UN ROLE RESTRICTED TO PLANNING JOINT DR CONGO/RWANDA OPERATION AGAINST REBELS

UN ROLE RESTRICTED TO PLANNING JOINT DR CONGO/RWANDA OPERATION AGAINST REBELS
New York, Jan 31 2009 12:10PM
The top United Nations official to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stressed today that the world body is only involved in planning and coordinating the joint DRC/Rwanda military offensive targeting ethnic Rwandan Hutu militias.
The UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, known as MONUC, will set up a planning an liaison task force to support the operation aimed at defeating the Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), based in eastern DRC.
"We expect to be primarily associated with planning operations," said the Secretary-General''s Special Representative in DRC, Alan Doss.

Following a request from the DRC Minister of Defence earlier in the week, Mr. Doss has put in place a MONUC team to work with the joint DRC/Rwanda operation in Goma, the capital of the eastern North Kivu province.

The goal for the group of six to eight staff military officers sent to
assist with the operation is to boost the presence and gradual inclusion of UN civilian staff in planning the operation, as well as work on issues such as humanitarian coordination and the demobilization of former Congolese or ethnic Rwandan Hutu fighters.

MONUC also underscored that it will not participate in any transaction in which. Bosco Ntanganda, the leader of the mainly Tutsi National Congress in Defense of the People (CNDP) militia, will play a role at any level.
Jan 31 2009 12:10PM
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TOP UN ENVOY TO SOMALIA PRAISES 'OPEN AND TRANSPARENT' ELECTION OF NEW PRESIDENT

TOP UN ENVOY TO SOMALIA PRAISES 'OPEN AND TRANSPARENT' ELECTION OF NEW PRESIDENT
New York, Jan 31 2009 11:10AM
After a long night of voting the newly expanded Somali parliament elected opposition leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as the new president of the Horn of Africa nation, as the United Nations envoy to the country applauded the "open and transparent" nature of the voting.

President Sheikh Sharif, who heads the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS), is expected to form a government of national unity, in a bid to bring stability to a country that has not had a functioning central government since 1991.

It took two rounds of voting from the Transitional Federal Parliament, which had added 275 members earlier in the week to accommodate the ARS, because now President Sheikh Sharif failed to win the necessary two-thirds majority in the first ballot, which included 11 candidates.

UN Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah noted that during the first ro
und of voting, lawmakers had given strong support to both President Sheikh Sharif and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, the two leading figures in the ongoing UN-brokered Djibouti peace process.

Mr. Ould-Abdallah praised the "open and transparent manner" in which the two rounds of voting were carried out.

"We are finally seeing progress from the hard work by all sides to create an inclusive Parliament," he said. "I would like to congratulate and encourage all the Parliamentarians to work for the good of the country."

The Special Representative said he was pleased that the candidates had pledged to support a government of national unity based on inclusion, tolerance and political cooperation in a country that has been plagued by violence and humanitarian suffering.
Jan 31 2009 11:10AM
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TOP UN ENVOY TO IRAQ WARNS OF TOUGH CHALLENGES FOR COUNTRY ON DAY OF REGIONAL POLLS

TOP UN ENVOY TO IRAQ WARNS OF TOUGH CHALLENGES FOR COUNTRY ON DAY OF REGIONAL POLLS
New York, Jan 31 2009 9:10AM
As Iraqis went to the polls in provincial elections today, the top United Nations envoy to the country warned of tough challenges ahead, including the need to heal ethnic divisions and for national reconciliation, that could jeopardize recent progress.

"Conditions remain far from 'normal,'" said the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, in an opinion piece published today in the Washington Post to coincide with the watershed local elections taking place across Iraq.

"Dozens of Iraqis continue to die each week at the hands of merciless extremists. While life here is getting better, the security situation impedes the Iraqi people''s efforts to escape the morass they have been in for many years, and it limits what we can all do to help," he wrote.

The Special Representative noted that despite the difficulties surrounding the elections, e
thnic tensions in the south of Iraqi Kurdistan and the need for different factions in the country to reconcile, there are signs of hope for the future.

"The performance of most provincial councils elected four years ago has been so disappointing that a pronounced 'throw the bums out' mentality exists in many places.

More than 14,000 candidates are competing to sit on these local councils, many of them determined to help improve the poor delivery of public services such as electricity, water, sanitation, schools and health care."

Mr. de Mistura also stressed that the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq's (UNAMI) work with local authorities to ensure free and fair balloting, including the training of 60,000 electoral observers, and the participation of Sunni parties this time around should increase Iraqi people's confidence in their local governments.

However, growing friction between Arabs and Kurds, especially in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, has infected almost every aspect of pol
itics and obstructed progress in agreeing conditions for the vital oil law, revenue-sharing and constitutional review.

"They brought the armed forces of the central government and the Kurdish region to the brink of conflict a few months ago," said Mr. de Mistura. "And they provoke the mutual distrust and unhelpful rhetoric that appears to paralyze governance at many levels."

The Special Representative urged Iraq's friends in the international community to press the national (largely Arab) and the regional (Kurdish) leaderships to soothe tensions and explore solutions through dialogue to their differences.

Underscoring the need for all the major communities -- Sunni, Shiite, Arab and Kurd -- to recognise the need for compromise to allow the budding democratic system the space to grow, Mr. de Mistura wrote, "there have been several issues, including the elections law and in the disputed areas, where tense political stand-offs were ended when an impartial outsider presented a proposal
that all sides could agree on as a face-saving win."

The day after condemning the murder of three candidates, killed while campaigning for today's elections, Mr. de Mistura said, "While the security situation is improving, political violence in Iraq will not simply end in the coming months.

But 2009 is the second year running in which Iraqis will have a chance to experience real advances -- along with inevitable hiccups -- toward national sovereignty, democratic accountability, political stability, physical security and material prosperity."

Jan 31 2009 9:10AM
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NEW DISPLACEMENT FROM FIGHTING IN PAKISTAN LEADS TO BOOSTED UN HUMANITARIAN APPEAL

NEW DISPLACEMENT FROM FIGHTING IN PAKISTAN LEADS TO BOOSTED UN HUMANITARIAN APPEAL
New York, Jan 30 2009 6:10PM
The United Nations today announced an appeal for more humanitarian funding for Pakistan, projecting that fighting between the Government and militant groups in north-western border areas will escalate throughout 2009, causing new displacements of up to 625,000 people.

A total of $127 million will be required to assist newly displaced persons from in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and in the Swat District of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), the UN Officer for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said.

With $29 million in funding available from original appeal for the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan, this leaves an unmet requirement for 2009 of $98 million, the Office explained.

The Response Plan was launched as a $55 million flash appeal in September 2008 for the duration of six month, after unusually heavy monsoon rains and flash floods affected over 300,000 people, most of whose immediate needs have by now been met.
Jan 30 2009 6:10PM
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BAN CALLS FOR THREE-PRONGED STRATEGY TO IMPLEMENT ‘RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT’

BAN CALLS FOR THREE-PRONGED STRATEGY TO IMPLEMENT 'RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT'
New York, Jan 30 2009 6:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has outlined in a new report a three-pronged approach to implement the 'responsibility to protect,' a doctrine that holds States responsible for shielding their own populations from genocide and other major human rights abuses and requires the international community to step in if this obligation is not met.

At the 2005 World Summit, Heads of State and Government unanimously affirmed that each State has the 'responsibility to protect,' or 'R2P.'

To thwart States from misusing this doctrine, it is crucial to develop a United Nations strategy, standards, processes and practices, Mr. Ban said in the <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=a/63/677">report to the General Assembly.

To this end, he proposed a three-pillar strategy that centres on prevention, and if that fails, of "early and flexible response tailored to the specific circumstances of each case."

The first pillar encompasses the protection responsibilities of the State because "prevention begins at home and the protection of populations is a defining attribute of sovereignty and statehood in the twenty-first century," the report explained.

The second entails the international community providing assistance to States to carry out the R2P through measures such as confidential or public persuasion, education and training.

"Those contemplating the incitement or perpetration of crimes and violations relating to the responsibility to protect need to be made to understand both the costs of pursuing that path and the potential benefits of seeking peaceful reconciliation and development," the Secretary-General wrote.

In the last pillar, the UN and other organizations would focus on saving lives through "timely and decisive action," instead of on "arbitrary, sequential or graduated policy ladders that prize procedure over substance and process over results," he added.

Mr. Ban called on the Assembly to take the first step by assess the strategy to implement R2P by finding ways to develop partnerships between States and the international community as well as to consider whether and how to conduct a periodic review what nations have done to implement the doctrine.
Jan 30 2009 6:10PM
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BAN URGES TEACHERS TO FOSTER GLOBAL CITIZEN WHO TRANSCENDS BORDERS

BAN URGES TEACHERS TO FOSTER GLOBAL CITIZEN WHO TRANSCENDS BORDERS
New York, Jan 30 2009 5:10PM
Teachers have a crucial role to play in fostering the global citizen of tomorrow who transcends national borders to tackle the problems of the world at large, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

"I challenge each of you to do your part in raising awareness among your students and in your schools about the issues the world faces, and the need for international cooperation in addressing them," he told the Conference of the Committee on Teaching about the United Nations in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12076.doc.htm">message delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka.

"The two crises of the moment – the global financial crisis and climate change – demonstrate powerfully the limits of boundaries and borders in thinking about problems that threaten all of us," he said.

He cited the World Programme of Action for Youth which recognizes the centrality of education for children and youth, and stresses the importance of promoting human rights education in particular. To support this goal, the UN Department of Public Information has created various materials on human rights on the UN Cyberschoolbus website.

He noted that the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights saw the announcement of another major UN initiative addressed to teachers, scholars and students: the Academic Impact, which offers institutions the opportunity to undertake specific actions in support of, and in partnership with, the UN to realize the Declaration's broad and enduring vision.

"As educators, you model a concept of global citizenship," Mr. Ban said. "Your role is crucial in communicating to global citizens-in-the-making what it means to live in an increasingly interdependent community where we are accountable not just to ourselves and our families, communities and countries, but also to people throughout the world.

"You can help students grow into this notion of a global civic identity, and understand how their decisions have an impact ranging well beyond their immediate vicinity. The United Nations is uniquely placed to work with you in instilling a sense of global citizenship in today's youth."
Jan 30 2009 5:10PM
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SRI LANKA: BAN URGES GOVERNMENT, REBELS TO ASSURE SAFE PASSAGE FOR TRAPPED CIVILIANS

SRI LANKA: BAN URGES GOVERNMENT, REBELS TO ASSURE SAFE PASSAGE FOR TRAPPED CIVILIANS
New York, Jan 30 2009 5:10PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the Government and rebels in Sri Lanka to do everything in their power to effectuate the safe passage that has been promised for some 250,000 civilians trapped in the area of intense fighting in the north of the island country.

"[Mr. Ban] urges the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to do all in their power to make this safe passage a reality, and to ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with International Humanitarian Law," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3689">statement issued by his spokesperson.

The Secretary-General welcomed President Mahinda Rajapaksa's announcement of safe passage for the trapped civilians but expressed continued concern for their welfare because of their proximity to the ongoing combat.

Yesterday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, issued a statement of alarm over rapidly deteriorating conditions in the area where the civilians are caught, involving casualties, alleged human rights abuses and massive displacement.

Through today's statement, Mr. Ban called on the LTTE to allow civilians in the conflict zone to move to where they feel most secure, including areas controlled by the Government.

He also called on the Government to ensure that those civilians arriving from conflict areas are treated in accordance with international standards, including guarantees for their freedom of movement, provision of basic services, and full access to humanitarian agencies.

"On its part, the United Nations stands ready to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance," Mr. Ban's spokesman stressed, underlining also the need for urgent steps toward a speedy and orderly end to the fighting.
Jan 30 2009 5:10PM
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SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES MERITS OF SWITCHING TO ‘GREEN’ ECONOMY

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES MERITS OF SWITCHING TO 'GREEN' ECONOMY
New York, Jan 30 2009 5:10PM
"Greening" the economy will result in the twin benefits of tackling climate change and stimulate job creation, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference with United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr. Ban said that many have come to understand the value of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

"It can help solve the economic crisis," he emphasized. "It will create jobs and spur growth. It is a critical step towards a sustainable future, for rich nations as well as poor."

The Secretary-General also issued a call to help the world's poorest, underscoring the need for new partnerships to promote development, growth, global health and the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger.

Climate change featured prominently at the five-day meeting – which drew more than 2,500 people, including 40 Heads of State, top UN officials and business leaders – in the Swiss Alps city.

Sessions at the Forum focused on, among others, catalyzing resources for a low-carbon economy, the role of the media in raising awareness on the issue and the contribution that the travel and tourism sector can make in combating climate change.

Yesterday, Mr. Ban said in an address to the Forum that "climate change threatens all our goals for development and social progress. Indeed, it is the one true existential threat to the planet."

But climate change "also presents us with a gilt-edged opportunity. By tackling climate change head-on we can solve many of our current troubles, including the threat of global recession," he added. "We stand at a crossroads. It is important that we realize we have a choice. We can choose short-sighted unilateralism and business as usual. Or we can grasp global cooperation and partnership on a scale never before seen."

The Secretary-General held several bilateral meetings today, including with Mr. Brown, during which the two leaders discussed Gaza and the Middle East peace process, an upcoming meeting of the so-called Group of 20 nations in London, climate change, Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Sudan.

This weekend, he will travel to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to attend the summit of the African Union (AU).
Jan 30 2009 5:10PM
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ISRAEL MUST OPEN CROSSINGS TO GAZA TO COUNTER MISERY AND EXTREMISM – UN OFFICIAL

ISRAEL MUST OPEN CROSSINGS TO GAZA TO COUNTER MISERY AND EXTREMISM – UN OFFICIAL
New York, Jan 30 2009 4:10PM
Almost two weeks after the devastating Israeli offensive against Hamas in Gaza ended, full access for relief supplies is the key issue, above all in curbing a rising tide of extremism, the top United Nations official in the Strip warned today.

"Shamefully, there are thousands of tons of aid waiting on the borders of Gaza that need to be connected right now with the people here," the Director of Operations in Gaza for 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 by video-link from ground zero.

"The donors have been very generous, the operation in getting it from all over the world to this part of the world has been a success and very quick, but now we have the bottleneck, and of course it has to be that the Government of Israel in the first instance has to find operational solutions to get the crossing points open," he said, noting that only about 100 truckloads are crossing daily.

This compared with a daily average of 130 trucks in the second half of last year before the huge new demands stemming from the massive devastation wrought by the three-week offensive launched by Israel with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks.

The military operation claimed over 1,300 lives, 412 of them children, wounded more than 5,450, 1,855 of them children, and destroyed or damaged 20,000 buildings and much infrastructure.

The UN has estimated that some 600 trucks a day are necessary to keep Gaza running, even before the current damage. Israel has cut back supplies and closed the crossings frequently for security reasons and in response to rocket attacks. "The bottom line is the people here need that food and the other supplies, they need it right now, and of course that's what's feeding their misery and their anger," Mr. Ging said.

"I'm not saying that the entire population has turned over to extremism, I'm saying that there's more of it than there was before. But of course the majority of people here are very angry," he added, stressing that if that anger is not channelled positively into changes on the ground, "we will suffer negative consequences. A fertile ground for extremism is this misery and despair."

Mr. Ging went to Jerusalem earlier today to meet with United States Mideast envoy George Mitchell and stressed to him that access was the key, noting that the prospect of a dignified existence for Gazans is a prerequisite for security and stability and "right now there's no prospective of that because the crossing are effectively still closed."

Summing up the current situation, he said UNRWA had increased the number of its food aid beneficiaries from 750,000 to 900,000 and was helping 10,000 homeless people with rental payment. Tens of thousands of others whose homes were destroyed or damaged in the Israeli bombardment have sought refuge with relatives and friends, but they need blankets and clothes.

On the positive side, electricity supply has now increased to 16 hours, compared with only eight hours last week, and the number of people without water has dropped from 500,000 to 100,000 as infrastructure repairs continue.

But in an example of the difficulties UNRWA faces, Israel today banned the import of plastic bags which the agency needs for its 20,000 daily food parcels. UN officials are trying to find out why.

"We know the crossing points can be opened if there's political will," Mr. Ging concluded.

Meanwhile, UN human rights officials are following up reports that Palestinians from the rival Fatah party have been killed and harassed by Hamas.

And the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/9960/icode/">FAO) reported that almost all of Gaza's 13,000 families who depend on farming, herding and fishing suffered damage to their assets during the conflict, with many farms completely destroyed.

"Farmers already struggling to make a profit before the outbreak of the conflict are now facing the possible irreversible loss of their livelihoods, as they are unable to replace or repair destroyed equipment, land and livestock," FAO Senior Project Coordinator in Jerusalem Luigi Damiani said. "For many women whose husbands were killed or injured during the conflict it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide food for their families."

FAO is already planning emergency agricultural rehabilitation to assist the most vulnerable, including input packages of seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, feed and veterinary kits to bolster food production for the coming spring season. Aid will also focus on repairing damaged greenhouses, animal sheds, irrigation networks and water wells. The agency will need $6.5 million for these immediate activities, which will directly benefit around 27,500 people.
Jan 30 2009 4:10PM
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UN ENVOY TO BEGIN FOUR-DAY VISIT TO MYANMAR

UN ENVOY TO BEGIN FOUR-DAY VISIT TO MYANMAR
New York, Jan 30 2009 3:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Adviser on Myanmar will begin a four-day visit to the South-East Asian nation tomorrow at the invitation of the Government, the United Nations confirmed today.

This will be Ibrahim Gambari's fifth visit to the country over the past year and a half. He was last there in August 2008.

On previous visits, Mr. Gambari met with a range of actors, including senior Government officials, as well as the detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr. Ban has asked his Special Adviser to visit Myanmar to continue his consultations with the Government and other relevant parties to the implement the good offices mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General by the General Assembly, according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3688">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

"He looks forward to meaningful discussions with all concerned on all the points raised during his last visit," the statement added.

Last month, Mr. Ban voiced his growing frustration that the UN's long-standing efforts to promote national reconciliation and democratization in Myanmar have yet to achieve the desired results and urged the Government to release all political prisoners immediately and initiate "genuine dialogue" with the opposition.
Jan 30 2009 3:10PM
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REGIONAL STATES SIGN PACT TO FIGHT PIRACY OFF SOMALI COAST

REGIONAL STATES SIGN PACT TO FIGHT PIRACY OFF SOMALI COAST
New York, Jan 30 2009 2:10PM
Indian Ocean and Red Sea countries have pledged to cooperate in seizing, investigating and prosecuting pirates off the coast of war-ravaged Somalia in a stepped-up campaign to curb a scourge that has wrought havoc with international shipping, including United Nations delivery of emergency food aid.

"The adoption of this instrument shows that countries in the region are willing to act concertedly and together, contributing to the ongoing efforts of the broader international community to fight the scourge of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the area," UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos said of the Code of Conduct adopted yesterday at a high-level meeting in Djibouti convened by his agency.

Nine countries – Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Yemen – have already signed the Code, which calls for shared operations, such as nominating law enforcement or other authorized officials to embark in the patrol ships or aircraft of another signatory.

The meeting was attended by ministers and senior officials from Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Yemen, as well as observers from other IMO members, UN specialized agencies and international and regional inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Code is open for signature by the 21 countries in the region.

"Like the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (RECAAP), which was concluded in November 2004 by 16 countries in Asia, I have every faith that the Code of Conduct will prove to be the starting point for successful cooperation and coordination in the region, which will bear fruit in the suppression of piracy and armed robbery against ships," Mr. Mitropoulos said.

Representatives of States that have sent naval forces to protect shipping off Somalia, including China, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and United Kingdom, also attended the four-day meeting, as did the UN World Food Programme (WFP), whose chartered food aid ships have been hijacked on several occasions.

Mr. Mitropoulos stressed that the contributing alliances of Governments, organizations and individual countries such as the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and China, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia had done their duty in seeking to protect shipping and the time had now come for regional States to add their own contribution.

But he stressed that that while the contribution of regional States was hugely important, the long-term solution to the problem still lay onshore, within Somalia itself, which has not had a functioning central Government since 1991 and is riven by warring factions.

In December, the UN Security Council unanimously called on countries and regional bodies with the necessary capacity to deploy naval ships and military aircraft off the Somali coast to fight piracy, including possible action against pirate bases on land.

Apart from chartered WFP ships, recent seizures by pirates have included a Saudi oil tanker and a Ukrainian ship with arms on board.
Jan 30 2009 2:10PM
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RWANDA: UN-BACKED UNIT CHARGED WITH PUSHING GENDER EQUALITY TO FORE

RWANDA: UN-BACKED UNIT CHARGED WITH PUSHING GENDER EQUALITY TO FORE
New York, Jan 30 2009 2:10PM
Rwanda has appointed three officials to a new government body charged with putting gender equality is at the forefront of Government planning and ensuring that necessary data is readily available to inform policy decisions, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) said today.

The Gender Observatory, established by the national constitution, will work hand in hand with other government institutions, such as the National Institute of Statistics, said <"http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=786">UNIFEM.

"We will cut across all sectors of the economy, identify gender performance and give reports that reflect the gaps in the development system which will be a basis for decision making," explained the new Chief Gender Monitor, Oda Gasinzigwa.

UNIFEM has been a strong advocate for the Observatory and views the selection of the administrators earlier this week as a step forward for women's rights, the Fund says.

The UNIFEM Regional Office in Kigali has already held discussions with the Observatory on collaboration with its new governance programme, which will be jointly implemented with UN Development Programme (UNDP).

UNIFEM's role as host and co-chair of the UN Gender Task Force in Rwanda, as well as its co-chairing of the UN Governance Theme Group, provide immediate avenues for supporting the work of the Observatory.

The Chief Gender Monitor, Oda Gasinzigwa, was sworn in along with Eugenié Kabagema, Deputy Chief Monitor in Charge of Fighting Gender Based Violence, and Cyrille Turatsinze, Deputy Gender Monitor in charge of Gender, at the Supreme Court in Kigali at a ceremony on Tuesday attended by the Prime Minister Bernard Makuza among other cabinet ministers, high-level government officials, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society.
Jan 30 2009 2:10PM
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FIGHT TO STEM ZIMBABWE CHOLERA OUTBREAK GETS NEARLY $8 MILLION BOOST FROM UN FUND

FIGHT TO STEM ZIMBABWE CHOLERA OUTBREAK GETS NEARLY $8 MILLION BOOST FROM UN FUND
New York, Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
With the deadly cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe claiming over 3,000 lives and infecting a staggering 60,000 people, the United Nations announced today that it is releasing close to $8 million from its emergency fund to help fight the spread of the disease.

The number of cholera cases has surpassed the UN World Health Organization's (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2009/cholera_zim_20090130/en/index.html">WHO) worst-case scenario figure, indicating that the outbreak is spiralling out of control despite the concerted efforts of local health authorities, the UN and non-governmental organizations.

The $7.8 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/cerf/CERFHome/tabid/1705/language/en-US/Default.aspx">CERF) was issued to help Zimbabwean authorities and UN agencies to implement a number of urgently needed life-saving programmes.

"This CERF allocation will enable agencies to buy some of the most essential drugs and materials required, but it is far from enough," warned Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes.

Mr. Holmes urged donors to step up and help fund the $567 million appeal UN agencies and their humanitarian partners have launched to support those in need in Zimbabwe in 2009, as only 12 per cent has been pledged so far.

WHO, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the UN World Food Programme (<"http://beta.wfp.org/">WFP), will use $2 million of the CERF allocation to deploy 12 more staff to each of Zimbabwe's provinces, and to bolster disease monitoring, including repairing and installing better communications equipment.

"Unless drastic action is taken by all players in this crisis, more Zimbabweans will succumb to the outbreak, and other countries in the southern African region will face the continued threat of spill over epidemics," said the Assistant Director-General for WHO's Health Action in Crises Cluster, Eric Laroche.

"We are dealing with an extraordinary public health crisis that requires from us all an extraordinary public health emergency response, and this must happen now before the outbreak causes more needless suffering and death," warned Mr. Laroche, adding that political differences and economic barriers need to be dismantled "to save many more people from dying due to a disease that can be readily prevented and treated."

Efforts to counter the epidemic, which has spread to all 10 of Zimbabwe's provinces, have been undermined by a shortage of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, the collapsing health care infrastructure, and the high drop out rate of underpaid health workers.

Consequently, WFP will use around $400,000 of the CERF to provide logistical support for the anti-cholera effort and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) will buy essential medicines, water and sanitation supplies worth around $2 million, as well as initiate an innovative $3 million incentive scheme for health workers aiming to bring them back to their posts.

The cholera epidemic is ravaging Zimbabwe at the country's peak hunger period (January to March) with almost seven million people, more than half the country's population, relying on food aid.

There is also mounting concern that with heavy rainfall forecasted for the coming weeks, floods could derail efforts to control the disease as more water sources could become contaminated.

The cholera epidemic is just the latest crisis to strike Zimbabwe, which has faced years of failed harvests, bad governance, hyperinflation and a failing banking system, as well as months of political tensions after disputed presidential elections in March involving the incumbent Robert Mugabe and the opposition figure Morgan Tsvangirai.
Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
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CHAD SEES NEW INFLUX OF REFUGEES FROM CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, UN SAYS

CHAD SEES NEW INFLUX OF REFUGEES FROM CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, UN SAYS
New York, Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
More than 4,500 refugees from the northern Central African Republic (CAR), fearing attacks from rebel groups and fighting between Government forces, have recently arrived in south-eastern Chad, the United Nations refugee agency said today.

A first group of about 200 local government workers left their villages after rebels attacked in late December, according to a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/49831d224.html">UNHCR), who relayed information gathered Wednesday by a joint UN humanitarian mission to the Chadian village of Daha near the CAR border.

A second group of over 4,000 people, mostly farmers from an area near the border, fled on January 16-17 in anticipation of imminent attacks between CAR governmental forces and rebels.

Those refugees believe the rebel group is still controlling their home area, making it unsafe for them to return, according to the humanitarian mission, which was assisted by the UN peacekeeping force in CAR and Chad, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minurcat/index.html">MINURCAT, and its European support force, EUFOR.

"The refugees, who arrived with nothing, are in desperate need of food and other assistance," said UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond. "All reserves in the local health centre are depleted and there is no food left in the market," he added.

He said that some of the 4,000 residents of Daha have shared their food and water with the refugees, who are staying under trees and sleeping in the open.

UNHCR will assist the refugees with emergency aid and provide them with plastic sheeting and other basic aid items as soon as possible, he added.

"A major challenge is simply reaching such a remote area," Mr. Redmond explained. "On Wednesday, it took three hours by MINURCAT helicopter from UNHCR's main base in Abeché, eastern Chad. Once the rainy season starts in May, roads will become impassable and the refugees will be inaccessible."

In addition, Mr. Redmond said, the security situation in the base area of Abeché has been seriously deteriorating over the past two weeks, with UNHCR and other UN agencies suffering multiple attacks by small groups of armed bandits.

UNHCR provides assistance in eastern Chad to some 250,000 Sudanese refugees from Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region, in 12 refugee camps while five camps in the south host 56,000 refugees from the CAR.

In a development in the north-eastern part of the country today, UN Police and a local security force trained by MINURCAT seized forbidden equipment including fatigues, chargers and ammunition as they conducted a joint weapons search operation in the Am Nabak refugee camp.

The operation was the first of its kind to be conducted with the Détachement Intégré de Sécurité (DIS), entirely made up of Chadian Police and Gendarmerie elements and trained by MINURCAT to provide security to humanitarian actors on the ground, Darfur refugee camps and sites hosting internally displaced persons from Chad.
Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
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SOMALI CAPITAL STILL VOLATILE BUT DISPLACED BEGINNING TO RETURN – UN AGENCY

SOMALI CAPITAL STILL VOLATILE BUT DISPLACED BEGINNING TO RETURN – UN AGENCY
New York, Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency said today there are signs that, for the first time in two years, Somalis displaced by fighting in Mogadishu are beginning to return to their devastated neighbourhoods, but warned that the situation in the capital remains very volatile.

Over 16,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had fled to various parts of Somalia have returned to Yaaqshiid, Haliwaa and Wardhiigley in the last two weeks, following the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Mogadishu, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4982faeba.html">UNHCR).

The three western districts were scenes of some of the worst violence and human rights abuses witnessed in Mogadishu some months ago.

UNHCR's local partners say that the returnees are families who intend to stay for good in the city, and not simply relatives who have gone in advance to assess the situation or check on their properties.

Despite the returns, the agency said the security situation in the city remains "extremely volatile," with some 10,000 civilians fleeing this week from Dharkenley and Wadajir districts in north-east Mogadishu to escape advancing Islamist militia, who wanted to seize control of the neighbourhood. "Most of the displaced have moved to other neighbourhoods within Mogadishu or to the outskirts of the city," said UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond.

"Thousands of the city's residents who remain in IDP sites outside Mogadishu are reluctant or fearful of returning to their homes," he added.

Some 300,000 of them live in makeshift shelters in the Afgooye area, some 30 kilometres west of Mogadishu, which also happens to have the largest concentration of IDPs in the world today.

According to UNHCR, some 1 million Somalis have fled Mogadishu since February 2007, when fighting erupted between the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) soldiers and insurgents. The total number of Somalis displaced within the country is 1.3 million.

Last year, some 100,000 Somalis sought refuge in neighbouring countries, the agency added.

Meanwhile, Somalia's presidential election slated to take place today in neighbouring Djibouti, where the newly-enlarged Somali Transitional Parliament is meeting.

The new president is to then appoint a prime minister and create a government of national unity. Several candidates, including prominent members of both the TFG and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS), are vying for the post.
Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
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FORCED EVICTIONS LEAVE THOUSANDS HOMELESS IN CAMBODIA, SAYS UN EXPERT

FORCED EVICTIONS LEAVE THOUSANDS HOMELESS IN CAMBODIA, SAYS UN EXPERT
New York, Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
The forced evictions of tens of thousands of Cambodia's poor constitute a "grave breach" of human rights, a United Nations independent expert said today, calling for damages to be paid for lost homes and the provision of alternative housing.

In the middle of the night last week, over 130 families were forced to leave their homes without prior notice in the capital, Phnom Penh, so that a private company could redevelop the site. The shelters in the poor community were destroyed, and there have been reports that before the eviction, the community suffered intimidation and that the area's representatives were subject to criminal charges.

"It is regrettable that the ongoing negotiations with residents were abandoned, casting aside a valuable opportunity to reach a just and lawful solution to this longstanding dispute," said Raquel Rolnik, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, in a statement. "It is now of utmost importance that the rights of the residents to fair compensation for their lost homes and property and the provision of adequate alternative housing are fully respected."

She noted that last week's evictions in Phnom Penh are not isolated, but are "[alarmingly]" on the rise, with tens of thousands of people losing their homes and becoming even more destitute.

In the South-East Asian nation, the expert said, there has been a "consistent pattern" of rights violations tied to forced evictions, including the systematic lack of due process, inadequate compensation, and the excessive use of force.

"Given the disastrous humanitarian situation faced by the victims of forced evictions, I urge Cambodian authorities to establish a national moratorium on evictions until their policies and actions in this regard have been brought into full conformity with international human rights obligations."

Ms. Rolnik, who reports to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, took up her post last May and serves in an independent and unpaid capacity, as do all Special Rapporteurs.
Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
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DR CONGO: OFFENSIVE AGAINST HUTU REBELS SENDS THOUSANDS FLEEING, UN REPORTS

DR CONGO: OFFENSIVE AGAINST HUTU REBELS SENDS THOUSANDS FLEEING, UN REPORTS
New York, Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
The military operation by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda against ethnic Rwandan Hutu militias is heightening tensions in South Kivu province, driving at least 5,000 people from their homes and threatening to impede the repatriation of Congolese refugees from neighbouring Tanzania, the United Nations reported today.

About 5,000 people have fled the Makobola area south of the South Kivu regional centre of Uvira after the so-called Mai Mai militia, which opposes the joint DRC/Rwanda offensive against the Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) in North Kivu, blocked a main road.

Makobola is also a major destination for Congolese refugees returning from exile in Tanzania. "We are concerned that the growing tensions and the blockage, which has temporarily stopped all movements between Uvira and Fizi, where we also have a field presence, could force more displacement," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR) spokesman Ron Redmond told a <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4982faea2.html">news briefing in Geneva.

More Rwandans are also opting to return home from the DRC, including relatives of FDLR members. "Last week, we assisted 222 Rwandans to return home. Another 301 are now in a transit centre in Bukavu [the South Kivu capital] and various assembly points in South Kivu waiting to be repatriated," Mr. Redmond said.

With more Rwandan civilians asking to go home, UNHCR is expanding the reception capacity of six existing assembly points throughout South Kivu. Those wishing to return gather at the assembly points, where they are collected by UNHCR and taken to a UNHCR departure facility.

In North Kivu, the joint offensive is sending more Congolese refugees, most of them women and children, to Uganda, with some 1,300 crossing over in the past four days and more arriving daily. So far 4,500 Congolese have fled to Uganda this month and some 40,000 since August last year.

UNHCR is working with the Ugandan Government to provide shelter, hot meals, water, sanitation and medical assistance as well as blankets, plastic sheeting and jerry-cans to the new arrivals at the Matanda Reception Centre. Next week, UNHCR plans to relocate some of the 8,000 Congolese refugees presently at Matanda to Kyangwali refugee camp in Masindi district.

The UN peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUC), which is supporting the joint offensive against the Rwandan Hutu rebels, is to send six to eight staff military officers to the DRC/Rwanda operation's headquarters in Goma, North Kivu's capital, with the goal of joining in planning the operation, as well as work on issues such as humanitarian coordination and the demobilization of former Congolese or ethnic Rwandan Hutu fighters.
Jan 30 2009 1:10PM
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TOP UN ENVOY DEPLORES MURDER OF THREE CANDIDATES ON EVE OF IRAQ POLLS

TOP UN ENVOY DEPLORES MURDER OF THREE CANDIDATES ON EVE OF IRAQ POLLS
New York, Jan 30 2009 10:10AM
The top United Nations envoy to Iraq today strongly condemned the murder of three candidates who were killed while campaigning for the provincial council elections slated for Saturday.

Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq Staffan de Mistura called the killing of Hazem Salem Ahmed of Mosul, Omar Faruq al-Ani of Baghdad's Amiriya district and Abbas Farhan of Mandali as "a terrible crime designed to attempt to disrupt the democratic process on the eve of the elections."

The latest incidents bring to five the number of candidates murdered ahead of the 31 January polls. Haytham al-Husseini, a candidate for the Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) list was killed on 16 January in an armed attack northeast of the city of Hilla in Babel province, which also left four of his companions wounded.

Just two week prior to that, Mowaffaq al-Hamdani, a candidate on the "Iraq for Us" list was shot dead in a café in the northern city of Mosul.

Despite these incidents, Mr. de Mistura was confident in Iraq's resolve for a successful election. "The Iraqi people have overwhelmingly shown their determination for conducting this election fairly and freely, undeterred by isolated intimidating tactics," he stated.

Both the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and the UN expressed their confidence in the electoral process and the mechanisms available for conducting the elections in a transparent manner.
Jan 30 2009 10:10AM
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BAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE WOMEN’S RIGHTS ADVOCATE AND SENIOR UN OFFICIAL, LUCILLE MAIR

BAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE WOMEN'S RIGHTS ADVOCATE AND SENIOR UN OFFICIAL, LUCILLE MAIR
New York, Jan 30 2009 10:10AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today paid tribute to the late Lucille Mathurin Mair, a distinguished Jamaican diplomat and leading women's rights advocate, who was also the first woman to be appointed as an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.

A statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson described Ms. Mair, who passed away on 27 January at her home in Kingston, as "a lifelong champion of the rights of women."

She served as Secretary-General of the World Conference on the UN Decade for Women, held in 1980 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and also served as Special Advisor to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on women's development.

As the first ever woman to be appointed, in 1982, as an Under-Secretary-General of the UN, she had the distinction of serving the world body for many years.

Ms. Mair also served her country for many years, including as Ambassador to the UN, as Minister and Senator.

"She also had strong connections to the NGO and academic communities in her country, in her region – the Caribbean – and globally," the statement added. "She has left a legacy of which her family and many friends, and men and women around the world can be justly proud."
Jan 30 2009 10:10AM
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LEADING SCIENTISTS AT UN FORUM CALL FOR ACTION TO HALT RISING ACIDITY IN WORLD’S OCEANS

LEADING SCIENTISTS AT UN FORUM CALL FOR ACTION TO HALT RISING ACIDITY IN WORLD'S OCEANS
New York, Jan 30 2009 10:10AM
Greenhouse gases are putting the world's oceans at risk of becoming too acidic to support coral reefs and marine life, warned over 150 scientists who today called on governments to take immediate action to sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions in a declaration drafted as a result of a United Nations conference.

The leading marine scientists noted in the Monaco Declaration on Ocean Acidification that levels of acidity were accelerating and that its negative socio-economic impacts can only be limited by cutting back on the amounts of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere.

Prince Albert II of Monaco urged political leaders today to take notice of the Declaration – drafted by scientists from 26 different countries – ahead of negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen at the end of the year.

"The chemistry is so fundamental and changes so rapid and severe that impacts on organisms appear unavoidable," said James Orr of the UN Marine Environment Laboratories (<"http://www-naweb.iaea.org/naml/">IAEA-MEL), a Monaco-based subsidiary of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Declaration is based on a report outlining the most important areas of research related to oceanic pollution, which was developed by participants attending a UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) symposium last year called "The Ocean in a High-CO2 World."

"The report from the symposium summarizes the state of the science and priorities for future research, while the Monaco Declaration implores political leaders to launch urgent actions to limit the source of the problem," said Mr. Orr, who chaired the symposium.

"The questions are now how bad will it be and how soon will it happen," he added.
Jan 30 2009 10:10AM
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MYANMAR: CYCLONE VICTIMS NEED HELP TO REBUILD LIVELIHOODS – UN

MYANMAR: CYCLONE VICTIMS NEED HELP TO REBUILD LIVELIHOODS – UN
New York, Jan 29 2009 5:10PM
Helping survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar last year and claimed nearly 140,000 lives, restore their livelihoods is crucial in helping the South-East Asian nation rebuild, according to participants at a United Nations-sponsored donors meeting.

The cyclone "took away the tools people need to make a living, and hence the opportunity to produce food and secure income to their families," said Bishow Parajuli, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

He said that it is essential to provide support – through such items as fishing nets, boats and livestock – to help people in the Ayeryarwady Delta, the hardest-hit region.

Some 60 participants, including diplomats, UN agencies and international organizations, attended the UN-organized donors' meeting in Yangon on 27 January, which was followed by a field visit.

Only two-thirds of the $477 million sought by the UN in its revised humanitarian appeal has been met, with the agriculture sector having been funded by less than 30 per cent.

The devastating storms caused high livestock mortality, and in Ayeyarwady Division alone, one-third of fishing households lost their livelihoods.

A <"http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/ai478e/ai478e00.htm">report issued yesterday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (<"http://beta.wfp.org/news/news-release/food-production-satisfactory-post-nargis-myanmar-access-food-difficult-many">WFP) noted that although overall crop production was satisfactory last year in Myanmar due to increased harvests in areas not impacted by Cyclone Nargis, access to food is still a problem for the most vulnerable people.

The cyclone destroyed the rice harvest in the Delta area and production is expected to be half of what it was in 2007, according to the publication.

Jan 29 2009 5:10PM
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NUMBER OF IVORIAN VOTERS IDENTIFIED SO FAR PASSES 4 MILLION MARK, SAYS UN MISSION

NUMBER OF IVORIAN VOTERS IDENTIFIED SO FAR PASSES 4 MILLION MARK, SAYS UN MISSION
New York, Jan 29 2009 2:10PM
Preparations for the much-delayed elections in Côte d'Ivoire is making headway, the United Nations mission there said today, announcing that the number of voters identified so far in the West African nation has surpassed the four million mark.

"This is an important step, particularly given the delays and difficulties that beset the identification and census that are currently taking place," Hamadoun Touré, spokesperson for the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), told reporters in Abidjan.

Mr. Touré encouraged further efforts to deploy teams to identify more people around the country, which has been divided since 2002 between the Government-held south and a northern area dominated by the rebel Forces Nouvelles.

In that regard, he said <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI would strengthen its logistical support through special operations that began on Tuesday by air and river and to the interior of the country. The Operation is also supporting the identification process with over 200 vehicles. "The goal is to help the national structures to attain an optimal enrolment of the target population," said Mr. Touré.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire and head of UNOCI, Y. J. Choi, is continuing his contacts with the Ivorian political leaders.

Last week, Mr. Choi told the Security Council in New York that the Ivorian parties agreed that the holding of the elections, last scheduled for 30 November 2008, would now await the completion of the identification process and the disarmament of ex-combatants.

In a resolution adopted this week, the Council urged all political actors in Côte d'Ivoire to agree as soon as possible on a "realistic" time frame for the polls, as it extended UNOCI's mandate for another six months.
Jan 29 2009 2:10PM
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UN ASSISTANCE HELPED RETURN NORMALCY TO HAITIAN SLUM, PEACEKEEPING OFFICIAL TOLD

UN ASSISTANCE HELPED RETURN NORMALCY TO HAITIAN SLUM, PEACEKEEPING OFFICIAL TOLD
New York, Jan 29 2009 2:10PM
The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has been key to returning law and order to the Cité Soleil neighbourhood of the capital city Port-au-Prince, which was formerly controlled by armed gangs, the UN's top peacekeeping official was told during a visit today.

"<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/index.html">MINUSTAH's presence has permitted us to re-establish security," Haitian Police Inspector Rosemond Aristide told Under-Secretary-General Alain Le Roy, adding: "Now the population of Cité Soleil can pursue their normal occupations."

Among the sites visited by Mr. Le Roy, who was accompanied by MINUSTAH head Hedi Annabi, was the imposing police edifice renovated through mission funding along with grants from the Haitian Stabilization Initiative, a project of the United States Government.

According to a MINUSTAH press release, operations conducted in 2006 by the Mission and the Haitian national police helped neutralize the heads of the armed gangs, who after 2004 had created a lawless zone in the neighbourhood, which was founded in 1967 to shelter people displaced by construction in the port area of Port-au-Prince.

Much of the neighbourhood then descended into extreme poverty over the years as large-scale migration from rural areas came to Cité Soleil, which in the 1990s, was the power base for ex-President Jean Bertand Aristide.

During the visit of Mr. Le Roy, the mayor of Cité Soleil, Wilson Louis, reminded him that the problems that foster crime in the neighbourhood remain, including high employment and inadequate housing.

As part of his five-day trip, Mr. Le Roy held a press conference yesterday at MINUSTAH headquarters, during which he promised to be an advocate for its operations in the country to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and international partners.
Jan 29 2009 2:10PM
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BAN URGES LEADERS AT DAVOS TO FORGE ‘GREEN NEW DEAL’ TO FIGHT WORLD RECESSION

BAN URGES LEADERS AT DAVOS TO FORGE 'GREEN NEW DEAL' TO FIGHT WORLD RECESSION
New York, Jan 29 2009 2:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the world's business and other leaders to use the current economic crisis to launch a global "Green New Deal" that creates jobs and fights climate change by investing in renewable energy and technological development.

"Climate change threatens all our goals for development and social progress. Indeed, it is the one true existential threat to the planet," he told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in a speech that drew parallels from the Global Compact of corporate responsibility launched 10 years ago by then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the same hall.

"On the other hand, it also presents us with a gilt-edged opportunity. By tackling climate change head-on we can solve many of our current troubles, including the threat of global recession. We stand at a crossroads. It is important that we realize we have a choice. We can choose short-sighted unilateralism and business as usual. Or we can grasp global cooperation and partnership on a scale never before seen."

Just as Mr. Annan had launched a Compact that sought to give a human face to the global market, challenging business to embrace universal principles and partner with the UN on big issues, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that seek to slash poverty, hunger, lack of access to health care and education and a host of other social ills by 2015, so now the time has came for what Mr. Ban called "Global Compact 2.0."

"We live in a new era. Its challenges can all be solved by cooperation – and only by cooperation," he said, stressing how the earlier compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, involves over 6,000 business participants in more than 130 countries, pioneering new standards of "best practice" in human rights and labour law, helping to protect the environment, fight against corruption and promote health, education and infrastructure.

"Now, a new set of crises prompts a renewed sense of mission," he declared. "Our times demand a new definition of leadership – global leadership. They demand a new constellation of international cooperation – governments, civil society and the private sector, working together for a collective global good.

"Some might say such a vision is naïve. That it is wishful thinking. Yet we have inspiring examples proving the contrary," he added, citing the critical role of business in the 1960s Green Revolution that lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty in Asia, the global vaccination campaign that eradicated smallpox by 1979, and solid progress in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, polio and malaria.

"But we must break the tyranny of short-term thinking in favour of long-term solutions. This will demand a renewed commitment to core principles. A new Global Compact," he added, noting new United States President Barack Obama has made a clear commitment to re-energizing the American economy by boosting the "green economy."

Mr. Ban cited initiatives already underway under the old Global Compact, such as "Caring for Climate," the world's largest business-led project on climate change in which chief executives disclose their carbon emissions and commit to comprehensive climate policies, and the "CEO Water Mandate" advancing water stewardship through drip irrigation and water harvesting.

"Today with the economic downturn and climate change, the stakes for companies have never been higher. But for businesses with vision, the rewards are equally high," he said. "The green economy is low-carbon and energy-efficient. It creates jobs. Investment in sustainable technologies will turn today's crisis into tomorrow's sustainable growth."

At another session in Davos, Mr. Ban pushed for a climate change communication initiative that will explain, educate and ask for global engagement, leading to success at the UN climate change conference slated to be held in December in Copenhagen, where negotiations on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol are slated to end.

While in Davos, the Secretary-General also met, last night and today, with a number of leaders. He discussed climate change and the Middle East peace process with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

In addition, he discussed Haiti with former United States President Bill Clinton. And in a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, he talked about climate change, food security, the MDGs and Haiti.
Jan 29 2009 2:10PM
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UN REPARATIONS PANEL FOR INVASION OF KUWAIT PAYS OUT $460 MILLION

UN REPARATIONS PANEL FOR INVASION OF KUWAIT PAYS OUT $460 MILLION
New York, Jan 29 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which settles the damage claims of those who suffered losses due to Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, announced that it has made $460 million available today to 12 successful claimants.

This round of payments brings the total amount of compensation made by the Geneva-based UNCC to date to individuals, corporations, governments and international organizations to $26.9 billion.

Established in 1991 as a subsidiary organ of the Security Council, the Commission has so far received nearly 3 million claims, including from close to 100 governments for themselves, their nationals or their corporations.

Over one dozen offices of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) also submitted claims on behalf of individuals not in a position to have their petitions filed by governments.

UNCC's Governing Council has identified six categories of claims: four are for individuals' claims, one for corporations and one for governments and international organizations, which also includes claims for environmental damage.

The vast majority of funds for compensation payments have come from the sale of Iraqi petroleum under the so-called Oil-for-Food programme, which came to an end in 2003, and later within the scope of arrangements made under Security Council resolutions.
Jan 29 2009 1:10PM
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JOINT UN, AFRICAN UNION MEDIATOR FOR DARFUR CALLS FOR END TO RENEWED CLASHES

JOINT UN, AFRICAN UNION MEDIATOR FOR DARFUR CALLS FOR END TO RENEWED CLASHES
New York, Jan 29 2009 12:10PM
The United Nations and African Union (AU) joint chief mediator for the peace process in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region today expressed grave concern over renewed combat in the southern part of the vast region, saying it undermines hopes for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

"The escalation of violence violates the spirit of the Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement on the Conflict in Darfur of 2004 and constitutes a breach of various Security Council resolutions," Djibril Bassolé said in a formal statement released in Khartoum.

Pointing in particular to military clashes involving the Government of Sudan, the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and another rebel group known as the Sudan Liberation Army/ Minni Minawi (SLA/MM), he called on the parties to cease fighting to minimize civilian suffering and create "a conducive environment for a political dialogue."

The conflict between rebels and the Government and allied Janjaweed militiamen in Darfur has led to an estimated 300,000 deaths since 2003 and forced 2.7 million people to flee their homes.

Renewed fighting in southern Darfur's Muhajeria area that began earlier this month has exposed about 30,000 people to previously unseen levels of violence, destroyed an aid agency's office and forced the world body to relocate its staff.

Condemning the renewed attacks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has 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 Mr. Bassolé.
Jan 29 2009 12:10PM
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RAMPAGING CATERPILLAR PLAGUE IN LIBERIA THREATENS DISASTER ACROSS REGION, WARNS UN

RAMPAGING CATERPILLAR PLAGUE IN LIBERIA THREATENS DISASTER ACROSS REGION, WARNS UN
New York, Jan 29 2009 12:10PM
A United Nations official has warned today that a UN-led team of experts is in a race against time in its attempt to halt a vast plague of caterpillars, known as armyworms, which has already swarmed across northern Liberia and threatens to march into neighbouring West African countries, destroying all crops and water supplies in its path.

The enormous infestation of tens of millions of armyworms, one of the most destructive of insect pests, has forced the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, to call a national emergency in a country where access to food is already precarious.

"The millions-strong caterpillar hordes devour all vegetation in their path and pollute wells and streams with their excrements wherever they go," <"http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/9919/icode/">said Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Liberia, Winfred Hammond.

Some 100 villages in northern and central Liberia have now been affected and six communities in neighbouring Guinea to the north had also been struck, in some cases overrunning buildings and sending residents fleeing in panic. According to Liberian authorities, the emergency involves about 500,000 villagers.

Mr. Hammond warned that much worse could be in store as many of the caterpillars had bored into the ground, out of reach of pesticides, and formed protective cocoons around themselves, waiting to re-emerge as moths in a week or so.

"Each moth can fly up to 1,000 kilometers and lay 1,000 eggs," explained Mr. Hammond, who is an entomologist, stressing that "potentially, that's a recipe for disaster."

Setting pheromone traps against male moths to avert the pending catastrophe is one of the possibilities the FAO team, comprising of experts from Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia, is considering. The traps would be baited with the scent females use to lure males into mating.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry is using powerful pesticide sprayers to reach armyworms in the foliage of tall Dahoma trees, where they tend to congregate.

"That's a very strange way for them to behave. Normally they like to stay much closer to the ground," said Mr. Hammond, offering climate change as a possible explanation for the abnormal behaviour.
Jan 29 2009 12:10PM
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MADAGASCAR: UN RUSHES EMERGENCY RELIEF TO CYCLONE VICTIMS

MADAGASCAR: UN RUSHES EMERGENCY RELIEF TO CYCLONE VICTIMS
New York, Jan 29 2009 12:10PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has rushed relief supplies to southern Madagascar where a cyclone and a tropical storm have affected 20,500 people in a region that was already struggling to recover from last year's deadly cyclone Ivan.

<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF's response started immediately after Cyclone Fanele struck on 21 January, barely two days after Tropical Storm Eric hit the Indian Ocean island, and supplies reached the region within three days. Reconstruction from Cyclone Ivan was well underway when Fanele hit, stalling existing progress.

Health kits and anti-malarial bed nets are being distributed pending further assessment on health needs. "As we are just at the beginning of the cyclone season, we were able to use our pre-positioned supply to respond quickly," UNICEF country representative Valerie Taton <ahref='http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MYAI-7NR4XR?OpenDocument">said. "We are concerned about the high risk of more cyclones and are mobilizing partners to be able to continue to save lives and ensure the well-being of children."

An estimated 9,000 children have had their classes disrupted and assessments show that approximately 158 classrooms were damaged in the cyclone. Making the resumption of regular teaching to help return students to normalcy a priority, UNICEF is providing tents for temporary classrooms and distributing 'School in a Box' kits as well as recreational kits.

Mathilde, a 12-year-old girl enrolled at the Betsipotika primary school which was damaged by the strong winds, does not want her studies to be interrupted. "We'll have to be with the other class since there are less classrooms now," she said. "We'll have to squeeze in and it will be really hot, [but] I am willing to work hard, even at home."

Water and sanitation issues are also being addressed and access to safe drinking water is being improved. Adequate health care is being provided in order to prevent water-borne diseases and epidemics. UNICEF will provide water purification kits, de-worming tablets, vaccines and mosquito nets.

"Getting children back to school and preventing epidemics through the provision of clean water and appropriate latrines are our most urgent priorities right now," Ms. Taton said.

Last February Cyclone Ivan, one of the biggest ever to hit the island which is prone to frequent cyclones and tropical storms, affected more than 160,000 people, and damaged or destroyed 364 schools and over 40 health centres.

Jan 29 2009 12:10PM
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UN RIGHTS CHIEF DEPLORES CONDITIONS FOR CIVILIANS TRAPPED IN SRI LANKA FIGHTING

UN RIGHTS CHIEF DEPLORES CONDITIONS FOR CIVILIANS TRAPPED IN SRI LANKA FIGHTING
New York, Jan 29 2009 10:10AM
Reports of the rapidly deteriorating conditions for some 250,000 civilians trapped in war-torn northern Sri Lanka have sparked concern from the United Nations human rights chief, who is also alarmed by alleged human rights abuses, civilian casualties and massive displacement in the area.

"The perilous situation of civilians after many months of fighting, multiple displacements and heavy rains and flooding is extremely worrying," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a news release.

Ms. Pillay is the latest UN official, along with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other heads of UN agencies, to express her concerns directly to the Government. "We are all seriously alarmed by the situation," she said, "as are many of the NGOs and other organizations operating in Sri Lanka."

An estimated 250,000 civilians are trapped in areas of northern Sri Lanka where fighting continues between Government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Nearly 5,000 people have managed to cross the zones held by the group to Government-controlled areas since late November, according to the UN. Yesterday the world body said it was attempting to help evacuate by convoy hundreds of critically wounded civilians, including at least 50 children, from the area.

Ms. Pillay expressed concern at the highly restricted access to the Vanni region for aid agencies and impartial outside observers, including journalists and human rights monitors, noting that it "only adds to concerns that the situation may be even worse than we realize."

She also cited reports of forced recruitment, including of children, as well as the use of civilians as human shields by the LTTE. She condemned the fact that safe zones promised by the Government have subsequently been subjected to bombardment leading to civilian casualties.

"People trying to flee the conflict areas are reported to have either been prevented from doing so, or to have been arbitrarily detained in special centres," she said. "It seems there may have been very grave breaches of human rights by both sides in the conflict, and it is imperative that we find out more about what exactly has been going on. It is also urgent that civilians in the north can find safe shelter, away from the fighting."

The conflict had reached a "critical" stage, noted the High Commissioner. "While the Government has made military gains on one hand, the rule of law has been undermined on the other.

"The killing of the prominent newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunge earlier this month was the latest blow to the free expression of dissent in Sri Lanka. The searing article he wrote prophesying his own murder is an extraordinary indictment of a system corrupted by more than two decades of bloody internal conflict."

She noted that there had not been any successful investigations or prosecutions of political killings, disappearances and other violations committed in recent years.

"It is the Government's duty to provide safety to all Sri Lanka's citizens, whatever their ethnic origin or political views," Ms. Pillay said. "That means not only protecting civilians during military operations in the north, but also ensuring space for journalists and human rights defenders to seek out the truth and expose abuses."
Jan 29 2009 10:10AM
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UN APPEALS FOR $613 MILLION TO HELP GAZA RECOVER AFTER ISRAELI OFFENSIVE

UN APPEALS FOR $613 MILLION TO HELP GAZA RECOVER AFTER ISRAELI OFFENSIVE
New York, Jan 29 2009 10:10AM
The United Nations today launched an appeal for $613 million to help people affected by Israel's three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which killed some 1,300 Palestinians, injured more than 5,300, 34 per cent of them children, and caused widespread damage and destruction.

The appeal will cover requirements of the UN and other aid agencies for the next six to nine months and cover critical areas such as food, water, sanitation, health care and shelter, as well as support basic services, such as education.

The funds will also help to remove the debris of war, including unexploded ordnance, finance emergency repairs for basic infrastructure, and provide psychological help for the victims. An appeal for longer-term needs will be launched later.

"With the help of this $613 million appeal, the United Nations and other aid agencies can jump into action to help the 1.4 million civilians in the Gaza Strip to recover," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1254">news conference on the situation in Gaza, speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Mr. Ban, who saw the devastation wrought by Israel's 22-day offensive against Hamas militants first-hand when he visited the Strip earlier this month, stressed that without urgent action, Gaza could face a greater humanitarian calamity.

"People have lost their families. They have lost their homes, belongings and livelihoods. Schools, clinics, factories and businesses have been destroyed. Many of Gaza's inhabitants still lack clean water and electricity. Too many are living in the midst of raw sewage and the threats to their health that brings.

"By answering the call of this appeal, in the amount of $613 million, the world can help overcome at least some measure of their hardship," the Secretary-General stated.

Mr. Ban was joined by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes, who recently returned from a needs assessment mission to Gaza.

Mr. Holmes has repeatedly called on Israel to immediately open up crossing points into Gaza for full access for relief aid and reconstruction supplies.

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Jan 29 2009 10:10AM
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BAN ARRIVES IN SWITZERLAND TO PRESS LEADERS FOR URGENT ACTION ON GLOBAL CRISES

BAN ARRIVES IN SWITZERLAND TO PRESS LEADERS FOR URGENT ACTION ON GLOBAL CRISES
New York, Jan 28 2009 6:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Switzerland today to attend the World Economic Forum in the Alps town of Davos, where is he expected to call for a new chapter in private sector participation in addresses critical issues such as climate change, water scarcity and the global financial crisis.

While in Davos, he will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders and top business executives and is scheduled to hold a press conference on the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), the internationally agreed upon targets to eradicate poverty and other social ills by the target date of 2015, as well as participate in a special session on Gaza.

He arrived in Switzerland today from Spain, where he co-chaired the Food Security for All meeting in Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

That gathering ended with the two leaders stressing the need for a "comprehensive approach that links nutrition, food security, agriculture and trade" to address the food crisis.

"It depends on inclusive, broad-based partnerships bringing together governments, civil society, farmers' organizations, businesses and international organizations," they said in a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day meeting.

Today, the Secretary-General signed an agreement with Spain's Government on setting up a new global telecommunications facility for peacekeeping operations to be built in Valencia.

The new site, intended to complement the existing UN communications infrastructure in Brindisi, Italy, will curb the risks of depending on a single hub.

"For a global organization such as the United Nations, the ability to communication clearly, quickly and around the clock is crucial," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=416">said in Madrid at the signing ceremony for the new facility. "For our peacekeeping operations, communications can be the difference between life and death."

The Valencia site will "help us help people in dire need throughout the world," he added.

Before leaving Spain today, the Secretary-General had a working luncheon with the <"http://www.unglobalcompact.org/">Global Compact network in the European nation.

Established in 2000, the Compact is a UN-created alliance in which close to 5,000 participating businesses in 130 countries have pledged to align their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in areas ranging from human rights and labour to the environment and anti-corruption practices.
Jan 28 2009 6:10PM
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BAN TO APPOINT NEW UN ENVOYS FOR NEPAL, GUINEA-BISSAU

BAN TO APPOINT NEW UN ENVOYS FOR NEPAL, GUINEA-BISSAU
New York, Jan 28 2009 5:10PM
Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Karin Landgren of Sweden and Joseph Mutaboba of Rwanda and as his top United Nations envoys to Nepal and Guinea-Bissau, respectively.

Ms. Landgren is no stranger to Nepal, having served as the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative there since September 2008.

In her new role as Mr. Ban's Representative, she will head a slightly downsized UN Mission in Nepal (<"http://www.unmin.org.np/">UNMIN) after the departure of the current Special Representative, Ian Martin.

She brings with her many years of political, managerial and international law experience with the Organization.

As the Secretary-General's Representative in Guinea-Bissau, Mr. Mutaboba will head the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in that country (<"http://www.unogbis.org/homepage.html">UNOGBIS), replacing Shola Omoregie, who retired on 31 December 2008 after more than 30 years of continuous service with the world body.

Mr. Mutaboba has had a long career in diplomacy and foreign affairs, and is currently serving as the Rwandan President's Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region.
Jan 28 2009 5:10PM
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UN TO SUPPORT JOINT DR CONGO/RWANDA MILITARY PLAN TARGETING REBELS

UN TO SUPPORT JOINT DR CONGO/RWANDA MILITARY PLAN TARGETING REBELS
New York, Jan 28 2009 5:10PM
The top United Nations envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has formally accepted an invitation by the nation's Government to support the joint DRC/Rwanda military operation targeting ethnic Rwandan Hutu militias.

"We are going to bring our support so that this process can succeed as soon as possible," Alan Doss, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, said following talks with DRC authorities yesterday in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

The UN will contribute a planning and liaison team, and the Goma talks focused on protecting civilians during the upcoming operations against the Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), based in eastern DRC.

Also discussed was speeding up the integration of North Kivu armed groups through the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration (DDRRR) programme of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MONUC).

A task force comprising <"http://www.monuc.org/Home.aspx?lang=en">MONUC and the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) was also set up to follow up the process of integrating armed groups into FARDC as soon as possible.

"We want to prevent negative repercussions on the civilian population, and we insist on the protection of civilians in such operations," Mr. Doss said today in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. He and Deputy Special Representative Ross Mountain have been visiting the eastern DRC since 25 January.

MONUC will send a group of six to eight staff military officers, whose mandate is limited to planning and liaising, to the DRC/Rwanda operation's headquarters in Goma. Their goal is to boost the presence and gradual inclusion of UN civilian staff in planning the operation, as well as work on issues such as humanitarian coordination and the demobilization of former Congolese or ethnic Rwandan Hutu fighters.

Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet said that their task is to work with the joint operation to ensure that international humanitarian laws are respected and that civilians are protected.

"We will be monitoring this very closely," he told reporters today, after briefing the Security Council in a closed-door meeting on the DRC.

Mr. Mulet noted that the cooperation between Kinshasa and Kigali is a "very positive development," as was the recent arrest of Laurent Nkunda, the head of the National Congress in Defense of the People (CNDP), which has been waging a separate battle with Government forces in eastern DRC.

He added that there is much work to be done on the political front in "addressing some of the fundamental questions of the crisis in the Kivus, which also has economic roots and other implications."
Jan 28 2009 5:10PM
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UN EXPERT APPEALS TO DPR KOREA TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO ABDUCTION OF JAPANESE

UN EXPERT APPEALS TO DPR KOREA TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO ABDUCTION OF JAPANESE
New York, Jan 28 2009 4:10PM
An independent United Nations human rights expert has called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to initiate a serious investigation into its abduction of Japanese citizens in the late-1970s and early-1980s.

Of the 17 people officially listed as seized by the DPRK, five have returned to Japan, and the DPRK states that of the remaining 12, eight have died and four never entered the country.

"The DPRK must, as it agreed, establish a credible committee to investigate the abductions issue," the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, Vitit Muntarbhorn, said in a statement issued during a five-day visit to Japan which ended today.

Mr. Muntarbhorn stressed that DPRK authorities must find the surviving Japanese citizens it snatched from Niigata, a coastal Japanese prefecture facing the DPRK, and return them to their homeland.

During his trip, his fourth to Japan, Mr. Muntarbhorn sought to assess the impact of the DPRK's human right situation on Japan, and met with the Foreign Minister, and a variety of governmental and non-governmental representatives, as well as some of the families of the abducted.

His talks with the families were "of particular importance," and he expressed his "heartfelt sympathy to them in regard to the torment caused by the crimes committed by the DPRK against their loved ones."

The Special Rapporteur also voiced concern over the stalled talks on DPRK's nuclear enrichment programme.

He expressed hope, however, that the six-party talks – which include China, DPRK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States – aimed at achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner would make concrete progress in the near future.

"Positive developments on this front can pave the way for possible human rights improvements in the country."
Jan 28 2009 4:10PM
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ISRAEL RE-OPENS CROSSINGS TO GAZA, BUT UN STRESSES NEED FOR MUCH GREATER ACCESS

ISRAEL RE-OPENS CROSSINGS TO GAZA, BUT UN STRESSES NEED FOR MUCH GREATER ACCESS
New York, Jan 28 2009 4:10PM
Israel today reopened crossings into Gaza that it had closed yesterday following a bomb attack along the border that killed a soldier, but the top United Nations official in Gaza stressed that access remained a problem with thousands of tons of generously donated aid sitting in Egypt, Jordan and the ports of Israel.

"That aid should be right here, right now, helping the people who need it," the Director of Operations in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html">UNRWA), John Ging, said. While Israel has allowed increased shipments of basic commodities with 120 truckloads getting in on good days, the normal daily requirement is a minimum of 500.

Mr. Ging noted that the number of people receiving UN food aid in Gaza following Israel's devastating three-week offensive against Hamas had now gone up to 900,000. The growing number of aid-dependent Palestinians is due to the lack of an economy in Gaza, as well as the recent damage and destruction, he said.

UNRWA is distributing millions of dollars of cash assistance to those who have had their houses damaged and need temporary shelters, he added.

The Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (<"http://www.unsco.org/Default.asp">UNSCO) reported that the Kerem Shalom crossing, the Karni grain conveyor belt and the Nahal Oz fuel pipeline all re-opened today.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes yesterday called on Israel to immediately open up crossing points into Gaza for full access for massive relief aid and reconstruction supplies.

"Israel has a particular responsibility as the occupying power in this context, because of its control of Gaza's borders with Israel, to respect the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law," he told the Security Council, stressing that improving the living conditions of Gaza's 1.5 million people was vital to avoid further despair and undermining the two-State diplomatic solution to the decades-old Middle East conflict.

Israel's offensive, launched with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks against it, is estimated to have killed some 1,300 Palestinians, and injured more than 5,300 others, 34 per cent of them children, and destroyed or badly damaged 21,000 homes.
Jan 28 2009 4:10PM
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IRAQ: TOP UN ENVOY HAILS “GOOD START” TO EARLY VOTING IN PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS

IRAQ: TOP UN ENVOY HAILS "GOOD START" TO EARLY VOTING IN PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS
New York, Jan 28 2009 4:10PM
As Iraq's police, military, detainees and hospital-bound cast early ballots today, the top United Nations envoy hailed the orderly beginning of the strife-beset country's governorate, or provincial, council elections to be held across the country on 31 January.

"The United Nations is pleased to see that the governorate elections got off to a good start," Staffan de Mistura, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative, said after visiting a special voter polling centre in the Baghdad international zone, noting that the smooth beginning was a good sign for Saturday's election.

Polling today took place at all 372 Special Voting polling centres and at 1,669 polling stations across 15 governorates of Iraq. Early reports indicate that turnout was high.

Mr. de Mistura said that he was impressed with the professional conduct of the staff of the polling centres, of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and of all relevant ministries.

The UN Mission in Iraq (<"http://www.uniraq.org/electoral/IraqElections.asp">UNAMI), which Mr. de Mistura heads, has provided the Commission with advice and assistance on a broad range of electoral issues, including a nationwide revamping of the voter registry in order to increase accuracy and reduce the potential for multiple voting.

The provincial elections are the first in a series of electoral events that will culminate in parliamentary elections in 2009-2010, for which UNAMI played a vital role by supporting the passage in September of the country's electoral law, as well as a subsequent amendment providing for minority representation.

Elections on Saturday will take place in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces, with elections for the provinces of the Kurdistan Region and the Kirkuk Governorate to take place at a later stage.
Jan 28 2009 4:10PM
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