BAN WELCOMES ISRAEL'S DECISION TO HALT GAZA OFFENSIVE

BAN WELCOMES ISRAEL'S DECISION TO HALT GAZA OFFENSIVE
New York, Jan 17 2009 7:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the news that Israel will halt its three-week military offensive in Gaza, and stressed that the immediate priority now is to ensure humanitarian access for the 1.5 million people living in the Strip.

"I am relieved that the Israeli Government has decided to cease hostilities as of midnight GMT," Mr. Ban said in a <http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3659>statement issued in Beirut, the latest stop on a diplomatic mission to the region.

The Secretary-General, who yesterday called on Israel to unilaterally declare a ceasefire, added that "Hamas must stop firing rockets now."

He stated that the Israeli ceasefire should be the first step toward establishing a durable and sustainable ceasefire leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, as called for by Security Council resolution 1860.

He also stressed that urgent humanitarian access fo
r the people of Gaza is the immediate priority, adding that the UN is ready to act.

Three weeks of violence have already claimed over 1,000 lives, including many women and children, and wounded over 5,000, in addition to causing widespread destruction and tremendous suffering for the residents of Gaza.

Earlier today, in an <http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3657>address to the Lebanese National Assembly, Mr. Ban had again urged an immediate ceasefire, calling on both sides to first stop the fighting and to then work out the details in a bid to halt what he called an "unprecedented" level of violence over the past 22 days.

"Both sides must first stop the fighting now. We cannot wait for all the details, the mechanisms, to be conclusively negotiated and agreed, while civilians continue to be traumatized, injured and killed," he stated.

The UN chief condemned as "outrageous" today's strike by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on a UN-run school in Gaza -- the third incid
ent of its kind, despite Israeli assurances given to him just days ago after the shelling of the UN compound in Gaza that the world body's premises would be fully respected.

"I strongly demand a thorough investigation into these incidents, and the punishment of those who are responsible for these appalling acts," he <http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1250>told a news conference in the Lebanese capital.

Over a week ago, Israeli shelling near a school run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) killed 40 people and injured more than 100. Israel said it was returning fire from the area of the school but UN officials stressed there were no Hamas or other militants inside the school.

Mr. Ban arrived in Beirut as part of his ongoing efforts to help find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, which began on 27 December when Israel launched a military operation in Gaza with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks against Israel.

He
has already met with officials in Cairo, Amman, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Ankara, and will continue his visit with stops in Damascus and Sharm el-Sheikh, where he will attend a summit to be convened by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the Gaza situation. He will also visit Kuwait to attend the Arab Economic Summit meeting.

Jan 17 2009 7:10PM
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ON BEIRUT STOP OF MIDEAST MISSION, BAN AGAIN URGES IMMEDIATE GAZA CEASEFIRE

ON BEIRUT STOP OF MIDEAST MISSION, BAN AGAIN URGES IMMEDIATE GAZA CEASEFIRE
New York, Jan 17 2009 1:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking in Beirut on Saturday, again urged an immediate ceasefire to end the 22-day Israeli offensive in Gaza, calling on both sides to stop the fighting first and work out the details later in a bid to halt what he called an "unprecedented" level of violence.

"We have no time to lose. I demand, again, an immediate ceasefire," Mr. Ban said in an <http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3657>address to the Lebanese National Assembly.

"Both sides must first stop the fighting now. We cannot wait for all the details, the mechanisms, to be conclusively negotiated and agreed, while civilians continue to be traumatized, injured and killed," he stated.

The Secretary-General arrived in Beirut as part of his ongoing visit to the region to help find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, which began on 27 December when Israel launched a military opera
tion in Gaza with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks against Israel.

Three weeks of violence have already claimed over 1,000 lives, including many women and children, and wounded over 5,000, in addition to causing widespread destruction and tremendous suffering for Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinian residents.

"The level of violence in Gaza is unprecedented in recent decades," he noted, citing the high numbers of casualties, the fact that hospitals are struggling to cope and that public infrastructure has been destroyed.

"There are no safe places," he added, recalling that even UN shelters have not been able to provide sanctuary to civilians trying to flee the fighting, having come under fire several times in recent days.

Mr. Ban, who already met with officials in Cairo, Amman, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Ankara, said the goal of his mission is to boost diplomatic efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire, as called for by the Security Council last week in resolut
ion 1860, and to ensure that urgent humanitarian assistance be provided, without restriction, to those in desperate need.

The Security Council's call for a ceasefire has so far gone unheeded. The UN General Assembly last night, following a two-day emergency meeting on Gaza, joined its voice to the Council by <http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/ga10809.doc.htm>demanding full respect for resolution 1860, including its call for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces and unimpeded provision of humanitarian aid.

Yesterday Mr. Ban conferred with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah, and called on Israel to unilaterally cease hostilities.

"There is no time to lose, I would even strongly urge [the] Israeli Government and leadership to declare unilaterally, so that there will be a relief for humanitarian workers and [the] people of Gaza," he <http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff
asp?nid=1248>told reporters after meeting with Mr. Fayyad.

"We are very close to have an agreement to a ceasefire," he added, urging those involved in negotiations to wrap them up as soon as possible. "That is what I will continue to work on over the coming few days."

<http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1247>Speaking to the press after his talks with President Abbas, Mr. Ban said that more days of fighting will only lead to "more casualties, more losses of human lives, more destruction. I would urge again that a unilateral declaration of a ceasefire would be necessary."

In his address today, the Secretary-General also lauded the progress made in Lebanon over the past year, with the election of President Michel Suleiman, the formation of a Government of national unity and the launching of a national dialogue.

"But this process is as fragile as it is vital," he cautioned. "I urge you to nurture it, and not allow short-term factors to deter you from shaping solutions th
at will stand the test of time."

He also noted that the Gaza conflict is not unlike the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbollah in which many innocent lives were lost. "I urge all parties in Lebanon and in Israel to continue to show restraint during this tense time in the region," he said.

Following recent incidents of rocket launches from Lebanese territory into Israel, and Israel's return of fire, the Secretary-General has voiced his concern over any escalation of tension along the so-called Blue Line that separates Israeli and Lebanese sides, at a time when fighting continues in Gaza.

"Further attacks across the Blue Line would put at risk the stability brought about by resolution 1701," he told Lebanese lawmakers, referring to the Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war.

While in Lebanon, Mr. Ban also visited the UN Interim Force there -- known as UNIFIL -- where he met with Force Commander Major-General Claudio Graziano and his staff, and received a briefing on
the situation in UNIFIL's area of operations and the work of the peacekeepers in collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces.

"UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces have together created a new security environment in south Lebanon," he noted during the visit.

"This provides a window of opportunity for achieving a permanent ceasefire and long term solution to the conflict. For this to be successful, it is important for the parties to stay committed to the process towards the full implementation of resolution 1701."

Jan 17 2009 1:10PM
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TOP UN ENVOY DEPLORES LATEST SUICIDE BOMBING TO HIT AFGHAN CAPITAL

TOP UN ENVOY DEPLORES LATEST SUICIDE BOMBING TO HIT AFGHAN CAPITAL
New York, Jan 17 2009 1:10PM
The top United Nations official in Afghanistan has condemned today's suicide bombing in Kabul, which struck near the vicinity of a United States military base, the German Embassy and the world body's offices and reportedly killed at least two civilians and wounded dozens more.

"Today's suicide bomb attack in central Kabul again shows the blatant disregard of the insurgency for the safety of civilians, and has resulted in a number of civilian casualties," Kai Eide, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement.

"To take a bomb into the heart of a crowded city, and to detonate it thereby deliberately causing such serious harm to civilians, deserves the condemnation of all of us," stated Mr. Eide, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Today's incident follows a string of deadly attacks last year in the country, including a
suicide bombing outside the Indian Embassy in July which reportedly killed over 40 people and injured more than 100. Last year also witnessed a rise in attacks on aid-related targets and non-governmental organizations.

Jan 17 2009 1:10PM
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CAMPAIGN VIOLENCE 'UNACCEPTABLE,' UN ENVOY SAYS AFTER SECOND IRAQI CANDIDATE KILLED

CAMPAIGN VIOLENCE 'UNACCEPTABLE,' UN ENVOY SAYS AFTER SECOND IRAQI CANDIDATE KILLED
New York, Jan 17 2009 1:10PM
Staffan de Mistura, the top United Nations envoy in Iraq, today strongly condemned the second killing in two weeks of a candidate for the provincial elections slated to be held at the end of this month, stressing that any campaign violence is "utterly unacceptable."

Haytham al-Husseini, a candidate for the Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) list was killed yesterday in an armed attack northeast of the city of Hilla in Babel province. Four of his companions were wounded in the attack, which comes ahead of the 31 January polls.

The incident also comes just two weeks after Mowaffaq al-Hamdani, a candidate on the "Iraq for Us" list was shot dead in a café in the northern city of Mosul.

"The contest must proceed peacefully. It is utterly unacceptable that political rivalry in the run-up to the elections should be expressed through violence, intimidations, harassment and threa
ts," said Mr. de Mistura, who is the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Following the attack on Mr. al-Hamdani, the Special Representative had stressed that campaign violence must not be allowed to intimidate candidates or interfere with the right of every Iraqi to exercise their vote on 31 January.

The UN is assisting Iraq''s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), which is responsible for preparing and conducting elections -- beginning with the provincial polls at the end of this month and culminating with parliamentary elections in 2009-2010.

Jan 17 2009 1:10PM
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DESPITE PROGRESS, NEPAL’S PEACE PROCESS FACES CHALLENGES, SENIOR UN OFFICIAL WARNS

DESPITE PROGRESS, NEPAL'S PEACE PROCESS FACES CHALLENGES, SENIOR UN OFFICIAL WARNS
New York, Jan 16 2009 6:10PM
Despite "great achievements" in Nepal's peace process, controversies between the two former combatant forces, the Nepalese and Maoist armies, and other problems may be indicative of the difficulties that lie ahead, the top United Nations official in the country warned the Security Council today.

"I fear that there is now a danger that these fundamentals are being challenged and eroded," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Ian Martin said of the commitments under the 2006 agreement ending a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives.

Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2006, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) "committed itself to democratic norms and values, including the competitive multi-party system of government, fundamental human rights, civil liberties, press freedom and rule of law. The parties elected to the 1999 Parliament committed themselves to the election of a constituent assembly, the restructuring of the state and progressive socio-economic change."

Both sides also agreed that the Maoist army personnel were to be "integrated and rehabilitated;" and the Nepal Army was to be "democratized."

However, there is recent controversy over recruitment by the Nepal Army and its recognition of authority of the elected Maoist-led Government, with the army arguing that it should be allowed to fill vacancies.

Mr. Martin, giving his last presentation to the Council in his current position, said the original agreements regarding the armies must be maintained "if a critical post-conflict challenge is to be successfully overcome and a stable peace is to be achieved and sustained."

He stressed that one need for change to which no political party and neither army was yet truly committed was the need to end impunity, noting that in the three-and-a-half years he has been in the South Asian country, not a single perpetrator of a major human rights violation, whether committed during the armed conflict or after, had been properly brought to justice.

Although the parties committed in 2006 to investigate disappearances, only now is Parliament about to consider legislation to set up a commission to do so.

"The weakness of the peace process has been the failure to implement commitments made," Mr. Martin said. "The need now is therefore not only for a renewed basis of understanding and cooperation, but also for a continuous mechanism for ensuring such implementation."

In his most recent report to the Council, Mr. Ban proposed a six-month extension for the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) at a reduced level, maintaining 73 arms monitors as at present, but abolishing most of the 18 civilian posts as of 23 January.
Jan 16 2009 6:10PM
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UN-BACKED HIGH-LEVEL MEETING PLANS TO REVERSE ALARMING CLIMB IN THE NUMBER OF HUNGRY

UN-BACKED HIGH-LEVEL MEETING PLANS TO REVERSE ALARMING CLIMB IN THE NUMBER OF HUNGRY
New York, Jan 16 2009 6:10PM
With the number of undernourished around the world rising to almost 1 billion in 2008, threatening one of the United Nations' prime goals of halving global hunger by 2015, heads of State and other top leaders will gather in Madrid later this month to draw up plans to boost global food production.

The Food Security for All meeting in Madrid – co-chaired by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero – is slated for 26-27 January 2009, and brings together governments, private entities and civil society groups.

Participants are expected to start with a review of progress in achieving food security since the High-Level Conference on World Food Security in Rome last June convened in the face of soaring food prices, and go on to define a road map for the future to tackle hunger more effectively.

"Another thing that is likely to happen in Madrid is that a number of countries will indicate a long-term plan to commit more resources for agriculture and food security," said David Nabarro, coordinator of the Secretary-General's <"http://www.un.org/issues/food/taskforce/">High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, in a press briefing at UN Headquarters.

Mr. Nabarro told journalists that the increase in the number of hungry people was due to volatile food prices in 2008 with sharp increases in parts of the year, particularly in the price of rice, and because of difficulties with access to food, caused by warfare, disruptions to supplies and the impact of climate change reducing productivity in certain parts of the world.

"Agriculture itself has suffered because there has been a big reduction in investment over the last 30 years and the 420 million or so small-holder producers who farm less than about two hectares of land are facing particular difficulties," he said.

The UN system, coordinated by High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, has taken a twin track approach to tackling global hunger.

"First, feed the hungry, making sure that the supplies of food for those who are dependent on them to survive remain satisfactory," Mr. Nabarro explained.

The World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) had to increase its beneficiaries to about 100 million a year and increase its income dramatically by about $2 billion, meaning its 2009 budget totals $5.2 billion.

The second track of the work addresses some of the underlying structural problems in the food sector by improving agricultural development, changing the way in which trading systems work "and improving the functioning of markets for the world's poor," said Mr. Nabarro.

"We've also called for much greater attention to bio-fuels and the turning of cereal and other food stuffs into bio-fuels because we believe that that too creates an unstable situation."

Even though commodity prices have come down substantially in recent months, Mr. Nabarro warned that "The worldwide economic crash did not put an end to the food crisis: instead, it complicates and exacerbates the situation."

The two-day Madrid conference intends to establish a partnership for food security, made up of governments, regional bodies, civil society, businesses, international agencies, development banks and donors.
Jan 16 2009 6:10PM
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TENS OF THOUSANDS FACE FOOD SHORTAGE IN BURUNDI DUE TO DROUGHT – UN AID AGENCY

TENS OF THOUSANDS FACE FOOD SHORTAGE IN BURUNDI DUE TO DROUGHT – UN AID AGENCY
New York, Jan 16 2009 5:10PM
After crops in the north of Burundi withered during a drought between September and October 2008, an estimated 16,500 households in the tiny East African country are facing a severe food shortage, the United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) said today.

According to WFP, farmers in the northern province of Kirundo are also deprived of the money they normally get by selling part of their harvest to traders in advance, due to the early demise of their crops.

That money traditionally helps tide over farmers during the lean season before the harvest.

While getting assistance to those families, the agency says it is also continuing food distributions to nearly 60,000 people in need in eight other provinces of the country, distributing some 361 metric tonnes of food between 5 and 10 January.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR), meanwhile, reports that in 2008 it distributed refugee aid packages to some 95,068 Burundians returning to their home country after fleeing the ethnic conflict that plagued it for decades.

In 2000, Burundians were one of the largest refugee populations in the world, second only to Afghans, but since 2002, UNHCR has assisted a total of 473,865 Burundians returning from Tanzania and other countries of refuge.
Jan 16 2009 5:10PM
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CYPRUS REUNIFICATION TALKS MAKING ‘GOOD PROGRESS,’ SAYS UN OFFICIAL

CYPRUS REUNIFICATION TALKS MAKING 'GOOD PROGRESS,' SAYS UN OFFICIAL
New York, Jan 16 2009 4:10PM
Today's United Nations-led talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders aimed at reunifying the Mediterranean island were "positive," according to a senior official with the world body.

Addressing reporters following the meeting between Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in Nicosia, Alexander Downer, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser, said that "good progress was made," building on talks held earlier this week.

Mechanisms to resolve deadlocks were the focus of today's discussions, which also touched on past acts and the hierarchy of norms.

The two leaders asked Mr. Downer to stress that they held a "very good" meeting today, he said.

In response to a question, the Adviser said that he remains convinced that "there is a real possibility of reaching a settlement here" this year, but acknowledged that it would be an "incredibly difficult task."

He added, "No one should underestimate how hard it is, after so many years and such deep conflict to put together an agreement, but days like today just help to confirm the view that I've expressed on many occasions that I am cautiously optimistic."

Next week, representatives of Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat, along with specialists, will meet periodically, and the leaders themselves will resume talks on 28 January to begin discussing the issue of property.

The full-fledged power-sharing negotiations, central to the reunification process in Cyprus, began last September.

UN peacekeepers have been deployed in Cyprus since 1964 to prevent fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
Jan 16 2009 4:10PM
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BOSNIAN SERB COMMANDER TO SERVE OUT UN-PASSED SENTENCE IN GERMANY

BOSNIAN SERB COMMANDER TO SERVE OUT UN-PASSED SENTENCE IN GERMANY
New York, Jan 16 2009 4:10PM
The United Nations tribunal set up to try those responsible for atrocities committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s has transferred a former senior Bosnian Serb army commander to Germany to serve his life sentence for war crimes committed in Sarajevo from 1992 to 1994.

Stanislav Gali&#263;, who was transferred yesterday, was initially sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to 20 years in prison in December 2003 for murder, inhumane acts and acts of violence on Sarajevo's civilian population.

Then in November 2006, after both the prosecution and defense appealed the verdict, the appeals judges serving with the<"http://www.icty.org/sid/10037"> ICTY – located in The Hague, Netherlands – found that the sentence rendered by the Trial Chamber had underestimated the severity of Mr. Gali&#263;'s criminal conduct and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

It was the first time that the ICTY's appeal chamber imposed the maximum penalty.

The Tribunal indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Proceedings against 116 persons have been concluded.

Germany is one of several European countries that have signed an agreement with the ICTY to enforce sentences imposed by the Tribunal on convicted individuals.
Jan 16 2009 4:10PM
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UN UNIVERSITY INTERNET BLOGGING SITE WINS INDUSTRY ACCLAIM WITH BEST DESIGN AWARD

UN UNIVERSITY INTERNET BLOGGING SITE WINS INDUSTRY ACCLAIM WITH BEST DESIGN AWARD
New York, Jan 16 2009 3:10PM
A United Nations University (<"http://www.unu.edu/">UNU) website has been honoured by the world's largest Internet blog competition with the prize for the best designed site.

The Tokyo-based University's "World 2.0" blog, launched in July, won the Weblog Awards best design category after close to one million people cast votes in 48 categories over seven days of polling.

The UNU site contains articles written by its academic faculty, as well as other contributors, and brief video stories from around the world and Japan, exploring the relationship between climate change, energy and food security.

The site is built in an open source platform called Wordpress and all content is licensed under Creative Commons. Photos on the web magazine are provided by the Flickr community and the site's videos are accessible via YouTube and Vimeo.
Jan 16 2009 3:10PM
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BAN URGES UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE IN GAZA CONFLICT; MEETS WITH PALESTINIAN LEADERS

BAN URGES UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE IN GAZA CONFLICT; MEETS WITH PALESTINIAN LEADERS
New York, Jan 16 2009 2:10PM
On the third day of his intensive diplomatic mission to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon conferred today with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah and called for a unilateral cessation of hostilities.

"We have no time to lose," he told reporters after his meetings in the West Bank on the 21st day of the offensive Israel launched with the stated aim of halting Hamas rocket attacks against it from Gaza. "A unilateral declaration of a ceasefire would be necessary at this time."

He said he would exert his utmost efforts to realize that goal and underscored his full support for President Abbas's leadership.

Last night, he met in Jerusalem with Israeli President Shimon Peres. He told reporters afterward the Israeli Government would make an important decision on a ceasefire and he hoped that decision will be the right one and that Israel would show to the world that it is a responsible member of the UN, abiding by Security Council resolutions. Lat week the Council called for an immediate ceasefire.

Mr. Ban has since travelled to Ankara where he is to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, stressing his determination to work with the Turkish Government to help find solutions to the terrible crisis in Gaza.

At the weekend he will go to Lebanon and Syria for talks with Government officials in both countries about the violence in Gaza and southern Israel, before going to Kuwait to attend the Arab Economic Summit there next Monday.

<font color="red">MORE TO FOLLOW…</font>
Jan 16 2009 2:10PM
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NEW VACCINE COULD SAVE 20,000 CHILDREN’S LIVES ANNUALLY IN BANGLADESH – UN

NEW VACCINE COULD SAVE 20,000 CHILDREN'S LIVES ANNUALLY IN BANGLADESH – UN
New York, Jan 16 2009 2:10PM
With the support of the United Nations, Bangladesh has unveiled a new vaccine to protect its children against five lethal diseases – including Hib, a deadly bacterium that causes severe forms of pneumonia and meningitis – in a single injection, in a bid to save the lives of some 20,000 children every year in the South Asian nation.

Annually around the world, Hib, or Haemophilus influenzae type b, is responsible for millions of serious illnesses and 400,000 deaths, mostly children under the age of five.

Even with treatment, thousands of children die of Hib disease annually, with survivors often left permanently disabled – paralyzed, deaf or brain-damaged.

The new vaccine can prevent approximately one-third of life-threatening cases of bacterial pneumonia, the leading infectious cause of death among children around the world. In Bangladesh, nearly 25 per cent of under-five deaths are attributed to pneumonia.

Almost 4 million children in Bangladesh will receive the vaccine, which includes protection against Hib for the first time, as part of the routine immunization programme.

Experts <"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_47182.html">said that since its introduction 18 years ago, the Hib vaccine has virtually eliminated the disease where it has been used.

The new immunization, which went into use in Bangladesh yesterday, also protects children against four other deadly diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and hepatitis B.

The programme is being financed largely by the public-private alliance known as GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), which includes the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.
Jan 16 2009 2:10PM
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SECURITY COUNCIL TO STRENGTHEN AFRICAN FORCE IN SOMALIA, SIGNALS EVENTUAL UN DEPLOYMENT

SECURITY COUNCIL TO STRENGTHEN AFRICAN FORCE IN SOMALIA, SIGNALS EVENTUAL UN DEPLOYMENT
New York, Jan 16 2009 2:10PM
Renewing the authorization of the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia today, the Security Council <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9574.doc.htm">called for action to bolster those troops, while signalling its intention to establish a United Nations force, when conditions permit, in the Horn of Africa country that has lacked a functioning central government since 1991.

In the resolution adopted unanimously by the 15-member body, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is requested to establish a trust fund to help support the AU force, known as AMISOM, and to facilitate a logistical support package, training and equipment, in anticipation of its eventual absorption into a UN force.

The Council also urged African nations to boost AMISOM's troop strength from the current 2,600 to the 8,000 originally authorized.

It requested Mr. Ban, by 15 April, to develop the mandate for a UN force including assisting the flow of humanitarian aid, monitoring a ceasefire and assisting "in supporting the effective re-establishment and training of inclusive Somali security forces, including military, police and judiciary."

The "follow-on" UN force is subject, however, to a further decision of the Council, to be taken by 1 June 2009, according to the resolution.

Violence continues in Somalia despite the signing in June 2008 of the UN-facilitated Djibouti Agreement by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).

Both sides agreed in that pact to end their conflict and called on the UN to deploy an international stabilization force in the troubled nation.

In his latest comments on the issue, Mr. Ban has stated that conditions are not yet right for a UN peacekeeping operation in Somalia and he recommended strengthening the AU Mission.

Many Security Council members at today's meeting, while supporting assistance to AMISOM, also warned against a too-hasty authorization of a UN force, citing chaotic conditions in the country and difficulties in mobilizing peacekeeping resources.

In the past few days, as Ethiopian troops withdrew from Mogadishu two years after rolling in to support the embattled Government from a growing insurgency, Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah urged local factions to ensure peace and stability in the war-ravaged country and to hasten the election of a new president.

Today's resolution reaffirmed that it was up to Somalis to abide by peace agreements and to establish national forces that would ultimately assume full responsibility for security.
Jan 16 2009 2:10PM
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UN AGENCY APPALLED BY UGANDAN REBEL MILITIA’S TRAIL OF DEVASTATION IN DR CONGO

UN AGENCY APPALLED BY UGANDAN REBEL MILITIA'S TRAIL OF DEVASTATION IN DR CONGO
New York, Jan 16 2009 1:10PM
The Ugandan rebel militia terrorizing villagers in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has killed over 500 people and forced some 115,000 to flee their homes since September, the United Nations refugee agency reported today, adding it was "shocked" by the state of survivors remaining in the area.

On Wednesday, a joint UN team reached the difficult-to-access village of Duru in DRC's Oriental Province, scene of successive attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in recent months, and which was again targeted by the rebel group in the last week.

Staff from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4970b99d4.html">UNHCR), who had to fly into Duru by helicopter, heard distressing accounts of atrocities committed by the Ugandan rebel group, who the survivors said had last raided the village on Monday and Tuesday, killing four people, injuring a 4-year-old girl and abducting a 9-year-old boy.

"A four-year old girl was wounded and as I speak right now, she still has a bullet in her right leg where she was shot. Her father died instantly and she was there lying beside the dead body of her father crying," David Nthengwe, UNHCR's spokesperson in eastern DRC, told UN Radio.

UNHCR staff said they were shocked by the physical condition of the villagers, many of them clad in rags, looking famished and weak after spending nights in the bush without blankets or shelter.

"They have no clothing. They have not eaten for many weeks. Many of them have been eating things from the bush to try and survive, and they are sleeping in the forest because of the fear of attacks," said Mr. Nthengwe.

The LRA – notorious for human rights abuses including the killing and maiming of civilians and the abduction and recruitment of children as soldiers and sex slaves – has been fighting Ugandan forces since the 1980s and has spread its campaign of violence into Sudan and the DRC.

The Governments of DRC, Uganda and Southern Sudan launched a joint military operation in mid-December to flush the LRA out of a remote national park in north-eastern DRC. The fleeing rebels are said to have committed grave human rights violations against civilians in the area.

The villagers in Duru told UNHCR that the rebels looted and torched their houses, forcing residents to flee into the forest. Some of them fled towards Dungu, some 90 kilometres south of Duru. Another 2,000 crossed into neighbouring Sudan.

According to UNHCR staff in Dungu, the death toll in DRC's Oriental province – bordering Uganda and South Sudan – is now estimated at 567 people since the start of LRA attacks last September and the estimated number of 115,000 people forced from their homes is likely to rise.

The agency noted that those who remained in Duru were traumatized and in urgent need of assistance, adding, "They also told our team that they did not feel safe, fearing new assaults, rape and abductions."

"The LRA, so we are told, is now planning to burn the bushes where these people are hiding so that they can smoke them out and attack them again. So this is why they are appealing for security immediately," said Mr. Nthengwe, who also called for protection so that UN humanitarian agencies can reach the displaced people and survivors to supply survival basics, such as food, medicine and water.

Some UN agencies, including UNHCR, have managed to provide assistance to other parts of Dungu district, with 70 tons of food and supplies reaching the area on Tuesday.

The trucks, which left Goma, the capital of the eastern North Kivu province, 10 days ago, shipped maize, salt, cooking oil and peas from the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) as well as blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, jerry cans and soap from UNHCR.

"In the coming days and weeks, we are hoping to reach, in joint efforts with our partners, some 100,000 displaced persons in locations such as Duru, Faradje, Doruma, Watsa and Isiro, which have not received any assistance since last September," said UNHCR.

In related news, the independent UN expert on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Walter Kälin, is slated for a week-long visit to the DRC starting on Sunday to examine the situation on the ground in the war-torn eastern region of the African country.

Mr. Kälin, the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of IDPs since 2004, will present his findings in March to the 10th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Jan 16 2009 1:10PM
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CIVILIANS FACE INCREASING RISK AMID SRI LANKA FIGHTING, WARNS UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF

CIVILIANS FACE INCREASING RISK AMID SRI LANKA FIGHTING, WARNS UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF
New York, Jan 16 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations is increasingly concerned for the well-being of tens of thousands of civilians caught up in the conflict raging in the northern Vanni area of Sri Lanka pitting Government forces against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the world body's humanitarian chief said today.

"As fighting surrounds the areas towards which families have been displaced, and with few choices about where to move, they are increasingly susceptible to harm due to the fighting," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said in a statement.

"While they have had access to basic food, in large part due to the Government and the UN assistance transported through the lines of fighting," he said, "they have few, if any, reserves and the conditions of their basic shelter, water and sanitation are increasingly inadequate as many have been displaced multiple times over the last months, weeks and days."

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) estimates that around 230,000 people have been displaced due to intensified fighting in the north of the country during the second half of 2008.

"The United Nations calls upon the LTTE to allow civilians to be able to move freely to areas where they feel most secure and for the Government to receive newly displaced people according to internationally agreed principles," stated Mr. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

"In addition, the UN calls for civilians to be protected from the fighting and for civilians to continue to have access to basic humanitarian assistance."

Meanwhile, the head of the UN agency tasked with defending freedom of expression and press freedom has condemned the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of the Sri Lankan newspaper <i>Sunday Leader</i>, who was shot as he was driving to work on 8 January.

Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44391&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO), said in a statement issued yesterday that no matter how controversial or polemical the editor's writings may have been, he should have been allowed to enjoy the basic human right of freedom of expression.

"Moreover, publications like the Sunday Leader stimulate debate, which can only bolster democracy," he stated. "I trust that the culprits of this crime will be sought out and brought to trial, so as to ensure that Sri Lanka continues to enjoy the benefits of a free press."

According to Reporters without Borders, Mr. Wickrematunga is the third journalist to be killed in the South Asian nation since January 2008.
Jan 16 2009 1:10PM
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NUCLEAR POWER ‘RENAISSANCE’ SPURS GREATER INVESTMENT IN URANIUM EXPLORATION – UN

NUCLEAR POWER 'RENAISSANCE' SPURS GREATER INVESTMENT IN URANIUM EXPLORATION – UN
New York, Jan 16 2009 11:10AM
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says an increasing number of countries are investing more in uranium exploration in the wake of growing demand from a nuclear power "renaissance" and the resulting surge in nuclear fuel prices.

In the midst of this development, the Vienna-based Agency is facilitating the transfer of information and knowledge from States with extensive experience in uranium mining and production to 'newcomers' to the sector, according to its website.

It has a number of initiatives designed to help the uranium industry share best practices, train a new generation of experts and comply with IAEA safety standards to ensure the protection of people and the environment.

"The IAEA has been and will continue to be very active in the future to promote the safe, responsible development of uranium resources," IAEA waste safety specialist Russel Edge ,"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenterNews/2008/cleanuranium.html">says.

The Agency stresses the importance of promoting good practices in all phases of uranium production, particularly for mitigating the environmental impact of mining and reducing future remediation costs of uranium mining sites.

"In uranium mining, prevention is better and cheaper than the cure, although it could appear to be costly at the beginning," notes the IAEA's Jan Slezak, a uranium resource specialist.

The IAEA's initiatives include helping member States in Africa, Central Asia and Latin America to deal with the engineering, financial, legal and social aspects of uranium mining, as well as promoting its Uranium Production Site Appraisal Team (UPSAT) programme for peer-review of mining operations.

As part of its efforts, the Agency will host the International Symposium on Uranium Raw Material for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (URAM-2009) in Vienna from 22 to 26 June. The meeting will look at issues ranging from exploration and mining to economics and environmental issues.
Jan 16 2009 11:10AM
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UN AGENCIES TEAM UP TO PROVIDE FAMILY PLANNING FOR REFUGEES IN THAILAND

UN AGENCIES TEAM UP TO PROVIDE FAMILY PLANNING FOR REFUGEES IN THAILAND
New York, Jan 16 2009 10:10AM
Two United Nations agencies are teaming up to provide reproductive health care, including family planning information and services, for refugees living along Thailand's border with Myanmar.

The collaboration between the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) will benefit some 111,000 refugees from Myanmar living in nine camps in Thailand, a quarter of whom are women of reproductive age.

"People's needs for voluntary family planning information and services do not end when they become refugees," said UNHCR Deputy Regional Representative Giuseppe de Vincentis. "We consider family planning and reproductive health a basic human right and UNHCR is committed to ensuring that all refugee needs are met."

On Wednesday UNFPA provided contraceptives to meet the needs of 8,500 current users and 400 new users for six months to one year. The supplies will be distributed by UNHCR's aid partners, who will also provide related counselling, education and hospital referrals in four camps – Umpium, Mae La, Mae Ra Ma Luang and Mae La Oon.

In addition, the sister agencies and the Thai Government are discussing the need to address the needs of adolescents, whose access to information and services has been limited by cultural taboos.

"It is our hope that further collaboration with UNHCR will improve the predictability, timeliness and effectiveness of reproductive health information and service provision for refugees here in Thailand," said Garimella Giridhar, UNFPA's representative in Thailand.
Jan 16 2009 10:10AM
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UN FUNDS $16 MILLION DOLLAR RURAL INVESTMENT SCHEME FOR NIGER VILLAGES

UN FUNDS $16 MILLION DOLLAR RURAL INVESTMENT SCHEME FOR NIGER VILLAGES
New York, Jan 15 2009 7:10PM
Rural communities in the south-central Maradi region of Niger are set to receive a major financial boost from the United Nations, enabling local communes to make their own agricultural investment decisions.

The UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (<"http://www.ifad.org/">IFAD) announced today that it plans to provide $16 million, an $8 million loan and the other half a grant, to support the second phase of a rural rehabilitation and development project.

The project will establish local funds to finance the collective investments of 56 rural communes and empower them to decide on their particular agricultural priorities in-line with the Government's push for greater decentralisation.

Targeting poor communities that are also vulnerable to environmental risk, the project aims to encourage communities to be more actively involved in creating policies to improve their livelihoods and decrease hunger.

The financing agreement was signed in Rome by Mireille Fatouma Ausseil, Niger's Ambassador to Italy and Lennart Båge, President of IFAD.

The project, which also seeks to reduce or reverse land degradation by promoting sustainable land management, is among nine programmes financed by IFAD to date for a total outlay of around $111 million.
Jan 15 2009 7:10PM
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HUMANS IN APE SUITS SKATE TO SAVE GORILLA COUSINS UNDER UN PLAN

HUMANS IN APE SUITS SKATE TO SAVE GORILLA COUSINS UNDER UN PLAN
New York, Jan 15 2009 6:10PM
A United Nations campaign to halt the slide towards extinction of one of human-kind's closest relatives gained moment today with troupe of skaters in ape disguise taking to the rink at London's Natural History Museum, highlighting the them 'Gorillas on Thin Ice.'

The event is part of the launch of the UN Environment Programme's (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=556&ArticleID=6038&l=en">UNEP) international Year of the Gorilla (YoG) in the United Kingdom, a project aimed at raising awareness and boosting protection of the great ape and its habitat by increasing the livelihoods and incomes of local people from managing their conservation. Many experts warn that without urgent action gorillas will become extinct in the wild within the next few decades.

"The world is currently going through a sixth wave of extinctions, so it not just gorillas that are skating on thin ice - you could put a whole menagerie out there today on the Natural History Museum rink from Iberian Lynx and Cuban crocodile to the La Palma Giant Lizard and the Rameshwaram Parachute Spider," UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said.

"Thus in supporting the Year of the Gorilla countries, companies and citizens will not only be acting to save important high-profile species, but also a rich array of forest biodiversity upon which many people depend; biodiversity too that may hold the clue to breakthroughs in pharmaceuticals and improved crops to new kinds of smart materials and processes that will be urgently needed for a sustainable 21st century."

Projects being drawn up by the UNEP Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS) – all in need of government and corporate support – aim at boosting the prospects for the Cross River Gorilla which is Africa's rarest ape.

"Gorillas play a crucial role in maintaining the tropical rainforests in Africa, which are one of the key pillars of a world climate in balance," CMS Executive Secretary Robert Hepworth said. "The future of these forests depends on gorillas who plant the seeds for the next generation of trees. The Year of the Gorilla is a unique opportunity to secure government, corporate and civil support for the survival of our closest relatives."

Numbering less than 300 remaining individuals, the Cross River Gorilla prowls an area of 12,000 square kilometres along the Nigerian-Cameroon border. While most of the forest sites fall within the boundaries of Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries or Forest Reserves, affording them some level of protection, community-based protection is being promoted in the remaining sites. Therefore, a community Wildlife Sanctuary is currently being establishment in Nigeria and a gorilla guardian network is being implemented in Cameroon.

A broad-based outreach program envisages the development of local radio programs, thematic conservation films and a trans-boundary education campaign targeted at local hunters. These media will target major conservation challenges such as river poisoning, over-hunting, lack of understanding of wildlife laws and bush burning.
Jan 15 2009 6:10PM
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SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS NEW FLARE-UP OF FIGHTING IN SOUTH DARFUR

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS NEW FLARE-UP OF FIGHTING IN SOUTH DARFUR
New York, Jan 15 2009 6:10PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned recent air and ground attacks involving national armed forces and rebel movements in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region, as he renewed his call for an unconditional cessation of hostilities and a political solution to the violence.

"Military action is not a viable solution to ending the conflict in Darfur and can only result in the unwarranted death and suffering of the civilian population of Sudan," Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3655">statement.

According to that statement, Mr. Ban received reports of aerial bombings in different locations in South Darfur and the Government of Sudan yesterday confirmed that Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) aircraft bombed rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) positions in southern Darfur's Muhajeria area on 13 January.

"Such actions are in violation of both Security Council resolutions and relevant agreements," the spokesperson affirmed, adding that the Secretary-General also received reports of clashes between the JEM and Sudan Liberation Army/ Minni Minawi (SLA/MM) in the Muhajeria area on 15 January.

Condemning all those attacks, Mr. Ban called on all parties in Darfur to commit to an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities and to intensify efforts to come to a comprehensive political agreement with the assistance of the African Union-UN Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur, Djibril Bassolé.

Fighting in Darfur erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen and causing an estimated 300,000 deaths, while forcing some 2.7 million people to flee their homes.
Jan 15 2009 6:10PM
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LUXEMBOURG DIPLOMAT ELECTED TO LEAD UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL IN 2009

LUXEMBOURG DIPLOMAT ELECTED TO LEAD UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL IN 2009
New York, Jan 15 2009 6:10PM
Ambassador Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg was elected today as the 65th President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (<"http://www.un.org/ecosoc/">ECOSOC), making her the second woman to lead the world body's principal organ responsible for coordinating work in these critical fields.

Ms. Lucas will be assisted by four Vice-Presidents who were also elected today: Carmen Maria Gallardo Hernandez of El Salvador, Tiina Intelmann of Estonia, Hamidon Ali of Malaysia and Somduth Soborun of Mauritius. This is the first time in the history of the 54-member Council that its Bureau will be led by three women Ambassadors.

Speaking after her election, Ms. Lucas outlined the Council's work for the coming year. "Our main challenge is to further strengthen the quality and relevance of the work of the Council on development," she noted.

She also presented the theme of the 2009 Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), "Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global health," to be held next July in Geneva.

She urged the Council to take advantage of this theme's unique cross-sectoral nature that can help it to focus on the inter-linkages between health-related goals, including those that are part of the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the overall development agenda.

"I intend to work very closely with the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly to make this year a decisive year for action on the health agenda," she said.

In addition, Ms. Lucas announced the participation of ten countries which will make their National Voluntary Presentations (NVPs) during the 2009 AMR, noting that Member States consider the NVP mechanism as an important instrument to review progress, assess impact and promote best practices.

ECOSOC will kick start its activities for the 2009 AMR with the Special Event on Philanthropy and Global Public Health, to be held on 23 February. "This meeting will be an opportunity to engage foundations and the private sector together with the UN, to find creative solutions to step up progress towards the health MDGs and to promote global equity," said Ms. Lucas.

Congratulating Ms. Lucas on her election, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said she was confident the new President will guide the Council with as much success as her predecessor, Ambassador Léo Mérorès of Haiti.

"Indeed, in the face of multiple global crises, your work will be especially challenging in the months ahead," she told the meeting.

"The effects of the recent financial turmoil continue to reverberate around the world. Years of painstaking efforts – in this Council and across the international community – hang in the balance," she stated, adding that despite recent progress towards the MDGs, more people are suffering from poverty and hunger.

Ms. Migiro recalled the "constructive role" ECOSOC has played in the midst of global crises, such as how its emergency sessions helped mobilize the international community to act in the wake of the food crisis last year.

"The Council is in a unique position to forge closer ties among all relevant actors, so as to maximize the UN's potential to serve the needs of humanity," she stressed.

Likewise, outgoing President Léo Mérorès noted that the establishment of the AMR and the Development Cooperation Forum has underscored the Council's capacity to bring together a wide range of players to focus on the most critical dimensions of development.

ECOSOC coordinates the development work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and 5 regional commissions. It receives reports from 11 UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the UN system.
Jan 15 2009 6:10PM
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UN WORKING TO ENSURE RELEASE OF GAY MEN JAILED IN SENEGAL

UN WORKING TO ENSURE RELEASE OF GAY MEN JAILED IN SENEGAL
New York, Jan 15 2009 5:10PM
Stressing that homophobia has no place in the response to the AIDS epidemic, the United Nations today deplored the jailing of nine gay men who were members of a group working to provide condoms and HIV treatment in Senegal, and said it is working with a coalition of partners to ensure their release.

The men, who were arrested in mid-December, were sentenced by a Senegalese court for acts against nature and the creation of an association of criminals. Their case is currently on appeal.

"There is no place for homophobia. Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support must be accessible to all people in Senegal who are in need—including men who have sex with men," said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/">UNAIDS).

"This will only happen if the men convicted are released and steps taken to rebuild trust with affected communities," he added.

UNAIDS has teamed up with civil society organizations, the public sector and partners such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the French Embassy and the Swedish Embassy representing the European Union, to ensure the release of the detainees, all of whom work for an association called AIDES Senegal.

The agency added that homophobia and criminalization of consensual adult sexual behaviour represent major barriers to effective responses to HIV.

"Such responses depend on the protection of the dignity and rights of all those affected by HIV, including their right and ability to organize and educate their communities, advocate on their behalf, and access HIV prevention and treatment services," it said in a statement.

In addition to taking the necessary steps for the release of the nine men, UNAIDS urges the Government to undertake efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination faced by men who have sex with men and create an enabling legal environment for them and the organizations working with them so as to protect their rights and increase access for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

Calling for the creation of a social and legal environment that guarantees respect for human rights, the agency recommends that "criminal law prohibiting sexual acts between consenting adults in private should be reviewed with the aim of repeal."

Just days before the arrests took place, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay had lamented the fact that that there are still too many countries that criminalize sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex and that some 10 States still have laws making homosexual activity punishable by death.

"No human being should be denied their human rights simply because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. No human being should be subject to discrimination, violence, criminal sanctions or abuse simply because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity," she said in a message to a discussion on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, held at UN Headquarters in New York.

"Those who are lesbian, gay or bisexual, those who are transgender, transsexual or intersex, are full and equal members of the human family and are entitled to be treated as such," she stressed.
Jan 15 2009 5:10PM
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UN-BACKED TALKS IN DR CONGO MAKING SLOW PROGRESS, ENVOY TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

UN-BACKED TALKS IN DR CONGO MAKING SLOW PROGRESS, ENVOY TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL
New York, Jan 15 2009 5:10PM
Tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda are beginning to thaw as on-going peace talks, aimed at ending fighting in the east of the DRC between the Government and the main rebel militia in the region, are making slow progress, the United Nations envoy facilitating negotiations told the Security Council today.

The UN-backed talks between the Government of the DRC and the mainly Tutsi group known as the National Congress in Defense of the People (CNDP) began in Nairobi last month in a bid to end the bloody conflict, which has uprooted an estimated 250,000 people since late August on top of the 800,000 who were already displaced in the region, mainly in North Kivu.

"Much remains to be done, but by comparison with where the eastern DRC and the region found themselves on 7 November 2008, I am happy to report some progress," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, Olusegun Obasanjo, told the Security Council.

In his briefing to the 15-member Council, the Special Envoy reported that cooperation between DRC and Rwanda, whose troops were accused of fighting alongside rebels in the Kivu provinces, had improved, noting that "in November, relations between Kinshasa and Kigali had sharply deteriorated."

He said that DRC and Rwanda have agreed on a military plan to put pressure on the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed militia involved in clashes in North Kivu where the national army (FARDC), the CNDP, and other rebel groups such as the Mai Mai have fought in various permutations and shifting alliances.

Mr. Obasanjo also pointed to direct talks between the DRC and the CNDP as another advance in the move towards a cessation of hostilities, especially after the rebel group had accused the FARDC in November of incursions into areas it had vacated and asked the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUC) to occupy.

"The atmosphere between the two delegations has tended to ease, with some confidence beginning to be built and the parties increasingly working together directly," said Mr. Obasanjo, adding that although Goma – the capital of North Kivu – faces a dire humanitarian crisis, the threat from a military takeover by the CNDP has receded.

The two sides also settled on a document establishing the ground rules for substantive discussions, slated to start later this month, and stating the desired outcome of the dialogue should incorporate the January 2008 Goma agreement, which included a commitment by rebels to withdraw their troops and to either disarm or join the brassage process, whereby ex-combatants from armed groups are retrained to form part of FARDC.

The Envoy stressed that, "This is critical, as it reaffirms the parties' commitment to the principles of the Goma process, but [also] calls for new implementing mechanisms, as well as for a comprehensive agreement addressing the root causes of the conflict."

"The momentum for peace generated so far, cannot, must not and will not be allowed to die," said Mr. Obasanjo.

Meanwhile in Nairobi the third session of the peace talks was adjourned until 25 January by the Co-Mediator and African Union Special Envoy, Benjamin Mkapa.

In his closing remarks to the two delegations, Mr. Mkapa said that "when we gathered on 7 January this year, to commence proceedings on the Third Session, we were acutely aware of the challenges and obstacles that lay ahead."

"I am very pleased to note that we have made remarkable progress by adopting the ground rules that will guide the noble task of substantive dialogue to resolve the crisis," he added.
Jan 15 2009 5:10PM
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SENIOR OFFICIAL GIVES EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF ISRAELI SHELLING OF UN GAZA COMPOUND

SENIOR OFFICIAL GIVES EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF ISRAELI SHELLING OF UN GAZA COMPOUND
New York, Jan 15 2009 5:10PM
At about 10 a.m. local, the first Israeli shell, from a tank or artillery, crashed into the United Nations main centre in Gaza City today, an hour after 700 Palestinians fleeing intense fighting crowded into the compound and UN officials informed Israeli liaison officers of the dangers of shelling in the area and that shrapnel was coming into the buildings.

"Before the direct strike, we were told, 'yes we've registered that the shrapnel's coming into your compound, we know the dangers, we've informed the operational people on the ground, don't worry, you won't be hit'," the Gaza Director of Operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA), John Ging, told a news conference in New York, speaking by video link from ground zero.

After the strike on the 20th day of the Israeli offensive launched with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks into Israel, the Agency, which supplies aid to 750,000 Palestinian refugees in Gaza, half the total population, redoubled its liaison efforts.

"We were highlighting that there were great dangers, particularly and noteworthy that we had five trucks full of fuel ready since early morning to be dispatched to re-supply various centres and also water pumping stations and sewage pumping stations and we alerted the Israeli Defence Forces of their exact location," Mr. Ging said.

Within an hour there was a large explosion and fire erupted in the workshop area where the trucks were parked. As the trucks were moved, six other rounds were fired into the same area and international staff identified them as burning like phosphorous.

"It looked like phosphorous, it smelled like phosphorous and it burned like phosphorous, so that's why I'm calling it phosphorous," Mr. Ging said, speaking 60 metres from the first explosion at the vocational training centre, and 150 metres from the second, voicing amazement that only three people were injured in both incidents.

"The place went up in flames. Our workshop was the part that was hit most severely. It went on fire, as did part of the warehouse. Of course, we had to take cover until we got reassurances that there wouldn't be further firing...There were exploding petrol tanks in the garage itself," he added, noting that the fire service took two hours to arrive because of the fighting in the area.

"Unfortunately, it was too late to save the warehouse where we had hundreds of tons of food and medicine that were to be dispatched today to our centres, the health centres and food centres."

It took six hours to get the fire under control and it was still smouldering hours after that. Israel said it was responding to Hamas fire from the vicinity of the UNRWA headquarters. Mr. Ging stressed that there were no militants in or firing from the compound, calling for an independent investigation.

But he emphasized that the Israeli liaison officers with whom UNRWA works are "very sincere, very conscientious and very hard-working" and were obviously passing on the details and trying to reassure the UN.

"It presents us with a new challenge," he said of the shelling. "This was the hub of our operations, the nerve centre of our operations… But of course we have to adapt to the new challenge and we're opening up other warehouses outside the compound so that we can keep the operation going…

"The bottom line is of course that the humanitarian plight of the people continues to necessitate our efforts here, we have to keep going notwithstanding the dangers and the risks but also the new challenges that we face. I would put it to you this way, that we had a first hand experience here today in this compound of what the poor people of Gaza have been living with on a daily basis for the last 20 days and nights," he added.

"So our appeal is not just for the safety of the UN staff and compounds and locations and convoys but even more important, the civilian population, the innocent men, women and children who continue to die and be killed in this conflict and injured in unacceptable numbers by any measure and of course the scale of destruction continues, you would expect when built-up areas are subjected to artillery and tank fire."

Mr. Ging said the video-conference with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was in Jerusalem on an intensive diplomatic mission to secure a ceasefire, was "a great morale booster" for all UN staff in Gaza.

"It's hard to find the right words for the real awfulness of what is happening in Gaza currently," UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes told the same news conference, voicing his own "total sense of shock and dismay and outrage" at the UNRWA shelling. "It's an absolute miracle that we don't have a huge casualty list from these hits."

Giving an overview of the Gaza situation, Mr. Holmes said the casualty figures "continue to rise in truly horrifying ways," with the death toll reported by the Gazan Ministry of Health now standing at 1,086, of whom 346 were children and 79 women, and the injured at 4,790 – 1,709 of them children and 724 women.

On a comparable population scale that was the equivalent of having 33,000 people dead or injured in New York, or 1.2 million killed or wounded in the United States as a whole, he added.

Some 43,000 people had fled their homes to seek refuge in UNRWA schools and hundreds of thousands of others were likely seeking shelter with relatives or friends in areas of the Gaza Strip less affected by the conflict.

On a more positive note, there was an improvement in aid crossing over from Israel into Gaza with 105 trucks getting in. But that compared with 500 to 600 a day before Israel started imposing border closures in response to Hamas rocket attacks. Israel also extended its daily lull for supplies to be distributed from three hours to four hours today, but Mr. Holmes said that was still inadequate.
Jan 15 2009 5:10PM
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ZIMBABWE: UN SAYS WORST EVER CHOLERA OUTBREAK CONTINUES, WITH TOLL TOPPING 2,200

ZIMBABWE: UN SAYS WORST EVER CHOLERA OUTBREAK CONTINUES, WITH TOLL TOPPING 2,200
New York, Jan 15 2009 3:10PM
Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak, which has claimed more than 2,200 lives, is still spreading out of control, while humanitarian agencies are boosting their activity in response, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said today.

OCHA said that the agencies are now supporting 172 cholera treatment centres throughout the country, promoting awareness of the disease through information campaigns and helping to set up operational frameworks for cholera command centres and rapid response teams.

Meanwhile, the Office added, Zimbabwe's food security situation is becoming increasingly difficult as the lean season sets in.

The disease, which is caused by contaminated food or water, has affected all ten of Zimbabwe's provinces, and nearly 90 per cent of the country's 62 local districts, according to the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO).

Half the estimated 40,000 cases diagnosed so far are in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, and the crisis is just one among many to hit the country, which has been faced with years of failed harvests, bad governance and hyperinflation, as well as months of political tension after disputed presidential elections in March.
Jan 15 2009 3:10PM
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AFTER LEBANON ROCKET LAUNCH, UN PEACEKEEPERS HELP DISARM OTHERS READY TO FIRE

AFTER LEBANON ROCKET LAUNCH, UN PEACEKEEPERS HELP DISARM OTHERS READY TO FIRE
New York, Jan 15 2009 2:10PM
After the second time in a week that rockets were fired from Lebanese territory towards Israel yesterday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/">UNIFIL) and Lebanese armed forces found a launching site and disarmed other rockets that were about to fire, a UN spokesperson said.

Also today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned yesterday's attack, as he did in the case of last week's rocket launches, remaining "deeply concerned" over any escalation of tension along the so-called Blue Line that separates Israeli and Lebanese sides, at a time when fighting continues in Gaza.

<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/pr121e.pdf">According to UNIFIL, the mission launched an investigation into yesterday's firing incident in close cooperation with the parties, intensively patrolling the area where the rockets had originated with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Hidden amidst trees, close to a school in the general area of El Hebbariye, the joint search party discovered three rockets equipped with timers ready to be fired, on a launch pad wired with an explosive device.

The rockets were deactivated on the ground before they could launch.

In the same area, the investigation team found evidence of two rockets that had been fired in the direction of Israel, and a second UNIFIL team discovered fragments of two rockets in the area of Ain Arab, on Lebanese territory.

UNIFIL said that its Force Commander, Major-General Claudio Graziano, is in contact with the Command of the LAF and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), and has stressed the importance of UNIFIL being able to complete the investigation to ascertain as soon as possible all the facts relating to what it called a "very serious incident."

The mission will submit the results of the investigation to the UN Security Council.

In the meantime, the Force Commander has urged maximum restraint and is working with both parties to maintain the cessation of hostilities, UNIFIL said.
Jan 15 2009 2:10PM
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INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY TO REIGNITE WONDER, PROMOTE PEACE – UN AGENCY

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY TO REIGNITE WONDER, PROMOTE PEACE – UN AGENCY
New York, Jan 15 2009 1:10PM
A large cluster of astronomers have been sighted in Paris today at the official launch of the International Year of Astronomy, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

The year, also known as IYA2009, was planned to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observations of the heavens with a telescope and, under the theme 'The Universe, Yours to Discover,' is meant to reignite the wonder that the starry realms have always provoked in humankind, according to a <"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44355&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO news release.

"People have always looked to the sky for answers to the questions 'How did we get here?' and 'Why are we here?'" Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO said at the gala opening at the agency's headquarters, where astronauts, artists, diplomats, industrialists and astronomy undergraduates from over 100 countries have gathered.

"The sky belongs to everybody," Mr. Matsuura added, avowing that "Astronomy is an instrument to promote peace and understanding among nations and as such is at the heart of UNESCO's mission."

The two-day launch ceremony will host presentations by Nobel prize winners Bob Wilson and Baruch Blumberg, revelations of the latest discoveries, discussions on the role of astronomy in culture and public engagement, real-time astronomical observations and a closing performance by the Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet.

Hundreds of events on the global, national and regional levels have also been planned for the first weeks of the Year in conjunction with the International Astronomical Union (IAU), UNESCO said.
Jan 15 2009 1:10PM
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IRAQ: MILLIONS IN GOVERNMENT GRANT ALLOWS UN TO FEED THOUSANDS OF NATION’S DISPLACED

IRAQ: MILLIONS IN GOVERNMENT GRANT ALLOWS UN TO FEED THOUSANDS OF NATION'S DISPLACED
New York, Jan 15 2009 12:10PM
Thanks largely to a multi-million dollar donation from the Iraqi Government, the United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP) is able to complete its operation feeding hundreds of thousands of people uprooted by the violence in the strife-ridden country.

The $40 million backing from Iraq has provided WFP with sufficient funds to sustain its efforts in allotting food assistance to around 750,000 vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs) until the programme is scheduled to end in March.

"It was this contribution, more than anything else, that ensured that the poorest among the displaced, who have lost access to the Iraqi Public Distribution System (PDS), are still receiving food rations," said WFP Iraq Country Director Edward Kallon.

The WFP operation targets the IDPs who are unable to register for the safety net of the Government-run PDS rations – which all 29 million Iraqis are eligible to receive – because they have left their original place of residence.

The Government funding, which was confirmed in May, has been used to purchase more than 31,000 metric tons of wheat flour, 2,600 tons of oil and 2,250 tons of beans for distribution to vulnerable IDPs in all of Iraq's 18 governorates.

Today's WFP announcement came two months after the publication of a detailed report by the Iraqi Government and WFP on food security in Iraq, which found that the numbers of people suffering from food insecurity was slashed from around four million in 2005 to 930,000 last year.

Mr. Kallon attributed the improvement in access to food to increased economic activity across the country, stimulated by a marked improvement in security and the humanitarian efforts of the international community, while noting that the situation remained volatile and any upsurge in violence could undermine the whole process.

At the same time, the report, the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis, warned that a further 6.4 million people were in danger of sliding into food insecurity if it were not for safety nets such as the PDS, which provides Iraqis with a monthly food basket.

The report recommended continued food assistance to the most vulnerable in collaboration with the Government's efforts to reform the PDS, as well as support for initiatives aimed at improving mother and child caring practices and providing food for education in the poorest areas, with particular emphasis on girls' enrolment and attendance.

Mr. Kallon said that WFP stood ready to assist in these areas, particularly with a view to providing technical expertise and helping build capacity, should the Government of Iraq request it.
Jan 15 2009 12:10PM
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PREGNANCY 300 TIMES MORE DEADLIER IN WORLD’S POOREST NATIONS, SAYS UNICEF

PREGNANCY 300 TIMES MORE DEADLIER IN WORLD'S POOREST NATIONS, SAYS UNICEF
New York, Jan 15 2009 11:10AM
Having a child remains one of the biggest health risks for women worldwide, and this is especially true for women in least developed countries who are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries, the United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_47145.html">UNICEF) said in a new report released today.

The 2009 edition of UNICEF's flagship publication – "<"http://www.unicef.org/sowc09/report/report.php">The State of the World's Children" – adds that a child born in a developing country is almost 14 times more likely to die during the first month of life than a child born in a developed one.

"The divide between the industrialized countries and developing regions, particularly the least developed countries, is perhaps greater on maternal mortality than on almost any other issue," the report states.

For example, a woman in Niger has a one in seven chance of dying during the course of her lifetime from complications during pregnancy or delivery, compared to the risk faced by mothers in the United States, where it's one in 4,800 or in Ireland, where it's just one in 48,000.

Following close behind Niger in terms of the highest lifetime risk of maternal death are Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Chad, Angola, Liberia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau and Mali.

The agency notes that both mothers and infants are vulnerable in the days and weeks after birth – a critical time for lifesaving interventions, such as post-natal visits, proper hygiene, and counseling about the danger signs of maternal and newborn health.

While many developing countries have made excellent progress improving their child survival rate in recent years, there has been less headway in reducing maternal mortality.

Niger and Malawi, for example, nearly cut their under-five death rates in half between 1990 and
2007. In Indonesia, under-five death rates fell to nearly a third of what they were in 1990, and in
Bangladesh they fell by more than a half.

The same progress, however, has not been made in addressing health risks for mothers, who are most vulnerable during delivery and in the first days after birth.

And while the rate of survival for children under five years of age is improving globally, the risks faced by infants in the first 28 days remain at "unacceptably high levels" in many countries.

Launching the report in Johannesburg, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman noted that more than half a million women die every year as a result of pregnancy or childbirth complications, including about 70,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 19.

"Since 1990, complications related to pregnancy and childbirth have killed an estimated 10 million women," she added.

To lower the risks for pregnant women and newborns, the report recommends the provision of essential services that include a continuum of care at critical points – adolescence, pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, post-natal and neonatal periods, infancy and childhood – as well as at key locations where they can be readily accessed by women and children.

It adds that health services are most effective in an environment supportive of women's empowerment, protection, and education.

"Saving the lives of mothers and their newborns requires more than just medical intervention," noted Ms. Veneman. "Educating girls is pivotal to improving maternal and neonatal health and also benefits families and societies."
Jan 15 2009 11:10AM
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BAN SAYS ELEMENTS TO END GAZA VIOLENCE IN PLACE; VOICES ‘OUTRAGE’ AS UN HIT AGAIN

BAN SAYS ELEMENTS TO END GAZA VIOLENCE IN PLACE; VOICES 'OUTRAGE' AS UN HIT AGAIN
New York, Jan 15 2009 10:10AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he believed the elements for an end to the violence in Gaza, which has claimed over 1,000 lives and is now in its 20th day, are in place, even as he expressed "outrage" over the latest shelling of United Nations premises in the Strip.

"Today, the UN compound in Gaza has been shelled again," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1244">told a news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. "I conveyed my strong protest and outrage to the Defense Minister and to the Foreign Minister, and demanded a full explanation."

Mr. Ban, who arrived in Israel after talks in Egypt and Jordan as part of his diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and bring an end to the crisis which began on 27 December when Israel launched its military offensive with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza, said he was told by top Israeli defence official Ehud Barak that such an incident will not happen again.

"Defence Minister Barak said to me that it was a grave mistake and that he took it very seriously," Mr. Ban said. "He assured me that extra attention would be paid to the UN facilities and staff and that this should not be repeated."

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General said he believed from his talks in Egypt that the elements are in place for the violence – which according to Palestinian health ministry officials has claimed over 1,000 lives and wound some 4,500, including large numbers of women and children – to end now.

"The time has come for the violence to stop and for us to change fundamentally the dynamics in Gaza, and to pursue again the peace talks for a two-State solution, which is the only road to lasting security for Israel," he stated.

"We don't have any more time to lose. We must end civilian suffering now," Mr. Ban stressed, adding that the UN is working closely with the Israeli authorities to alleviate the crisis as much as possible.

He paid a special tribute to all the UN staff who are continuing to carry out their work amid the violence. "I am truly proud of the UN staff braving difficult and dangerous circumstances to help those in need."

He also expressed his appreciation for the Israeli Government's measures to establish a humanitarian operations centre and to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance.

The Secretary-General is also slated to meet with the leaders of the occupied Palestinian territory, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria during his mission to bring about a diplomatic solution to the current crisis.
Jan 15 2009 10:10AM
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AFRICAN FESTIVAL WILL EMBODY LINK BETWEEN CULTURE, PEACE, PROSPERITY – UN OFFICIAL

AFRICAN FESTIVAL WILL EMBODY LINK BETWEEN CULTURE, PEACE, PROSPERITY – UN OFFICIAL
New York, Jan 14 2009 7:10PM
A star-studded preview at United Nations Headquarters for an upcoming festival of the arts of Africa and the African diaspora provided an occasion today for officials of the world body to celebrate the importance of culture in addressing the current challenges of the continent.

"By promoting African art and culture, we can double our efforts for the emergence of a truly united Africa, where all communities live in peace, security, prosperity and freedom," Ibrahim Gambari, Special Advisor to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said at the launch of the World Festival of Black Arts 2009 (FESMAN 2009) at UN Headquarters today.

President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, United States political organizer Jesse Jackson, singing stars Akon and Angélique Kidjo and jazz icon Randy Weston also participated in the event, meant to introduce FESMAN 2009, which will take place on 1–21 December 2009, to the African-American and wider world communities.

The Brooklyn Steppers youth marching band, headed for a performance at the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama next week, kicked off today's preview of the festival, which carries the theme of African Renaissance, Cultural Diversity and African Unity.

The festival will highlight the power of the arts to promote development and peace, to mobilize efforts against HIV/AIDS and accelerate the achievement of the other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a UN-backed set of targets to reduce extreme poverty and other world ills by 2015, its organizers said.

The first FESMAN was hosted in 1966 by former Senegalese President Leopold Senghor on the theme Significance of Black Art in the Life of People and for the People. FESMAN 2009 was authorized by the Congress of Ministers of Art and Culture of African States and the Diaspora.
Jan 14 2009 7:10PM
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UN OFFICIAL IN DRC URGES MILITIA GROUP TO END DEADLY FIGHTING IN THE EASTERN REGION

UN OFFICIAL IN DRC URGES MILITIA GROUP TO END DEADLY FIGHTING IN THE EASTERN REGION
New York, Jan 14 2009 6:10PM
A senior United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) called on one of the major militia forces engaging in deadly violence in the eastern region of the country to put down its arms and work towards a lasting peace.

The Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for the DRC Ross Mountain made his remarks after visiting a camp in South Kivu province set up to help combatants of the Mai Mai militia join the process of Demobilization and Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR).

"The Mai Mai must understand that it is the moment to bring peace to the country and prosperity to their families," said Mr. Mountain, adding that he was "pleasantly surprised" by the installations of the camp which can already accommodate up to 400 ex-fighters.

He was also encouraged by the work of the Amani programme in managing the DDR of Mai Mai groups in South Kivu.

The Amani programme was created to implement the January 2008 peace accord between the Government and rebels in the eastern Kivu provinces, apply the process of disengagement and affect the Nairobi communiqué, the November 2007 agreement under which the DRC and Rwanda have agreed to work together against threats to peace and stability in the region.

Meanwhile, on-going talks between the DRC Government and the mainly Tutsi rebel militia Congrès national pour la Défense du people (CNDP) in Nairobi are aimed at ending the ongoing conflict centred in the east of the country, which has uprooted an estimated 250,000 people since late August, on top of the 800,000 already displaced mostly in North Kivu province.

Other armed groups, including the Mai Mai, had been involved in the deadly violence – threatening a humanitarian crisis that could spiral out of control – some of which have been along ethnic lines.
Jan 14 2009 6:10PM
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SAFETY CHECKLIST FOR SURGERY SLASHES COMPLICATIONS BY ONE-THIRD, FINDS UN STUDY

SAFETY CHECKLIST FOR SURGERY SLASHES COMPLICATIONS BY ONE-THIRD, FINDS UN STUDY
New York, Jan 14 2009 5:10PM
A simple list to be checked off during surgery – before anaesthesia, the first incision and the completion of an operation – has been shown to lower the incidence of death and complications by one-third, according to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), which developed the protocol.

Analysis of studies undertaken in participating hospitals in each of the six <"http://www.who.int/patientsafety/safesurgery/en/">WHO regions worldwide shows that the rate of major complications after undergoing surgery in the operating rooms taking part in the study fell from 11 per cent in the baseline period to seven per cent after introduction of the checklist, the agency said.

"The concept of using a brief but comprehensive checklist is surprisingly new to us in surgery," said Atul Gawande, main author of the study and team leader for the development of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.

"Not everyone on the operating teams was happy to try it. But the results were unprecedented. And the teams became strong supporters," he reported.

Inpatient deaths following major operations fell by more than 40 per cent – from 1.5 per cent to 0.8 per cent – with use of the checklist.

WHO says that 234 million major surgeries are now performed every year – equivalent to one for every 25 people – and that significant numbers of patients suffer or even die because of preventable complications.

Several studies have shown that in developing countries 5 to 10 per cent of patients die during major surgery. One in 150 people die from general anaesthesia in sub-Saharan Africa.

Major complications are also reported in 3 to 16 per cent of patients in industrialized countries, while infections and other complications are also a serious threat. The studies suggest that about half of these complications may be preventable.

The checklist protocol requires only a few minutes at each of the three points it enters the procedure, according to WHO, when a checklist coordinator confirms that the surgical team has completed its tasks before it proceeds.

In the first stage, for example, the patient's known allergies have to be checked off, and in the last phase, surgical instruments, sponges and needles have to be counted.
Jan 14 2009 5:10PM
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ALL PARTIES TO CONFLICTS MUST BE HELD TO ACCOUNT IN PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS – UN OFFICIAL

ALL PARTIES TO CONFLICTS MUST BE HELD TO ACCOUNT IN PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS – UN OFFICIAL
New York, Jan 14 2009 3:10PM
Citing the "dreadful beginning" of 2009 for civilians caught up in armed conflict, the top United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council today that strict respect for international law by all parties to fighting was critical to end the suffering.

"Violations of international humanitarian law by one party to a conflict offer no justification for non-compliance by other parties," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said, as he opened a debate for which 50 speakers were inscribed by evoking the civilian toll in Gaza, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sri Lanka, and presenting measures to reduce it.

"Allegations of violations must be fully investigated and those responsible held to account," Mr. Holmes stressed.

In addition to the growing number of civilians killed in Gaza and those terrorized by rockets in southern Israel, he spoke of civilians executed, brutalized and displaced by rebels in the eastern DRC, the use of human shields and random fire in Somalia and the 40 per cent increase of civilians killed – for a total of some 2,000 – during hostilities in Afghanistan in 2008.

Concerning the carnage in Gaza, he said constant care must be taken to spare the civilian population in the context of military operations, and that neither party seemed to be measuring up to such requirements.

"Can we look at what has been happening in Gaza in the last three weeks and say that either Israel or Hamas has come close to respecting these rules? I think not," he said.

It was relatively straightforward, if not always easy or productive, for the UN to engage with national or international forces, he said, but humanitarian actors could not only talk to one side in a conflict.

"If we are serious about sparing civilians from the effects of hostilities, about obtaining access to those in need and seeking to ensure that humanitarian workers can operate safely, humanitarian actors must have consistent and sustained dialogue with all parties to a conflict, be it the Taliban, Hamas or Al-Shabaab," he said, naming groups in Afghanistan, Gaza and Somalia, respectively.

It was important to talk to those groups to explain the requirements of international law, to speak out for their victims or communities they endangered through their mere presence and by storing weapons in homes, schools and places of worship and to call them to account when they violate international humanitarian law.

"It is simply not sufficient to oppose such engagement for fear that it will confer a degree of recognition on these groups," he said.

To further help protect civilians, Mr. Holmes supported targeted strategies against sexual violence as well as the establishment of a Security Council Expert Group on the topic, as proposed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Jan 14 2009 3:10PM
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