UN RELIEF CHIEF MEETS WITH CIVILIANS CAUGHT UP IN DR CONGO CONFLICT

UN RELIEF CHIEF MEETS WITH CIVILIANS CAUGHT UP IN DR CONGO CONFLICT
New York, Feb 7 2009 4:10PM
The top United Nations relief official today urged all parties to the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to ensure the protection of civilians, as he met with authorities and displaced people in the volatile North Kivu province.

"All who have been involved in the conflict must do much more to demonstrate that they are taking their responsibilities to protect civilians seriously," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said, as he began a visit to the strife-torn nation.

Eastern DRC has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent months between the Congolese army and various rebel militia groups that has displaced some 250,000 civilians since August, on top of 800,000 uprooted in earlier outbreaks of violence.

While in the eastern North Kivu province, Mr. Holmes met with internally displaced families at the Kibati IDP camp near the regional c
apital Goma, who had been living on the frontlines of recent clashes between the national army and the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP) rebel group.

Mr. Holmes was presented with a letter detailing the concerns of the IDPs relating to living conditions and insufficient food rations, and heard about the risks they faced if they were to return to their homes. He noted that IDPs will only go home "when they are sure that they and their families will be safe."

Recent returns were "a sign for cautious optimism after the horrific violence of recent months, and indeed years but the risks to civilians still remain high, including from the current operations against the FDLR," Mr. Holmes stated, referring to the joint Congolese/Rwandan military offensive against another rebel group, the Forces Democratiques de la Libération du Rwanda.

"Many more displaced people in North Kivu desperately want to return to their homes, but are understandably worried that their security ca
nnot yet be assured. They also need help to re-establish their lives which we can help provide as soon as the conditions for return are there," added Mr. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

He will have a chance to meet some of the civilians uprooted by the joint Congolese/Rwandan operation when he travels to Masisi tomorrow.

He will then fly on to Bunia in the district of Ituri where he will meet humanitarian actors and representatives of the UN peacekeeping operation in DRC (MONUC) in preparation for his visit to the areas in Haut Uélé in Orientale province affected by the activities of the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

Feb 7 2009 4:10PM
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CÔTE D’IVOIRE: UN HELPS EASE FORMER FIGHTERS’ RETURN TO CIVILIAN LIFE

CÔTE D'IVOIRE: UN HELPS EASE FORMER FIGHTERS' RETURN TO CIVILIAN LIFE
New York, Feb 6 2009 6:10PM
The United Nations is helping former combatants and members of self-defence forces to ease back into civilian life in Côte d'Ivoire, which has been divided since 2002 between the Government-held south and opposition-dominated north.

The six-month initiative will offer vocational training and assistance for some 1,300 people and set up over 1,000 micro-credit projects, such as cattle farming and retailing activities.

Funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund, it is a joint scheme of the UN peacekeeping operation in the West African nation (UNOCI), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the non-governmental organization International Office for Migration (IOM).

So far, around 10,000 former fighters have been disarmed in Côte d'Ivoire, with an additional 35,000 combatants and 20,000 self-defence group members waiting to be reintegrated. Some 9,000 ex-fighters will be integrated into the army and national police force.

Demobilization and reintegration of ex-fighters is an important part of the 2007 Ouagadougou Agreement, the political accord reached in neighbouring Burkina Faso that aims to reconcile the Government and the rebel Forces Nouvelles.
Feb 6 2009 6:10PM
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BAN CALLS SRI LANKA’S PRESIDENT AS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS IN CONFLICT ZONE

BAN CALLS SRI LANKA'S PRESIDENT AS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS IN CONFLICT ZONE
New York, Feb 6 2009 6:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke to the president of Sri Lanka by telephone yesterday about the worsening humanitarian crisis in the northern area of the country where some 250,000 civilians are trapped by fighting between Government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

In his conversation with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mr. Ban also conveyed his strong concern about the heavy casualties being inflicted on civilians, including children.

"The Secretary-General reiterates the responsibility of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to allow people to move to wherever they feel safe and the obligation of the Government to conduct its military operations with due regard to the need to safeguard civilian lives," his spokesperson Michele Montas said.

The UN Children Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) said today that children had been utterly traumatized during the conflict, as families hid in underground shelters with very few resources.

According to the World Food Programme (<"http://beta.wfp.org/">WFP), the entire population of the Vanni region where fighting is taking place is facing a food crisis due to displacement of the population as well as crop failure and recent floods.

Livelihoods have been almost completely lost, coping mechanisms have been exhausted and people are dependent on humanitarian food aid for survival, WFP reports.

The agency said that it has sent 11 convoys into the region since September 2008, to keep some 230,000 people alive.

The last UN convoy was sent in on 16 January, carrying only enough food for about one week, and WFP has not, to date, been able to get clearance to send in others despite promises from authorities.
Feb 6 2009 6:10PM
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GREATER EFFORTS NEEDED TO END FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION – UN AGENCY

GREATER EFFORTS NEEDED TO END FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION – UN AGENCY
New York, Feb 6 2009 5:10PM
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today called for greater efforts to end female genital mutilation, as the agency marked the International Day against the harmful practice that three million girls and women endure each year.

"Some 70 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to female genital cutting," UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said in a message on the International Day against Female Genital Mutilation.

"While some communities have made real progress in abandoning this dangerous practice, the rights, and even the lives, of too many girls continue to be threatened," she added.

Female genital mutilation or cutting is the partial or total removal of the external genitalia – undertaken for cultural or other non-medical reasons – often causing severe pain and sometimes resulting in prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and even death.

Genital cutting can produce complications during child birth, increasing the chances of death or disability for both mother and child.

Although this practice is in decline, it remains prevalent in many countries and often against national laws, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. In the Central African Republic (CAR), for example, about 28 per cent of women are circumcised despite a 1966 law prohibiting the tradition.

Foncy Kongo, a 29-year old woman from the CAR, works with the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (CIAF) trying to stop genital cutting in her country.

As a 10-year old growing up in Bria, central CAR, Kongo was used to hearing about girls undergoing circumcision, she told UNICEF.

"It is part of our traditional culture, like a rite of passage into womanhood. Most women in my family are circumcised and even in school there was peer pressure as the girls would contest their womanhood," she said.

When her turn came she ran away from home only to be dragged back to the house a few hours later.

"I was scared. I'd heard of girls who died because they lost too much blood."

Kongo did not die but she experienced immense pain and urinal problems after she was circumcised.

In 2008 data shows that 17 per cent of women in Bangui, the CAR capital, are circumcised and more than 71per cent of women in Haute Kotto, where Kongo grew up, are victims of the cultural practice.

In February last year, 10 UN agencies banded together to pledge their support for eliminating the life-threatening practice within a generation and aiming for a major reduction in many countries by 2015, the year the Millennium Development Goals are set to be achieved.
Feb 6 2009 5:10PM
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UN AGENCY HEAD CONDEMNS MURDER OF KENYAN JOURNALIST

UN AGENCY HEAD CONDEMNS MURDER OF KENYAN JOURNALIST
New York, Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
The chief of the United Nations agency that champions press freedom today condemned the murder of a Kenyan journalist who had investigated police corruption and whose beheaded body was found in a forest on 29 January.

The remains of Francis Nyaruri, who wrote articles on police corruption for the independent Weekly Citizen under the name of Mong'are Mokua, were found in western Kenya two weeks after the journalist's disappearance, the UN Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44518&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) said.

"I condemn the murder of Francis Nyaruri," said Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO's Director-General. "I trust that this crime will be investigated and that its culprits will be brought to trial, not just for the sake of Francis Nyaruri but the sake of democracy and good governance.

"Journalists like him carry out important, albeit controversial, work that contributes to debate and democracy," Mr. Matsuura added.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that Mr. Nyaruri, the second journalist to be killed in Kenya in the past year, had told colleagues that he had received threats before he went missing.
Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
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TOP UN OFFICIALS WELCOME RELEASE OF SIX COLOMBIAN HOSTAGES

TOP UN OFFICIALS WELCOME RELEASE OF SIX COLOMBIAN HOSTAGES
New York, Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the top United Nations human rights official today welcomed the recent liberation of six Colombian hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), calling for the immediate release of all hostages being held worldwide.

Expressing his solidarity with those still being held in Colombia, Mr. Ban said he hopes the freeing of the hostages, which took place over the past five days, will spur further releases.

"The Secretary-General is pleased to know that they are now enjoying their freedom after so much time in captivity," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3699">statement issued by his spokesperson.

He also expressed relief that among those liberated is Alan Jara, the former Governor of the Department of Meta, who was kidnapped by FARC in 2001 while travelling in a UN vehicle.

"Kidnapping is an inhumane and unjustifiable crime as well as a gross violation of international human rights and international humanitarian law," the statement added.

The hostages, comprising three police officers, one soldier and two politicians, had been held in captivity for between two and eight years. The last to be freed was a former local Congressman named Sigifredo López, whose 11 colleagues were killed by the rebel group.

"Scores of kidnap victims remain in captivity in total disregard for the minimum standards of treatment required under international humanitarian law," said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/C665492B8BEC55D9C125755500583D88?opendocument">stressing that illegal armed groups are required to release everyone they have kidnapped immediately and unconditionally.

She noted that the widespread taking of hostages held in inhumane conditions could be deemed a crime against humanity.

"Our joy at this week's attempts is still tempered by the fact that there are still so many other Colombian families anxiously waiting for their loved ones to be returned to them," Ms. Pillay stated. "We need to remember the agony of those who have to wait, in some cases for years on end, and redouble our efforts at all levels, to have these people set free."

Both the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner lauded the role played by governments and non-governmental organizations in securing the hostages' release.

Last July, FARC released former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who had been held for over six years, as well as three United States citizens and 11 members of the Colombian armed forces.
Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
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MORE THAN 3 MILLION SOMALIS WILL NEED HUMANITARIAN AID IN 2009, UN REPORTS

MORE THAN 3 MILLION SOMALIS WILL NEED HUMANITARIAN AID IN 2009, UN REPORTS
New York, Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
More than three million people in Somalia, a third or more of the total population, will remain dependent on humanitarian assistance this year, according to a United Nations analysis.

So far this year, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://beta.wfp.org/">WFP) has handed out 34,000 tons of food to some 3.4 million people every month, according to the assessment by the UN Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) on the strife-torn country, which has been riven by factional fighting and has not had a functioning central government since 1991.

There is new hope amid the recent election of the new President, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who is expected to appoint a prime minister and form a government of national unity in the coming days, in a bid to bring stability to the country.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF), for its part, is working to create a permanent sustainable water system. UNICEF and the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) are helping to protect some 1.5 million children aged five and under against preventable and water-borne diseases.

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) has reported that only 18 per cent of funds needed for humanitarian work in the Horn of Africa country has been disbursed.

Providing consistent aid to Somalia will remain a major challenge, a situation certain to worsen now that the European Commission has pulled out from among the top donors, it added.
Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
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UN TEAMS UP WITH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE IN RACE TO END POVERTY, HELP URBAN YOUTH

UN TEAMS UP WITH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE IN RACE TO END POVERTY, HELP URBAN YOUTH
New York, Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) has signed an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) aimed at giving hope to disadvantaged and vulnerable youth through sport.

The landmark pact brings the two organizations together to create initiatives that encourage young people to participate in sporting activities, advancing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), an internationally agreed set of targets aimed at eradicating poverty and other social ills by 2015.

Both sides have agreed to promote advocacy work and support field-level activities meant to improve the livelihoods of slum dwellers around the world.

"The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between <"http://www.unhabitat.org/">UN-HABITAT and the IOC is an important step forward in meeting the challenges of sustainable urbanization, especially in the developing world," said Executive Director of UN-HABITAT Anna Tibaijuka.

"We must not forget that over 50 per cent of slum populations are made up of young people and there is no better way to give direction and motivation than by encouraging them to participate in sports," she added.

The MOU was signed by Ms. Tibaijuka and IOC President Jacques Rogge during a ceremony held at the world sporting body's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday.

The Nairobi-based UN-HABITAT promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
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UN ENVOY IN DR CONGO DEFENDS EFFORTS TO PROTECT CIVILIANS

UN ENVOY IN DR CONGO DEFENDS EFFORTS TO PROTECT CIVILIANS
New York, Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has fulfilled its duties in regard to protecting civilians against the deadly rampage of a notorious Ugandan rebel group over the past few months, the head of the mission, known as MONUC, said today.

Responding to a harsh denunciation by the medical aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Alan Doss said that MONUC has been supporting the Congolese army (FARDC) to meet the Government's primary responsibility to protect its civilians against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

The LRA has been terrorizing the Haut Uélé area of Orientale province in north-east DRC in recent months, leaving some 900 people dead and uprooting 130,000 others, according to rough estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Médecins Sans Frontières describes scenes of horror that are all too familiar in the wake of the Lord's Resistance Army in Haut-Uélé, but your organization's Press Release of 4 February 2009 seriously misrepresents MONUC responsibilities and actions to protect civilians in the territory," Mr. Doss said in a letter to Laurence Gaubert, MSF's Head of Mission in the DRC.

He said that MONUC operations in the area have been limited to the town of Dungu to ensure logistical support to the FARDC – including aerial reconnaissance, transportation, rations, fuel and medical evacuations – and to defend the area's only airstrip capable of handling heavy military and humanitarian shipments.

MONUC also maintains a quick reaction force in Dungu for special operations, he said, and had planned Operation Rudia in conjunction with the FARDC to help the Government contain the LRA and deter attacks on civilians.

Operation Rudia also provides protection for a humanitarian team in Dungu and, whenever possible, has provided assistance directly to civilians or through non-governmental organizations (NGOs), although it had never had a request from MSF on humanitarian grounds, he added.

MONUC recognizes that it will never have the capacity to meet emergencies everywhere at all times, given its mandate and limited resources in a country the size of Western Europe, and so it is obliged to maintain "a fluid presence on the ground and adjust to shifting priorities," Mr. Doss explained.
Feb 6 2009 3:10PM
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TENS OF THOUSANDS DISPLACED BY SOUTH DARFUR VIOLENCE STRANDED WITHOUT AID, WARNS UN

TENS OF THOUSANDS DISPLACED BY SOUTH DARFUR VIOLENCE STRANDED WITHOUT AID, WARNS UN
New York, Feb 6 2009 2:10PM
United Nations agencies stand ready alongside non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide emergency relief and assistance to the 30,000 people forced from their homes by renewed violent conflict in the South Darfur region of Sudan.

The fighting which broke out last month around Muhajeria and Shearia between Government forces and the Sudanese Liberation Army/Mini Minawi faction (SLA/MM) against the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has exposed tens of thousands of civilians to violence, destroyed an aid agency's office and forced the UN to relocate its staff.

"As each day passes, people's need for assistance increases and the humanitarian imperative to reach them becomes more pressing," <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MYAI-7NZ4YM?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P">stressed UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Toby Lanzer.

"NGOs and UN agencies are ready to deliver food, medicines and blankets to people right now and are trying to access the town of Muhajeria and villages between there and Shearia in order to do so," he added.

Earlier in the week, the joint African Union-UN mission in Darfur (<"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID) reported that the security situation in the area was unpredictable due to aerial bombardments and frequent movement of unidentified aircraft over the town of Muhajeria.

The leader of the JEM rebel militia, Khalil Ibrahim, also announced that he would withdraw his troops from the area due to UNAMID's decision to remain in Muhajeria and appeals by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, AU Commission Chairperson Jean Ping and the international community for blue helmets to protect the local population.

Fighting in Darfur erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and its allied Janjaweed militiamen, causing an estimated 300,000 deaths and forcing some 2.7 million people to flee their homes.
Feb 6 2009 2:10PM
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MORE RWANDAN CIVILIANS IN DR CONGO SEEKING REPATRIATION, SAYS UN AGENCY

MORE RWANDAN CIVILIANS IN DR CONGO SEEKING REPATRIATION, SAYS UN AGENCY
New York, Feb 6 2009 2:10PM
As an offensive against Rwandan Hutu militias continues in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a growing number of Rwandan civilians, many of whom have been there since the 1994 genocide in their country, are emerging from remote areas to go home, the United Nations refugee agency said today.

"The Rwandan civilians, mainly women and children, say that they are returning home willingly," Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said, noting that so far this year the agency's teams have assisted 1,417 Rwandan civilians to return.

This morning more than 200 civilians were slated to go to a reception camp in Rwanda from Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, where the agency has a transit centre, into which hundreds continue to arrive from assembly centres around the province, many walking for days from their villages to reach them.

"Some say they were told by their leaders it is time to return home. They are generally in good health, although visibly tired after long walks and truck journeys from <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news">UNHCR assembly points to Bukavu," he added

Mr. Redmond said that the aspiring returnees are most likely escaping a joint Rwandan/Congolese military offensive against the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), which consists of Hutus who fled Rwanda after the Hutu extremist genocide of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus and have since contributed to the turmoil in strife-torn eastern DRC.

Indeed, many of those being assisted to repatriate from Bukavu are arriving from Walikale, a territory in neighbouring North Kivu province with a significant presence of FDLR rebels, he said.

Former FDLR combatants wanting repatriation are presenting themselves to the UN peacekeeping mission known as MONUC, which is responsible for their disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, reinsertion, and reintegration.

In Uganda, meanwhile, UNHCR started to move Congolese refugees from the Matanda transit centre near the border with the DRC into a newly-designated settlement area called Kyangwali, 420 kilometres northeast.

Some 41,000 Congolese, mostly women and children, have fled fighting in North Kivu province to Uganda since August 2008, overcrowding the previously-designated Nakivale refugee settlement.

The UNHCR operation in Uganda assists more than 155,000 refugees, the agency said, mostly from the DRC and Sudan.
Feb 6 2009 2:10PM
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UN DISPATCHES HUMANITARIAN MISSION TO ZIMBABWE AS CHOLERA DEATHS NEAR 3,400

UN DISPATCHES HUMANITARIAN MISSION TO ZIMBABWE AS CHOLERA DEATHS NEAR 3,400
New York, Feb 6 2009 1:10PM
A United Nations humanitarian mission will be going later this month to Zimbabwe, where the worst ever cholera outbreak in the country's history has now claimed almost 3,400 lives, the world body announced today.

The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) said that as of 5 February, nearly 68,000 cases of cholera have been reported since the outbreak began last August, and of those, 3,371 people have died.

The mission, led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA), will visit the southern African nation from 21 to 25 February and will also include the participation of WHO, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (<"http://beta.wfp.org/">WFP).

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had announced on Monday that he would send such a mission to Zimbabwe, following his meeting with President Robert Mugabe on the margins of the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

Mr. Ban had urged Mr. Mugabe to take immediate steps to address the humanitarian and economic crises plaguing the country, uphold the human rights and democratic freedoms of all Zimbabweans, and promote national reconciliation, as he welcomed the power-sharing deal reached by the Government and the opposition.
Feb 6 2009 1:10PM
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GAZA: UN SUSPENDS AID OPERATION AFTER SECOND HAMAS-LINKED THEFT OF SUPPLIES

GAZA: UN SUSPENDS AID OPERATION AFTER SECOND HAMAS-LINKED THEFT OF SUPPLIES
New York, Feb 6 2009 1:10PM
The main United Nations relief agency responsible for feeding 900,000 Palestinian refugees in Gaza today suspended all imports of desperately needed aid after trucks linked to a Hamas ministry confiscated hundreds of tons of food, the second such seizure in three days.

"UNRWA's suspension of imports will remain in effect until the aid is returned and the Agency is given credible assurances from the Hamas government in Gaza that there will be no repeat of these thefts," said the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/releases/pr-2009/jer_6feb09.html">UNRWA), which has been struggling to help Gaza residents after a devastating three-week Israeli military offensive.

The seizures followed repeated UNRWA warnings that not nearly enough food and other vital supplies were getting through because of Israel's closure of most crossing points into Gaza. Just hours before the latest seizure, UNRWA Director of Operations in Gaza John Ging had warned that the Agency would suspend operations if there was a repeat.

Although the amount stolen in the first seizure was small, "it's massive in its significance because they've crossed a red line," Mr. Ging said.

During the night of 5 February 10 truckloads of flour and rice were taken from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza, UNRWA said in a statement.

"They had been imported from Egypt for collection by UNRWA today," it added. "The food was taken away by trucks contracted by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Two hundred metric tons of rice and 100 metric tons of flour were taken."

On Tuesday, 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels were taken at gunpoint from a distribution store in Beach Camp in Gaza. Hamas said it would give out the aid itself and Mr. Ging yesterday told Hamas to "stop the nonsense that they've been coming out with trying to justify what they did and accept that it was an egregious error."

Mr. Ging has repeatedly called on Israel to throw open the border crossings to full access for relief supplies, including food, medicine, non-food items and reconstruction materials after the recent conflict.

The three-week Israeli offensive, launched with the stated aim of ending Hamas and other rocket attacks against it, killed 1,300 Palestinians, injured more than 5,300, 34 per cent of them children, destroyed or damaged 21,000 homes, and caused widespread damage to infrastructure.
Feb 6 2009 1:10PM
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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC REFUGEES POURING INTO CHAD IN DIRE NEED OF HELP – UN

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC REFUGEES POURING INTO CHAD IN DIRE NEED OF HELP – UN
New York, Feb 6 2009 12:10PM
Thousands of refugees from the strife-torn Central African Republic (CAR) have flooded into south-eastern Chad, fleeing renewed violence between the Government and rebel militia, the United Nations refugee agency announced today.

In the last few days alone, up to 5,000 refugees have sought safety in the remote Daha village area of Chad after fighting, which flared up in CAR towards the end of December, intensified earlier this week, bringing the total number of refugees stranded in the area to around 10,000.

"Most of the new arrivals are women and children," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<'http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=498c20144">UNHCR) spokesperson Ron Redmond.

"Many are sheltered under trees in the open. Others have constructed flimsy shelters that offer very little protection from the weather," Mr. Redmond told journalists at a briefing in Geneva.

Local authorities have reported to UNHCR that food is scarce and medical supplies have run out as a result of the sudden influx of new refugees.

Highlighting the refugees' dire need for assistance, Mr. Redmond said that "medical supplies are urgently needed – especially to treat malaria. Refugees as well as the local population of Daha – about 4,000 people – have little access to clean water."

An emergency relief convoy of 11 trucks and five light vehicles from UNHCR, the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP), and the German Government is scheduled to leave Abéché – the agency's operations hub in eastern Chad – on Friday on a three-day, 720 kilometre trip south to Daha.

The trucks will ship food, medical supplies and basic assistance items, including 2,500 pieces of plastic sheeting, 3,000 kitchen sets, 3,000 jerry cans, 4,000 blankets, 4,500 mats and soap.

WFP is providing 15-day food rations for the 10,000 people and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) is dispatching 20 tons of essential supplies – including vaccines against measles – and will conduct a health/nutrition assessment.

"The main problem remains the logistical challenges to reach the area. Roads are in very bad condition and will become impassable once the rainy season starts in two months," said Mr. Redmond. "We are exploring the possibility of using an airstrip in Haraze Manguiegne, 120 kilometres from Daha."

Last month the Security Council approved the deployment of some 5,500 UN blue helmets to replace European troops in areas of Chad and CAR, and boost the UN mission there, known as MINURCAT.

Eastern Chad faces an acute humanitarian challenge with over 290,000 Sudanese refugees from the Darfur war, more than 180,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and a further 700,000 individuals among host communities in need of food, water and health care.
Feb 6 2009 12:10PM
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WOMEN MUST BE INCLUDED IN SOLVING GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN, UN SAYS

WOMEN MUST BE INCLUDED IN SOLVING GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN, UN SAYS
New York, Feb 6 2009 12:10PM
Governments must give women a key role in making decisions aimed at resolving the current global economic crisis, which is likely have a serious impact on the full realization of gender equality, a United Nations committee warned today.

"While the scale of the current crisis is still largely unmeasured, it is expected that women and girls in both developed and developing countries will be particularly affected by the potential social and economic consequences, such as unemployment, increase of responsibilities both at work and at home, decrease of income and potential increase in societal and domestic violence," the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women said today.

"In such a context, it is necessary to identify and respond to specific needs of women and girls. Gender perspectives should be taken into account in relation to the impacts of the crisis on both a long and short-term basis, including in relation to education, health, security and livelihoods," it added in a statement issued in Geneva.

It stressed that particular attention must be paid to providing women with access to programmes aimed at immediately alleviating poverty and hunger, so as to guarantee that national and international efforts effectively reach those most in need and that funding of programmes for women's empowerment is not eroded.

"The Committee underscores the importance of recognizing the unique contribution that women can make in the timely resolution of the crisis. It calls upon States parties to include women in the dialogue and decision-making processes around these issues," the statement said.

It called on all States parties to the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), often described as an international bill of rights for women, to comply with all their obligations under the treaty in spite of the financial crisis.

Under the Convention, ratified by almost the entire international community, States parties are legally committed to take the necessary steps to end all forms of discrimination against women in any field – whether political, economic, social, cultural or civic.
Feb 6 2009 12:10PM
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UN RUSHING RELIEF SUPPLIES FOR SOMALI REFUGEES IN ETHIOPIA

UN RUSHING RELIEF SUPPLIES FOR SOMALI REFUGEES IN ETHIOPIA
New York, Feb 6 2009 11:10AM
The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are sending staff and vital relief supplies to assist some 10,000 new asylum-seekers who have arrived in the Somali Region of south-east Ethiopia since the beginning of the year after fleeing insecurity in neighbouring Somalia.

"About 150 people are now crossing the border each day and it is likely that [the] number of new arrivals will increase further over the next few weeks," Ron Redmond, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=498c2015b">told reporters in Geneva today.

<"http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR sent three trucks earlier this week from Addis Ababa to the border area of Dolo-Ado, carrying an assortment of relief items, including 3,000 mosquito nets, 5,000 blankets, 5,000 jerry cans and 3,000 kitchen sets.

More trucks are being loaded with 3,000 plastic sheets, registration materials for 10,000 refugees, two generators, 10 water tanks, a water pump and 3,000 mats, all of which are expected to reach Dolo Ado today.

For its part, the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) has sent food rations for two weeks and is airlifting high-nutrition biscuits from its emergency stock in Tanzania.

Also, the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) is pre-positioning vaccines, medicines and other medical supplies based on their emergency check-list, while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is looking at supporting the water sector and eventually the primary education sector.

Mr. Redmond said UNHCR has received permission to establish a camp around Dolo-Ado, and has identified structures for use as offices and as a compound.

He added that the influx has increased after Ethiopian forces withdrew from Somalia last month, ending their two-year presence in the strife-torn nation which just elected a new president last week.

In a <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=498c4dc02">related development, UNHCR has received a commitment from Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga that his Government will provide land to set up a new refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya to take the pressure off the overcrowded Dadaab complex and accommodate the growing number of Somalis fleeing to Kenya.

The Dadaab complex was originally designed for 90,000 people but now has about a quarter of a million people, making it one of the world's largest and most congested refugee sites.
Feb 6 2009 11:10AM
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ON UNANNOUNCED VISIT, BAN STRESSES CONTINUED UN RESOLVE TO HELP IRAQ

ON UNANNOUNCED VISIT, BAN STRESSES CONTINUED UN RESOLVE TO HELP IRAQ
New York, Feb 6 2009 10:10AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the commitment of the United Nations to continue helping the people of Iraq, as he made a previously unannounced visit to Baghdad.

Mr. Ban met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani, as well as UN officials during the short stop in the Iraqi capital, which caps off two weeks of travel through Europe, Africa and Asia, including a brief unannounced visit to Afghanistan.

The Secretary-General's visit comes nearly one week after Iraq's provincial elections, which were held in an atmosphere that the UN chief had called "admirably free of violence."
<font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif"><b>MORE TO FOLLOW</b></font>
Feb 6 2009 10:10AM
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HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN SOUTH ASIA FACE GROWING WATER STRESS, UN REPORT WARNS

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN SOUTH ASIA FACE GROWING WATER STRESS, UN REPORT WARNS
New York, Feb 6 2009 10:10AM
Hundreds of millions of South Asians face growing water stress due to over exploitation, climate change and inadequate cooperation among countries, which are threatening river basins that sustain about half of the region's 1.5 billion people, the United Nations warns in a new report.

South Asia is home to one-fourth of the global population, including some of the world's poorest people, who have access to less than 5 per cent of the planet's freshwater resources, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

"Freshwater Under Threat: South Asia," a new <"http://www.roap.unep.org/pub/southasia_report.pdf">report produced by <"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=562&ArticleID=6068&l=en&t=long">UNEP and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), examines the state of freshwater resources in selected major river basins in the region, identifies key threats to water resources development and management, and assesses the challenges in coping with these threats.

The three transboundary river basins assessed in the report include the largest in South Asia: the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river basin (which spans Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India and Nepal), the Indus river basin (in Afghanistan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan) and the Helmand river basin (which covers Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan).

"Water is a vital resource for people's health and livelihoods, especially in South Asia where these three transboundary river basins sustain about half of the region's 1.5 billion people, and some of the poorest people in the world," said Young-Woo Park, UNEP Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, as he launched the report today at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

The report calls for urgent policy attention and more research into the impact of climate change on water resources, infrastructure and management practices, as well as improved cooperation among the affected countries and integrated basin management.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner stressed the need to invest in the sustainable management of these vital river basins.

"These river systems are major economic arteries as well as social and environmental assets for South Asia," he stated. "Investing in sustainable management is thus an investment in the current and future prosperity of Asia and will be a central and determining factor underpinning the transition to a resource efficient, sustainable green economy."

The report is the first of a series produced by UNEP that covers three sub-regions, North-East Asia, South Asia and South-East Asia. A similar assessment was completed for selected river basins in Africa.

They are intended to complement the efforts of Governments, non-governmental organizations and development agencies engaged in improving the status of water systems in Asia.
Feb 6 2009 10:10AM
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MAJORITY OF WORLD POPULATION FACE WATER SHORTAGES UNLESS ACTION TAKEN, WARNS MIGIRO

MAJORITY OF WORLD POPULATION FACE WATER SHORTAGES UNLESS ACTION TAKEN, WARNS MIGIRO
New York, Feb 5 2009 6:10PM
Two-thirds of the world's population will face a lack of water in less than 20 years, if current trends in climate change, population growth, rural to urban migration and consumption continue, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro warned today.

Speaking at a high-level symposium on water security at UN Headquarters, Ms. Migiro stressed that "if present trends continue, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with water scarcity by 2025, and two-thirds of the world population could be subject to water stress."

"The lack of safe water and sanitation is inextricably linked with poverty and malnutrition, particularly among the world's poor," she <"http://www.un.org/apps/dsg/dsgstats.asp?nid=150">said at the two-day meeting organized by the World Water Organization (WWO).

"It limits girls' school attendance and exacerbates maternal mortality. Yet today about 900 million people still rely on unimproved drinking-water supplies, and 2.5 billion people remain without improved sanitation facilities."

Unless urgent action is taken the conflict between water supply and demand is set to get worse, Ms. Migiro told the symposium's participants, comprising of experts from the UN, Member States, as well as corporate, medical, scientific, academic and non-governmental organization (NGO) communities.

"In establishing the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one half, by 2015, the number of people without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, the United Nations has challenged the international community to work together to improve such conditions," she said.

The symposium aims to identify specific threats and vulnerabilities to global water security and propose practical solutions for the protection and preservation of water supplies.

Ms. Migiro noted that agriculture consumes roughly three quarters of the world's fresh water supplies and in Africa the proportion is closer to ninety per cent.

"More than 1.4 billion people live in river basins where their use of water exceeds minimum recharge levels, leading to desiccation of rivers and the depletion of groundwater, she said.

The Deputy Secretary-General stressed that achieving water security would mean more effective water management, including enhancing food security through more equitable allocation of water for agriculture and food production.

"It means ensuring the integrity of ecosystems, and it means promoting peaceful collaboration in the sharing of water resources, particularly in the case of boundary and transboundary water resources."
Feb 5 2009 6:10PM
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POPULATION ISSUES KEY TO FIGHTING POVERTY, OTHER ILLS IN ASIA, UN-BACKED FORUM AGREES

POPULATION ISSUES KEY TO FIGHTING POVERTY, OTHER ILLS IN ASIA, UN-BACKED FORUM AGREES
New York, Feb 5 2009 6:10PM
Population policy, reproductive health and gender equality remain central to reducing poverty in the Asia and the Pacific region despite recent economic growth, specialists agreed at a conference convened by United Nations agencies in Bangkok this week.

In the three-day review of progress since the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC) held in Bangkok in 2002, experts concluded that its plan of Action on Population and Poverty is needed more than ever in light of the global economic crisis and its likely impact on the poor.

Hundreds of millions have been left behind despite the progress made in the fight against poverty over the past few decades, with a quarter of a million women, mostly poor, dying each year in the region as a result of failing maternal health services.

Without swift action, there is little hope of attaining the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), which aim to reduce extreme poverty and other global ills by 2015, according to a press release by the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/public/">UNFPA) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (<"http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2009/feb/g04.asp">ESCAP).

"The strategies and actions planned to achieve the population goals are crucial for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," Director of the UN Social Development Division, Thelma Kay, told the meeting.

"The goals are too important and their implications too far-reaching for the well-being of humanity to be disputed or neglected – especially now that the global economic crisis threatens to unravel much of the progress accomplished," Ms. Kay added.

The expert meeting, convened by the ESCAP in collaboration with UNFPA, called for the integration of population concerns and women's empowerment in the broader development agenda.

Participants also stressed that health systems must be strengthened to ensure universal access to reproductive health services including family planning, with no discrimination against adolescents.

In addition, they called for HIV prevention efforts that reach groups most at risk of infection, more resources and better data to address gender inequality and marginalized populations, as well as viable social security systems for the elderly.

More regional reviews were proposed on the implementation of the 2002 Bangkok recommendations, which were based on the Programme of Action adopted by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (<"http://www.un.org/popin/icpd2.htm">ICPD) in Cairo.

"Evidence-based advocacy and partnerships are essential in this process," said G. Giridhar, Special Adviser in the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of UNFPA.
Feb 5 2009 6:10PM
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REBEL GROUP WITHDRAWS FROM SOUTH DARFUR, SAYS UN

REBEL GROUP WITHDRAWS FROM SOUTH DARFUR, SAYS UN
New York, Feb 5 2009 6:10PM
The leader of an armed group involved in recent combat in the South Darfur region of Sudan has pulled his militia out of the conflict zone as a result of the decision made by the hybrid African Union (AU) and United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (<"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID) to stay and protect civilians in the area.

There have been renewed clashes since last month in Muhajeria involving the Government of Sudan and the rebel groups known as the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Army/Mini Minawi (SLA/MM).

The fighting in Muhajeria has exposed about 30,000 people to previously unseen levels of violence, destroyed an aid agency's office and forced the UN to relocate its staff.

JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim said he made his decision to withdraw due to UNAMID's decision to remain in Muhajeria and appeals by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, AU Commission Chairperson Jean Ping and the international community for blue helmets to protect the local population.

Joint AU-UN Special Representative Rodolphe Adada today wrapped up a two-day visit to N'Djamena, the capital of neighbouring Chad, where he met with top JEM officials as part of UNAMID's efforts to establish a good working relationship with all parties involved in the Darfur conflict.

Mr. Adada commended the JEM decision to remove its forces from Muhajeria, noting that "the withdrawal no doubt saved many lives and prevented tragic consequences for civilians."

He stressed UNAMID's absolute neutrality in dealing with all parties involved in the conflict, as this impartiality is the only way for the Mission to achieve its mandate.

For its part, JEM praised the mission for refusing to evacuate Muhajeria in a bid to continue its humanitarian assistance for civilians.

Fighting in Darfur erupted in 2003, which pitted rebels against Government forces and its allied Janjaweed militiamen, causing an estimated 300,000 deaths and forcing some 2.7 million people to flee their homes.
Feb 5 2009 6:10PM
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FIGHTING IN SUDAN COULD SURGE IF NORTH-SOUTH PEACE ACCORD UNRAVELS – UN OFFICIAL

FIGHTING IN SUDAN COULD SURGE IF NORTH-SOUTH PEACE ACCORD UNRAVELS – UN OFFICIAL
New York, Feb 5 2009 5:10PM
Conflicts and instability in Sudan are likely to escalate dramatically if the peace accord that ended the north-south civil war unravels under the pressure of insufficient mutual trust, fighting in the western Darfur region, and the possible war crimes indictment of the President, a senior United Nations official <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9590.doc.htm">warned today.

"The humanitarian implications of a relapse into conflict and chaos throughout Sudan are, to put it mildly, sobering," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Sudan Ashraf Jehangir Qazi told the Security Council in a briefing on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that in 2005 ended the two-decades-long conflict between the north and south, in which at least 2 million people were killed and some 4.5 million more driven from their homes.

Presenting Mr. Ban's latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/61">report to the 15-member body, Mr. Qazi stressed that making unity attractive to the people of Southern Sudan, where a referendum on possible secession is due in 2011, should remain the focus of the parties and the international community over the next two years.

"Without any exaggeration, 2009 could be a make or break year for the CPA and for the prospect of peace in Sudan," he said, reiterating the report's call for "a tangible peace dividend," including the provision of basic public services, particularly for the people in the south and in the border areas, to convince them of the benefits of remaining in a united country.

He also repeated the need for border demarcation between the northern and southern regions and a focus on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

In his report Mr. Ban expressed concern over Sudanese reaction to a possible arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (<"http://www.icc-cpi.int/">ICC) against President Omar al-Bashir for allegedly committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.

"While I am encouraged by the assurances of continued support by the Government, I am also concerned about remarks by some of its officials that the Government may redefine its relationship with <"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">UNMIS (the UN Mission in Sudan that is mainly concerned with helping to enforce the CPA) should an arrest warrant be issued against President al-Bashir," he wrote.

Mr. Qazi said the impact of an ICC decision on the CPA and the Darfur situation would need to be discussed. "We have received assurances of protection and cooperation from Sudanese authorities at the highest levels," he stressed. "But these assurances have been qualified by warnings about public outrage. There have also been public threats and incitement to violence.

"The UN has made the necessary contingency plans and kept the Sudanese authorities informed. Political and security circumstances permitting, the UN is committed to continue its work in accordance with the mandate entrusted to it by the Security Council," he added.

In a related development, the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (<"http://www.ifad.org/">IFAD) announced today that it will help 38,000 of the poorest and most vulnerable households overcome food insecurity and extreme poverty in six counties in Southern Sudan's Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei states, with a $13.5 million grant to support the Southern Sudan Livelihoods Development Project.

The project, targeting households headed by women and returnees, will be IFAD's first operation in Southern Sudan since the CPA was signed. It will tackle rural poverty, population displacement, poor public services and low agricultural productivity, by supporting community-based development of productive on-farm and off-farm activities. This includes technical and financial support for agricultural micro-projects, rural infrastructure and marketing facilities.

An additional grant of $9 million will be provided by the Netherlands, and $3.4 million by the Government of Southern Sudan and the beneficiaries.
Feb 5 2009 5:10PM
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BAN TO SEND ENVOY TO MADAGASCAR TO SEE HOW POLITICAL TENSIONS CAN BE EASED

BAN TO SEND ENVOY TO MADAGASCAR TO SEE HOW POLITICAL TENSIONS CAN BE EASED
New York, Feb 5 2009 5:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today he will dispatch a senior United Nations official to Madagascar, where serious unrest has led to the death of dozens of people, to explore how political tensions there can be alleviated.

At the invitation of the Government of the island nation, he is sending Haile Menkerios, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, "to assess the situation in the country and explore what the United Nations could do to help avert further violence and contribute towards peace and stability," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3698">statement issued by his spokesperson.

Mr. Menkerios will visit Madagascar from 7 to 10 February and will hold meetings with Government officials and others concerned, UN Spokesperson Maria Okabe said.

According to media reports, at least 68 people died in riots that erupted last week in the wake of a dispute between the country's President, Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, the Mayor of its largest city, Anatananarivo.

Following that violence, Mr. Ban called on the Malagasy parties to protect civilians, and offered UN support to help foster reconciliation in the country, where the Organization has been assisting in relief efforts in the aftermath of two recent devastating cyclones.
Feb 5 2009 5:10PM
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BAN TO SET UP INDEPENDENT PROBE INTO ASSASSINATION OF FORMER PAKISTANI LEADER

BAN TO SET UP INDEPENDENT PROBE INTO ASSASSINATION OF FORMER PAKISTANI LEADER
New York, Feb 5 2009 5:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will establish an independent Commission of Inquiry to determine the facts and circumstances of the December 2007 assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The Commission, which has been requested by the Government of Pakistan, will be composed of three eminent personalities and will have a mandate of a maximum of six months, Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/67">letter to the Security Council President made public today.

Following discussions with Pakistani authorities and members of the Security Council, it has been agreed that the new body should be "fact-finding in nature," not expanding into a criminal investigation, he noted.

"The duty of determining criminal responsibility of the perpetrators of the assassination would remain with the Pakistani authorities," the letter said.

The Secretary-General, who made his first state visit to Pakistan yesterday, said that the South Asian nation's authorities will cooperate with the Commission, which will be given "unhindered access to all relevant sources of information."

Pakistan will contribute "seed money" to help set up security and technical assessment missions, and the three-member body will be funded by voluntary contributions from Member States.
Feb 5 2009 5:10PM
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GEORGIA: UN MISSION IN ‘PRECARIOUS’ POSITION, SAYS BAN

GEORGIA: UN MISSION IN 'PRECARIOUS' POSITION, SAYS BAN
New York, Feb 5 2009 4:10PM
Although the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unomig/">UNOMIG) continues patrolling on both sides of the ceasefire line between the Government and Abkhaz separatists in the country's north-west, it is in a "precarious" position which could quickly become untenable, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in a new <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/69">report to the Security Council.

Referring to a 1994 pact between the warring sides, Mr. Ban says that "the status of the Moscow Agreement, which provided the basis for its mandate and the ceasefire regime, is, at best, no longer clear."

UNOMIG's area of responsibility in Abkhazia consists of a security zone, where no military presence is permitted, a restricted weapons zone, where no heavy weapons can be introduced, and the Kodori Valley. It has no jurisdiction in nearby South Ossetia, the scene of fighting last August which pitted Georgia against separatists and their Russian allies.

Since the Mission's mandate was extended last October, the overall security situation in the area it is responsible for has remained tense, the report, made public today, notes.

"There have been a considerable number of security incidents involving casualties on both sides and what little communication there was between the sides has largely broken down," the Secretary-General says.

He also cautions that "a further deterioration of the situation cannot be excluded."

On the Abkhaz-controlled side of the ceasefire line, Russian troops have taken over positions previously held by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping forces, on which UNOMIG relied for security. Abkhaz heavy weapons and military personnel have entered the zone of conflict.

Meanwhile, Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel have set up new positions and deployed armoured vehicles in the security zone.

Both the security and operation of UNOMIG depend on the "goodwill of the sides," Mr. Ban states. "While I continue to believe that the Mission contributes to the stabilization of the situation, as a result of these developments, its position has become precarious and could rapidly become unsustainable."

Talks in Geneva – co-chaired by the European Union (EU), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the UN – have yet to yield tangible results, he said, calling on the parties to step up their efforts to agree on security and other issues.

The parties have both said they support a continued UN presence, but take different positions on the scope of UNOMIG's mandate. "Despite these divergences, I believe that it is still possible for the parties to agree on key elements of a security regime and on a United Nations role in support of its implementation," the Secretary-General says.
Feb 5 2009 4:10PM
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MYANMAR: BAN CALLS ON GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION TO RESUME SUBSTANTIVE TALKS

MYANMAR: BAN CALLS ON GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION TO RESUME SUBSTANTIVE TALKS
New York, Feb 5 2009 4:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the Myanmar Government and the opposition to resume substantive talks leading to national dialogue and reconciliation, after being briefed by his Special Adviser on the outcome of his latest visit to the South-East Asian nation.

Ibrahim Gambari briefed Mr. Ban on the visit, which took place from 31 January to 3 February, during a meeting in New Delhi, the last stop on the Secretary-General's two-week travels through Europe, Africa and Asia.

"The Secretary-General took note that his Special Adviser was able to continue his consultations with both the Government of Myanmar, including Prime Minister Thein Sein, and key members of the opposition, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as other relevant interlocutors," UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

She added that Mr. Ban looks forward to building on this visit with a view to further promoting national dialogue and reconciliation through his good offices, and "calls on the Government and opposition to resume substantive dialogue without preconditions and without further delay."

The visit was Mr. Gambari's fifth to the country in the past year and a half, and is part of the good offices mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General by the General Assembly.
Feb 5 2009 4:10PM
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UN-BACKED FORUM AIMS TO HELP CAMBODIA CONTINUE GROWTH IN FACE OF ECONOMIC CRISIS

UN-BACKED FORUM AIMS TO HELP CAMBODIA CONTINUE GROWTH IN FACE OF ECONOMIC CRISIS
New York, Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
The effects of the global financial collapse and market meltdown may threaten impressive gains to Cambodia's economic growth and poverty reduction over recent years, delegates at a United Nations-supported forum heard today.

As numbers of tourists to the South-East Asian country drop and orders to garment factories dwindle, the policymakers looked at steps it could take to mitigate the affects of the crisis at the Third Cambodia Economic Forum.

"As Cambodia takes its place on the international stage – with its accession to the World Trade Organisation, taking a stronger role in the UN and sending peacekeepers to Sudan – it also grows more susceptible to the economic shocks affecting the rest of the world," said UN Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2009/february/third-cambodia-economic-forum-held.en">UNDP) Resident Representative Douglas Broderick.

"Integration with regional and global economies exposes Cambodia to new risks along with new opportunities," he added at the event hosted by the Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC) in collaboration with UNDP.

A range of policy measures aimed at improving Cambodia's economic competitiveness and sustain its rapid growth in the face of the global crises were presented to delegates, who include senior Government officials, the representatives from the private sector as well as development partners.

"The Government is fully committed to systemic measures to limit the impacts of the global financial crisis on Cambodia's financial system and its economy," said Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen in his keynote address.

With the support of UNDP, the <"http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), SNEC drafted and presented four groundbreaking studies focused on Cambodia's global competitiveness, potential growth sectors and the impact of the financial crisis on economic development, among other topics.

"A rigorous assessment of the vulnerabilities the Cambodian economy experienced as a result of the economic shocks of 2008 can help provide a sharper focus on the priorities which need to be addressed for Cambodia's future competitiveness and sustainable growth," said ADB Country Director, Arjun Goswami.
Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
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OVER 200 CHILDREN PULLED FROM ARMED GROUPS IN DR CONGO, UN SAYS

OVER 200 CHILDREN PULLED FROM ARMED GROUPS IN DR CONGO, UN SAYS
New York, Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
More than 220 children have been separated from armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) within the past week, the United Nations mission in the country, known as MONUC, said today, as the UN's humanitarian chief embarked on a trip to the region.

MONUC announced that yesterday its child protection section got 28 more children out of the ranks of the rebel National Congress for the People's Defence (CNDP) and varied ethnic Mayi Mayi and Pareco groups in North Kivu Province.

Surrendering the children in their ranks, a process facilitated by MONUC, is among the requirements for these groups to be integrated into the national army as part of the peace process that ended the DRC's devastating civil war.

The children are now in the custody of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), whose teams will prepare them to reintegrate into civilian life.

The mission thanked the Congolese authorities for working toward a full integration of the army and renewed its appeal to all parties to continue to support this initiative, to prevent children from being sent to the front, and to help separate them from armed groups.

According to UNICEF, it is estimated that there are still some 2,000 child soldiers with armed militias in North Kivu province.

Meanwhile, John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, is on his way to the DRC's capital, Kinshasa, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In a four-day visit that begins tomorrow, Mr. Holmes is expected to advocate concrete steps to end the violence in eastern Congo along with abuse of civilians, including sexual violence against women.

Mr. Holmes is expected to travel widely across the vast country, meeting with national and local authorities, as well as with internally displaced people, their host families, and others working to address the humanitarian crises in the vast African nation.
Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
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NEPAL: UN RIGHTS OFFICE WELCOMES PROGRESS IN ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE CASE

NEPAL: UN RIGHTS OFFICE WELCOMES PROGRESS IN ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE CASE
New York, Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
The United Nations human rights office in Nepal today welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to order police to name top officials regarding the 2003 enforced disappearances of five students, calling on the Government to bring those behind such acts to justice.

Earlier this week, the Court ordered the Nepal Police, in connection with the case involving the case in Dhanusha District, to register First Information Reports (FIRs) which name senior civil, police and military officials and also include details of a possible grave site.

Although this site was identified more than two years ago, the Police have not requested forensic assistance to carry out exhumations.

Although the Supreme Court has issued several key decisions pertaining to human rights investigations, including one in June 2007 calling on the Government to investigate and bring to justice those behind disappearances, most have not been implemented and no perpetrators have been persecuted.

"Recent decisions by the Supreme Court have highlighted the urgent need to address the lack of accountability and to end the culture of impunity in Nepal," said Jyoti Sanghera, Deputy Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) "encourages the Government to act on its commitment to end impunity by taking immediate steps to implement this and other Supreme Court decisions, so as to ensure that the perpetrators of the Dhanusha disappearances, as well as other serious conflict-related human rights violations, are brought to justice."
Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
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CYPRIOT LEADERS HELD ‘SUBSTANTIVE’ NEGOTIATIONS ON PROPERTY, UN ENVOY SAYS

CYPRIOT LEADERS HELD 'SUBSTANTIVE' NEGOTIATIONS ON PROPERTY, UN ENVOY SAYS
New York, Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
Talks yesterday between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, aimed at reunifying the island of Cyprus and focused on property rights, were "substantive," the top United Nations envoy there reported.

Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat each voiced their views on the principles the other side has presented, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Tayé-Brook Zerihoun said after the meeting in Nicosia.

"They had a good round of substantive discussions on this issue and they have agreed to continue these discussions next week on the afternoon of 12 February," Mr. Zerihoun told the press.

The Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, will arrive on the island that morning, and plans to attend that meeting, he said.
In May 2007 the Cypriot leaders committed to a partnership that will comprise a Federal Government with a single international identity, as well as a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State which will be of equal status.
Feb 5 2009 2:10PM
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GEORGIA: UN EXPANDS LONGER-TERM RECOVERY PROJECTS AFTER CONFLICT WITH RUSSIA

GEORGIA: UN EXPANDS LONGER-TERM RECOVERY PROJECTS AFTER CONFLICT WITH RUSSIA
New York, Feb 5 2009 12:10PM
The United Nations is expanding its efforts to help Georgia tackle the longer-term challenges of last year's conflict with Russia by restoring livelihoods and improving public services, after easing the immediate humanitarian impact of hostilities that uprooted nearly 200,000 people.

With 4.5 million euros in European Union (< ahref='http://europa.eu/index_en.htm">EU) funding, the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) will now deepen and extend the initiative, which has so far focused on the Shida-Kartli region bordering separatist South Ossetia, at the heart of the conflict, where the agency has used already $1.2 million of its own crisis response fund to ensure food security, repair infrastructure, and help local authorities provide needed public services.

This so-called Fostering Sustainable Transition and Early Recovery (FOSTER) project has benefited some 10,000 people by rehabilitating 12 critical facilities such as schools and municipal offices, repairing drainage and water pipes, and working with the University of Gori to design and deliver short training courses in masonry, painting, plumbing and other construction trade for those left jobless by the conflict, UNDP <"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2009/february/undp-helps-georgia-overcome-impact-of-conflict.en">said in a news release today.

As jobs in agriculture are the dominant occupation in the conflict-affected regions, the project has also sought to help farmers who lost their harvests, and often livestock, orchards, and equipment, put a new crop into the ground before winter. By the end of 2008 UNDP had provided seeds, ploughing, and other services to enable 1,100 farming families to sow winter wheat crops, restoring a vital source of income.

The conflict left many residents of conflict-affected areas with a lingering sense of insecurity and vulnerability. To help address human rights concerns, UNDP has helped extend the services of the Public Defender's office to the Shida Kartli region, and provided support to the Ministry of Justice's Legal Aid service. It also supported the creation of a regional Gender Equality Resource Centre in Gori.

With the EU funding, UNDP now plans to boost recovery activities more broadly in Shida-Kartli and extend them to two other conflict-affected regions – Mtskheta-Mtianeti, east of South Ossetia, and Samegrelo, adjacent to Abkhazia, a second separatist region where fighting erupted.

This will help bridge the transition from crisis to development by rebuilding infrastructure, providing vocational training to the jobless, and expanding microfinance programmes to promote the creation of small businesses.

In the early weeks after the August fighting, UNDP focused on the pressing humanitarian challenge of providing food and shelter, but most of the 190,000 people who fled have since returned to their homes, while the Georgian Government has built temporary housing for the 30,000 people, mainly from South Ossetia, who remain displaced.

Feb 5 2009 12:10PM
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PRESERVATION OF SUNKEN BRITISH WARSHIP URGED BY UN CULTURAL AGENCY

PRESERVATION OF SUNKEN BRITISH WARSHIP URGED BY UN CULTURAL AGENCY
New York, Feb 5 2009 12:10PM
The head of the United Nations cultural agency today called for the preservation of a British man o'war sent to the bottom of the English Channel by a storm in 1744 with all hands and, it is said, a sizeable gold treasure.

The discovery of the wreck of the HMS Victory was announced on 2 February by the explorers who found it off the Channel Islands, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44506&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO).

"I am delighted that such an exceptional example of underwater heritage has been located. The cultural and scientific value of this artefact is considerable," said Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO's Director-General.

He said that its preservation was particularly important in light of UNESCO's <"http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=34114&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, which entered into force last month after it was ratified by 22 States.

"In the spirit of the Convention adopted by UNESCO in 2001, I trust that all parties concerned will take the necessary measures to ensure this important vestige of British naval history is safeguarded and given appropriate attention, not used for commercial gain," he said.

The United Kingdom has not joined the States Parties of the Convention to date, but it has expressed its willingness to comply with its Annex, which establishes ethical and scientific rules, widely recognized by archaeologists, for activities directed at underwater sites.

When it sank, the massive Royal Navy vessel took around 1,000 men down with it, and, besides human remains, the ship is thought to contain a number of bronze cannons, historical artefacts and a sizeable shipment of gold.

The rules of the Convention on underwater heritage state that commercial exploitation of underwater cultural heritage for trade or speculation is fundamentally incompatible with its protection and proper management, UNESCO said.

They do allow, however, for work by professional archaeological services in conformity with recognized ethical and scientific rules and subject to the authorization of competent national authorities.

Beside shipwrecks, the Convention aims to protect such sunken historical sites as the ruins of the Alexandria lighthouse and Cleopatra's palace in Egypt, part of ancient Carthage in Tunisia, and Jamaica's Port Royal, destroyed by an earthquake in 1692, as well as entire landscapes and rock art caves now at the bottom of the sea.
Feb 5 2009 12:10PM
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UN AMBASSADOR ANGELINA JOLIE VOICES SUPPORT FOR MYANMAR REFUGEES IN THAILAND

UN AMBASSADOR ANGELINA JOLIE VOICES SUPPORT FOR MYANMAR REFUGEES IN THAILAND
New York, Feb 5 2009 12:10PM
Hollywood star and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency Angelina Jolie has called on the Thai Government to allow greater freedom of movement for tens of thousands of refugees confined to makeshift camps after fleeing neighbouring Myanmar.

Ms. Jolie spent yesterday listening to refugees in northern Thailand telling of the difficulties they have faced over two decades living in closed camps.

"I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp," the actress <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/498ab65c2.html">said after her visit to Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, home to 18,111 mainly Karenni refugees.

"With no foreseeable chance that these refugees will soon be able to return to Burma [Myanmar], we must find some way to help them work and become self reliant," Ms. Jolie added.

Some 111,000 registered refugees sheltering in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border are restricted from leaving the camps and as a result unable to earn a living or receive higher education, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<'http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR).

At a boarding school for orphans and children separated from their parents, Ms. Jolie told two teenage girls who feared returning across the border to finish their education that "I hope we can work with the Thai authorities to speed up the government admissions process and that you will not be forced to go back to Burma if danger remains."

Local authorities have yet to process some 5,000 people who fled to northern Thailand's Mae Hong Son province between 2006 and 2007, the last time there was significant fighting in Kayah State just across the border in Myanmar.

And throughout last year, there was a steady trickle of refugees from Myanmar into Ban Mai Nai Soi and three other camps in the province, mostly fleeing forced labour and other human rights abuses.

Recent media attention has focused on the large number of stateless Muslim refugees making the perilous trip from northern Myanmar to Thailand in rickety vessels. UNHCR has recently gained access to 78 of the Rohingya boat people held in detention centres in the south of the country to determine their need for international protection.

Ms. Jolie noted that witnessing the Government's hospitality towards the 111,000 mostly Karen and Karenni refugees over the years "makes me hope that Thailand will be just as generous to the Rohingya refugees who are now arriving on their shores.

"I also hope the Rohingya situation stabilizes and their life in Myanmar improves so the people do not feel the desperate need to flee, especially considering how dangerous their journey has become," she added.
Feb 5 2009 12:10PM
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CANADIAN OFFICIALS RECEIVE UN TRAINING ON DEALING WITH REFUGEES

CANADIAN OFFICIALS RECEIVE UN TRAINING ON DEALING WITH REFUGEES
New York, Feb 5 2009 11:10AM
Employees of two Canadian Government agencies recently received training from the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) to enable them to better address refugee and asylum issues.

"We view these opportunities to share information as a service and an investment," said UNHCR Senior Protection Officer Hy Shelow, who facilitated the sessions last month in Toronto.

"Canada is an important protection partner for UNHCR, including globally, and it is crucial that officers who are responsible for access to territory and to procedures also have a larger view of the procedures and what they mean to people."

Some 30 staff of the Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) Etobicoke office and the Refugee Eligibility and Admissibility Unit of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) at Pearson International Airport received the training, which is offered year-round across the country.

The training at Pearson Airport was directed at the new CBSA unit established last December, which assesses admissibility to Canada and eligibility to go before the Immigration and Refugee Board. Asylum seekers receive a streamlined refugee intake examination, with appointments scheduled for within three days of their arrival in Canada.

"We are happy to see that such a unit has been established in line with UNHCR's recommendations," said Abraham Abraham, UNHCR's representative in Canada. "We hope to continue working closely with CBSA, contributing to the special skills base for officers working with asylum-seekers at ports of entry."

Karen Thompson at Etobicoke CIC said many staff had found the UNHCR training "an eye-opening experience," placing refugee protection in the context of the global context. "We believe that such training gives our staff a renewed sense of purpose and dedication for their work."
Feb 5 2009 11:10AM
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HOSPITAL PATIENTS ACROSS GAZA TO RECEIVE UN FOOD AID

HOSPITAL PATIENTS ACROSS GAZA TO RECEIVE UN FOOD AID
New York, Feb 5 2009 10:10AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will provide ready-to-eat meals for hospital patients across Gaza who might otherwise go hungry due to food and fuel shortages, as it expands its emergency relief operation in the wake of the recent Israeli military offensive.

The assistance for Gaza's sick and injured is in addition to the agency's regular distributions of wheat flour, cooking oil and chickpeas to 365,000 people affected by conflict and food shortages.

"The ready-to-eat meals offer an immediate solution to the food needs of hospital patients, who might otherwise go hungry," <"http://beta.wfp.org/news/news-release/wfp-hands-out-ready-eat-meals-hungry-gaza">said WFP Emergency Coordinator Gemmo Lodesani. "Cooking gas is still in short supply, and without this intervention, patients might miss out on a nutritious daily meal."

WFP is aiming to distribute more than 40,000 ready-to-eat meals in the coming days. The packages, which contain items such as canned meat, chicken curry, cheese and biscuits, are part of the first tranche of ready-to-eat meals donated by Saudi Arabia in response to WFP's "Operation Lifeline Gaza" appeal.

In addition to distributing the meals to hospital patients, WFP will also provide them to school children as a one-off ration.

The 22-day Israeli military operation, launched with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks against Israel, killed some 1,300 Palestinians, injured more than 5,300, 34 per cent of them children, and caused widespread damage and destruction in Gaza.

Since the offensive began on 27 December, WFP has distributed two month rations of food to more than 220,000 people. The agency has also provided free school meals to 30,000 children, and has distributed one-off emergency packages, including date bars, bread, high energy biscuits and canned goods, to more than 150,000 people.

"As each day passes, we get closer to reaching our overall target of 365,000 people among the non-refugee population in Gaza," Mr. Lodesani said.

Critical to this effort is the opening of all border crossings between Israel and Gaza, as well as those between Israel and Egypt, to allow a steady flow of humanitarian aid.

Currently, an average of 70 trucks are crossing the border into Gaza each day, which is less than 10 per cent of what would be required to meet the normal commercial requirements of the people living there, according to the agency.

WFP added that it has barely received 10 per cent of the $81 million needed to meet the emergency food requirements of the 365,000 people it is aiming to feed in Gaza.
Feb 5 2009 10:10AM
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WORLD CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE CLIMATE CHANGE, BAN SAYS AT NEW DELHI SUMMIT

WORLD CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE CLIMATE CHANGE, BAN SAYS AT NEW DELHI SUMMIT
New York, Feb 5 2009 10:10AM
The world must tackle the growing threat of climate change, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a sustainable development summit in New Delhi today, stressing that the crisis threatens to roll back development gains and lead to further economic and social misery.

"We cannot afford to ignore or underestimate this existential threat. Failure to combat climate change will increase poverty and hardship," Mr. Ban said upon receiving the Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the summit taking place in the Indian capital.

"It will destabilize economies, breed insecurity in many countries and undermine our goals for sustainable development," he told the gathering.

Mr. Ban, who has made climate change the priority of his mandate as United Nations chief, stressed that tackling the threat will require "all our leadership, all our commitment, all our ingenuity."

While facing up to the crisis will not be easy, he noted, it does provide an "exciting opportunity" to make progress on a range of sustainable development issues.

"By pursuing a green economy based on efficient and equitable resource use, we will cut down greenhouse gas emissions and protect essential ecosystems.

"At the same time, we will reinvigorate national economies, create employment and livelihood opportunities, improve human well-being and achieve our sustainable development targets," said the Secretary-General.

Looking ahead to the crucial climate change negotiations scheduled for December in Copenhagen, Mr. Ban stressed the need to achieve an ambitious, comprehensive and ratifiable agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A successful outcome will depend on resolving three main political challenges, he added.

First, Copenhagen must clarify commitments of developed countries to reduce their emissions, by setting ambitious mid-term targets, with credible baselines. Also important is to achieve clarity on what mitigation actions developing countries will be prepared to make.

Secondly, Copenhagen must advance on the issue of financing the mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries.

Thirdly, governments, as well as the UN system must come up with credible solutions for the governance of new funds, and for their implementation response.

The Secretary-General arrived in New Delhi, following visits to neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan yesterday.

Feb 5 2009 10:10AM
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SRI LANKA: BOMBED HOSPITAL NOW EMPTY, UN SAYS

SRI LANKA: BOMBED HOSPITAL NOW EMPTY, UN SAYS
New York, Feb 4 2009 6:10PM
A hospital in the zone of fighting between the Government and rebel forces in north-eastern Sri Lanka, which has been the scene of heavy shelling and aerial bombardment for several days, was empty this morning, the United Nations reported.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/News/tabid/1080/Default.aspx">OCHA), UN staff said that bombings took place for several hours yesterday, and the hospital was empty this morning after intense military operations overnight.

The hospital was shelled numerous times on Sunday, resulting in the killing of 11 people altogether, including one nurse, Gordon Weiss of OCHA said on Monday.

The hospital has around 600 patients, with new people arriving all the time of which hundreds are critically injured and cannot be treated.

The UN World Food Programme (<"http://beta.wfp.org/">WFP) is continuing its negotiations to allow a food convoy into the Vanni region. With the last batch of supplies having reached the area on 29 January, the agency has been told that the earliest this can happen is Friday.

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).
Feb 4 2009 6:10PM
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DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MUST HELP EACH OTHER WEATHER FINANCIAL CRISIS, UN OFFICIAL SAYS

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MUST HELP EACH OTHER WEATHER FINANCIAL CRISIS, UN OFFICIAL SAYS
New York, Feb 4 2009 6:10PM
Trade, investment and other cooperation between developing countries – so called "South-South exchange – could soften the blow of the economic crisis on vulnerable economies, the head of the United Nations agency that promotes commerce to fight poverty said today.

"A global financial crisis has shaken the economic foundations of the North, and is threatening to shatter the growth and development aspirations of the South, Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (<"http://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2068">UNCTAD) said as he opened the Multi-Year Expert Meeting on International Cooperation: South-South Cooperation and Regional Integration in Geneva.

"The timing, therefore, is right to explore how greater South-South cooperation can help developing countries to cope with the crisis," he told experts gathered in Geneva for two days to consider how financial flows and joint efforts to stabilize currency exchange rates and debt could lessen the effect of the downturn.

Mr. Supachai said merchandise trade between developing countries grew at an average of 13 per cent per year from 1995 to 2007, and at the end of that period amounted to $2.4 trillion, or 20 per cent of world trade.
According to UNCTAD, one-third of the exports were high-skill manufactured goods, which yielded high profits and could enable developing nations to diversify their economies.

Such factors could help offset the sharp fall in demand for exports from the North, projected to be as much as 9.2 per cent in 2009 and the near freeze-up of the global banking system, as well as the declines in commodity prices, remittances from migrant workers and international aid.

Mr. Supachai said South-South coping measures can include financing from regional development banks in the South; regional stimulus packages, especially for badly needed economic infrastructure; and diversification of foreign-exchange reserves – in which nations of the South buy other countries' debt.

The UNCTAD head also recommended regional arrangements specifically aimed at mitigating the impact of financial shocks. The Chiang Mai initiative arising out of the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 "provided participating countries with international financial liquidity through swap arrangements," he noted.

The conference continued with panel discussions on various aspects of South-South engagement and will conclude Thursday with a session entitled "Regional monetary and financial cooperation -- South-South solutions?" and a debate on the way forward.

Under reforms to UNCTAD meetings made at the UNCTAD XII quadrennial conference last year, the expert session on South-South cooperation will continue next year to allow experts to study the issue as it evolves over time.
Feb 4 2009 6:10PM
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