guilty of 11 charges, including committing acts of terrorism, murder, rape and enslavement and conscripting children under the age of 15 into armed groups.

The three men, former leaders of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), a group of Sierra Leonean soldiers who allied themselves with the notorious rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) during the civil war, had each appealed against their convictions and the length of their sentences.

The prosecution, in addition, appealed against the men's acquittal at the trial on several other charges.

The appeals chamber upheld the prosecution's appeal in part on questions concerning the criminality of the act of forced marriage and the issue of joint criminal enterprise, but declined to enter new convictions for the men.

After today's judgment, SCSL Prosecutor Stephen Rapp issued a statement welcoming the ruling.

"This final decision closes a violent chapter in the history of Sierra Leone. It establishes forever that 'some of the most heinous, vicious and brutal crimes in human history' were committed," he said, quoting from the appeal ruling.

Mr. Rapp paid tribute to the people of Sierra Leone who came forward at the trial as witnesses to tell their stories, describing them as "nothing short of heroic. These men, women and even children took great risks so that the world would know the horrors that the people of this country suffered. Their bravery has ensured that the men responsible for these atrocious crimes would not escape justice."

The SCSL, the second international war crimes tribunal set up in Africa, is mandated to try those bearing the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian and Sierra Leonean law within the country's borders since 30 November 1996.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON SELECTS ALGERIAN OFFICIAL AS TOP ENVOY FOR WEST AFRICA

BAN KI-MOON SELECTS ALGERIAN OFFICIAL AS TOP ENVOY FOR WEST AFRICA New York, Feb 22 2008 4:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Security Council of his plan to appoint Algeria's Said Djinnit as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA).

Mr. Djinnit is replacing Gen. Lamine Cissé, who has served as Officer-in-Charge of UNOWA since last September, when his predecessor, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, was re-assigned.

Currently serving as the African Union's Commissioner for Peace and Security, Mr. Djinnit has worked for the AU in several senior positions, including as its Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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IN WAKE OF DEADLY CYCLONE, UNICEF DELIVERS AID TO AFFECTED IN MADAGASCAR

IN WAKE OF DEADLY CYCLONE, UNICEF DELIVERS AID TO AFFECTED IN MADAGASCAR New York, Feb 22 2008 4:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has begun distributing blankets, sanitation kits and other emergency supplies to families in affected areas of northern Madagascar after Cyclone Ivan battered the country this week, leaving at least 22 people dead and thousands either homeless or needing aid.

Six administrative regions of Madagascar were hit by the cyclone, whose winds reached up to 190 kilometres per hour when it struck on Sunday, according to a press statement issued yesterday by <"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF.

The agency is helping authorities in the affected areas assess the extent of damage, a task hampered by the cuts to communication networks, roads and bridges.

The north-eastern seaside city of Toamasina has been particularly hard hit, with water and electricity supplies severed and rising flood waters as a result of the accompanying heavy rainfall.

Cyclone Ivan's trail of destruction comes less than a month after Cyclone Fame struck Madagascar, killing 12 and leaving 5,000 Malagasy homeless.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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CLIMATE CHANGE LEADING TO SHRINKING FISH STOCKS, UN SAYS

CLIMATE CHANGE LEADING TO SHRINKING FISH STOCKS, UN SAYS New York, Feb 22 2008 3:00PM The supply of fish stocks will plummet as the world heats up, impacting millions of people in developing nations who depend on fishing for their livelihoods, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=528&ArticleID=5751&l=en">UNEP).

Rising greenhouse gas emissions threaten at least three quarters of key fishing grounds, and this could affect the 2.6 billion people who derive their protein from seafood worldwide, the study noted.

The ocean's natural pumping systems, which bring nutrients to fisheries and also help flush out wastes and pollution, are under threat.

Additionally, increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will raise the acid level in seas and oceans, which will hurt corals as well as planktonic organisms at the base of the food chain.

"Climate change threatens coastal infrastructure, food and water supplies and the health of people across the world," said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. "This is as much a development and economic issue as it is an environmental one."

The new report was compiled from the agency's various research hubs, including the GRID Arendal Centre, World Conservation Monitoring Centre and Division of Early Warning and Assessment.

It noted that the worst effects of a combination of climate change, over-harvesting, bottom trawling, invasive species infestations, coastal development and pollution are concentrated in 10 to 15 per cent of oceans, far higher than previously thought.

The study, <i>In Dead Water</i>, was launched at UNEP's Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, which ended today in Monaco.

Focusing on the theme "Mobilizing Finance for the Climate Challenge," it is the largest gathering of environment ministers since last December's landmark UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, which ended with 187 countries agreeing to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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UN TRIBUNAL STAYS ORDER TEMPORARILY RELEASING FIVE FORMER BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS

UN TRIBUNAL STAYS ORDER TEMPORARILY RELEASING FIVE FORMER BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS New York, Feb 22 2008 2:00PM The United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s today stayed its decision earlier this week to grant provisional release to five former senior Bosnian Croat figures who are currently on trial.

The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY) in The Hague stayed the release order issued by the trial chamber on Tuesday after prosecutors filed leave to appeal, voicing concern that the men could be flight risks.

Jadranko Prli&#263;, Bruno Stoji&#263;, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petkovi&#263; and Valentin Cori&#263; – all on trial in what is known as the 'Prli&#263; and others' case – had been granted conditional release for varying periods of time until the scheduled beginning of the defence case on 5 May.

But the five accused will now remain in the custody of the ICTY's detention until the appeals chamber issues its ruling on the merits of the prosecution appeal into Tuesday's order. Their other co-accused, Berislav Pušic, was not involved in the order for temporary release.

The accused, former high-level leaders in the Bosnian Croat wartime entity known as Herceg-Bosna, stand accused of war crimes committed in 1992 and 1993 against Bosnian Muslims and other non-Croats in south-western and central Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the municipalities of Prozor, Gornji Vakuf, Jablanica, Mostar, Ljubuški, Stolac, Capljina and Vareš.

The many charges include murder, rape, unlawful deportation, imprisonment, cruel treatment, unlawful labour, the wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages, and persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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LIECHTENSTEIN CAN DO MORE TO ENHANCE ITS FINANCIAL INTEGRITY - UN ANTI-CRIME CHIEF

LIECHTENSTEIN CAN DO MORE TO ENHANCE ITS FINANCIAL INTEGRITY – UN ANTI-CRIME CHIEF New York, Feb 22 2008 1:00PM The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called on Liechtenstein to take further steps to enhance its integrity as a financial centre after the tiny European principality recently ratified a global pact against international organized crime and human trafficking.

Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html">UNODC, issued a statement yesterday in Vienna describing Liechtenstein's ratification of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crimes – which contains protocols against human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants – as a critical step in the global fight against transnational threats.

"This will further strengthen Liechtenstein's efforts to combat money-laundering and enhance its integrity as an important financial centre," he said. "It also opens the way for better mutual legal assistance, and eliminates banking secrecy as an impediment to prosecuting financial crimes."

But Mr. Costa added that "tax havens should not be used to shelter the proceeds of crime" and he urged Liechtenstein to also ratify the UN Convention against Corruption.

"This would be a clear signal of Liechtenstein's commitment to fighting corruption and improving international efforts to recover stolen assets. We need all countries, large and small, to prevent dirty money from finding a safe haven."
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ: TOP UN ENVOY WELCOMES AL-SADR CEASEFIRE EXTENSION

IRAQ: TOP UN ENVOY WELCOMES AL-SADR CEASEFIRE EXTENSION New York, Feb 22 2008 1:00PM The United Nations' top envoy to Iraq today welcomed the decision of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr to prolong the suspension of the armed activities of his Jaysh ul Mehdi militia, also known as the Mahdi Army.

Staffan de Mistura, the Special Representative of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said he hoped the additional six-month suspension "would help sustain the reduction of violence and reinforce progress towards national dialogue and reconciliation," according to a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

Mr. de Mistura also appealed to all Iraqi parties to engage in a constructive dialogue and take mutual confidence-building measures.

In his most recent report on Iraq, Secretary-General Ban said that an extension of the ceasefire was a crucial element in the effort to continue reducing the level of violence in the strife-torn country.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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CAMEROON: UN PROVIDES MORE FOOD AID AS CHADIAN REFUGEES MOVE INTO CAMPS

CAMEROON: UN PROVIDES MORE FOOD AID AS CHADIAN REFUGEES MOVE INTO CAMPS New York, Feb 22 2008 10:06AM As many as 20,000 Chadian refugees who recently fled to northern Cameroon are receiving essential food items from the United Nations, as they begin to make their way from a transit centre near the border to a camp.

The refugees, who left the Chadian capital of N'Djamena because of fighting between Government forces and armed opposition groups, are being transferred to Maltan camp from the transit site in Kousseri, which is currently host to some 30,000 refugees.

So far, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2775">WFP) has provided more than 2,400 refugees who have arrived at Maltan camp with a 10-day ration of high-energy biscuits, pulses, cereals and vegetable oil.

The agency noted that as the security situation has eased in N'Djamena, many people began returning to the Chadian capital last week. Others, however, do not feel ready to go back yet. Many of the refugees lost much of their belongings during looting in N'Djamena.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says it has registered over 10,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) who have crossed into southern Chad at the Maya and Bougounanga border crossings.

"Hundreds more are awaiting screening by our teams and new arrivals are crossing the border every day," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond said at a press briefing in Geneva today.

The first refugees crossed into Chad last December in relatively small numbers, followed by major influxes in recent weeks.

Mr. Redmond said that a UNHCR emergency mission that went to the border region on Thursday found that the refugees are exhausted by their long journey to reach safety in Chad, and living out in the open with only makeshift shelters and trees for cover.

UNHCR is setting up a transit centre in Dembo, 25 kilometres north of the border, where it will begin to relocate the refugees beginning next Wednesday and provide them with relief items. Trucks carrying supplies left N'Djamena on Wednesday with 400 tents, 6,000 blankets, 4,187 jerry cans, 6,000 mats and 400 rolls of plastic sheeting. WFP is also planning to do a food distribution in Dembo.

In addition, UNHCR is working to move some of the refugees to one of three refugee camps near Goré -- the main town in southern Chad. There are at least 50,000 refugees from northern CAR in three camps and along the border in southern Chad.
2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY SEEKS $8 MILLION TO FEED TAJIKS HIT BY RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES

UN AGENCY SEEKS $8 MILLION TO FEED TAJIKS HIT BY RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES New York, Feb 22 2008 10:00AM The harshest winter Tajikistan has seen in decades has prompted a food and energy crisis leaving some 200,000 in need of emergency aid, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today as it appealed for $8.3 million to help those affected.

The funds requested by WFP -- part of a wider $25 million joint appeal made earlier this week by the UN -- will be used to buy and distribute three months worth of emergency food rations for 200,000 of the most vulnerable people, most of whom live in rural areas. The agency's non-governmental partners will help another 60,000 people.

The onset of the severe weather, including temperatures that have dropped to as low as -25°C, and the energy shortage have prompted the Government to ration electricity, water and gas supplies. Amid rising food and fuel prices, millions have been forced to spend the little money they have to keep warm and have been unable to buy enough food.

WFP Tajikistan Country Director Zlatan Milisic said that while people are spending much more on food than before, they are eating much less. "We already see many poor families forced to eat just one meal a day. Many have already sold their animals and other productive assets."

He noted that about 10 per cent of the rural population, or 500,000 people, are chronically food insecure and a further 17 per cent are very vulnerable to food insecurity. "This is the last thing they needed," he added.

The agency is already providing basic food assistance to some 300,000 to 400,000 people in Tajikistan as part of a two-year operation that began last July. Some food from that programme has been transferred for the current emergency. "As soon as we receive confirmations of new funding, we will be able to advance further emergency relief to the people in need, from the existing stocks," Mr. Milisic said.

WFP has so far received $2.2 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $216,000 from the Government of Italy, leaving a shortfall of almost $5.9 million for the current crisis.

2008-02-22 00:00:00.000

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PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION TO REQUEST FUNDS TO SUPPORT GUINEA-BISSAU'S RECOVERY

PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION TO REQUEST FUNDS TO SUPPORT GUINEA-BISSAU'S RECOVERY New York, Feb 21 2008 7:00PM The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission says it will ask Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to declare Guinea-Bissau eligible for an initial grant from the UN fund set up to help countries emerging from conflict slide back into chaos.

Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil, chair of the Commission's Guinea-Bissau configuration, told a meeting yesterday at UN Headquarters in New York that the impoverished West African nation needs the grant to help it recover from lingering political instability and daunting socio-economic challenges.

The Ambassador's remarks followed a presentation by Guinea-Bissau's Prime Minister Martinho N'Dafa Cabi, who told the Commission that while the Government was attempting to consolidate recent gains, it needs assistance to make improvements in areas such as security, elections, fiscal management, fighting drug trafficking and reducing youth unemployment.

Guinea-Bissau became the third country to fall under the Commission's purview late last year, joining Sierra Leone and Burundi as countries that will receive advice and support from a body established in 2006 to try to prevent post-conflict nations from sliding backwards.

Shola Omoregie, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Guinea-Bissau, welcomed the recent efforts of the Government and said they now need to be reinforced.

"The [Peacebuilding Commission's] engagement with Guinea-Bissau will be an added impetus for making irreversible the transition from post-conflict reconstruction to peace consolidation, and thereby yielding concrete dividends in political stability and socio-economic development," Mr. Omoregie said.

The envoy stressed the need for Guinea-Bissau to work closely with the international community to ensure that projects are effectively implemented and monitored and funds for those projects are disbursed quickly.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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THOUSANDS OF LANGUAGES FACE EXTINCTION, UN WARNS AT START OF INTERNATIONAL YEAR

THOUSANDS OF LANGUAGES FACE EXTINCTION, UN WARNS AT START OF INTERNATIONAL YEAR New York, Feb 21 2008 7:00PM The International Year of Languages kicked off today with a warning from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that more than half the world's 6,700 spoken languages are threatened with extinction and every two weeks on average one language disappears somewhere around the world.

In a message marking International Mother Language Day, which was also celebrated today, <"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=41781&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura stressed the importance of all languages to everyday life.

"Far from being a field reserved for analysis by specialists, languages lie at the heart of all social, economic and cultural life," Mr. Matsuura said, explaining that 'Languages matter!' is the UNESCO slogan for the International Year.

The agency held a series of events – including a round table, a seminar, several presentations and an information workshop – at its Paris headquarters to mark the Day and launch the International Year.

International Mother Language Day has been celebrated on 21 February each year since 2000, and this year UNESCO said it had placed special emphasis on international instruments and standards that encourage multilingualism.

The agency warned that when a language fades, so does a part of the world's cultural tapestry, adding that globalization is placing many languages under ever greater threat. Today, experts estimate that 96 per cent of the world's languages are spoken by only 4 per cent of the total population.

"Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression – valuable resources for ensuring a better future are also lost," UNESCO said in a statement.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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FUTURE OF KOSOVO IS 'MULTI-ETHNIC,' TOP UN ENVOY SAYS

FUTURE OF KOSOVO IS 'MULTI-ETHNIC,' TOP UN ENVOY SAYS New York, Feb 21 2008 7:00PM It is crucial that Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia on Sunday, be "multi-ethnic," a top United Nations envoy said today.

"I think it's very important that the Kosovo Serbs are perceived as part of the future Kosovo," the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Joachim Rücker, told UN Radio.

Ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities by nine to one in Kosovo, which was administered by the UN after Western forces drove out Yugoslav forces amid inter-ethnic fighting over eight years ago.

Mr. Rücker, who also heads the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), said that the two sides must cooperate and engage in dialogue.

"We all have to be careful, understanding, sensible and sensitive to the need of each community and to build on that," he noted.

Both Mr. Rücker and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have in recent days emphasized the need for everyone in Kosovo to exercise calm and to respect UNMIK and the NATO-led Kosovo Force, or KFOR.

Other than violent attacks earlier this week by Serb fringe groups on two boundary crossings in the north, the situation has remained generally calm since the Assembly of Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government adopted a resolution on Sunday declaring its independence from Serbia.

Belgrade and Pristina were unable to reach agreement on Kosovo's status, which had been the subject of months of negotiations led by the troika, comprising the European Union, Russia and the United States. That group was set up after a stalemate emerged over a proposal by Mr. Ban's Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, for a phased process of independence for Kosovo.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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ERITREA CONTINUES OBSTRUCTING RELOCATION, UN MISSION SAYS

ERITREA CONTINUES OBSTRUCTING RELOCATION, UN MISSION SAYS New York, Feb 21 2008 6:00PM Eritrea is still blocking the temporary move of the United Nations peacekeeping mission across the border to Ethiopia, the mission to the neighbouring Horn of Africa countries reported today, as UN blue helmets and other personnel continued to regroup in Asmara to facilitate the relocation.

The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmee/index.html">UNMEE) said that Eritrean militiamen have held back a vehicle carrying two peacekeepers attempting to travel to Asmara from the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), and they could not proceed until Asmara had given instructions.

Four armoured personnel carriers that had been held up by Eritrea since 17 February in Om Hajer, a border post in the country's far west, were allowed to travel to Asmara today.

These developments come as Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), briefed the Security Council today in a closed meeting on UNMEE's temporary relocation efforts.

Earlier this month, the UN decided to relocate to Ethiopia after Eritrea cut off diesel fuel supplies to the Mission, paralyzing the operation on that side of the border.

Additionally, food stocks are also running extremely low for blue helmets after a commercial company supplying rations to UNMEE said it would no longer fulfil its contractual obligations.

Asmara's lack of cooperation has hindered UNMEE's move to Ethiopia, and the mission's personnel and equipment began regrouping this weekend in a bid to speed up the relocation.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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MOB VIOLENCE NEVER ACCEPTABLE, UN ENVOY TELLS LIBERIANS AFTER DEADLY FRACAS

MOB VIOLENCE NEVER ACCEPTABLE, UN ENVOY TELLS LIBERIANS AFTER DEADLY FRACAS New York, Feb 21 2008 6:00PM Liberians must never resort to mob vigilantism but instead allow the country's justice system to do its work after a serious crime has been committed, the United Nations envoy to the West African nation said after a recent attack by a large crowd led to the killing of a woman and the burning of a police station.

Ellen Margrethe Løj, the UN Envoy in Liberia, told a town hall meeting yesterday in Tappita, Nimba county, that the country's citizens must take a stand against violence.

"What happened just a few days ago is unacceptable," she said, according to a press release issued by the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). "We are helping the Liberia National Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding this murder. And we condemn this murder and the mob violence in the strongest possible terms."

After the murder of a 38-year-old woman, a violent mob set the newly constructed police station on fire, forcing a Bangladeshi contingent of UNMIL troops to rescue several murder suspects being detained at the police station.

Several UNMIL troops, as well as other law enforcement officers and the suspects, were injured as the mob attacked them with stones, sticks and other missiles, while a woman was killed.

Ms. Løj urged Liberians to "give peace a chance. The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but we cannot rush in anger and start practising mob violence. You must let the police and the courts do their work."

She also called on chiefs, elders and community leaders attending the town hall meeting in Tappita to take the lead in the campaign to reduce violence against women.

"We need you to speak out against sexual and gender-based violence, especially rape. Rape is the most common serious crime in Liberia today. You should get involved in stopping these grave crimes that affect our mothers, aunties, our sisters, daughters and nieces."
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY HOPES TO RETURN TO MYANMAR IN EARLY MARCH

UN ENVOY HOPES TO RETURN TO MYANMAR IN EARLY MARCH New York, Feb 21 2008 5:00PM The Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Myanmar said today he hopes to return to the South-East Asian nation in the first week of March, adding that the authorities there are currently in the process of inviting him.

The visit will be Ibrahim Gambari's third to the country since last summer's crackdown by the Myanmar authorities on peaceful protesters.

Mr. Gambari is currently in Jakarta, following a visit to Beijing, as part of his regional consultations to help promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with senior Indonesian officials, including Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, Mr. Gambari said that they share very common objectives for a peaceful, united, stable, prosperous Myanmar, moving along the path of democracy with full respect for human rights.

He added that the authorities in Myanmar made some significant announcements in terms of timelines for implementing its political road map, referring to the Government's intention to hold a constitutional referendum this May, followed by multi-party democratic elections in 2010.

It is very important that Myanmar works together with neighbouring countries, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the international community to enhance the credibility of this constitutional process and to make national reconciliation more inclusive, he stressed.

Continuing his regional meetings, Mr. Gambari is expected to travel to Singapore next week and then to Tokyo.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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UN FLAG TO WAVE AGAIN IN OUTER SPACE

UN FLAG TO WAVE AGAIN IN OUTER SPACE New York, Feb 21 2008 5:00PM A United Nations flag will make a historic round trip to the international space station this coming April, the Organization's Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) announced today.

Upon its return to Earth, the banner will be presented to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before being taken to Vienna later this year to take a prominent place among the permanent items at the space exhibition at the International Centre in the Austrian capital.

It will fly to the station with astronaut Ko San of the Republic of Korea, who will be conducting scientific experiments at the orbiting facility for eight days.

The tradition of astronauts carrying the UN flag into outer space began during the earliest manned space missions. To date, the blue and white symbol has orbited the Earth, flown aboard space stations and reached the moon.

OOSA is responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space and the development and codification of international space law. There are currently five UN treaties governing outer space.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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UN PEACEKEEPING CHIEF CONGRATULATES TIMOR-LESTE ON CALM FOLLOWING ATTACKS

UN PEACEKEEPING CHIEF CONGRATULATES TIMOR-LESTE ON CALM FOLLOWING ATTACKS New York, Feb 21 2008 4:00PM With no significant security incidents having occurred following last week's attempts on the lives of both the President and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, the top United Nations peacekeeping official today lauded the leaders and people of the tiny nation for remaining calm and displaying restraint.

"What some feared might have deteriorated into a destabilizing crisis did not transpire, with the institutions of the State and citizens showing strong resilience," Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno told an <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9259.doc.htm">open debate of the Security Council.

He urged the Timorese to continue holding back from politicizing the attacks on President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, who were attacked separately on 11 February.

Mr. Gusmão escaped unhurt, but Mr. Ramos-Horta was flown to Australia for surgery after being shot at his home. He is currently in stable condition and doctors are optimistic that he will make a full recovery.

A "state of siege" was declared on 11 February and has been extended until 23 February. "In taking these measures, the Government and the Parliament have acted with restraint and with due respect for the Constitution and human rights," Mr. Guéhenno said at the meeting, which heard from two dozen speakers.

But given that the country came so close to a real breakdown, it is imperative that the grievances of supporters of the late fugitive leader Alfredo Reinado and petitioners, as well as the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs), be tackled immediately, the peacekeeping official noted.

Each issue, "in and of itself, should be solvable with a concerted effort across the political spectrum," he said.

Mr. Reinado, who was killed in fighting during the attack on Mr. Gusmão's motorcade, had been the target of investigations by the UN Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste which was set up to examine the deadly violence that erupted in April-May 2006. It found that the leader and his group were reasonably suspected of committing crimes during that period.

The 2006 crisis, attributed in part to differences between Timor-Leste's eastern and western regions, began in April with the firing of 600 striking soldiers, a third of the overall armed forces. Ensuing violence claimed at least 37 lives and drive 155,000 people, or about 15 per cent of the total population, from their homes. The Security Council created the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) in August that year to help restore stability.

At today's meeting, Mr. Guéhenno emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of the displaced, who number 100,000 in Timor-Leste.

"The IDP situation is a political and security concern as well as a humanitarian one, and largely considered as neither short-term nor easily 'fixed,'" he said, calling for a "holistic" approach involving bolstering security and strengthening the legal framework for resolving land and property disputes, among other measures.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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OVER 200 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR IRAQI GOVERNORATE ELECTION SLOTS - UN MISSION

OVER 200 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR IRAQI GOVERNORATE ELECTION SLOTS – UN MISSION New York, Feb 21 2008 4:00PM More than 200 applications have been received for the eight remaining directorships of Iraq's governorate election offices (GEOs), the United Nations assistance mission for that country (UNAMI) announced today in Baghdad.

The number of applications received "proves that Iraqis are ready to participate in the selection process and in determining their own future," Staffan de Mistura, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative in Iraq, said at a press conference.

To date, according to <"http://www.uniraq.org/default.asp">UNAMI, 224 applications had been submitted for positions in the seven governorates of Basra, Diala, Karbala, Najaf, Nenawa, Wassit and Baghdad, where there are two offices, to help implement legislation calling for governorate elections before 1 October.

The mission added that 22 women had submitted applications for the posts, which must be received before the deadline of 28 February.

Concerns had been raised by the UN and many political leaders in Iraq about the way in which the previous selection of 11 of Iraq's 19 governorate election office directors were conducted in September 2007, and the mission last week urged an improved selection process.

"The applications process for these positions is an initial step towards transparent and professional selection of the remaining eight governorate electoral offices directors," Mr. Mistura said.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS SPECIAL ADVISER ON RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS SPECIAL ADVISER ON RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT New York, Feb 21 2008 4:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Edward Luck of the United States as his Special Adviser with a focus on the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Currently Vice President and Director of Studies of the International Peace Academy and Director of Columbia University's Center on International Organizations, Mr. Luck will serve at the Assistant Secretary-General level on a part-time basis.

Agreed to by world leaders in 2005, the responsibility to protect holds States responsible for shielding their own populations from genocide and other major human rights abuses and requires the international community to step in if this obligation is not met.

"Mr. Luck's primary role will be conceptual development and consensus building, to assist the General Assembly to continue consideration of this crucial issue," UN Spokesperson Michele Montas said at a press briefing in New York.

Towards this end, the Secretary-General has asked Mr. Luck to help him develop proposals, through a broad consultative process, to be considered by the UN membership.

In his new role, Mr. Luck will be working closely with Mr. Ban's Special Representative for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, Francis Deng, given the complementary nature of their work.

Before joining Columbia University, Mr. Luck was Founder and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of International Organization, a research centre jointly established by New York University and Princeton University.

He has also played a key role in the UN reform process and served as head of the UN Association of the USA.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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PALESTINIAN FARMERS TO BENEFIT FROM UN PROJECTS IN GAZA, WEST BANK

PALESTINIAN FARMERS TO BENEFIT FROM UN PROJECTS IN GAZA, WEST BANK New York, Feb 21 2008 3:00PM The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000790/index.html">FAO) is helping Palestinian farmers, shepherds and fishermen in Gaza and the West Bank whose livelihoods have been severely affected by ongoing difficulties in getting essential products into those areas.

FAO currently has 14 projects – amounting to $10 million – in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, focusing on areas such as horticulture and greenhouse and irrigation rehabilitation.

There has been serious concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, given that agriculture and fisheries have been severely impacted by lack of inputs, constraints on farm exports and restrictions on fishing areas.

While some agricultural inputs can be purchased locally, those procured abroad are more difficult to import, including plastic sheeting for greenhouses which is currently awaiting clearance by Israeli authorities.

During a visit to region last month, FAO Emergency Operations Senior Planning Officer Suzanne Raswant said she was "impressed at the energy and commitment of the FAO Gaza team which is working hard to deliver services and assistance under very difficult conditions."

In addition to the current projects, FAO is seeking an additional $7.3 million this year to help restore livelihoods for farmers, those raising livestock and fishermen, as well as to improve food security.

FAO is also working to help Gazans detect and respond to bird flu outbreaks, including through training and the provision of essential testing equipment.

Earlier this week, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs highlighted the worsening conditions in Gaza and the West Bank resulting from closures and restrictions on the movement of goods and people during his recent visit to the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel.

"After eight months of very serious restrictions on the movement of goods, the political and security crisis in and around Gaza has increasingly severe humanitarian consequences," said John Holmes, who also serves as UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

He called for the lifting of the regime of closure and restrictions – which has seriously affected the daily lives and economy activities of those living in the West Bank – in a way that would not jeopardize Israel's legitimate security concerns.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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13 NATIONS, CITIES AND COMPANIES PLEDGE TO SLASH EMISSIONS IN NEW UN SCHEME

13 NATIONS, CITIES AND COMPANIES PLEDGE TO SLASH EMISSIONS IN NEW UN SCHEME New York, Feb 21 2008 2:00PM Four countries, four cities and five corporations have become the first to sign on to a new United Nations Internet-based scheme in a bid to hasten climate neutrality.

The UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=528&ArticleID=5750&l=en">UNEP), with the cooperation of the UN Environment Management Group, today launched the Climate Neutral Network (CN NET), a new weapon to tackle the challenge of rising greenhouse gases.

The initiative will complement the process currently under way to negotiate a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, which itself will achieve climate neutrality this year. "The CN Net can assist in building confidence through demonstrable action at the national and local level on the art of the possible," he noted.

The new programme will highlight the plans, strategies and successes of participants and also seeks to act as a forum to impart information to those aspiring to climate neutrality.

The countries – Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway – along with the four cities and five companies taking part, are expected to be joined over the coming months by intergovernmental organizations, civil society groups and even individuals.

"The CN Net is also in for the long haul and equally aimed at mobilizing a broad-based response demonstrating that a transition to a low, even zero, carbon future can be a reality if inspiring and practical actions can be federated around the world," Mr. Steiner observed.

Costa Rica has set 2021, the 200th anniversary of its independence, as the target date for climate neutrality and Norway has pushed up its deadline by two decades to 2030.

Iceland seeks to slash its emissions by three-quarters by 2050, while New Zealand is endeavouring to generate 90 per cent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025 and halve its per capita transport emissions by 2040 through electric cars and biofuel use.

The cities taking part in CN Net are Arendal, Norway; Rizhao, China; Vancouver, Canada; and Växjö, Sweden, and the participating corporations are Co-operative Financial Services (United Kingdom), Interface Inc. (United States), Natura (Brazil), Nedbank (South Africa) and Senoko Power (Singapore).

Today's launch took place during UNEP's Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, which ends tomorrow in Monaco.

Focusing on the theme "Mobilizing Finance for the Climate Challenge," it is the largest gathering of environment ministers since last December's landmark UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, which ended with 187 countries agreeing to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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SENIOR UN OFFICIALS BEGIN VISIT TO JAPAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND RUSSIA

SENIOR UN OFFICIALS BEGIN VISIT TO JAPAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND RUSSIA New York, Feb 21 2008 2:00PM The United Nations political chief and one of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's top advisers have begun a visit to Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia to discuss a range of UN-related issues with senior officials in the three countries.

B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, accompanied by Mr. Ban's Deputy Chef de Cabinet and Special Adviser Kim Won-soo, left New York last night at the request of the Secretary-General, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

Mr. Pascoe and Mr. Kim are scheduled to hold high-level consultations in Tokyo tomorrow with Japanese officials, where they will express Mr. Ban's appreciation for the country's strong support of UN activities, especially in the wake of Japan's recent financial contribution of $1.06 billion to the world body's operations.

In the Republic of Korea, the two UN officials will represent Mr. Ban at the inauguration of President Lee Myung-bak on Monday and convey the Secretary-General's personal greetings. They will also discuss issues of mutual interest with the new leadership in Seoul.

Mr. Pascoe will then continue to Moscow for high-level consultations with Russian officials on a range of UN issues, Ms. Montas added.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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UN SEEKS $34 MILLION TO HELP BURUNDIAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM TANZANIA

UN SEEKS $34 MILLION TO HELP BURUNDIAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM TANZANIA New York, Feb 21 2008 2:00PM Seeking to end one of the most prolonged refugee situations in the world, the United Nations is appealing for $34 million to assist 218,000 Burundians who fled to neighbouring Tanzania to escape violence in their homeland over 35 years ago.

The so-called "1972 Burundians" are among the hundreds of thousands of Burundians who sought refuge in neighbouring countries that year to escape ethnic violence which killed an estimated 200,000 people. They are distinct from Burundian refugees who arrived in Tanzania in the 1990s.

The appeal made by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47bda6c34.html">UNHCR) covers the voluntary repatriation and reintegration of some 46,000 refugees who wish to return to Burundi.

"We see this as one of our most important programmes on the African continent this year," said Marjon Kamara, Director of the UNHCR Africa Bureau. "The voluntary repatriation and reintegration for those 1972 Burundians who have expressed the desire to go home will be fully supported and expedited."

Funds from the appeal will also help the remaining 172,000 refugees integrate into their local communities in Tanzania.

"Local integration in Tanzania for those who expressed the desire to remain and apply for Tanzanian citizenship is a time-bound opportunity and we hope the donors' response in support of both solutions will be quick, positive and adequate," Ms. Kamara stated. "It is critical to complete the process in a timely manner to achieve sustainable success."

UNHCR will assist in the integration process by, among other things, helping improve water systems and health clinics in receiving communities, as well as strengthening educational institutions and vocational training centres.

In addition to 218,000 Burundian refugees from 1972, Tanzania hosts 113,000 Burundian refugees and 96,000 refugees from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN OFFICIAL WELCOMES LEBANESE RECOGNITION OF IRAQI REFUGEES

TOP UN OFFICIAL WELCOMES LEBANESE RECOGNITION OF IRAQI REFUGEES New York, Feb 21 2008 2:00PM The United Nations refugee agency has praised Lebanon for agreeing to recognize thousands of Iraqi refugees who had previously been considered to be illegal immigrants requiring detention.

Lebanese authorities are giving Iraqis who either entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas a total of three months – as of the start of this week – to regularize their status, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR) reported yesterday.

The agency said the decision will result in the release from detention of hundreds of Iraqis, many of whom had already served their sentences but were still being held.

Stephane Jaquemet, UNHCR's representative in Lebanon, described the Lebanese Government's decision as courageous.

"The Lebanese decision is of particular significance given that it has been taken at a time when the country has been facing political turmoil and volatile security," he said.

Speaking in Amman, Jordan, at the end of a week-long visit to Jordan, Syria and Iraq, High Commissioner António Guterres said the move would create "protection space" in Lebanon for Iraqis fleeing threats or the widespread sectarian violence in their homeland.

He also said the agency would assist those released from detention and their families, including by providing legal aid to help Iraqis regularize their status, a process that includes obtaining residence and work permits.

"UNHCR's priority will be to assist detainees upon release as, after several months of detention, many of them will be destitute," Mr. Guterres said. "We will also help as many Iraqis as possible obtain work permits so that they can become… self-sufficient and lead a dignified life."

More than three-quarters of the estimated 50,000 Iraqis living in Lebanon are believed to have entered the country illegally, according to a survey conducted late last year. UNHCR has so far formally registered 9,939 Iraqis and started providing medical, educational and material assistance to them, while another 1,462 have been resettled from Lebanon to third countries.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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RWANDAN EX-MINISTER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO 11 CHARGES BEFORE UN GENOCIDE TRIBUNAL

RWANDAN EX-MINISTER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO 11 CHARGES BEFORE UN GENOCIDE TRIBUNAL New York, Feb 21 2008 1:00PM A former Rwandan government minister has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges during his first appearance before the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the 1994 genocide in the small country.

Callixte Nzabonimana, 55, who served as minister of youth and sports in Rwanda's interim government in 1994, made the plea yesterday before Judge Dennis Byron of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which is based in Arusha, Tanzania.

The charges against Mr. Nzabonimana include genocide, making direct and public incitements to commit genocide, and violations of the Geneva Conventions.

The indictment states that the ex-minister conspired with others to devise a plan to exterminate Rwanda's civilian Tutsi population and eliminate members of the political opposition.

A former member of the Mouvement Républicain National pour le Développement et la Démocratie (MNRD), Mr. Nzabonimana is jointly charged with six others: Augustin Bizimana, Edouard Karemera, Andre Rwamakuba, Mathieu Ngirumpatse, Joseph Nzirorera and Felicien Kabuga.

He was arrested on Monday in the Tanzanian town of Kigoma and transferred the same day to the UN detention facility in Arusha.

The Security Council set up the ICTR in 1994 in the wake of that year's genocide, during which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered – mostly by machete or club – in just 100 days starting in early April.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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UN-BACKED IMMUNIZATION DRIVE REACHES OVER 35,000 CHILDREN IN CAMEROON

UN-BACKED IMMUNIZATION DRIVE REACHES OVER 35,000 CHILDREN IN CAMEROON New York, Feb 21 2008 11:00AM In partnership with the Government of Cameroon and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the United Nations has vaccinated more than 35,000 infants and children against measles and polio in the country's north-east, which is hosting tens of thousands of refugees from neighbouring Chad.

The five-day drive that began 13 February was carried out in the district of Kousséri, where an estimated 30,000 Chadians have taken refuge after fleeing their homeland in recent weeks due to deadly fighting between Government forces and armed opposition groups.

UN Resident Coordinator for Cameroon Sophie de Caen noted that whenever there are population movements, the potential for epidemics rises substantially. "We have immediately taken action, to ensure that all children in the affected area were protected against the most dangerous diseases," she stated.

All infants and children above six months of age and below 15 years of age were vaccinated against measles, and all those under five, including newborns, were vaccinated against polio.

"The vaccination campaign targeted all infants and children comprised in applicable age groups, across the district, ensuring protection for Cameroonian and refugee children alike," said Silvia Luciani, acting Representative of the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) in Cameroon.

"Mass immunizations are designed to reach as many children as possible, in order to provide the greatest achievable coverage. They are vital to child survival in any environment, peaceful or otherwise," she added.

Along with the vaccinations, vitamin A supplement tablets were also provided to some 34,000 children. "Besides potentially averting deadly epidemics, we have been able to seize this opportunity, to improve the children's overall health and immunity system through the provision of vitamin A," Hélène Mambu-ma-Disu, Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Cameroon, said.

Some 110 vaccinators took part in the campaign, which was made possible through funds from the Ministry of Health, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), UNICEF, WHO, the Red Cross Movement, Médecins Sans Frontières – Switzerland and the Organization of Coordination for the Control of Endemic Diseases in Central Africa.
2008-02-21 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL AGREES TO INCREASE NUMBER OF JUDGES AT UN'S BALKANS TRIBUNAL

SECURITY COUNCIL AGREES TO INCREASE NUMBER OF JUDGES AT UN'S BALKANS TRIBUNAL New York, Feb 20 2008 7:00PM The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9257.doc.htm">authorized Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appoint up to four extra judges to the United Nations tribunal set up after the Balkan wars of the 1990s to help that court better meet its target to try all defendants by the end of this year.

Council members unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the proposal of the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY) to appoint the extra ad litem, or temporary, judges on top of the 12 ad litem judges currently authorized.

This means up to 16 ad litem judges could serve on the ICTY at any time, although the number must not exceed 12 after 31 December this year. There are also 16 permanent judges on the court.

This temporary measure has been introduced to allow the ICTY "to conduct additional trials as soon as possible in order to meet completion strategy objectives," the resolution stated.

Under the completion strategy for the Tribunal, which is based in The Hague, all trials at first instance are supposed to be completed by the end of this year and all appeals by 2010.
2008-02-20 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SOMALIA BY SIX MONTHS

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SOMALIA BY SIX MONTHS New York, Feb 20 2008 6:00PM The Security Council today extended for another six months the African Union-led mission in Somalia, which has been helping the war-wracked country that has not had a functioning government since 1991 to achieve national reconciliation and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Established in February 2007, AMISOM is also tasked with providing protection to the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) to help them carry out their functions of government, and security for key infrastructure.

By its unanimous decision, the Council <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9258.doc.htm">urged AU member States to contribute to the mission, known as AMISOM, "to help facilitate the full withdrawal of other foreign forces from Somalia and help create the conditions for lasting peace and stability there."

In addition, the 15-member body expressed its intention to meet again promptly after the release of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's forthcoming report, due on 10 March, which will include specific options to strengthen the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) and to further support the full deployment of AMISOM.

The report will also include options to prepare for the possible deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to succeed AMISOM. In his last report on Somalia, issued in November, Mr. Ban had cautioned that deploying a UN operation is not realistic or viable given the country's security situation, the intensifying insurgency and the lack of progress towards any political reconciliation.

The Council also reiterated the need for agreement on a comprehensive and lasting cessation of hostilities and a road map for the remainder of the transitional process, including free and democratic elections in 2009.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are up to 2 million vulnerable people in need of humanitarian aid in the country. In addition, aid workers face difficulties and the transport and delivery of crucial items such as food is being impeded by roadblocks, taxes and banditry.

In this regard, the Council called on all parties and armed groups in Somalia to ensure the safety and security of AMISOM and humanitarian personnel, and grant "timely, safe and unhindered access" for the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.
2008-02-20 00:00:00.000

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UN HEALTH AGENCY CHIEF HAILS FUNDING BOOST FOR NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

UN HEALTH AGENCY CHIEF HAILS FUNDING BOOST FOR NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES New York, Feb 20 2008 6:00PM The head of the United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) welcomed a new and significant infusion of funds for the integrated treatment of seven of the most important and neglected tropical diseases.

United States President George W. Bush announced the new five-year $350 million initiative today, which will target lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, blinding trachoma, onchocerciasis and three soil-transmitted helminthiases.

"These are blinding, deforming, and debilitating diseases that affect the poorest of the poor," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in a statement. "An intensified attack on these diseases delivers a blow against the poverty of millions of people."

She also lauded the "ambitious" new plan for seeking to control and ultimately eliminate diseases which have brought misery to so many for so long.

In partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), WHO can begin steps to bolster treatment immediately, Dr. Chan noted.

With highly-effective drugs – which are safe and easy to administer – available, a mass prevention campaign similar to child immunization can be launched, she said.
2008-02-20 00:00:00.000

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WORSENING SITUATION IN WEST DARFUR JEOPARDIZES AID EFFORTS - UN REPORT

WORSENING SITUATION IN WEST DARFUR JEOPARDIZES AID EFFORTS – UN REPORT New York, Feb 20 2008 6:00PM The security situation in West Darfur has deteriorated so sharply in the past two months that the United Nations' efforts to bring humanitarian relief to those in need is being severely undermined, a new UN report says, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and warning that the region needs many more peacekeepers.

The latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/98">report of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping mission to Darfur (UNAMID) says the "slow pace" of deployment is making it difficult for the forces that are in place to provide "even a modest level of protection to civilians."

Just over 9,000 troops and police officers have been deployed so far, even though UNAMID is supposed to have more than 26,000 uniformed personnel in Darfur when it reaches full capacity. Less than a quarter of the mission's authorized number of civilian staff have also been deployed.

"The mission will not be in a position to effectively fulfil its mandate or meet the tremendous expectations of Darfur's civilians with the meagre human and material resources currently in the mission area," Mr. Ban writes.

"We need to urgently demonstrate to the conflict-affected population of Darfur that <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID will bring a material improvement to their daily lives, or risk losing their confidence at this critical juncture in the life of the mission."

The Secretary-General calls for all troop and police contributors to UNAMID to expedite the deployment of any units or assets they have pledged, and he appeals to Member States to provide those units that are still outstanding – such as key military helicopters – to ensure the mission is at full operating capability.

A month after the transfer of authority from the previous AU peace force (known as AMIS), UNAMID still lacks one heavy and one medium ground transport unit, three military utility aviation units (18 helicopters in total) and additional attack helicopters.

In the absence of pledges from Member States, one option being explored is the transfer of aviation assets from other UN peacekeeping missions.

In addition, the report notes that the speed of the deployment of UNAMID depends on resolving any remaining issues with the Sudanese Government about its composition, and stresses the need to "ensure the removal of impediments" to the force's operation.

Mr. Ban stresses the need for a cessation of hostilities in the conflict in Darfur, which has pitted rebels against Government forces and allied militias since 2003. More than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes.

He says such an agreement must also include "effective mechanisms for monitoring compliance and violations," and adds that all sides should cooperate with the UN and AU Special Envoys to convene fully-fledged peace negotiations as soon as possible.

Condemning cross-border attacks, the Secretary-General urges both Sudan and neighbouring Chad to respect each other's territorial sovereignty and to implement existing non-aggression accords.

The most recent fighting in West Darfur state has led 10,000 Sudanese or more to flee across the volatile border into eastern Chad, but the security situation is so poor that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) had to withdraw its staff to a safer area earlier this week.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_42898.html">UNICEF) is delivering medical supplies, blankets, jerry cans and plastic sheeting to those in need in West Darfur, according to a statement released by the agency. It is also treating and restoring water supplies in those towns and villages attacked by militiamen or hit by aerial bombing.

UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said the recent upsurge in fighting was only adding to the hardships and dangers faced by vulnerable children and women in the region.

"Efforts to provide urgent assistance to children and women in dire need are hampered by the violence, and further displacement of civilian populations puts even greater pressure on camps that are already overcrowded," she said, calling for aid workers to have unrestricted access to those in need.
2008-02-20 00:00:00.000

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