DARFUR SUSPECT A 'FUGITIVE,' SAYS INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTOR

DARFUR SUSPECT A 'FUGITIVE,' SAYS INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTOR New York, Apr 26 2008 4:00PM Despite an arrest warrant being issued for him one year ago by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a Sudanese minister accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the war-ravaged region of Darfur is free and is a "fugitive," the body;s Prosecutor said today.

"He attacked Sudanese people, his people, those he vowed to protect as Minister; he is an indicted minister, he is a fugitive," ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in a press release. "He will end up in Court."

Last 27 April, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber issued warrants for the arrest of Ahman Harun, former Minister of State for the Interior of Sudan -- and current Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs -- and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb.

According to The Hague-based ICC, evidence collected over two years from different sources shows that Mr. Harun financed, armed and incited the Janjaweed to attack Darfurian villages from 2003-2004 and killing civilians, with Mr. Kushyab having led the attacks. Their actions have allegedly forced millions to flee their homes.

No national proceedings related to these crimes have been held in Sudan, Mr. Moreno-Ocampo noted. "Brutal and massive attacks, rapes, tortures were committed 5 years ago against Sudanese citizens and their own Government promised everything and has done nothing."

The arrest warrants for Mr. Harun and Mr. Kushayb were transmitted to Sudan last 16 June, but the Government has not responded, is not cooperating and has not complied with Security Council Resolution 1593.

That resolution, from 2005, calls on the Sudanese Government to "cooperate fully and provide any necessary assistance to the Court and the Prosecutor."

"Crimes are thoroughly organized. Destitution is organized. Insecurity is organized," the Prosecutor said, noting that the focus of the second investigation will be on the "mobilization of the state apparatus to plan, commit and cover up the crimes."

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo is scheduled to report to the Council on 5 June on progress made in the investigation, after which he will present his evidence to the Judge.

"I urge the international community to send a strong and unanimous message to the Government of the Sudan, requesting the execution of the arrest warrants. The [Government of Sudan], as the territorial State, has a responsibility to do so. They can, they must surrender the two indicted criminals now, and break the system of violence and impunity in Darfur," he said.
2008-04-26 00:00:00.000

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IRAQ: TOP UN ENVOY VOICES HOPE THAT LIST OF BAGHDAD GOVERNORATE CANDIDATES CAN BE AGREED UPON

IRAQ: TOP UN ENVOY VOICES HOPE THAT LIST OF BAGHDAD GOVERNORATE CANDIDATES CAN BE AGREED UPON New York, Apr 26 2008 3:00PM The top United Nations envoy to Iraq today expressed hope that an agreement can be reached in the Council of Representatives on the list of candidates for the Baghdad governorate election offices (GEOs) for the upcoming elections.

The Secretary-Generalâ??s Special Representative Staffan de Mistura welcomed the submission of names of candidates for the position of Director of the GEOs by the Council to the Independent High Election Commission (IHEC), an independent electoral authority consisting of nine members.

Noting that body has yet to receive the list of candidates for the Baghdad offices from the Council, Mr. de Mistura â?" who also heads the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) â?" said that â??there is a need to finalize the selection process to enable IHEC to start planning for for voter registration.â?

Due to the recent unrest in Baghdad, the deadline for the submissions has been extended.

The Special Representative said that to move the process forward, UNAMI will forward its recommendations directly to the IHEC, which in turn will slecting acting Directors for the two Baghdad GEOs, pending a final decisions by the Council.

The IHEC is scheculed to begin interviewing the listed candidates on 27 April. After the selection process is finalized and the 7-day period to contest reuslts is over, it will announce the names of selected GEO Directors.

UNAMI has finished intervieiwing candidates for the Ninewa GEO, and intends to submit its recommendations to the Council shortly.

In his latest quarterly report on UNAMI to the Security Council made public yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wote that the holding of credible governorate elections later this year could in the long run serve to underpin the legitimacy of democratic governance, calling on the Council of Representatives to â??urgently pass a governorate elections lawâ? to conduct the elections as smoothly and as fairly as possible.
2008-04-26 00:00:00.000

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RENEWED UN MANDATE AIMS TO STOP SPREAD OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

RENEWED UN MANDATE AIMS TO STOP SPREAD OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION New York, Apr 25 2008 6:00PM The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9310.doc.htm">issued a three-year extension to the mandate of a United Nations committee which works to halt the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Set up under a 2004 Security Council resolution, the committee is part of a regime imposing binding legal obligations on all States to establish domestic controls aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

All States are also obliged to refrain from supporting non-State actors to develop, acquire, manufacture or transport nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. States are also required to establish laws to prevent any of these activities by non-State actors, in particular for terrorist purposes.

The committee also promotes better cooperation between countries on measures to block the spread of such weapons, and promotes universal adherence to existing international non proliferation treaties.

The committee compiles information on progress States are making to comply with the resolution, by assessing the physical protection of weapons, border security and law enforcement efforts, as well as controls over exports and trans-shipments.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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CONTINUED FUEL SHORTAGES IN GAZA SPARK CONCERN FROM SENIOR UN OFFICIAL

CONTINUED FUEL SHORTAGES IN GAZA SPARK CONCERN FROM SENIOR UN OFFICIAL New York, Apr 25 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (<"http://www.unsco.org/Default.asp">UNSCO) said today that he remains extremely concerned about the severe humanitarian impact that the continuing fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip are having on the civilian population and on basic public services.

"The United Nations is heavily engaged with all parties to try to bring about a resolution of this crisis and see adequate supplies of fuel restored and distributed throughout Gaza," Robert H. Serry said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

Israel stopped all fuel supplies to Gaza after Palestinian militants attacked the Nahal Oz terminal, located close to the border with Gaza, on 9 April. On Wednesday, it told the UN it was ready to deliver 100,000 litres of diesel, but fuel was not delivered yesterday, with Nahal Oz closed and the storage facilities on the Palestinian side of the border crossing full, according to the Israeli authorities.

The Gaza Petrol and Gas Station Owners Association informed the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA) yesterday that it would distribute 50,000 litres of diesel to sustain the agency's humanitarian operations, but this effort was thwarted by protests on the Palestinian side of the crossing.

UNRWA was able to make its food deliveries yesterday, but it will not be able to do so from tomorrow – the next scheduled delivery day – unless it receives fresh supplies of diesel.

"At this crucial juncture, all parties must act to avert further suffering of the civilian population," Mr. Serry said in the statement.

He called on Hamas, which controls Gaza, to ensure conditions to enable the distribution of supplies at Nahal Oz so that more supplies can enter Gaza.

"Hamas must immediately bring an end to attacks by itself or any other group against crossings in Gaza."

The Special Coordinator also called on Israel to "restore adequate supplies of diesel and benzene for the civilian population of Gaza in accordance with international law."

Last month, about 3.8 million litres of diesel fuel and 340,000 litres of benzene were transferred from Israel into Gaza, which Mr. Serry said was not enough to meet the requirements of Gaza, which is home to an estimated 1.4 million inhabitants. In March last year, more than 8.8 million litres of diesel fuel and 1.7 million litres of benzene were supplied.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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IN VIENNA, SECRETARY-GENERAL OPENS NEW MODERN, CLIMATE-FRIENDLY UN COMPLEX

IN VIENNA, SECRETARY-GENERAL OPENS NEW MODERN, CLIMATE-FRIENDLY UN COMPLEX New York, Apr 25 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon began an official visit to Vienna today by inaugurating a new environmentally-friendly, state-of-the-art facility which will support discussions between countries on a range of critical issues, from nuclear weapons to drugs and crime.

Donated by Austria, the "M Building" – as the new complex is known – encompasses dozens of meeting rooms and has the capacity to service up to 1,500 people. "The United Nations and other Vienna-based organizations are very grateful for this meaningful contribution, which will facilitate our work here immeasurably," Mr. Ban said at the inauguration ceremony.

The Secretary-General highlighted the fact that the new facility is environmentally friendly and hailed its many energy-saving features, such as re-circulating heat and sensors to optimize cooling and heating efficiency and minimize waste.

"For the past year and a half I've been pushing the environmental agenda, and it's encouraging to see that in this building has been designed with the best interests of the planet at heart," he stated.

In remarks to the press on the site of the new conference building, Mr. Ban addressed the current food crisis, owing to the soaring prices of basic staples such as rice and wheat.

"We must take immediate action in a concerted way," he said, stressing the need, in the short term, to address the humanitarian crisis, and, in the long term, to explore how to improve distribution systems and promote improved production.

While in Vienna, the Secretary-General met with Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. He later held a working luncheon with Ms. Plassnik and the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia, as well as senior officials from Poland and Hungary. They discussed cooperation between the UN and the European Union, Kosovo, Chad, Darfur, the Middle East, Cyprus and UN reform.

Mr. Ban also met with Austrian President Heinz Fischer, with whom he discussed the country's contribution to peacekeeping operations in Chad and Kosovo, the Olympic Games, the Annapolis peace process in the Middle East, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and this September's summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Secretary-General arrived in Vienna from Côte d'Ivoire, the final leg of a four-nation West African tour that also took him to Burkina Faso, Liberia and Ghana.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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POOR FARMERS RECEIVE $200 MILLION BOOST FROM UN TO FACE FOOD CRISIS

POOR FARMERS RECEIVE $200 MILLION BOOST FROM UN TO FACE FOOD CRISIS New York, Apr 25 2008 4:00PM The United Nations rural development arm announced today that it is providing up to $200 million for poor farmers during the upcoming cropping season as it tries to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of millions of people facing hunger and malnutrition due to soaring food prices.

"The capacity of the world's 450 million smallholder farmers to respond by growing more food is at risk because of spiralling energy and fertiliser prices," said Lennart Båge, President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (<"http://www.ifad.org/">IFAD). "Poor farmers are not reaping the benefits of higher food prices because they cannot afford the fertiliser or seeds to plant next season's crops."

Speaking after a meeting of the agency's Executive Board in Rome, he called for concerted comprehensive and coordinated action to be taken by the international community to prevent the slide of millions into abject poverty.

"Poor rural farmers are central to any solution to today's global food crisis and the long-term problems of hunger and poverty," Mr. Båge noted.

He called for a three-pronged strategy: providing emergency food aid to feed the hungry today; supporting, in the short term, smallholder farmers in their bid to plan next season's crops; and longer-term investment in agriculture to ensure food security, nutrition and rural development.

"The world has under-invested in agriculture and rural development for far too long," the President stated. "It is high time to put this right."

Yesterday, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that surging food prices are thwarting the agency's ability to feed the world's hungry.

"We can buy 40 per cent less food than we could last June with the same contribution," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said in a video conference from Rome, voicing concern that as many as 100 million people face being pushed deeper into poverty.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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UN NUCLEAR AGENCY TO PROBE CLAIM ON SYRIAN INSTALLATION BOMBED BY ISRAEL

UN NUCLEAR AGENCY TO PROBE CLAIM ON SYRIAN INSTALLATION BOMBED BY ISRAEL New York, Apr 25 2008 4:00PM The United Nations atomic watchdog pledged today to conduct an investigation after receiving information from the United States alleging that a Syrian installation destroyed by Israel last year contained a nuclear reactor.

Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/">IAEA), said in a statement issued in Vienna that the agency would "treat this information with the seriousness it deserves and will investigate the veracity of the information."

He noted that Syria is obligated under its safeguards agreement with the agency to report the planning and construction of any nuclear facility.

The information provided by the US yesterday states that the installation bombed by Israel last September was a nuclear reactor that was not yet operational and had not had any nuclear material introduced into it.

"The Director General deplores the fact that this information was not provided to the agency in a timely manner, in accordance with the agency's responsibilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to enable it to verify its veracity and establish the facts," Mr. ElBaradei said.

"Under the NPT, the agency has a responsibility to verify any proliferation allegations in a non-nuclear-weapon State party to the NPT and to report its findings to the IAEA Board of Governors and the Security Council, as required."

Given that, Mr. ElBaradei's statement added, "the Director General views the unilateral use of force by Israel as undermining the due process of verification that is at the heart of the non-proliferation regime."
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HELP IRAQ OVERCOME DIVISIONS - SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN

MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HELP IRAQ OVERCOME DIVISIONS – SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN New York, Apr 25 2008 4:00PM Although some initial steps toward national reconciliation in Iraq have begun, more needs to be done to help the communities resolve the fundamental issues that divide them, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest quarterly <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/266">report.

Mr. Ban writes that the Government "continues to face formidable challenges to reaching a national consensus on how to share power and resources." But he notes that new legislation, including the Justice and Accountability Law, which replaced earlier policies banning former members of the Baath party from public office, represents a compromise between the interests of the country's three main parliamentary blocks.

Mr. Ban goes on to urge Iraqi leaders to pursue "the Iraqi national interest, rather than individual, party, ethnic or sectarian interests."

He also says that the holding of credible governorate elections later this year could in the long run serve to underpin the legitimacy of democratic governance, calling on Iraq's Council of Representatives to "urgently pass a governorate elections law" to conduct the elections as smoothly and as fairly as possible.

The report welcomes the freeze on military operations by the Mahdi Army, announced by its leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, and notes that the end of the fighting in Basra and other places at the end of March was made possible by compromise and agreement.

Mr. Ban adds that he is deeply concerned that large sections of the population are living in poverty and insecurity. To meet the humanitarian needs of Iraqis, he urges Iraq's political leadership to agree on a hydrocarbon law so that the country's oil resources can be shared in a fair and transparent manner.

The report is scheduled to be discussed by the Security Council on Monday, where it will be presented by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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MOURNING FALLEN UN STAFF, DEPUTY-SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR INCREASED PROTECTION

MOURNING FALLEN UN STAFF, DEPUTY-SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR INCREASED PROTECTION New York, Apr 25 2008 4:00PM As United Nations staff this morning gathered at Headquarters to remember their colleagues who died in the service of the world body, <" http://www.un.org/sg/deputysg.shtml">Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro called on Member States to increase protection for UN personnel.

"Each of us deserves to be protected by the Member States which we serve," Ms. Migiro said. "The past teaches us that we should not and must not settle for less."

The UN family, like any family that suffers the loss of its members, "must take the time to remember, to mourn the loss of our dearest colleagues", she said. "But we must also celebrate their lives and their achievements."

"There appears to be no safe haven for any UN staff members," said UN Staff Union President Stephen Kisambira. He asked States to ratify the 2005 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel, which expands the scope of the Convention to cover personnel involved in delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance. The Protocol is not yet in force, as only 11 countries have ratified it.

The memorial ceremony, held at the UN Visitors' Plaza at the opening of UN Staff Day 2008, concluded with the reading of the names of the 294 staff members who died in service since the last Staff Day, held in December 2005.

As an Honour Guard lowered the UN flag at half-mast, two staff members, Geraldine Adams and Jérôme Longué, alternated reading the names of colleagues who died of deliberate attacks, accidents, illness and other causes. The list included the 17 staff members killed in the December 2007 bombing of the UN office in Algiers, the seven staff members who died in a helicopter crash in Nepal last month and the four UN military observers killed in the July 2006 bombing of an observer post in southern Lebanon.

Among the fallen are 152 military personnel, 20 police officers and 75 local staff – a reminder of the vulnerability of locally recruited UN personnel. Forty-seven were serving with the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (<"http://www.monuc.org/Home.aspx?lang=en">MONUC), 39 with the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.unmil.org/">UNMIL) and 34 with the UN Mission in the Sudan (<"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">UNMIS). The latest victim, Mohammed Makki El Rasheed, was shot and killed on 21 April in Darfur while driving a truck of supplies for the World Food Programme (<"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm ">WFP).
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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NEPAL: UN STILL AWAITING FINAL RESULTS FOR HISTORIC CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY POLLS

NEPAL: UN STILL AWAITING FINAL RESULTS FOR HISTORIC CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY POLLS New York, Apr 25 2008 4:00PM The United Nations Mission in Nepal (<"http://www.unmin.org.np/">UNMIN) said it is still awaiting the final results of the recent Constituent Assembly polls, while the country's Election Commission today announced that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has won 100 of the 335 seats under the proportional representation system.

The Commission, which has been tabulating the results from the 10 April polls, added that the Nepali Congress and United Marxist-Leninist party received 73 and 70 seats, respectively. The fourth and fifth largest share of seats went to two parties based in the country's Terai region in the south.

According to UNMIN, this does not yet constitute the "final results" as stipulated in the Interim Constitution, which will only be announced by the Election Commission once parties have finalized their representatives and the Commission has signed off on these.

Once the Commission announces the final results of the election, the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly must take place within 21 days, the Mission added.

The Assembly will be tasked with drawing up a new constitution for the country, which has emerged from a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives before the Government and Maoist rebels signed a peace accord in 2006.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY DEPLORES DEATHS OF FOUR REFUGEES AFTER EXPULSION BY TURKEY

UN REFUGEE AGENCY DEPLORES DEATHS OF FOUR REFUGEES AFTER EXPULSION BY TURKEY New York, Apr 25 2008 3:00PM The United Nations refugee agency is seeking clarification from Turkey after 18 refugees were forced to cross a fast-flowing river on the Turkish-Iraqi border, leading to the deaths of four by drowning.

The incident took place on Wednesday at an unpatrolled stretch of the border in Sirnak province in south-eastern Turkey.

According to witnesses interviewed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4811e23c4.html">UNHCR), the Turkish authorities had earlier attempted to forcibly deport 60 people of various nationalities to Iraq at an official border crossing. The Iraqi border authorities allowed 42 Iraqis to enter the country but refused to admit 18 Iranian and Syrian nationals. Turkish police then took the 18, including five Iranians whose refugee status had been recognized by UNHCR, to an area where a river runs along the border, and forced them to swim across.

Witnesses said that four people, including a refugee from Iran, were swept away by the strong river current and drowned. Their bodies could not be recovered. UNHCR is in contact with the surviving refugees through its office in Erbil in northern Iraq and reports that they are deeply traumatized.

UNHCR had previously asked the Turkish Government not to deport the five Iranian refugees, who had all been detained after attempting to cross into Greece in an irregular manner. The UN refugee agency had said that it did not consider Iraq a safe country of asylum for these refugees.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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UN LAYS OUT PLAN FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF AREA AROUND CHERNOBYL DISASTER SITE

UN LAYS OUT PLAN FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF AREA AROUND CHERNOBYL DISASTER SITE New York, Apr 25 2008 3:00PM Marking the twenty-second anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine on 26 April 1986, the United Nations Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2008/april/un-to-continue-chernobyl-recovery-efforts-until-2016.en">UNDP) today presented a draft action plan to support the Chernobyl area's ongoing recovery until 2016.

The action plan is part of the "<"http://www.undp.org/chernobyl/">Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development" proclaimed by a 2007 UN General Assembly Resolution. The aim of the Decade, which runs from 2006 to 2016, is to promote a "return to normal life" for the region.

The UN's plan is built on scientific findings showing that most people living in the affected areas need not fear negative health effects from radiation. The objective is to spur recovery by promoting new economic opportunities, including investment and job creation, and to restore community self-sufficiency. Accurate, up-to-date information is also being provided to counter widespread myths and misconceptions.

A <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sgsm11530.doc.htm">statement issued by the spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the accident had had a huge impact on the region but that the outlook was hopeful: "We can take, heart, however, in the growing confidence that communities affected by the Chernobyl accident now have the chance and, increasingly, the means, to lead a normal life."

Later this year, Russian tennis star and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Maria Sharapova plans to visit UNDP community development projects that her charitable foundation has funded since 2007. Ms. Sharapova, who has family roots in Gomel, a city not far from the damaged reactor, said that she looked forward to visiting the region, "and delivering a message of recovery, self-reliance, and healthy choices to young people."
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES SERIOUS CONCERN AFTER DEADLY VIOLENCE IN BURUNDI

SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES SERIOUS CONCERN AFTER DEADLY VIOLENCE IN BURUNDI New York, Apr 25 2008 3:00PM The Security Council has condemned the recent deadly spate of violent confrontations between Burundi's National Defence Forces and the Palipehutu-FNL rebel group in and around the capital, Bujumbura.

Council members, in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9309.doc.htm">presidential statement issued yesterday, called on the two parties "to scrupulously respect" the ceasefire they reached in September 2006 and to resume dialogue to overcome any obstacles that might delay the conclusion to the peace process.

They also urged the Palipehutu-FNL (Forces Nationales de Libération) to return immediately – and without any preconditions – to the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism that was established in the wake of the ceasefire accord.

"Any attempt to jeopardize peace in Burundi through violent means is unacceptable," according to the statement, read out by Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month.

He added that the 15-member body backed regional initiatives to bring the parties together to overcome the current crisis and implement earlier commitments.

Last Friday Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a similar statement through his spokesperson on the fighting.

Burundi is attempting to rebuild, with the support of the UN Integrated Office in the country (BINUB), after a brutal civil war between its Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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TACKLING DROUGHT CRUCIAL IN FINDING FOOD CRISIS SOLUTION - UN

TACKLING DROUGHT CRUCIAL IN FINDING FOOD CRISIS SOLUTION – UN New York, Apr 25 2008 3:00PM Addressing drought is essential in resolving the food crisis the world faces, the United Nations agency tasked with minimizing the threat posed by natural disasters said today.

Both drought and unsustainable water management have played a key role in the current problem, and managing drought risk is essential to finding a long-term solution to the crisis, according to a press release issued by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).

Reports of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – last year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate – have shown unequivocally that the world is warming, almost certainly due to human activity, with potentially disastrous effects including worsening drought in some regions and heavier rainfall in others.

"Drought creeps, so we can outrun it," said Sálvano Briceño, Director of the ISDR Secretariat. "But this will take a genuine mindset and policy shift towards the ethos that prevention is better than cure, and serious political and economic commitment to saving harvests and lives on a global economic level."

Major food exporters such as Australia and Ukraine are experiencing the effects of drought, serving as examples of how climate change can trigger future food crises.

Water scarcity contributes to food scarcity, and, as the IPCC has pointed out, billions of people are at the risk of water stress by the end of the century unless carbon emissions are slashed and urgent adaptation actions are taken.

ISDR said that a greater emphasis must be placed on disaster risk, urging communities and nations to enhance their defences against global warming, drought and desertification through such measures as improved water management.

Yesterday, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that soaring food prices across the globe are threatening the agency's efforts to feed the world's hungry.

WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran warned of the "new face of hunger" – the millions being pushed into the urgent hunger category.

"We're also concerned because this isn't just an issue of hunger, but also an issue of instability," she said, with protests against soaring food prices having been held in dozens of countries.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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BOSNIAN CROAT COMMANDER CONVICTED BY UN TRIBUNAL TO SERVE JAIL TERM IN ITALY

BOSNIAN CROAT COMMANDER CONVICTED BY UN TRIBUNAL TO SERVE JAIL TERM IN ITALY New York, Apr 25 2008 1:00PM A Bosnian Croat military commander convicted by a United Nations war crimes tribunal for his role in the torture and persecutions of Muslims living in the Mostar area of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Balkan wars of the 1990s will serve the remainder of his 20-year sentence in Italy.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<" http://www.un.org/icty/?Open">ICTY), which sits in The Hague, announced today that Mladen Naletili&#263; was transferred yesterday to detention in Italy.

Also known as Tuta, Mr. Naletili&#263; founded and commanded the convicts' battalion, a military unit within the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) that operated in the area around the city of Mostar in 1993-94.

Mr. Naletili&#263; was convicted in 2003 of persecutions, unlawful labour, torture, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, the unlawful transfer of civilians, wanton destruction and plunder. His co-accused, Vinko Martinovi&#263;, was also convicted and sentenced to 18 years' jail.

During the trial the ICTY heard how Mr. Naletili&#263; was personally involved in forcibly removing about 400 Bosnian Muslims from Sovi&#263;i and Doljani villages and then ordering that all their homes be burned to the ground. He also used prisoners of war to perform forced labour in the vicinity of his villa.

The trial chamber found that Mr. Naletili&#263; repeatedly caused great suffering to Muslims held at the Heliodrom detention centre, in Doljani and at the Tobacco Institute in Mostar.

Italy is one of 15 European countries that have signed an agreement with the ICTY to enforce sentences imposed by the Tribunal on convicted individuals.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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RENEWED VIOLENCE DRIVES THOUSANDS OUT OF SOMALI CAPITAL -- UN

RENEWED VIOLENCE DRIVES THOUSANDS OUT OF SOMALI CAPITAL -- UN New York, Apr 25 2008 10:00AM Some 7,000 people have fled the Somali capital Mogadishu after a new round of fighting this week that killed a significant number of civilians and reportedly wounded 200 people, including women and children, the United Nations refugee agency announced today.

"The exodus from the war-ravaged city further aggravates the situation in a country where over 1 million people are already internally displaced," Ron Redmond, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4811bc0f2.html">UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva, adding that some 700,000 left Mogadishu last year alone. "The latest violence also prevents the internally displaced living in areas surrounding the city from returning to their homes."

He pointed out that international aid agencies, including UNHCR, are impeded from providing affected populations with the protection and assistance they need. Furthermore, aid workers encounter problems at checkpoints, including demands for money in exchange for passage.

Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces fought with insurgents, and according to eyewitness reports, over 1,000 families fled their homes in two neighbourhoods north of Mogadishu following heavy shelling of residential areas.

"Scores of civilians have reportedly been killed or wounded over the past few days, among them worshippers brutally killed in a mosque, sparking fresh fears and renewed exodus of civilians from the city," Mr. Redmond observed.

Many of those who have left Mogadishu are seeking safety in the bush or on the road leading to Afgooye.

That town, which is 30 km west of the capital, is already sheltering over 250,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), most of whom who escaped violence in Mogadishu last year.

UNHCR reported that since yesterday, the fighting has stopped in Mogadishu, but people continue to leave the city, though the numbers are falling.

As soon as the security situation allows, the agency will distribute non-food items -- including sleeping mats, blankets, jerry cans and plastic sheets -- to settlements for up to 14,000 families, or 84,000 people, along the road between Mogadishu and Afgooye.

Earlier this week, an independent UN human rights expert condemned the killing of civilians in Somalia, including a number of religious leaders, and called for an immediate end to the violence that has flared up in recent weeks in the Horn of Africa nation.

In a <"http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/1F0F822A3090EDF0C1257434002A8E2B?OpenDocument">statement, Ghanim Alnajjar, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, condemned in particular the alleged deliberate killing of numerous clerics belonging to "Altabligh Group" at the Al-Hidaya Compound/Mosque.

"The killings have to be investigated expeditiously and impartially, and any lasting peace in Somalia must be based on justice, truth and accountability," he stated.
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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ON WORLD DAY, UNICEF ISSUES CALL TO CURB MALARIA

ON WORLD DAY, UNICEF ISSUES CALL TO CURB MALARIA New York, Apr 25 2008 9:01AM The United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF ) is marking World Malaria Day today by calling for accelerated efforts to tackle the disease, which kills more than one million people -- mostly children -- every year.

"Malaria is a curable and preventable disease that can be controlled by increasing the use of mosquito nets and other proven interventions, as part of integrated, community-based programmes," said the agency's Executive Director Ann M. Veneman.

It is a "disease without borders" -- the theme of this year's Day -- and is endemic in more than 100 countries and territories.

Resources to tackle the scourge have increased significantly in recent years as a result of the efforts of the UN-backed Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the United States President's Malaria Initiative; the World Bank; UNICEF; and others.

Most African nations have switched over to the more effective Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) -- recommended by the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) -- to treat malaria.

ACT production has surged from 4 million treatment doses in 2004 to over 100 million in 2006.

Ms. Veneman noted that 18 million long-lasting insecticidal nets protecting against malaria have been distributed in Ethiopia since 2005, while 10 million have been delivered in Kenya over the past five years. "These successes show what can be achieved with concerted action," she said.

"But with an estimated 800,000 African children still dying from malaria every year, it is clear that much remains to be done."

One decade after UNICEF, the WHO and their partners launched the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) initiative, malaria -- claiming the lives of some 3,000 children daily -- is still the single largest killer of Africa children.

To control the disease globally, it will cost approximately $3.2 billion, and through increased public and private commitments and partnerships, RBM has raised $1 billion to date.

UNICEF appealed for bolstered interventions -- including sustained financing, community involvement and leadership as well as enhanced global, regional and national partnerships -- to control the disease.

Yesterday, the agency announced a partnership with religious, business and sports leaders to supply insecticide-treated bed nets for Africa.

"Nothing But Nets," a grassroots campaign created in 2006 by the UN Foundation (UNF) to raise awareness about malaria, helps fund the distribution of life-saving bed nets.

It "is an important initiative that will help build on successes in addressing malaria and accelerate results for children," Ms. Veneman said at a news conference at UN Headquarters. "Our results will be measured in lives saved and in lives improved."
2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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IRAQI CHILDREN ARE SILENT VICTIMS OF ONGOING VIOLENCE, SAYS UN ENVOY

IRAQI CHILDREN ARE SILENT VICTIMS OF ONGOING VIOLENCE, SAYS UN ENVOY New York, Apr 25 2008 9:00AM Wrapping up a six-day visit to Iraq, the United Nations human rights envoy tasked with protecting the rights of children caught up in armed conflict said that the war-ravaged country's children are silent victims of the continued violence.

"Many of them are no longer go to school, many are recruited for violent activities or detained in custody, they lack access to the most basic services and manifest a wide range of psychological symptoms from the violence in their everyday lives," said Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.

She urged religious, political, military and community leaders to encourage children to stay out of the violence and return to their studies.

Gender-based violence is also reported to be on the rise, which Ms. Coomaraswamy said is "intolerable."

Only half of primary school children are attending school, down from 80 per cent in 2005, she noted. Only 40 per cent having access to clean drinking water, with the outbreak of cholera possible.

Since 2004, rising numbers of children have been recruited into militias and insurgent groups, some serving as suicide bombers, while some 1,500 are known to be in detention facilities.

Since humanitarian workers' access to children is impeded in many parts of Iraq, children are deprived of their assistance.

The Special Representative called on all parties to give free and independent access to aid workers, and urged the Iraqi Government, the United States Government and other countries to allow agencies, such as the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (< http://unhcr.org">UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (<http://wfp.org>WFP), to be able to reach children in all parts of Iraq without hindrance.

Ms. Coomaraswamy also appealed to the international community to assist neighbouring countries to which Iraqis have fled to ensure that the children are protected and can access basic services, including education and health care.

She called on all sides in the Iraqi conflict to follow international humanitarian standards for the protection of children and to release without delay any children under the age of 18 associated with their forces, and also to adhere to international human rights standards pertaining to juvenile justice provisions.

"Let peace in Iraq begin with the protection of children" said the Special Representative said.

2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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DOCTORS' HIV TREATMENTS NEARLY AS EFFECTIVE AS ADVANCED THERAPIES -- UN

DOCTORS' HIV TREATMENTS NEARLY AS EFFECTIVE AS ADVANCED THERAPIES -- UN New York, Apr 25 2008 9:00AM Treatment of HIV-infected people by doctors looking for simple signs of deteriorating health -- such as weight loss or fever -- are almost as effective as those relying on advanced laboratory tests, a new United Nations-backed paper has found.

"The results of this study should reassure clinicians in Africa and Asia, who are treating literally millions of people without these laboratory tests, that they are not compromising patient safety," said Charles Gilks, Coordinator of Anti-retroviral Treatment (ART) and HIV Care at the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) and co-author of the paper published today in The Lancet.

"In fact, the outcome of their treatment is almost as good as those patients in the USA and Europe where laboratory-guided treatment is the norm."

The study, carried out by United Kingdom experts working with WHO scientists, sought to assess the medium- and long-term consequences of the approaches to monitoring ART in settings where resources are limited.

It found that survival rates for those who were treated through clinical symptoms alone were almost identical to those who experienced laboratory monitoring. Although the survival rate is slightly higher for those living with HIV who were monitored for viral loads, the authors noted that this is not the most cost-effective strategy for the poorest countries.

Also, it was found that clinical observation alone is almost as effective as expensive laboratory tests in ascertaining when to have patients switch from WHO-recommended first-line treatments to more costly second-line medicines.

The study's authors used mathematical models and not on real patients. Very little real world data is available because ART drugs have only been used for a short time in some countries.

2008-04-25 00:00:00.000

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HUNDREDS FLEE NEW VIOLENCE IN STRIFE-TORN REGION OF DR CONGO, UN AGENCY SAYS

HUNDREDS FLEE NEW VIOLENCE IN STRIFE-TORN REGION OF DR CONGO, UN AGENCY SAYS New York, Apr 24 2008 6:00PM Renewed fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) North Kivu province today has forced the United Nations refugee agency to halt the distribution of aid to internally displaced persons and to call off a drive to register newly displaced people in the Rutshuru area.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4810b0b72.html">UNHCR) suspended operations after reports of new fighting between Government soldiers and fighters from the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) near the Kinyandoni Anglican IDP site in North Kivu. Clashes on Saturday and Sunday left at least one woman dead.

UNHCR field staff reported that IDPs were continuing to flock to sites around Kiwanja. The majority is sheltering in public buildings and most new arrivals are women and children. Some said their homes had been destroyed and their possessions looted, while some parents said they had lost touch with their children.

The UN agency said that "medical assistance is of vital importance," and added that suspected cases of cholera had been reported.

The hundreds fleeing in recent days have added to an estimated existing IDP population of 860,000 in North Kivu, which lies next to the border with Rwanda and Uganda.

The displacement in the Rutshuru area, some 70 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Goma, comes three months after the signing of an accord in Goma between the Government and rival armed groups aimed at bringing lasting peace to the DRC's far east after more than a decade of conflict. Despite the accord, tensions have remained high.

A peace agreement in 2003 formally brought years of war to a close, but fighting flared again in North Kivu that same year. An estimated 1.3 million IDPs remain in the DRC, while 350,000 Congolese have fled to other countries.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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HAITI NEEDS URGENT HELP TO AVOID BACKSLIDING AMID CURRENT CRISIS - BAN KI-MOON

HAITI NEEDS URGENT HELP TO AVOID BACKSLIDING AMID CURRENT CRISIS – BAN KI-MOON New York, Apr 24 2008 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has written to more than a dozen key Member States, asking for their urgent assistance in addressing the situation in Haiti, which has witnessed violent protests in recent weeks over rising food prices and a rapid deterioration in socio-economic conditions that threatens to undo the gains achieved by the tiny nation.

Haiti – already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere – has been hit particularly hard by the recent surge in the price of basic foods.

Mr. Ban "noted that the rise in the prices of certain staple commodities had led to increased popular frustration, which found expression in a number of demonstrations, some violent, earlier this month," his spokesperson told reporters.

"It is the Secretary-General's view that Haiti is making significant progress towards political, economic and social stability and that it is crucial to avoid backsliding, which could unravel the many gains achieved over the past four years," said Marie Okabe.

The UN system will do everything in its capacity to assist Haiti, she added. However, real progress will also require urgent support from donors, including in-kind contributions and funds to help fill short-term needs and the requirements of ongoing programmes.

Last week the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Haiti said the country will remain in an extremely precarious economic and humanitarian situation unless it receives an urgent injection of funds to widen emergency feeding operations, extend existing job programmes and jump-start agricultural activity.

"If we don't react very strongly, then we could find ourselves in a very difficult state," said Joël Boutroue. "The level of poverty, combined with the lack of coping mechanisms for the poorest Haitians, means we have the potential for a very explosive situation."
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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LACK OF TANGIBLE RESULTS IN KEY AREAS MAY UNDERMINE NORTH-SOUTH SUDAN PACT - UN

LACK OF TANGIBLE RESULTS IN KEY AREAS MAY UNDERMINE NORTH-SOUTH SUDAN PACT – UN New York, Apr 24 2008 6:00PM The parties to the 2005 peace accord ending the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan deserve credit for striving to overcome their tensions and problems through dialogue, but tangible progress has been made in key areas, jeopardizing the agreement's implementation, the United Nations says in a new report.

The <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/267">report on the situation in Sudan, published today, welcomes the recent good cooperation between the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan in devising a joint plan to achieve economic recovery and development, especially in the areas most affected by the civil war.

This should "contribute to delivering a true 'peace dividend' to the people of Sudan," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in the report, which covers the period since the end of January.

Preserving the partnership between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), signatories to the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement, is also "fundamental to the success of the peace process."

But recent clashes and tensions in the Abyei area, an oil-rich region which remains disputed by the two sides, are a potential threat to the agreement and the broader partnership, Mr. Ban says.

"I urge the parties to summon the political will to address difficult outstanding issues, particularly the status of Abyei and the disputed 1 January 1956 border. Further delay in resolving those issues may complicate the situation and lead to unintended conflict."

Resolution of Abyei, including division of oil revenues derived from the area, is just one issue of many which the report says must be overcome if the CPA is to be fully implemented. The others include border demarcation; the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants; the formation of joint integrated units involving the two sides; and appropriate preparations for the current national census and next year's scheduled elections.

"Those issues are interlinked. Progress must be made in parallel; delay or confrontation in one area will affect implementation in the other areas."

Mr. Ban adds that relatively minor amendments are needed to allow the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) to maximize its support to the parties and to help them implement the rest of the CPA, including the arrangements for a peaceful referendum in 2011.

"Our activities should also contribute to laying a foundation for stability post-2011," regardless of whether there is a federal structure or neighbouring States, the report concludes.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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STREAMLINED CUSTOMS COULD BOOST EXPORTS BY POOREST COUNTRIES - UN OFFICIAL

STREAMLINED CUSTOMS COULD BOOST EXPORTS BY POOREST COUNTRIES – UN OFFICIAL New York, Apr 24 2008 5:00PM Cumbersome customs procedures are adding unnecessary costs to the transport of goods from landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) to international markets, a senior UN official has told a meeting held to measure progress on the issue.

Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (<"http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2008/apr/g23.asp">ESCAP), said yesterday that international conventions on transport and transit could solve the problem by harmonizing, simplifying and standardizing rules and documentation.

Ms. Heyzer was speaking at the end of a two-day meeting in Bangkok which assessed progress in Asia and Europe since the UN's Almaty Programme of Action was adopted in 2003. The programme aims to help LLDCs by supporting cooperation between landlocked and transit countries, and by cutting red tape, transport costs and time.

The meeting was organized by ESCAP, along with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (<"http://www.unece.org/">ECE), and the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (<"http://www.un.org/ohrlls/">UN-OHRLLS).

Cheikh Sidi Diarra, the UN High Representative, told the meeting that much progress had been made since 2003. He said that, on average, it now takes LLDCs 49 days to export a consignment of goods, down from 57 days in 2005. He also cited two ESCAP initiatives as good examples of better transit cooperation: the Asian Highway Network and the Trans-Asian Railway Network. The Highway covers 141,000 kilometres and links 32 countries, while the Railway runs 81,000 kilometres in 28 countries.

Ms. Heyzer noted that "there are still remarkable infrastructure gaps which cannot be addressed without involving the private sector." But she added that "the landlocked and the transit countries share many common problems" and cited another ESCAP initiative, the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, as a tool that could help these countries engage in dynamic trade and investment.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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SOARING FOOD PRICES JEOPARDIZING UN'S ABILITY TO FEED THE WORLD'S HUNGRY

SOARING FOOD PRICES JEOPARDIZING UN'S ABILITY TO FEED THE WORLD'S HUNGRY New York, Apr 24 2008 4:00PM The accelerating rise in food prices worldwide is threatening the work of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to feed the millions of hungry people around the globe, the head of the agency said today.

"We can buy 40 per cent less food than we could last June with the same contribution," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said in a video conference from Rome, voicing concern that as many as 100 million people face being pushed deeper into poverty.

The aggressive price increases – caused by such factors as income growth, rising oil prices, increasingly severe weather and trade policy, among others – began last June, she noted. In the past month alone, the price of rice in Asia has nearly doubled.

"If people don't have resiliency it makes it very difficult to adjust," she said, adding that those in the developing world spend more than 70 per cent of their household income on food already.

In countries where people subsist on less than $1 per day, many have cut back on meals, only eating several times per week.

"We're also concerned because this isn't just an issue of hunger, but also an issue of instability," Ms. Sheeran pointed out, with protests against soaring food prices having been held in dozens of countries.

Furthermore, there is the additional challenge of adequate supply, with up to 40 countries now imposing export bans on food, impacting importing countries, which are most impacted by the food crisis.

Those most at risk are children and mothers; refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs); pastoralists; and the urban poor.

The Executive Director also cautioned that farmers are joining the ranks of the "new face of hunger," the millions being pushed into the urgent hunger category. Despite the higher prices farmers can get for their products, many do not have access to credit or any form of support and are therefore unable to afford the inputs required and must plant less.

In Kenya's Rift Valley, non-IDP farmers are planting only one-third of what they did last year due to soaring prices of supplies such as fertilizer.

Along with governments, other UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP is pursuing a three-track global strategy for the current crisis. As part of an immediate response, it seeks to assess needs and identify the newly vulnerable and target its distribution of food in extreme situations.

In the medium term, WFP hopes to provide seeds, fertilizer and other key inputs, as well as expand its cash and voucher initiatives, while in the longer term, it seeks policy reform, bolstered agricultural production and investment in sustainable safety nets.

Last week, the agency announced it faced a $755 million shortfall – in addition to its budget of over $3 billion for 2008 – to feed the hungry worldwide due to food and fuel price increases.

UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_43651.html">UNICEF) Executive Director Ann M. Veneman also expressed concern over the "negative social and economic impacts" of climbing food prices, particularly in low-income and least developed nations.

In a statement, she observed that the rising prices will most affect the most vulnerable, including people depending on humanitarian assistance, orphans, those affected by HIV and AIDS, refugees and poor urban families.

"The increase in food prices may not only slow down progress towards achieving health and nutrition related Millennium Development Goals [<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs], but can also reverse or negatively impact child-related social indicators," Ms. Veneman remarked.

Calling for evidence-based interventions, she said that the most pressing priority is to assist already malnourished children and prevent the deterioration of the nutrition situation of affected populations.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON ENCOURAGES IVORIANS TO CONTINUE MAKING HEADWAY IN PEACE PROCESS

BAN KI-MOON ENCOURAGES IVORIANS TO CONTINUE MAKING HEADWAY IN PEACE PROCESS New York, Apr 24 2008 3:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today met with all the main political actors in Côte d'Ivoire and encouraged them to continue making progress in the West African nation's peace process, as he wrapped up a regional tour that also took him to Burkina Faso, Liberia and Ghana.

Earlier today Mr. Ban held meetings with the Ivorian Foreign Minister, political party leaders, civil society representatives and the President of the Independent Electoral Commission. He later observed the work being done by the UN peacekeeping mission, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI.

The Secretary-General also presided over the signing of a Code of Good Conduct by the country's political parties for the upcoming elections. After being delayed several times, the presidential polls – which were to be held as far back as 2005 – are now slated for 30 November.

The holding of free and fair elections is one of the provisions of last year's Ouagadougou Peace Agreement, which paved the way for an end to the conflict between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north.

Earlier this month, almost half a million Ivorians received new birth certificates, the first step in a process to enable them to vote in the elections.

Yesterday, Mr. Ban met separately with Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and President Laurent Gbagbo. He told reporters he had encouraged the Prime Minister to continue with his efforts to maintain the peace process in collaboration with the President and the other political actors.

Following his meeting with President Gbagbo, the Secretary-General said that he was encouraged that the Côte d'Ivoire Government has cleared all arrears with the World Bank and regained the trust and confidence of international financial institutions.

In addition, Mr. Ban signed an agreement with the Prime Minister and the donor community, in which donors pledged 27 million Euros towards the next phase of the peace process.

The Secretary-General now heads to Vienna, the first stop on a weeklong European visit during which he will also travel to Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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MAYORS GATHER AT UN TO DISCUSS PRACTICAL STEPS FOR DEALING WITH URBAN PROBLEMS

MAYORS GATHER AT UN TO DISCUSS PRACTICAL STEPS FOR DEALING WITH URBAN PROBLEMS New York, Apr 24 2008 2:00PM Mayors and other representatives from some of the world's biggest and most rapidly growing cities have been meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York over the past two days to examine how they can harness innovative forms of technology to overcome the environmental problems caused by the relentless expansion of urban areas.

Participants at this week's conference, entitled "Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age," have been discussing practical solutions for improving living conditions – such as by reducing traffic congestion, pollution and crimes – while preventing social and economic inequity and exclusion.

The focus is on using information and communication technology (ICT) to achieve more sustainable urban planning given the physical pressures being placed on urban areas worldwide.

The conference is being held as the UN estimates that by the end of this year, more than half of the world's population – currently believed to be about 6.7 billion people – will be living in urban areas for the first time in human history.

UN Economic and Social Commission (<"http://www.un.org/ecosoc/">ECOSOC) President Léo Mérorès told the forum that "rather than fear the shift from rural to urban, we have an opportunity to leverage it to ensure sustainable development. What we need is sustainable urbanization."

Participants include mayors, representatives of local authorities, developers, architects, engineers, planners, ICT experts and representatives of the media, the private sector and civil society.

The conference was jointly organized by a series of organizations and entities, including the Global Alliance for ICT and Development of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (<"http://www.un.org/esa/desa/">DESA), the UN Human Settlements Programme (<"http://www.unhabitat.org/">UN-HABITAT) and urban planners in the New York City region.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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MEDIA IMPORTANT TO PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES

MEDIA IMPORTANT TO PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES New York, Apr 24 2008 2:00PM The media plays a vital role in encouraging democratization, strengthening the rule of law and promoting institution-building, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim told today's opening of a regional forum on the work of the media.

Speaking in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the Eurasian Media Forum is taking place, Mr. Kerim stressed that the media contributes to the process of democratization by asking difficult questions of those in power, providing access to important information and representing all views impartially.

By carrying out these tasks, the media help to enhance the rule of law and the building of public institutions in countries trying to achieve greater democratization.

Mr. Kerim said it was important to continue to promote democracy and development as the principal basis of the multilateral system while ensuring that as many people as possible have a stake in the benefits of that system.

He added that all States must work together responsibly and in solidarity with international institutions, along with the media, civil society and the private sector, if they are to take full advantages of the opportunities offered by globalization and to overcome the world's current major challenges.

While in Kazakhstan, Mr. Kerim also met with President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and the two men focused on regional issues, UN-Kazakh relations and the key topics of the current session of the General Assembly.

Mr. Kerim and Mr. Nazarbayev also discussed inter-religious dialogue as Kazakhstan has hosted both the first and second Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and is a member of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilizations.

Later the Assembly President is scheduled to travel to the Kazakh capital, Astana, for talks with parliamentary leaders and members of the UN country team. Earlier this week he also made an official visit to Turkmenistan.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: UN AGENCY CALLS FOR ENSURING SAFETY OF AID WORKERS AFTER LATEST KILLING

DARFUR: UN AGENCY CALLS FOR ENSURING SAFETY OF AID WORKERS AFTER LATEST KILLING New York, Apr 24 2008 11:00AM The United Nations World Food Programme (<" http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) is urging the Government of Sudan and all parties on the ground to ensure the safety of aid workers after one of its drivers was shot dead while delivering vital food relief to Darfur, the second such killing in two months.

The latest incident comes days after the agency <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ASAZ-7DZHL4?OpenDocument">announced it will have to cut food rations to the strife-torn Sudanese region by half because attacks on its trucks are preventing critical relief supplies from getting through.

Mohammed Makki El Rasheed, 58 was killed on 21 April while travelling on a main transport route between North and South Darfur. The father of six was on his first-ever delivery trip to Darfur, where WFP is feeding over two million internally displaced persons (<" http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3b84c7e23.html">IDPs) and refugees.

"WFP is calling on all rebel groups and their commanders on the ground to ensure safety along the roads where they operate, so that humanitarian food relief can arrive to those who need it," according to an update issued by the agency.

It is also asking the Government to increase the number of police escorts for WFP convoys, so more food can get through.

So far this year 60 WFP-contracted trucks have been hijacked in Darfur, with 39 trucks still missing and 26 drivers unaccounted for. Another driver was killed while transporting food in South Darfur on 24 March.

The attacks have meant that WFP deliveries have dropped to less than 900 tons per day. Normally, around this time of year, the agency's trucks should be delivering 1,800 metric tons of food daily to supply warehouses ahead of the rainy season, due to begin next month.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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BETTER MANAGING OF RISKS CAN REDUCE WORK-RELATED ACCIDENTS, SAYS UN AGENCY

BETTER MANAGING OF RISKS CAN REDUCE WORK-RELATED ACCIDENTS, SAYS UN AGENCY New York, Apr 24 2008 11:00AM The United Nations labour agency is calling for better managing risks in the workplace in an effort to reduce the over two million deaths each year resulting from work-related accidents and ill health.

In a new report published on the occasion of the <"http://www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Events/Campaigns/lang--en/WCMS_091614/index.htm">World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed on 28 April, the International Labour Organization (ILO) outlined management techniques that identify, anticipate and assess hazards and risks and take action to control and reduce them.

"Millions of work related accidents, injury and disease annually take their toll on human lives, businesses, the economy and the environment," noted ILO Director-General Juan Somavia.

"We know that by assessing risks and hazards, combating them at source and promoting a culture of prevention we can significantly reduce workplace illness and injuries," he added.

According to the ILO, 2.2 million people die annually from work-related accidents and diseases and work-related deaths appear to be on the rise. In addition, every year some 270 million people suffer non-fatal, work-related accidents resulting in at least three days absence from work and an additional 160 million new people suffer from some work-related illness.

"There is clear evidence that healthy workforces both enhance business productivity and benefit enterprises and national economies by reducing the number of accidents and diseases and lowering the number of insurance and compensation claims," said Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri, Director of ILO's Safework Department.

In addition to the publication of the report, entitled "My life, my work, my safe work: Managing risk in the work environment," a number of events and activities are planned around the world to mark the Day, from a street campaign on occupational safety and health in Moscow to an international book fair in Buenos Aires to promote the importance of health and safety in the world of work.
2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

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NEPALESE CHILDREN STILL FACE SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, UN REPORT FINDS

NEPALESE CHILDREN STILL FACE SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, UN REPORT FINDS New York, Apr 23 2008 7:00PM Grave violations against children have not stopped in Nepal, although they have fallen significantly in number since the signing in 2006 of the comprehensive ceasefire agreement ending the Asian country's protracted armed conflict, a new United Nations <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/259">report says.

The report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, released today, includes a series of recommendations calling for the enhanced legal protection of minors and stepped-up measures to end the recruitment of children by armed groups and reintegrate child soldiers back into the general community.

It finds that many children were recruited by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) just before the accord was signed in 2006 and that no progress has since been made in formally discharging them, although some have been released informally.

Emerging social unrest in the Terai region in the country's south have also posed new risks for children, including recruitment by armed groups, according to the report, which covers the period from October 2006 to the end of last year.

Moreover, across the country, all major political parties are increasingly willing to use children in their political demonstrations, strikes and blockades.

The report recommends that the Government should take "significant steps" in the areas of legal reform, accountability and reconciliation, including enacting a law that criminalizes the recruitment of persons aged less than 18 by armed groups.

"It should take further steps to ensure that law enforcement agencies and the courts investigate and prosecute crimes against children and strengthen legal institutions to ensure that human rights issues are addressed and also to ensure that any strengthening or reform of law enforcement and criminal justice systems are in line with international standards," the report states.

Further, the Government should "make a clear commitment to the reintegration of children associated with armed forces and armed groups," in part by working with the UN and the CPN-M to set up an effective programme for the release and reintegration of such children.

Turning to the CPN-M, the report calls on the party to take urgent steps to enter into a concrete action plan with the UN to implement its earlier commitment for the immediate and unconditional release of children in Maoist army cantonments. It also calls on the party to end the obstacles to the reintegration of informally released children.

The report has been released less than two weeks after Nepalese voters went to the polls in historic elections to select the members of a Constituent Assembly, which is tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country.
2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

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ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS ENGAGED IN MOST INTENSIVE TALKS IN EIGHT YEARS - UN

ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS ENGAGED IN MOST INTENSIVE TALKS IN EIGHT YEARS – UN New York, Apr 23 2008 6:00PM Israelis and Palestinians are currently engaged in the most intensive negotiations on issues pertaining to final status since the political process broke down almost eight years ago, a senior United Nations official told an <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9305.doc.htm">open meeting of the Security Council today.

However, Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Angela Kane warned the 15-member body that "the significance of this should not be underestimated, but neither should the grave risks to the process be overlooked."

She noted that there have been several major incidents of violence recently, particularly in and around Gaza.

The area "has also witnessed heightened humanitarian distress, while conditions in the West Bank including East Jerusalem have not significantly improved despite continuing efforts," Ms. Kane said in her briefing to the Council on the events of the past month.

During the reporting period, Ms. Kane said, 69 Palestinians, including 15 children, were killed in operations of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and 95 injured, while six Israelis were killed by Palestinian militants and 27 injured.

"We are deeply alarmed at the prospects of a further intensification of violence, given the terrible implications for civilians and the threat such conflict would pose to the security of all parties – the Palestinians, Israel and Egypt," she said, calling on the latter country to continue its efforts towards bringing calm to Gaza.

Following the 9 April attack on the Nahal Oz fuel terminal the Israeli Government is re-examining security mechanisms for secure commercial fuel delivery into Gaza.

"Had Nahal Oz not been able to reopen today, the [Gaza] power plant would have shut down and most areas of Gaza would have experienced increased electricity cuts," the Assistant Secretary-General said.

Low levels of fuel have resulted in vehicular transport being brought to a standstill and 15-20 per cent of the Gazan population receiving water for 3-5 hours every four days.

Some 60,000 cubic meters of raw and partially treated sewage is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea daily, and most fishing vessels have been grounded, meaning the sardine season will be lost, Ms. Kane reported.

Humanitarian agencies are also being impacted. The fuel supplies of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA) will run out on 24 April, and in a bid to conserve fuel, it is prioritizing food distribution, solid waste removal and sewage projects.

"As of tomorrow, unless petrol is allowed in, UNRWA will discontinue its food assistance to 650,000 refugees as well as its garbage collection services benefiting 500,000 Gazans," she said, adding that a further 500,000 people in one dozen municipalities are living without any solid waste management capacity, mostly due to the lack of fuel.

The Assistant Secretary-General welcomed the Israeli Government's removal of obstacles in the West Bank. However, UN staff have found that only 44 have been removed, of which only five were significant.

"We welcome these removals, but strongly urge further and more substantive progress to ease restrictions as envisaged in the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access and is vital to Palestinian economic revival," she observed.

She also voiced support for the re-affirmation of the Arab Peace Initiative, "which remains a central element in the search for peace in the region. We encourage Arab support for President [Mahmoud] Abbas' efforts to negotiate a peace treaty with Israel; Prime Minister [Salam] Fayad's efforts to build the institutions of a future Palestinian state; and for Palestinian unity."

On Lebanon, Ms. Kane said the country is undergoing "an intense political crisis" that has prevented the presidential election, with the top office having remained vacant since late last November.

Furthermore, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/">UNIFIL) has noticed a sharp increase in the daily number of Israeli air violations, which surged from 282 in February to 692 in March and reached 476 in the first half of April alone.

"The overflights constitute violations of Lebanese sovereignty and the Blue Line and continue to undermine the credibility of UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces," Ms. Kane stated.

On 2 May, the principals of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet – consisting of the UN, European Union, United States and Russian Federation – are gathering in London for a meeting chaired by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to assess the process launched in Annapolis in November 2007.

Mr. Ban, along with Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process Robert Serry, are working with both sides, the regional partners and within the Quartet "to support the political process, encourage action to meet commitments and improve conditions on the ground, and address the grave humanitarian, political and security situation in and around Gaza," the Assistant Secretary-General told the Security Council.
2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

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FINDING CURES FOR MAJOR ILLNESSES AT RISK DUE TO BIODIVERSITY LOSS, UN WARNS

FINDING CURES FOR MAJOR ILLNESSES AT RISK DUE TO BIODIVERSITY LOSS, UN WARNS New York, Apr 23 2008 6:00PM Finding treatments for cancer, thinning bone disease and kidney failure are at risk due to biodiversity loss, a ground-breaking new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) book cautioned.

"Sustaining Life" – the work of over 100 experts supported by UNEP, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – is the most far-reaching book on this subject to date.

The volume's authors warn that threats to land and marine-based life forms, reduce the chances of creating such medical treatments as safer painkillers, treatments for blindness and re-growing tissue and organs.

For example, studies of the southern gastric brooding frog, or <i>Rheobatrachus</i>, showed that baby frogs produced substances slowing acid and enzyme secretions, thus leading researchers to believe that new inroads could be made on treating human peptic ulcers, which affect 25 million people in the United States alone.

"But the studies could not be continued because both species of <i>Rheobatrachus</i> became extinct, and the valuable medical secrets they held are now gone forever," said Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein, the book's key authors.

Experts stressed that the conclusions of "Sustaining Life" are not intended to sanction the harvesting of wildlife in a manner which further endangers species, but instead that they should trigger stepped up conservation and management efforts.

"Habitat loss, destruction and degradation of ecosystems, pollution, over-exploitation and climate change are among the powerful and persistent impacts that are running down the planet's nature-based capital, including the medical treasure trove of the world's biodiversity," said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director.

The head of UNDP, Kemal Dervis, said that people around the world, especially the rural poor, depend heavily on biodiversity, but its loss will "seriously jeopardize our prospects for achieving the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] by 2015," he said, referring to the eight poverty targets.
2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

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NEW PUSH TO SEND BED NETS TO PREVENT MALARIA DEATHS IN AFRICA ANNOUNCED AT UN

NEW PUSH TO SEND BED NETS TO PREVENT MALARIA DEATHS IN AFRICA ANNOUNCED AT UN New York, Apr 23 2008 5:00PM The United Nations has teamed up with religious, business and sports leaders in a new effort to send insecticide-treated bed nets to Africa to prevent millions of deaths from the disease, ahead of the first-ever World Malaria Day on Friday.

"Nothing But Nets" is a grassroots campaign created in 2006 by the UN Foundation to raise awareness about malaria, which still kills about one million people every year, most of them children, and help fund the distribution of life-saving bed nets.

Ann Veneman, Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), noted that of the one million people that die each year due to malaria, about 800,000 are children under the age of five who live in sub-Saharan Africa.

"The Nothing But Nets campaign is an important initiative that will help build on successes in addressing malaria and accelerate results for children," she told a news conference at UN Headquarters. "Our results will be measured in lives saved and in lives improved."

Ms. Veneman stressed that the disease takes a heavy toll in terms of death and human suffering and is a major source of poverty. "The cost of malaria control and treatment drains African economies and, according to some estimates, slows economic growth by as much as 1.3 per cent per year," she noted.

"Malaria prevention is an important component of poverty reduction and economic development, and progress is being made," she added.

Tim Wirth, President of the UN Foundation, explained that through the programme, citizens around the world can purchase bed nets for $10 each. They are then distributed through UN programmes in different countries.

"This is the most effective prevention programme in the area of malaria that we know about," he noted.

The founding partners of the campaign, which was inspired by sports columnist Rick Reilly, include the National Basketball Association (NBA), the United Methodist Church and <i>Sports Illustrated</i> magazine.

NBA Commissioner David Stern highlighted the power of sports as a vehicle for communication on a global scale. "Athletes can be used to communicate many messages – some of them are for athletic shoes and apparel and some of them may be for cereal or automobiles. But how wonderful it is or them to have the opportunity to communicate that we should save lives," he stated.
2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

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IVORIAN PEACE PROCESS TOPS AGENDA OF BAN KI-MOON'S FINAL STOPS IN WEST AFRICA

IVORIAN PEACE PROCESS TOPS AGENDA OF BAN KI-MOON'S FINAL STOPS IN WEST AFRICA New York, Apr 23 2008 4:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reaffirmed the continued support of the United Nations for Côte d'Ivoire's peace process, including the elections slated for later this year, as he arrived in Abidjan, the final stop on a four-nation tour that also took him to Ghana, Liberia and Burkina Faso.

Mr. Ban met with President Laurent Gbagbo soon after his arrival in the West African nation, and also with Prime Minister Guillaume Soro.

Yesterday, in Burkina Faso, the Secretary-General discussed the Ivorian peace process with President Blaise Compaoré, the facilitator of that process, and thanked him for his work in the inter-Ivorian dialogue.

Côte d'Ivoire became divided in 2002 between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north, but a peace agreement concluded in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, paved the way for an end to the conflict and included a provision calling for free and fair elections to be held.

Presidential polls were to be held as far back as 2005, but after having been delayed several times since, are now scheduled for 30 November.

Following his meeting with Mr. Compaoré, Mr. Ban said he was encouraged that the Ivorian Government has set a date for elections and that he would encourage Mr. Gbagbo to keep this commitment.

"I hope that we will soon see stability and peace and development in Côte d'Ivoire," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1147">told reporters, adding that "the road to elections is fraught with many challenges, many difficulties."

Mr. Ban also met yesterday with Burkina Faso's Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, and discussed with them the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), good governance and poverty reduction.

Before leaving Burkina Faso this morning, the Secretary-General <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3114">visited the Manegda School – a primary school on the outskirts of Ouagadougou that is supported by the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF). While there he planted a tree and offered ten computers to the schoolchildren.

After wrapping up his West Africa trip, Mr. Ban will travel to Vienna where he will meet on Friday with the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Alfred Gusenbauer.

He will also attend the inauguration of additional conference facilities at the Vienna International Centre, where the International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/">IAEA), the UN office in Vienna, the UN Industrial Development Organization (<"http://www.unido.org/">UNIDO) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (<"http://disarmament.un.org/WMD/ctbt/index.html">CTBT) Organization have their headquarters.

Following that, the Secretary General heads to Switzerland, where on Monday in Bern he will chair the meeting of the <"http://www.unsystemceb.org/">UN Chief Executive Board, which brings together 27 heads of UN agencies, funds and programmes. The gathering will largely focus on increasing food prices and the possible responses from the UN system.

On Tuesday Mr. Ban will be in Geneva, where he will deliver the first of a series of lectures organized by the UN office there and the UN Institute for Training and Research (<"http://www.unitar.org/">UNITAR). More than 1,500 people are expected to attend the lecture – entitled "Are the development goals doomed to fail?" – which will include an interactive segment, with questions that have been coming in from the audience through three Swiss media outlets in the last few days.

The Secretary-General will then head to London, where on 2 May he will chair a meeting of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East – the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States. The gathering will review all aspects of the peace process launched in the US city of Annapolis late last year and the situation on the ground.

The Quartet meeting will take place in the margins of a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee on the same day. The AHLC is convening to assess progress in Palestinian institutional and economic development since its meeting in New York last September.
2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON URGES COUNTRIES TO ENHANCE SHARING OF DATA ON SMALL ARMS

BAN KI-MOON URGES COUNTRIES TO ENHANCE SHARING OF DATA ON SMALL ARMS New York, Apr 23 2008 4:00PM Member States need to increase their collection, maintenance and sharing of data on small arms as part of measures to encourage disarmament, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report made public today.

These weapons are "cheap, light and easy to handle, transport and conceal," Mr. Ban wrote in his first-ever <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/258">report on the topic.

"While a build-up of small arms alone may not create the conflicts in which they are used, their excessive accumulation and universal availability tends to aggravate conflicts by increasing the lethality and duration of violence and by increasing the sense of insecurity which leads to a greater demand for weapons."

The Secretary-General pointed out that currently most conflicts are fought using mainly small arms and light weapons, being widely used in inter-State conflicts as well as in civil wars, terrorism, organized crime and gang warfare.

"Small arms facilitate a vast spectrum of human rights violations," such as rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and forced recruitment of children by armed groups or forces, he said. "More human rights abuses are committed with them than with any other weapons.

The lack of progress in curbing small arms is partially a result of limited data, coordination and capacity, Mr. Ban noted.

"Without more transparency on the part of Governments, in particular in the field of trade in small arms and ammunition, it is difficult to assess where gaps exist in the national, regional and global implementation of international instruments," he said, calling for stepped up research on the issue by States which are in a position to do so.

The Secretary-General observed that coordination on the topic of small arms could also be improved within the UN, adding that reviving the Coordination Action on Small Arms (CASA) – established in 198 as a consultative mechanism – is one of this year's top disarmament priorities.

CASA will also begin creating international standards for controlling small arms, similar to the ones created for mine action and for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

The report recommended that the Security Council promote strengthened cooperation among its sanctions monitoring groups, peacekeeping missions, Member States and others. It also encouraged the Peacebuilding Commission, the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to boost their cooperation on the issue of children and small arms.
2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

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UN TRIBUNAL AND JUSTICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE START PROJECT TO SAFEGUARD COURT'S LEGACY

UN TRIBUNAL AND JUSTICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE START PROJECT TO SAFEGUARD COURT'S LEGACY New York, Apr 23 2008 4:00PM The United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst war crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (<"http://www.unicri.it/">UNICRI) have begun a joint project to transfer the knowledge gained from the tribunal's work to future courts and institutions dealing with the issues.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), with the assistance of UNICRI, will draft a compilation of its best practices that can then be used by other international and domestic regimes tackling war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, the tribunal said in a <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pr1242e.htm">press release issued today in The Hague.

The document will include all of the ICTY's expertise on its proceedings, ranging from investigations to the enforcement of its sentences, and drawing from the work of the Office of the President, Chambers, Prosecution and Registry at the tribunal.

The manual is due for completion later this year and a digest of ICTY jurisprudence is also being considered for publication, the tribunal said. UNICRI will organize the publication and distribution of the documents.
2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

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