ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL WRAPS UP 'HISTORIC' MONTH-LONG SESSION

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL WRAPS UP 'HISTORIC' MONTH-LONG SESSION New York, Jul 25 2008 6:00PM The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) today wrapped up its annual substantive session, which this year focused on efforts to achieve sustainable development and saw the holding of the first ever Development Cooperation Forum.

"It was truly a historic session, as it implemented the new functions of the Council in their entirety," the Council's President, Leo Mérorès of Haiti, <"http://www.un.org/ecosoc/president/statement_2008/Statement+President+of+ECOSOC-+25+July+2008.pdf">said at the conclusion of the session.

It was during this session that the first biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) – bringing together representatives from governments, the private sector, inter-governmental organizations (NGOs) and academia – convened to discuss technical aspects of development cooperation issues.

The Forum was established in 2005 to help make development activities within and outside the UN more coherent and streamlined, particularly as more and more groups and entities become involved in the delivery of aid.

"The Forum indeed constitutes one of the central pillars of the new, revitalized Economic and Social Council," he said, adding that significant strides were made in positioning the Council as the principal forum for global dialogue and policy review on the effectiveness and coherence of international development cooperation.

Another vital part of the session was the holding of the second Annual Ministerial Review, which featured presentations from four developing and four developed countries on lessons learned in development assistance.

Mr. Mérorès noted that the developing countries had agreed on one common theme – that poverty eradication could only be achieved by pursuing development which is economically, socially and ecologically sustainable.

At the same time, the developed countries acknowledged the gaps in their development cooperation strategies while highlighting successes with their development partners, he added.

During its session, the Council also addressed a number of emerging challenges such as climate change, rising food and oil prices and biodiversity loss.

The Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs underscored the crux of the Council's messages on these issues, stressing first and foremost that there are no piecemeal solutions and that these challenges should be addressed in a comprehensive manner.

"There is also a clear need for both short-term and long-term measures," Sha Zukang told the concluding session, particularly in the case of the food and fuel crises.

He also emphasized collective action as central to the success of global efforts to find lasting and durable solutions to these challenges. "ECOSOC can serve as an effective forum for launching such action," he pointed out. "We need to fully utilize the potential of the Council."

Among the other outcomes of the session, the two officials cited the message from this year's humanitarian segment that further strengthening of the provision of humanitarian assistance is needed so that it becomes more timely, accountable, equitable and accessible.

The Council also advanced its work in the area of peacebuilding and post-conflict development, most notably by again extending the mandate of the ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, in recognition of the role that the Council can play in supporting the country's long-term development.

ECOSOC, which serves as the central UN forum for discussing international economic and social issues and formulating policy recommendations, began its 2008 substantive session on 30 June.
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF SAYS 180,000 CHILDREN IN SOMALIA ARE MALNOURISHED

UNICEF SAYS 180,000 CHILDREN IN SOMALIA ARE MALNOURISHED New York, Jul 25 2008 5:00PM Nearly 180,000 children in Somalia are acutely malnourished, with 25,000 severely malnourished, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) which has scaled up its nutrition operation to reach more than 50,000 children under the age of five.

A new survey carried out by the Food Security Analysis Unit in Somalia has found that there has been an 11 per cent increase in malnutrition in the last six months.

"So far we have been lucky to be strongly backed by our donors. However, with the recent increase in malnutrition rates and the need for accelerated humanitarian assistance, more funds are required for us to continue and expand our programmes effectively," said Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF Representative to Somalia.

UNICEF and its partners have just completed a second round of its blanket feeding programme, which involves the distribution of UNIMIX-food supplement, rich with vitamins and minerals, to 54,000 under-five children in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia's Afgoye Corridor and the capital, Mogadishu.

The IDP concentration areas are among the most at risk of malnutrition, according to UNICEF. The prolonged conflict and civil insecurity in Mogadishu and its surrounding areas have led to an influx of displaced people into temporary settlements across the country.

Afgoye hosts one of the biggest IDP settlements with a displaced population exceeding 300,000 people. Analyses indicate that the nutrition situation in Afgoye is critical, further complicated by the limited access because of the security situation.

Northern parts of Somalia are also hit hard by the deteriorating nutrition conditions, worsened by skyrocketing food prices and the devaluation of the Somali shilling. The urban poor and displaced are the most vulnerable populations, with thousands of families from the conflict-affected south forced to seek temporary refuge in the northern parts of the country.

In Bossaso IDP camps, where about 28,000 people are located, global acute malnutrition rates have been recorded at 23.3 per cent, well above the rate of 15 per cent which is considered to constitute an emergency. Glakayo and Garowe IDP camps have also recorded very critical global acute malnutrition rates.

Starting in August and throughout the remainder of the year, UNICEF and partners will provide rations of 10 kilos of UNIMIX a month per child to approximately 7,500 under-five children in Bossaso IDP camps, as well as to children in Garowe and Galkayo camps, combined with a therapeutic feeding programme for severely malnourished children.
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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OUTGOING UN LEGAL CHIEF SAYS PEACE AND JUSTICE MUST GO HAND IN HAND

OUTGOING UN LEGAL CHIEF SAYS PEACE AND JUSTICE MUST GO HAND IN HAND New York, Jul 25 2008 4:00PM Although maintaining the balance between restoring peace and ending impunity can be sensitive and complex, amnesties for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are unacceptable, according to the United Nations Legal Counsel.

"In the past it was not infrequent to hear people say 'look there are situations where we simply have to make a choice: either you want peace or you want justice but you can't have both together,' so the dilemma was peace or justice and the assumption was that sometimes it is impossible to have the two. I would submit today that it is no longer acceptable to put the dilemma in these terms," Nicolas Michel, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, told reporters in New York today.

The Under-Secretary-General said that a guiding principle for the UN was the need to create conditions conducive to sustainable peace.

"I'm convinced, and this is now the policy of the UN, that justice is part of these conditions that are conducive to a sustainable peace. In other words, there is almost a slogan, but there is a hard reality behind that – no peace without justice," he said, speaking at his last press conference before stepping down from his post at the end of August.

"What draws our attention in recent days is that there are situations where the link between restoring peace and ending impunity is sensitive, is complex," Mr. Michel added.

Citing examples from Sudan, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Burundi, Mr. Michel said the dilemma was how to sequence steps towards peace and steps towards justice, while accepting the need to adjust to specific circumstances on the ground.

"There might be circumstances for instance in which you have to take warlords out of the picture because you can't achieve any peace with them and so you want to arrest them, but we also have to recognize that there are situations where you need interlocutors, you need them to negotiate a peace agreement – now what happens to them?" he said.

"You know we have good examples from the past of people who have negotiated peace agreements and who ended up behind bars. So the fact that they are part of the negotiations does not necessarily mean that they will not end up before a tribunal, and one of the clear corollaries of the culture of ending impunity is that amnesty for international crimes is not acceptable."

Mr. Michel also stressed that, despite the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and internationally-backed tribunals for Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia, the end of impunity as a "new emerging culture" needed protection.

"This progress is still very fragile and I think that we have to be extremely careful how we handle the very sensitive issues we are faced with because there is no doubt that there is a risk of setbacks and these setbacks will have serious consequences."
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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RECENT EVENTS MAKE IT MORE CHALLENGING FOR UN TO ADMINISTER KOSOVO, SAYS ENVOY

RECENT EVENTS MAKE IT MORE CHALLENGING FOR UN TO ADMINISTER KOSOVO, SAYS ENVOY New York, Jul 25 2008 2:00PM The situation in Kosovo has changed fundamentally in the past few months and events on the ground have contributed to creating a "profoundly new operating reality" for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission there (UNMIK), the world body's top official in Kosovo told the Security Council today.

"The ability of UNMIK to perform the vast majority of its tasks as an interim administration has been fundamentally challenged, owing to actions taken by the authorities in Pristina and the Kosovo Serbs," said Lamberto Zannier, echoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's comments in his recent report on UNMIK.

In his first address to the Council since taking up his post as the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNMIK, Mr. Zannier recalled that after declaring its independence from Serbia in February, the Kosovo Assembly adopted on 9 April a constitution that came into effect on 15 June.

"Since then, the Kosovo authorities continue to seek to assume powers and responsibilities of a sovereign State," he stated. These include the recent approval by the Kosovo Assembly of funds for establishing a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, a minister has been appointed and was present in the Security Council today.

The Prime Minister has also announced his intention to open embassies in a number of European countries and in the United States, he added.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo Serbs have continued to oppose cooperation with the authorities in Pristina, stressing that they will only cooperate with UNMIK, said the Special Representative. As a result of the Serbian local elections held on 11 May, new parallel municipal authorities are now operating in all Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo.

"As a consequence of this stark divergence of paths taken by Kosovo's Serbian and Albanian communities, the space in which UNMIK can operate has changed," he stated.

Mr. Zannier noted that while he and his staff continue to monitor the work of the Kosovo authorities and to mediate and facilitate in disputes between communities, his power to impose solutions throughout much of the territory has in practice "disappeared."

He reported that UNMIK has been engaged in planning for a reconfiguration of its presence which takes account of the changed circumstances, as proposed by Mr. Ban last month.

Accordingly, UNMIK has been instructed to cooperate with the European Union, so it can assume an enhanced operational role in the rule of law area under a UN "umbrella" headed by the Special Representative, in line with the original 1999 resolution that established the mission.

An initial reconfiguration plan has been developed and forwarded to Headquarters, outlining a number of measures which will reduce the Mission's capacity in areas where it can no longer function – for example in civil administration – and enhancing it in others, with particular attention to minorities.

Mr. Zannier said he remains optimistic that UNMIK "can continue to have an important role in facilitating dialogue among different parties on matters affecting the lives of all Kosovo's communities."
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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REPUBLIC OF KOREA: CARTOON HERO BECOMES GOODWILL ENVOY FOR UN REFUGEE AGENCY

REPUBLIC OF KOREA: CARTOON HERO BECOMES GOODWILL ENVOY FOR UN REFUGEE AGENCY New York, Jul 25 2008 12:00PM Robot Taekwon V, an iconic martial arts cartoon hero as famous in the Republic of Korea as Superman is in the West, has signed on as the United Nations refugee agency's Goodwill Envoy in the Asian nation.

"We thought that being associated with this character, who is extremely popular with all age groups and both sexes, would give us huge potential for recognition in the Republic of Korea, where we are still largely unknown," <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/48899d864.html">said Janice Lyn Marshall, country representative for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), after the signing ceremony at Robot Taekwon V's 32nd birthday party on Thursday.

"It's a first for UNHCR to join forces with an animated character in this way," she added.
For the next year, the character, which uses the martial art Taekwondo to protect the weak, will collaborate with UNHCR on events such as World Refugee Day and UN Day. His image will also be used on fund-raising and promotional materials.

Robot Taekwon V is seen as a guardian figure saving the Republic of Korea – a country that has been invaded by foreign countries numerous times in its history – from danger.
"What the character is fighting for is akin to what the United Nations stands for – world peace and stopping those who would try to destroy it," Ms. Marshall said.

On UNHCR's Korean-language website (www.unhcr.or.kr) the robot himself explained his motivation for working with the agency.

"For the last 30 years I have protected Korean families and children from evil and guarded their hope and courage," he said in an interview. "Now I have to go beyond Korea and into the world and try my best to help the children not to lose hope, but to realize their dreams."

Robot Taekwon V said he would remind Koreans that many of them were displaced during the Korean War in the early 1950s.

"I'm also going to inform Koreans about refugee situations around the world, together with the UNHCR representation in Korea," the robot said in the interview. "I know that Koreans are warm-hearted – so I'm sure they will have empathy."

In a related development, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today also began making use of animated characters – this time to highlight issues around doping in sport.

At the website www.unesco.org/shs visitors can follow the adventures of Rattus Holmes and Felis Watson in a story published by UNESCO with EDGE G3 Ltd.

Entitled "The Case of the Spoilsports," the comic strip, inspired by the famous detective stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, will trace how twin athletes react differently to the pressures of competitive sport.

One gives in immediately to the pressure put on him by his trainer and teammates while the other athlete suffers as a result of the use of performance enhancing drugs by his competitors. From one sports event to the next, the plot leads the audience to the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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GREEK CYPRIOT AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS ANNOUNCE 'FULL-FLEDGED' TALKS -- UN

GREEK CYPRIOT AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS ANNOUNCE 'FULL-FLEDGED' TALKS -- UN New York, Jul 25 2008 12:00PM Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat today announced that they would meet for full-fledged talks under United Nations auspices on 3 September, in a move aimed at ending the long-running dispute in Cyprus.

"The aim of the full-fledged negotiations is to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem, which will safeguard the fundamental and legitimate rights and interests of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots," the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Taye-Brook Zerihoun, said in a statement read out on behalf of the two leaders.

The two leaders said that the agreed solution arising from the talks would be put to separate, simultaneous referenda. They also announced that they had agreed to establish a secure hotline to facilitate direct contact between them.

Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat also commended the efforts of the working groups and technical committees which have been holding talks on a range of issues, and approved an additional 16 measures in the areas of the environment, cultural heritage, crisis management and crime.

They also welcomed the appointment of Alexander Downer as the Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Cyprus and said they looked forward to working with him and the UN team in the coming period.

In May the two men committed themselves in a statement to working towards "a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant Security Council resolutions."

The partnership will comprise a Federal Government with a single international personality, along with a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, which will be of equal status.

UNFICYP has been in place on the island since 1964 after the outbreak of intercommunal violence. It is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, contributing to a return to normal conditions and the maintenance of law and order.

2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN 'RUNNING FOR LIFE' CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHTS PLIGHT OF COLOMBIA'S DISPLACED

NEW UN 'RUNNING FOR LIFE' CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHTS PLIGHT OF COLOMBIA'S DISPLACED New York, Jul 25 2008 11:00AM A new Internet-based campaign that compares forced displacement to a long-distance race which starts when people have no choice but to flee from conflict, violence or persecution is being launched today by the United Nations refugee agency and 10 other partners, to assist displaced people in Colombia.

The "Corre por la Vida" (Running for Life) campaign stresses that displacement is always forced and that nobody chooses to start on this race.

The race contains numerous hurdles along the way, ranging from finding a new home and a reliable source of income to reaching long-term security and stability.

"The internal displacement crisis in Colombia is one of the largest and oldest in the world and for many, it is also a race with no clear direction and no end in sight," Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=4889abed4">told journalists.

"The message is that every Colombian can take action to contribute to a positive outcome," she added.

By visiting www.correporlavida.org, people will get practical information on how to help, examples of successful local initiatives, and testimonies from displaced people.

The site also includes a special section for private businesses and enterprises, encouraging corporate leaders and entrepreneurs to take an active role in addressing the crisis.

"While offering basic information right from the start, www.correporlavida.org has been designed to encourage visitors to participate in its construction by posting their own ideas and suggestions of what works best," Ms. Pagonis noted.

According to UNHCR, Colombia enjoys one of the most sophisticated legislations on internal displacement in the world and the Government has significantly increased its budget to assist and prevent forced displacement.

At the same time, a number of challenges remain. There were some 250,000 registered new cases of forced displacement last year and more than half of all displaced people live below the poverty line. "The private sector has a crucial role to play in providing socio-economic stability to this sector of the population," said Ms. Pagonis.

The campaign is being launched today in the capital, Bogota, as well as Medellín, the country's second largest city, with a symbolic race by the campaign's organizers.
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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CASSAVA COULD BOOST OUTPUT FOR POOR FARMERS WORLDWIDE, UN AGENCY SAYS

CASSAVA COULD BOOST OUTPUT FOR POOR FARMERS WORLDWIDE, UN AGENCY SAYS New York, Jul 25 2008 11:00AM The tropical root crop cassava could help protect the food and energy security of poor countries now threatened by soaring food and oil prices, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

Scientists at a global conference held under the auspices of FAO in Gent, Belgium, <"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000899/index.html">called for a significant increase in investment in research and development needed to boost farmers' yields and to explore promising industrial uses of cassava, including production of biofuels.

The scientists, who have formed an international network called the Global Cassava Partnership, said the world community could not continue to ignore the plight of low-income tropical countries that have been hardest hit by rising oil prices and galloping food price inflation.

Widely grown in tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America, cassava is the developing world's fourth most important crop, with production in 2006 estimated at 226 million tons. It is the staple food of nearly one billion people in 105 countries, where the root provides as much as a third of daily calories.

The FAO said cassava has enormous potential – at present, average cassava yields are barely 20 per cent of those obtained under optimum conditions. Cassava is also the cheapest known source of starch, and used in more than 300 industrial products.

One promising application is fermentation of the starch to produce ethanol used in biofuel, although FAO cautioned that policies encouraging a shift to biofuel production should carefully consider its effects on food production and food security.

Despite growing demand and its production potential, however, cassava remains an "orphan crop," according to FAO. It is grown mainly in areas that have little or no access to improved varieties, fertilizer and other production inputs, by small-scale farmers often cut off from marketing channels and agro-processing industries.

FAO said that governments have not yet made the needed investments in value-added research that would make cassava starch products competitive on an international scale.

Participants at the conference agreed on a number of new projects, which will be offered immediately to the donor community, and a set of investments needed if cassava is to realize its full potential in tackling the global food and energy crisis.

They include the creation of a cassava chain delivery system to channel technical advances to poor farmers, improvements in soil fertility through better management, improvements in basic scientific knowledge of cassava, expansion of cassava's market share through development of post-harvest products, and training for the next generation of cassava researchers in developing countries.
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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SITUATION REMAINS DIRE FOR MYANMAR CYCLONE VICTIMS, UN AGENCIES WARN

SITUATION REMAINS DIRE FOR MYANMAR CYCLONE VICTIMS, UN AGENCIES WARN New York, Jul 25 2008 10:00AM Nearly three months after deadly Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of children and adults are in need of critical humanitarian assistance, two United Nations agencies on the frontlines of relief efforts <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2891">said>/a> today.

"The situation in Myanmar remains dire," said Chris Kaye, Country Director for the UN World Food Programme (WFP). "The vast majority of families simply don't have enough to eat."

A joint assessment carried out by the Government, the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stated similar concerns, confirming that more than 40 per cent of households lost all food stocks during the storm, which battered the country's southern coast in early May.

The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment Final Report, released earlier this week, puts a $1 billion price tag on recovery needs over three years, taking into account such areas as education, health, rebuilding livelihoods, infrastructure, agriculture and the environment.

The assessment also found that 34 per cent of households reported having no food stocks on the day of the survey, and a further 45 per cent reported having enough to last only one to seven days. In addition, 89 per cent of households reported that food was their highest priority expenditure.

"Hunger remains a very real threat, and if people are hungry, they can't focus on rebuilding their livelihoods," Mr. Kaye said.

WFP has scaled up its emergency feeding programmes for 924,000 beneficiaries, which will last until next April. At the same time, it notes that the $112 million operation is facing a 52 per cent shortfall, and there are significant logistical challenges involved in moving food and relief supplies into and around the hard-hit Ayeyarwady Delta, particularly given recent heavy monsoon rains.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) today highlighted the plight of nearly 700,000 children under the age of 17 who are in need of longer-term assistance following the cyclone, which destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of homes, schools and health centres.

UNICEF's Veronique Taveau told reporters in Geneva that the aid and reconstruction programmes were moving forward and schools were being rebuilt. Some schools had re-opened a few weeks ago, giving hope for a better future for 6,000 children.

The agency has distributed education supplies and recreational kits to children in the affected areas and had set up temporary learning spaces. In a recent appeal, UNICEF requested $90.7 million for its humanitarian operation until April 2009. This would help ensure that children continued to have access to primary schools, ensure the treatment and prevention of malnutrition among children and pregnant women, and provide support in the field of water, hygiene and sanitation.
2008-07-25 00:00:00.000

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TOP UN OFFICIAL DISCUSSES CYCLONE RESPONSE WITH MYANMAR'S PRIME MINISTER

TOP UN OFFICIAL DISCUSSES CYCLONE RESPONSE WITH MYANMAR'S PRIME MINISTER New York, Jul 24 2008 6:00PM The top United Nations humanitarian official today <"http://ochaonline.un.org/OchaLinkClick.aspx?link=ocha&docId=1092534">held talks with Myanmar's Prime Minister to discuss progress made in assisting survivors of the deadly Cyclone Nargis which struck the South-East Asian nation in early May.

Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes told the Prime Minister, General Thein Sein, and other officials in the capital Nay Pyi Taw that the positive steps taken regarding relief operations and recovery, as well as stepped up access for international aid workers, is largely a result of bolstered cooperation between the Government, the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"We hope that the dialogue and cooperation built up in the last couple of months over the
Cyclone Nargis response can be continued and improved, and in future extended to other humanitarian issues as well," said Mr. Holmes, who wrapped up a three-day visit to Myanmar today. "We must make sure that humanitarian efforts continue to be separate from politics."

He also told the Prime Minister, who welcomed continued collaboration with the UN and other partners, that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and others are ready and willing to provide disaster preparedness, risk reduction and early warning assistance to Myanmar.

"In May donors requested access for international relief workers and a credible, objective assessment: these are both now in place," said Mr. Holmes, who also serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

"Nevertheless, we need to continue working to improve access still further, particularly for new international NGO partners," he added.

Released earlier this week, the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment Final Report put a $1 billion price tag on recovery needs over three years, taking into account such areas as education, health, rebuilding livelihoods, infrastructure, agriculture and the environment.

Mr. Holmes stressed that this assessment serves as a road map for the relief and recovery efforts, noting that greater action is needed to reach those in the most remote areas of the hardest-hit Ayeyarwady Delta.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN MILITARY ADVISER TAKES UP POST AMID SURGE IN PEACEKEEPING

NEW UN MILITARY ADVISER TAKES UP POST AMID SURGE IN PEACEKEEPING New York, Jul 24 2008 5:00PM The new Military Adviser to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has arrived in New York to take up his post, at a time when peacekeeping numbers and responsibilities are at an all time high.

Lieutenant General Chikadibia Obiakor of Nigeria is tasked with providing advice on all military issues in the context of UN peacekeeping, which now deploys more than 110,000 men and women in conflict zones worldwide. He is the first DPKO military adviser to hold the rank of Assistant Secretary-General.

The 57 year old has had a long and distinguished career with the Nigerian Army, beginning in 1973, rising up the ranks to become a three-star general in December 2005.

Prior to taking up his new post, Lieutenant General Obiakor was Force Commander of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which has helped stabilize the West African nation since its emergence from a brutal civil war, assisted in the conduct of democratic elections and carried out a large disarmament programme.

He has also served as the Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Artillery Brigade in Liberia in 1996 and 1997 and also as its chief coordinator of the country's elections.

Looking back on his two and a half years as UNMIL's top military official, Lieutenant General Obiakor told the UN News Service that one of the biggest challenges was securing Liberia's borders with its neighbours, which was particularly important since, as he noted, "all the problems of Liberia had always started from somewhere outside."

During his tenure, he negotiated joint border patrols between Liberia and Sierra Leone and Guinea. Just before he left the mission, he also facilitated border patrols between Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea, led by the UN peacekeeping force in the former (UNOCI), and then between Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Another challenge that several peacekeeping missions have had to deal with is misconduct by UN personnel. Lieutenant General Obiakor pointed out that there has been progress in dealing with the issue, noting some of the steps that UNMIL had taken, but emphasized the need to "make sure we keep addressing the issue constantly."

He stressed the importance of quickly investigating all allegations and taking the necessary disciplinary steps required. "I believe in the deterrence value, because if you don't deal with the matter, the tendency is that somebody else will attempt it," he said.

It was also during his tenure at UNMIL that an all-female Indian police contingent arrived in Liberia – the first time such a unit was deployed in a UN peacekeeping mission. Women bring "something very special" to peacekeeping, Lieutenant General Obiakor said, as he recalled the impact the unit had on local women.

He stressed that the presence of women in peacekeeping is vital to the success of any mission, particularly in "winning the hearts and minds of people," he stated.

The uniformed personnel that serve in UN peacekeeping operations hail from 119 different countries, an all-time record. Nigeria is the fourth largest contributor of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.

"It's not by accident that we found ourselves where we are," he said, highlighting the responsibility a large and populous country like Nigeria has in helping its neighbours. As an old saying goes, "You can't be at peace in your own house when there is trouble in another's house," he stated.

He added that he was very proud of the role Nigeria has played in UN peacekeeping. "I think Nigeria has a duty to do more for other smaller countries, particularly in our sub-region, and in Africa and the world."
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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NEW PANEL HAS VITAL ROLE IN REFORMING UN'S INTERNAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, SAYS CHIEF

NEW PANEL HAS VITAL ROLE IN REFORMING UN'S INTERNAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, SAYS CHIEF New York, Jul 24 2008 5:00PM A newly-created group of legal experts will play a pivotal part in improving the system of internal justice within the United Nations, the body's head said today.

The Internal Justice Council was created after the General Assembly decided to reshape the UN justice system, given that a 2006 "redesign" panel concluded that the administration of justice in the UN "fails to meet many basic standards of due process established in international human rights instruments."

Addressing reporters in New York today, the Council's Chair, Kate O'Regan, said that the new five-member body "is a small but key part of the process for the reform of the internal justice system at the United Nations."

The Council – which seeks to be operational by 1 January 2009 – is tasked with advising on suitable candidates for judges in a two-tier arrangement: the UN dispute tribunal, which will be the key avenue for dealing with disputes arising within the Organization's staffing system, and the appeals tribunal.

Ms. O'Regan, who has been a judge on South Africa's Constitutional Court since 1994, was selected to head the new body by its other members consisting of a staff representative, a management representative and two distinguished external jurists – one nominated by the staff and one by management.

The two members nominated by staff, following a process inclusive of all staff unions, are Jenny Clift of Australia, a Vienna-based senior legal officer with the International Trade Law Division of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), and Geoffrey Robertson of the United Kingdom and Australia, who served as the first President of the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL).

The two members nominated by management are Maria Vicien-Milburn of Argentina, Director of OLA's General Legal Division, and Sinha Basnayake of Sri Lanka, who previously served in the same position and has since served the Organization in various advisory capacities on legal and administrative issues.

The Council's Chair stressed the "cost-effective" nature of the new body, with two panel members being permanent UN employees and the other three being paid an honorarium and per diem expenses.

To date, the Council, which was modelled on similar mechanisms at other international public organizations, has received more than 230 applications from 54 Member States for positions on the two future tribunals. Some candidates are "judges with extremely high qualifications who sit on their countries' highest courts," Ms. O'Regan said, adding that short-listed applicants will hopefully be interviewed in early September.

"But I should emphasize that at this stage the two draft statutes which will in fact be the legal basis for the two tribunals have not yet been adopted, somewhat disappointingly," she told reporters, noting that the Council will continue to endeavour to forward its list of recommendations to the Assembly in October.

With a four-year mandate, the panel will also draft a binding a code of conduct for the judges and will also provide an ongoing review to the Assembly on the implementation of the new system.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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EGYPTIAN MILITARY ENGINEERS JOIN UN-AU MISSION IN DARFUR

EGYPTIAN MILITARY ENGINEERS JOIN UN-AU MISSION IN DARFUR New York, Jul 24 2008 3:00PM A contingent of 126 Egyptian engineers today arrived in El Fasher, Darfur, according to the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission (UNAMID).

They join 83 personnel already deployed in the area, and UNAMID said it expects it to come up to its full complement of 335 staff in the next few days.

The contingent which arrived today – including construction, de-mining and water desalination platoons – has been assigned to the construction and maintenance of El Fasher airport.

Yesterday, UNAMID's head, Rodolphe Adada, met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in Darfur and pointed out that the mission had thousands of containers awaiting "movement along the difficult and sometimes dangerous routes into Darfur."

Mr. Adada also called on the Government to ensure that the convoys reach their destinations safely.

Also yesterday, UNAMID announced that it was continuing to suspend the temporary relocation of its non-essential UN personnel. Around 300 people were moved out of Darfur before the relocation was halted last Friday.

Some 300,000 people are estimated to have been killed as a result of direct combat, disease or malnutrition since 2003. Another 2.7 million people have been displaced because of fighting between rebels, Government forces and allied militiamen known as the Janjaweed.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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BAN DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT PROPOSED ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY IN WEST BANK

BAN DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT PROPOSED ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY IN WEST BANK New York, Jul 24 2008 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern about the announcement today of the initial approval by the Ministry of Defense of 20 residential units in the Israeli military post of Maskiyot in the West Bank.

"The Secretary-General has stressed many times before that settlement construction or expansion is contrary to international law," his spokesperson said in a statement.

It is also contrary to Israel's commitments under the international plan for Middle East peace, known as the Road Map, and the Annapolis process, the statement added, referring to the peace process launched in the United States city of that name late last year.

Mr. Ban urged Israel to heed the call of the Middle East Quartet – the diplomatic grouping comprising the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States – to freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, and to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL TO APPOINT SOUTH AFRICAN JUSTICE AS NEXT UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO APPOINT SOUTH AFRICAN JUSTICE AS NEXT UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF New York, Jul 24 2008 2:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the General Assembly of his intention to appoint Judge Navanethem Pillay of South Africa as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ms. Pillay will succeed Louise Arbour of Canada, who completed her five-year term on 30 June.

Since 2003, Ms. Pillay has served as Judge on the International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Prior to that, she served – as both Judge and President – on the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which she joined in 1995.

Mr. Ban's spokesperson said that Judge Pillay's nomination was made at the end of "an extensive selection process" which included consultations with Member States and with the broad-based non-governmental organization (NGO) community.

"The Secretary-General is committed to ensure that human rights remain high on the agenda of the Organization. He expects that the new High Commissioner will preserve the independence of her Office and will maintain effective working relations with the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council," Michele Montas told journalists.

Mr. Ban is "determined to fully support Ms. Pillay in carrying out her work, including with increased resources, as approved by the General Assembly," she added.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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ANTI MONEY-LAUNDERING TECHNOLOGY CREATED BY UN AGENCY INSTALLED IN NAMIBIA

ANTI MONEY-LAUNDERING TECHNOLOGY CREATED BY UN AGENCY INSTALLED IN NAMIBIA New York, Jul 24 2008 2:00PM Information technology designed to help countries fight crimes such as money-laundering and the financing of terrorism has been installed at Namibia's Financial Intelligence Centre with the help the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The software, called "goAML," was created by UNODC to help financial intelligence and law enforcement agencies step up their fight against organized crime. The tool is also designed to be a low cost, off-the-shelf solution for developing countries that could not otherwise afford to develop such systems.

<"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/providing-affordable-it-tools-to-developing-countries.html">According to UNODC, industry experts put the cost of similar software between $3 and $6 million on the open market. Meanwhile, "goAML" is supplied free of charge, with installation and licensing costs at about $200,000.

At the request of Namibia's National Bank, the new software will be used to process, analyse and report suspicious money transactions in line with domestic anti-money-laundering laws and regulations.

The software can analyze large volumes of data and help identify and understand complex patterns of financial transactions. It also aims to introduce an element of standardization in gathering and processing financial intelligence information worldwide, with the aim of making international cooperation easier in the fight against financial crime.

UNODC says the software will be installed in Pristina, Kosovo, next month and that the 108-member Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units is planning to test and evaluate it.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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UN RIGHTS GROUP INVESTIGATING DISAPPEARANCES KICKS OFF MEETING IN ARGENTINA

UN RIGHTS GROUP INVESTIGATING DISAPPEARANCES KICKS OFF MEETING IN ARGENTINA New York, Jul 24 2008 2:00PM A United Nations human rights group today will begin reviewing over 300 cases of disappearances around the world, holding its session for the first time in Argentina, whose history with disappearances contributed to the creation of the panel in 1980.

During its three-day meeting in Buenos Aires, the Working Group on Enforced of Involuntary Disappearances will evaluate new cases and review past ones from dozens of countries.

The expert panel also plans to hold talks with Argentine officials and non-government organizations (NGOs).

The experts had recently wrapped up a country visit to the South American nation, where they evaluated steps taken to address cases of disappearances.

The five-member Working Group is mandated to assist the relatives of disappeared persons by ascertaining their fate and whereabouts, as well as to act as a conduit between the families and Governments concerned.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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KOSOVO JOURNALIST FOUND GUILTY OF CONTEMPT AT UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

KOSOVO JOURNALIST FOUND GUILTY OF CONTEMPT AT UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL New York, Jul 24 2008 1:00PM The United Nations tribunal set up to try those responsible for atrocities committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s today convicted a Kosovo journalist of contempt of court for publishing details about a protected witness who testified at the trial of Kosovo's former prime minister.

Baton Haxhiu was also fined €7,000 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for revealing the identity of the witness, as well as his supposed whereabouts, in an article he wrote and published in Kosovo.

The Trial Chamber's judges were satisfied that Mr. Haxhiu – who had pled not guilty to the charge at his initial appearance in May – revealed this information knowing that he would be in violation of a court order.

"The Accused's conduct could have jeopardized the security of the Witness and his family and was of a kind to undermine confidence in the effectiveness of the Tribunal's protective measures orders, and to have the effect of dissuading witnesses from cooperating with the Tribunal," Judge Alfons Orie said today in the court.

"It is fundamental to the fulfillment of the Tribunal's mission that courageous individuals who come to tell their story before the Tribunal, often about traumatic or difficult experiences and away from their families and familiar surroundings, may apply to do so with the security provided by protective measures," the judgement read.

Mr. Haxhiu is one of three individuals charged with contempt for revealing confidential information about this witness during the trial of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj – who was acquitted by the ICTY in April of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity – and others. The two others, Astrit Haraqija and Bajrush Morina are awaiting trial.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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POOR FARMERS IN GUYANA HELPED TO PLANT NEW CROPS BY UN AGENCY

POOR FARMERS IN GUYANA HELPED TO PLANT NEW CROPS BY UN AGENCY New York, Jul 24 2008 12:00PM A new United Nations-backed project will help more than 5,000 small farmers in Guyana diversify into new crops to help them compete in international markets.

The UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is providing nearly $7 million for the project in the South American country.
"As Guyana's ability to compete in the international markets with its traditional national crops has declined, like sugar and rice, the project will help small farmers find alternative sources of income in non-traditional agricultural products such as root crops, vegetables, tropical fruits and spices, and livestock products," IFAD <"http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2008/36.htm">said in a statement.
Some 5,200 poor rural households in six regions of the country will benefit from better access to financial and other capital services, as well as training in enterprise development, marketing, organizational and social development.
This is the third rural development and poverty eradication project that IFAD has funded in Guyana, for a total commitment of $22.2 million.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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OVER HALF OF GAZA'S HOUSEHOLDS LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE, UN SAYS

OVER HALF OF GAZA'S HOUSEHOLDS LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE, UN SAYS New York, Jul 24 2008 11:00AM Household poverty is worsening in Gaza, with over half of all households in the area living below the poverty line, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

In spite of "significant amounts of emergency and humanitarian assistance," last year the number of households in Gaza below the consumption poverty line surged to an all-time high 51.8 per cent, the publication – based on figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics – <"http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/releases/pr-2008/jer_24jul08.pdf">noted.

UNRWA also sounded the alarm that the unemployment rate in the occupied Palestinian territory is one of the highest in the world, standing at nearly 30 per cent.

Unemployment reached a record 45.3 per cent in Gaza between July and December 2007. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in the West Bank was 25 per cent, double the average rate in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Youth were hardest hit by surging unemployment, the study, entitled "Prolonged Crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory: Socio-Economic Developments in 2007," said.

"If you deprive young people of an economic future, you deprive them of hope and when hope vanishes, what is left?" asked Christopher Gunness, UNRWA spokesperson. "How better to prevent despair and economic misery taking hold of a whole generation than to re-open Gaza's borders?"

Data showed that in Gaza, new public sector jobs – partly fuelled by Hamas' job creation initiatives – accounted for one quarter of job growth last year.

The report expressed concern over "the low level of investment spending in both the public and private sectors" in the medium- and long-run, cautioning that "Israeli imposed movement restrictions in the occupied Palestinian territory, whose population is estimated to have grown by about one third since 1999, have resulted in considerable regression over the past eight years and remain the main barrier to economic recovery and development."
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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AFRICAN GREAT LAKES OFFICIALS AT UN GATHERING ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS RESEARCH CENTRE

AFRICAN GREAT LAKES OFFICIALS AT UN GATHERING ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS RESEARCH CENTRE New York, Jul 24 2008 10:00AM Women's rights ministers from 11 countries across Africa's Great Lakes region are gathering today in Kinshasa for a United Nations-organized conference to take steps to set up a regional research and documentation centre on women's rights.

The two-day meeting in the Congolese capital, jointly organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Ministry of Women's Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), will also be attended by representatives of the African Union, the African Bank of Development and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, as well as several UN agencies.

If established, the research centre in the Great Lakes region will be modelled on a similar women's rights centre created in 2006 in Ramallah in the occupied Palestinian territory, also at the initiative of UNESCO.

The Great Lakes centre would have a particular focus on the role of women in the reconstruction of countries emerging from conflict, which has plagued the region.

Women's rights ministers from Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Republic of Congo, the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia are expected to attend this week's conference.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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AFGHANISTAN: MORE ILLEGAL ARMED GROUPS DISBANDED WITH UN HELP

AFGHANISTAN: MORE ILLEGAL ARMED GROUPS DISBANDED WITH UN HELP New York, Jul 24 2008 10:00AM A campaign to disband illegal armed groups – that has already seen more than 40,000 weapons handed in – is to be extended to 12 more districts in Afghanistan, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The drive is already taking place in 70 districts around the country and is aimed at eradicating the influence of illegal armed groups to pave the way for the consolidation of peace, the rule of law and prosperity in Afghanistan.

As part of the process, as many as 342 illegal armed groups have been disbanded and 44 development projects are either under way or in the planning stages.

UNDP said today that ex-commanders and government officials could demonstrate their support for peacebuilding efforts in the country by voluntarily surrendering their weapons and by disbanding or severing links with armed groups.

Launched in 2005, the drive has seen 40,571 weapons, as well as 33,079 pieces of boxed and unboxed ammunition, handed over and verified by collection teams in Afghanistan.
2008-07-24 00:00:00.000

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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA TOPS TALKS BETWEEN ASSEMBLY CHIEF, GUINEAN OFFICIAL

DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA TOPS TALKS BETWEEN ASSEMBLY CHIEF, GUINEAN OFFICIAL New York, Jul 23 2008 7:00PM The importance of African development and finding ways to reach the globally approved anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were under the spotlight during talks today between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Guinea's Planning and Cooperation Minister Djigui Camara.

Mr. Camara stressed the need to advance on the commitments made by United Nations Member States to achieving the MDGs, such as by exploring innovative ways of mobilizing resources, according to a statement released by Mr. Kerim's spokesperson after the meeting in New York.

Mr. Kerim noted that the Assembly's current session has a strong focus on development, with the MDGs and financing for development being among the main priority issues. The current global food and energy crisis is also being closely examined.

Mr. Kerim also drew attention to the Assembly high-level meeting on African development, scheduled for 22 September, and a separate leaders' summit later that week on the MDGs, jointly organized by the Assembly President and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF UN MISSION IN NEPAL INTO EARLY 2009

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF UN MISSION IN NEPAL INTO EARLY 2009 New York, Jul 23 2008 7:00PM The United Nations Mission in Nepal (<"http://www.un.org.np/unmin.php">UNMIN) has been <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9403.doc.htm">extended for another six months to allow the mission to complete its monitoring and management of the arms and personnel of the Nepal army and the former Maoist combatants from the civil war.

In a resolution adopted unanimously, the Security Council renewed the mandate of the mission through 23 January next year and called on Nepal's political parties to support the peace process so that UNMIN can wrap up its work soon.

The resolution, which follows a request from Nepal and a similar recommendation from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his most recent report on the issue, noted that it also endorsed Mr. Ban's proposals "for a phased, gradual, drawdown and withdrawal of UNMIN staff, including arms monitors."

UNMIN was set up at the start of last year to help Nepal, which endured a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives until the Government and the Maoists signed a peace deal in 2006 and conducted Constituent Assembly elections.

Those polls were held earlier this year and in May the newly formed Constituent Assembly voted in favour of a federal democratic republic. The king of Nepal then left the palace and earlier this week the Assembly elected Ram Baran Yadav as the country's first President.

The mission is also responsible for monitoring the management of arms and armed personnel of both the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) and the Nepal Army, as well as in assisting in monitoring ceasefire arrangements.

Speaking to journalists today, the head of UNMIN and the Secretary-General's Special Representative Ian Martin said many significant challenges remained before the peace process can be considered to be completed.

"There are still two armies in Nepal, and the core task that is requested of a downsized UNMIN is to continue its monitoring of the management of arms and armies while durable solutions are sought to the future of the former combatants," he said.

Nepal's interim constitution provides for a special committee to supervise, rehabilitate and integrate the Maoist combatants, but it only met once before the elections and made no progress. Since then the committee has been re-formed on an all-party basis, rather than just those parties in the new government.

Continued cooperation between all political parties, including those representing the Madhesi community, a group that was traditionally marginalized in Nepal, is important to complete the peace process, Mr. Martin stressed.

"The biggest challenge of all, perhaps, is to reach agreement within the prescribed two-year period on the federal constitution. Virtually all the political groups are agreed that the new constitution should be a federal one, but there is as yet no agreement as to what form federalism should take in the particular geographic and social conditions of Nepal."

Mr. Martin cited numerous other challenges, including the desire of marginalized groups for greater representation in such State bodies as the security forces, and the previous commitments made to victims of the civil war and associated violence about the investigation of crimes, compensation and an end to impunity for perpetrators of attacks.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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KOSOVO: UN ENVOY MEETS SENIOR SERBIAN OFFICIALS IN BELGRADE

KOSOVO: UN ENVOY MEETS SENIOR SERBIAN OFFICIALS IN BELGRADE New York, Jul 23 2008 6:00PM The United Nations envoy to Kosovo travelled to Belgrade today to meet with two senior Serbian Government ministers for talks on resolving the dispute over Kosovo's status.

A spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that the purpose of Lamberto Zannier's introductory meetings with Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic in Belgrade was to move forward with dialogue on the practical issues that Mr. Ban had highlighted in his last special report to the Security Council.

Mr. Zannier is set to travel to New York where, on Friday, he will present the Secretary-General's regular report on Kosovo to the Council.

Earlier this month Mr. Ban said that the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) had to adjust to the new reality on the ground, given the developments since Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in February.

The Secretary-General said he had decided to move forward with the reconfiguration of the structure and profile of UNMIK. Accordingly, he had instructed the mission to cooperate with the European Union (EU), so it could assume an enhanced operational role in the rule of law area under a UN "umbrella" headed by his Special Representative, in line with the original 1999 resolution that established the mission.

Mr. Ban said that UNMIK would continue to support Kosovo in its effort to consolidate democratic governance institutions, advance economic growth and move towards a future in Europe as part of the western Balkans.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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COMPROMISE NEEDED TO REACH GLOBAL TRADE DEAL - WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION CHIEF

COMPROMISE NEEDED TO REACH GLOBAL TRADE DEAL – WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION CHIEF New York, Jul 23 2008 6:00PM Countries must concentrate on compromise if they are to strike a global agreement to complete the current, much-delayed Doha round of trade liberalization negotiations by the end of this year, despite recent "constructive" talks, the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) <"http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news08_e/meet08_chair_23july08_e.htm">said today.

Pascal Lamy, the agency's Director-General, told an informal gathering of the WTO's Trade Negotiations Committee that progress was made during yesterday's second round of consultations, but positive steps were "unevenly distributed across the issues discussed," including agricultural and non-agricultural goods, subsidies and market access.

This year's talks on the Doha Round – a round that was originally supposed to conclude several years ago – kicked off in Geneva on Monday, and Mr. Lamy said that the week-long meeting should result in "the much awaited green light that both the developed and developing world expects from us. This is a heavy responsibility and we must not let this chance slip away."

He appealed to all delegations to deliberate on the issues at hand with urgency, emphasizing the importance of compromise.

"Success or failure depends very much on how far all are prepared to cooperate with each other on the fundamentally important issues, and whether we are each prepared to act with the interests of the broader membership, and of the benefits to the system as a whole, uppermost in our minds," the Director-General said at today's informal meeting of the Committee.

In his address, Mr. Lamy also welcomed Cape Verde as the 153rd member of the WTO.

"Membership will provide a stable and predictable basis for the growth and development of Cape Verde," he said. "They have worked very hard to achieve this, knowing it will give a welcome boost to the economy, and their efforts serve as an example to us all."

The island nation ratified its accession package – the final step in the accession process – today.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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BAN CONVENES MEETING 'GROUP OF FRIENDS' MEETING ON MYANMAR

BAN CONVENES MEETING 'GROUP OF FRIENDS' MEETING ON MYANMAR New York, Jul 23 2008 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today convened a meeting of the so-called "Group of Friends" established to review developments in Myanmar.

The participants were briefed by Mr. Ban's Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari on his
trip planned for next month to the South-East Asian nation, where the Government forcefully cracked down on peaceful protesters last year.

Today's meeting is the fourth since the Group was created in December 2007.

According to the Secretary-General's spokesperson, Australia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam, the European Community and the European Union took part in the meeting.

The top UN humanitarian official is currently in Myanmar on a three-day visit to assess the situation of survivors of the deadly Cyclone Nargis which struck the country in May.

Yesterday, he said that while there has been progress in relief and early recovery operations, greater efforts are needed to reach victims in remote areas.

The remarkable resilience of people so severely affected by Cyclone Nargis is evident in the way communities are rebuilding their homes and livelihoods," Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said.

"We must focus now on reaching the most vulnerable communities in remote areas, especially along the southern coast of the delta."

Earlier this week, a new report – produced jointly by the UN, the Government of Myanmar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – assessing the disaster's impact was released, putting a $1 billion price tag on recovery needs over three years, taking into account such areas as education, health, rebuilding livelihoods, infrastructure, agriculture and the environment.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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SENIOR UN OFFICIAL ASSESSES STABILIZATION PLAN IN EASTERN DR CONGO

SENIOR UN OFFICIAL ASSESSES STABILIZATION PLAN IN EASTERN DR CONGO New York, Jul 23 2008 5:00PM A top UN official in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ross Mountain, is visiting North Kivu province with the Congolese Minister of Planning, Olivier Kamitatu, to assess the implementation of the security and stabilization plan for eastern DRC.

Mr. Mountain, who is the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC, and Mr. Kamitatu will be meeting the local authorities and representatives of UN agencies to discuss the Amani Programme, the Support Strategy on Security and the Stabilization Plan for eastern DRC. The plan includes improvements to roads, police stations and other priority infrastructure projects.

Mr. Mountain and Mr. Kamitatu are traveling today along one of the roads undergoing renovation, between Saké and Masisi which will provide employment to more than 1000 people living along it over the next three months. A similar rehabilitation project along the Rutshuru-Ishasha road is also due to start soon.

Meanwhile, the UN Mission in DRC, MONUC, has reported several violations by armed groups of the ceasefire in Ituri province. On Monday, two local armed groups exchanged fire in the town of Tchey. No casualties were reported, and the battle ended with the intervention of UN peacekeepers.

In South Kivu, UN peacekeepers intervened three times this week to put an end to gun battles between local Congolese groups.

At its weekly news conference, MONUC called for all armed groups in eastern DRC to respect the Goma Acts of Engagement, agreed in January.

MONUC said that there had been positive progress at the political level and on the ground, with a reduction in armed clashes between the signatories to the Goma Acts, and improved access for humanitarians to vulnerable people.

However, the UN mission said progress remained very slow and the civilian population in both North and South Kivu continued to be subjected to serious human rights violations. This was creating a climate of fear, which was preventing the return of more than a million displaced people, MONUC said.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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UN-AFRICAN UNION MISSION CHIEF MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF SUDAN IN DARFUR

UN-AFRICAN UNION MISSION CHIEF MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF SUDAN IN DARFUR New York, Jul 23 2008 5:00PM
The head of the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) met today with President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan at the mission's headquarters in El Fasher.

The Sudanese President reassured UNAMID Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada of the Government's preparedness to provide security for the mission's security and convoys.

The mission reported that the deployment of an Egyptian engineering unit had to be postponed after the airport was closed for the President's visit. New dates for the deployment are yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, UNAMID announced that it is continuing to suspend the temporary relocation of its non-essential UN personnel. 300 people were moved out of Darfur before the relocation was halted last Friday.

After eight blue helmets were killed in two separate attacks earlier this month, UNAMID recently reported that the situation in Darfur has been calm, with the mission continuing patrols and UN agencies maintaining humanitarian operations.

Earlier this week, Mr. Adada met Amr Moussa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, to discuss cooperation and peace in Darfur in the wake of the recent war crimes charges laid by the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor against the Sudanese President.

Some 300,000 people are estimated to have been killed as a result of direct combat, disease or malnutrition since 2003. Another 2.7 million people have been displaced because of fighting between rebels, government forces and allied militiamen known as the Janjaweed.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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HIV/AIDS TO BE FOCUS OF BAN'S UPCOMING MEXICO VISIT

HIV/AIDS TO BE FOCUS OF BAN'S UPCOMING MEXICO VISIT New York, Jul 23 2008 4:00PM The fight against AIDS will be one of the top priorities on the agenda of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when he makes his first official visit to Mexico next month.

Together with Mexican President Felipe Calderón, Mr. Ban will open the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, marking the first time the gathering is being held in Latin America.

The Secretary-General – who will reaffirm that the AIDS epidemic is not over and that a long-term vision to respond to it is needed – is expected to meet with world leaders, people living with HIV and community groups during the Conference, as well as on its sidelines.

During his three-day visit to Mexico that kicks off on 3 August, he will hold talks with Mr. Calderón and with Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa Cantellano.

Mr. Ban also plans to address a joint session of the Mexican Senate and Chamber of Deputies, as well as confer on climate change with authorities and meet with business leaders through the UN Global Compact's Mexico network.

In a related development, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will launch a pack of resources at the Mexico City conference that provides guidance on developing policies, allocating resources and putting education and HIV programmes in place.

The new resource bundle includes dozens of technical briefs citing country examples and covering issues such as "Focused HIV prevention for key populations."
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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SOMALIA: UN ENVOY CALLS ON SECURITY COUNCIL TO TAKE 'BOLD, DECISIVE AND FAST ACTION'

SOMALIA: UN ENVOY CALLS ON SECURITY COUNCIL TO TAKE 'BOLD, DECISIVE AND FAST ACTION' New York, Jul 23 2008 4:00PM The United Nations envoy to Somalia told the Security Council today that there were limited choices for bringing peace to the violence-wracked Horn of Africa country, but that the time had come to make a final decision on the best possible option.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said that the options included converting the current African Union peacekeeping mission to Somalia, known as AMISOM, to a UN operation by "rehatting" the troops, creating an international stabilization force or establishing a new UN peacekeeping force.

Mr. Ould-Abdallah also called on the Council to make a strong public expression of support for the peace agreement signed in Djibouti in June between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia.

"Given that Somalis have suffered for so long, and the current favourable political context following the Djibouti Agreement, it is time for the Security Council to take bold, decisive and fast action," he said in a statement to the council.

"An effective implementation of the Agreement should be an incentive to bring more Somalis on board and give them a chance to contribute to the birth of their country," he said, noting that "in all peace processes some individuals or groups always set out by rejecting agreements."

Acknowledging that violence had been pervasive in Somalia for a long time, the envoy said the Djibouti Agreement provided an opportunity to marginalize and eventually stop such violence. He also called for a review of the names on the Security Council sanctions list to recognize the role of individuals who had decided to change their behaviour and support peace.

Mr. Ould-Abdallah added that the peace agreement should provide security for humanitarian programmes in the country, in particular for naval escorts for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which brings 80 per cent of its food aid to Somalia by sea. He said that it was unfortunate that these escorts had now ceased.

On the humanitarian front, the envoy said he sympathized with Somali nations who constitute more than 95 per cent of aid workers in south and central Somalia.

"They risk their lives daily and all too often have been the innocent victims of targeted killings. With international determination, as shown in Kosovo and elsewhere, the individuals carrying out these terrible deeds should not be given a chance to prevail," he said.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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INCOMING UN ENVOY TO CYPRUS MEETS WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL

INCOMING UN ENVOY TO CYPRUS MEETS WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL New York, Jul 23 2008 3:00PM The incoming senior United Nations representative in Cyprus is in New York today for talks with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and briefings with UN officials about the situation in the Mediterranean country.

Alexander Downer, the former Australian foreign minister, is due to arrive in Cyprus on Sunday, beginning his duties as the Secretary-General's Special Adviser.

Earlier today he met with Mr. Ban at UN Headquarters in New York and received briefings from UN officials amid widespread hope of a resolution to the long-running dispute in Cyprus.

Early next week Mr. Downer is slated to meet Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

The two community leaders have agreed in principle, at talks held in Nicosia on 1 July on the possible reunification of Cyprus, on the issues of single sovereignty and citizenship.

Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat also agreed to meet again this Friday to undertake the final review of the working groups and technical committees.

In May the two men committed themselves in a statement to working towards "a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant Security Council resolutions."

The partnership will comprise a Federal Government with a single international personality, along with a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, which will be of equal status.

Last month representatives of the two communities also announced a series of measures aimed at easing the daily life of Cypriots across the island.

The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has been in place on the island since 1964 after the outbreak of intercommunal violence. It is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, contributing to a return to normal conditions and the maintenance of law and order.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION IN LEBANON HELPS IN FIGHT TO PUT OUT FOREST FIRES

UN MISSION IN LEBANON HELPS IN FIGHT TO PUT OUT FOREST FIRES New York, Jul 23 2008 3:00PM The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is helping the country's authorities fight forest fires that have broken out southeast of the capital this week.

A mission helicopter was dispatched immediately after UNIFIL received a request late yesterday from the Lebanese Government to assist in the firefighting efforts, about 25 kilometres from Beirut.

UNIFIL officers worked with Lebanese firefighters until late in the evening to try to extinguish the blaze, which broke out on Monday night. The firefighting effort resumed this morning with the use of a second mission helicopter.

Forest fires are a recurring problem in Lebanon, and devastated large tracts of woodland last year.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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HAITI: UN MISSION WELCOMES GRADUATION OF HUNDREDS OF NEW PRISON GUARDS

HAITI: UN MISSION WELCOMES GRADUATION OF HUNDREDS OF NEW PRISON GUARDS New York, Jul 23 2008 2:00PM Human rights officers with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti have welcomed the graduation from training of more than 200 new prison guards to help improve conditions in the country's overcrowded jail system.

Some 227 new agents graduated last Friday from training at the Haitian police academy and are expected to begin working as corrections officers on 29 July, according to a statement released by the mission – known as <"http://www.minustah.org/articles/1442/1/De-nouveaux-agents-penitentiaires-en-service/22-juillet-2008.html">MINUSTAH – yesterday.

The graduates received training in law, ethics, anti-corruption values, human rights and first aid, as well as the more usual areas of police studies. This is part of a rule of law campaign by the Haitian National Police (HNP), and backed by MINUSTAH, to improve the training of corrections officers.

There are now nearly 750 prison guards in Haiti following this course, or about one guard for every 10 inmates in the country, which is the most impoverished in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti has 17 correctional centres, and most are highly overcrowded and marked by poor conditions.

Thierry Fagart, head of the human rights section at MINUSTAH, noted that the new corrections officers are supposed to be caretakers as well as guards.

"It is [their task] to not only guard the detainees but also to protect them," he said, adding that while prison inmates are locked up, they still retained many rights.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL PRAISES GLOBAL POSTAL SERVICES IN MESSAGE TO UN-LED CONGRESS

SECRETARY-GENERAL PRAISES GLOBAL POSTAL SERVICES IN MESSAGE TO UN-LED CONGRESS New York, Jul 23 2008 2:00PM Postal workers play a valuable role in supporting migration, fund transfers, transport, trade, education and literacy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sgsm11714.doc.htm">message to the 24th Universal Postal Congress in Geneva.

"Postal services are universal, connecting people throughout the world," Mr. Ban said in the message, which was delivered by the Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva, Sergei Ordzhonikidze.

"That is particularly important at a time when millions of people have migrated to seek better economic opportunities, or have been forced to flee areas afflicted by war or natural disaster, and are eager to share news and resources with loved ones."

The Secretary-General added: "I am encouraged by the way the world's postal outlets are serving as natural gateways to the information society."

The Universal Postal Union, a UN agency based in Switzerland, is leading the three-week Congress, which began yesterday. The gathering is focusing on a new global strategy to improve and harmonize the world's postal services. More than 2,200 participants from the UPU's 191 member countries are taking part.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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AMID GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS, UN HELPS BOOST FARM PRODUCTION IN SWAZILAND

AMID GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS, UN HELPS BOOST FARM PRODUCTION IN SWAZILAND New York, Jul 23 2008 2:00PM The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/field/2008/1000873/index.html">FAO) is helping poor farmers to boost their agricultural production in Swaziland, one of many countries suffering as a result of the global food crisis.

Further exacerbating the current situation in Swaziland is last year's drought, the worst the Southern African nation has faced in 15 years, ruining harvests and inputs for this year's crop.

To assist farmers, FAO and the Government have established Input Trade Fairs to supply much-needed supplies.

These fairs – funded by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) – give planters cash vouchers to allow them to select the seeds, fertilizers, tools and other items they need. The events also are an opportunity for local seed producers and local agricultural retail businesses to sell their wares.

More than two dozen of these fairs were held in Swaziland's centre and east late last year, shortly before the start of the planting seasons, reaching some 20,000 families.

Reflecting on the impact of the initiative, John Weatherson, FAO Emergency Coordinator for the country, said that "the inputs where there at the right time, there was no cost to the farmers, so they felt really on the crest of a wave."

He stressed the importance of hold more of these trade fairs in a bid to address soaring food prices in line with the FAO's Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP), which offers technical and policy assistance to help vulnerable farmers increase local food production.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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FIRST WOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION OPENS IN SOMALIA WITH UN HELP

FIRST WOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION OPENS IN SOMALIA WITH UN HELP New York, Jul 23 2008 1:00PM The first women lawyers association in Somalia has been established in the Somaliland region with the help of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"It will take time for the male-dominated legal profession to understand and accept the importance of women lawyers in society," Antonia Lulvey, UNDP's judiciary project manager, said.

UNDP said in a statement yesterday that the association, which was created earlier this year, currently has five members, with a further 17 women set to graduate from the University of Hargeisa in September. The UN agency has provided grants to enable women to attend the law faculty, as well as supplying equipment, training and financial support to the association.

The sole practising female lawyer in Somaliland until last year was Ifra Aden Omar, who currently heads the association. With UNDP help, Ms. Omar provides free legal aid services to women and juvenile cases – most commonly rape, domestic violence, divorce, child custody, child maintenance and inheritance.

Currently there are no female prosecutors or judges in Somaliland, according to UNDP, which says it is in discussions with local officials on how to support new female law graduates to practise either as prosecutors or trainee judges.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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NEW INDIVIDUAL ID CARDS FAIRER FOR REFUGEES IN BANGLADESH - UN AGENCY

NEW INDIVIDUAL ID CARDS FAIRER FOR REFUGEES IN BANGLADESH – UN AGENCY New York, Jul 23 2008 1:00PM New individual identification cards will improve conditions for 22,500 refugees in Bangladesh, the United Nations refugee agency said today.

"With these cards, refugees will be able to identify themselves as people legally permitted to reside in Bangladesh if they meet law enforcement officials," Pia Prytz Phiri, country representative for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=48872b4c4">said, stressing that the cards are recognized as valid identity documents by the Government of Bangladesh.

The refugee agency also said that the cards, which will replace the previous "family book" system for refugees, will ensure a fairer distribution of aid for people in the Kutupalong and Nayapara refugee camps in the south-east of the country, which are home to Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar in 1991.

Under the "family book" system all members of one family were registered under the identity and authority of the patriarch, with as many as 45 people being listed under a single name.

This system was both unwieldy and open to abuse, according to UNHCR, with books sometimes confiscated by refugee leaders or sold to outsiders who could use them to access valuable services in camps. In addition, it was not always guaranteed that each family member received the food rations they were allocated.

The new cards are being given to every refugee over the age of five, and, in a society in which polygamy is common, second and third wives will be able to get rations for themselves and their children separately from the rest of the family.

"For us, the ID cards are really a milestone in recognizing each and every refugee and their individual rights," Ms. Phiri said. "They finally exist as individual refugees and are no longer lumped together as a group."
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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SUDAN AND UN SIGN FOUR-YEAR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PLAN

SUDAN AND UN SIGN FOUR-YEAR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PLAN New York, Jul 23 2008 11:00AM The Sudanese Government today signed an agreement with United Nations agencies operating in the country on a four-year aid plan covering peacebuilding, governance and the rule of law, employment, education and health care as well as other services.
The agreement, known as the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), was signed by representatives of the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan and 18 UN agencies headed by Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator Ameerah Haq.
Ms. Haq said the new agreement, which covers the years 2009 to 2012, "will enable us to move beyond annual planning, and set more ambitious development goals with the help of all our national and international partners. With the endorsement of this planning tool, the UN will spare no effort in helping the country achieve tangible progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."
"The consolidation of peace and stability in the country remains the ultimate goal of the UNDAF process," she added.
Welcoming the new agreement, Sudan's State Minister of International Cooperation El Elias Nyamlell Wakoson said that it "represents an important step in terms of moving forward jointly with a common vision of our strategic direction in support of the peace process."
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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RESCUERS' EFFORTS TO NOTIFY NEXT OF KIN MADE EASIER THANKS TO NEW UN CODE

RESCUERS' EFFORTS TO NOTIFY NEXT OF KIN MADE EASIER THANKS TO NEW UN CODE New York, Jul 23 2008 11:00AM Next-of-kin information for injured people will now be easier to find thanks to a new telephone code from the United Nations telecommunications agency.

By adding prefixes such as "01," "02" and "03" before contacts – for example, "01husband" – in a person's mobile telephone directory, rescuers will be able to notify relatives or friends worldwide.

"This simple addition to a person's next-of-kin or nominated contact details has the potential to greatly reduce stress for overworked emergency workers around the world," <"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2008/21.html">said Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. "Anything that can be done to reduce the workload of these remarkably brave people and assist in getting injured people the right care and attention is commendable."

The code "ICE" – short for "In Case of Emergency" – has appeared in some mobile phones in English-speaking nations, but ITU members stressed the need for a global unified standard that would be effective regardless of language or script.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT AND TURKISH OFFICIAL DISCUSS SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT AND TURKISH OFFICIAL DISCUSS SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM New York, Jul 23 2008 10:00AM
Security Council reform topped the agenda during talks between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, held in New York yesterday.

Mr. Kerim briefed Mr. Babacan on the current state of his consultations on the Council reform process, according to a statement released by the President's spokesperson after the meeting, which followed an earlier discussion between the two men in Turkey in early May.

Mr. Babacan said Council reform must be part of overall institutional reform of the UN, adding that Turkey wants to be an active and flexible contributor to this process.

The statement noted that Mr. Kerim and Mr. Babacan agreed that the UN needs to become more effective and influential to deal with traditional threats to peace and security and emerging challenges such as the food and energy crises caused by soaring prices.

Mr. Babacan also briefed Mr. Kerim on Turkey's regional diplomatic initiatives and the two men discussed the work of the Alliance of Civilizations.
2008-07-23 00:00:00.000

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MIDDLE EAST: TOP UN OFFICIAL 'HEARTENED' BY POSITIVE STEPS TOWARDS PEACE

MIDDLE EAST: TOP UN OFFICIAL 'HEARTENED' BY POSITIVE STEPS TOWARDS PEACE New York, Jul 22 2008 6:00PM The top United Nations political official today welcomed recent positive moves towards peace that have been made in the Middle East, but sounded the alarm on the lack of progress in the West Bank.

"During a month that saw a number of encouraging developments across the Middle East, we are particularly heartened by the progress in Lebanon, where a major step forward was taken with the announcement of a national unity Government," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe said in his briefing to the Security Council on the latest developments in the region.

He also cited the indirect talks between Israel and Syria, along with the continued ceasefire and drop in violence in Gaza, as hopeful developments.

"We are concerned, however, about the lack of improvement in the situation on the ground in the West Bank," Mr. Pascoe told the 15-member body at a periodic <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9402.doc.htm">open debate on the region.

In parallel with the consolidation of the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, he said it is important to speed up progress in the West Bank, where he said that Israeli military operations have intensified since 19 June.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have shut down institutions – such as schools, medical centres and media outlets – in Nablus that are allegedly affiliated with Hamas, while Israel have banned dozens of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) it has accused of fundraising for Hamas.

The Under-Secretary-General voiced concern "about the effects of Israeli raids on the efforts of Palestinian security forces to operate effectively in areas under their control."

On the humanitarian front, he said he was pleased that the number of truckloads entering Gaza from Israel has surged over 50 per cent in the four weeks following the ceasefire.

"We welcome this improvement, but note that current import levels stand at 30 per cent of the level before June 2007," with the continuing lack of raw materials and banning of exports holding back economic recovery, Mr. Pascoe said at the meeting, which heard from nearly 30 speakers.

Also inhibiting growth is the fuel supply to Gaza, which is significantly lower than what is needed, and he welcomed Israel's announcement on 17 July that it will increase the amount of fuel allowed into the area.

"The reduction of violence in Gaza is a significant, but fragile, achievement," the Under-Secretary-General said. "We hope that this calm can be sustained and, together with internal Palestinian dialogue, lead to other positive steps: the return of the legitimate Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip, the re-openings of crossings, the release of Gilad Shalit and a number of Palestinian prisoners and reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under the legitimate Palestinian Authority on a basis which allows the peace process to move forward."

Regarding Lebanon, he applauded the "major step forward" taken on 11 July when President Michel Suleiman said that agreement had been reached on a national unity Government. "The United Nations looks forward to working closely with the new Government," he said.

Mr. Pascoe told the Council that the implementation of the key humanitarian elements of resolution 1701 – which helped end the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah two years ago – is an "important achievement" of the reporting period, noting last week's exchange of the bodies of two Israeli abducted soldiers for Lebanese detainees and remains.

But he warned that the clashes in and around the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli could have implications for the country's stability and security.
2008-07-22 00:00:00.000

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