BAN REPEATS CALL FOR RELEASE OF KIDNAPPED UN STAFF MEMBER IN PAKISTAN

BAN REPEATS CALL FOR RELEASE OF KIDNAPPED UN STAFF MEMBER IN PAKISTAN
New York, Feb 14 2009 3:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who spoke with President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan today, reiterated his appeal for the release of a United Nations staff member abducted nearly two weeks ago in the west of the South Asian nation.

According to a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the two leaders "agreed on the need to secure the safe and immediate release of John Solecki," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in the city of Quetta.

Mr. Solecki, who has been with the UN since 1991, was kidnapped on 2 February and his driver, Syed Hashim, was killed in the attack.

In today's statement, the Secretary-General emphasized the importance of Mr. Solecki's humanitarian work in helping the people of Balochistan.

"He stresses that no cause can be served by prolonging the abduction of Mr Solecki."

Earlier this week, the UN said it is seeking information o
n a group called the Balochistan Liberation United Front, which on 7 February claimed in local media reports that it is holding Mr. Solecki.

The world body said that he has a medical condition requiring regular medication, adding that delaying his release will lead to a deterioration of health.

Feb 14 2009 3:10PM
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DR CONGO: NEW DEVELOPMENTS COULD PAVE WAY FOR UPROOTED TO RETURN HOME – UN

DR CONGO: NEW DEVELOPMENTS COULD PAVE WAY FOR UPROOTED TO RETURN HOME – UN
New York, Feb 13 2009 6:10PM
Recent developments in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – including the arrest of a rebel leader and a large-scale military operation against another militia – have sparked a "new dynamic" that could lead to the start of large numbers of displaced people returning home, the top United Nations relief official said today.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, who returned from a visit to the country this week, cited as reasons for optimism the apprehension of Laurent Nkunda, who heads the mainly Tutsi group known as the National Congress in Defense of the People (CNDP) and the joint Rwandan-Congolese operation against the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR).

The removal of this group, which has been in eastern DRC since 1994, "should allow other illegal armed groups to be tackled and therefore displaced people to begin to go home in significant numbers," he told reporters in New York.

Six months of clashes between the CNDP and the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) displaced some 250,000 people, on top of the 800,000 already uprooted in North Kivu province.

While visiting Kibaki camp, near the provincial capital Goma, Mr. Holmes was told in conversations with internally displaced persons (IDPs) that they hope to return to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so.

The presence of CNDP rebels and the operation against the FDLR preclude them from going back, but "they do see these things essentially in a positive light," the official noted.

Further, the voluntary repatriation of Rwandan refugees is picking up, he said, with several hundred crossing back to their country on a weekly basis where they are looked after by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR).

Mr. Holmes, who also serves as Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that while in the DRC, he also visited Haut Uélé in Orientale province, the scene of attacks by the notorious Ugandan rebels known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

DRC, Uganda and Southern Sudan have joined forces in an offensive against the group.

"One of the unfortunate results or consequences so far of that operation has been a series of extremely brutal and deadly attacks by the LRA against the villages of the area," the Under-Secretary-General said, adding that some 900 people have died in the violence since late last December.

While in the region, he said he reminded the parties of the need to protect civilians as much as possible.

Mr. Holmes said that roughly 150,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of the LRA attacks, and "we need to try to find ways to help them as quickly as possible," given the uprooted live in a remote area and are relying on host families who themselves have limited resources.
Feb 13 2009 6:10PM
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FOLLOWING COLLISION OF SATELLITES, UN SPACE OFFICE CALLS FOR PREVENTIVE STEPS

FOLLOWING COLLISION OF SATELLITES, UN SPACE OFFICE CALLS FOR PREVENTIVE STEPS
New York, Feb 13 2009 6:10PM
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) today called all Member States and international organizations to fully implement measures to curb space debris following the collision of an inactive Russian satellite with an operational one from the United States.

"The prompt implementation of appropriate space debris mitigation measures is in humanity's common interest, particularly if we are to preserve the outer space environment for future generations," said the Director of <"http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/">UNOOSA, Mazlan Othman.

UN space debris mitigation guidelines call, among other things, for limiting the long-term presence of spacecraft and launch vehicles in low-Earth orbit (LEO), up to some 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) above Earth's surface, after the end of their mission. Such craft should be removed from orbit in a controlled fashion. If this is not possible, they should be disposed of in orbits that avoid their long-term presence in the LEO region.

The inactive Russian communications satellite Cosmos 2251 and the operational US satellite Iridium 33 collided at an altitude of some 790 kilometres (500 miles) above the Earth on 10 February, creating a cloud of nearly 700 pieces of space debris. Space debris remains in orbit for a considerable length of time and poses a risk to spacecraft orbiting Earth.

The guidelines outline space debris mitigation measures for mission planning, design, manufacture and operational (launch, mission and disposal) phases of spacecraft and launch vehicles. Many Member States have incorporated the voluntary guidelines through national mechanisms.

They call for limiting the long-term interference of spacecraft and launch vehicles with the geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) region, where the satellite rotates in lockstep with Earth, after the end of their mission. Such craft should be left in orbits that avoid long-term interference with the GEO region.
Feb 13 2009 6:10PM
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UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON VERGE OF NEGOTIATING SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON VERGE OF NEGOTIATING SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM
New York, Feb 13 2009 6:10PM
On-going work on reshaping the size and membership of the Security Council and making the vital organ of the world body more democratic is finally heading for serious negotiations, the Ambassador to the United Nations for Afghanistan, Zahir Tanin, told the press today.

General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto, who holds a one-year term, selected Mr. Tanin to jump start the stalled Security Council reform process, which got underway some 16 years ago.

"Security Council reform is sometimes dismissed as a cocktail party pastime for ambassadors, but I think, if it was the case before, those days are definitely over," said Mr. Tanin, who chairs the intergovernmental working group dealing with the restructuring the Council.

The ambassador told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York that the competition over different reform proposals has ended and intergovernmental negotiations towards compromises are on the agenda of the General Assembly, which comprises of all 192 Member States.

The key issues concerning reform of the 15-member Council – five permanent members with veto power and 10 one-year rotating memberships – include the category of membership, the question of veto, regional representation, size of an enlarged Security Council, and working methods of the Security Council and its relationship with the General Assembly.

Only decisions of the Security Council are binding on Member States, not those of the General Assembly.

"The overwhelming majority of the Member States made it clear to us that it is not about negotiations on negotiations, but … the aim is an early reform as the world's leaders expressed in the World Summit's outcome document in 2005.

"It's up to the Member States, in particular the five permanent [members], to help get the outcome that is needed," added Mr. Tanin.

The working group will be presenting the General Assembly with a plan for discussion of how and when to negotiate Council reforms on 19 February.
Feb 13 2009 6:10PM
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HUMAN TRAFFICKING: THE FACES AND SORROW AT THE HEART OF A UN REPORT

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: THE FACES AND SORROW AT THE HEART OF A UN REPORT
New York, Feb 13 2009 5:10PM
Rose was just a teenager in Cameroon when she was promised a chance to go to school in the United States. What she got was – slavery, working 15 hours a day for years, paid nothing, and beaten.

Anna (not their real names) was beaten throughout her childhood in Moldova, and fled her home in despair at age 12. But those who "helped" her run away to a supposedly better life trafficked her to Poland where she was forced to beg on the streets and beaten if she did not make enough money.

Sokha was 14 when she was trafficked across the border from Cambodia into Thailand to sell fruit – and was then forced into prostitution when her "boss" found the fruit trade not sufficiently lucrative.

And Kwame's young life embraced a dream when his parents were told he would join a sales business. Instead, he was trafficked to the infamous fishing region around Ghana's Lake Volta where he was forced to do dirty, dangerous jobs for eight long years.

These are the human faces, and the sorrow, of just four of the victims whose terrible plight is highlighted by the <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/unodc-report-on-human-trafficking-exposes-modern-form-of-slavery-.html">Global Report on Trafficking in Persons issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – four young people whose sagas can be multiplied several million-fold. According to the UN International Labour Organization (<"http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm">ILO), two million more people are enslaved each year.

Rose finally opened the door in suburban Washington, D.C., and ran shoelesss although it was October and bitterly cold. She called the number of a Cameroonian man who visited her slave owner's house occasionally and seemed concerned about her. He picked her up hours later. Another Cameroonian took her into his home and she was eventually reunited with other young Cameroonian girls who had been enslaved.

Ana spent five years begging in Poland before she managed to escape and was returned to Moldova by the local police.

Sokha was eventually saved by an organization in Thailand that rescues girls from prostitution. Now she hopes to set up her own sewing business and employ other girls trafficked as she was.

After eight years of backbreaking labour and heartbreaking abuse, Kwame was freed by an anti-slavery group in Ghana. He is now recovering and wants to go to school "so that I can grow up to become somebody."

There are so many others who have suffered a similar fate that it would take a whole forest of trees to produce the paper to record their plight. The lack of reliable statistics go to the core of the problem – so little is known that no estimate can be given of the magnitude of those caught up in this modern-day slavery.

"Many governments are in denial," said Antonio Costa, the <"http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/index.html">UNODC Executive Director. They don't report adequately or prosecute cases of what is often referred to as people-trafficking, he added.

While the most common manifestation of trafficking is sexual exploitation (accounting for 80 per cent of the phenomenon), other activities such as forced labour in mines, factories, sweatshops or domestic servitude, as well as child soldiers, are less frequently detected.

Also, while trafficking seems to imply movement across continents, sadly most exploitation takes place close to home, within countries or regions.

On the plus side, the number of countries implementing the international agreement that addresses trafficking in persons has doubled. Of the 155 countries that were surveyed, over 60 per cent had enacted laws to following a special UN protocol to fight human trafficking adopted in 2003. However, many governments still resist enforcement, said Mr. Costa. According to the UN's chief crime fighter, "This is a crime that shames us all."

"Over the past decade, trafficking in persons has reached epidemic proportions. No country is immune," warned UNODC.
Feb 13 2009 5:10PM
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SECURITY COUNCIL RENEWS CALL FOR GREATER HUMANITARIAN ACCESS TO GAZA

SECURITY COUNCIL RENEWS CALL FOR GREATER HUMANITARIAN ACCESS TO GAZA
New York, Feb 13 2009 4:10PM
The United Nations Security Council again voiced deep concern today about the humanitarian situation in Gaza following Israel's military offensive against Hamas and stressed "the importance and urgency that more needs to be done."

In remarks to the media after consultations within the 15-member body, Japanese Ambassador Yukio Takasu, Council President for February, said there was "a convergence of views" on the importance of full implementation of its January resolution which, among other issues, called for unimpeded provision throughout Gaza of food, fuel and medical treatment.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other UN top officials have repeatedly called on Israel to fully open crossings into Gaza for humanitarian goods and reconstruction materials nearly four weeks after the end of its offensive, which killed 1,300 Palestinians, injured some 5,300 others, and reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.

Israel, which launched its operation with the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by Hamas and other groups, has restricted access to the Strip both in response to attacks and for other security reasons.

Meanwhile, a landmine clearance group working on the ground with the UN's Mine Action Service reported that a number of large aircraft bombs and white phosphorous projectiles had been gathered in an area inside Gaza City.

But the de-miners said they would not know the true scale of the problem until more debris is cleared. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said teams had been collecting unexploded ordnance but due to restrictions on supplies crossing into Gaza, they did not have the materials necessary to destroy or isolate the ordnance.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) estimated that over 14,000 homes were totally or partially damaged in the fighting. To meet long-term shelter needs of the displaced, <"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP will see that 10,000 families get between $1,000 and $5,000 in cash aid, according to family size, current socio-economic status and level of home damage.

The agency also reported that of the more than 400 schools it assessed in Gaza, over 60 per cent had been partly or severely damaged. Repairing them remains an urgent priority, it said. In the meantime, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) has provided 10 tents as learning centres in the hardest-hit areas.

OCHA said aid workers continued to face difficulty in obtaining access to Gaza through the Erez crossing; during January only 18 out of 178 staff requests were granted clearance.
Feb 13 2009 4:10PM
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LIBERIA NEEDS INTERNATIONAL AID TO CONSOLIDATE PROGRESS IN REDUCING POVERTY, SAYS BAN

LIBERIA NEEDS INTERNATIONAL AID TO CONSOLIDATE PROGRESS IN REDUCING POVERTY, SAYS BAN
New York, Feb 13 2009 4:10PM
Liberia has made strides in slashing poverty, but significant challenges still remain in meeting security benchmarks for the West African nation, still recovering from a brutal 14-year-long civil war, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

Since last August, Liberia has continued to make "steady progress" towards achieving its four-pronged poverty reduction strategy which focuses on security, economic recovery, rule of law and infrastructure and basic services, Mr. Ban wrote in his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/86">report to the Security Council on the United Nations Mission in Liberia (<"http://unmil.org/">UNMIL), calling for international partners to continue supporting Liberia, especially in its efforts to curb poverty.

"Despite the sharp increase in food and fuel prices in 2008, many of the potential negative effects were mitigated by proactive policy initiatives," the new publication said, adding that the Government has also tried to guarantee advances in several key areas, including the fight against corruption and public financial management reforms.

"However, limited national institutional capacity across all sectors remains a serious constraint, not least since most public institutions, at national and local levels, have had to be completely rebuilt after the conflict," including national security agencies, the Secretary-General said.

Stressing the ties between peace and development, Mr. Ban stressed the importance of ensuring simultaneous progress in all four pillars of the poverty reduction strategy, "particularly given the potential link between high youth unemployment and security."

The report also highlighted the challenges Liberia faces in meeting its main security and rule of law benchmarks.

The country's media and public opinion surveys consistently show how law and order are a primary concern, it said. "This partly reflects a continued lack of public confidence in national security institutions and the criminal justice system, leading people to take justice into their own hands, frequently resulting in serious injury, death or property damage."

The presidential and legislative elections slated for 2011 will be a key test of progress made in Liberia since it emerged from its civil war that killed almost 150,000 people, mostly civilians.

The Secretary-General called for the development of a comprehensive electoral plan, including financial and technical requirements, as soon as possible.

Delayed polls in bordering Côte d'Ivoire and the recent military coup in Guinea have exacerbated the unpredictability in the sub-region, he said. "Any negative trends in the security situation in these neighbouring countries will have a major impact on the situation in Liberia and its peacebuilding efforts."

Given the tasks ahead for Liberia, Mr. Ban said he recommends that no further adjustments to the military and police components of UNMIL be made for the mandated period.

UNMIL is in the midst of the second phase of its drawdown during which troops levels are to be reduced by nearly 1,500, and further modifications could be made during the third and final segment which kicks off this September.
Feb 13 2009 4:10PM
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HAITI SET TO RECOVER PLUNDERED DUVALIER ASSETS FROM SWITZERLAND WITH UN HELP

HAITI SET TO RECOVER PLUNDERED DUVALIER ASSETS FROM SWITZERLAND WITH UN HELP
New York, Feb 13 2009 4:10PM
Haiti is on the way to recovering $6 million of assets allegedly plundered by former President Jean-Claude Duvalier and stashed in Switzerland thanks to an initiative backed by the United Nations.

"This is an important step in helping restitute the funds to the people of Haiti," <"http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank Managing Director Ngozi N. Okonjo-Iweala said today in a statement welcoming the Swiss order for the return of the assets. "Asset recovery can be a complicated and time-consuming process.

"The joint efforts by the governments of Haiti and Switzerland, supported by the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's [<"http://www.unodc.org/">UNODC] Stolen Recovery Asset Initiative, have demonstrated that developed and developing countries can work together to fight corruption and end impunity for those that steal from the poor. Haiti's success should encourage the victims of corruption to launch asset recovery programmes," she added.

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice's ruling on the Duvalier assets was issued after the account holders failed to prove to the court that the funds were legitimately acquired. Account holders still have 30 days to appeal the decision. Ms. Okonjo-Iweala commended the cooperation and commitment of both governments to the fight against corruption.

At the request of the government of Haiti, the joint World Bank-UNODC Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) provided technical and diplomatic assistance to facilitate the resolution of the case.

The StAR Initiative was launched in 2007 by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick, and UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa. It emphasizes that developed and developing countries share a joint responsibility in tackling corruption, and that international collaboration and collective action are needed to facilitate asset recovery and prevent asset theft.
Feb 13 2009 4:10PM
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UN CHIEF EXPRESSES ‘SORROW’ ON FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF HARIRI MURDER

UN CHIEF EXPRESSES 'SORROW' ON FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF HARIRI MURDER
New York, Feb 13 2009 3:10PM
On the fourth anniversary of the massive car bomb blast that killed Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his sorrow to the Lebanese people over the tragic loss of a man who stood strongly for the independence and sovereignty of his country.

"This sad anniversary comes two weeks before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon begins to function on 1 March," Mr. Ban said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3711">statement released by his spokesperson.

The Special Tribunal, established in The Hague, takes over from the Beirut-based International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC), which investigated 20 other attacks and found elements linking some of them to the criminal network behind the Hariri assassination.

Today's statement reaffirmed the commitment of the UN "to uncover the truth, bring those responsible for the crime to justice and end impunity in Lebanon."

Mr. Ban also called for the full implementation of all Security Council resolutions pertaining to Lebanon.
Feb 13 2009 3:10PM
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‘GREEN’ GROWTH NEEDED TO REACH KENYA’S DEVELOPMENT GOALS – UN AGENCY

'GREEN' GROWTH NEEDED TO REACH KENYA'S DEVELOPMENT GOALS – UN AGENCY
New York, Feb 13 2009 2:10PM
An innovative United Nations atlas of Kenya using satellite images to pinpoint shrinking tea-growing areas, disappearing lakes, rising loss of tree cover and increased mosquito breeding grounds has highlighted the East African country's need to invest in "green" development to escape from poverty.

The new 168-page publication, released today by the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=562&ArticleID=6075&l=en">UNEP), shows how environmental degradation is thwarting the Kenya's current and future development opportunities.

Kenya's "Vision 2030" is a national development blueprint that takes into account challenges it faces, including youth unemployment and rapid urbanization, and seeks to meet targets such as sustained economic growth in the next two decades.

"Kenya: Atlas of Our Changing Environment," launched in Nairobi by the country's Environment Minister John Michuki and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, is the first of its kind to document environmental changes in a single country through satellite images from the past 30 years.

"It highlights some success stories of environmental management around the country, but it also puts the spotlight on major environmental challenges including deforestation, soil erosion and coastal degradation," the UNEP chief said.

He stressed that making the leap from poverty to prosperity will entail embarking on a green path to realize Kenya's development potential.

The new atlas' key findings include:<BR>

<li>The amount of land available to each Kenyan has plummeted from 7.2 to only 1.7 hectares between 1960 and 2005 due to a surge in population, soaring from 8 million in 1960 to 38 million currently. The population is expected to continue growing, with land available per person forecasted to shrink to 0.3 hectares by 2050.</li>

<li>Only a 2 degrees Celsius climb in temperature would render large parts of Kenya unsuitable for tea growing, which accounts for more than one-fifth of the country's total export earnings. Roughly 400,000 smallholder farmers grow 60 percent of Kenyan tea. </li>

<li>Lake Olbollosat, which has dried up and come back to life in the past, may disappear for good this time due to rapid population growth and the conversion of land cover within its catchment.
Feb 13 2009 2:10PM
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SECURITY COUNCIL RENEWS UN GEORGIA MISSION FOR FOUR MONTHS, PENDING REVISIONS

SECURITY COUNCIL RENEWS UN GEORGIA MISSION FOR FOUR MONTHS, PENDING REVISIONS
New York, Feb 13 2009 2:10PM
The Security Council today unanimously extended the 15-year-old United Nations mission on the ceasefire line between the Government and Abkhaz separatists in Georgia for another four months, pending recommendations on its future following last year's Russian-Georgian conflict.

Earlier this month Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reported that the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (<"http://www.unomig.org/">UNOMIG) was in a precarious position that could quickly become untenable, noting that on the Abkhaz-controlled side of the ceasefire line, Russian troops had taken over positions previously held by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping forces, on which UNOMIG relied for security.

The Mission has no jurisdiction in nearby South Ossetia, the scene of fighting last August which pitted Georgia against separatists and their Russian allies.

In its resolution extending UNOMIG's mandate until 15 June, the Council asked Mr. Ban to report "on the situation on the ground and the activities of the United Nations mission, including recommendations on future activities" by 15 May, saying it would take these into account in outlining the elements of a future UN presence in the region.

As of the end of 2008, UNOMIG consisted of 156 uniformed personnel, including 136 military observers and 20 police, supported by 103 international civilian personnel, 195 local civilian staff and 1 UN volunteer, with a mandate to monitor the 1994 ceasefire ending the war in north-west Georgia that drove hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Its area of responsibility in Abkhazia consists of a security zone, where no military presence is permitted and a restricted weapons zone where no heavy weapons can be introduced. In his <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/69">report Mr. Ban noted that Abkhaz heavy weapons and military personnel had entered the zone of conflict.
Feb 13 2009 2:10PM
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BAN ‘APPALLED’ AT LATEST ATTACK TARGETING IRAQI PILGRIMS

BAN 'APPALLED' AT LATEST ATTACK TARGETING IRAQI PILGRIMS
New York, Feb 13 2009 2:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the suicide bomb attack against Shi'a pilgrims near Baghdad today, and recent similar attacks targeting innocent civilians which have left dozens of people dead and wounded, including many women and children.

A <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3710">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson said the United Nations chief is "appalled" by the attacks.

"These acts cannot be justified by any political or religious cause and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

"The Secretary-General joins with the people of Iraq in rejecting these cruel and reprehensible attempts to reignite sectarian violence in the country," the statement added.

At least 32 pilgrims were reportedly killed and some 65 injured by a female suicide bomber in today's attack, which occurred south of Baghdad.

The incident comes just two days after two simultaneous explosions struck a bus terminal in south-west Baghdad, targeting pilgrims making the journey from Baghdad to Karbala. At least 16 people were reportedly killed and at least 40 wounded in that attack.

Mr. Ban called on Iraqi leaders to work together in a spirit of national dialogue and mutual respect as demonstrated during the peaceful provincial elections held last month.
Feb 13 2009 2:10PM
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CHOLERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA COULD BE LINKED TO ZIMBABWE, SAYS UN HEALTH AGENCY

CHOLERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA COULD BE LINKED TO ZIMBABWE, SAYS UN HEALTH AGENCY
New York, Feb 13 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today it believes the outbreak of cholera in South Africa – and possibly those in Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia – is linked to Zimbabwe, where the disease has already claimed over 3,500 lives and is still not under control.

Countries bordering Zimbabwe have all reported cholera cases, WHO's Fadela Chaib told a news conference in Geneva, noting that South Africa has reported some 4,800 cases and 34 deaths between 15 November 2008 and 20 January 2009.

Mozambique is experiencing an outbreak in 10 out of its 11 provinces, with a total of some 3,600 cases and 25 deaths reported.

Three of Angola's provinces are affected with 273 cases and one death reported so far, while some 3,000 cases and 43 deaths have been reported in Zambia between 10 September 2008 and 27 January 2009.

But it is hard to say whether all cases are linked to the Zimbabwe outbreak, as Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and parts of South Africa are endemic for the water-borne disease, Ms. Chaib noted. Botswana, which is not endemic for cholera, has eight cases.

Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe, some 73,000 cholera cases have been reported since the outbreak began last August, and the death toll now stands at 3,524.

These figures show that the country's worst-ever cholera outbreak "is still not under control," said Ms. Chaib.

She added that efforts are continuing to help tackle the crisis, including the opening of more treatment centres across the country. There are currently some 360 treatment centres.

At the same time, she noted that the lack of food and transportation and the fact that health workers are underpaid are posing challenges for the humanitarian community. In addition, possible flooding linked to the current rainy season can make areas difficult to access.

A humanitarian mission, led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), will visit the southern African nation from 21 to 25 February. The team will also include the participation of WHO, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Feb 13 2009 1:10PM
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UN AGENCY URGES GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT INDIGENOUS COLOMBIANS FORCED TO FLEE VIOLENCE

UN AGENCY URGES GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT INDIGENOUS COLOMBIANS FORCED TO FLEE VIOLENCE
New York, Feb 13 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency today called on the Colombian Government to fulfil its obligation to protect civilians after some 200 indigenous people, many suffering from very poor health and severe hunger, were forced to flee a massacre on their home territory.

The Awá indigenous people made the long and hazardous journey from Telembi and Tortugaña, in some of the most isolated and conflict-ridden parts of the country, after 17 of their members were killed in the remote south-western Nariño region of Colombia, which has been beset by over four decades of violence between Government forces and various armed groups.

Two UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4995a6a64.html">UNHCR) teams along with other UN agencies arrived yesterday in the villages of Samaniego and Buenavista where the Awá have taken shelter, in an area littered with landmines and with limited infrastructure.

UNHCR reported that the 114 Awá in Buenavista are in very poor health and many of the children are showing signs or chronic malnutrition.

"The Awá authorities have requested that all the displaced be moved out of the area as soon as possible and taken to a safer location further south, where the local Awá community is organizing itself to receive them," said UNHCR spokesperson, Ron Redmond.

Speaking to the press in Geneva, Mr. Redmond noted that despite the efforts of the authorities to reach the site of the massacre, so far no civilian state institutions have managed to enter the area, and the bodies of the 17 presumed dead have not been found.

Adding, "On Wednesday, there were local reports that up to 13 more people had been killed on another collective territory known as El Sandal."

"UNHCR reiterates its call for a full judicial investigation into the reported murders. It again asks all parties to respect international humanitarian law and urges the Colombian government to fulfil its obligations to protect civilians," he said.

More than 300,000 people were displaced in Colombia in 2007 and preliminary figures for 2008 show a similar trend, bringing the total number of registered internally displaced persons (IDPs) to almost 3 million.

The 21,000-strong Awá are one of 87 indigenous groups in the country and the largest in Nariño, which has had the highest rate of forced displacements in Colombia for the past two years. The Awá are the largest indigenous group in that part of Colombia, suffering from harassment, threats, murders and forced displacement at the hands of armed groups.

More than a third of Colombia's indigenous groups are at risk of extinction, largely as a result of armed conflict in the country and forced displacement.
Feb 13 2009 1:10PM
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ECONOMIC CRISIS SET TO DRIVE 53 MILLION MORE PEOPLE INTO POVERTY IN 2009 – WORLD BANK

ECONOMIC CRISIS SET TO DRIVE 53 MILLION MORE PEOPLE INTO POVERTY IN 2009 – WORLD BANK
New York, Feb 13 2009 1:10PM
The spreading global economic crisis is set to trap up to 53 million more people in poverty in developing countries this year on top of the 130-155 million driven into poverty in 2008 by soaring food and fuel prices, bringing the total of those living on less than $2 a day to over 1.5 billion, according to the <"http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22067892~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html">World Bank.

The new forecast highlights the serious threat to achieving the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), which aim to slash poverty, hunger, infant and maternal mortality, and lack of access to health care and education, all by 2015. Preliminary estimates for 2009 to 2015 forecast that an average 200,000 to 400,000 more children a year may die if the crisis persists, making a total of 1.4 to 2.8 million over the period.

"The global economic crisis threatens to become a human crisis in many developing countries unless they can take targeted measures to protect vulnerable people in their communities," World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick said on the eve of the Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers' meeting of leading industrial countries in Rome on Saturday, which he will attend.

"While much of the world is focused on bank rescues and stimulus packages, we should not forget that poor people in developing countries are far more exposed if their economies falter. This is a global crisis requiring a global solution. The needs of poor people in developing countries must be on the table."

New estimates for 2009 suggest that lower economic growth rates will trap 46 million more people on less than $1.25 a day than was expected prior to the crisis, for a total of an extra 53 million trapped on less than $2 a day, on top of the 1.37 billion before the current crises.

A World Bank policy note issued in the run up to the G7 meeting reports that almost 40 per cent of 107 developing countries were highly exposed to the effects of the crisis and the remainder were moderately exposed, with less than 10 percent facing little risk.

It is critical for exposed countries to finance job creation, delivery of essential services and infrastructure, and safety net programmes for the vulnerable, according to the note, entitled The Global Economic Crisis: Assessing Vulnerability with a Poverty Lens.

Yet three quarters of these countries cannot raise funds domestically or internationally to finance programmes to curb the effects of the downturn. One quarter of them also lack the institutional capacity to expand spending to protect vulnerable groups. The note urges financial support in the form of grants and low or zero interest loans for these countries.

Mr. Zoellick recently called for the establishment of a Vulnerability Fund in which each developed country would devote 0.7 per cent of its stimulus package to aid poorer countries set up safety net programmes, invest in infrastructure, and support small and medium-sized enterprises and microfinance institutions.
Feb 13 2009 1:10PM
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UN AID REACHES CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES IN SOUTH-EASTERN CHAD

UN AID REACHES CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES IN SOUTH-EASTERN CHAD
New York, Feb 13 2009 12:10PM
A team from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reached thousands of people who fled violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) to a remote area of south-eastern Chad.

The UN has started registering the new arrivals and providing emergency aid, as some 6,000 civilians, mostly women and children from CAR's Rounga and Sara tribes, have taken refuge in Chad since December to escape rebel attacks and clashes between rebels and Government forces.

Most of these refugees are sheltering in the village of Daha, roughly one kilometre from the Chad-CAR border, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.

A convoy organized by UNHCR, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other aid agencies, which left for Daha from a relief hub in the eastern Chadian town of Abéché last Friday, arrived earlier this week after traversing nearly 1,000 kilometres of rugged terrain.

Meanwhile, a UNHCR emergency team from Geneva is expected to arrive in the village tomorrow.

On Tuesday, agency staff began registering the refugees and distributing crucial items, such as cooking utensils, shelter material and mosquito nets. They are also assessing the immediate needs of the new arrivals, with five children having died of unknown causes and two women having lost their lives while giving birth.

"We are awaiting a decision from the Chadian Government on proposals to move the new arrivals to a safer location with easier access for humanitarian agencies," Mr. Redmond said, adding that the most likely site for a new camp will be in Am Timan, almost 300 kilometres north of Daha.

He added that many refugees interviewed by UNHCR are still traumatized by their experiences and are not ready to return to the CAR.

"One refugee woman who crossed into Chad about two weeks ago with her three daughters and only the clothes on their backs, said the rebels killed five of her family members and burned her village in the Ngarba area," the spokesperson said.

Currently, the agency helps over 50,000 CAR refugees in five camps in southern Chad as well as 12 sites in eastern Chad housing 250,000 refugees from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region. In addition, more than 160,000 Chadians are uprooted within their country's borders.
Feb 13 2009 12:10PM
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CHOLERA OUTBREAK HITS OVERCROWDED KENYAN REFUGEE CAMP, UN REPORTS

CHOLERA OUTBREAK HITS OVERCROWDED KENYAN REFUGEE CAMP, UN REPORTS
New York, Feb 13 2009 10:10AM
Kenya's sprawling and overcrowded Dadaab refugee complex is grappling with a cholera outbreak that has infected 14 people so far, most of them children, and already claimed the life of a three-year-old boy, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.

"Most of the other cases have recovered and been discharged. An 18-month-old boy is in stable condition at the Hagadera Hospital," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=49954f1d6">told reporters in Geneva.

The first case was identified on 29 January in Hagadera, the biggest of the three settlements at the Dadaab camp in north-eastern Kenya – one of the world's largest refugee camps, hosting nearly 250,000 people.

There is a high risk of the outbreak spreading given the extreme overcrowding at Hagadera, which was designed for 30,000 people but now holds some 100,000 refugees, overstretching water and sanitation services.

A team of six medical specialists from the Kenya Ministry of Health, UNHCR, the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) and other agencies is supporting the doctors in the camp to deal with the outbreak.

Mr. Redmond noted that <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR and its partners are finding it difficult to deliver services to refugees due to the congestion in the camp.

"Water supplies are insufficient to meet the needs of the new arrivals and there is not enough space for more latrines to meet the basic health requirement that they be located at least six meters from cooking areas.

"As a result of the overcrowding, some refugees are staying outside the parameters of the camp where there are no sanitation facilities at all," he stated.

UNHCR has recently 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 Dadaab complex.
Feb 13 2009 10:10AM
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FOOD VOUCHERS NEWEST TOOL IN UN ARSENAL TO COMBAT HUNGER IN AFRICA

FOOD VOUCHERS NEWEST TOOL IN UN ARSENAL TO COMBAT HUNGER IN AFRICA
New York, Feb 13 2009 10:10AM
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today launched its first food voucher programme in Africa, targeting 120,000 people in the capital of Burkina Faso who are suffering from the impact of high food prices in urban areas.

Although food is available, it is beyond the reach of many in Ouagadougou, where the prices of basic staples such as millet and sorghum have risen more than 25 per cent in the past year, WFP said in a press release.

"Sometimes it makes more sense to give people vouchers than bags of food," said Annalisa Conte, WFP Country Director in Burkina Faso.

"This is an innovative solution to hunger needs among people who live in a city where shops and market stalls may be full of produce, but prices are still too high for the poor and the vulnerable," she added.

Participants in the programme will receive a voucher worth 1,500 francs CFA, or about $3, which they can redeem in shops that have signed a contract with WFP for items such as maize, cooking oil, sugar, salt and soap. Each family will receive up to six vouchers per month for six months.

The agency noted that distributing vouchers instead of food can be a more effective way of alleviating hunger in urban environments where markets are strong, because it cuts down on the cost to WFP of transporting and storing food assistance and helps to inject money into the local economy.

WFP and its partners will also distribute food vouchers in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso for 60,000 people beginning next month.

During the launch of the voucher operation in Burkina Faso, WFP will also hand out rations of Plumpy Doz, a ready-to-eat and highly nutritious peanut-based paste enriched with nutrients, to families with young children.

The voucher operation is being made possible thanks to support from Burkina Faso and Saudi Arabia, as well as a grant from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Feb 13 2009 10:10AM
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UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT TO VISIT MYANMAR

UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT TO VISIT MYANMAR
New York, Feb 13 2009 9:10AM
The independent United Nations expert on the situation of human rights in Myanmar will begin a six-day visit beginning tomorrow to assess developments in the South-East Asian nation since his previous mission last year.

Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana, who was appointed to his post in May 2008 by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, made his first visit to Myanmar last August.

In a report issued following that visit, Mr. Quintana proposed that four core human rights elements be implemented: the revision of domestic laws that limit fundamental rights, the progressive release of the estimated 2,000 prisoners of conscience still in detention, the reform and training of the military so that it conforms with human rights, and changes to the judiciary so that it is fully independent.

These four elements must be completed before national elections are held in 2010, he added.

The Special Rapporteur will discuss the implementation of these four elements with relevant officials during his 14-19 February mission.

He has requested to meet in private with a number of prisoners of conscience as well as leaders of political parties, and also intends to travel to Rakhine, Kayin and Kachin states.
Feb 13 2009 9:10AM
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UN PROBE INTO GAZA INCIDENTS BEGINS WORK

UN PROBE INTO GAZA INCIDENTS BEGINS WORK
New York, Feb 12 2009 8:10PM
A United Nations investigation into events incidents involving death and damage at the world body's premises in Gaza during Israel's recent three-week offensive kicked off today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

The four-member Board of Inquiry, led by Ian Martin of the United Kingdom, began its work in New York today and is expected to travel to the region shortly, according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3709">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

The body will review and investigate several incidents in the Gaza Strip between 27 December 2008 and 19 January 2009 and "in which death or injuries occurred at, and/or damage was done to, United Nations premises or in the course of United Nations operations," it noted.

The Secretary-General said that he expects that all parties will fully cooperate with the Board, which also comprises Larry Johnson of the United States, Sinha Basnayake of Sri Lanka and Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Eichenberger of Switzerland.

Upon completing its investigation, the Board will report to Mr. Ban, who will then, upon reviewing the findings, decide what steps to take.
Feb 12 2009 8:10PM
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BAN DECLARES RECRUITMENT, USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS AS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’

BAN DECLARES RECRUITMENT, USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS AS 'UNACCEPTABLE'
New York, Feb 12 2009 7:10PM
On the occasion of <"http://www.redhandday.org/">Red Hand Day which seeks to mobilize people worldwide to bring an end to the forced recruitment and use of children as soldiers, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=434">stated that the practice violates human decency and must be eradicated.

"The recruitment and use of children in warfare violates international law. It also violates our most basic standards of human decency," Mr. Ban said at an event marking the Day held at the headquarters of the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) in New York.

"The entire United Nations system and I are determined to stamp out such abuse," he stressed.

More than 250,000 "red hands," which symbolize the global campaign, have been collected in over 100 countries, and youth representatives from around the world presented some of them to the Secretary-General today.

The date of 12 February has special significance since it was seven years ago today that the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict entered into force.

To date, 126 UN Member States have ratified the pact, but "all too often these legal obligations are ignored," Mr. Ban said.

Despite progress made in changing laws, protecting children and helping those impacted by war, more must be done to tackle the scourge, he added.

"We must not rest until all children who have been recruited or used in violation of international law have been released, and until all children feel safe in their homes, schools and communities, without fear that they will be forced into war."

Today's event also heard from UNICEF's Executive Director Ann Veneman, youth delegates and Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on children and armed conflict.
Feb 12 2009 7:10PM
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FLOWERS SENT TO EUROPE FIRST EXPORT FROM GAZA IN A YEAR, UN SAYS

FLOWERS SENT TO EUROPE FIRST EXPORT FROM GAZA IN A YEAR, UN SAYS
New York, Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
A truckload of cut flowers made it out of Gaza today and into Israel en route to Europe for sale, the first exports from the violence-wracked territory in over a year, the United Nations said today.

According to the office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, it is not yet clear whether any further exports will be allowed in the coming days.

Some three weeks ago the Israeli military ended its devastating offensive against Hamas, which had the stated aim of stopping rocket attacks that emanated from the Gaza Strip.

Israel has closed or restricted the handful of border crossings with Gaza since the militant group forcibly ousted the Palestinian Authority from the area in June 2007.

Since that time, UN officials and others have called for the lifting of such restrictions, saying that they made the Gaza Strip economically unsustainable and caused severed humanitarian hardships.

Today, however, the Humanitarian Coordinator's office reports that a number of crossings between Israel and the territory were open.

At the Karni crossing, 34 trucks, including 23 carrying wheat flour, made it into the territory, and 440,000 litres of industrial fuel for Gaza's power plant went through the Nahal Oz pipeline.
Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
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WORLD’S POOR SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR BRUNT OF FINANCIAL CRISIS – ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

WORLD'S POOR SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR BRUNT OF FINANCIAL CRISIS – ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT
New York, Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
Countries must work together in the face of the worst global economic crisis in decades to ensure that the world's most vulnerable – who are the least responsible for the meltdown – do not bear the brunt of the turmoil, the President of the General Assembly said today.

"Our first and overriding task must be to solve this problem by mobilizing the financial resources needed to avert a human catastrophe," Miguel d'Escoto told an informal meeting of the Assembly convened to discuss the holding of United Nations conference to tackle the financial crisis and its impact on development.

"This task will require immense focus, flexibility on the part of all stakeholders, a shared sense of overwhelming urgency, and a commitment to using every resource – economic and political, moral and religious – to find our way forward," he told Member States.

The Assembly President has been tasked with organizing the conference, which was called for by participants at a financing for development meeting held in Qatar late last year. Among the issues that need to be decided by March are the dates for the conference and whether there should be an outcome document.

"This body has a unique role to play in leading and facilitating a coordinated global effort that will not let the most vulnerable among us – who are, after all, least responsible for the crisis – bear the brunt of its impact," said Mr. d'Escoto.

The Assembly President said he believes the current global economic situation is the result of a "deep systematic crisis, and of a deeper moral and ethical failure."

It may not be possible to address all the underlying failures right away, he noted.

"We cannot create a new architecture for our vast global economic, financial, and trading system by June," he said, referring to the possible timeframe for the holding of the conference. "We can point out some of the most important weaknesses, and begin to identify the priorities, the direction and the process that reconstruction must take."
Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
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COMBATING TERRORISM, ORGANIZED CRIME AMONG UN POLICE WORK, SAYS TOP ADVISER

COMBATING TERRORISM, ORGANIZED CRIME AMONG UN POLICE WORK, SAYS TOP ADVISER
New York, Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
United Nations police units supporting peacekeeping missions worldwide not only play a key role in reforming and rebuilding national law enforcement agencies in post-conflict countries, but also have a significant hand in combating larger global threats, the world body's police official said.

"The threats faced by the global community include not just international wars and conflicts but civil violence, organized crime and terrorism," Police Adviser Andrew Hughes, who heads the Police Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), told a recent gathering of the UN's top police officials.

"Law enforcement is a key element in facing many of these challenges to international peace and security and support to national policing services is essential for peace security, human rights, development and democracy," added Mr. Hughes at the opening of the Fourth Police Commissioners and Senior Police Advisers Conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

Participants at the three-day conference, comprising of Police Commissioners (PCs) and Senior Police Advisors (SPAs) from 13 UN peacekeeping operations, shared information and strategies on how to improve host countries' internal security systems.

Assistant-Secretary-General for the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), Dmitry Titov, told the gathering that although not all post-conflict challenges are resolved, "peacekeeping operations certainly can play a central role in reducing the likelihood of future conflicts and creating a framework in which normal sustainable development can resume."

He added that the UN has helped to improve the lives of millions of people "living in or emerging from brutal and devastating conflicts," which he described as a significant achievement, especially by the UN police components.

In a meeting with PCs and SPAs, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to them for their efforts in strengthening the ability of national security services to promote and protect basic security needs in their host countries.

In his address to the conference which ended yesterday, Assistant-Secretary-General for DPKO, Edmond Mulet, also underscored the importance of the increasingly complex work performed by PCs and SPAs in 18 peacekeeping operations deployed across five continents and 12 time zones.
Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
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OSCAR WINNING-ACTRESS NAMED NEW UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING

OSCAR WINNING-ACTRESS NAMED NEW UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING
New York, Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
Academy Award-winning American actress Mira Sorvino was named as Goodwill Ambassador to combat human trafficking for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today, coinciding with the release of a new report showing that nearly half of all nations have yet to bring a single perpetrator of the scourge to justice.

On the 200th anniversary of the birth of former United States President Abraham Lincoln who led the emancipation of slaves in his country, Ms. Sorvino stressed the need for human trafficking to be relabelled as slavery so that "people can't tune out the human suffering."

It was a case of life imitating art for the actress, who portrayed an American government agent seeking to curb sexual exploitation worldwide in a 2005 television miniseries.

Not being called slavery "helps to keep us in denial" about the true nature of human trafficking, she said after her induction at UN Headquarters in New York.

According to the new UNODC study, which is based on information provided by 155 Member States, two out of every five countries covered by the report have yet to convict anyone on trafficking charges.

No UNODC figures are available for the number of trafficking victims worldwide, but according to the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), two million people become enslaved annually.

According to the report, only one victim out of every 100 trafficking cases is rescued, and at present there are 22,500 cases of people being recovered worldwide.

"Are we making progress?" said Antonio Maria Costa, UNODC Executive Director. "My answer is: I wish we were."

Nearly 80 per cent of trafficking comprises sexual exploitation, but he warned that that is illusory, since it is the most commonly reported since it is more visible compared to other forms of the scourge, such as sweatshops and child exploitation.

Further, modern-day slavery is characterized by a very large presence of women as predators. In some countries in Africa, a majority of traffickers are women.

Despite the term "trafficking," which implies the movement of persons across borders, the crime also occurs within countries and communities.

"Not even animals prey on their kin," Mr. Costa said, noting that statistics show there is a large amount of exploitation within both large and smaller nations.

He said that he projects that trafficking may be facilitated by globalization and the fact that movement of people and commodities around the world is becoming easier.

Additionally, given the current financial crisis, the Executive Director surmised that "with economic hardship in the Third World, it is more likely that a greater number of people are going to be more vulnerable than they were."
Feb 12 2009 6:10PM
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MYANMAR: UN ENVOY CONCLUDES ASIAN CONSULTATIONS

MYANMAR: UN ENVOY CONCLUDES ASIAN CONSULTATIONS
New York, Feb 12 2009 5:10PM
On the heels of his most recent visit to Myanmar, the top United Nations envoy to the South-East Asian nation has wrapped up consultations in the region on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

In Beijing, Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei, which whom he discussed the outcome of his four-day visit to Myanmar.

Mr. Gambari then travelled to Tokyo, where he met with Japanese Foreign Minister Nakasone and Deputy Foreign Minister Kenichiro Sasae. They conferred on how the international community can support the Secretary-General's good offices efforts to promote the engagement in a democratic process by the people and Government of Myanmar.

During his visit to Myanmar, the fifth to the country in the past year and a half, the envoy met with Government officials and opposition and other political parties, including with detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Last week, the Secretary-General called on the country's Government and opposition to resume substantive talks leading to national dialogue and reconciliation.

Security Council President Yukio Takasu of Japan told reporters today that Mr. Gambari will brief the 15-member body on 20 February.
Feb 12 2009 5:10PM
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SPECIAL ENVOY SAYS UN-BACKED CONGOLESE PEACE TALKS WILL RESUME SHORTLY

SPECIAL ENVOY SAYS UN-BACKED CONGOLESE PEACE TALKS WILL RESUME SHORTLY
New York, Feb 12 2009 5:10PM
Peace talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the mainly Tutsi rebel group which last year launched a devastating offensive in the eastern region of the country are expected to restart soon, the United Nations envoy leading the negotiations announced.

The talks between the Government and the National Congress in Defense of the People (CNDP), which began in Nairobi in December, seek to bring an end to a conflict which has uprooted an estimated 250,000 people since August, on top of the 800,000 already displaced in the region, mainly in North Kivu province.

After holding consultations with both parties yesterday in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and Chief Mediator for the talks, Olusegun Obasanjo, announced that negotiations would soon resume.

In January, the two sides had settled on a document establishing the ground rules for substantive discussions, stating the outcome of the dialogue should incorporate the January 2008 Goma agreement, which included a commitment by rebels to withdraw their troops and to either disarm or join the brassage process, whereby ex-combatants from armed militia are retrained to form part of the national army.

The talks, slated to restart at the end of January, were postponed to an unspecified date after the African Union summit, which ended at the beginning of this month.

While encouraging other armed groups involved in the fighting in eastern DRC to join the talks, Mr. Obasanjo said that the current participants would like negotiations to continue on Congolese soil, but that he would prefer the meetings remained in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr. Obasanjo arrived in DRC on Tuesday to assess the current conditions on the ground in the war-ravaged eastern region of the country, visiting areas most affected by recent clashes.
Feb 12 2009 5:10PM
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BAN SIGNS PERFORMANCE PACTS WITH UN CHIEFS, BOOSTING TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY

BAN SIGNS PERFORMANCE PACTS WITH UN CHIEFS, BOOSTING TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY
New York, Feb 12 2009 4:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted efforts to spread transparency and accountability throughout the United Nations system, signing compacts with his senior managers for performance goals and results that will be published on the Organization's intranet site, iSeek.

Unlike previous occasions, television cameras and the international press were invited to witness the ceremony.

"Today we are taking a step back to see how we can better address the challenges within our departments and among each other," Mr. Ban told the assembled agency heads. "Today is also unusual in that we are gathered in front of television cameras, and we have invited the press. As you know, the compacts you have signed will all be published on our intranet site, iSeek. This means we are not only talking about transparency; we are practicing it."

He said the goals of each body will be especially critical this year, as the UN grapples with many interlinked challenges, from boosting the economic and social development of poor countries to combating climate change to improving staff security.

"We confront problems that no senior manager or single department can solve alone. We have to work together as a team," he added, stressing that making the process as public as possible plays a key role.

Both the compacts and end-of-year results will be put online. In April, iSeek will publish the results for last year's compacts and action plans.

"This transparency and accountability are critical to our credibility," Mr. Ban declared. "They demonstrate the progress we are making toward becoming a more performance-driven Organization that sets clear goals, establishes specific timeframes, communicates them widely and then reports the results openly.

"We must also outline clear roles, responsibility and authority for all levels of staff. This is not a glamorous exercise, but it is critical. When colleagues understand their duties and how they will be evaluated, they can produce better results," he said, stressing that the next crucial step is to look closely at what works, and fix what does not.

Nineteen senior managers were present at the ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York while five others participated via video-conference. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, who leads the Management Performance Board.
Feb 12 2009 4:10PM
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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS OF DISPLACED

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS OF DISPLACED
New York, Feb 12 2009 3:10PM
An independent United Nations human rights expert today deplored the instability facing tens of thousands of vulnerable people uprooted by violence in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR), calling on local authorities to take action to protect the displaced.

The country has been beset by widespread fighting and armed banditry in recent years, with some 200,000 Central Africans either internally displaced by the fighting or forced to live as refugees in neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

The precarious conditions in which over 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) still find themselves is a result of the conflict in the north, as well as abuses committed by dangerous criminal groups who are free to act with total impunity, Walter Kaelin, the Secretary-General's Representative on the human rights of IDPs, said in a <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7P7NZ6?OpenDocument">press release following a three-day visit to the country.

In mid-2008, the Government struck an agreement with the rebel groups known as the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) and the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD) after talks in Libreville, Gabon, facilitated by that country's President, El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba.

"Signing the peace accords and holding the inclusive political dialogue mark considerable advances in the quest for peace and stability in the Central African Republic," said Mr. Kaelin.

"These steps allow it to now vigorously put in place durable solutions for internally displaced persons."

He stressed that CAR authorities have the responsibility to take specific measures allowing the displaced to exercise their right to return, as well as their right to security, food, housing, health care, education and participation in public life.

During his stay in Bangui, the CAR capital, the Representative met with the Prime Minister, other ministers responsible for issues linked to IDPs, political/military movements, and representatives of the UN, donors and civil society.
Feb 12 2009 3:10PM
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UN CALLS ON CÔTE D’IVOIRE TO PUSH FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN LATE 2009

UN CALLS ON CÔTE D'IVOIRE TO PUSH FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN LATE 2009
New York, Feb 12 2009 3:10PM
United Nations officials today called on Côte d'Ivoire's leaders to set a timetable as soon as possible for much-delayed presidential elections so that the vote can take place in the divided West African country in the latter half of this year.

The number of identified voters has passed the 4.6-million mark and the operation should be completed by spring if the current trend continues, the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI) said in a news release.

"This timetable is crucial, not only in order to maintain the present momentum, but also to allow for national planning and thus avoid accumulating delays," it added, calling the identification and registration process, which has proceeded without any major incidents, "an historic advance" in a country that has been divided since 2002 between the Government-held south and a northern area dominated by the rebel Forces Nouvelles.

"Without a target, without a date, without a timeline, we cannot provide the support that the process deserves," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire Y. J. Choi told a news conference in Abidjan, the country's commercial capital.

UNOCI set out a five-stage "rational" timetable: producing a provision voter list in the spring; issuing a definitive list after the three months allowed for resolving disputes; producing identity cards over a six-week period; distribution of cards and equipping 11,000 polling stations, for which a few weeks will be needed; and the presidential campaign itself, which on previous occasions has lasted two weeks.

"Naturally, it is understood that it is the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to set the new timetable," the mission said. "In the interests of the Ivorian people, as well as of the international community… UNOCI is asking the IEC to publish a new electoral timetable without delay so as not to compromise the dynamic of the peace process.

"For their part, the international community and UNOCI will continue to provide their support in order to ensure the success of the peace process."

The elections, a key part of the peace process that UNOCI has been fostering for the past five years, have been repeatedly postponed over the issue of voters, and were last scheduled for 30 November 2008.

In a related development, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that displaced people returning home in the west of the country are facing shortages of food, water and medical facilities.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Côte d'Ivoire Georg Charpentier has just completed a tour of the region, where village chiefs also cited the extremely high insecurity stemming from ongoing violence by ex-combatants and youths.

In 2006, the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) was 750,000. By September, 2008, nearly 70,000 IDPs were identified as having returned home in the west, but the returns have been complicated by clashes with host communities over property rights, causing secondary displacements and ongoing ambushes and armed assaults against IDPs, including rape and murder.
Feb 12 2009 3:10PM
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SANCTIONS TO PREVENT TERRORISM DIFFICULT BUT NECESSARY – UN OFFICIAL

SANCTIONS TO PREVENT TERRORISM DIFFICULT BUT NECESSARY – UN OFFICIAL
New York, Feb 12 2009 3:10PM
Preventative sanctions against people associated with terrorist groups present tough legal issues, but have been recognized by various courts as needed, the coordinator of the team that monitors the United Nations Security Council regime against Al-Qaida and the Taliban said today.

"It's a great problem with all jurisdictions, to deal with this issue to prevent crime before it has happened," Richard Barrett, coordinator of the monitoring team of the so-called 1267 Committee on Al-Qaida and the Taliban, told a news conference in New York. "Where do you draw the line?" he asked.

In response to challenges, the Council has tried to introduce as much due process into the way it puts individuals and entities on the "list," subjecting them to the asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo of the regime, even though it is not trying to punish them but to prevent terrorist acts, he explained.

"We're not looking at somebody that has already committed a terrorist act and dealing with the consequences of their crime. We are trying to stop them from committing that crime in the first place," he said.

"There's not much point otherwise to the regime. I mean, national courts can deal with criminal acts," he added.

Challenges to the regime in the European Court of Justice and in Pakistan, Turkey, Switzerland and the United States have not successfully proscribed the measures, but many were concerned that the regime should have clear and fair procedures for getting people on – and off– the list.

In response, the Council put mechanisms in place to ensure that people are notified and given some sort of idea of the reasons for their listings. In addition, resolution 1822 of June of last year requires a review of all the names by June 2010 and after that every three years.

"So the Council has reacted to these issues, by agreeing to that review, by agreeing to post-narrative summaries for listing on its web site and so on," Mr. Barrett said. "But the question now is how the European Courts will provide for what they is necessary, which is an effective judicial review."

Mr. Barrett recalled that the sanctions regime was developed in response to the 1998 terrorist attacks in East Africa against United States embassies and other sites, in an effort to try to force the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to try to give up Osama bin Laden for justice.

After the attacks of 11 September 2001, the sanctions became more global in scope, targeting people all over the world who had really no affiliation with one particular State, which was quite a novel departure for the Security Council, he said.

The Council tried to make the regime effective by getting all Member States involved in presenting names for designation on the list of targeted individuals and entities, and in implementing the sanctions against them, even though they now number around 500, requiring a great outlay of resources for all concerned.

"But nevertheless, I think there is huge support for this regime and I can think of no Member State that has any question that it's necessary for the Security Council to do something which is operationally effective rather than purely symbolic," he said.
Feb 12 2009 3:10PM
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WOMAN FIGHTER FIRST IN LINE IN SUDAN’S UN-BACKED DEMOBILIZATION PROGRAMME

WOMAN FIGHTER FIRST IN LINE IN SUDAN'S UN-BACKED DEMOBILIZATION PROGRAMME
New York, Feb 12 2009 2:10PM
A woman was the first ex-combatant to be demobilized in this week's historic launch of a United Nations-backed programme aimed at coaxing 180,000 ex-fighters from Sudan's two-decades long north-south civil war back into civilian life.

Fatima, a former member of the People's Defence Forces, was first in line when 15 ex-combatants, including four other women, stepped forward yesterday in Ed Damazin in Blue Nile State at the start of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme, a significant stage in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005 that ended a war, in which at least 2 million people died and 4.5 million others were forced from their homes.

Up to 25 per cent of all DDR candidates in Blue Nile State are women and the Joint Commission and integrated UN DDR unit expects to receive about 900 women from the Damazine area in the coming three months.

"The inclusion of women in the 10 February launch reflects the commitment of both Commissions (north and south) and the UN family to ensure that women, as well as men, equally benefit from the DDR process," the UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm">UNMIS) said in a <"http://www.unmis.org/english/2009Docs/UNMISPhotoRelease24.pdf">news release.

"Women played key roles in armed groups throughout Sudan during the conflict, both as active combatants and in roles providing essential support to soldiers from all parties," it added.

During the ceremony, ex-combatants from the north and south symbolically relinquished their weapons and in return received a DDR identification card, cash, non-food items and a coupon for food rations provided by the UN World Food Programme (<"http://beta.wfp.org/">WFP).

Congratulating the Government of National Unity and the Government of South Sudan on the occasion, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Special Representative Ameerah Haq voiced confidence that the north and south DDR commissions were determined to make the programme succeed despite problems in securing funding and meeting the needs of ex-combatants in the South.
Feb 12 2009 2:10PM
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SOME 24,000 DISPLACED FLED NORTHERN SRI LANKA VIOLENCE SO FAR THIS YEAR – UN

SOME 24,000 DISPLACED FLED NORTHERN SRI LANKA VIOLENCE SO FAR THIS YEAR – UN
New York, Feb 12 2009 2:10PM
The United Nations reported today that some 24,000 uprooted people have fled Sri Lanka's Vanni region so far this year, as clashes continue in the north of the South Asian island nation, where some 250,000 civilians are trapped by fighting between Government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

As a result, transit sites, few of which have been prepared so far, are becoming overcrowded.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA), a new "safe zone" has been set up along the western boundary of the Mullaitivu Lagoon, which includes areas where UN staff and their dependents are staying.

Over 350 people, including wounded children and orphans, have been evacuated to Trincomalee on the eastern coast, where the hospital no longer has space for new arrivals.

Authorities have located a facility for some 100 of those who are less severely wounded, and the UN and Sri Lanka's Department of Public Health are assessing preparedness and response adequacy.

Earlier this week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) expressed "outrage" at the senseless killing of hundreds of civilians caught up in fighting between Sri Lankan forces and the LTTE in areas under rebel command.

"We are calling upon both the Government and the LTTE to halt indiscriminate fighting in close proximity to large concentrations of innocent people in the so-called safe zone," agency spokesperson Ron Redmond said.
Feb 12 2009 2:10PM
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DARFUR: UN CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO CIVILIANS THREATENED BY VIOLENT CLASHES

DARFUR: UN CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO CIVILIANS THREATENED BY VIOLENT CLASHES
New York, Feb 12 2009 1:10PM
A senior United Nations official in Sudan today called for immediate access to over 100,000 people caught up in the latest outburst of hostilities in the country's western Darfur region.

The fighting which broke out last month in South Darfur around Muhajeria and Shearia between Government forces and other armed groups against the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has exposed tens of thousands of civilians to violence.

"We are very concerned about the state and condition of civilians in these areas," said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ameerah Haq.

Figures have yet to be verified because of limited access, but significant numbers of people have arrived at villages and displaced persons camps in North and South Darfur since the clashes began on 15 January.

"Aid agencies need urgent access to Muhajeria, Shearia – Mijekha and Kazanjadeed areas – and Labado where people are in critical need of assistance," added Ms. Haq, while stressing that "unless access is immediately granted, the situation for hundreds of thousands of civilians could deteriorate rapidly."

UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) stand ready to provide vital food, water, shelter and medical care to vulnerable civilians displaced from Muhajeria into surrounding areas.

International humanitarian agencies have attempted to reach the area four times in less than a week but were unable to obtain clearance to land their flights into the region.

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 12 2009 1:10PM
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INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: NO DECISION YET ON ARREST WARRANT FOR SUDAN’S PRESIDENT

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: NO DECISION YET ON ARREST WARRANT FOR SUDAN'S PRESIDENT
New York, Feb 12 2009 12:10PM
Contrary to media reports published today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) says that no decision has been made yet on the application for an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir on charges of war crimes in Darfur.

In a <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/A3275BE5-2D68-4962-9C11-90FAA646BF20.htm">news release issued in The Hague, where the <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/Home">ICC is based, the Court stated that "no decision has yet been taken by the judges" concerning Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's application for such a warrant.

Last July Mr. Moreno-Ocampo presented evidence to the Court against Sudan's President for alleged war crimes in Darfur, including genocide, some three years after the UN Security Council requested him to investigate atrocities committed in the strife-torn region.

An estimated 300,000 people have died in Darfur, either through direct combat or because of disease, malnutrition or reduced life expectancy, over the past five years in Darfur, where rebels have been fighting Government forces and allied Arab militiamen, known as the Janjaweed, since 2003.

The Prosecutor had stated that he believes Mr. Al-Bashir "bears criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," and said the evidence presented shows that the President masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy in substantial part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups, on account of their ethnicity.
Feb 12 2009 12:10PM
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‘WE WANT TO GO HOME,’ CONGOLESE IN ZAMBIA TELL UN REFUGEE AGENCY

'WE WANT TO GO HOME,' CONGOLESE IN ZAMBIA TELL UN REFUGEE AGENCY
New York, Feb 12 2009 11:10AM
Some 90 per cent of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in two camps in northern Zambia want to return home, the United Nations refugee agency said today after a survey was conducted in advance of voluntary returns planned for May.

The verification exercise was conducted late last month by the government of Zambia and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to learn the exact number of refugees, identify those with special needs, update biographical data and collect information on their desire to return to the DRC.

In view of the great interest in repatriation at the Kala and Mwange refugee camps, some 1,000 kilometres from the Zambian capital Lusaka, UNHCR and the government plan to intensify the information campaign it has been carrying out, the agency said.

"Our intention is to ensure that we maintain this high interest by the refugees to return to DRC by intensifying the dissemination of information to them on the conditions in the areas of return," <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4992e0e22.html">said James Lynch, UNHCR representative in Zambia.

Kiros Zewdie, the <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR associate registration officer based in Lusaka who coordinated the process, said the survey found lower numbers of refugees than previously recorded, attributing the gap to unreported returns, absences for work, and some cases of the same children appearing on both parents' ration cards.

After verification campaign, the population of the Kala camp had decreased to 11,971, which is 977 people less than previous records had shown, and in Mwange the population had dipped 1,658 to 12,771, he said.

More than 16,000 Congolese refugees have repatriated from Zambia to the DRC in the past two years as much of the country begins to recover from its devastating civil war, according to UNHCR.

Zambia hosts more than 83,000 refugees from DRC, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia, with some accommodated in camps and settlements, and others settled on their own.
Feb 12 2009 11:10AM
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UN PREDICTS FALL IN GLOBAL CEREAL PRODUCTION AS RECORD NUMBERS GO HUNGRY

UN PREDICTS FALL IN GLOBAL CEREAL PRODUCTION AS RECORD NUMBERS GO HUNGRY
New York, Feb 12 2009 11:10AM
Bad weather, violent conflict and volatile market prices could force a drop off in the global production of cereal crops this year, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) predicted today after already warning that some 1billion people worldwide are going hungry.

Drought and high food prices in much of the developing world coupled with a diversion to bio-fuels and the disincentive of high planting costs in the West look likely to reduce grain production in most of the world's major producers.

The latest issue of FAO's Crop Prospects and Food Situation <"http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/ai480e/ai480e00.HTM">Report warned that acute food shortages persist in 32 countries worldwide and pointed to the situation in the Gaza Strip as cause for particular concern.

In Eastern Africa more than 18 million people face serious food insecurity due either to conflict, unrest, adverse weather or a combination of the factors, while in Southern Africa the total number of food insecure is estimated at some 8.7 million.

The report <"http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/10127/icode/">stressed that in Kenya, Somalia and Zimbabwe, the situation is very serious citing drought, civil unrest and economic crises as causes.

The outlook for cereal crop production in low-income countries with food shortages is gloomy, with a likely reduction in maize crops in Southern Africa, and prolonged dry spells affecting wheat farmers in Asia. Almost half of China's winter wheat harvest is already suffering from severe drought and India is experiencing a lack of rainfall.

In South America, 2008 wheat production was halved by drought in Argentina, and persistent dry weather is damaging prospects for the region's 2009 coarse grains.

The report noted that despite the decline in international food prices in the second half of 2008, domestic prices remain very high in several developing countries, making food unaffordable for low-income groups.

In Southern Africa and Central America, prices of their main food commodities have continued to rise or have not decreased in recent months, and in Western and Eastern Africa January prices were significantly higher than at the same time last year.

Imported rice and wheat prices, staples in these sub-regions, are also on the increase, and remain high in several poor Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The FAO report pointed out that while conditions are generally favourable for winter wheat throughout Europe and the United States, the amount of planted area in these countries has declined, reflecting the prospect of sharply reduced profits compared to last year and persistently high input costs.

<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO also forecasted further increases in the use of cereals for bio-fuel production with a total of 104 million tons, up 22 per cent from the 2007/08 estimated level, representing almost 5 per cent of world cereal production. The United States alone is expected to increase production of bio-fuels to roughly 93 million tons, which is up 19 percent from the 2007/08 level.
Feb 12 2009 11:10AM
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SENIOR UN OFFICIAL TO GO TO SERBIA FOR MORE TALKS ON KOSOVO

SENIOR UN OFFICIAL TO GO TO SERBIA FOR MORE TALKS ON KOSOVO
New York, Feb 12 2009 11:10AM
A senior United Nations official will meet with Serbian ministers later this month for wide-ranging discussions on Kosovo, which proclaimed its independence a year ago in a move that Serbia rejects.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Kosovo Lamberto Zannier received an invitation to meet with Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic in Belgrade later this month, which he has accepted, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) announced today.

It said the consultations would broach a broad range of issues relating to Mr. Ban's most recent report to the Security Council, in which he stressed the need for a reconfiguration of UNMIK after Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in February last year.

Noting that the Mission has faced significant challenges to its ability to perform the vast majority of its tasks as an interim administration, including in civil and economic governance, where new institutions are being created and new roles assumed by the Kosovo authorities under the constitution they adopted, Mr. Ban said reconfiguration was being accelerated to adapt fully to the prevailing circumstances on the ground.

UNMIK took over the administration of Kosovo in 1999 after North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO) forces drove out Yugoslav troops amid deadly fighting with the majority ethnic Albanian population there.

The UN has remained neutral on the question of the status of Kosovo, since its declaration of independence.

Mr. Zannier recently held consultations with Kosovo authorities similar to those he will have in Belgrade, and is also consulting with other relevant stakeholders, in particular the European Union (EU), which is undertaking an enhanced operational role with its EULEX mission on the rule of law, the largest civilian mission ever launched under the European Security and Defence Policy.

EULEX, which works under the general framework of United Nations Security Resolution 1244, operates under the overall authority and within the status-neutral framework of the UN, focusing particularly on the areas of international policing, justice and customs.

Serbia has accepted these arrangements, but Kosovo's authorities reject them, pledging instead to cooperate with EULEX in accordance with the mandate foreseen for it in Kosovo's declaration of independence, its constitution and its legislation.

In his report Mr. Ban said he was encouraged by Kosovo's indication that it was willing to cooperate with EULEX and, inter alia, the EU and NATO.
Feb 12 2009 11:10AM
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