BETTER SECURITY NEEDED TO PROTECT DISPLACED IN GEORGIA -- UN RIGHTS EXPERT

BETTER SECURITY NEEDED TO PROTECT DISPLACED IN GEORGIA -- UN RIGHTS EXPERT New York, Oct 4 2008 1:10PM Effective security is the key to ensuring the return home of tens of thousands of people displaced by the recent conflict in Georgia, a United Nations human rights expert said today, warning about the ongoing climate of fear faced by civilians in the region.

Walter Kälin, the Secretary-General's Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), issued a statement at the end of a four-day trip to Georgia in which he expressed particular concern about the lack of protection of civilians living in the "buffer zone" between the breakaway region of South Ossetia and the rest of the country.

"The continuing lack of effective protection of the population against violence committed by armed elements and widespread looting of property in the buffer zone north of [the town of] Gori is unacceptable and should cease immediately," he said.

Mr. Kälin said he was alarmed by the descriptions he heard during meetings with IDPs and others about the climate of fear in many areas since the conflict erupted in early August.

An estimated 192,000 people were uprooted from their homes in the Caucasus country by the fighting between forces from Georgia, Russia and South Ossetia.

In today's statement Mr. Kälin urged that law and order in the buffer zone be restored immediately and he also called for the deadlines for the withdrawal of Russian troops to be respected.

"The need for a stronger humanitarian presence and for ensuring continuous protection monitoring in those areas is urgent and the deployment of the European Union (EU) Monitoring Mission is a welcome first step."

The Representative deplored the lack of unimpeded humanitarian access to Tskhinvali and other conflict-affected areas, and he called on all sides to grant full access to aid workers as soon as possible.

But he welcomed what he called the Georgian Government's prompt response to the massive displacement as a result of the fighting, including its construction of new homes for people unlikely to be able to return in the near future.

He also noted Tbilisi's plans to find durable solutions for all IDPs, including those -- estimated at around 200,000 -- who have been away from their homes since conflict in the early 1990s.

"I welcome the recognition by the authorities that local integration in the areas they have fled to and safeguarding their right to return are not mutually exclusive," he said, adding that immediate humanitarian needs are also of concern given the coming winter in the region.

During this visit Mr. Kälin visited Tbilisi, Gori and the buffer zone to the immediate north, and held high-level talks with Georgian Government officials. He said he hopes to visit Tskhinvali and surrounding areas on a separate trip in the near future.

Mr. Kälin has served in an independent and unpaid capacity as the Secretary-General's Representative on this issue since 2004, and he reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

2008-10-04 00:00:00.000

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STATES PLEDGE AT UN TO TACKLE SPECIAL NEEDS OF LANDLOCKED POOR NATIONS

STATES PLEDGE AT UN TO TACKLE SPECIAL NEEDS OF LANDLOCKED POOR NATIONS New York, Oct 3 2008 7:10PM The General Assembly today wrapped up a special high-level meeting with Member States renewing the pledge made five years ago to help the world's 31 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) overcome the problems caused by their lack of territorial access to the sea and their remoteness and isolation from world markets.

In a declaration adopted at the end of the two-day meeting, participants acknowledged that landlocked and transit countries have registered some progress in carrying out the actions agreed in the 2003 Almaty Programme of Action, which set out specific measures to compensate LLDCs for their geographical handicaps with improved market access and trade facilitation.

They also expressed concern that the share of global trade of these countries has remained "small." According to United Nations figures, although LLDCs represent about 15 per cent of States, their share of world exports has remained well below 1 per cent.

The declaration also calls for a series of future actions by LLDCs, donors, development partners and institutions to accelerate the implementation of the Almaty Programme, including promoting inter-railway cooperation, facilitating road transit and making full use of available technology to enhance trade and transport.

Donors and multilateral institutions are called on to provide landlocked and transit developing countries with the required technical and financial assistance to help them in their efforts to overcome their handicaps.

Participants also welcomed the proposal to set up a global think tank in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to assist these countries in their efforts to implement the Programme, as well as achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the targets agreed to by world leaders in 2000 to slash poverty, hunger, preventable illness and a host of other socio-economic ills.

"Over the past two days we have been assessing the multi-faceted efforts to ensure that landlocked developing countries have efficient transit transport systems to access international markets," General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto said as he closed the event.

Mr. D'Escoto pledged that the Assembly "will use all its authority to ensure that the commitments of donor countries to provide funding and needed technology transfers are honoured."

The work outlined in the declaration is "ambitious," he added. "But inspired by our sense of solidarity with the peoples of these landlocked countries and their neighbours, the way is clear and the possibilities endless."
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS IDOLATRY OF MARKETS CAUSED FINANCIAL CRISIS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS IDOLATRY OF MARKETS CAUSED FINANCIAL CRISIS New York, Oct 3 2008 7:10PM Unrestrained worship of the market has led to the current worldwide financial crisis, General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto said today, calling for solidarity between individuals and governments and a renewed faith in the value of regulation to resolve the economic problems.

"We are reaping the consequences of the idolatry," Mr. D'Escoto told reporters at a <"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2008/081003_dEscoto.doc.htm">press conference held after the end this week of the annual high-level debate at the General Assembly.

He said the failure of the markets to correct the problems that have emerged over the past year taught an important lesson: blind trust in the markets will only lead to trouble.

Mr. D'Escoto said solidarity was needed to overcome the crisis and to ensure that any response from policymakers was ethical and responsible and took into account the needs of the poorest, and not just financial institutions.

He stressed that unity should be viewed as the guiding principle in all political, economic and individual life.

The global financial crisis was the subject of much discussion during this year's General Debate at the Assembly, with many world leaders raising concerns about its impact on the amount of aid and official development assistance (ODA) given by rich countries to poor States.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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UN HEALTH AGENCY CALLS FOR EXTRA $8 MILLION TO HELP AID OPERATIONS IN ETHIOPIA

UN HEALTH AGENCY CALLS FOR EXTRA $8 MILLION TO HELP AID OPERATIONS IN ETHIOPIA New York, Oct 3 2008 6:10PM The United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/hac/donorinfo/ethiopia_update_2oct2008.pdf">WHO) is appealing for an additional $8 million to fund its humanitarian preparedness and response operations in Ethiopia, where prolonged drought has left hundreds of thousands of the Horn of Africa country's poorest people at serious risk of malnutrition or disease.

The money raised in the appeal will be used to ensure health-care facilities in Ethiopia are better placed to handle recurrent crises, including droughts and floods, both before and after they occur, according to WHO.

The agency had already raised $10 million to cover its humanitarian health operations for 2008-09, but the severity of the drought – which has hit almost the entire country, as well as several neighbouring States in the region – has forced WHO to seek an extra $8 million from donors.

Flooding last month in Gambela region, in the far west of Ethiopia, has also displaced at least 36,000 people, with pastoralists, farmers and nomads among those groups hurt most by the drought and floods.

WHO said it wanted to use the additional funds to conduct health assessments, improve coordination among aid agencies, boost health standards overall and pre-position emergency medicines and supplies to deal with outbreaks of malnutrition and diarrhoeal diseases.

While there have been recent outbreaks of measles and meningitis this year, WHO said it has been able to control them, thanks to its close cooperation with Ethiopian health ministry officials.

"These gains were achieved due to the development of a preparedness plan that showed health providers how to be ready to respond to such communicable diseases," said Fatoumata Nafo-Traore, WHO's representative in Ethiopia.

"WHO worked with the Government to implement this plan and raise awareness about the crucial importance of being prepared for such preventable diseases," Dr. Nafo-Traore added. "What is vital now, though, is that we secure more financial and technical support to both consolidate these gains and improve upon them."

UN aid agencies have sounded the alarm about the humanitarian situation across the Horn of Africa, and as many as 4 million Ethiopians are now estimated to need food assistance.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION IN KOSOVO REOPENS COURT AT CENTRE OF DISPUTE

UN MISSION IN KOSOVO REOPENS COURT AT CENTRE OF DISPUTE New York, Oct 3 2008 5:10PM The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today reopened the courthouse in north Mitrovica, which ceased operations after it was stormed and occupied on 14 March by a mob of opponents to Kosovo's independence.
Nearly seven months since the attack, the courthouse will reopen to be staffed with UNMIK international personnel, including two judges, two prosecutors, legal officers and administrative assistance.
"The reopening of the court in north Mitrovica is a first step to ensure that rule of law is provided to everyone in Kosovo," <"http://www.unmikonline.org/dpi/pressrelease.nsf/0/7DECCDA51DB11BE2C12574D70049E600/$FILE/pr1740.pdf">said Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier. "I am pleased that Belgrade and Pristina are supporting this pragmatic development, which is in everyone's interest."
The UN envoy also acknowledged the need for regional participation in the court's effective implementation.
"A court – like all rule of law institutions – does not stand in a vacuum. The Court's success will require continued constructive actions by all sides and the support of the communities that it serves," stated Mr. Zannier.
After it was occupied in March by some 40 people, including officers of the Serbian Ministry of the Interior, UN forces attempted to reestablish control of the courthouse on 17 March which triggered violent attacks on UN police officers – resulting in one death and 42 officers sustaining injuries – and the task force redeploying to outside of the city.
In the initial phase of reopening, the prosecutors and international judges will be dealing only with urgent criminal cases, and implementing UNMIK law and procedure. Local judicial workers and court staff will be introduced in the following phase, which will increase the court's capacity to handle more cases.
UNMIK was established in 1999 following a Security Council resolution that authorized an international civil and military presence in the region as part of a settlement to the ethnic conflict in Kosovo, which has a predominantly ethnic Albanian population.
In February this year, the Assembly of Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government declared independence from Serbia, sparking some protests from Kosovo's ethnic Serbian population.

This week at the General Assembly's annual high-level debate, many European officials – including Hungarian, Czech and Albanian representatives – reiterated the ongoing need for the presence of UN its international partners in Kosovo.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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UN ENVOY CALLS FOR 'SURGE' OF PEACEKEEPERS IN DR CONGO IN FACE OF NEW VIOLENCE

UN ENVOY CALLS FOR 'SURGE' OF PEACEKEEPERS IN DR CONGO IN FACE OF NEW VIOLENCE New York, Oct 3 2008 5:10PM The top United Nations envoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today asked for additional peacekeepers beyond the nearly 19,000 uniformed personnel already there to prevent the vast country from slipping back into "horrendous" conflict.

"We're talking about a surge capacity, we're not talking about a permanent arrangement," Secretary-General's Special Representative Alan Doss told reporters after briefing the Security Council on the renewal of hostilities in the eastern provinces and the need to accelerate the separation of armed groups and their demobilization.

"We are entering a potentially very dangerous phase, tensions are rising and we do not want to see the Congo plunge back into the conflict which spilled over and involved neighbours," he said, referring to the six-year civil war that cost 4 million lives in fighting and attendant hunger and disease – widely considered the most lethal conflict in the world since World War II – before it ended earlier this decade.

"That conflict lasted for many years with horrendous consequences for the whole sub-region and especially for the Congo itself," he added, voicing particular concern at the rise in ethnic tensions, and speaking at the end of a week that saw rocket-firing UN attack helicopters go into action against rebels who had opened fire on them in Ituri province.

It was the latest such action over the past month by the peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUC), the largest such UN presence currently on the ground, to protect civilian populations in the east, especially in North Kivu province where the rebel National Congress for People's Defence (CNDP) has been pushing against Government forces.

Mr. Doss said the Council asked for more details on the troop request. He was pressed repeatedly on the number of extra troops he had requested. "If I said 'modest,' that wouldn't satisfy you," he replied, laughing. "I can't really say at this point. We're discussing it with DPKO (Department for Peacekeeping Operations), but obviously it's not going to be a vast increase.

"We have to be realistic as to what could be possible. But it's also about the quality and getting air mobility and that sort of thing, it's not just the numbers game," he said, acknowledging that the peacebuilding budget is not "infinitely elastic" and there are many demands on it at the moment.

In the meantime, "we will have to move ahead with what we've got and certainly we will use our mandate as it is today to take action when it is necessary to protect civilians and prevent further deterioration," he added, noting that he had also discussed with the Council a reconfiguration of forces "to see to what extent we can get more mileage out of what we've got."

MONUC was set up in 1999 with an initial strength of some 5,500 military personnel to help enforce a ceasefire in the civil war and restore peace and stability. One of the UN's major achievements was to help organize presidential, national and provincial elections two years ago, the largest and most complex polls it has ever helped to run. Since then, much of the rest of the country has been relatively calm.

Mr. Doss cited some progress in South Kivu. "So the picture isn't all bleak, but nevertheless the situation in North Kivu is, above all, very, very preoccupying," he said. "Ethnic tensions have risen in North Kivu and that is very dangerous – no doubt about it."

He voiced concern over reported statements by the CNDP's leader, renegade general Laurent Nkunda, which could further stoke tensions, a position echoed by a mission spokesman in Kinshasa, the DRC capital, who said: "MONUC and the international community will not tolerate this new attempt to destabilize the political process."

Another area of concern is Orientale province, where the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) from Uganda has launched attacks, uprooting thousands from their homes and kidnapping 90 children. The group is notorious for recruiting child soldiers.

Mr. Doss said UN capacities to contain the situation there were very limited "given our preoccupations in the Kivus… There are limits to what we can do, we can't be everywhere all the time."

Summing up the gravity of the situation, he stressed the imperative of dealing with the problem of armed groups. "Otherwise the rule of laws is being supplanted by the rule of the gun," he declared.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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DARFUR: 189 POLICE ADVISERS ARRIVE TO SUPPORT JOINT UN-AFRICAN UNION MISSION

DARFUR: 189 POLICE ADVISERS ARRIVE TO SUPPORT JOINT UN-AFRICAN UNION MISSION New York, Oct 3 2008 3:10PM A total of 189 police advisers from 12 countries, including 17 female officers, have arrived in Darfur to join the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation <"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">(UNAMID), which is trying to quell the deadly fighting and humanitarian suffering that have raged since 2003 in the western Sudanese region.

The latest arrivals – from Malaysia, Malawi, Jordan, Yemen, Pakistan, Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh, Turkey, Senegal, El Salvador and South Africa – bring the total number of UNAMID Police Advisers to 1,877, out of a mandated strength of 3,772.

The mission's Police Advisers are involved in training Community Policing Volunteers in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and capacity-building for the Government of Sudan Police and other parties to the Darfur conflict, to enable them to operate according to internationally accepted standards of policing.

They are also involved in monitoring investigations into gender-based violence cases, confidence-building patrols in IDP camps and supporting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to IDPs in Darfur.

UNAMID, which is slated to become the world body's largest peacekeeping operation with some 26,000 personnel at full strength, currently has some 10,000 troops and police officers on the ground and still lacks essential equipment, including helicopters.

An additional 3,000 personnel – mostly from Ethiopia and Egypt – are expected to be joining UNAMID in the next two months, bringing the total number of troops by the end of November to about 13,000.

The five-year long conflict in Darfur between rebels, the Government and allied Janjaweed militiamen has claimed the lives of about 300,000 people and displaced more than 2.7 million.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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AFRICAN WOMEN TO BENEFIT FROM NEW UN GENDER EQUALITY PROJECT

AFRICAN WOMEN TO BENEFIT FROM NEW UN GENDER EQUALITY PROJECT New York, Oct 3 2008 3:10PM Women in five African countries will gain new access to resources and services at the local level through gender-responsive planning, programming and budgeting under an $8 million, three-year United Nations programme announced this week.

The Gender Equitable Local Development (GELD) programme brings together the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the UN Development Fund (UNDP) and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in a collective effort to build the capacity of local governments to mainstream a gender perspective in planning and budgeting and facilitate participation of women and community organizations in these processes.

"This programme aims to achieve concrete improvement in women's local realities," UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi <"http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=742">said of the initiative, which will be rolled out in local governments in Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.

"It not only seeks to ensure local governments' accountability to secure women's equitable access to public services and productive assets, but also acknowledges women's agency in shaping decision-making around local plans and budgets."

The programme confirms the commitment of UNCDF, UNIFEM and UNDP to work in the spirit of the "One UN" principles, which aim to achieve greater coherence and efficiency from the Organization's various agencies and bodies.

"UNCDF, UNIFEM and UNDP have consolidated strengths and experience in supporting performance-based, gender-responsive planning and budgeting for local development, which can be drawn from various countries all over the world," UNCDF Deputy Executive Secretary Henriette Keijzers said.

"These complementary perspectives are being brought together to generate empirical experience on gender-equitable local development that could be replicated and up-scaled," she added.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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SYRIA: UN APPEALS FOR $20 MILLION TO HELP UP TO 1 MILLION DROUGHT VICTIMS

SYRIA: UN APPEALS FOR $20 MILLION TO HELP UP TO 1 MILLION DROUGHT VICTIMS
New York, Oct 3 2008 2:13PM
The United Nations today launched an appeal for $20 million to help up to 1 millions Syrians, predominantly herders and subsistence farmers, hit by the country's worst drought in four decades.

The situation is not expected to improve until next spring, and that is if the rains do not fail for a second year in a row, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EDIS-7JZKG5?OpenDocument">said.

An assessment by the UN country team has confirmed that the situation is considerably worse than initially feared and the requested $20.23 million will be used on projects in cooperation with the Government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The average yield of basic crops has dropped significantly in both irrigated and rain-fed areas and up to 59,000 small herders have lost almost all their herds, with 47,000 others losing 50 to 60 per cent.

In addition, food prices have risen at a rate outstripping household income and the purchasing power of the general population in the affected areas. The UN inter-agency mission found that many people are eating less, selling assets or migrating.

Anaemia, malnutrition and diarrhoea are on the rise, especially among children under five and pregnant women. Drinking water has also decreased in rural areas of the northeast, particularly in villages depending on protected wells as their only source.

The majority of the funding – $14 million – is required for agriculture and livelihoods while $5 million will go for food. The UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) has already allocated $1.97 million for three projects in the appeal.
Oct 3 2008 2:13PM
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BURUNDI'S RIVAL ETHNIC GROUPS LEARN TO LIVE SIDE BY SIDE IN UN-BACKED PILOT PROJECT

BURUNDI'S RIVAL ETHNIC GROUPS LEARN TO LIVE SIDE BY SIDE IN UN-BACKED PILOT PROJECT New York, Oct 3 2008 1:10PM Displaced people from Burundi's rival Hutu and Tutsi groups are being resettled side by side under a pilot project funded by the United Nations refugee agency aimed at seeking reconciliation and binding up the wounds of decades of bloody ethnic violence in the small central African country.

"The returnees and the displaced were, very much from the beginning, willing to live together," <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/48e4e4422.html">said Tony Garcia Carranza, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in the eastern provincial capital of Ruyigi, near the new village of Muriza. "We do not see any friction between both groups – it is really a non-issue."

Conflict between the two groups since the early 1960s is estimated to have left more than a million dead and forced hundreds of thousands more to flee their homes in Burundi and its northern neighbour, Rwanda.

Now UNHCR is creating Muriza as a village for 98 Burundian families, where members from both ethnic groups who sought shelter elsewhere in Burundi or in neighbouring countries, can rub shoulders in peace. The first families have moved into new mud-brick homes and the agency has distributed half-acre plots to landless refugee returnees.

"The new village is a potent example of how the scars of the past can be healed in Burundi and how reconciliation can be promoted. Hutus live next door to Tutsis, while former refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) share schools and hospitals with locals," UNHCR said in a news release.

Two women, both in their 40s, are emblematic of the pilot project. A few years ago, Zita and Eusébie might have regarded each other as mortal enemies, but today they are learning to live together and liking it. Zita is a Tutsi, and Eusébie a Hutu. Both were uprooted from their homes, and both are widows with many children to feed, and few resources to do so.

"When you build more of these villages, it will be a good idea to integrate people from both ethnic groups," said Eusébie, who shares hew new house with her eight children and three orphans whom she brought back with her from Nduta refugee camp in north-western Tanzania. She still has painful memories of fleeing home with her children and was not sure whether it was safe enough to return to Burundi.

But, she added: "Things are going very well between both ethnic groups. And I do not speak only for me, but for all returnees."

Zita recalled her flight in 1993, when her old village was attacked and all the Tutsis killed. "It was only me and my family who survived and could flee. I will never forget what happened that day," she said.

The two colourfully dressed women sat side by side on a small wooden bench, looking at the houses being built on a nearby hilltop and talking about their pasts and their common future.

UNHCR thinks Muriza can be a model for other villages, providing homes and land for returning refugees and IDPs and helping to bring together Tutsis and Hutus. In cooperation with the Government and other partners, it is examining the possibility of expanding the project.

Eusébie and Zita are clearly supporters. "When you build more of these villages, it will be a good idea to integrate people from both ethnic groups," Eusébie said. "Those who were afraid of each other before will get used to each other."

Since UNHCR started its voluntary repatriation operation in 2002, more than 450,000 refugees have returned to Burundi from Tanzania and other countries. Most IDPs have also gone home.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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NEEDY FARMERS IN MADAGASCAR EARN BOOST FROM UN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

NEEDY FARMERS IN MADAGASCAR EARN BOOST FROM UN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY New York, Oct 3 2008 1:10PM Poor rural families across southern and central Madagascar will be able to increase their incomes after the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced a $19 million scheme to improve farming production.

IFAD will provide a loan of $18.7 million and a grant of $515,000 to support local farmers' organizations, according to a news <"http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2008/47.htm">release issued by the agency on Wednesday after an agreement was signed in Rome by IFAD and the Government of Madagascar.

Under the project, some 75,000 families stand to benefit from the new financing, which will be directed in part at improving agribusiness centres so they can better help farmers and at increasing regional agricultural funds from which farmers' groups can draw.

IFAD said the project will target particularly needy groups of the rural community, including small-scale farmers with little land, households whose members have nutritional problems, women and young people.

So far the UN agency has funded 13 projects across Madagascar, which has an overwhelmingly rural population, at a total cost of $159 million. The current project is being funded by the European Union, the African Development Bank and the World Bank.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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MORE FUNDING NEEDED FOR CONDOMS IN FIGHT AGAINST HIV, UN AGENCY WARNS

MORE FUNDING NEEDED FOR CONDOMS IN FIGHT AGAINST HIV, UN AGENCY WARNS New York, Oct 3 2008 12:10PM Despite a growing need for contraceptives and condoms for HIV prevention, funding has virtually stagnated since 2001 when it peaked at $224 million, according to a new analysis by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Donor contributions amounted to $223 million in 2007, a mere 5 per cent increase over the 2006 total of $212 million, UNFPA <"http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1194">reported yesterday.

According to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) report for 2007, some 200 million women globally have an unmet need for effective family planning, and the number of contraceptive users is projected to rise by over 25 per cent over the 2000 figure by 2015.

Without concerted national and international efforts, millions will not be able to exercise their reproductive health choices, according to the analysis, Donor Support for Contraceptives and Condoms for STI/HIV Prevention 2007.

It shows a six-fold increase in donor investments in the female condom, from nearly $2 million in 2001 to almost $13 million in 2007. Overall, 85 per cent of donor support in 2007 was allocated to three types of supplies: male condoms, oral contraceptives and injectables.

Sub-Saharan Africa received 60 per cent of the total, up from less than 50 per cent in 2006, followed by Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean, and the Arab States and Eastern Europe, respectively.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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WORLD BANK'S FUNDING OF RENEWABLE AND EFFICIENT ENERGY PROJECTS UP 87 PER CENT

WORLD BANK'S FUNDING OF RENEWABLE AND EFFICIENT ENERGY PROJECTS UP 87 PER CENT New York, Oct 3 2008 12:10PM The World Bank's funding for renewable and efficient energy projects in developing countries rose 87 per cent during the past year to nearly $2.7 billion, reflecting the growing interest and demand for environmentally-friendly sources of power.

"Concerns about energy security, climate change, and increasing energy prices make many renewable energy and energy efficiency measures and applications very attractive in a number of different settings," said Jamal Saghir, World Bank Director for Energy, Transport, and Water.

"This is reflected in the increased demand for investment and also for technical assistance to strengthen regulatory frameworks providing incentives to climate change-friendly applications," he added, according to a news release issued yesterday by the Bank, which is based in Washington, DC.

At the 2004 International Renewable Energies Conference in Bonn, Germany, the World Bank Group pledged to boost its financial support for new renewable energy and energy efficiency projects by 20 per cent per year.

Since then it has more than exceeded that goal each year, committing close to $3.7 billion to such projects, compared with the agreed commitment goal of $1.3 billion.

The Bank's commitments during the past fiscal year – which ended in June – include nearly $1.2 billion for energy efficiency, as well as almost $1.5 billion for renewable energy including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydropower projects.

Renewable energy and energy efficient investments made up 35 per cent of the Bank's energy commitments for the year – up from 13 per cent per year on average in the early 1990s – with 95 projects in 51 countries, as well as two cross-border projects.

The Bank noted that high energy prices and acute power shortages have led to an increased demand for energy efficiency projects, including automated meter reading systems and efficient lighting measures. Such projects are being implemented in a number of countries such as China, Pakistan, Argentina, Ukraine, Burundi and Zambia.

Increased investments in renewable and efficient energy projects will not only benefit the environment but also contribute to job creation, according to a landmark study released last week by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The report found, among other things, that renewable energy generates more jobs than employment in fossil fuels. Projected investments of $630 billion by 2030 would translate into at least 20 million additional jobs in the renewable energy sector.

In recent years some 2.3 million people have found new jobs in the renewable energy sector alone, and the potential for job growth in the sector is huge, added the report, which stated that employment in alternative energies may rise to 2.1 million in wind and 6.3 million in solar power by 2030.

In addition, investments in improved energy efficiency in buildings could generate an additional 2 million to 3.5 million green jobs in Europe and the United States alone, with the potential much higher in developing countries.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN CENTRE SEEKS TO PROTECT NUCLEAR FACILITIES FROM EARTHQUAKES

NEW UN CENTRE SEEKS TO PROTECT NUCLEAR FACILITIES FROM EARTHQUAKES New York, Oct 3 2008 12:10PM The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched a centre in Vienna today to coordinate global efforts to protect nuclear facilities from earthquakes.

"With safety as our first priority, it is vital that we pool all expert knowledge available worldwide to assist nuclear operators and regulators to be well-prepared for coping with major seismic events," said Antonio Godoy, who heads the new International Seismic Safety Centre (ISSC), which is part of IAEA's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security.

The creation of the new centre "represents the culmination of three decades of the IAEA's active and recognized involvement in this matter though the development an updated set of safety standards and the assistance to Member States for their application," he <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/PressReleases/2008/prn200814.html">added.

The ISSC will push for the sharing of knowledge and experiences worldwide, as well as provide training courses.

It will be advised by high-level experts in seven specialized areas: geology and tectonics; seismology; seismic hazard; geotechnical engineering; structural engineering; equipment; and seismic risk.

Japan and the United States have provided initial funding for the new facility, also manned by seven IAEA staff members.

The July 2007 earthquake that damaged Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world's largest, revealed the need for international cooperation to protect such facilities from tremors.

Last year's quake significantly exceeded the level of seismic activity for which the seven-unit Japanese plant was designed, but as with most nuclear plants additional robustness in design, known as a design safety margin, had been incorporated into the structures, systems and components, probably explaining why damage was less than could have otherwise been expected.

The IAEA dispatched a fact-finding team of international nuclear safety experts to the plant, which found that it shut down safely, and the very small amount of radioactivity released was well below the authorized limits for public health and environmental safety.

A follow-up mission was conducted earlier this year, which found that the earthquake caused no major harm to safety equipment.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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UN WELCOMES ORDER BY NEPAL'S SUPREME COURT TO SUPPLY FOOD TO HUNGRY

UN WELCOMES ORDER BY NEPAL'S SUPREME COURT TO SUPPLY FOOD TO HUNGRY New York, Oct 3 2008 10:10AM Two United Nations agencies today welcomed a call issued by Nepal's Supreme Court for food to be supplied to one dozen districts in the Asian nation's mid- and far-western regions.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) hailed the 25 September order by the Court recognizing the "right to food sovereignty" in the Interim Constitution of Nepal, where 2.5 million people in rural areas are in urgent need of assistance due to surging food prices.

"OHCHR and WFP acknowledge the Government is taking seriously the pressing issues of food shortages and rising food prices in these regions," according to a press release.

They also noted that the Government has increased the portion of the budget allocated to the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC), a national body mandated to supply food to districts that need it most.

Over the past two years, WFP – working with the Government and aid partners – has fed some two million people in the mid- and far-western districts impacted by both natural and man-made disasters. The NFC distributes food to areas with larger populations, while the WFP focuses on more remote, rural areas.

"The enjoyment of the right to adequate food and freedom from hunger is of paramount importance for the enjoyment of all other rights, including the right to life, and it is crucial that national judicial organs regularly recognize this principle," OHCHR and WFP said.

Nepal is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which recognizes the right of all "to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing and to the continuous improvement of living conditions."

WFP is also helping feed up to 170,000 people in the country's west who have been displaced by severe flooding, which claimed more than 30 lives last month.

Flash floods have affected over 24,000 families in the worst hit districts of Kanchanpur and Kailali, and the agency is providing "mixed-commodity basket" of rice, lentils, vegetable oil and salt, as part of a $2.5 million emergency operation.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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MURDER OF MEXICAN JOURNALIST SPARKS OUTRAGE FROM UNESCO HEAD

MURDER OF MEXICAN JOURNALIST SPARKS OUTRAGE FROM UNESCO HEAD New York, Oct 3 2008 10:10AM The head of the United Nations agency mandated to defend press freedom today condemned the shooting of Alejandro Xenón Fonseca Estrada, a Mexican radio journalist and activist who campaigned against organized crime.

The journalist, 33, hosted a local radio programme called El Padrino ("The Godfather"). On 23 September in Villahermosa, Tabasco, he was putting up stickers criticizing abductions when he was shot by people in a truck who asked what he was doing with the stickers.

"He was targeted for exercising free speech, a fundamental human right, which shows how important freedom of expression and press freedom are to democracy and rule of law," <"http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=27543&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">said Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

"I trust that the authorities will spare no effort in bringing to justice those behind this reprehensible crime," he added.
2008-10-03 00:00:00.000

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TRIAL OF FORMER YUGOSLAV ARMY CHIEF BEGINS AT UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

TRIAL OF FORMER YUGOSLAV ARMY CHIEF BEGINS AT UN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL New York, Oct 2 2008 7:10PM The war crimes trial of a former chief of the Yugoslav army got under way today at the United Nations tribunal set up to try those accused of the worst war crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s.

Opening statements were heard at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pa350e.html">ICTY), which is based in The Hague, in the case of Momcilo Periši&#263;, a former chief of general staff of the Yugoslav army (VJ) and the most senior officer from the military forces to stand trial on charges relating to the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Croatia.

The 64-year-old is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, inhumane acts and attacks on civilians committed between 1993 and 1995 in the cities of Sarajevo, Srebrenica and Zagreb.

The indictment against Mr. Periši&#263; accuses him, among other matters, of secretly providing significant personnel, material and logistical assistance to the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Army of Serbian Krajina (SVK) in Croatia.

He is charged with aiding and abetting the planning, preparation or execution of a military campaign of shelling and sniping in civilian areas of Sarajevo between 1993 and 1995, and of aiding and abetting the crimes of extermination, murder and persecutions in Srebrenica, where thousands of Muslim men and boys were killed in 1995.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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ROCKET-FIRING UN HELICOPTERS ATTACK REBELS IN EASTERN DR CONGO

ROCKET-FIRING UN HELICOPTERS ATTACK REBELS IN EASTERN DR CONGO New York, Oct 2 2008 5:10PM United Nations attack helicopters firing rockets went into action in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today after rebels attempting to advance against the Government opened fire on UN reconnaissance planes.

The UN action was the latest in a series of strikes against the rebel Ituri Patriotic Resistance Front (FRPI) in Ituri province, and comes less than two weeks after peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) sent in combat helicopters against another rebel group in North Kivu province, to the south.

"MONUC is intervening with all the means at its disposal, including attack helicopters, to protect the civilian population which is in imminent danger," the mission <"http://www.monuc.org/news.aspx?newsID=18287">said in a news release. "Moreover MONUC is cooperating with the DRC armed forces to re-establish state authority over the whole of Ituri."

Residual FRPI elements launched attacks on Monday against the army, capturing two camps and advancing towards the village of Aveba before they were repulsed by MONUC.

On September 19, UN helicopters opened fire on the rebel National Congress for People's Defence (CNDP) in North Kivu, forcing them to withdraw after they tried to take control of a town 60 kilometres from the region's main city, Goma.

Humanitarian and human rights organizations are reporting a sharp increase in the recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups in North Kivu, a crime against humanity and a violation of an agreement they signed at the beginning of the year, MONUC spokesman Michel Bonnardeaux told a news conference today in Kinshasa, the DRC capital.

Hostilities have continued in eastern DRC despite stabilization in much of the rest of the vast country, which was torn by years of civil war. On Monday, the DRC called for UN peacekeepers to be given a clear mandate and the resources necessary to impose peace by force if necessary.

"Confronted by the drama occurring in the east of the Congo, MONUC must be authorized to act, and can act in a convincing manner," Permanent Representative Ileka Atoki told the General Assembly's annual General Debate.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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URGENT AID NEEDED AS ZIMBABWE'S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS - UN RELIEF CHIEF

URGENT AID NEEDED AS ZIMBABWE'S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS – UN RELIEF CHIEF New York, Oct 2 2008 5:10PM The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is deteriorating and will continue to worsen into next year, according to the top United Nations humanitarian official, who has called for urgent aid to avert increased human suffering in the Southern African nation.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said that an estimated 3.8 million people would be classed as food insecure between now and the end of the year. During the peak of the hunger season, between January and March 2009, nearly half of the population of 12 million is estimated to be going to require food assistance.

Mr. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said there is a large resource gap and aid is needed now. Although several months of humanitarian service delivery were lost, there is still time to avert increased human suffering.

In June, Zimbabwe suspended all field operations by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private voluntary organisations (PVOs) in the wake of a political crisis, now resolved through a power-sharing agreement.

Since the ban was lifted over a month ago, NGOs and UN agencies have been re-establishing operations to provide life-saving assistance. Mr. Holmes said that current challenges include critical shortages of all basic services, including food, clean water, and health services.

Critically under-funded sectors of the current UN appeal for Zimbabwe include emergency agriculture and education, while funding in health, water and sanitation also remains low.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY JOINS FORCES WITH UNITED STATES RETAILER TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

UN AGENCY JOINS FORCES WITH UNITED STATES RETAILER TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN New York, Oct 2 2008 4:10PM The United States retailer Marshalls has signed on to a United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) campaign to bring an end to violence against women.

The company, one of the leading American family apparel and home fashion businesses, will help bring an additional 150,000 signatures to the "Say NO to Violence against Women" drive, part of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's multi-year UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.

UNIFEM hopes to gather 1 million names on the website of its initiative which wraps up on 25 November, when the signatures will be handed over to Mr. Ban in observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

So far, over 30 governments, nearly 200 civil society groups and 250,000 individuals from all over the world have added their names to the campaign.

"One in three women and girls will be a victim of violence in her lifetime. To end this pervasive human rights violation, we need strong partnerships," <"http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=741">said UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi, voicing hope that the partnership with Marshalls will further efforts in the US to keep women and girls safe.

Along with the US non-governmental organization (NGO) Safe Horizons, actress Leighton Meester and UNIFEM, Marshalls kicked off its activities for Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a promotional event in New York today.

As part of its annual "Shop Til It Stops" programme, the retailer will donate $1 for every shoe purchased over the next two weeks in a bid to end domestic violence.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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BAN VOICES CONCERN OVER INSTABILITY AHEAD OF ELECTIONS IN GUINEA-BISSAU

BAN VOICES CONCERN OVER INSTABILITY AHEAD OF ELECTIONS IN GUINEA-BISSAU New York, Oct 2 2008 3:10PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over the volatile security and political atmosphere in Guinea-Bissau, where crucial elections are slated to take place next month, in his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2008/628">report to the Security Council on the West African country.

Mr. Ban said that the period covered by the new report, from mid-July to September, was characterized by "deepening political malaise and the spectres of military tension and pressure."

He called on all parties to cooperate peacefully to ensure that the 16 November polls "take place in a stable and peaceful atmosphere," which would "contribute to the steady consolidation of peace, which in turn would help create conditions for vital economic reforms and development."

The report underlined the key role played by the media in promoting democratic governance, and the Secretary-General urged equal coverage to all parties and the preservation of ethics, professionalism and credibility.

Relations have deteriorated between the leaders of two of the three main political parties – the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde and Guinea (PAIGC) and the Social Renewal Party (PRS) which were signatories to a national political stability pact signed in March.

A failed coup attempt by the Navy Chief of Staff that were supposed to have taken place in early August revealed the "fragile situation of the State and [constitutes] a setback to the progress made since 2005 to promote a culture of democratic, civilian-military relations, in which the military is subordinate and accountable to civilian authorities," Mr. Ban noted.

The new publication also sounded the alarm on the "increasingly dark shadow over the country" cast by drug trafficking and organized crime in potentially rolling back gains made in the area of governance and impeding positive steps towards peacebuilding.

"Affecting peace and security, health, the economy and the rule of law, the increase in drug trafficking could wreak havoc throughout the country and along its borders, as evidence is mounting that criminal gangs are increasingly operating in concert across porous West African borders," it said.

Despite the difficulty in culling data, the volume of drug trafficking through Guinea-Bissau is greater than previously believed, the Secretary-General said. "I am especially concerned about reports that Guinea-Bissau is no longer merely a transit hub, but appears to be fast becoming a major market place in the drug trade."

He repeated his appeal to the Security Council to adopt strong measures and consider dispatching a team of experts to investigate the scourge in the West African nation.

Mr. Ban welcomed the advances made in Guinea-Bissau by the UN Peacebuilding Commission, established in 2005 to help post-conflict countries determine the priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array of challenges they face.

"I am particularly pleased to note that the implementation of the four quick-impact projects under the short-term engagement of the Peacebuilding Fund is actively under way," he wrote.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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UN TRIBUNAL TEMPORARILY RELEASES FORMER TOP YUGOSLAV OFFICIAL FROM JAIL

UN TRIBUNAL TEMPORARILY RELEASES FORMER TOP YUGOSLAV OFFICIAL FROM JAIL New York, Oct 2 2008 3:10PM The United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s has granted temporary release to a former senior Yugoslav government figure facing trial over an alleged campaign of terror and violence against Kosovo Albanians and other non-Serbs in 1999.

Nikola Šainovi&#263;, a former deputy prime minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, has been allowed by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which is based in The Hague, to return to Serbia from today until 17 October to seek medical treatment.

Announcing the decision today, the ICTY trial chamber <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pr1286e.htm">said Mr. Šainovi&#263;'s temporary release was subject to several strict conditions, including 24-hour surveillance of the accused by Serbian authorities.

Mr. Šainovic is on trial with five others – Milan Milutinovi&#263;, Nebojša Pavkovi&#263;, Dragoljub Ojdani&#263;, Vladimir Lazarevi&#263; and Sreten Luki&#263; – over an alleged campaign of terror and violence directed against Kosovo Albanians and other non-Serbs living in Kosovo in 1999. All six men face charges of murder, deportation, forcible transfer and the persecution of thousands of Kosovo Albanians and other non-Serbs.

Mr. Lazarevi&#263; was also granted provisional release by the ICTY, in his case from today until 27 October, but the decision was stayed after prosecutors filed an appeal. Applications for provisional release by Mr. Pavkovi&#263; and Mr. Luki&#263; were denied.
The trial of the six men began in July 2006, and closing arguments in the case concluded on 27 August this year.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF SPOTLIGHTS PLIGHT OF MILLIONS OF DETAINEES WORLDWIDE

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF SPOTLIGHTS PLIGHT OF MILLIONS OF DETAINEES WORLDWIDE New York, Oct 2 2008 2:10PM The top United Nations human rights official today called for increased attention to the plight of those worldwide – including some one million children – who are deprived of their liberty and are being held in prisons and other places of detention, often illegally.

"Every day, around the world, there are hundreds of new cases of men, women and children being placed in detention, when they should not be – sometimes in quite inhumane conditions," Navanethem Pillay told a news conference in Geneva, her first since taking up her post as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights last month.

"In the 21st century, it is high time we took more effective action to reduce this hidden, large-scale violation of human rights," said Ms. Pillay, adding that while no accurate figures exist, "the number of people around the world who are believed to be held in some form of detention that is unjust or inappropriate probably runs into the millions."

Ms. Pillay was speaking ahead of the launch of the Dignity and Justice for Detainees Initiative, set to begin on 6 October, which aims to increase the pressure on States, parliaments, judiciaries, and other relevant institutions to abolish, or at least reduce, arbitrary and unlawful detention. It also seeks to ensure that conditions in prisons and other places of detention are brought in line with minimum international standards.

"We are not against prisons and detention centres per se – but they should be reserved for those who really deserve to be there according to the extensive, detailed and fundamentally sound international standards governing criminal justice," she said.

The High Commissioner pointed out that among those that are often illegally detained are people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, as well as journalists, human rights defenders and political activists.

"There are people just like you and me who are sitting in jails across the world today, who should not be there," said Ms. Pillay.

While she welcomed the Myanmar Government's recent release of seven political prisoners, she added that it was a very small step considering there is estimated to be more than 2,000 political activists currently in detention in that country. "I urge the Government to release them all as soon as possible."

She highlighted in particular the case of Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate who has been under house arrest for the past 12 years, noting that she "has in fact served a sentence that far exceeds that served by many hardened criminals."

The High Commissioner also welcomed the decision of the United States Supreme Court in June that the country's constitution extends to foreigners being held in Guantánamo Bay and that they have the right to challenge their detention in the civilian court system.

"Those detainees in Guantánamo, some of whom have been there for up to six years, have the right to a prompt review of the reasons for their detention. They also have an unequivocal right not to be sent to places where there is a risk of torture," she stated.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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UN HEALTH AGENCY ASKS FOR PUBLIC SUGGESTIONS ON CURBING HARMFUL ALCOHOL USE

UN HEALTH AGENCY ASKS FOR PUBLIC SUGGESTIONS ON CURBING HARMFUL ALCOHOL USE New York, Oct 2 2008 1:10PM With more than two million people dying from alcohol-related causes annually, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a month-long online forum to give a voice to the public on how to curb harmful consumption.

During its World Health Assembly in May, nations asked WHO to create a global strategy to combat destructive alcohol use, and the Internet discussion will run from 3 to 31 October.

"This web-based public hearing is broad and inclusive and will provide and opportunity for everyone, including the public, to present their views on effective strategies to reduce the burden resulting the harmful use of alcohol," <"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2008/np10/en/index.html">said Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General of WHO's Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster.

Submissions can be made to the WHO website in all of the six official UN languages, and will form the documentation to be discussed during upcoming separate meetings with alcohol industry representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), professionals and Member States.

Benedetto Saraceno, Director of the agency's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, called for maximum participation in the online hearing.

"We are particularly interested in getting views on integrated approaches that can protect at-risk populations, young people and those affected by harmful drinking by others," he said.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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UN FOOD CONVOY REACHES CIVILIANS DISPLACED BY FIGHTING IN NORTHERN SRI LANKA

UN FOOD CONVOY REACHES CIVILIANS DISPLACED BY FIGHTING IN NORTHERN SRI LANKA New York, Oct 2 2008 1:10PM A United Nations food convoy today crossed into the Vanni region of northern Sri Lanka, the scene of recent clashes between Government forces and rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), to offer a lifeline to an estimated 200,000 civilians who have been displaced by the fighting.

The convoy, carrying 650 tons of food and accompanied by seven UN international staff, crossed the Omanthai border this morning on its way to civilians caught behind the lines of confrontation, according to a press release issued in Colombo by the Office of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka.

"The convoy will transport and distribute food to four locations to the east of Kilinochchi, where the majority of displaced civilians are thought to have concentrated," the statement noted, adding that the UN plans to dispatch another convoy next week.

After explosives and other illicit items were discovered earlier this week on Government-provided trucks due to join the convoy, the number of trucks was reduced from 60 to 51.

Today's statement from the Coordinator reiterated that humanitarian convoys are protected from attacks under international humanitarian law, and condemned the attempt this week to disrupt the aid convoy by placing the explosives on the trucks.

Intensified clashes between the military and LTTE members in recent weeks have displaced tens of thousands of people and sparked warnings from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other UN officials about the humanitarian impact on civilians.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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SOUNDING 'ALARM BELLS,' BAN CALLS FOR MORE AID TO LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

SOUNDING 'ALARM BELLS,' BAN CALLS FOR MORE AID TO LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES New York, Oct 2 2008 12:10PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the international community to show the same generosity in helping the world's 31 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) overcome their trade-hobbling isolation as it did last week when it pledged significant new funding to help poor States in general achieve development goals.

"Today we are sounding alarm bells for the Almaty Programme of Action," he <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=342">told a High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly devoted to a mid-term review of the Programme, a 2003 plan setting out specific measures to compensate LLDCs for their geographical handicaps with improved market access and trade facilitation.

Although LLDCs represent about 15 per cent of States, their share of world exports has remained well below 1 per cent, according to United Nations figures.

Mr. Ban noted that the "alarm bells" he sounded last week at the Assembly's High-Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the ambitious targets set by the UN Millennium Summit of 2000 to slash poverty, hunger, preventable illness and a host of other socio-economic ills, all by 2015, sparked an "unprecedented commitment" of as much as $16 billion.

"I hope for a similarly hope-inspiring response," he said. "Let us use the success of the High-Level Event on the MDGs as inspiration for this review."

It is vital that landlocked developing countries increase their volume of exports in order to meet the MDGs, yet the biggest obstacle to this is the very high cost of transport, in some cases exceeding 70 per cent of the export value, Mr. Ban told the opening session of the two-day meeting, calling for more vigorous international cooperation.

Despite some encouraging progress since 2003 in improving transit transport policies, much more needs to be done in infrastructure development as roads and railways remain inadequate, and many ports use obsolete cargo handling equipment, he said. Integrated transport networks must be developed and customs operations modernized.

Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto also said much more needed to be done to help the LLDCs. "Geographical realities coupled with critical infrastructure deficiencies, as well as cumbersome border crossing procedures, continue to pose daunting impediments to the external trade of landlocked developing countries," he told the plenary.

"Today, high trade transaction costs remain the single most important obstacle to the equitable and competitive access by landlocked countries to global markets."
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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GANDHI'S LEGACY OF NON-VIOLENT STRUGGLE VITAL IN TODAY'S WORLD - UN OFFICIALS

GANDHI'S LEGACY OF NON-VIOLENT STRUGGLE VITAL IN TODAY'S WORLD – UN OFFICIALS New York, Oct 2 2008 11:10AM The legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, whose non-violent struggle led to an independent India and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom around the globe, is vital in today's world where the rights of too many people are still violated, top United Nations officials said today.

Marking the second annual International Day of Non-violence, observed on 2 October in honour of Gandhi's birthday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that this year's celebration falls during the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"There is a profound philosophical connection between the fundamental principles of human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration and those practised by Mahatma Gandhi," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=341">told a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York.

"The answer for Mahatma Gandhi was always found in action… The rest of us can seek to emulate his spirit only by practising the tenets of non-violence, justice and peace."

Mr. Ban highlighted the need to ensure that the rights in the Declaration are a living reality, that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. However, it is often that those who most need their human rights protected also need to be informed that the Declaration exists – and that it exists for them, he said.

"The rights of too many people around the world are still violated. That is why the Mahatma's legacy is more important than ever," the Secretary-General stated.

General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto recalled that Martin Luther King, Jr. followed Gandhi's teachings during the civil rights struggle in the United States, revealing the power of non-violence "to begin to transform the course of even the most powerful nation in history."

Mr. D'Escoto suggested that today people around the world adopt the word Satyagraha – the Sanskrit word describing Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent resistance – and begin to reflect on its meaning.

"If we do so, we will have entered into the process of liberating humankind from its dependence on violence as a means to resolve differences," he stated.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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IRAQI ELECTION LAW MUST PROVIDE FOR RIGHTS OF MINORITIES, SAYS UN ENVOY

IRAQI ELECTION LAW MUST PROVIDE FOR RIGHTS OF MINORITIES, SAYS UN ENVOY New York, Oct 2 2008 10:10AM The top United Nations official in Iraq has called on the country's legislature to reinstate a provision regarding the rights of minority communities into the provincial election law passed last week, stressing that protecting those rights is fundamental to a democratic Iraq.

"Article 50 is a strong indication Iraq is a nation ready to protect the political rights of minorities as founded in the Constitution," <"http://www.uniraq.org/newsroom/getarticle.asp?ArticleID=808">said Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq.

"I was surprised and disappointed that Article 50 was not included in the provincial election law," added Mr. de Mistura, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq <"http://www.uniraq.org/default.asp">(UNAMI).

He reiterated that UNAMI will continue its consultations with political leaders and minority groups to ensure that Article 50 can now be reintroduced into the Council of Representatives when it resumes after Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

"Article 50 has the backing of minority groups, political blocs and UNAMI and should now be reinstated into the legislation as soon as possible so minorities can participate in the upcoming elections to be held sometime before 31 January 2009," Mr. de Mistura said.

The Special Representative called for reintroducing Article 50 into the law no later than 15 October, when the Independent High Electoral Commission opens candidate nomination.
2008-10-02 00:00:00.000

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ANNUAL UN TREATY EVENT CONCLUDES WITH 80 ACTIONS BY MEMBER STATES

ANNUAL UN TREATY EVENT CONCLUDES WITH 80 ACTIONS BY MEMBER STATES New York, Oct 1 2008 7:10PM The annual United Nations treaty event to promote universal participation in more than 500 multilateral global pacts drew to a close today with a total of 43 Member States signing or ratifying 80 separate conventions, agreements, treaties and optional protocols.

This year's event – which began on 23 September – has seen the participation of many world leaders, with treaty actions from six heads of State and 21 foreign ministers.

Three Member States today took part in the closing day of the event with four treaty actions.

Cameroon signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, bringing the event total to six signatures and three ratifications for the Convention and seven signatures and two ratifications for its Optional Protocol.

Following in the footsteps of Laos and Tanzania from Monday, Greece and Iceland today signed the Convention on Enforced Disappearances, which received five signatures and one ratification during the event, leaving it five States short of the 20 required to enter into force.

As 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the treaty event's ethos "Universal Participation and Implementation – Dignity and Justice for All of Us," similarly reflected this theme.

The 80 treaty actions endorsed through this year's edition of the annual event, which has taken place at the UN Headquarters since 2000, will work to support international law concerning the environment, trade, human rights and disarmament.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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HUNDREDS OF CONGOLESE FLEE ATTACKS BY NOTORIOUS REBELS - UN REFUGEE AGENCY

HUNDREDS OF CONGOLESE FLEE ATTACKS BY NOTORIOUS REBELS – UN REFUGEE AGENCY New York, Oct 1 2008 7:10PM About 1,200 Congolese have sought shelter in southern Sudan in recent days to escape brutal attacks by members of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) that have included the abduction of children and the torching of homes, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

The Congolese arrived on foot in the Sudanese villages of Gangura and Sakure after a four-day journey, telling local authorities and aid agencies about savage attacks on six separate villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/48e3a21b2.html">UNHCR).

The refugees said they fled to Sudan because the LRA, which has waged war against Ugandan Government forces for two decades, sometimes from bases in remote areas of the north-eastern DRC, had blocked all other routes out of the region.

"From what we have learned in speaking to the refugees, the attacks were ferocious and unremitting," said Geoff Wordley, the assistant representative for UNHCR operations in southern Sudan, adding there are unconfirmed reports of bodies seen floating in local rivers.

"Many refugees being treated in the MSF [Médecins Sans Frontières] clinic showed wounds from machetes and bullets."

An emergency assessment team from UNHCR visited Gangura on Saturday, where MSF (Spain) runs a village clinic and has been treating some of the wounded refugees. Most of the arrivals are sleeping in the open at a derelict school, without bedding, cooking utensils or other basic household items, and subsisting on forest fruit.

UNHCR, which is sending a team to the area to support relief efforts, said in a statement that it feared the humanitarian situation cold soon worsen, given the poor living conditions, the diminishing stocks of food and the proximity of the refugees to the volatile border.

The agency said it was working closely with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide emergency aid to the beleaguered local population.

UNICEF reported last month that LRA fighters had conducted a series of attacks on villages in DRC's Orientale province and kidnapped an estimated 90 children from their schools.

Today, in a joint statement with Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, UNICEF urged the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted pupils.

"There are documented cases where children kidnapped by groups in this region have been forced to fight as child soldiers, and where young girls have been raped and used as sex slaves," according to the statement.

Since the mid-1980s, the LRA has waged war in northern Uganda against Government forces in that country and became notorious for its abduction and use of child soldiers during the conflict. Its fighters have often been based in neighbouring southern Sudan or in north-eastern DRC.

The LRA and Uganda have signed several peace agreements, raising hopes of a comprehensive accord to formally end the entire conflict being signed eventually.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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IN SRI LANKA, UN DEPLORES TARGETING OF TRUCK ON ITS WAY TO JOIN FOOD CONVOY

IN SRI LANKA, UN DEPLORES TARGETING OF TRUCK ON ITS WAY TO JOIN FOOD CONVOY New York, Oct 1 2008 7:10PM United Nations officials in Sri Lanka today deplored the placing of explosives by an unknown group on a Government truck that was due to join a UN food convoy in the north of the country, the scene of intense recent fighting between Government forces and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

In a statement, the UN reiterated that humanitarian operations and personnel must be protected at all times, in line with international humanitarian law, adding that it acknowledged the actions of the Government to meet this responsibility.

The UN remains committed to supporting humanitarian operations that will reach Sri Lankans living in the north's Wanni area with vital aid, according to the statement.

The convoy is now scheduled to depart in the coming days, accompanied by UN international staff, because of the effective cooperation of all involved, the Organization stated.

Early last month Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern over escalating violence in northern Sri Lanka, especially its humanitarian impact on civilians.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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NEW UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICE OPENS UP SHOP IN SIERRA LEONE

NEW UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICE OPENS UP SHOP IN SIERRA LEONE New York, Oct 1 2008 6:10PM A new United Nations peacebuilding office opened in Sierra Leone today to assist in the continued recovery following the civil war that wracked the West African country during much of the 1990s.

The UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), mandated by the Security Council in August to replace the UN political office known as UNIOSIL, is the latest in a series of UN missions over the past 10 years that have helped the country get back on its feet.

UNIPSIL will provide political support to national and local efforts for identifying and resolving tensions and threats of potential conflict, whatever the source and will coordinate the work of all UN funds, agencies and programmes.

It will also monitor and promote human rights, democratic institutions and the rule of law, including efforts to counter trans-national organized crime and drug trafficking.

With a staff of about 70, the new office will work on consolidating good governance reforms, with a special focus on anti-corruption instruments such as the Anti-Corruption Commission. It will support decentralization and review the country's 1991 constitution as well as the enactment of relevant legislation.

UNIPSIL will closely coordinate its work with the UN Peacebuilding Commission, which is already active in the country.

Sierra Leone is one of the first two countries, along with Burundi, to receive support from the Commission, which was established in 2005 to help post-conflict countries determine the priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array of challenges they face.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CALLS FOR POWER SHIFT AT UN

ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CALLS FOR POWER SHIFT AT UN New York, Oct 1 2008 6:10PM Calling for the democratization of the United Nations, General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto today stressed the need to restore power "usurped" by the Security Council to other organs of the world body.

"The United Nations is supposed to be a democratic institution based on the principle of the equality and sovereignty of all Member States," as well as the principle of "one state, one vote," Mr. D'Escoto told UN Radio and the UN News Centre.

But he said that "votes don't mean anything if they're not taken into account. So we've got to move so that the majority really decides."

Characterizing the 192-member Assembly as the "most democratic and representative body" of the UN, the President pointed out that there is a perception among some that the Organization is "a dictatorship where a few decide things."

It is essential to reverse the "usurpation of power" that has taken place and return it to the Assembly, which is "not the only organ that has suffered from this drive to concentrate all the power in the hands of the few," he said, noting that the role of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has been significantly diminished as well.

Mr. D'Escoto acknowledged that stronger nations would be hesitant to relinquish their power, but he underlined the need to push for changes nonetheless "for the sake of peace."

At the wrap-up of this year's high-level General Debate on Monday, he proclaimed the need to end "business as usual" in global affairs to tackle challenges such as the current global food and financial crises.

"We have outlined our priority concerns, and reaffirmed our conviction that this uniquely representative body remains the most important and most democratic forum for global debate," the President said at the end of the five-day event that heard from over 100 heads of State and government.

The Assembly is a forum that facilitates dialogue and solutions for answers to global issues, he said. "But it is only when all voices are heard that we can expect to implement truly comprehensive solutions."
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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UN SEEKS TO HELP LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES OVERCOME THEIR HANDICAP IN TRADE

UN SEEKS TO HELP LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES OVERCOME THEIR HANDICAP IN TRADE New York, Oct 1 2008 5:10PM The United Nations today began three days of high-level consultations aimed at boosting foreign direct investment in the world's 31 landlocked developing countries (<"http://www.un.org/ohrlls/">LLDC) to strengthen their participation in international trade and the global economy.

"As we attempt to find long-term solutions to their plight, external investment is critical in enabling landlocked developing countries to substantially mitigate their unfavourable geographical locations," Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told a high-level investment forum at UN Headquarters in New York.

Speaking on the eve of a two-day High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly devoted to the mid-term review of the Almaty Programme of Action, a 2003 plan setting out specific measures to help landlocked countries, she noted that despite "much progress" in the past five years many still remain marginalized from the world economy with limited access to global markets and to the sea for external trade.

"The Almaty Programme highlights the role that foreign direct investment could play in this process," Ms. Migiro said. "Foreign direct investment has a great potential as contributor to growth and development. It can bring capital, technology, management know-how and access to new markets. In comparison with other forms of capital flows, it is also more stable, with a longer-term commitment to the host economy."

Although LLDCs represent about 15 per cent of States, their share of world exports has remained well below 1 per cent.

Cheick Sidi Diarra, the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), also noted the progress made since 2003. But he warned: "The high cost of international trade continues to hinder their trade and economic development."

The Almaty Programme is the first global action plan negotiated at ministerial level to provide a framework for cooperation between landlocked and transit access developing countries, promising reductions in red tape and transportation costs and time.

At the time of its adoption transport services through access countries consumed on average 15 per cent of export earnings of LLDCs – and as much as half for some African nations. In comparison, other developing countries spent an average of only 7 per cent on transport services, and the developed countries only 3 to 4 per cent.

The Programme established for the first time agreement in principle on compensating landlocked countries for their geographical handicaps with improved market access and trade facilitation.

With seven years left for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the ambitious targets set by the UN Millennium Summit of 2000 to slash poverty, hunger, preventable illness and a host of other socio-economic ills, all by 2015, Ms. Migiro called for accelerated progress in the LLDCs. "These countries require our collective special attention," she said.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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MYANMAR CYCLONE VICTIMS NEEDS SUSTAINED SUPPORT, SAYS UN-BACKED GROUP

MYANMAR CYCLONE VICTIMS NEEDS SUSTAINED SUPPORT, SAYS UN-BACKED GROUP New York, Oct 1 2008 5:10PM The United Nations, the Myanmar Government and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which comprises the Tripartite Core Group, have stressed the need for continued assistance to the some 2.4 million people affected by Cyclone Nargis, noting that nearly half of the $482 million appeal launched in July remains unfunded.

The Group "recognizes that the needs of the Cyclone Nargis' victims are still great and that increased and committed financial support is necessary in order to continue assistance to the cyclone survivors," according to a joint statement issued yesterday.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/News/tabid/1080/Default.aspx">OCHA), donors have provided $240 million in response to the appeal, which covers food supplies, agriculture, water and sanitation, health, schooling and shelter. Of these, agriculture and early recovery continue to be the least funded sectors.

Over 733,000 people have received food aid during the nearly five months since the disaster, and outbreaks of water-borne diseases have been successfully prevented in the cyclone-affected areas.

Clean water is among the concerns for the months ahead, due to damage to rainwater collection systems and saltwater contamination of ponds, as well as low rainfall.

The UN has underlined the importance of continued support and called on the international community not to forget the cyclone survivors as the months pass.

"People and communities have been severely affected," said UN Resident Coordinator Bishow Parajuli. "It will take a long time until the needs are met."

The Group will undertake its first review of progress in the humanitarian effort in November and expects to present its findings in mid-December.

Cyclone Nargis, which left around 140,000 dead or missing and displaced 800,000 people from their homes, has been described by UN humanitarian chief John Holmes as the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Myanmar.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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SPEEDING LONG-TERM RECOVERY ON FIRST DAY OF CRISIS IS FOCUS OF UN-BACKED FORUM

SPEEDING LONG-TERM RECOVERY ON FIRST DAY OF CRISIS IS FOCUS OF UN-BACKED FORUM New York, Oct 1 2008 4:10PM Representatives from the United Nations, developing countries and the donor community opened a high-level conference today to address the crucial time gap in coverage between humanitarian relief in the immediate aftermath of a crisis and long-term recovery.

"The importance of early recovery planning – a separate but parallel process within any emergency setting – is one of the key lessons of the new millennium," United Nations Development Programme <"http://www.undp.org/">(UNDP) Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery Director Kathleen Cravero told the meeting in Copenhagen.

"It is a lesson learned the hard way – from conflict zone to earthquake zone, tsunamis to flash floods. Even as humanitarian workers are actively distributing life-saving supplies, we need to give communities something to live for – providing the resources and know-how families, communities and countries need to get back on their feet again," she said.

Jointly sponsored by the UNDP and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Early Recovery Practitioners' and Policy Forum aims to outline a set of commitments and actions to boost early recovery efforts and bridge the gap between reliance and self-sufficiency.

While beginning on the first day of any crisis, natural disaster or conflict, early recovery is geared towards the future, addressing damages to infrastructure, property, livelihoods, and societies. Its goal is not just to enable a smoother transition to long-term recovery, restoring livelihoods, government capacities and shelter, but to offer hope to those who survive the crisis.

Early recovery builds on humanitarian programmes and lays critical foundations for generating self-sustaining, nationally-owned recovery. Its scope goes beyond the restoration of basic services and encompasses efforts to secure stability, establish peace and resuscitate markets.

Forum participants will draw upon the lessons learned from crisis situations in four countries – the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Myanmar and Pakistan – where early recovery strategies have been put into action, illustrating the benefits of early recovery programming as well as the areas needing improvement.

More specifically, the forum aims to address the gaps in early recovery planning, capacity building and financing, resulting in a set of commitments participants will sign at the event's conclusion.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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NEW 'GREEN REVOLUTION' NEEDED TO COMBAT HUNGER IN AFRICA, UN RELIEF CHIEF SAYS

NEW 'GREEN REVOLUTION' NEEDED TO COMBAT HUNGER IN AFRICA, UN RELIEF CHIEF SAYS New York, Oct 1 2008 4:10PM A new Green Revolution is urgently needed in Africa to curb the suffering of the most vulnerable people, according to the top United Nations relief official, who recently saw first-hand how the current dire food crisis is affecting Ethiopia.

Unlike the "epic, largely man-made famine" the country faced over two decades ago, the current situation in the Horn of Africa affecting 16 million people offers "a glimpse of what much of our world might be like if we do not deal effectively with the huge challenges of rising food and fuel prices, climate change, environmental stress and population pressures," John Holmes <"http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/30/food-crisis-in-africa/">wrote in an op-ed column published in yesterday's Washington Times.

"Great swathes of the developing world could be pushed to the margins of survival," he cautioned.

Both short- and long-term strategies are needed to address the problem, wrote Mr. Holmes, who serves both as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and as Emergency Relief Coordinator.

"Africa, and Ethiopia, need a new Green Revolution – one that is agriculturally productive, economically profitable and environmentally sustainable," the column noted.

"The time to do it is now, before the effects of rising population, more erratic weather, commodity price shocks and depleting fossil fuel resources cause further massive suffering for the world's poorest."

In Ethiopia alone, more than 6 million people need emergency food aid due to the failure of this year's harvest, triggered by yet another drought. The situation has been exacerbated by both skyrocketing food prices, which have shot up 500 per cent in some parts of the country since last year, and conflict, which has thwarted the largely pastoralist population from selling their animals and purchasing food.

Short-run measures to alleviate the crisis in Ethiopia must include cooperation between the Government and relief organizations and increased donor support, the Coordinator said.

"But we must not stop there," he wrote. "Beyond food aid for today, we above all need to help people feed themselves tomorrow."

To this end, Mr. Holmes said that greater emphasis must be placed on reducing the impact of climate-induced crises.

He also urged greater investments in developing countries' agricultural sectors "to reverse the neglect" of the past three decades. "Well-targeted investments can make a life-changing difference," he said, pointing to examples such as better drought management techniques, crop adaptation and improved access to credit.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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UN TEAMS UP WITH MYANMAR GOVERNMENT TO ADVOCATE SAFE INFANT FEEDING

UN TEAMS UP WITH MYANMAR GOVERNMENT TO ADVOCATE SAFE INFANT FEEDING New York, Oct 1 2008 4:10PM The United Nations and the Government of Myanmar are pushing for safe infant feeding practices, as efforts continue to respond to the crisis of melamine-contaminated milk products in China which has driven over 54,000 children to seek medical treatment.

Given the possibility that melamine-contaminated products have spread to other countries, Myanmar's Ministry of Health has implemented a search for contaminated milk formula in the market, initiated testing for melamine in diary products and increased surveillance for affected children via pediatricians.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have joined the Ministry in advocating that all infants should be fed exclusively with breast milk for the first six months of life, a health measure that could potentially prevent the deaths of millions of children each year.

In promoting safe feeding for infants, they also noted the need to work together with the private sector regarding the Code on Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, which includes no advertising of breast milk substitutes to families, no promotion and no free distribution of products through health care facilities, and no words or pictures idealizing artificial feed.

As part of its response to the contamination crisis, WHO yesterday <"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr35/en/index.html">issued preliminary guidance to help authorities decide on the health concerns of melamine levels in food.

Melamine – commonly used in such materials as containers and labels, and sometimes found in agricultural products such as fertilizer – was deliberately added to raw milk for several months to boost its apparent protein content, according to WHO.
2008-10-01 00:00:00.000

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